Lavender-Blue, dilly-dilly...

I just took an interesting hue test here: http://www.xrite.com/custom_page.aspx?PageID=77
Courtesy of Valette- Thanks! ;)
I got a 36 (the lower your score the better- Valette got a 4), which is not fantastically great, but proved what I already knew... I'm losing my purples. My mom's are pretty much gone. She sees most lavenders as grey. And I'm slowly losing mine. Makes me sad. I like lavender...
I achieved perfection on the first two scales, but the last three weren't so great.
Wuh-Laah. (Which is Sirevaag for "I'm sad!")

Monroe Bazaar

Beth and I will be at the Monroe bazaar this Saturday. The bazaar is held at Monroe Catholic school and lasts from 10-4. (We'll be there at 8, but you don't have to!)
This bazaar is one of our very favorites. For one thing it's the first one we ever did- thanks to Patrick Woolery. It's always the first bazaar of the season. Also, it's one of the smoothest run ones- they offer help to the vendors who need it, and the check-in process is very simple. And we typically get a fairly high volume of people. Last year there weren't many people, but it was scheduled opposite a World Eskimo/Indian event. Which definitely affects where people go up here in Fairbanks.

Anyway, we hope to see you there!
Rebecca

2 Costume funnies

I love costume jokes... I don't know why. But they just kill me. I was absolutely rolling over these two.
I'm a visual person. I know that's part of what gets me. But I also like two things placed against each other...
Anyway, hope you laugh as much as I did. ;)

The Rental

Our Durango is in the shop right now and you should see the thing we were given by the insurance company! They are letting us use an expedition until we get our vehicle back. It absolutely rocks! We all went out to dinner last week and everyone of us had plenty of leg space- even Jake way back in the far back. Not so much of that in the Durango... I know our gas mileage is hideous, but wow, is it nice to have enough room to take the girls to the store and still bring home the groceries...

LOL!

This is so like my girls!

jobs

Yikes... I've been very busy lately.

We've got a bazaar this Saturday, so I've been making up as much as possible in preparation for that...

I've had deadlines, deadlines, deadlines with the curriculum writing.

Jake's been coming home from school & work and immediately diving into homework...

Driving the girls around all day drives me crazy! I hope we can work out their schedule a little better next year... Although some of it will naturally work out since Deborah will start doing all day school.

Deborah LOVES her kindergarten teacher and I thinks she's great. Deborah gets to do a different cool thing every day- gymn, library, art, music... Pretty much rocks for her. She delights in the challenges of school and is doing very well.

Abigail is still not sure if she likes pre-school or not. There are some things she likes (playing outside, playing with different toys, the food...) and some things she doesn't- primarily being told what to do! My stubborn 3 year old would rather do exactly what she wants to do all day. well, wouldn't we all, really?

September Books

Millicent’s Gift by Ann Rinaldi A
Really liked this. A modern witch comes into her powers at 18. Very light on the 'magic' and powers stuff, and very heavy on the growing up stuff. This book is about how her family & friends deals with her powers. She makes some bad choices and has to deal with them. She has to forgive and accept her older brother, and deals with anger. Excellent YA book.

Steal the Dragon by Patricia Briggs A
Excellent fantasy. A former slave returns to her old country as a spy in order to bring destruction to the slave trade. I really liked this.

Odder Than Ever by Bruce Coville A+
Short stories. Some of them are horrifying, but all of them are wonderful. For the older reader, high school or adult.

The Shack by William P. Young A+
This book deserves an entry all to itself. I’m struggling to know what to say, though. I’ll try to write more later.

First light by Bodie & Brock Thoene A+
The first in their AD Chronicles- historical fiction based on the people surrounding Jesus. What I LOVE about these is the accuracy, and Jewish heritage details. Excellent historical fiction. I fell in love with the characters.

Damage Control by J.A. Jance A+
The next Joanna Brady mystery. I LOVED this one. Probably my favorite of all of hers- I think I just related to some of the personal problems she’s dealing with- balancing a baby, a job, a husband. The two mysteries were interesting and the writing is excellent.

Worldweavers: Gift of the Unmage by Alma Alexander A+
LOVED this! And, lo and behold, I picked up another battle of the books book by accident! So this one is about a completely mundane, unmagical girl born into a family of magic masters... She discovers many secrets and learns to accept herself. Excellent YA fantasy!

