A day late and a dollar short.....

.....doesn't even BEGIN to sum up my life right now. Somebody PLEASE tell me how my life got away from me. It's like it snuck out in the middle of the night and at first I didn't notice it was gone because I was so preoccupied with unimportant things that had somehow disguised themselves as important things. Then by the time I realized it was gone it already had such a big head start that I had no chance of ever catching up. Especially since it caught a jet plane on it's way out of town and I'm only on foot. My only hope is that perhaps it will travel all the way around the world and catch up with me from behind.

I'm not even sure if anybody is still around to read my random diatribes. (I'm not even 100% sure what diatribes means, I've just heard others use it before and it seemed fitting just now.)

I've been away so long that my 2 followers probably got tired of me taking up space in their RSS reader and dropped me long ago.

But I can live with that.

Because I did in fact need a break from blogging. Besides needing some time to deal with family concerns and time to serve people I loved for awhile I also needed some time to sort out how I was spending my time. And how I wanted to be spending my time. And what was important to me.

I wish I could say that in the months I've been gone I discovered some rich fountain of knowledge. I wish I had some profound truth to offer you.

Instead I just discovered that life is busy. And that I can't do EVERYTHING. And that's okay. Really, it is.

Because life is about seasons. And just because I can't do something RIGHT NOW doesn't mean there won't come a season in my life when I can do it.

These past few months have been a season of making new friends, remembering old friends, creating memories, renewing trust, serving, giving, crying, aching, laughing, reading, pondering, praying and a little magic for good measure.

So, as we approach a new year I've been contemplating life, the universe, and my living room. I know it's cliche to set goals at the beginning of a new year-but sometimes traditions stand the test of time for a reason.

But this time it's about more than just rattling off a few random check lists which will quickly be forgotten. I want to really focus on what is important to me, and then ensure I'm spending my time on the things that are most important to me.

And I decided that blogging is important to me. In my months away I have discovered that I NEED to write.

But I may not write as much as I once did. And my blog may have a slightly different feel to it this year.

It's still up for debate as to if Name that Movie Monday and Flashback Friday will be regulars around here. I haven't decided yet.

Since I realized that writing is core to me I started a writing group with two very talented and all around fun people that I am immensely excited. I have not decided how much, if any, of this writing I should make public.

I have also decided to give up my quilt block of the month class this year. Which was a hard decision because one of the fabric choices for the quilt next year is black and white and neon green. Sigh. But-I still have so many unfinished blocks from this year that I decided I need to actually finish a few projects first before taking on more.

Anyway-the point is not to outline all the things I will and won't be doing in 2010. Well, actually, I don't really know what the point is. Oh, yes. It was to start blogging again. Which meant I just started writing randomly and this post here is what I happened to spit up on the page. I probably should go back and edit it and make it sound all pretty and have an actual point and be thoughtful....but I'm not. :) Because the important thing was not how pretty it sounded. The important thing was to just write!

Name that Movie Monday-sort of

Hello.....hello? Is this thing on? Anybody there? Hello?

I'm headed out the door with the kids, trying to eek as much fun out of summer as we can since my oldest starts kindergarten in a few weeks. We are going to the Utah version of a beach. Laughable to you from California and Florida, but we make due. And my kids have lead a sheltered life and don't know any better.

But-on my way out the door my phone did it's little "you have a new text message" ring and I was pleasantly surprised to open my inbox and find a free movie code! I had nearly forgotten that those existed. So I had to pause and post it for you all. Because that's how much I love you!

And the best part is that you don't even have to endure one of my movie quotes to get to the free rental code. You get it for free today, just for stopping by. :)

Redbox free movie code: 27HZ4KT

Use it wisely.

Quintessential Quilting

Yes-I had to use spell check to spell quintessential correctly. Thanks for asking.

Finally getting around to posting pictures of my quilt blocks. These are the two I finished just this week around midnight the night before my class. Yea, I like to do things at the last minute. Actually, I don't-that's just how it worked out.

I don't think I ever mentioned that this is a Civl war quilt so all the blocks are named for States on either side of the Mason Dixon line. In fact, the pattern name is North and South. Clever, eh?

This block is called the Oklahoma Ladder



This block is called Baton Rouge, LA



Now, add these to the first two I finished-Indiana Puzzle




and Philadelphia Pavement



and I've done a grand total of four! I should have 8 done by now! And they technically aren't supposed to give me the new blocks until I've finished the ones from the previous month....so hopefully nobody reading this blog will squeal on me. I'll eventually catch up.

