Clouds and Husband

Things I love this Thursday?

I love when the clouds look so big that you could eat them.
I love when the sky is so blue you could drink it.

I love when my husband and I are on an adventure.
I love when all of these things happen at once, just as they are supposed to.

This is what I love....

edited to add:
oh and this quote is making me smile today...
"Shangri-La is in you mind, but your Buffalo is not." from an article that has my head spinning about words and language, communication and travel.

holiday...

let the sun shine in!



we are planning our summer.

the time has been granted to be away from work and teaching and home.

hiking, backpacking, road tripping and exploring.

death valley
highway 1
rural nevada


just the man, the dog and me.
oh boy!

Happy Valentine's Day

soggy

This weekend has been soggy, sloshy, wet and grey.
I couldn't be happier about it.
It has been raining since Friday.
Everything is damp, the pond in the back yard has grown and the ice in it has become a mini glacier.

I saw a double rainbow yesterday.
The dog got to play with a 1 year old and cracked me up the entire time, she also got to hang out with her favorite pit-bull/beagle and get muddy. (which means she got a bath too)
I got to visit with my mom and she made pesto (oh, the pesto).
I found a fabulous wee rocking chair at the thrift store along with some great
pillow cases,
knitting needles and
zippers.
Several things on my list have been checked off.
I pulled the "Creativity" card today from my stack of Angel Cards.
I am eating french toast and my Mukkah made the best froth ever today.
I am in my favorite ORANGE (Cal-Trans style) sweatshirt.
The sun keeps playing peak-a-boo with the earth.
Everything is soggy, sloshy, wet and grey (oh and maybe a bit greener too).

Goings on

There is something fun happening over here.

Guess who I got to meet this weekend? Pancakemama herself. She was wonderful to chat with while knitting- the two and half hours that passed seemed like minutes. I should have chosen the tea instead of the Thai cafe though- I think I talked way more than I listened (sorry)... Thanks Ani, it was so wonderful to meet up with you.

I started a new sewing project this weekend as well.
I am working on some "Wide-legged lounge pants" from the Amy Butler book.

We got to spend some fabulous time with family Saturday night- To the UNR game we went (What a game). I got to hold the most beautiful baby for so long and then we headed to Blue Moon Pizza for more visiting. It feels so good to spend time with my SIL and their men.

Found out some news from one of my dearest friends. My lips are zipped however. despite my heart skipping a beat over it all.

busy week ahead...

TILT 1-25-06

I must say, when I visit San Fran I often get totally overwhelmed by the humanity and the chaos and all of it. I want to look at everything, take it all in and then I realize that I have taken in too much. Like a sponge that has reached the point of total absorbtion I can't hold any more stimuli. This weekend's trip was no exception. I wound up with a head ache right behind my eye. But I rallied and downed some water and an Alieve and was good to go.

One of the best things I saw this weekend was a few guys in the middle of Union Square holding up signs stating "FREE HUGS" and it brought me back. I didn't get a chance to get my free hug, but just seeing this made me feel like I was a person again... hugs do that to a me- they remind me of my love of personal contact, one on one converstaion and love.
I am a hugger. It is just how I was raised. We hug and often time give big old kisses to each other (this by the way totaly caught my man off gaurd the first time hanging with the fam).

What can I say.
But doesn't giving someone your energy and you taking theirs feel so amazing?

Today's TILT is dedicated to all you people out there that I can't hug because you live somewhere far away- but know that my arms are wrapping 'round ya and I am giving you a squeeze- oh and this ain't no "butt poking out" kinda hug(you know what I mean, the fake kind, the I am not sure if I want to touch you kind), this is a full contact- full energy kinda hug- MMMMM!

Where am I

I have been busy with work and teaching again this week.
I like that I haven't had much time to get on line, it is somehow refreshing. Has anyone else found that the more they look at blogs and the insane amount of creativity going on the more they feel like everyone else must be living in a different dimension? I mean when do these people find the time to create such amazing things, take such awesome photographs, birth such beautiful babies and still have a roof over their heads?

I am okay with it all, it is just sometimes I am truly amazed at what others are doing out there... am I just a bad time manager? hmm... how can you really manage time - Think about that statement for a second, go ahead I will wait....... time just keeps going, no matter what you do.


On Sunday I swung by JoAnne's fabrics for a bit of a fix. I have been wanting to make the pants from this awesome book, but needed a bit more fabric than I currently have at home. I thought about piecing together some of the fabric scraps I had, but decided for the first time around and because I am still learning to sew, I would go the easier route.
The fabric sits in the plastic bag on my craft room floor, untouched but not forgotten.... I will snap a few photos when I can get a bit of sun light. I really liked the colors I found and think these will sew up pretty easily.

I am getting more and more excited about my weekend get away with the girls.

There is talk of photobooths, dim sum, shopping, spa-ing, and bar hopping. I will have camera in tow and crisp dollar bills just in case we find a booth or two.

