Is there any felicity in the world superior to this?

That is to quote Sense and Sensibility the movie. I believe.

Did you ever have a day that reminded you why life was even worth living? Ahh, that was my day! It was fabuloso that's Spanish for fabulous (hehehe) from beginning to end!  

We danced! Finally after really truly emerging from said black hole and entering into the world of people again! And it went really well.  Which was a huge relief, because the last practice before the flu was HORRIBLE.  Then, after a lovely day of drawing and cleaning and playing I went to a school meeting for Chickie.  I almost started to cry, but I didn't.  That said, I'm SO excited for her to go to school.  It's kind of rough having a Nov. birthday and having to wait around so long to start school.  And then the glorious part.  I got THE dress!  

I tried to take a picture that would express the fun of wearing such an awesome thing.  Tried and failed really.  Here's a picture of me running down the stairs.  Luckily, I didn't trip on the ball.  But after several trips up and down I couldn't quite capture it's beauty in motion.
SO then I tried twirling.  That was fun, but I'm feeling a little dizzy now!  I am so so excited for Thursday!  I met my friend Papi at book club tonight and that is where the "transaction"  took place.  I called for a moment of silence before we got the dress out. SO So exciting!  And it was fun talking about Emily of New Moon and her passion for writing.  Someone asked me if I had anything like that, something that I absolutely could not keep myself from doing. My short answer would have to be no.  But I have realized that for me dancing and creating art of some sort have been the two themes my whole life that have really brought me joy.  They are the things that really add the flavor to life.  The past five years I have only had them in very small doses, because that's how I adjusted to motherhood. I really had a hard time trying to fit creativity into my life in as large a dose as I really need.  

I realized that this was a problem when I was spending more time watching dancing shows on TV than actually dancing. I knew that I should be doing the exact opposite.  So, we got rid of TV when we moved here in November. It has been really great.  I get so much more done of what I want to be doing.  And now I am spending more time dancing than watching other people do it.  I'm actually living my life the way I want it right now and that is such an amazing feeling!  Although, Chris bought bunny ears to watch the polls on Super Tuesday and I watched the Oscars Sunday night. The whole thing from beginning to end. And it was the highlight of my week I think.  But that's not hard considering it was the week of flu-y death.  

So, I pose the question to you..Do you have something you absolutely have to do. There really is no choice. You just have to do it?

Out! of the black hole

What a week of complete and total insanity. Misery, flu-y death.  I did feel like I was going to die for a few days and then felt only good enough to read.  Doesn't reading feel so completely and totally indulgent. Almost wicked, really. To be so consumed in a novel to completely ignore those around you.  It doesn't matter when everyone else is too sick to notice or care.  I guess.  I read Emily of New Moon in two days and I loved it so much I got the other two books from the library on the one day this week I dared to lurk out of my cave for supplies.  Then, I read Emily Climbs in nearly a day, but I was so tired I had to finish the last twenty or so pages this morning.  Finally, I felt better enough today that I had to contact everyone who thought I blew them off this week, do laundry, and make dinner.  But in between I couldn't help myself but to finish the last book, Emily's Quest.  It was a short one. But, urgh how insanely painful.  I just can't stand being tortured so. Really, has anyone read these books? They are by LM Montgomery. After the first two I definitely wanted to read her Anne of Green Gables series, but now I don't know.  The third book reminded me of Wuthering Heights.  I had a friend who wrote a song about Wuthering Heights and how she, "wanted the book to be (her) life."  So of course I had to read it. I felt completely and utterly tortured and never would want to be haunted by my own life like that. I wish I had read the last measly four pages first (of Emily's Quest) and then maybe I wouldn't have been so completely irked by the first 231!  I just couldn't relate I guess. This last one dealt with the romance of Emily's life and I could never let my pride get in the way of my own happiness. I'm too much of an open book, really in all matters.  And to go on completely miserable for years and years.  Without even trying to do anything about it.  I would much rather make a complete fool of myself and have no regrets. And that is what I've done, time and time again. 

But now that the spell of the last book has been broken I have a sudden surge of energy and I will have to venture out into the world tomorrow if I can at all help it! Please, let Bentley feel better tomorrow!  If only his mother wouldn't feed him popcorn and pickles for an after lunch snack.  OK, it was his own choosing. But I allowed it!

But I am thankful for the first two books. They painted such a happy picture of a girl with such a singular drive for her craft (which was writing);  well, it was absolutely inspiring.  I find myself with a strong urge to improve my vocabulary and I just can't help myself with all the italics.  But that's an inside joke between me and anyone else who has read Emily Climbs.  And today I finally found the clamp for my favorite lamp for my drawing desk and in the process I found a perfect little stretcher that really is aching for a fresh canvas and a lovely new painting. Hmmm, what to paint? I need just a little inspiration and hopefully it will strike soon. 

