Author - Lorri

Laughing While Crying

A couple of days ago, this chain of emails transpired between Boo, my husband and me.  Watch this Toy Story clip first, it’ll be funnier that way.

On 2/7/12 Boo wrote:

> dear dad, I emailed [Eagle Scout candidate] to see if I should bring anything els then me my
> gloves eye protection and the other usual stuff here’s what he said. Love
> Boo
[forwarded email omitted]

2/7/12 12:34 PM Phil wrote

OK.  Sounds good.

You really need to check your spelling.  Kind of makes me sad. 8′-(

Dad

2/7/12  12:52 PM Lorri wrote

Actually, his grammar is what is especially painful.

2/7/12 12:55 PM Phil wrote

<sigh>

All those years of academy training…wasted…all gone…bye..bye

<sigh>

2/7/12 12:56 PM Lorri wrote

Does that make him Mrs. Nesbit?

2/7/12 1:01 PM Phil wrote

Definitely, can’t you see the hat?

2/7/12 1:15 PM Boo wrote

Ha ha very funny dad and mom here me laugh HA!

 

As Boo’s parents, we crack ourselves up.  As his principal and teacher, we are completely mortified.  We started a new grammar program that very afternoon.

Mother Bear revisited

Three years ago, I wrote about the Mother Bear Project and showed you my first bear.

You know where all my good intentions are?  Oh yes, still sitting in my craft room.  I don’t know why I didn’t mail that first bear.  I just didn’t.

A year and a half ago, I started another bear.  Guess where that one is?  Yep, still here.  At least I’m consistent.

Well, after I declared this to be the Year of Finished Projects, I found that second bear and embroidered her face.  It didn’t take too long, even with Pipsqueak hanging on my arm.  I took her picture for posterity and she and her buddy are going in the mail.  Hopefully it won’t be too long before they each off to bring a little love to a child affected by HIV/AIDS.

Finishing

I had a post all written up last week and I just needed to take some pictures.  But it wasn’t my best writing and I kind of felt like I was phoning it in, so I didn’t publish it.  Then a friend of mine died.

It wasn’t unexpected.  She’d been fighting cancer for 3 years and had just entered hospice care.  Still…it hurt.  Sandy (not Falling Like Rain Sandy) was one of my many e-maginary friends – people I’ve met through various internet forums.  She was a fellow homeschooling mom of two boys, 9 and 11 years old.  She was also a knitter.  After she died I spent some time looking at her Ravelry (an online knit and crochet community) profile.  I recognized a few of her finished projects as being gifts that she made for others while she was going through chemo.  She was just that kind of a person.

I also looked through her queue of projects she had wanted to make.  It was sad, seeing the hope for the future there in a line of anticipated projects.  Who were they going to be for?  Feeling rather morose, I looked at my own Ravelry queue and got even sadder looking at the projects I’ve never started.  Sweet baby projects that I’d intended for Pipsqueak who grew too fast, as babies tend to do, and now it is too late for those sweaters and hats. Hope and loss, life and death.

I got to thinking Sandy leaving her children and what sorts of things she wished she had the time to do with them. I thought about leaving my own children – but I just couldn’t go there.  I did think about the many things I’ve promised to with or for them.  I thought about how Sandy was just one year older than I am.  I’m sure she once thought she had all the time in the world.  So I declared 2012 to be the Year of the Finished Project.  Home projects, craft projects, projects for the children.  I’m not going to stress myself out with deadlines, but I am going to keep a running list of things I want to do.

Most importantly, I’m going to do them.

Year of the Dragon

Gung Hay Fat Choy!  Happy Lunar New Year!

2012 finds us once again in the year of the Dragon, which is fun for our family because our very own Pumpkin Girl is a Dragon (as is her uncle and her grandmother).  Which also means that she will turn 12 this year and I’m not too sure how I feel about that.  The most recent Years of the Dragon are:1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988 and 2000.  Are you a dragon?  If so, how well does this description fit you…

Those who are born in the dragon year are innovative, self-assured, brave, enterprising, conceited, passionate, and quick-tempered. The Dragons are often referred to as the free spirits of Chinese Zodiac. Their creative sparks get destroyed when they are restricted. Hence dragon people always look to be free and uninhibited.
A beautiful creature, Dragon happens to be flamboyant and colorful. Dragon personality traits range from being energetic, irrepressible and gifted. They are fearless and confident and ready to take up any challenge. In most cases they happen to be successful.

Helping others is something that they find pleasure in. One can always count on the dragons for help. They make friends very easily because of their generous personalities. Yet they can be solitary reapers at heart. Those who are born in the Year of the Dragon have a love for outdoor activities and nature. They are extroverts who have a deep love for nature.

Having an explorative spirit, the dragon people are very imaginative. They are suitable for any occupation owing to their adaptable nature. They like spending money for charity. When it comes to finances, they are ready to take up risks and big chances. They are very straightforward in their approach when it comes to matters related to financial dealings and can therefore be trusted.

