Monarch Post

sweethearts

Back from Palm Springs. We had the best time. It was a little chilly for the pool, so we spent our time eating, looking, shopping, eating... Did I mention eating already? We went to such a great restaurant Saturday for lunch, we headed right back over again for dinner. Then we went to Barnes and Noble for the rest of the evening. We had to get married; nerds need each other.

This is a shot from the Palm Springs Art Museum. Couldn't take any photos inside, but it was a wonderful place. Totally inspiring.

I think I want these in my backyard, right next to my imaginary pool:)

But cast in concrete or not, I've got all the love in the world... romantic getaway weekend planned by my sweet, sweet husband. I am the luckiest girl.

And a really lucky Mom too...

 
 
Corbyn babysit Jesse and Sophey Friday until Ainsley could get there. Before I left, I told Corbyn (the tormentor of siblings) to be nice to his brother and sister for the weekend. Apparently he got the message; he took the kids out for the evening to a brand new indoor amusement park. He said he thought that was a good present for me. Apart from that fainting spell, I thought so too;) And my girls baked up a homemade birthday cake. It was sitting on the table when I walked in the door. Ainsley said, "The frosting is from scratch Mom, and you know that means it was made with love!" I sure do. Thanks guys.

Creating a storm of homemade Christmas gifts for my kids today. Five projects down, several more to go... gotta keep spreadin' that sweet homemade LOVE! (I'll have to share the gift projects after the holidays.)

Take care! xoxoKelly

she's really here?!

 

My big girl is here this week! Ainsley's Eiffel Tower photo from her French apartment window... She's travelling with best girlfriend, Blair and a crew of "older" (read that as my age) ladies. Ten days in Paris. Eight females. One bathroom. Can't wait to hear the stories.

I've been doing my best this week to KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON. When she told me of her plans to go to Paris last summer with this group, I was reassured knowing it would be more than just our two gorgeous,  young ladies travelling alone around Paris. Until today.

She called this morning... Blair and I are pretty much doing our own thing now... We've mastered the Metro system. We've seen Chartres Cathedral, The Moulin Rouge district, The Louvre, Notre Dame. 

  

Yikes! Oh my goodness. These two young things out and about in the The City of Love?! And I always thought it was hard sending my kids off to kindergarten.

 Have the time of your life Ainsley, and come back home soon... Safe and Sound. And hopefully, not engaged. xo Mom

P.S. My excitement for the day? I went to the Post Office.

 After mailing my package,the Postmaster said "I really don't want to embarrass you Kelly, but you might want to go home and change your jeans before you go anywhere else today." I reached around my jeans to discover a six-inch hole running down my bum. (Fortunately, I wear undies.) I felt my face burning, as I hurriedly explained that these were my painting jeans, while at the same time pulling my T-shirt down as far as I could get it to go. Which then caused me to again flash the postmaster, this time with boobs. He said, "You might need to get some new painting jeans!" Oh my gosh. Mortified. Who needs Paris for a peep show when I'm around? I'm home now. Whew. That was bad.

there and back again

 

Just reread the last blog entry... be back in a week or so, definately an "or so" thing going on here...

What happens during those first few days home from a vacation? It's like the life you left behind just sort of finds you again and sucks you down the drain in a swirling vortex of-- what's the word I'm looking for? I don't know. Or is it just me that feels like that? Out of place and sorta depressed.  It takes me awhile to feel like I'm really home again. And then there's all that laundry that follows you home from that nice vacation life-- like about a hundred pounds of it. And then I found out my Dad was having surgery in a day (outpatient, and he's doing fine), and that threw me into  a bit of a tiz... all that to say sorry, I've been AWOL. 

But our vacation to Ohio and Virginia was so good. July was very cool and un-humid in Ohio. Mikes' parents' had a wonderful celebration for their fiftieth anniversary.

The anniversary cake was an exact replica of their wedding cake. Mikes' Aunt Jean made it. John and Jos' party was held in the school where they met, now a community center. Which was a really nice full-circle kinda thing, I thought. Their four children made a slideshow of their lives, and their parents' lives, which played throughout the party on a screen on the stage in the gym. Lots of misty eyes watching that big screen.

