RE-solution: to do more art

Every year I say this and that.  I can't even go back to look for fear of how depressing it could be.

I'm thinking this year: Not so extreme.

Stay healthy….I will do that by running when I feel like it, working out at least 3 times a week and my big one; try to only have drinks one day a week.   That should kill me dead by January 7th.

I want to do more art.  Mostly because I suck and it helps me concentrate and try to get out of my head a bit.  It may even help me finish a few things.

I really like the idea of starting things.  BIG PLANS, you know.  Start a project, buy everything, start it, then realize, wow, I have to clean this shit up.  This is definitely not as much fun as it looked on Pinterest.  

Eff You Pinterest.

Another goal.  

Continue my secret meditation practice and my readings from different teachers.  I do actually realize I'll never hit Nirvana, but I can shoot for Prahna, right?

Yoga, meditation and a few less beers may bring me a wee bit closer to the right level. 

I'll tell you one thing.  I attempted to find Zen in cleaning the paintbrushes today after Olive and I had arts and crafts.  

 digipic of Clint Eastwood.   hard to see unless you are avout 40 feet back.   Squint your eyes uo

Olive working on Harajuki .  She is quite the artist.

Well, tomorrow I'm back to work.

I had a nice relaxing 5 days off.

Write ya later

Painted cookies

Holidays are right aroud the corner.

and guess what?

I have to work.

Saturday thru Tuesday…

Now I would say I'm not complaining , but I am.

I don't want to work 4 in a row.

Not over the holiday!

It pisses me off.

So, with that said, Ilin, Olive and I made cookies.

Shortbread and Gingerbread….

then we PAINTED THEM!!!!

I have never done this and it was so easy.

You need:

Royal icing

paint brushes

food coloring

and we used a little paint mixing bowl

we made royal icing:  

4 C. confectioners sugar

2 egg whites

lemon juice

beat the egg whites until firm, not stiff

add sugar and lemon juice, beat until smooth.

Frost the cookies, let them harden (this is why you use royal icing)  I'm not sure why royal icing has to taste so bad…just ignore that part, because I never eat the cookies anyways.

Once they are hardened you can dip the brushes into equal parts food color and water and paint away.

make sure you put down plenty of parchment/wax paper…unless your kids are meticulously clean.

Yes, there is a zombie reindeer and a cookie with pubic hair.

 I sure hope Santa is not offended, 

he never brings me what I as for any way.

Enjoy your holiday!

xo 

M

Vegan Samosas w/Ilin and Olive

The kids were both home today.  I sometimes hate the fact they disappear to the basement or bedroom and just do what they do.  So, with that said, today I made them come out of their caves and join me in the kitchen.  I need some kid time after the tragedy of yesterday.

(the reason we chose samosas)

While in San Fran for my sister, Susie's 75th birthday, we had these yummmmmmy samosas at the picnic.  We all loved them, except for Bobby who stayed at the rental sick…but the kids and I ate them up.  So our goal today was to have a little mom/jackass time and attempt to cook those bad boys.  First thing first…I did NOT want to fry anything, my cholesterol is bad enough.  Ilin argued the point everything taste better fried, but I won…seeing how we don't have a fry daddy.  I opted to use Phyllo and probably after all said and done, the same amount of oil that would have gone into the fryer.  Seriously.

We used the basics of this recipe from "The colors of Indian cooking"   and started upon our cooking adventure.  The potato part was easy, the funny part was toasting the seeds because they popped all over and made Olive scream, and the best part was the outcome.

I'm not going to rewrite the recipe because I really did just use her recipe…of course her kitchen looks nicer and she didn't make quite the mess we did, so just look at her pictures and pretend it's my kitchen, you'll probably never see my kitchen any way…so let's keep it mystical.

I want to tell you to not be scared of this recipe.  It's easy, yummy and I've found when kids help cook, they tend to eat it.  It's a weird thing.

there were a couple things we changed in the recipe.  

I boiled the potatos with the skin on and mashed them…there were still big chunks in them…not mashed to oblivion.

I also used veggie oil instead a pound of butter.

This keeps the recipe vegan.

Now look at the result and happy smiles.

we had extra potato/pea mix which I put a lid on and am going to freeze.  

This would make a great gift, because I think Tamales don't have to be the ONLY lil xmas cooked gift.

these are yummy, and look so presentable.