The World’s Worst Fairy Godmother by Bruce Coville A
A fairy godmother’s wand has been jinxed... You can imagine what happens next... Silly & light.

The Evil Elves by Bruce Coville B+
Silly & very light, fun magical adventures, 4th-6th grade YA, very quick read, an enjoyable main character & a silly magician. Everything ends up happily-ever-after... Good.

Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep by Gail Carson Levine B+
Light retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Not as good as Ella Enchanted, but still worth the time.

If There Be Dragons by Kay Hooper B-
A little drawn out, but I liked the idea. A woman has had a terrible life, and this guy sticks around to defeat her ‘dragons’. A slow-paced romance.

Sweet and Deadly by Charlaine Harris B+
Harris’ first mystery-published in 1981. Kinda fun, ‘cuz it’s about publishing a paper, and she describes using typewriters and cutting out pieces sent by different contract writers. Her mysteries are always well written and intriguing.

Left to Die by Lisa Jackson A-
I liked the characters in this suspenseful/romantic mystery... Lots of believable, quirky and fully developed people: 2 complicated/interesting female detectives, a mystery guy living in the woods, a strong main character, an alcoholic who was abducted by aliens, and a woman who talks to ghosts. However, the fact that the story doesn’t actually end and won’t end until her next book comes out in ‘09 made me REALLY annoyed.

New Funnies

I think my vicadin is affecting my funny bone... everything's kind of funny right now. :)

These are from ihazahotdog.com and Engrishfunny.com.

Party like it's 1919!

Life is an Adventure

From Larry Crabb:

"Men were designed to remember God and to move with courage into regions where there is no code. Because we were designed that way, something feels out of whack when we play it safe. And we know it. Every time we back away from something that we're too scared to face, we sense that something's not right. But we're too scared to explore what's wrong."

Slip slip sliding away...

A guy slid into me today.
I was driving home after dropping Deborah off at kindergarten (Thank you, God! She wasn't in the car...), and slowing down to come to a stop sign. This guy in a jeep takes the corner way too fast and slides right into me. It was almost in slow motion! I could see him coming and I was trying to stop the Dodge... I slid about 5-10 feet (as opposed to his 30 or so), and he hit me.
Broke out our front driver's side lights, bent the fender down into the wheel well, smashed the car a bit, and totally messed with my neck.
He was great. Totally took responsibility, about fell apart, gave me all his info.
I went home fighting the car the whole way- the fender was up in the wheel well and messing with the wheel- making this HORRIBLE screeching sound, and causing the wheel to shake and tremble.
About a half hour after I got home, my neck started hurting. Bad.
Jake was at school, and I thought I'll go ahead and get ready so he can take me to the ER when he gets home. So I started getting ready, and finally realized something. Jake would rather I call the Econ office and have him pulled out of class than not know. (He doesn't have a cell phone, I do.)
So, I did. And he came home immediately and took me to the ER. And I was definitely right- he'd rather I called him right then. In fact, it was almost an hour later and he'd rather I had called him immediately.
Now I've got a neck brace and a prescription for Vicadin.
I HATE the neck brace. It's miserably uncomfortable and, at least for today, my neck hurts more wearing it than not. I'm thinking that'll probably change tomorrow.
Anyway, the Vicadin is making me woozy, dizzy, a little sick to my stomach and sleepy.
I do not like Vicadin. But since I'm allergic to all the oxycodones that was the best option.
Why on earth do people think it's a good idea to take pain meds for fun?? They must affect me very differently than the average person.
So, the car's drivable, but in sad shape. His insurance is going to fix it and pay for my ER visit and my follow up with my neck doctor.
I'm angry about it. Not at the guy. Yes, he was driving too fast, and he shouldn't have been.
But, I'm angry it happened. My neck is already a mess. I've been okay. Not great, but okay. This is gonna set my neck way back. It is hurting pretty bad right now and that's with Vicadin and Ibuprofen. And I know it's gonna be worse tomorrow...

Snow!

Here's our yard!
Today we woke up to snow covering the ground... A lot of it has melted, but not all.