Mike's parents live in rural Ohio, in a log home his Dad built by hand about twenty years ago. It sits on top of a hill, surrounded by acres and acres of awesome woodland. They've made a wonderful home for themselves here.

Mikes' Dad and Mom are always busy working on their home and their gardens. John has built three fishing ponds over the years. And the bridges.

 

He doesn't feed the fish for a few days before grandkids arrive...

 

 

I really enjoyed seeing my kids with a fishing pole in their hands instead of a Wii remote.

 

John also built a playground and fort for grandkids. I don't think he was imagining adult grandkids (I use that term loosely), but what the heck.

 

One.

 

Two.

 

Three. How to launch your big sister and make her scream, "PUT ME DOWN!" And yes, that is an outhouse in the background; John (no pun intended) thinks of everything ;)

 

Fort Sassafras.

 

Complete with a zip line.

 

And a place for a campfire.

 

Mikes' Mom is a wonderful gardener. This is her garden behind their house.

 

 

I was so taken with the water lilies. I get Monet a little better now.

 

 

They raise and sell koi. And farm fresh chicken eggs. I forgot to take a photo of the new chicken coops. Did you know chickens will eat leftover salad? I didn't.

 

 

We spent one day at the Longaberger basket company. Shopping and well, taking our picture in front of the worlds' largest basket.

Don't Americans just love their worlds' largest stuff?

And then we were off; in a crowded minivan, with way too many "Are we there yets? Don't touch me. He touched me. Who did that? And rollll down the windows-- someone reeeks!" Twelve hours later we were there-- Virginia Beach and us. If we didn't need the beach before we started, we certainly needed it by the time we arrived.

Nirvana. Is there anything better than the beach and the ocean? I'm thinking not much...

 

 

If someone would invent the job of professional beach/kid photographer, I'm pretty sure I'd want that job. Of course, it would mean relocating. Oh well :)

 

I could have snapped away all day, in fact, I did.

 

 

  

My big kids told me, "No photos, and NO photos on your blog!" I almost listened :)

 

We loved you, Virginia Beach. Thanks for new happy memories. We booked our tickets in January, but it turned out to be a very well-timed vacation for us.

I'm still working through things here... during our trip I would think, "Oh, I'll have to tell Mom and Dad about this." And then I'd remember, she's gone. My heart feels like it's healing around the edges, but still raw in the middle, if that makes any sense at all. I don't know how to describe where I'm at emotionally, but I sure haven't got any creative mojo going on yet. Feeling like doing things now though, for awhile I didn't feel like doing a thing. We're making progress here, and I'll bet my Mom knows all about the beach.

Take care and don't give up on me completely... I'll be back fully one of these days, with something creative to share.

Love,

Kelly

the church at the back of the bookstore

   I think I sorta fell of the blog-wagon last week.  So much going on with back-to-school, back from vacation, back to helping parents, and back to finding a new seasons' rythm around here; I didn't manage too much else.  But in between all that I've been thinking (scary) about what to post next.  And my mind keeps going here...

One not too pretty photo of the back of an old bookstore in our vacation town, Steamboat Springs.  One of those quirky oh-so-not-big box bookstores that I so love to find.  This place was filled with oddball reads and unique bits of art.  And something more.  As I worked my way to the back of the bookstore I stopped suddenly, a breeze was blowing through the open back door.  Curtains swayed. I felt as though I had just walked onto holy ground.  I know that has to sound really weird, but it's true.  I'm kind of a "feely" type person, and this place stopped me in my tracks.  I went and sat down for awhile on the couch, just to soak in this feeling I was experiencing.  It was wonderful, peaceful and energizing all at the same time. Almost buzzing. When I did get up to leave I was even a little light-headed.

I've wandered through cathedrals in Europe, and lots of churches around here; while I'm awed by the architecture and the love it took to build such places, I never felt the sense of holiness I did here that day in the bookstore. 

 I asked the cashier if people met here for book discussions (no-brainer) and she said yes.  I don't know what books and ideas they share together, but I'm pretty sure these folks have found something more; maybe something like true community, sharing and caring for each other in a very loving way. Whatever they have together, it's good. I can't think of another explanation for such a wonderful feeling place.

