according.to.kim

PI 38/52: Delicate

I dipped into my archives for Picture Inspiration again this week. Time and daylight aren't on my side these days. I took this picture in early June this year, and I'm happy to share it now as I hadn't previously. It's the seed head of a pasque flower (with some spider webs, I assume) -- and a fascinating bit of nature, don't you think?

This morning, I enjoyed...

• the silence of my house as I sipped my coffee
• my new hair cut -- I had about 4 inches trimmed off on Friday, and I love it
• seeing the light under Sophia's bedroom door which tells me she chose to read instead of running to watch TV
• a good snuggle with Georgia while she sat on my lap wrapped in a blanket
• a conversation with Madeline about her strong clothing preferences (she said she has "different opinions")
• seeing Madeline reading a book to Georgia while I got ready for work
• the bright sunshine in my face and the sound of a woodpecker on a power pole as I walked to the bus stop

PI 8/52: Totally random

This was a tough prompt, and as the end of the week grew near, I realized I had to shoot the one thing I had noticed that struck me as totally random. These wings sit on top of a cabinet in my department at work (telecom marketing) and I have no idea why they're there! Also, I walk by them several times a day, but didn't really pay attention to them until this week. And that's what it's all about, right? Being more observant and paying closer attention to my surroundings is one of things I enjoy most about a photo project like this (Picture Inspiration at BPC).

In an attempt to find another possibility for "totally random," I took a brief stroll downtown during my lunch break yesterday. What a mess we have outdoors these days. After a very long and snowy winter, the park is a swamp and there's garbage everywhere. It will be so nice to see it green and clean again!

I've been blogging for 7 years

My blog is seven years old today! It all started on 04/04/04. (I wasn't aware of the coolness of that date at the time.) When I was trying to think of something to write to acknowledge this milestone, it occurred to me that my blog has been around longer than a bunch of great things:

My youngest daughter, Georgia - almost two years younger than my blog. I'm so glad I recorded my pregnancy and her babyhood on this blog!

Digital photography (for me) - of course digital cameras were available seven years ago, but I didn't have one until four months after I started this blog.

Facebook, Twitter, and many other social media sites - I had to check the history on this: "thefacebook" was born two months before my blog, but Facebook wasn't available to everyone until 2006.

Wow. My life would not be the same without these things -- or my blog! It's been a great seven years. :)

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Be sure to check back tomorrow as I'll have details about my very first giveaway!

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P.S. Look! Spring may actually arrive this weekend.

Don't leave home without it

Do you ever leave your phone at home? It's such a bummer when you realize you don't have it, isn't it!? This is where my phone sat while I was at work all day today. I was SO tempted to call Neil and ask him to bring it to me, but I didn't -- and I survived! I've only had a smartphone for about 15 months, but I think it's safe to say I'm hooked. (And my phone doesn't even have a camera! Just wait 'til I get one of those.)

I hit this photo with a double shot of the Pioneer Woman Lovely and Ethereal action in PSE. Much better!

Highlights postponed

Before I can write another word on this blog, I have to acknowledge that an enormous tragedy occurred this past week which left a friend of mine and her young children without a husband and father. My heart goes out to them... (uggh; those words seem incredibly inadequate right now). In light of this, everything I do and say and write seems rather pointless and trivial, and it doesn't feel right to express anything good or happy.

At the same time, I wish to acknowledge -- perhaps I must acknowledge -- that, in spite of all the bad, there are still good and happy things in this world, and I still wish to record the things I would normally record. So, I do have some highlights from this past week and I will share them tomorrow or the next day. One thing I always try to do is pay attention and take note of the good things in my life and I think it is wise to continue this practice -- especially at this time.

Final batch of hearts

This heart was created unintentionally; Sophia had squeezed mustard on some sliced sausage and then discovered that some had landed in a heart shape.

I decided I may as well make heart-shaped pancakes -- a week after Valentine's. The girls loved 'em!

Either Madeline or Georgia found this heart shape in the stitching on Georgia's top. I could have found many more items of clothing in the girls' closets with hearts on them, but I like this one in particular because it's much less obvious and the little ones found it for me.

I was excited to spot this heart on a billboard on my way home from dance class Tuesday evening! I pulled out my purse camera to get this snapshot.

