So, today as I was taking a shower and pondering my day, I had a flash of inspiration....
I have been thinking about four things:
1. My sister Katherine is finishing up her year of canonnical study and will be home for a visit at the end of June.
2. I have a stash of fabric that I have been thinking about purging, or at least thinning out.
3. I want to make a quilt.... something to do with it being summer and too hot to knit comfortably makes me want to sew.
4. My sister Katherine's student loan debt is still around $3000 and my DH will NOT let me write a check to pay it off. (and I don't like the idea that my parents are saddled with that debt)
And then it came to me! If I make a quilt (for a double size bed) and then raffle it off for $10 a ticket, I think it is possible to raise the money to pay off her student loan debt. It's 300 tickets.
My sister Mary is willing to help sell tickets. My parents are willing to help sell tickets. I am willing to sell tickets. I think it is do-able.
Then I talked to my mom some more and realized my parents had also taken out loans to help put Katherine through college. So if I go beyond the goal of $3000, anything in addition will go toward retiring the rest of the debt incurred by my family to put Katherine through college. If we somehow manage to retire ALL of that debt, the rest will go to a charity. Unclear which charity at this point.
So keep me and these efforts in your prayers.
I'll have pictures and updates shortly.
:)
Sara
Monday, June 7, 2010
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
A sunny, sad day
Today, I attended the funeral of my neighbor Dic Wells. Mr Wells was 88 years old. I wasn't really sad for him as much as I was sad for his widow, Eunice. I cannot imagine being married for 65 years and then losing my spouse. It's just more than I can wrap my brain around. I was sad because I imagined what I would feel like if I lost Mark now, after 7 1/2 years) and the grief was overpowering. And yet, Eunice was remarkably well composed, all things considered.
The funeral was at a church one mile from my house, on my street. There are sidewalks on both sides of the road. It was sunny and relatively warm, so I made the decision to walk to the funeral. Partially because it was a beautiful day, partially because it gave me an excuse to walk and get more steps on my pedometer, and partially because by walking I could be excused from going to the cemetary. One regret - wearing heels, oh well. It was so nice. I was able to walk and pray and think enroute to the church - I prayed 4 decades of a rosary, and on the way home I completed the rosary. I thought of Mr Wells, of his wife/widow Eunice, of how his passing will change the landscape of the little block of houses around me. Mr Wells is my second neighbor to die in 3 years. Helen passed 3 years ago, and her house just sold 2 months ago to a young man. Now Mr Wells has passed, I wonder what will become of Eunice and the house. I hope we get a good neighbor. I hope there are children, or at least not crumedgeons. I hope whoever is there gets along well with us and with Jim and Frances.
After I got home and collected Paul from the baby-sitter, I baked a blueberry pound cake in 3 loaf pans and delivered one loaf to Eunice and her family. The second loaf went to my parents and the third loaf remains in my kitchen.
I managed to take the crib down from Christmas visitors as well. Now to get the shelf moved from my room into the guest room closet before Mark gets back from Texas.
So much to do... so little time. And realizing that even with 65 years of marriage, Dic and Eunice still felt like there was too little time.... must take advantage of the moment. Remember what is important. Mark. Paul. My parents. My sisters. My larger family.
The funeral was at a church one mile from my house, on my street. There are sidewalks on both sides of the road. It was sunny and relatively warm, so I made the decision to walk to the funeral. Partially because it was a beautiful day, partially because it gave me an excuse to walk and get more steps on my pedometer, and partially because by walking I could be excused from going to the cemetary. One regret - wearing heels, oh well. It was so nice. I was able to walk and pray and think enroute to the church - I prayed 4 decades of a rosary, and on the way home I completed the rosary. I thought of Mr Wells, of his wife/widow Eunice, of how his passing will change the landscape of the little block of houses around me. Mr Wells is my second neighbor to die in 3 years. Helen passed 3 years ago, and her house just sold 2 months ago to a young man. Now Mr Wells has passed, I wonder what will become of Eunice and the house. I hope we get a good neighbor. I hope there are children, or at least not crumedgeons. I hope whoever is there gets along well with us and with Jim and Frances.
