a great movie

on friday night david and i went out for sushi (yum) and to see an independent movie at the denver film festival called "ink". i knew from the reviews that it was innovative and kinda scifi-y. i knew that it was shot completely in colorado. i knew it was visually "unlike anything you have seen before". i knew it had something to do with dreams and good vs. evil. i knew it would be artsy and different. and i knew it would be fun to see on a date with my boyfriend.

but what i didn't know was how profound and redemptive the story would be. i didn't know that i would wish for tivo in the climatic scene, so that i could rewind and listen to the "storyteller's" speech again. i didn't know how tremendous the acting would be. and i didn't know that 2 days later i would still be thinking about it.

if you have a chance to see it, it's worth the ticket price and even the outrageous price for a bucket of diet coke!

my perfect day

why is it such a great day? just an ordinary day but full, full of so many things i cherish and love.

my sweet max has the flu. i know, that sucks. but we didn't have to rush to school, and hew woke up without an alarm (that is luxury!) and has these cute little flushed cheeks, like when he was a baby. except for the little mustache stubble above his 13 year old lips!

i taught bible study this morning. 250 smiling women there to soak up more Jesus. and my lesson was titled "zombies, bigfoot, unicorns and obstacles". no one ran out of the sanctuary when they saw that because they trust me, they believe i will make some sense of a silly title and that it will impact their lives. what a privilege.

i had this picture in my lesson.

that is my dear friend reenie holding a goat. we roomed together- reenie, the goat and i- at a retreat where i was the featured speaker. that story fell into the part about obstacles...it was the goat i was referring to. don't you love how he is sticking his tongue out? goats smell by the way.

then i had a luncheon with the 17+ ladies who serve with me in bible study leadership. we ate yummy potatoes and 3 of these women told their stories of their faith journey. amazing, beautiful, painful, redemptive, glorious stories. i love my ministry.

then off to great american quilt factory to pick up a quilt! yea! business! i also had a phone call from a new customer. hooray! 2 quilts in one day!

i made quick trip to super target and had a wonderful talk on the phone with my friend prissy. she is one of the best moms in the world. and she is a great encourager. i love her.

tonight i am waiting for the sweet mr. david to return home from a meeting so we can watch fringe and lost, 2 of our favorite shows. i am proud to confess, i like TV. liza is next to me here doing homework, max and annie goofing off in the basement, button snoozing on me and my february lady sweater knitting project is calling my name. (i'm on the sleeves now, much farther than this but this is the only pic i have.)

today was a perfect day.

thoughts on the inaguaration

1. it is a really hard word to spell.

2. i would LOVE to have gotten my hands on some of that sweet event memorabilia being sold.

3. i was proud of our country and wish everyone could handle their differences as gracefully as the obamas and the bushes.

4. speaking as a knitter, it was great day for scarves.

5. to commemorate the day, i bought some red, white and blue yarn on etsy called: bombsicle.

update from the ICU

my almost 18 year old daughter had her tonsils removed on monday. i have a picture of them but it is really nasty- they were 5 times the normal size. annie is such an overachiever!

since then i have been nursing my sweet annie which has been my calling all week and it looks like into next week. my life has emptied of Christmas duties and been consumed by slurpee runs, medicating every 4 hours, holding back her beautiful blonde hair as she barfs what very little she has swallowed, crying and praying over her (what is more painful in life than watching your child suffer? NOTHING. thank you Father for doing that for us.) and then repeating all these things.

it has made me grateful which has been a good thing as i have also been processing some discouraging and disappointing discoveries. cryptic i know, but that is all i can reveal.

i am also hopeful. things do change. annie is slowly recovering even though it is hard to measure and looks like she is not. and people grow, even though it is hard to discern forward movement in the visible steps in the wrong direction.

since i don't like to post without a picture, i've include this random picture of button in her santa costume.

michael, you have been warned

my son michael, pictured here with the family looking goofy after his high school graduation in may, was giving me grief this weekend about having a blog. so i thought i'd write about him!

that'll teach him not to make fun of me!

here's a few things i love about mike:

courage: whether it is working as a high school student on a congressional campaign or deciding at the last minute to veer off from his friends and go to college thousands of miles away, michael bravely steps out. he is aware of the risks and goes anyway. as a leader at church he taught elementary kids that Jesus is fun and exciting by bringing truth to life through crazy costumes and role play. i guess all those hours watching rescue 911 and playing luke skywalker have paid off: he is a courageous man.

conviction: michael is rarely without opinion. he learns about and then unashamedly professes the things he believes in--politics, faith, football, poodles, nascar, halo 3 and now sigma chi. when michael believes in something, he works diligently and speaks with great intensity. (he has never been very convinced that his room should be clean.) i love his passion; he reminds me of paul the apostle.

sensitivity: i love this about mike. he is strong enough to care for the feelings of others, to admit when he is wrong and to desire to set things right. he will certainly argue with his sisters and bop his little brother on the head but he loves them dearly and is a really great big brother. he is always aware of a person in need, holding the door at the grocery store or rescuing lost dogs. he genuinely like to help people.

i miss michael so much but love that he is happy and thriving at college. i am very proud to be his mom.

and if he harasses me any more i do have a picture of him snuggling with button.

creative fun and challenge

i have had two things going on in my crazy creative life: a knitting deadline and a fun new class!

the knitting deadline is the lily of the valley shawl by nancy bush from the lace style book. i am teaching this class at string boutique and have been knitting like a maniac to get it finished...which i did last night! yea! it has been fun and a little challenging (what is the deal with borders??) i love the way it has turned out in scrumptious koigu! the pic above is of me and button knitting and watching football. now that is FUN!

the fun new class is a 6 month class i am taking a the great american quilt factory, which is called the creative process. we are exploring all aspects of art quilting, from idea to completion. it is a lovely group of ladies, including my dear friend carolyn, and i am excited to see the new ideas that will be sparked in this creative community.

speaking of community, my Bible study began 2 weeks ago. we are studying acts and the emphasis is on community. the concept of individualized faith is not very prevalent in acts; it is always part of God's bigger plan and the community of believers. i am thrilled to watch Him teach all these wonderful ladies and humbled that He chooses to do it through me. (i'll write more about that later! this is a blog tease. tune in again for the full story!)

spelling or eyesight issues

i just reread my last post and discovered several typos. disturbing. this is not due to my spelling abilities but to trying to write without reading glasses. i hereby vow to never do that again. i am officially old and need reading glasses ALL the time. phooey. is that how you spell that?