Yesterday Beth and I went to the Farmer's Market last day. We froze our patooties off! A light sprinkling of snow was falling as we left, but it didn't last much longer than the morning.
We made very little $ 'cuz most people thought the Farmer's Market was over. I can't imagine why anyone would think the season was over! SARCASM implied!

OH, MY

This is quite silly & quite alarming.
Worst worship ever...
This is Marty's fault. I wouldn't have seen it if he hadn't posted it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJya7tV2Wbc

Autumn

It's raining, 40 degrees and all the leaves are falling off the trees.
I'm NOT ready for winter. I'm not ready for -30. I'm not ready for snow.
Everybody here is sick with a head cold and I've kept the girls home from school for the last couple days.
Farmer's Market is miserable at 40 with rain. We didn't go today 'cuz of the head colds, but I would have hated to go even if I wasn't sick...
Blecch! I don't want it to be Autumn. And I don't want winter to come!
Mom read somewhere that we're supposed to have a very cold, very long winter... I'm dreading it. This is the time of year when I start asking why on earth we're in Fairbanks, Alaska.

A Party at The Stash

You are invited to The Stash: Unplugged.
Experience all things musical at a Jam Session hosted by Janie, Rachael & Robyn on Friday, October 3 at 5:00pm to 8:00pm.
This will also be the grand opening of their new and improved location- just across the street from their old location. They had some issues with their current place and have ended up moving to a larger and better place, just across the street. Currently, they are located directly behind the Co-op on Third. Now, they'll be behind the Co-op and across from the Empress Theatre.

The last week or so

I feel like I'm too busy, but everything I'm doing is pretty basic.
I've been writing for the church down in Texas, completing jewelry for Farmer's Market, taking the girls to school. Laundry, meals and running necessary errands. Anybody who thinks that the parent who stays home with the kids spends their time watching tv or playing on the computer all day is INSANE.

The big mess at our home has been Jake's absence. His parents paid for him to go to Seattle for his brother's wedding. He was down there for a week. Led worship at a friend's church. Visited with family. And was basically pretty sad. He missed us and we missed him. He came home sick. Which happens every time he travels. And now everybody here is sick, too. I just don't think I'm gonna let him travel without us again.

I hate being a single parent! I don't see how people function as full time single parents...
Really. I'm serious. I don't see how they get anything done. While Jake was gone, I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off, and still not ending up with everything done that HAD to be done.

I've had lesson activities to write for Elevate at Fellowship Church in Texas. I'm thoroughly delighted with the materials they've sent me as examples. Very easy to use. Creative. Fun. Complete. A bit like VBS every Sunday. I'm pleased to get to write for a group striving for excellence and ingenuity.

I've had several commissioned jewelry pieces over the last 2 weeks. These have been very difficult to complete! Yikes... The whole time I'm thinking about whether they're going to like it or not vs. just enjoying the process of beading. I enjoy what I'm doing when I'm not fretting about it. :) Partly, it's just an artist wanting to please people. Partly, it's a dread of not having them done right.

Oh, and Jake and I start a Bible study at church tomorrow night. Which I'm very much looking forward to... Haven't been involved in a good Bible study in a while. The youth group at church has started up again, and I get to be involved again. Soon I'll start working with Jeff H. on the children's choir- it still amazes me how much I LOVE doing that.

So- busy. That's me. Running around like a busy buzzing bee... But the things I'm doing are all things I enjoy. I'm looking forward to September 27th- that's the final Farmer's Market day.

Anyway, I don't have time for much internet stuff. Or keeping up with my blog. Which is bad. Naughty mama.

Itty Bitty Cars

I drive a Dodge Durango. It's my mom's vehicle, but I LOVE it. I like being in a big vehicle and I like having 4 wheel drive with all the snow and ice we have in the winter. I like being able to put all of our Farmer's Market set-up in one vehicle. It's a little crowded, but all six of us fit if we want to go out for dinner or something.

The only problem is gas... Durango's have a huge tank and get very low gas mileage. And with the price of gas right now, it takes about $100 to fill it up. And we fill up at least once a week, sometimes a little more...

So, here's my reaction to driving in this little toy: NO WAY! Not unless my life depended on it. And it seems to me it would depend on my mom's Dodge not climbing on top of me. Very cute. Don't get me wrong. But not anything I'm interested in even trying.

