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/