My Very Own Boot Miracle

Yesterday something completely awesome happened for me.

I like to replay the moments from yesterday afternoon in my head, over and over. Partially because I am still in disbelief that they actually occurred. But mostly because they filled my being with such giddy exhilaration. And giddiness and  exhilaration are feelings worth reliving often.

I guess the true beginning of this lucky story of mine started over two years ago, when I first laid eyes on my mother's Sofft brown "Pegasus" boot. I loved them at first sight. But it was when I placed my feet inside, zipped up the supple suede shaft, and took one look in the mirror, I became infatuated.

Totally and absolutely hooked on these unique beauties.

I borrowed them often (thank you Mommy!), and dreamed of them often too. I began searching for them constantly. I quickly discovered that these boots had gone rogue. I could not find them for sale anywhere. So I took to checking eBay daily (seriously daily) for them. Just in case they popped up there, I wanted to be ready so snatch them.

Finally, about a year ago I saw them on eBay. They were a size 7.5, which is too small for me. I must admit I was tempted to try and cram my feet in them regardless. Man, I love those boots. But alas, I was back to searching.

So, I kept borrowing my mom's when I just couldn't take the thirst any longer, I checked eBay religiously, and I always scoped out the shoe department on my near weekly thrift store stops.

I even went to far as to consciously send my wishes out into the universe, believing one day something could be cosmically aligned. Hoping that one day my boots would miraculously appear for me. 

Well. They did.

Yesterday morning I was wondering what Angus and I would do during Oscar's 45 minute music class. It would have to be close by, and quick since time was short. My car needs it's emissions tested, so I thought maybe we could do that. But then a better idea occurred to me, "Isn't there a Idaho Youth Ranch thrift store up on Overland?", the voice in my head nudged me. Why yes, I thought to myself, there most certainly is! I have not been there in seriously over 10 years. It has been so long since I stepped foot in that store that I nearly forgot it was there.

So that is what we did.

We walked in. I helped Angus into the cart. We stood there at the front of the store for a moment, assessing where to start. "To the toys!" Angus proclaimed. I veered to the left thinking we could peruse a bit as we made our way back to the toy aisle.

Hats.

Scarfs.

Bags.
Winter boots.
Women's shoes.
My eyes scanned the top row.
Then the middle row.
Now down to the bottom.
No.

No.

AHHHH! Holy CRAP!

My eyes nearly popped out of my head and dropped onto the concrete floor, as I lunged quickly to grab the boots. I laughed out loud in shock and disbelief.

Upon first glance they looked like they might be my size. My fingers were shaking so much at my sudden good fortune that I had a hard time unzipping the boot shaft. Finally I was able to put my foot in.

A Perfect fit. How could this be?! How could I be so lucky?!

Oh and it gets better. When I looked at the yellow sticker, the price read $10.75. These boots retailed at full price for at least $150.00. Unbelievable. I was ecstatic, and all I could think was "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

I called my mom, I even had a hard time dialing her number I was so giddy. When I told her the great news, she could hardly believe it either. She said she was seriously considering wrapping her boots up to give to me for Christmas. Now she doesn't have to (not that I would have let her do that anyway).

Then I called Bryan, he too was thrilled for me. In fact last night during family prayer he said how thankful we were that I was able to find my boots. I think he was mostly thrilled that now he does not have to listen to me pine for them.

Thankful we are.

As dramatic as this may seem, it really has been so incredible to me. Maybe the cosmos aligned this for me, maybe my guardian angel placed those boots there for me knowing I would find them, maybe it was purely luck. But after leading an unfruitful search  for over two years, to then find the exact boots, in my exact size, at a screaming deal, at the thrift store I never go to??? That is a miracle to me my friends. A boot miracle. My very own boot miracle.

Thank you to whoever or whatever made my boot miracle happen. I'll have you know I wore them all day, and I might just sleep in them too.

The Joy of Gift Giving

My boys spent the majority of the morning piling my bed high with all the pillows in our home. Then they took all their "pets" (stuffed animals) and placed them in their fort with them. They were even so kind as to put the tiny pet animals in little sleeping bags (my socks).

Then they found and empty shoe box. Now they are taking turns filling the box with toys and trinkets and giving gifts to one another. There is pure excitement on their faces as they pull the familiar toys from the tissue paper. I love listening to their exclamations, "Oh I really wanted this!" or "I have always wanted one of these!". A couple gift exchanges ago, they are on about the 6th one now, Oscar pulled out a pair of underwear that was so gingerly placed there by his brother. Angus was hysterical. They both laughed a guttural laugh as Oscar then sling- shotted the undies across my bedroom. Kid laughter is some of the best kind of music around.