Last but not least.  If you have only cooked cookies and sweets with your kids, venture out.  Let them help make dinner.  Like I said, they are more apt to eat a new food if they cooked it.  

Give it a try….

write ya later,

xo, 

m

xmas for freaks like me

there are not many things in life I really really need….but anything from Taxidermyjim …I could fall in love with.

Source: etsy.com via Myssi on Pinterest

Circular Needle Holder …clothespins

Yesterday I started cleaning the craft/laundry room.   

I had all my circular needles (which I dont use very often because I have since acquired some knitpicks interchangeables) in a needle wrap...pretty unsuccessfully.   They were a mess.  

So….I came up with an easy fix

Off to Home Depot.

1 piece of steel/metal   1.58   1 inch wide and 1 foot long

clothespins                   1.29

magnets                       4.00

glue gun

You may have some of this stuff just hanging out.  I had magnets but I wanted stronger ones than my bottle cap magnets.

The metal strip I got has holes in it so that I can nail it to the wall….or because its magnetic, I can put it to metal.  Imagine that.

Painting the clothes pins would be quite fancy also.

 You can easily romove the needles.

 I'm sure you crafty people can make them look more hip

But I like the industrial look.

Enjoy!

bones

I have a secret fear.
Every bone in my body aches.
Even when I don't work out.
I work out so that I can pretend it is from the muscle strain.
I can't run as far anymore, because I can't breathe well.

I tell myself I'm a hypochondriac.
I can live with that until after the holidays.
Then I will go to the Dr.
maybe

 pic?

kids are gross

I must be getting to a point of change.  

I started looking at my kids rooms as potential extra space; as in, real guest rooms.  I looked in their bathroom and thought, Boy, this will be nice as a guest bathroom, instead of a pee laden kid spot.  

kids are gross

Test Knitting Pattern for Johnny Vasquez

I just completed a test knit for Johhny Vasquez from A New Stitch A Day

and Ravelry.

It's called the Sidewinder+Slouchie Beanie

Should be published soon.

It was a fun pattern and easy enough for beginners, especially now that we have Youtube.

 Olive seems to look good in it.  We added some Decor, which were actually barrettes.

 Cute Huh?

I Lurves It.

I really should be writing more, but I cant seem to get my head straight enough to write.  I'll tell you what, I have enough to write a short story, just about the Family Reunion.

heehee

xo,

Off to Tricks and Treat

m

Halloween…The Feather Mohawk

I'm the kind of, " are they having beer or wine at that school function?" kind of mom.  I believe more people would show up and the school could make a huge profit.  You, know …charge 6$ for a tiny beer…I know I would pay when I had to sit through some of those recitals….
Back to the point.  I'm not always really involved with the kids stuff.  I volunteer.  I make the cupcakes, I do the low end….but Halloween…I like Halloween.  I like making the costumes.

I made this Dead Mau5 for Ilin
Powerpuff for Olive
I've even been known to knit a Princess Lea Wig 

This year I said I'm tired.  Ilin is too old and I always seem to have to work.  But as the days got closer I felt empty inside.  SO!!!!  i decided to try a lil sumpthin' , sumpthin'.  When we were in San Fran we stopped at this Steam Punk ( Distractions) store, and I saw these amazing Feather Mowhawks.  Upwards of $500.  I was mesmerized.  
I had tried earlier that day to get Olive to agree to be a Lucha Libre, because we were seeing those masks all over the Mission …for CHEAP.  she said NO way.  spoil sport.

All right…

I couldn't just do nothing.  we talked about a mime…or a princess…then I said, lets try a Feather Mowhawk

I did some googling

and headed out to find feathers.  

I couldn't find any great feathers, because once again I waited too long and didn't have time to order.  Hobby Lobby, junk stores, and any craft store had to work…oh yeah …plus 2 Feather dusters from Target.

I used this Link at Instructables to get started…He does a great easy job and his instructions are easy enough to follow.  He has a cool site too   HAR.MS
I added some of my own

Sew the hat part…

used Unicorn Buckrum  (love saying that)

added the support like the guy did

then Started messing with the feathers

FUN

What a mess

I know it doesn't look like much…

But, I think it will

I have to get back to work.  I have one more day to finish this becasue I have to RN for the next 2 days and her school festival is Saturday.

It's a bit too early to start drinking, although if I had some Bailey's or something I would add it to my coffee.