Andy and I have been cooking like crazy the past few days- I love being in the kitchen with him.



chopping, rinsing, giggling and snacking. He is quite the cook/baker and it is something we are finding that we really enjoy doing together. It is nice when that happens. Such a good way to spend the time we have after work together.

That sums it up kids. not much else going on here at the Noodle House.
- I promise to have loads of photos when I return next week.

Reflecting

What an amazing past two days... I didn't have my camera, and that was okay (although this photo was taken at Donner Lake and is a perfect example of what we saw while shoeing along the beach). There were moments where I wish I had the camera in my hands, but then again I can't always take in the moment when I am looking at the screen of my camera.


Saturday was Acro Yoga and laughter with the Canary*. Helping my mom with some condo related stuff (anyone out there want to buy a condo on Donner Lake?). Decompressing from the condo related stuff by snow shoeing around the park at the East end of Donner Lake with my mom, my man and the dog. And finally, a stop and impromptu dinner with family in Truckee- Surf, Turf, and Coop was on the menu along with roasted butternut squash, grilled sweet potatoes and grilled eggplant- MMMM!

On Sunday, teaching yoga one on one to one of the most amazing 70 somethings I have ever met. Then hanging out with one of my girls who is preggers- so amazing, always amazing what is going on in a body of a woman who is pregnant... napping on the couch with the kratins since the puppy was out and about with the man, and finally dinner with some more friends and more down to earth conversation ranging from dating to acupuncture to work to working out.... so real, so amazing, so alive today.
Thanks everyone for such an amazing recharge this weekend... Next weekend will not be as luxurious. I must get that tree down and out of the house, vacuum and all that goes with cleaning up the house after the holidays, can't someone do this for me?

It's All In The Cards

Sometimes I just stop and think about this deck of cards I have been given called life, love and family. I think about all the queens and kings that surround me, the jokers and the wild deuces. Stopping and looking at it I realize how all those cards don't quite fit in the box nicely any more. They overflow out of the box. Some of the cards are earmarked or bent a little. Some are in pristine new condition, and others are worn smooth, broken in and easy to shuffle and deal. Some of the cards are right there in between. Some have found their pair, others are working on a full house.



And then I look down at the stack of chips on the table before me. I think about how little I started out with. There were times when there wasn't even a stack. There was only a single chip sitting on the table in front of me (and my mom). The chip sat there like a loose tooth holding onto its roots just waiting for the promise of something bigger to take its place. The anticipation and the betting, the poker faces and the holding out just long enough.. out lasting the others around us and building back the stacks slowly and steadily. All that time, holding the heart cards close at hand, because that was really what would win us the jackpot.



Over the past month we have had a party every weekend (every.single.weekend). The house has been cleaned and re-cleaned. Food has been prepared and devoured, wine has been poured and spilled. Laughter has echoed through the walls of our home filing it with memories and love.
I know that my chips are stacked high now. I know that holding out for that straight flush in hearts was all I really needed to do.
It really is all in the cards that you are dealt.
And damn, I got a good hand.

Just Say No To The Christmas Sweater

My new "wellies"... a birthday gift from my mom.

I am in love with them and make every excuse I can to wear them.
I have even worn them to work twice the past week.

It is probably totally crazy and inappropriate work garb, but I don't care.
edited portion of today's post
I have decided to delete this paragraph where I bash the Crhistmas sweater... Let's just say I am making a choice to, "Just say no to the Christmas sweater". And will leave the house in something red and green, but I refuse to wear intarsia snowmen and puff ball nosed Rudolphs... and we will leave it at that.
Merry Christmas y'all...
now go over to Caro's neck of the woods and git yer self some musak to make your day be Merry and Bright!
~~~
Oh, and maybe you if you don't get an art for Christmas this year you might want to think about snagging some from me?
There is art to give away here people. I have 5 pieces (most like photography- you can even choose what you want from my Flickr set).

Done by me, made by me, sent by me- straight to you.

Look, it is happening over here, too.

The CATCH? well you just have to promise to post on your blog with in the next few days this very same wonderful offer. Think of it as "Creative Karma".
So if you are interested leave me a comment, first five get the goods...

ooh, I likey.

Blue balls and silver bells

It has been a very busy past few days.

Family in town.
Fondue, sushi making.
Ice-skating and wine-walking.

Gift exchanging and food consuming.
Last minute gift buying and making.
Snow and ice.

Just as it should be this time of year.

Day 24 of 11*12*11

Day 24 11*12*11
...
(PLEASE GO HUG THE ONES YOU LOVE, PLEASE SEND LOVE AND HOPE TO THOSE WHO CAN"T DO THE SAME.)
....
To my husband... iloveyou

Day 16--- 11*12*11

Day 16 of 11*12*11

Day 15--- 11*12*11

Day 15 of 11*12*11

Day 13--- 11*12*11

Day 13 of 11*12*11







....and a look back to last year..... so thankful, so, so, thankful.