After I got home and collected Paul from the baby-sitter, I baked a blueberry pound cake in 3 loaf pans and delivered one loaf to Eunice and her family. The second loaf went to my parents and the third loaf remains in my kitchen.
I managed to take the crib down from Christmas visitors as well. Now to get the shelf moved from my room into the guest room closet before Mark gets back from Texas.
So much to do... so little time. And realizing that even with 65 years of marriage, Dic and Eunice still felt like there was too little time.... must take advantage of the moment. Remember what is important. Mark. Paul. My parents. My sisters. My larger family.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Stories vs Real Life
I have realized something this week....
I can talk about my life and make it sound funny, but living in it is not so funny.
I suppose that's why I've heard so many times that I should think about writing a book to capture what is going on....
Case in point: PMS/PMDD
Have realized over the last few months that I have severe PMS. How do I know? Well in Novemeber when chaos was breaking out around me, did I stay calm? NO, I threatened to take the dog to the vet and have her put down.
In December when I was getting ready for out of town guests, was I ready well in advance and cheerful in the process? NO, I was asking my DH to take me to the hospital for a few days..... fortunately? he didn't.
In early January, I decided it would be best if I was just quiet, since I didn't know what would come out of my mouth....
Now, it's late January - I chose to shovel snow with a short handled shovel rather than sit inside drinking hot chocolate with my little one..... my period is due in a few days. I wonder if I am safe to be left with Paul alone this week while Mark is in Texas.
One of my co-workers constantly tells me that living in my house must be very funny..... but I really don't think so. If I can flesh out the stories, I might somehow manage to give Erma Bombeck a run for the money. I guess I'd better start writing!
I can talk about my life and make it sound funny, but living in it is not so funny.
I suppose that's why I've heard so many times that I should think about writing a book to capture what is going on....
Case in point: PMS/PMDD
Have realized over the last few months that I have severe PMS. How do I know? Well in Novemeber when chaos was breaking out around me, did I stay calm? NO, I threatened to take the dog to the vet and have her put down.
In December when I was getting ready for out of town guests, was I ready well in advance and cheerful in the process? NO, I was asking my DH to take me to the hospital for a few days..... fortunately? he didn't.
In early January, I decided it would be best if I was just quiet, since I didn't know what would come out of my mouth....
Now, it's late January - I chose to shovel snow with a short handled shovel rather than sit inside drinking hot chocolate with my little one..... my period is due in a few days. I wonder if I am safe to be left with Paul alone this week while Mark is in Texas.
One of my co-workers constantly tells me that living in my house must be very funny..... but I really don't think so. If I can flesh out the stories, I might somehow manage to give Erma Bombeck a run for the money. I guess I'd better start writing!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Of baking soda and vinegar
Today, Paul and I cleaned the oven.
I scrubbed, he had fun.
Paul referred to it has his 'scrubbing mission', but mostly, I spread baking soda onto the bottom (lift out) pan of the oven, and he sprayed vinegar and laughed as it sizzled.
He would squirt vinegar, and say something like "good one!" or "Wow! Great Shot - it's really sizzling!"
The best part was that when I finished with working on the sides of the oven, I went over to the sink prepared to scrub the pan and ta-da! The baking soda and vinegar and totally dissolved everything! All I had to do was rinse! It was a great moment for me, and I felt like I had accomplished something AND had fun with Paul at the same time.
Not bad for a day when hormones were still coursing through my veins making me somewhat CrAzY!
We also dismantled the Christmas tree and put the majority of the decorations away.
Paul threw most of the decorations on the floor - thank goodness for carpeting and not being in the room at the time.... I carefully packed everything away into boxes. Paul commented on how much he loves the red bell that he made and how much he doesn't love the green one that Miriam made..... methinks there is some jealousy there - cousin rivalry perhaps? At any rate, all decos are put away into the Christmas box until next year.
