Spring Recital Collage...

HERE...

Behind every good man...

You know that saying right? Well, it works both ways. Behind every good woman is an amazing man. Today my husband worked in the yard, put in the garden, took down the Christmas lights, conditioned the cooler, shopped for a Mother's day dinner he's grilling and played with a demanding toddler who wanted to dance, be held on the banister so she could play horse, and generally show dad around the house naming stuff and pronouncing it "pretty" or "smell good" or "ick" (ick would be dinner). He answered 1,000 questions from the teenager w/out once becoming impatient. That's why my daughter is so smart right there.
When I grow up, I want to be just like him. He wonders what I want for Mother's Day. Not a thing.
Love you C.

Bear Lake Bear...

I love these colors. My grandmother decorates her whole house in them. She loves Bear Lake and so do I.

There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart... ~Jane Austen

ThE LoVE BoXEs SHoP...

Waiting for Superman...

I was lucky. I went to a great school. However, I still had teachers who didn't teach. I had one teacher who would put on a movie and leave the classroom. But, she was one teacher out of eight. I got A's in German, but I didn't learn any. What if you had 6 out of 8 teachers who refused to teach, who were paid the same whether or not they worked.
I admired the NYC approach because they try to put the kids first, but it's awfully costly to the tax payers to side line people and still pay them, not as costly as having classrooms full of children with no real teacher in them.
I kept thinking of the cost to the teachers who come to work, but don't work. Soul killing. In the end, when the unions protect them from being fired, they aren't doing those teachers any favor.
What will it take for us to side line the teachers unions? They are holding the future hostage.
In the proper environment, any kid can learn. I loved Geoffrey Canada's enthusiasm and I'm going to take the time to read some more about him and his ideas. But, God bless him for putting those children from broken cities and broken homes in shirts and ties and teaching them that they CAN do and they CAN learn!
Anyway, I'm rambling, but if you haven't seen this film. It's certainly worth your time.

Fantastic Mr. Fox...

Very clever and lots of fun.

Pink Hydrangea Postcards...

Where there is great love, there are always miracles...

~Willa Cather

130 LB cover stock paper with satin finish

$5 for a pack of 10 cards wrapped as shown .. international shipping available

LoVE BoXEs SHoP...

Anchors Aweigh!!!

Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty... 2 Corinthians 3:17

LoVe BoXeS SHoP...

Yellow Bears...

LoVE BoXeS ShOP...

Christmas Bears...

LoVE BoXEs SHoP...

Teacher Man by Frank McCourt

I forget sometimes that much of the world is emotionally constipated. A person may care, but they don't know what to say or do. Mr. McCourt has many troubles. Mr. McCourt has lost his family, had a miserable childhood, and little or no faith. He repeats so many instances where he wants to tell someone that he cares or that he'd like to help. He doesn't know how.. until one day he does. That made the book worth reading for me. I really enjoyed it.

There's more too.. I love an Irish Brogue, who doesn't? I listened to Mr. McCourt read this on tape. Fun. There are lots of light parts and lots of sad parts. There's regret.

In his autobiography Mark Twain complains that no one can really write one b/c they simply can't admit what a monster they've been. He's normally right about that. I edit my own journal thinking.. when I'm dead someone will read this, and by then I won't be so stupid, or petty or whatever. But subsequently, only the best of me is on paper. It's not a realistic picture. Mr. McCourt is brave and tells things you won't admire. And, I kept thinking, I would have loved to take his class, but would I want my daughter in it... hmmm? I always want her to be surrounded by people who are strong and sure in their faith, but that isn't realistic. Her faith will have to be strong enough to be around people and care about people who've lost theirs or maybe never had it.

In the end though.. my favorite moral of this tale is... It's a little embarrassing sometimes, but so freeing to tell people you love, that you care, that you're sorry, they are in your prayers, that you are thrilled for their success, that they are wonderful, that you love them.

It's only 10 AM and... Good news and hmmm.

Good news? I have been walking around with only one sock on since last night. I can't decide if I'm warm or cold and while this happened because baby l left a strawberry under one of my feet (which made another pink polka spot in my carpet... :) it seems to work.
More good news... Also, I've been to the SLC post office and back b/c I forgot to pay a bill and it's due tomorrow. The late fee would still be more than the gas, although that may not be true next month. L and I listened to A Tale of Two Cities all the way at full volume.. so it was glorious. L likes to sing the little girl part even though she doesn't know the words. It sounds pretty sweet. And, I love to drive along side the mountains. They are so beautiful to me.
Bad news... I've been in a fight w/ c .. which is a bummer. I always want her to love me and she doesn't this morning. She came in my room crying b/c she has curly hair. "Waaaah.. why must I have curly hair!??" I said very flatly, "You inherited it from me. I've always been very proud of it and happy that I looked different. You are gorgeous and if someone is telling you different, they are a jerk. Go get ready for school." I just can't go there. There are kids whose dad's don't have jobs right now. There are kids w/ no dads at all. There are hungry kids, pimply kids, fat kids, kids that can't read. There are kids with cancer and a kid who's missing one of his legs. All of these kids have to face being different at school. I just can't get all worked up that Heaven blessed my daughter with beautiful curly hair. Can you tell that I'm still bugged? Peer pressure is so stupid. If you have advice... please share because this comes up regularly and I am obviously not getting through.
Even more good news... Guess what? The library has a acquired some new recorded books... Wallace Stegner! Crossing to Safety, which is my favorite, is among the new acquisition!
Even more good news... My dad and I are taste testing powdered eggs. Which means I have to make cookies and see how they turn out. I'm going to copy a cookie I tried at Deseret Book which was sooooo yummy. So that will be fun.

