A Random Package and a random ramble

I got a delightful package in the mail today. It was ridiculously random and cheered me up entirely. Who else but my dear Kit would send me:

1. felt in great colors
2. (2) comical hand me down t-shirts one "NASA", and one "Silver Dollar City"
3. the boggle game I left at her house
4. paint
5. (2) AMAZING Star Wars shirts for the boys that are going to make her the HERO aunt tomorrow

6. and best of all, these amazing Owl glasses I have coveted for a long time.

The sad part is that this box symbolizes that she is moving far far far away back to Utah, that far far far away place where so many of my loved ones live. . . . . . . . .m i s s y o u a l r e a d y . . . . (*sigh*)

..and..

My dear Emily had a contest way back.. (I have never responded to a blog contest in time yet) and she always inspires me greatly. Reading her blog is like a big refreshing glass of cold water. So, since she is always my inspiration to go a little deeper, share a little more and be a little more real, I have included a few photos I shot of very "real" things in my life this week.

1. Something you need every single day
I think I wash my hands about 200 times a day and each time I do I think how glad i am that I don't have to fetch my own water from the stream or something. If I ever have to really conserve water, I will live a different life. There are so many sticky messes at my house, I don't know how we would survive. One of my great grandpas on my mom's side built an aqueduct that actually has water that runs uphill near Manti Utah. At least that's how the story goes. It's not there anymore. The Indians called him a squirrel because he was so industrious and never gave up. I'm grateful I don't have to build my own aqueduct.

2. Something you once lost, but finally found
this is the coolest shrimp called a pistol Shrimp that makes a loud cracking sound on the glass of the aquarium by squirting water with his claws. We thought he had died, but then we discovered he was still alive to our delight.

2. Something you once lost, but finally found (part 2)
I horded coupons, found candy on sale and then stocked up on Halloween candy, just to have my husband eat it all BEFORE Halloween! When I discovered how much was missing I started hiding the candy. It's been a running joke for a couple of weeks where I get favors in return for pieces of candy. Well, this week I really lost the candy. I hid it somewhere where even I could not remember where it was. When I finally found it, there was rejoicing and much gluttony- (to my dismay)

3. A happy place in your house
Eirik and I read a book from the library about homes mice live in. Since then, Eirik has been collecting leaves, pine cones and shredded paper for his "winter nest." Luckily it is out of site from the front door. (Not that the rest of our mess is!)

4. Something you ate today
how can I have a picture of it if I already ate it?

5. A picture of a picture - huh?

6. A favorite book - I don't read

just kidding, I'll add these later...

7. Something "Fall-y"
This year I printed and cut out a bunch of vintage Halloween postcards that I framed on cardstock. I think vintage Halloween stuff is so cute. There is nothing scary about it. They are sweet and just a bit spooky. They are just my style. I put them all around my house. And we have had lots of candle light dinners this month (at Eirik and Joren's request.)


8. Your favorite color ( yet to come)

9. Something from your childhood
Tattered, torn, no cover and worn. I loved these Laura Ingalls Wilder books. I think they did much to shape who I am.
"If our country can become great in humility, and can work earnestly to solve its own problems at the same time that it carries its share of world responsibilities, it will be through vision of our children, their integrity and idealism, gained in homes like the home in the "Little House" books." -The Horn Book

10. Something from your to-do list
that NEVER gets checked off. Our living space is quite small and my endless projects are quite big. And my kids endless projects are sometimes even bigger. Together we make an endless mess in this small space. Yes, it will probably look like this in some degree if you come visit me. It's only clean after the kids go to bed, but then it's messy again by 8AM.

and here are some categories of my own:

1. something confiscated..
hourly

2. something I made
I have been studying leaves a bit. I labeled the latin name of each leaf shape, border, placement and if it is compound or not. I learned a lot. I would love to take a class on botany and landscape design.

3. Halloween at our house
my "spooky jars (only one is lit) are just mason jars with masking tape wrapped around black construction paper faces. These were fun to make. I'm not sure why, but I saw a vision of the vase with an eyeball and it had to happen.
(coo coo)

4. something surprising
when my outdoor plants were growing out of control earlier this summer I snipped off the tips and threw them in these vases to enjoy for a while. To my surprise the cut ends grew roots and now these vases are full of root balls. It's been months and who knows how long they will grow!


I know this has been a terribly random post. I don't' know why I posted it. I'm trying something new.