Angus' underwear gift reminded my of some of my gift giving days from yester year. I know one year I took a spoon half full of cookie dough, I had licked the other have of it off,  and put it in a box. I wrapped the box in Christmas paper, addressed it to Julia and put it under the tree. I know there was something else in there too. Julia do you remember what it was? Underwear? A dirty Sock? A booger encrusted tissue? Anyhow, I can still remember the pure elation I felt as she opened my trick gift. The look of confused disappointment on her face sent me into a tizzy of triumphant laughter. Horrible, right?

It was awesome...for me at least. I am pretty sure she would have liked something other than a sucked on spoon with dried up cookie dough on it for Christmas.

Oh the joys of gift giving.

Top o' the Mornin' To Ya

Wednesday After 9.

Bread.
Toasted.
Homemade.
Slathered with soft butter.
Showered with sweet cinnamon sugar.
Babes sleeping soundly cozied in there blankets.
Reece on the rug dreaming, and sometimes licking himself.
Husband gone, hitting at balls with a racquet in a rectangular room.
Me on the couch cuddled by pillows, reading my new library book.
Vivaldi, Bizet, Satie, Einaudi, Dubussy kept me company in the quiet.

Why I Blog.

I feel peace and comfort when I write down pieces of our lives. Like somehow the actual writing down of my moments, our moments, keeps them alive even after they have passed.

Moments in our lives come at such a swift pace. We hardly have time to appreciate them before they have moved from the status of moments, to memories.

Ah! But! If we record them, if we just record them we can relive them continually. When we write our moments down they are never really lost to us.

This is my main motivator for writing on my blog. My moments here are precious, even the not so great ones. 

I want to keep them, so I write them down. Sometimes I am really diligent about it, sometimes I am not. Often I have panic attacks about how many moments I have not immortalized by writing them.

But I am trying, and I know my efforts will be worth it. Worth it to me, and to those who come after me.

On The Eve Of My 28th Year.

I went for a walk tonight on the eve of my 28th birthday. That isn't really earth-shattering news or anything, but Reece and I like to take walks together after dark, especially in the summer time. Most walks we take together are calming and rejuvenating to the both of us. I crave the chorus of the August crickets. They are loud and thick. Tonight it felt they were singing just for me, "Happy birthday Helen, we are glad you are here with us on earth at this time. Be well, be well, be well."  The warmth on an evening of this month feels much like a comfortable, and well-worn blanket. Not much more clothing than a shirt, shorts and flip-flops are needed, and the simplicity of that feels good to me. The dark silhouettes of the catalpas, the maples, the pines, against the backdrop of a slightly lighter starry starry sky cause me to breath in the smell of summer with deeper contentment.

As we continued to walk I was overcome with gratitude for the 28 years I have had here so far. They have been filled with so much good, and so much real beauty. The majority of which has stemmed from the many genuine and tender relationships that have been, and that are currently a part of my existence. My eyes got a bit teary as my mind filled with the many blessings I have been given over the years. They have not, and they do not cease.

I think there is something cosmically magical about walking in the relative stillness of night. It feels good to let my mind wander where it will. When I stop trying to lead my thoughts, and instead let them lead me, I am often overcome with truths that are made clearer. It is as if there is someone aware of me (and I believe that there certainly is, more than one someone too). Someone who knows me. Who knows my ears are open and my mind is receptive to the guiding bits of wisdom they will whisper to my mind, my heart. Most often the whispered wisdom's are small hints, and on rare occasions they have been concise directions, but they are always, always meant for me. I am compelled to listen, and when I do my life is so much better because I did.

Cabin August 2011

We went up to the Cabin for a quick trip this past Sunday and Monday. We celebrated Rachael's birthday and had a real nice time together. Boat rides, kayaking on the lake, Skipper Beach (a nearby sandbar), lots of food, campfire, swimming, water skiing, life-jacket diapers, etc. We are so grateful for such a beautiful place to have fun and enjoy being together.

 

 

Bryan decided that body skiing sounded better to him than actual skiing that evening. Here he is being man-towed behind the boat. He even threw in some acrobatic arm tricks. Pretty impressive B-man, pretty impressive.

  

I can still slalom ski, hooray! I don't ski all that regularly any more, so I tend to get a bit nervous to try again. But I guess it is like riding a bike. Once you learn how you don't really forget, on the second try I was up and going strong. I am still sore, but it was worth it.