Bobby is not feeling well, which I believe is a way to get out of Halloween.

grrr

I'll keep you posted. 

xo

m

It's Wednesday, I'm having a beer…it's noon

It really is noon here, just so you don't think I'm a lush.  Well, I am a lush, it runs in the family…and lately I've needed it .  Hey, isn't that one of the signs you have a problem?  I have a few problems, but I'm going to say drinking beer at noon isn't one of them.  t may be at some point, but today, no.

It rained all night and with the rain came the smell.   

The smell of 1970's and living in a house from the 1960's.  

I feel like my house smells like we have this van parked in the garage

and when you enter the house

it smells as if this is going on.

It is the combo of the rain, the 1970's carpet in the basement, and the multiple family pets who lived here before us.   It's lovely…it's a lovely odor….one which hangs in your nostrils like the odor of a college dorm toilet.   

I have given up trying to clean it.  If I steam it, it multiplies.  It really just needs to all be ripped out.  Pinterest has no section for disasters for following pinterest ideas….and what may happen.

I dream of the new basement, the  basement with a bathroom, guest room, and big screen TV.

Not the smell of animals past. 

Any suggestions

xo,

m

Monday Runs

Today is Monday and I will run.  Right after I finish this post.  I cannot run away, but I can run at a pitifully slow pace around the Lake.  Slow and steady, then so slow, it's actually walking, but as they say…it's one step ahead of the people still on the couch.  Unless they are in that "Fit" thing where they carry the couch around the lake, grunting and yelling kudos to each other.   If I see these people I am going to ask for a ride.

I basically sat around all weekend trying to finish a knitting project I started a year ago.  I hated it then and I hate it more now, but it will soon be complete and my life will move forward. 

My bones have been hurting like no ones business,  just laying in bed hurts.  it's weird.  I'm going to chalk it up to my 25 year old mattress.  I actually wouldn't even call it a mattress, its a case of mites and dead skin I'm sure. gross

Just made my self shiver.

Well

I better get to running my 3.2 miles around the lake, before I wander back up to the mite bed….and back to sleep.

xo, m

Finished projects woop woop

Today I finally completed 2 projects which have been sitting around.

First one was a light hat for Ilin's bald head.  It's my own pattern so nothing to link it to…just happy it's done.

 The kid loves purple and grey…so it is perfect.

Second project is the Alice and Wonderland Wristlets from VO Knits.  Check out those awesome buttons….so cute.  I can't wait to wear them this winter with my long sleeve black t shirts.

So nice to finish a few things…feels so good.  

Now I have one more fingerless mitt to finish and I'll have another project done!

happy knitting

xo

m

Alopecia Sucks: The Regrowth

The regrowth

It falls out….then grows back.  

some spots will not ever grow back, like the spot on the top and the ones on the sides.

You can see the baby hairs growing in where he might get a bit of warmth.  They grow in grey/white.

Weird huh?

So he may got enough hair for a while to feel a bit normal.

Then….

it falls out again.

I can't even imagine.

I'm guessing this time it will be because of Algebra 2

If you know someone with Alopecia.

show them the pics and tell them to stay strong.

Don't say

"it's only hair"

xo

m

DIY Interchangeable Knitting Needle Case

Labor day brought a day of nothing for me.  Isn't that how it should be?  Friday I received my new Knit Picks Zephyr interchangeable needles.  My knitting partner in crime had ordered herself the Addy's and they came in this adorable wallet.  it was perfect purse size, tidy, and classy.  When I got my needles they came in this god awful tacky plastic Walmart looking thing.  I was sad.  I didn't want to spend any more cash out of my budget so I decided to sew one up.  I used Miss Vonkysmeed's blog and a combo of others and set to work.
I had all the fabric in my cabinet but if you don't I would head to the fabric shob and use some scrap upholstery or cotton.  I used two different coordinating fabrics.  I'm wild like that.
Plug your iron in and get your ruler and pins and stitch remover (just in case)….and a lemonade or cocktail. ( I prefer the latter)
This is what you need:

Two 11 3/4" x 17" pieces of fabric for outside of case and for lining 

11 3/4" x 10 1/2" piece of fabric for cable pocket

11 3/4" x 9 1/2" piece of fabric for needles pocket

11 3/4" x 8" piece of fabric for pocket on bottom flap

2" x 4" piece of fabric for button loop

6" x 8" piece of fabric for zippered pocket lining

11 3/4" 17" piece of interfacing*

11 3/4" x 17" piece of batting*

7", or longer , zipper

button

I chose not to use interfacing or batting, the batting made it too bulky, so I used a piece of thicker cotton canvas (denim or old jeans) I had around to give it some form.