Osama bin Laden...

I'm glad he's gone. I'm grateful to those who brought him to justice. But, I will wave a flag and celebrate in the street only when our soldiers can all come home. Until then, I'll pray for our military and for their families and for peace.

The White Rabbit... in Pink!

I'm having a difficult time getting decent photos of these bunnies

but, nevertheless.. they are in

ThE LoVE BoXES SHoP...

Turning a Corner...

This morning when I asked my little one to please eat her cereal at the table (she wanted to eat cereal and watch "buzz")... she turned around put cereal and spoon on the table and pulled herself back up into the kitchen chair. And, when I shouted, "Hooray!" she gave me her cute little smile.

She didn't scream, hold both hands out and yell "stop! Stop!" just to make sure that I know she is opposed to rules or any kind of discipline. She didn't squint her eyes and scream, "you! you!" in an accusing way or have a complete fit on the floor.

She obeyed and smiled and everything here is peaceful and quiet. Have we turned a corner? That would be lovely.

I wish all rules were fair and right and made sense. I wish they were consistently enforced... always within reason. It's civilizing to eat at the table .. right!?!

Who knows. I often feel like I'm making this stuff up as I go. I wish parents were kind and thoughtful and never exasperated or just wishing for QUIET and always knew what they were doing! Then kids would be sure to know that their mom & dad just love them and want desperately for them to grow up right and feel the responsibilities for their success and happiness always.

But, before I get too carried away. Deep breath! One triumph on a Thursday is pretty good.

Bless My Ears & Whiskers...!

"I'm late!" We say that around here far too often.

The White Rabbit should be in

ThE LoVE BoxES SHoP

very soon,

unless his tardiness persists...

My Easter Basket...

When I was 30, my mom asked if I would feel badly if I didn't get an Easter Basket anymore... I said, "YES! :( " So a few years later.. I still get an Easter Basket. OK my mom was smart, the stuffies and "most" of the treats are for the kids, but the basket is for me. It's beautiful. So pretty this picture doesn't do it justice and I LOVE it. Thanks Mom! I love you!

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

This little book took a while to tug at my heart strings, which I think reflects poorly on me. I felt there were so many troubles that the character of Billie Jo Kelby was more of a caricature that a character. Then, near the end, after her mother and brother's tragic deaths and Billie's determination to face the war of land and sky against the human population... Billie Jo finds that she has a crack in her heart where their might be a place for a step mother. It was in that crack that I learned to appreciate Billie Jo and her toughness and her ability not just to survive, but to live. She accepts Louise when she realizes that Louise won't replace her mother... "...she knows how to come into a home and not step on the toes of a ghost." And Billie Jo really matures when she learns:

The way I see it, hard times aren't only about money, or drought, or dust. Hard times are about losing spirit, and hope, and what happens when dreams dry up." — Karen Hesse Out of the Dust

If you ever questioned the courage and every sort of toughness Americans are made of... Read this book.

So Brave, Young, and Handsome by Leif Enger

When Leif Enger wrote Peace Like a River, he wrote a modern American classic. It's a novel so beautiful that I read it four times and was deeply affected by the Christian allegory and the beauty of the language. In my opinion Peace Like a River is the grown up The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe. It is a book that is so very rich.
Mr. Enger's book is loved by many and it means something to a lot of people. Imagine then the task of writing something new. Harper Lee never published a sophomore book. To Kill A Mockingbird is her only published novel, but it's a jewel.
So Brave, Young and Handsome is not Peace Like a River a book that I believe should live in the American literary canon forever, but it is a great book.
The characters have depth, they are engaging. The writing is sublime. It's ironically, the story of a writer who wrote one great book and has terrible expectations on his shoulders for the next... but after writing seven starts, puts it all away to help a neighbor find repentance on a wild goose chase across the west. I was sorry to finish the final page and say goodbye to people that I'd come to understand and enjoy and like so very much.

These cowboys didn't mind a lone horseman traveling through and confirmed
for Glendon that the river he followed was in fact the Rienda. Yes, it went all the way to the ocean. Yes, a region of citrus orchards awaited him downriver. No doubt the cowboys sense in this veteran horseman a lush deposit of stories, for they asked him to stay for an evening of music and fiery drink, but Glendon said no, he was too
near the end of his own tale now. He nudged Sparrow and they continued on, keeping the river on their left.

 

~Leif Enger So Brave, Young and Handsome

Easter Sabbath...

Our mother always makes holidays so beautiful. Love you mom.

Tomb, thou shalt not hold Him longer;

Death is strong, but Life is stronger;

Stronger than the dark, the light;

Stronger than the wrong, the right.

Faith & Hope triumphant say,

Christ will rise on Easter-Day.

~Phillips Brooks

The Queen of Fun!

Meet the Queen of Fun!
Wherever she is, there's a crowd of happy people.

Including this little one on her first egg hunt!

She found FIVE eggs! And then, she found a slippery slide!

After she went down holding mom's hand about 20 times, she got brave and went down all by herself! Hooray! What a fun day!!!