  

Life-jacket diapers! It is a long time cabin tradition to put your legs through the arms holes of a jacket, buckle up, and jump in the lake. However my two diaper junkies (Martha and Julia) were absent this time around, so I had to keep the tradition alive. Don't you love the flattering diaper jacket profile shot? Nice.

Oscar Talks Colors

Julia was over at our house. Angus had just woken from a nap. The four of us (Me, Julia, Oscar, Angus) were hanging out with him on his bed, when some how we got on the topic of colors and why we like them.

Oscar said that black was his favorite color, and then gray. He likes them because they are creepy and scary. That kid loves monsters, bugs, and freaky creatures.

Here are his reasons why he likes some of the other colors.

Red: He says he super, SUPER likes the color red because it is the color of BLOOD.
Purple: At first he said he did not like purple any more. But! When I told him that purple was the color of bruises a grin glazed over his face and he chanted, "Oh yes, I like purple."
Pink: The color of a SUNBURN. Painful.
White: The color of fangs, sharp teeth and eyeballs.

We were hurrying to go catch frogs at a local pond, so we did not get to the rest of the colors.

However I do remember him say he loves green. Probably because it is the color of boogers, ooze, and some kinds of poop.

Having boys is incredibly amusing. Especially for a "lady" who finds all sorts of potty humor unbearably funny.

Poop. Pee Pee. Throw up. HA HA HA HA HA!

Dirty Puddle People

Tonight we all threw our rain boots on and splashed through the dirty puddle at the end of our driveway. The boys stripped down to there undies, I did not. We all got so dirty, well they got dirtier than I did. At one point they were both completely laying down in the black puddle. They were laughing really loud, hard and silly-like. Which in turn made me laugh really loud, hard and silly-like.

I am glad I stopped what I was doing and PLAYED WITH them. It seems I am often working/doing while they are playing around me, and I want there to be more of me actually playing WITH them doing whatever they are doing.

Once they were dirty enough, I let them run around naked in the back yard while I ran after them spraying them clean with the hose. It was hilarious and we all three loved it.

We had some really good moments together today. I am always grateful for those.

Angus Cuddles On Father's Day

With A Booty Like That

I have a bubble butt, it's true.  Rarely does my butt draw attention, but sometimes it does...

A few weeks ago I was on a morning run on the greenbelt. As I crossed a footbridge two men in their 30's were crossing from the other side. As we passed each other one of the men, who happened to be black, craned his neck around and hollered this at me as I ran by, "Ya never see a white girl with a booty like that. Woo, Woo!"

I was laughing so hard I nearly gave myself a side ache as I continued running.

A Night Away

On Friday June 4th Bryan and I stayed downtown at The Modern Hotel. Bryan's Mom stayed with the boys for us (many thanks to you Gail). We rode our bikes downtown to the hotel. We ate dinner at on their patio, we had the most delicious gnocchi and kale. It was so good that we even ordered a second helping.

One of our (well maybe my) favorite things to do on a warm night, is to ride down to the Capitol Building and sit at the top of the steps. Looking out on this city we love while the sun sets warmly over it is so peaceful. We rode our bikes back to the hotel and then walked over to fanci-freeze and got some yummy dip cones. Delicious. Then I may or may not have fallen asleep while Titanic played on the TV in the background.

After enjoying our complimentary breakfast we rode to the Farmers Market. While strolling down Idaho St. we happened to spot my parents walking on the other side of the market. At that time they still had no idea that Bryan had cut his hair, so he snuck up on them and surprised them. It took both of them nearly a minute to figure out who the heck was talking to them. It was so funny to see their response.

Here is the picture they took of us after the hairless Bryan surprise.

It was really nice to just be with Bryan. He is my best friend, and having some time away from "real life" always helps me to remember that fact. I love you Bryan, and am glad to be living this life with you.

Handmade Skirt, Thrifted Shirt.

I made this skirt!

I am really happy with how it turned out.



Trying

At the end of some days I can't help but hope that heavenly Father blesses my children with the ability to look past my flaws as a parent, and my flaws as an individual. I feel afraid at times that the only thing they will carry forward with them is the memory of how poorly I disciplined them, or my own personal shortcomings.

I really am trying to do a good job raising them,  I am trying to be good example, I am trying to be a better me/mom.  I hope that my positive efforts don't get to clouded by the times I am impatient, yell, slip out swear words, or throw tantrums of my own.

Dirty Laundry

Little boy underwear caught in the dryer door.
Picture taken by Oscar.

I am going to write about some dirty laundry of mine. Don't get too excited. I am, quite literally, going to tell you about my family's dirty laundry.