Leaving the bookstore, I found one more thing to treasure.  A book.  Ruth, a wise-woman friend at my chiropractor clinic has told me for months now  I need to read this book.       And of course, after I bought it, I knew she was right.  The title can be a little intimidating.  But the premise is that we create the outer circumstances of our lives by what and how we think.  And the places where our lives are stuck are the places where our unloving, and negative thinking has got us stuck.  Louise claims even dis-ease is first created by our unloving thoughts and emotions.  But what is different about this book for me, is that it offers a way to truly change. She says we have to give up our need for engaging in our current behavior; this has always been the missing piece of the "change puzzle" for me. And then we can change unloving thoughts and the ways we don't love ourselves enough.  It's been surprising to notice how much negative chatter goes on in my brain this past week.  And I think of myself as a positive person!  Nothing horrible-suicidal, mind you, just the old geez, "I hate my thighs" kinda stuff.  

Heaven knows I've bought a few self-help books in my lifetime.  I've probably helped Deepak and Dr. Wayne Dyer buy a boat by now.  But I wanted to share this book. I know people from all faiths or no faith might read this blog, and the last thing I would want is to come off sounding preachy here--it's still primarily meant to be a creative pursuits kinda blog, so I hope it's taken in the spirit it's meant in.  Helpfulness.  For me, my creative life and my spiritual life are so woven and bound together-inseparable really- that when I'm stuck in one area I'm stuck in the other area too.  So that's why this book is so helpful, at the moment.  I'm feeling a little scared and stuck moving ahead in my art business.  Sorta getting clear on the "whys" and if it helps anyone else in the process to read this, well I'm all for that, really. 

So I guess I'm just passing along what I'm finding useful at the moment, to get those pesky bits of my life unstuck and moving along.  Well, and whatever faith you are or are not, really this book is religion neutral I've decided. It's just new thinking and ancient thinking together, and it turns conventional thinking upside-down...and I always like that. I even told my hairdresser about this one.  We do try to have meaningful conversations amid the dye and foil ;-)

And just in case this is all a little too airy-fairy here, and you're not into positive affirmations, I've included one very funny (I like to think) book that sits at the end of the self-help library here: I pick it up when I've decided I'm taking life too seriously and martyr-ishly (new made-up word). I'm laughing in an instant.

 I'll love you and leave you with a few of my favorite quotes:

 

*****************************************************

Guilt will be the driving force behind my actions today.

I have a right to be dysfunctional.

Today I will acknowledge my right to thive in chaos and panic in tranquility.

My recovery is not going anywhere.

Control is the only thing any of us have; therefore, I must hold onto it at all costs.

Today I will compulsively weigh myself every hour, each time sinking deeper into a pool of depression.

I must hurry, hurry, hurry to live my life.  The future looks bleak.

Today I will remember a disastrous past adventure and use it as a reason to not try anything new.

Today I will look at my shortcomings for what they are--my parent's fault.

I will nurture all my fears and anxieties on this day.

If someone compliments me today I will look for the hidden agenda.

Extreme mood swings are my goal for the day, as they are so invigorating.

*********************************************************************************************

One hundres and eighty one pages just filled with great one-liners...

See you soon--promise.  Forgot the promise to not be long-winded though didn't I?  I'll work on that.

Love,

Kelly

how I spent my summer vacation

Well as you can see, we're back from our vacation to Steamboat Springs Colorado.  And first off, I need to confess that I have no idea who this woman is in my photo...forgot to take that photo myself on the way out of town, and so I lifted this one, but my cropping skills are poor, so whoever you are lady --we loved your town SOOO much.  And really, Steamboat people are just this nice.  It's a ski town, but it still has that nice pre-snooty appeal that other (to be nameless) ski towns seem to have lost.  There's lots of money here too, mind you, but it looks like it hasn't gone to everyone's head.  So that's my $0.02 on Steamboat socioeconomics.

Anyway, on to my own photos... 

Big wonderful, wide open Wyoming.  If you've never driven through Wyoming, well, this is what most of it looks like...I can't say that it speaks to me really, never being the Annie Oakley type, but driving along such wide open stretches of nothing does seem to clear the cobwebs out of my brain. I have hours to think and dream, and somehow, it makes imagining lots of new possibilities in my life easier.

I loved the huge, graceful, elegantly simple windmills stretched across Wyoming.  Don Quixote would go even a little nuttier, watching these babies.