1. Cut out all your pieces.  Extremely easy if you have a cutting wheel.   Don't worrry about being perfect.  Just cut and be happy.
2. Fold the pocket pieces together lengthwise.  WITH RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER.  Press and stitch a nice 3/4" hem ( or whatever size you like to hem…3/4" is standard so I will say that is what it is when I say hem.)   You should have 2 rectangular tubes. 11 3/4" x 5 1/4" & 11 3/4" x 4 3/4"  Now turn right sides out, trim seams, and press again.  Set to the side.

3.  Layer the large pieces together . Fabric lining then batting.  )Save the last piece of large fabric for the very end. Have your 2 layers nice and neat in front of you.

Now you want to take the smaller rectangle tube.  11 3/4"x4 3/4" and put it on your layers and pin it about 5 3/4" down from the top.  Mark the center with a little dot for reference.  

Stitch the bottom of the pocket across close to the edge.

This is going to be your needle pocket.  

After it is stitched down this is where you get to decide what you want to do.  

I chose to make incremently larger needle holders from left to right on my case.  Instead of measuring, dividing, doing long divison...I put my tiniest needles in,  marked top and bottom and sewed a line.***NOTE: sew from bottom hem where the pocket is stitched on so that you don't get bumpy.

You can look at Mrs. Vonkysmeed's if you want to do math.  I had too many cocktails by this point.

click pic to see bigger detail

So, take your time and sew your nice neat lines.  I think mine ended up having 12 needle compartments for "pairs of needles".
4.  Get the larger pocket and pin it neatly 1 1/2" DOWN and on top of pocket #1.  (oooh it's starting to look like something!)  This is your cable pocket.

Pin in place and stitch neatly, close to the bottom edge.  After it is stitched on the bottom I made one center stitch, which actually matched up with my needle pockets, so that I would have 2 cable pockets.
That's good for me.  Like I said, if you want to do math divide by 3 or something and remember !!!!STITCH FROM BOTTOM SEAM TO OPENING (TOP) so you don't get bumps.  If you do it wrong you will know, then just pull it out with the ripper. and do it over right.

Now have a drink, because I don't want you to be afraid of the stupid zipper.  You have Youtube and a few links.  it's easier than it looks.
5.  inner pocket tutorial  @ craftpassion and U-handbag tutorial  and please look at Vonkysmeed's…I used a combo of all three.  I like the way Vonkysmeed folds the pocket in half .
 YOU READY?  here we go
Go look at the tutorials, unless you know how to do it all ready.  We are going to draw the zipper box 2" from the top of the fabric and make it 6-6 1/2" long.  (Zipperbox is the drawing you are going to cut out.) ***I did not use interfacing, so when you look at the tutorials, just ignore the extra piece of fabric

click for larger view

When you draw the box only make the rectangle about 1 cm high.  I made mine too tall, which threw my zipper sewing off.  The closer the rectangle is to the zipper teeth the easier.

 U-handbag shows a great step by step on turning the pocket to the inside

once it is looking similar to this, press like no ones business!

put your zipper underneath as in tutorial, sew it in close to the edge…use a zipper foot…you must have one somewhere…and if you have NEVER ever sewn a zipper, refer to Youtube.  ( I swear by those videos)

Fold the bottom of the fabric up over the installed zipper and sew it all the way around (just on that  fabric) to make the pocket.   OOOOHHHH  very nice

except for my little pucker.

Look at this point you should be patting yourself on the back and doing the happy dance!

6.  Now easy stuff: the loop for the closure.  Get your 2"x4" fold in half length wise. Press. Unfold then press the raw edges in making a nice 4" thin, hemmed, piece of fabric.  Press again then sew close to the edge on the open seam to close it.  Got it?  now, pin it to the top, center, above where your new zipper is…on the edge.

8.  you should have another "pocket rectangle" there on your sewing table.  Fold it in half, WRONG sides together.  pin it with the raw edges lined up with the bottom of the project (opposite end of the zipper….) It's the last pocket , so it goes below the other pockets.  The folded side should be aiming north and the "raw edges" south.  layer the last big piece over the entire thing, right sides together, and pin together.  Capturing all the layers and loop enclosure.

