Any Similar Revival

It went well.

I was nervous, nervous, nervous for the first session Friday night, but once I started talking, I was fine. The second session was easier, and the third one caused hardly a palpitation. I felt very bathed in prayer the entire time, and I believe that I did my best.

Still, I have a retreat/speaking/nerves hangover today. Chad is calling it Post-Traumatic-Retreat-Disorder, which is kind of catchy. I’ve been tired (probably from hardly sleeping for two nights) and depressed all day, second-guessing every word I spoke and didn’t speak. But then I just look at this photo from the fashion show (Our theme was What Not to Wear, so we did a goofy, Amelia Bedelia type fashion show. I was. . .Bridezilla!)

I know. I’m gorgeous! I’m thinking about making the hair an every-day thing. What do you think?

Actually, typing this, it’s Wednesday night, and I’m still at home!

Let’s hear it for post-dating!

So, I’m at our church’s women’s retreat this weekend. And I’m the speaker.

Yeah, I know, what were they thinking?

I would appreciate any and all Courage for Allyson-type prayers. And that I won’t talk too fast. And that I have enough clean shirts with me, because I can sweat like a big, fat, running-away-from-man-eating-tigers man when I’m nervous.

And I am very, very nervous.

• I hung clothes out on the line today
• having dinner with Kristen and the kids
• walking Myles this afternoon while all the little school kids were walking home
• blooming daffodils!
• Chad is home from Colorado, safe and sound
• Tomorrow, I leave for our church’s women’s retreat
• Listening to the Wailin’ Jennys all day
• Cleaning my craft room. FINALLY.
• taking my bins of paper to the recycling thingies. again, FINALLY.
• it’s spring!

I like being able to do things, and I want to know how to do everything. Usually, this means that my house is a big mess of projects laying around and that I am very, very tired. Not being able to sew has bugged me for years. I can put very simple things together, and if I have to, I can. But, historically, it has been a frustrating and not-fun thing for me. However. I just got this great book by Amy Karol, who has a blog called The Angry Chicken (that alone makes me like her), called Bend the Rules Sewing. And I like the idea behind that title. The book gives simple patterns and instructions for lots of projects, and they’re all very adaptable to your own designs and ideas. So, armed with new determination, I spent the weekend sewing. I made this:

Squee-hee! Isn’t it CUTE? I found the tea-towel with the chickens on Saturday at the antique/junk shop down the street and fell fathoms deep in love. I cut a square from the towel and put the rest of it together. It was seriously like Magic! Poof! I have a pillow!

Needless to say, I am mighty pleased with myself!

The Angry Chicken blog

Oh, and the part of the title about me and the machine? Yeah, being the graceful and coordinated person I am, I managed to catch my thumb under the screw on the presser foot that holds the needle in place. Ouch! Blood and tears ensued. Now I’m better. The score is 0-1, Allyson Vs. The Machine.

Linda is bird-sitting.

This is Merlin:

We got along just fine.

And then, I snuggled Maximus, who is Linda’s ginormous, adorable, ragdoll of a cat.

We went to Hinckley after that to walk around the lake. Myles had a very good time, smiling up at me and letting his big, pink tongue loll out the side of his mouth. He met many, many dog friends, and they all greeted each other in typical doggie-fashion, by sniffing each other’s butts. I’m glad I’m not a dog. Linda and I went off the beaten track a bit to get away from the crowds and so I could let Myles off the leash (but don’t tell on me. I’m not supposed to do that.) We found a sandy spot where Myles could get into the creek, and I’ve NEVER seen a happier dog! He zoomed around in circles, running laps around us and plunging into the water to stick his face in. We had to be wary of quicksand-esque places, where Linda almost lost her boots. Such a beautiful day!

Here is Linda, being eaten by vines.

Yesterday, to stave off boredom and endless whining to "watch a moooooovieeeeee", I suggested we build a fairy house. And that is what they have been waiting to do all their lives! Build fairy houses! All of a sudden, we were pulling up moss, digging up mud, breaking off sticks, picking up pinecones, and weaving tales abou the Daffodil Flower Fairy, whose house it is.

what self-respecting fairy WOULDN’T want to live in this house?

Today, we went for a walk.

It was kind of sunny.

When we got back home, we saw this guy crawling around on the lid of the garbage can. The BEES are AWAKE!

And I wondered to myself, where did our Bee Friend get all that lovely pollen? Walking over to the front yard, I discovered the secret:

OOPS! Not here!

The winter aconite is blooming, and the bees are drunk with the first food of spring. It will probably snow tomorrow, or something dreary like that, but today, buzz buzz!

Meredith had to go to Japan on Navy business last week, and today, I received a package stuffed with goodies! The only thing I really requested was Pockys, a strange Japanese confection of cookie/pretzel like sticks dipped in something, usually chocolate. She sent LOTS of Pockys, plus plenty of other yums and not-so-yums.