My dryer broke on Monday. It would turn on, rotate the clothes, and keep them nice and cold and wet. That baby was producing no heat. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Not really ideal when it comes to doing laundry well. 

We are a family that functions on doing at least one load of laundry a day. If we don't, we begin to drown in soiled cloth mighty fast. While we have been trouble-shooting how to fix the dryer, our laundry pile has continued to grow. In 4 days it is nearly up to my armpits, I swear. How on earth did women keep everyone clean and smelling nice before the invention of washers and dryers? My goodness! Our laundry "work" must be nothing compared to what their laundry work was.

Yesterday I unhooked the dryer heating element (or coil) and took it to Renew Appliance. The owner there is super helpful and said he would test it for free. Long story short, I have been to that store 4 times in two days trying to figure out the issue and I still have a dryer that won't work. We have figured out that either we have a bad receptacle (the place the dryer cord plugs into), or we need to get a "new" dryer.

To add to this "fun" my oldest child has decided to leave some very substantial skid marks in his underwear. Twice today, twice yesterday, twice the day before. This kid has been fully potty trained for nearly 3 years, and picks the week I can't do laundry easily to have a flashback?! No more poop in underwear, please!

I needed to take my mind off of this stuff for a while, so I ran to Costco this evening. I felt that a new plant for my yard and some delicious buttery croissants for my taste buds (and inevitably later on, my butt) would ease my current frustrations. I picked out a beautiful peony plant, and was feeling a bit better. Unfortunately I could not find the croissants anywhere because they had sold out for the day. I am not joking you that when the lady told me this news, my eyes began to well up with tears. Don't judge me! Sometimes you just really need some flaky goodness to lift your spirits.

I know all this may not sound like that big of a deal, but it has actually been a trying few days. My patience has continually been tested as each potential dryer solution has failed, and as each pair of poopy underwear has had to be washed by hand and stacked in the ever growing pile of clothes.

It is so much easier to be happy, kind, patient, and loving when all is going well and everything is working in your favor. In those situations we hardly have to make a choice to be happy. We just are.

When solutions don't really solve anything, when things we can't control go poorly, when all our trying just brings us to the point where we must try some more, these, yes these are the times that we must make the choice to be happy. For it is the times in our lives when things don't run smoothly that truly test the strength of our character.

I fall short in this area often, but I keep on trying to make the better choice. Even when it seems that every fiber in my being is fighting my efforts to do so. I keep on trying, and I am pretty sure that counts for something.

The Olive Green Book

It was our second to last day in Oregon, and it was raining. My mother and I decided to walk across the street to a cute little antique store. It was filled with all sorts of delicate vintage and handmade items. It was all very nice, but if you ask me most of it was a little too girly, froofy, and ruffly. Girly stuff is not really my style, so I was pretty sure I would not find anything I had to have. (Actually I was a quite relieved that I felt that way. It takes a lot of pressure off of deciding if you really have the money to spend on something, if nothing screams out at you to begin with, don't you think?)

But! It was in the very last room that my tune changed. Sitting on the edge of a wooden table, sat an old olive green book. On the front cover was a black print of a lone leafy tree. It caught my eye. As I picked it up, my fingers even seemed to like how the book felt. I turned the books spine towards me and read its title, "How to Live With Life." I took a deep breath. I was nearly hooked.

As I trifled through the pages I realized that this, 1965 Readers Digest book, was a collection of nearly 150 essays. Essays about how to enjoy life, live deeply, and find true and honest contentment. All written by people from many different walks of life. One page I stopped on read;

"Every human being on this earth faces a constant problem: how to make the most of life. There is no simple solution; the art of living is the most difficult of all the arts. But, fortunately for all of us, experience can be shared. Insights can be learned. Wisdom can be taught. In this book are presented the experience, insights and wisdom of men and women who have lived deeply, thought profoundly and cared enormously about sharing with others what they have learned."

I especially loved how it referred to the "art of living." I have always admired artists and wished there was a medium that spoke to me, and becoming proficient in learning the art of living life surely does. So! That was it. I had to have it. I paid the five dollars for it happily.

My nose has been in this book nearly every night since our return from Oregon. I love it. It may seem a bit melodramatic to say, but I really feel this book was placed there just for me. So I shout thank you, thank you, thank you up to the cosmos for letting this book and I cross paths and find each other.

Yeah, okay that was a little melodramatic, but I am really enamored with this book!

What Chicks Dig

I sat down at the computer tonight intent on writing something thoughtful. Heartfelt. Poignant.