We drove in two cars, or I should say a pickup truck loaded with dirt bikes and two little kids in the cab section.  My big kids followed us separately.  Although we hadn't planned it, we found this arrangement cut down considerably on squabbling-- just a hint there for ya if it helps ;-).

Always one to be prepared, my Mike brought along some country CD's . Never let it be said that we are not highly versatile people here-- cruising the beach in a convertible or a pick 'em up truck this summer; we've been doing it all ;-).  And as we're driving through cowboy country, listening to cry-in-your-beer songs; I was amazed at how loud and clear the harmonica sounded in one song.  I then discovered the harmonica instrumental was in the back of the truck.  Jesse, it seemed, had packed his rarely used harmonica just for the occasion... He had me going for a minute...

And then she had me going.  I could have cried in my beer (if I liked beer), by now too.  After this, we listened to Elton John.  Much better.

And speaking of cowboys and beer, well looky who's stompin' grounds we came across while driving through Wyoming.

                           Still on the beer subject--here's what they serve when you pull into Steamboat Springs...now that's a beer.  This one wasn't mine, I really don't care much for the taste of beer, but the margarita I had here was something else... Honestly, I'm such a pantywaist.  One extra strength margarita and the high altitude knocked me for a loop.  After laughing my head off for the next hour, I went to sleep at 6:30 pm and slept till 10:00 am the next morning, sheesh.

 

Here's who was watching me drink that margarita.  Funny, he doesn't seem that funny now...

I swore off those margaritas for the rest of the week, and the rest of the week we packed with fun.   We dirt biked, biked, golfed, putt-putted, hot-tubbed, tubed, ate and shopped till we dropped.  Even though we did so much, it was still a very relaxing  trip.  This is just one of those towns that has that relaxing kind of energy.

Steamboat has an old corner drug store and old fashioned sodas.

And an old 50's diner from the 50's.

We divided and conquered a few times--the girls going one way, the boys another...

Fun shops abound in Steamboat.

This one was filled with folk art furniture and accessories...to die for!

My expression too, after looking at the price tags--ouch!

Art dogs decorated main street for a Humane Society fundraiser.  Any town that loves art and dogs, is a good town, in my opinion!

We're all about the art--and the dogs.  We spent an afternoon at a ceramics studio painting, well, dogs and stuff.

We'll see how our art turns out when it gets fired and shipped.

We loved you Steamboat Springs, and we will certainly be back to see you again!

  

And oh, by the way, was he HAPPY to see us come home!  Hope I haven't just bored you all to death with the family vacation "slideshow".  I've certainly missed my blog and you guys. Well, I'm off to surf awhile and catch up on what everyone else has been doing with their last bit of summer.. 

Thanks so much for stopping by.  Next time I'll try to not be so long-winded, but you know I do love to chit chat ;-)

Love and hugs,

Kelly

 

 

birds of a feather flock together

"The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." John 3:8

  Just landed again back home.  My Sophey and I went to Girl Scout camp for a few days.  Quite the departure from my spoiled trip to Carmel last weekend, but a fun and beautiful place in its own way too.

Right before I left, these sweet little birdies landed in my mailbox, from my very best girlfriend, Melinda.    She said the birds reminded her of me--and I think she's right. I love birds. See the tree in the background?  It's loaded with birdfeeders--makes washing the dishes much less tedious if you can watch the birds have lunch. 

I learned a few years ago that  birds are a symbol for Spirit...I like that symbolism.  Flitting here, there, and always landing softly.  Bringing joy and beauty.  Gentleness.  Sweetness.

    And speaking of Spirit, or in this case, maybe spirit(s)--here's a photo I took of our tent at dusk.  I've heard other people talk about "orbs" in their photos, and I've seen them in other photos of mine, but never anything this size.  The funny thing is, the first night in camp I felt quite anxious and unsettled.  I don't know why.  But the night of this photo, I was peaceful and calm.  The first night we had lots of mosquitoes, this night not a one.  My roommate Mom, had the same experiences as me.  Angels anyone?  Let me know if you know anything about this phenomenon....

Here's the same photo a split second later, with a flash.

    

 Nothing here......????????

Lots and lots of birds of a feather flocking together at camp.

 Such a good thing for these little girls to be a part of.  The Girl Scout motto is, "building girls of courage, confidence, and character".  What could matter more? 