Random

I saw a dude going down town on a unicycle.  Like he was actually using it for transportation. Not just out for a joyride. Man, I wish I had my camera with me. Although, it's probably for the best, seeing as I was driving at the time.

poke me

I have really been enjoying this fun new book filled with one great project after another.  It is called Last-Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson.  This is where I got the pattern for the elephants and these adorable little pincushions.  Although, personally after a little trial and error, I like adding a button on each side instead of the embroidery thread because it seams to finish it off more neatly and doesn't compromise the seams in the middle.  But maybe I was just doing it wrong.  

A few of her projects require a little bit of a million different fabrics.  Which is a fun excuse to build up your fabric stash if you don't already have one.  And I really like that the projects are divided by an estimated time to finish.  It makes even the longest ones seam really do-able.
Today I'm thankful that my husband isn't really serious about wanting to run for president someday.  It would be really scary to have a ballroom dancer in the White House.  And if I was First Lady my mission would be, well, I'm not sure what it would be but one thing's for sure it would be really quirky.  No, as a nation we really don't want that.  

What would your mission be if you were First Lady, or President?

blustery day

Today I'm thankful for blue skies after rain.
Even the wind was fun.
A windy day like this does make you want to snuggle up in a nice warm quilt with some quality literature. Don't you think!

Updates about this and that

I took my friend Heather to visit the chickens last week and we had some good laughs.  We got to see for ourselves how those pesky chickens (and I say that with affection) escaped.   Because the black and white one tried it again.  Several times actually.  So Heather went to catch it for me.  Very funny.  I kind of feel bad for not knowing the chickens names.  But here is Addison with the black and white one.  After Heather caught one, everyone wanted to hold them.  Including, Add who had been previously afraid of them.  So, good job bud!


Here is Riley with another chicken.  I think this one is particularly pretty.  As is Riley. 

Kind of strange timing, but this week we randomly got a flyer in the mail for ordering chickens.  


Now, Chris is obsessed.  He wants to get chickens and a pair of teacup pigs.  Apparently you have to buy them in pairs so they can snuggle.  He's a mess!


Friday we went here for dinner. It was Heather's birthday and that is their tradition.  They used to have to go to Nashville. But lucky us.  I did not know food could taste that good!  So yummy and so fun!

what else, what else...in other blog worthy updates.  Today was the first day of the ab diet.  Which was fine until I made one of the suggested recipes for dinner. It was sweet potatoes with goat cheese, cottage cheese, and ricotta cheese.  We unanimously agreed that it tasted like vomit.  We threw it out and ate left over pizza from Saturday night.  So, if anyone is interested in dieting along, don't eat the sweet potatoes unless you are a fan of goat cheese.  

The diet is from Oxygen magazine.  I'm going to do waist measurements and we shall see if it works.  Or if I can stick with it.  Less than one month until Heritage.

Today I am really, really thankful for my awesome new desk that Chris made for me.  I was looking for a good one from Ikea.  I found one I liked and it was only $150.  But shipping was about the same amount.  So Mandee told me how fun Ikea is and that it would be worth a drive down.  But we both agreed not with kids. So then there was discussion as to whether it would still be less than shipping to pay for us to drive down and pay for a babysitter for the day.  Then my mom suggested we could just drive down and visit her and she could watch our kids and we could drive the 3 hours to the nearest Ikea.  Good idea, if it didn't take 9 hours to get to my moms.   In the end I decided it would be best just to get Chris to make it for me.  It has a built in light table and everything.  Thanks, babe! Hmm, I guess I should have tidied up a bit before taking a picture.  But the good thing now is that I have a place and a time (nap time) dedicated to drawing! Yay!

My fifteen minutes

 Last thursday after I posted the diet post, I was feeling whiny about my blog.  I thought my chicken story was pretty funny and worthy of at least one little comment from someone.  So I decided to check my sitemeter and see if anyone was reading my blog anymore.  It said:

Average Visits per day: 8

Visits this week:58

Visits today: 630

I stared at it for a minute and thought, "Huh?  It must be broken."  So then I checked my referral list and all of my visits were coming from Heather Bailey's blog.  So I went to her blog and at the very bottom of this post she lists three here's and mine is the second.  So everyone is clicking over to see my silly pigtail hair do in her very cool trash ties.  

 I can't believe that many people read her blog in one day.  But you know that feeling when you have an unexpected visitor and you have dishes in the sink, or a big pile of unfolded laundry on the couch?  Well, that's how I felt so I stayed up really late that night trying to spruce up my blog for any more visitors.  Funny, huh.  What is the blog equivalent of putting out fresh flowers?  

I guess if I was one to play it cool I wouldn't even mention this. But I'm not. I'll admit I get a little excited when I have hundreds of unexpected guests at my blog, even if it is only one little click in and then out again.

So welcome!