But every time I started to type, some distraction foiled my plan. The sound of dishes clanging against the sink downstairs. A child crying for his binky. Chatter from the TV down the hall. Engine noise from a car down the street. Growls from my own quiche filled stomach.

So.

One of these nights I will write the heartfelt post I wanted to write tonight. Maybe one night when even the sound of my own typing, doesn't cause me to lose my train of thought. But for tonight I will share something I wrote years ago. I stumbled upon it yesterday when searching through an old memory box.

Prepare yourself for a poem about what girls want in a guy, through the eyes of the teenage Helen. Uncensored, un-cut, and a tad embarrassing.

What Chicks Dig
by Helen Robison

Chicks did guys with shaggy hair
as long as they don't wear no white underwear.
With washboard stomachs and a stylish flare.
Chicks dig guys with shaggy hair.

Chicks dig guys with clean toenails.
With white bright smiles and short fingernails.
Sparse cologne and no name brand shirts,
as long as they don't have a case of the squirts.

Chicks dig guys that know how to cook,
How to fix a tractor and read a book.
They comment on more than the way you look,
chicks dig guys that know how to cook.

Chicks dig guys that are sweet to their moms.
You won't see'em blushing even in a sarong.
They like to surprise you in funny ways,
and will think your the greatest for all of their days.

The end.

He knows how to read, has nice abs, and he doesn't have a case of the squirts? Evidently these are the makings of a true love.

Ha!

Floral and Burnt Orange

The thrift store gods were smiling on me a few weeks back when I made a quick stop into our local Savers. For I found two large pieces of fabric that I adore. They were both found in different sections of the store, and I was delighted at how perfectly they compliment each other.

 

I seriously thought I was the luckiest girl in the store the night I found these beauties.

The fabric on the left has a velvety feel to it, and is rich in burnt orange tones.
The fabric on the right is a nice upholstery fabric.
Flowers, leaves and stems in hues of burnt orange, mustard,
 brown, and turquoise make up this divine floral print.

I love these fabrics so much I have had a hard time deciding just what to cut them up for. A tablecloth, table runner, skirt, dress/jacket, bag, apron, pillow? I just can't pick. So I decided to begin with a simple throw pillow for my front room.

I had an old pillow I was not using anymore. So I unpicked that baby and used the old fabric to measure and cut a pattern out of the new fabric. I cut one side from each of the fabrics. Also, I was able to save the muted yellow cording from the original pillow and re-use it for my new one. It was a great match! Then I put the right sides together and sewed almost all of her up. I left nearly all of one of the small sides open so that I could shove the pillow form back in. Then I turned the new fabric right side out, shoved the form in and sewed up the hole.

I love our "new" little pillow!



A Super Fine Fall

Man alive! Fall 2010 has been delicious here in Boise. Here are a few reasons why:

• Telling Oscar that YES!, he can wear his flip flops in late October.
• Raking the leaves in my bare feet.
• Hardly feeling chilly at all on my morning runs.
• Running on the "yellow brick road." The Greenbelt is covered in a thick coat of golden leaves. It's beautiful, and it makes me feel like I should be wearing red high heels instead of running shoes, and calling my dog Toto instead of Reece.
• Playing balloon soccer with my two scantily clad little boys.

• Hearing the crickets all day long.
• Helping Oscar learn to climb trees. He is getting real good at it too.
  

Its been grand. However I am pretty sure our Indian summer has ended. The cold winds and heavy rain told me so.

Mosey Through The Zoo

On Wednesday we sauntered, we moseyed, we meandered through the zoo. At first the weather was cloudy, misty, drizzly. It was lovely. Then the sunlight peeked out from behind the clouds for a bit.That was lovely too.

It was just us. We like us.

The Lady Amherst Pheasant was striking, as usual. I wish I looked like one.

The Giraffe's were no where to be seen.

The Servals were eating white fluffy bunnies for lunch.

The Pata Monkey -OH- the Pata Monkey. Well...at first he was ferociously cleaning his man parts with his tongue. Then he took a dump from high atop his branch, and tinkled a bit too.

We watched as it all splattered dramatically onto the concrete. We laughed, all three of us.

We were still giggling as we headed out of the zoo.

We were heading to our car, but the tree lined pathway through Julia Davis park was too inviting. We had to walk through, and pick up curly-curvy sticks, and play hide and seek,

bug the geese, and step in geese turds.

Just thinking about that Wednesday morning with my buddies relaxes me, and makes me giggle too. It was wonderful. They are wonderful, and all the poop was funny.