Someday

Hopefully

Maybe

Quilt blocks and appologies

Well, maybe not apologies. I have sworn never to apologize for not blogging because it feels trite and frankly, a bit overdone in the blogging world. So not an apology. Or an excuse. Maybe just an explanation.

See, my loyal follower will tell you that I'm starting to slip up. Yes. Me. Getting behind. First there was no Flashback Friday last week.

And today you will not be seeing a new Name that Movie Monday.

Life has dictated that I take a summer vacation. Not from blogging altogether, just from set deadlines on my blog. Because due to my life feeling a tad bit like a soap opera lately my time and energies are currently being spent elsewhere.

I am happy to report that my immediate family is fine. We are happy and healthy. Unfortunately close friends and extended family have experienced things in the past few months that have made it necessary for me to focus my attentions outside my blog.

Death
Divorce
Cancer
Miscarriage
Surgery
Suicide threats
Layoffs
Foreclosure

And that's just the beginning of the list.

Add that to family reunions, weddings, quilt block classes, book group, birthdays, baptisms, and projects in the yard and in the house and well, you get the picture.

I figure summer is a great time to take a little vacation anyway since most of you are off having fun and enjoying the fine weather anyway.

That's not to say I'm disappearing completely. I finished 2 new quilt blocks last night that I have to show off. And it's been brought to my attention that I still haven't shown pictures of my new floor in my family room. So I'll be here, posting when I find a spare moment or two.

And I promise that I'll bring back the weekly features you have come to love and count on, I just need a few months to catch my breath.

Lovin' it

I am seriously loving my new camera. I still have a TON to learn about using it. But I'm having fun with it just the same.

This past weekend my niece was baptized and my sister-in-law asked me to take a few pictures to remember the occasion. And, if I can say so in a humble manner, I even surprised myself at how good some of them turned out.

The Dress



Daddy's little girl



Contemplative



Okay, she was actually squinting because the sun was so stinking bright-not a single cloud in the sky! But I like to pretend she in contemplating the covenants she'll make when she is baptized.

Nothing I can say but super beautiful girl!




My first storyboard



My second storyboard: More than just cousins



Like I said, I still have a lot to learn and much to improve on. But not bad for a beginner, right?

Name that Movie Monday-WIth a free movie code!

Today is a special edition of Name that Movie Monday! Since it's the first Monday of the month there is a free movie code!!!!

And I'm going easy on you, too. A quote I think all of you will get.

"Just keep swimming, just keep swimming......"

Do you know it?

You do!

Well, for being so smart here is a code for a free movie from Redbox: 4J7LF6

ENJOY!

Flashback Friday

In my time zone I still have 2 hours left until Saturday, so technically it's still Friday so I'm right on time with my Flashback this week.

I thought I'd bring you a 4th of July memory this week. How original, I know. But it's a good one so I don't think you'll blame me for my lack of originality.

The summer before my Sr. year in high school I actually attended a semester of college. I was accepted into a program at the former Ricks College (now known as BYU-Idaho) that gave high school students a real college experience and college credit to boot. For summer semester I lived in the dorms, attended classes, went on field trips, wrote essays, and got to know a lot of really cool people.

Since we happened to be in school for the 4th of July the college sent all of us that were in the Summer Honors Institue program (as it was called) to the Rexburg Rodeo. But the really thrilling part was the fireworks. As the arena lights went out and the fireworks began so did a scratchy recording of Stars and Stripes forever. The song got over but the fireworks display wasn't yet and apparently that was the only song on the tape (yes, I do believe it was a tape) because it was silent for a few minutes, time I can only assume they were rewinding the tape, and then Stars and Stripes Forever started again. And once again the song ended before the fireworks display. So, you guessed it, there was a few blessed moments of silence (well, fireworks were exploding just a few feet away so not really silence....but you know what I mean) and then we were once again honored to hear that scratchy recording of Stars and Stripes forever.

I like a good Sousa march as much as the next guy but I for one was thankful when the fireworks were finally over only because it meant we didn't have to rewind the poor tape yet again.

I hope that for tomorrow's rodeo that the city of Rexburg has invested in CD player, and a CD with a larger variety of patriotic music.