it's a miracle! family picture.

home sweet home

Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.

~William Morris

Invictus

"Invictus" is a short Victorian poem by the English poet William Ernest Henley (1849–1903)

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

mid-life vomit.

last may, it felt as though
i dropped off the edge of the earth.
as if a simmering pinnacle of emotion...
from my entire life,
came to surface at a single point.
and hit the fan.
shooting my loose ends
all over the room like a
blast of confetti.

some call this a mid-life crisis.
possibly...10 years early.
i say,it was more of an
internal vomit.

it was the beginning of
my way of ridding myself of those things
that no longer serve me well.
or never served me well,
from the beginning.

you know, those obnoxious demons.
fear, anger, grief, judgement...okay,
and even some hypochondriasm.

pests in sheep's attire,
that really give none,
yet take all,
leaving things lifeless,
lame, or frozen.

it has been a long time since i have written.
really written.
in a journal.
or this blog.

today i am feeling it.
mainly due
to the gratitude,
of the freedom
i am experiencing.
the emancipation
the last 12 months.
and i want verbalize my appreciation.
even if only god and i hear.

i know there are many
who feel, or have felt the same way.

the mid-life vomit.

easter egg 80th.

we celebrated easter with my aunts, uncles, cousins, cousins kids, and grandparents monday. grundles of people, squealing kids, apple orchard easter egg hunt, potato salad, candy, and grandma's 80th birthday.

All Things Shall Work Together

Search diligently,
pray always,
and be believing,
and all things
shall work together
for your good..

Doctrine and Covenants 90:24

Citrus Pots

What a great idea from re-nest.com! Using lemon peels for seedlings (with a small hole poked on the bottom) and then plant them right into the ground...peel and all. Cheap. Green. Cheery.

Talking Earth

This website shows current seismic, volcanic, earthquake, extreme weather, biological hazards, fire, power outages, nuclear, and other activities all over the entire earth.
It is computer generated, and updated every 60 seconds.
So, if you wanna know what's happening...

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/

An Old Story

A man was journeying up a mountain.
He looked around and saw others going
A different way, even
A different direction.

"Fools!" he thought, "They are going the
Wrong way."

The man kept journeying until,
Years later, he reached the top-
It was a very high mountain.
And then, he saw
Those other Fools.
They were on top of the mountain too.

Preperation

For all of us who want to be prepared for emergencies...especially in Utah-
you may like this blog.

http://www.utahpreppers.com/

To 9 Years!

Every other year, we take turns who plans our anniversary.
It was Brandon's year this year.
Somehow, the magic in him, can plan these incredible trips on a dime.
WE HAD A WONDERFUL TIME!
To 9 years of marriage:

look at the size of this tree! (Grandfather Tree in the Redwoods.)

San Franscisco


Found our first SEA GLASS!

A Frover

My cousin Spencer recently got married.
At the end of their wedding picture book,
along with some funny picture, it said:

"Friend + Lover = Frover"

As this likely is some Satureday Night Live, or cinematic joke
I have never heard of (commonly the case with me),
it was new to me. Kind of funny! And awesome. A Frover.

A friend.
And a lover.
Not one without the other.
Just especially for the two of you.
Since I have only one lover....
I have one frover.

The Romanticist in me always believed this was possible.
The Idealist in me knew it was a reality.
And the Reality is, that we have it.

My dearest frover.
How I love you.
How true a friend you are.
Since we were kids-
Our friendship was true.
As lovers, it grows.

My dearest frover.
How I love you.
How true a lover you are.
Since we were kids-
Our love was true.
As friends, it grows.

You are my one and only.
Frover.

The Gink

Benny has one word that describes all that he loves most dear:

"Gink."

For Binki, Blankie, and Drink.

Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent

I have a few friends who have asked me for this laundry soap recipe...so here it is!

Ingredients:
4 C Hot Tap Water
1 Fels-Naptha Soap Bar
1 C Arm and Hammer laundry soda
1/2 C Borax

Grate bar of soap and add to a saucepan with water. Stir continuously over medium-low heat, until soap dissolves and is melted.

Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full with very hot tap water. Add melted mixture, Arm and Hammer soda, and borax. Stir well until powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover, and let sit overnight.

Once soap has cooled, you may add 10-15 drops essential oil per every 2 gallons, if desired for scent.

Amount to use:
Top loading machine: 5/8 C per load
High Efficiency Washer: 1/4 C per load (makes 400 loads!)