In a fun little twist, if you were born early in the Western calendar year, in January or sometimes February, before the Lunar New Year occurred, then you  go with the sign of the previous year.  Take me, for example.  I was born in January 1970, so I am a Rooster (17 February 1969 – 5 February 1970) rather than a Dog.  I am eternally grateful for that.

I’ve got Chinese chicken wings (my MIL’s recipe) in the crockpot, with bok choy, rice and pot stickers for dinner tonight, plus almond cookies for dessert.  Not really traditional Chinese New Year fare, but it is authentic and homemade, so it’ll suffice.  I might even make the kids eat with chopsticks!

A Gift

Eight years ago we received a gift – baby number 3, a little girl.

My mother flew all the way to Korea to be with us and help with the older children when I went to the hospital.  When she received the call that the baby had arrived and we were both doing well, she headed up to tell Boo and Pumpkin Girl about their new sibling.

Pumpkin Girl, with her not-quite-three year old, bossy self stood at the stop of the stair case and demanded, “So, what came out of my mama’s belly?”

My mother replied, “A little girl.  And they named her Rebecca.”

To which five year old Boo wailed, “Oooohh!  I wanted to name her Rosie!!”

For a long time we called her Rebecca Maria Rosie Banana.  The “banana” came later and is a story for another time.

Today we celebrate her with love and happiness.  It was truly a blessing to have loved and been loved by her.

It’s Time

Have you seen the movie “Tangled.”  If not, I’m sure you at least know the basic story of Rapunzel.  In the Disney movie, the princess Rapunzel is stolen and lives in the tower until her 18th birthday.  Her parents, the king and queen, mourn the loss of their princess.  Every year on her birthday they lead their kingdom in lighting lanterns to honor her.  For her whole life Rapunzel actually sees these lights of hope, rising in the night sky.  Little does she know that those lanterns are symbols of love and loss and hope…for her.

I cry every time I see “Tangled”.  The animators did an outstanding job of capturing the king right before he goes to light the lanterns.   The queen comes to him, straightens his clothing, gently cups his cheek in her hand.  He tilts his head into her hand and a look of utter grief comes over his face.  He sighs as a tear rolls down his face.

Their beautiful princess is gone, but the love they have for her is eternal.  They hope, beyond reason, that they will find her again.  And so to honor her, they  gather their strength and light the lantern.

It is time again to light our lanterns.

This Sunday, December 11 is the annual Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candle Lighting.  To honor the children who have died, I ask that you join my family and countless others around the world in lighting a candle at 7 PM in your own time zone.  For the lost princesses and princes who have left us and for the families that will grieve for the rest of their lives.  Please pray for the families, especially for those whose grief is new this year and also for those who do not have a faith to fall back on.  Our family lives with the hope that someday we will be reunited with our lost princess, Rebecca. But many live with the hopelessness of not knowing.  I can only imagine the added pain.

God willing, our children will also see the lights but they will know what they are.  They will know that they are loved and missed, but not forgotten.

A Convoluted Tale

…of How I Won Yarn.

Perhaps I should call it a yarn, not a tale.  Either way, it’s pretty convoluted, so stick with me.

I happen to have a fondness for variegated yarns.  Lorna’s Laces, in particular.  I may or may not have quite the stash of their sock yarn.  I’m admitting nothing.  And this little yarn store called Jimmy Bean’s Wool happily keeps me supplied in all the Lorna’s Laces I can use or stash. Jimmy Beans Wool (JBW) also has a Limited Edition of Lorna’s Laces dyed just for them every month.  It should come as no shock to you that I am a member for the JBW Lorna’s Laces Limited Edition Fan Club.

Way back in October they announced a little contest on their Facebook page to name their upcoming December yarn.  I was one of the first ten people to suggest a name, and the first person to come up with “Ribbon Candy.”  A few hours later someone else suggested the same name.  Six *days* later, yet a third person also suggested it.

The deadline for name suggestions passed and they announced their top three choices which would be put to the vote.  Choice B was “Lisa’s: Ribbon Candy”.  WHAT?  Lisa?  Who’s Lisa?  I’ve been called “Laura” before, and I’ve had my named misspelled more often than not, but no one has ever mistaken me for a “Lisa.”

I pondered this situation for a while.  I might have let it go (ok, not really) except that there was actual yarn on the line.  The winner of the naming contest would get the yarn as a prize.  So I sent JBW a very nice email, pointing out that I had actually suggested Ribbon Candy about 5 hours earlier than Lisa did.  I heard back from them right away.  They apologized and acknowledged that I was indeed the person who first submitted the name Ribbon Candy.  They were unable to amend the post, but in the comments they corrected themselves. They assured me that if my name won, they would address the confusion again and I would be the winner.

So…voting closed and they left us hanging until December 1st.  Ribbon Candy was the winner!  Yippee!  So I just sat back and waited for my prize.  Later in the day the JBW December Newsletter arrived, announcing the new limited edition yarn.  Imagine how far my jaw dropped when I read this line:

A huge thank you goes out to Shirley and her brilliant stroke of insight on the perfect name for this colorway - Ribbon Candy!

Why thank you very  much.  But stop calling me Shirley.

