Ye Olde Front Door

It's a work in progress.

Go figure

Today, as an experiment, I turned off my phone between the hours of 9 am and 3 pm. It was great - I was able to get so much done. 

When I turned it back on, I had 46 text messages (my family on a group text) and four Facebook messages. The dumb thing sat there and "dinged" for about three minutes. 

So, yeah, the phone is a major distraction.

Warning

Solicitors, peddlers of religion, consider yourselves warned.

"I tried many times with the polite but firm "I'm never interested, go away forever" but I found it helps to just let them talk while I bend over to take off my shoes, then socks, then shirt. They usually leave before I can get my belt undone."

- random Internet stranger

🍒

The View From My Piano Bench

I love having a job where I get paid to do one of my favorite things.

I love the people I work with.

It was a very foreign and almost uncomfortable experience, learning to work with a different church's music and belief system. 

But eventually I realized that God and Jesus belong to everyone, and ultimately everyone should get to decide what to believe about them (if they believe anything at all). 

This church's interpretation of Deity and Christianity is just one among many flavors.

I appreciate the Methodists, particularly this congregation, for being such a truly Christlike group.

Wearing the old Bob Ross socks...

...for good juju at choir today, because Bob would want me to rock it and be happy.

Update: the socks worked.

Saturday Morning Dreaming

There will be tripping

Ernie: "Good, that's the first step to manifestation."

Today, on Nat's Wild Bed Head

Since becoming a blonde (and then home-dyeing it brown), my hair does weird stuff. 

Today's attempt was pretty epic.

Later, I attempted rag rollers, and now I can say I've tried it and never need to do it again. The results were not picture worthy.

Winter Sowing, Starring Catness

Winter sowing is a gardening method where you take containers and plant seeds in them and set them outside in winter. Nature is supposed to do the rest. So I doctored up these milk jugs, and of course Kitty had to get in on the action.

Happy Anniversary Baby

What 26 years looks like

I love this man so much.

Kells Irish Pub

Mom, Ernie, Mel and I were here in Celtic food heaven having dinner tonight. I had the corned beef and cabbage, which was excellent. Ernie was sad because no haggis.

TRAIN TRIP

Enjoyed a cozy trip from the Couve to Pasco this evening, where I was met by my mom. We spent the night at the Best Western Plus in Pasco. Mom brought birthday gifts! Sweet!

Christmas Decorating

The Nativities are out for the first time in a long time. We're having fun decorating tonight.

Christmas cards on the kitchen cupboard doors:

C & R cutting out stars and snowflakes:

In the car with C

He's a sleepy guy.

Selfies, cuz you gotta. 

 

Fallen Leaf Lake

Hubby and I took a little jaunt today.

Quite gorgeous.

Tenth and Eighth Graders!

And so the scale tips further....only two kids starting school this year.

C was totally into the "take pictures before school" idea:

R's last year of middle school:

After dropping them off, Hubby and I enjoyed breakfast at Donut Nook on St. John's. 

H's Graduation Day

Congratulations to our sweet H!

Here with his good friend Trisha:

At Killer Burger in Portland

... on a pre-graduation date with Hubby, Kristy and Steve.

The burgers totally live up to the name, by the way. I am quite happy.

Putting On My Boots

... and tearing it up. (Thanks to my friend Suzanne S. for the idea.)

Driving these people around like a boss:

And now for something completely weird:

Pendleton Tourism

I'm here at Mom's house in Pendleton, having some puppy and kitty time.

Later: Mom and I had a fun day together, doing things that Pendleton tourists do. First we had lunch at Sister's Cafe, then we visited Heritage Station Museum and Pendleton Woolen Mills.

Museum pics - inside the train car:

In the museum:

Tomorrow: Vegas, baby!