Alaskan Politics

I avoid political discussion like the plague. I hate discussions that turn into disagreements and often find myself at a loss for words even when I have oceans of knowledge on a specific subject. When my emotions start getting involved (which happens fairly quickly for me) I have trouble recalling what I know, and then I get flustered and more incapable of thinking clearly... And then it's a vicious cycle- can't think- get flustered- can't think more- get upset... (And I have a Communication degree! Isn't that funny?!)

I wouldn't call myself a democrat or a republican... I'm a conservative and often vote republican; however, I tend to vote for the candidate not for the party. Until last week I was still undecided about which candidate I'd choose for president.

Recently, several friends have asked me for my opinion on the acceptance of Alaskan governor Sarah Palin as McCain's VP running mate, so I'm choosing to have my very short say. It's okay if you don't agree with me, just don't expect to get to have a debate to change my mind. :)

First, let me say: I don't have as much knowledge as many others. I probably don't know as much as you do! (whoever YOU are) I'm not a politician. I'm not one to follow everything going on in Washington, D.C. or even in Juneau. I'm a typical educated & voting Alaskan.


This is what I do know: Palin's been good for Alaska. She may not be perfect and I may not agree with everything she does, but I respect and admire her. She is approachable and honest. She's a real person with a real American life and she has made no bones about that, which means she has the difficulty of real kids, not perfect ones. I support her desire to clean up the Alaskan political arena and I appreciate the fact that she is not a 'politician' as such... She knows more about the energy situation than most, and she has personal reasons for getting the situation in Iraq clarified and straightened out. She is experienced, energetic, charismatic and knowledgeable.

I like her. And probably will end up voting for McCain because of her.

I'm a Soccer Mom!!!!

Having one daughter in kindergarten and the other in preschool is more stressful and time consuming that I would have thought... I feel like I'm constantly going.

I get up at 7:45-8 to get Deborah to school by 9.
Come back and get Abigail ready for pre-school.
Get Abigail to pre-school by 12.
Pick up Deborah at 1:30.
Go pick up Abigail at 4.

It doesn't sound complicated does it? But for some reason I feel like all I do is live in the car...

We also have a creative movement class for Deborah on Tuesdays right after school. I try and get the girls to the story time at the library in between other things.

And my Bible study hasn't even started!

Somewhere in the middle of all that I'm trying to get the laundry done, make dinner, create jewelry and do some writing... I've had several special orders for specific items, and we're still going to Farmer's Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays. (Wednesdays are very interesting with all the running around!) Now that Jake is doing school and a job he's not much help with general chores around the house.

It's only been a week, so I'm expecting some of the back and forth to shake down and be less stressful & complicated. We'll see!

Books I read in August

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor B+
From the book jacket: When Alyss Heart, heir to the Wonderland throne, must flee through the Pool of Tears to escape her murderous aunt Redd, she finds herself lost and alone in Victorian London. Befriended by an aspiring author named Lewis Carroll, Alyss tells the violent, heartbreaking story of her young life. Alyss trusts this author to tell the truth so that someone, somewhere will find her and bring her home. But he gets the story all wrong. He even spells her name incorrectly! Fortunately, Royal Bodyguard Hatter Madigan knows all too well the awful truth of Alyss’ story and he is searching every corner of our world to find the lost princess and return her to Wonderland so she may eventually battle Redd for her rightful place as the Queen of Hearts. The Looking Glass Wars unabashedly challenges our Wonderland assumptions surrounding mad tea parties, grinning Cheshire cats and a curious little blond girl to reveal an epic battle in the endless war for imagination.
Since I wrote & directed a production of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ for the school in Seattle, I am VERY familiar with the story and all the weirdness associated with it. Beddor has taken it all and turned it on it’s ear. This is interesting YA- in the style of Harry Potter. A fun, disturbing interesting world and solid characters. I think they should have started the story somewhere else, ‘cuz the first couple chapters stunk... But if you get through that first bit, the story is fantastical & a lot of fun. The story has some weaknesses, but I honestly enjoyed reading it.