Shirley? Shirley?!? Surely you jest.  What in the world was this all about? To quote Charlie Brown’s little sister Salley, “All I want is what I… I have coming to me. All I want is my fair share.”

Turns out that Shirley was the person who suggested the name 6 days after both Lisa and I did.

After I got over my sputtering indignation I sent another email to JBW.  It took them a few hours to respond this time.  Meanwhile on their Facebook page, they’d already mentioned that someone would be getting their December yarn prize that day.  Then the email came that said my prize yarn was on its way, one hank of each weight.  I got a shipping notice shortly afterwards.

I’m guessing that Shirley got a huge surprise on December 1 because my yarn just arrived yesterday.  I’m thinking that poor Lisa got nothing.

So I named a yarn and got no credit, but I did get my yarn.  Here it is, the December Lorna’s Laces Limited Edition color: Ribbon Candy.

  You can get some for yourself, before it runs out,here: Ribbon Candy.

 

 

 

Winner!

We have a winner! (Please note that comments #1 and #2 weren’t entries into the give-away.)  Comment #6 – midwestmom!  You may choose any item at Pumpkin Girl Designs.  I do have some new flowers that I need to add, but we lost power last night and I couldn’t get to it.

Thank you to everyone who entered and shared on Facebook.  Everything on our site except the ribbon sculptures will be on sale until Friday, so now is a good time to place an order. And speaking of Facebook, when I have coupon codes to offer, I will be posting them to our Facebook page.  That’s also where I’ll preview our new items.  So if you aren’t already a fan, you should head over to our page and “like” us: Pumpkin Girl Designs on Facebook.

Give-Away Extended

I decided to extend my Pumpkin Girl designs give-away through the weekend.  The new deadline is Sunday, December 4.  The winner gets to choose anything on our website, including the new items that I’ll be adding in the next few days.  More flowers, cute little felt appliques on hair clips and, if my supplies get here in time, bottle cap necklaces, key chains and magnets!

Details are here: Introducing Pumpkin Girl Designs

Post-Nutcracker Glow

So we say goodbye to another successful Nutcracker production. It was a wonderful weekend, but not without drama.

As I mentioned earlier, Philip got sick the weekend before Thanksgiving. It was the stomach flu that seems to be going around. It wasn’t the worst virus ever, but it wasn’t any fun at all. Are viruses ever fun, really? He took 2 days off work and was feeling better the same day I started getting sick. At first I was in denial. My stomach was hurting because of the fettucine alfredo that I’d eaten without a Lactaid the night before. Yeah, that’s what it was! And that chill I was feeling, that’s because the house was a little cold. Right? No. I was getting sick, too.

I’m not a good sick person. I whine and moan and wonder (aloud) why no one will help me already. So that’s what I did with my Saturday. Sunday I was much better, but not enough to go to church. Boo stayed home, too, because his stomach hurt and he was chilled. That’s about as much as he got and was up and about by late afternoon.

So that made 3 down, 3 more to go and Nutcracker costume fittings and blocking just 3 days away. I set everyone I knew to praying for Pumpkin Girl, praying that she would be able to dance. I worried and fretted and just refused to give it up to God. I don’t do that very well, especially when it involves my children. I just kept imagining me holding her while she cried her heart out over being too sick to dance. All that hard work, all those hours of rehearsal…ah, just too much for a mother to handle! So I fretted and worried and asked for more prayers.

Wednesday came and her stomach started to hurt. She wasn’t very hungry. Nerves? Gas? Something else? Who knew! She got ready for the costume fitting and Philip drove her there. He called me from the theater to tell me that she’d gone off to the bathroom and thrown up, but felt better. I cried. I shook my fist at the sky. Why, Lord? WHY? Couldn’t she have been sick on Monday?

When she came home she was nauseated and uncomfortable, but not feverish. Her first show was in 48 hours so we still had time for her to recover. And recover she did. We postponed Thanksgiving dinner in order to let her stomach completely rest and recover. Friday she had 2 rehearsals and opening night. Philip watched the dress rehearsal so he could stay home with Pipsqueak who, at 13 months old, is not a good theater companion.

Seriously, when will I just learn to let God be God? I do know that things don’t work out according to MY plans, but that everything really is ok in the end. And sometimes, my plans work out, too. And that’s what happened here.

I’m sure that the rest of the party scene was wonderful, but I only had eyes for Pumpkin Girl. She had a chance to do quite a bit of acting in this production and I really enjoyed watching her. She had a whole new on-stage family, parents and two sisters. She interacted with them all, ooo’ed and ah’ed over the life-size “dolls”, performed a dance with the other party children, got hypnotized by Drosselmeyer and cried when the Nutcracker got hurt. She and her sisters allowed their parents to take their sleepy selves home and on the way out of the party, she got a huge stack of presents dropped in her arms. I couldn’t have been happier for her.

At the cast party on Sunday, she was busy collected autographs from her friends and the professional company members. We got a picture of her with her parents.

I won’t miss the Sunday rehearsals, but I am sad that this Nutcracker is over. There is yet one more production to go, though! Her ballet company is doing a set of shows on December 20th. They sell DVDs of that one, so we’ll get to relive it as often as we’d like.

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