See that box on the end, that says "Fran?" Well, those are Pockys, dipped in white chocolate and then something green. Really, really green. Our taste-test revealed a mint-like flavor, so we surmise that it is mint. And it’s gross. Very gross. At least, I thought it was gross.

Chad didn’t think it was so gross.

I adore Japanese packaging. They think of everything! My favorite, aside from the tea tin, which will be its own post sometime this week, was the picture of the happy girl on this package of chocolate covered peanuts.

The great fun is not knowing what is inside the package. You can try to figure it out from the pictures and the very few, random English words, but mostly, it’s a guessing game.

This is something I am very happy about: Instant milky tea. Now before you strip me of my tea-snob status, I must admit that I can only enjoy this beverage when I divorce it from my archetypal idea of tea. This is a sweet, milky, hot drink that you put in a tea cup and drink. It’s fabulous! It reminds me, very joyfully, of the canned hot tea you can get in Japanese vending machines. That was my favorite day in Japan, when we found the hot tea vending machine. I wish the Japanese would take over the American snacking industry.

Thank you, Meredith! I love it all, even the gross green Pockys!

Yesterday, Kristen and I had our long-awaited date to Smithville with the kiddies and the aunties. She’s been dying to check out the Oak Cupboard, and we’ve been dying to show her and the kids our other favorite haunts in Wayne County.

We started at the Oak Cupboard, where the children were charmed by giant lollipops.

(Oh, and this IS Olivia’s "charmed" face. She’s a bit stoic.)

Then we went up the street to Toyrifix, which is a very fun store no matter how old you are!

Before leaving Smithville, we had to check out the swings and the ducks at the Barn’s pond.

We left Smithville for Marshallville, where we had lunch at a diner called Heavenly Hash. The twins ordered Mickey Mouse pancakes, and they were the hit of the day.

Finally, we checked out Marshallville Meat Packing, which is a fun place for carnivores and omnivores to explore. I had WAY too much fun showing the kids all the "gross" parts offered.

"Hey look! That is a cow’s heart!"

"Gross! EWWW!! Look, Ben! That’s a cow’s hawt!"

"Look guys! Pigs’ feet! Brains! Pig tails!" (and on and on. I don’t ever buy any of this stuff, but it’s good for the shock value.)

My favorite reaction was Ben’s:  "Ewww! That’s grosss!. . . .What else is there?"

And here is Olivia’s take:

I love this picture. It’s my favorite from the day:

On the way home: happy, sugared-up, and sleepy:

I have always loved Good Friday. It ranks up there with Christmas Eve, the night before leaving for vacation, and the day before my birthday. It’s the same in that it is what must happen before we can get to the main event. And yet, it’s different, because the crucifixion IS the main event. We can’t have a resurrection if Christ doesn’t die. I’ve been singing "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded," all morning long, with some particularly powerful versions occurring in the shower. It’s my favorite hymn of all time. And I love "Hallelujah! What a Savior!" too.

Lifted up was He to die,

"It is finished!" was His cry.

Now in heav’n exalted high,

Hallelujah! What a savior!

I hope you all have a very Good Friday.

Yummy!

And it was so easy! I feel kind of smart and kind of dumb at the same time. Smart, because, hey! I made bread! and Dumb, because it took me so long to try it!

I also found these cute mugs yesterday, which Chad prefers to use over teacups.

This one says, "If found full" on the other side.

A green one says, "If found empty. . . FILL"

And a brown one says, "If found dirty. . .WASH."

Hee!

Sounds fun, eh?

Look what I found today on my shopping trip with Heidi.

*snort!* These are little felt baskets that I’m going to use as Easter baskets for me and Chad. TOO CUTE!

"Is that a clothespin chicken?" you ask. "Why, yes," I reply. "It IS a clothespin chicken!" It needs no other explanation, really.

Heidi and I went to Aldi’s as well. I’ve never been there before! Their flowers are REALLY beautiful and REALLY cheap! Half a dozen roses:  $2.99. Seriously.

And this, I bought yesterday, because I’m tired of carrying around my boring, beige-ish purse:

So, what’s the baking part of this post? I’m attempting to bake bread today. Heidi has taught me how at least 5 times by now, but I’ve been a chicken and haven’t tried on my own. No more! Today, right now, at this very moment, bread is raising in two loaf pans on my kitchen counter! I kid you not! Here it is before I punched it down.

So, while it is cold, dismal, and still March outside, INSIDE it is quite cheerful and warm.

That’s what a black dog bounding through white snow looks like:

We took this walk on Sunday, when the snow was fresh and clean-ish and deep. Now it’s old and crusty. The above dog and I took two walks today, Because We Felt Like It, and in some places, we had to use the actual road. Not a whole lot of sidewalk clearing going on here in Medina!

I keep telling myself that Spring is coming. . .just around the corner. Of course, there is that whole phenomenon of March lasting twice as long as other months. . . .