Boy’s Life by Robert R. McCammon A+
Loved this... Reminiscent of Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury and Stand by Me by Stephen King- except better than both. (Which is saying a lot, I liked both of those very much.) A coming of age novel with supernatural & mysterious twists. I read more passages out of this to my husband than anything except the Bible and a couple of books we’ve read together. :) We laughed out loud at a section about a wasps nest emptying into an Easter Sunday service. The story made me laugh and made me sad... Recommended by my friend Marty and has now made my list of favorites.

Sixth Covenant by Bodie & Brock thoene A
Excellent. I didn’t know this was the sixth in a series until I was a third into the book- it just didn’t make any difference to the completeness of the story.
This was the story of Joseph, Mary and Jesus’ birth- however, it was more about their Jewish heritage, and the historical aspects of the coming of the promised Messiah. I loved the accuracy & historicity of it. Brock Thoene is a historical researcher and their literature has been used to teach history in colleges. My friend Melissa has recommended Thoene books to me for a while and I finally got around to trying one. Enjoyed it thoroughly.

Victory Conditions by Elizabeth Moon A
The finale to her Vatta quartet. Very good military sc-fi... She’s one of the best at military sci-fi, and this series definitely reflects her military experience and writing talent.

Goblins in the Castle by Bruce Coville A
I think from Coville’s note at the end that this is one of his favorite stories. He wrote it for a character that has been a recurring person in his life: Igor. The story was very good- about a boy in a mysterious castle and the noises he hears in the night.

The Monsters of Morley Manor by Bruce Coville A
Fun, Wacky world - purgatory, vampires, aliens... Very good YA

The Dragonslayers by Bruce Coville B
Very short- rather simple. Not Bad, but not his best. Good YA

Stranger at the Wedding by Barbara Hambly B+
I enjoyed this thoroughly, but I’d forgotten how wordy Hambly is- I’ve read most of her fantasy, but it’s been a while. A mystery with magical touches. Interesting characters & situation.

Spellbinder by Melanie Rawn A/D
Hard to say about this one- I loved the characters and I hated the story... I kept hoping it would get better... I kept reading... And I kept getting annoyed. Very pretentious and pompous writing- Rawn is better than you and she knows it. At the same time, I have to say, she writes beautifully... And I cared very much about her characters. I was disgusted by her presentation of all Christians as self-righteous bigots. I know I’ve met ‘em, too, but I’ve also met Christians who are the most gracious & kind Godly people alive, too.

The Ghost in the Third Row & The Ghost in the Big Brass Bed by Bruce Coville B
YA mysteries. More silliness from Coville- very good.

Sisters of the Raven by Barbara Hambly
I started this, but did not finish it... I was getting very angry about what was happening so I said, "Enough! I don’t have to read this!"... I feel released! Freed!

The Dragon of Doom, The Weeping Werewolf by Bruce Coville B
A series about a young boy and the incompetent magician he befriends. Silly & fun magical adventures, 4th-6th grade YA, very quick reads, an enjoyable main character & a silly magician. Everything ends up happily-ever-after... Good.

A Just Determination by John Hemry A
Sci-fi military law drama- quite the genre... Probably the only one I’ve ever heard of... However, it was good, very interesting. Good solid characters, good solid action. A media-hungry space captain destroys an unarmed science vessel, and then faces court martial. Sounds kinda dull, but it wasn’t- the book held me attention & kept me coming back for more.

Burden of Proof by John Hemry A
The second in his sci-fi military law drama series. Even better than the first- an engineering officer is killed in a fire accident and his commanding officer comes under question. Very good writing, interesting story line and characters.

Simple Glass Beading by Dorothy Wood B+
Good directions with excellent photography. Most of the projects are sewing, looming or weaving, but there are about three projects that I can manipulate to use with my own style & wirework. Glad I checked it out instead of buying it! :)

Charlie Bone and the Time Twister by Jenny Nimmo A-
I’m definitely enjoying this series. They’re advertized as a rival to Harry Potter, which is over-estimating them, but they’re still fun. Interesting mysteries. Magic & Mayhem. Fun characters. Scarey school and freaky bad guys.

The Stash

Hey! Our local newspaper carried an article about The Stash! And we're mentioned! Beth's even quoted. :)

Yup, it's a small paper, but Fairbanks is a small community.

http://www.newsminer.com/news/2008/aug/31/local-shop-showcases-handmade-works-hometown-artis/