7. Sew all the way around the edge BUT leave about 3 inches open on one side or bottom so that you can turn it right side out.  Turn right side out, press….stitch the last little section closed, either by hand or I just sew it together with the sewing machine, making sure I fold the seams inside and press.

When that is done press, admire your work…take a sip of cocktail, then I sewed all the way around the outside, close to the edge with a nice topstitch…. then add a button.  I had a button that I covered with matching fabric…but use whatever you like.

TA-DA!!!!!!

I'm so proud of you…..I hope it worked for you.

Thank you to all the other blogs which I found direction with…

Show me a pic…

send me a nice email….

But if it didn't work out….I'm gonna blame it on the fact you had too much cocktail.

xo,

m

Typhoid…it's what's for dinner

A chore which brings so many people joy, brings me anger and hatred.  I guess the people who enjoy it don't actually call it a chore, right?  

From the minute I wake up to the minute I put the last dish in the dishwasher I feel anger…anger ANGER.

When in time did it become the woman's job to cook dinner?  Someone tell me when, please.  Because I want to go back in time and destroy that rule.

I think back to the history books and yes, my memory often fails me….the only woman I can remember who did a good job for the reason woman should not be the only cooks in the household is Typhoid Mary.  She cooked for everyone and managed to kill nearly everyone of them.  Now granted, I'm no Typhoid Mary, but if it could get me out of cooking multiple unappreciated meals for my family I would consider it.  I seriously would.

I can work a 12 hour day and come home to 3 perfectly capable, all limbs attached, intelligent people standing around waiting for dinner.  

Are YOU kidding me?   I should have dinner on the table waiting for me!  

Let me also say that my cooking skills are very slim.   I enjoy cooking vegetarian meals but as for Bobby…I can't put a meat and potato dinner together if my life depended on it.  I try.  I just can't get the timing down.  

To tell you the truth, even when I do cook an average meal it is so much work and no one gives a rat's ass I never want to do it again.  What's wrong with cereal for dinner?  

Maybe I should consult with the history texts and see if I can find a few of Typhoid Mary's recipes.

Do a little reinventing of the history timeline

Next I'm going to figure out who put us in charge of Laundry.

xo,

m

Cool Weather=kids in school and knitting!

Sweet!

The kids are back in school and I get a bit of my life back.  Just me and the big dog.  Doing what we do best.  Putzing about, working out, a little running, sewing, and knitting.

Know that I have switched to days as an RN it seems my sleep schedule has recovered and I now get to do do real people things.

I have been working on finishing up some old knitting projects

this one is Day of the Dead Mittens by Allison Guy

this one is Anthropologie Inspired Capulet

This one looks a little goofy because it wasn't blocked yet and I'm wearing a weird Tshirt.

But this little shrug is going to look great over a nice fitted top.

I need to still find a broach for the neck.

These are both on Ravelry.

On my last blog I posted that I had tied my bathing suit top too tight and maybe pinched a nerve….well, HA…so not what happened.

Comes to find out I had Shingles!  (stress much?)

Many, that shit hurt.

Felt like a million little hot needles stabbing me in the back/armpit.

I'm fine, and now I like to announce I have the Herp in my armpit….

Keeps the undesirables away.

With that said I'm going to head off the library, pick up a few books:

Study of the heart

Stuff in San Fran (for our upcoming trip)

PSAT study guide for Ilin

and maybe some gardening books

later

xo,

m

Waterworld vs Alopecia

So we went to Water World last week… It was Aok….except for all the dirty feet, bandaids, and gross shared inner tubes.  

Olive learned to swim at Aunt Kandy's so of course she thought she was invincible.   Crazy!  Kris and I chose some crazy slide to start with since Olive had never been down a water slide….

I said, "I'll go first"

Big dummy!