   See you next year camp.

   And next post I promise to get get something crafty going--just had to share one more trip!

Lots of love,

Kelly

an enchanted weekend: "part 2"

    Well that's what one shop sign said, and I think I'd agree.  We loved it here.  More so than just about anywhere we've ever been.  The weather is wonderful. The people are friendly, and there are mountains, beaches, and farms all right here.  Just the places we like--and all in one spot. 

Anyway, without going on and on... Here's the rest of our wonderful weekend.

Mike rented a convertible.  It was fun flying around the hills with the top down.  And my hair is so short right now, it didn't even matter!

  

We drove along Pebble Beach.

And had lunch on the 18th hole.  Guess where?

Uhhuh...  Pebble Beach.  My golfing hubbie's idea of heaven on earth.

Then we drove to Carmel-by-the-Sea.  Here's one of the town's cottages.  There are streets and streets lined with homes like this one.

And streets and streets of shops and restaurants.  And guys in tights at this one!  Well you can't beat that for fun--ha,ha.

Even the alleys are beautiful here!

This was my favorite shop, named Piccolo --a collection of curiosities and indulgences.  And it was all that!

After we finished shopping, it was evening.  Mike and the innkeeper had arranged for a picnic and bonfire on the beach.  It was completely romantic.

The picnic and bonfire were waiting for us.

Along with roses,

and a message Mike wrote in a bottle.  Here's where my heart melted...

We ate our picnic, roasted smores and talked for hours as we watched the sunset. 

 And just in case your starting to want to throw up right about here because this is all starting to look like a bad beer, or worse still, a bad erectile dysfunction commercial ;-), well, please don't. 

We've been through our fair share of problems, and ups and downs too, in twenty years. I think everyone must.  But we made it this far, and it seemed right to truly celebrate that.  Especially this weekend, when it all felt so effortlessly good.  It seemed to both of us that the universe had conspired to give us this good.  As we talked and dreamed about the rest of our lives together on that beach, a young man at the next bonfire played his guitar, for hours.  He played on even as we left.  It was magic.

And when we got home, even our kids had conspired to support us on our journey.  Here's what they made for us...

 

They all pitched in and gave us some great advice for the next twenty years too..

 

Pleas note Number 5 on that list--Mike and I had a fight once in a McDonald's, while on vacation, about getting in each other's way and "spatial awareness". Oh, the things your kids do remember... See, it's not all roses and sunsets here!

But humor me here, please.  One more photo longer...  I'll take the roses and sunsets as long as I can...

Lots of love,

Kelly

 

an enchanted weekend: "part 1"

     Well, I said I'd be back with happy things on Monday.  It's 8:30 pm on Monday, but I finally made it to my blog! And boy oh boy, talk about happy things... I truly had one of the most wonderful weekends of my life. I will always remember this enchanted weekend.  Everything was oh so perfect!  My Mike outdid himself--to say the least. (In case you didn't read the last post, my husband planned this whole trip as a surprise for our 20th wedding anniversary). We didn't stay in San Francisco, as I thought we would, but drove on to Monterey and stayed there the weekend.  So much to see, and I took so many pictures, that I"ve decided to do this post in two parts. 

 So here's part "1"...

  

Old Monterey Inn.  Just the most amazing award winning bed-and-breakfast home you could imagine.  Beautiful, warm, elegant, gracious, are a few of the words I would choose to describe this place. Every little detail so thoughtfully planned.  Even a little quote card placed on our bed each night... Patti the innkeeeper thinks of everything.  And the gardens--just incredibly beautiful and lush.  I'll take you for a tour of the inside first...

  

 

 

I loved the china in the dining room.

And the breakfast menus!

 

And all the carved wood, throughout the house.

Especially our carved headboard. 

 

 

 I loved the view from our bedroom window. 

  

And the leaded glass windows.

 

I could get used to living like this!

And the garden was as gorgeous as the house.

Even the corners are blooming here!

 

I loved all the garden art.

  

Especially the terra cotta people on the fence!

Aren't they funny!

 

Sleep tight!  Next we'll be off to Carmel-by-the-Sea.  Oh, those cottages and shops--not to mention the beach (I saved my best for last).  See you tomorrow!

 

Love,

Kelly