And I am hoping to start writing more often, and including pics as I go. Need a spot to start journaling again....
Here's hoping the rest of the week goes so smoothly.
I scrubbed, he had fun.
Paul referred to it has his 'scrubbing mission', but mostly, I spread baking soda onto the bottom (lift out) pan of the oven, and he sprayed vinegar and laughed as it sizzled.
He would squirt vinegar, and say something like "good one!" or "Wow! Great Shot - it's really sizzling!"
The best part was that when I finished with working on the sides of the oven, I went over to the sink prepared to scrub the pan and ta-da! The baking soda and vinegar and totally dissolved everything! All I had to do was rinse! It was a great moment for me, and I felt like I had accomplished something AND had fun with Paul at the same time.
Not bad for a day when hormones were still coursing through my veins making me somewhat CrAzY!
We also dismantled the Christmas tree and put the majority of the decorations away.
Paul threw most of the decorations on the floor - thank goodness for carpeting and not being in the room at the time.... I carefully packed everything away into boxes. Paul commented on how much he loves the red bell that he made and how much he doesn't love the green one that Miriam made..... methinks there is some jealousy there - cousin rivalry perhaps? At any rate, all decos are put away into the Christmas box until next year.
And I am hoping to start writing more often, and including pics as I go. Need a spot to start journaling again....
Here's hoping the rest of the week goes so smoothly.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Traveling with Paul
At the 4th of July we went to a Charlotte Knights baseball game with our family. Here are Paul and my sister, Susanne.
Later, in August, I took Paul to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens, he LOVED running under this fountain - I think I have pics of him doing this earlier in the summer, too - May 25th he's much more confident now!.....
Later, in August, I took Paul to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens, he LOVED running under this fountain - I think I have pics of him doing this earlier in the summer, too - May 25th he's much more confident now!.....
And then Labor day, we went to the beach! Yes, we are both - THAT PALE!
Paul had fun, but didn't really think much of the water.
We were at Kure Beach in NC, and also went to Fort Fisher. Here's a pic of Mark and Paul out on one of the walkways
Paul travelled really well in the car, no major fussing and not that difficult, so I felt confident that I could drive alone with him to visit my sister, Mary in New York City. Paul and I stopped in DC to visit with Beth and Julia.... We had a great visit, even though it was short!
Here we are in Julia's kitchen. Bets is wearing white, Julia's in the blue:
On Sunday, Mary, Miriam, Paul and I travelled up to CT. We saw Mubarra and Mohammed and their two kids, Zahara and Zayed.
More coming... just have to organize pics and thoughts!
:)
Sara
Friday, August 29, 2008
Paul in the Rain
We had some heavy rain this week, and to celbrate Paul went out and GOT WET!!
Paul and Teresa ran up and down the driveway at Teresa's house until they were SOAKED and didn't want to run any more!!! Amazing that they could finally run themselves out!
Paul and Teresa ran up and down the driveway at Teresa's house until they were SOAKED and didn't want to run any more!!! Amazing that they could finally run themselves out!
:)
Sara
Sara
Friday, July 4, 2008
Mark and I have been married 6 years!
Here are some pics from our anniversary weekend in June - Enjoy!
Mark and I - a self portrait on the balcony of the apartment where we stayed.
Paul joined us for the next picture - he really wanted the camera!
Mark and I - a self portrait on the balcony of the apartment where we stayed. 
Paul joined us for the next picture - he really wanted the camera!
Mark and Paul up on Grandfather Mtn.
Paul with a brown bear (or at least a small statue of one!)
Paul and I with the bear statue!
More soon!
:)
Sara
We travelled to Beech Mtn, and visited Grandfather Mountain on our anniversary - it was a great day!
Paul, Mark and I enjoyed seeing an American Eagle and a Brown Bear.
The weather was perfect - not too hot or too cold!
:)
Sara
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