They said cross your arms and legs, which I thought a good idea that way my boobs wouldn't come flying loose and scare the kids…as I started down the slide I really thought, "Not bad".  Then off I flew, Pitch black, water up the nose, wedgie up the cootch and lord I couldn't think or breathe…well, I did think…"Shit! Olive is right behind me and she hasn't ever done anything like this in her 8 years of life!"   with that last thought streaming through my mind I came shooting out of the tube of darkness into 8 feet of water!!!   I rearranged my lady parts and swam to the side, just in time to see Olive shooting like a marble down the death chute into the deep water.  I yelled "swim!, swim!"  (like that is going to help)  She gasped and dog paddled with a look of hatred on her face to the edge of the pool where I yanked her up by one arm and congratulated her on her very first slide.  Some nice parents on the side lines clapped and yell "Awesome landing".   If it wasn't for that, she would have yelled then punched me.  Moments later H came sliding out of the hole laughing and squealing.  (of course, she is a tough one).  We all got our suits in order and out shoots Kris.  Gasping but smiling, she comes to the edge, "Wow, that scared me!  I can't believe the girls did it!"  As the girls ran off to find the next tube of hell to go down Kris and I looked at each other with relief, "it really was scary wasn't it?"  "yeah, all I could think about was how scared the girls were gonna be".  "Me Too!!!!"  " Well, that's out of the way…"

We were at the park all day.  We stood in line after line.  Ilin and A were going to every crazy ride possible then we would some how meet up with them to go on the big 4 person inner tube rides.  

Ilin went hatless.   It was really amazing.  He and A didn't even seem to care or notice anything.  I kept quite and tried to be encouraging.  As Kris and I walked our tubes up to a starting point…she leaned over and said, have you noticed the people staring?  Yeah…I noticed.  But Ilin doesn't seem to notice.  She says to me, "It's really pissing me off"  I guess it kind of goes with the territory.  I mean his head looks crazy, but you can tell he didn't really plan it that way.  It's mostly kids, but let me tell you what breaks my heart.  A lot of teen girls were pointing and laughing.  I can't think about that.  One thing I can think about is…who doesn't teach their kids to be polite.  You wouldn't really laugh and point at a little kid who had cancer.  well, hell, maybe they would.

Whatever the case.  He did it…he went to the water park…sans the hat.

Here are our monthly Alopecia head updates

You can see where it is totally bald. (no hair follicles left)

The sides and his neck and that top part are totally smooth

 People say just shave it…but you can REALLY see the bald spots when he does.

The way it has grown right now, he can do this awesome

Donald Trump comb over, and thank goodness he is pretty tall because most people can't see the top of his head.

He has lost almost all the hair on his arms and legs.

Eyelashes and eyebrows still intact.

This school year is going to be interesting.

One last good thing.

I found a young girl via my readers of this blog to friend him on Facebook.

I think it really helped.  He came down and told me…"She lost her hair just like me…and she is doing ok."  I hope they continue to talk.

and…if she is reading this….

Thank you, xoxoxox

m

last week of summer

 Let me just tell you a few things.  

1.  I tied my bikini top too tight at Waterworld and pinched a nerve in my neck.  My top never fell off, but now my right arm is numb.  Lord, my boobs aren't even big.  Must be a sign of getting old.

( i thankfully have no picture of this for you)

2. Ilin made it all day at Water World without a hat….I think it was harder for Kris and me, than for him.  

3.  Olive got her mullet cut.  Looks presentable for school.

We have a week left til school….

We did not complete hardly anything on our summer vacation list.  I'm not really sure why, except for lack of planning.

crazy.

xo, m

The Doll House Which Saved the World

I came home tonight from a long and soul sucking shift.    Angry, tired, and plain exhausted I couldnt get a hold on my head. 

 Life is what you get dealt, regardless of your standing on the ladder. 

 4 glasses of boxed wine, half a cold pizza, and 4 episodes of Breaking Bad.... I opened an email,

which, I thought was porn, titled"prettiest girl ever standing..." to see my little girl... not in porn, but spending time with her Aunt Sally. As the pictures opened, the grief, sadness and emotion poured from me. 

 The 12 hours of feeding a Hospice patient morphine every 15 minutes, explaining to the family why their mother,grandmother,wife was breathing so agonally…12 hours of sneaking to the bathroom to splash my red ,teared face..........it was all washed away.... Olive, alone with her Aunt Sally, playing with a doll house which meant the world to me. A doll house I longed for every other month when I stayed with my nieces.... hand made with love. Each picture opened and I could feel my angst wash away, looking at my daughter playing with a child hood memoryof my very own, alone, quiet, and happy.  My heart ached for my mom, for my dad....for a family I want my children to have. A family which my family in another state is making right for me. 

The family my dying patient had. All together, smiling, remimiscing, allowing love to happen.

I am thankful

here is the link to the slideshow for more details of the wonderful handmade doll house

These pictures of a day so simple washed it all away.

xoxox,

m