This little heart was right in front of us every evening when we opened Inkheart, but no one noticed it until this past week. Sophia spotted this one.

I was looking for a final photo to make the collection an even number (24) as I'd like to print a grid of heart photos sometime. I did find a few more hearts around my house, but nothing could be more appropriate at this moment than these hearts on the Photo Freedom/Library of Memories poster hanging in my scrapbooking space! I'm working on week three (of 16) in LOM 2009 (my second time) and I'm so happy to continue working on this system.

It was fun to find, snap, and post hearts for "I (heart) me" month in A Life Well Crafted. It was especially fun to have my kids involved! I look forward to finding out what this class will bring us in March.

See also: On the lookout for hearts, Surrounded by hearts, and More heart discoveries.

More heart discoveries

Welcome to the third installment of heart pictures...

This muffin baking dish hangs above our stove. We received it as a wedding gift, which reminds me, our 10th anniversary is this year! We'll be attending Mosaic that day (which is fine!).

This t-shirt is one of Sophia's favourites and she wears it often.

These are the invitations we made for Madeline and Sophia's birthday parties in January. We didn't intend to have hearts on the invitations, but the colouring pictures we found on the internet just happened to have hearts on them!

These heart magnets are for the kids' responsibility charts (which we should start using more consistently!).

All of these wonderful concentric hearts were painted by Madeline in kindergarten. They were the first ten paintings she brought home from school in the fall!

Here's a beautiful heart formed by Madeline and Sophia. Hey, I just noticed a heart shape in Georgia's legs and feet, too!

See also: On the lookout for hearts and Surrounded by hearts.

Surrounded by hearts

Apparently, it's pretty easy to find hearts in my surroundings, especially with my girls eager to help me look for them. This has been a fun exercise for us! Here are the next six hearts we found. And I know I'll have more to show you next week!

Not even five minutes after I finished posting heart pictures last week, Georgia picked up this book (Sophia's library book from school) and set it down beside me, upside down, revealing this cherry wood heart on the back cover.

These hearts represent the month of February on the 12-block Thimbleberries quilt I made. I suppose that means they're Valentine's hearts -- but who cares!

These hearts are on the tassel of Sophia's bookmark, made at her birthday party last month.

Sophia found this heart in her kiwi last evening!

Madeline spotted this heart formed by hangers this morning.

And Georgia asked for a heart-shaped sandwich at lunch today.

P.S. Happy Valentine's Day!

On the lookout for hearts

It's "I (heart) Me" month in my BPS class, A Life Well Crafted. One of the projects is to look for hearts (non-Valentine hearts) in our surroundings and take pictures for a mini album. I think the project is more for the full-version students than the audio-only students (like me), but I thought I'd play along in my own way by simply posting pictures to my blog. Here's what I've found so far:

This heart is hanging on one of my walls at work. It's from Georgia's heart checkup in January. When Georgia had her ECG done, she thought she was going to be able to see her heart (and of course she couldn't), so the nurse quickly cut a heart shape from the ECG printout that she wasn't going to keep for Georgia's file (because she had captured a better one). I love it, and I will either use it on a scrapbook page or put it in Georgia's treasure box someday.

This picture is hanging in my office as well. It's a "love bug" that Sophia drew for me last year.

This frame is sitting on my desk at work. Madeline gave it to me for Christmas in 2007. (The shell is from my coworker who brought it back from New Zealand.)

This heart hangs on a wall near my home computer. It was hand-painted by a friend of mine and I received it by winning a draw through her blog last fall.

Sophia and Madeline created this heart for me (for this project) at bedtime last night.

This is Georgia's beautiful quilt with a heart applique made by her paternal grandmother. I enjoyed taking pictures of Georgia with her quilt this afternoon.

I hope I'll be able to find (and post) more hearts this month. I could always make something up, like heart-shaped pancakes, but I'd love to find something natural like a rock (or potato chip!) in the shape of a heart.

Simplification is hot

I saw an interesting presentation today called "Where in the World the World is Going" by Trends Analyst and Business Strategist, Warren Evans. He described a trend toward simplification that resonates with me more than anything.

This evening, my dance class was canceled, so I enjoyed a little unexpected free time. When I learned it was canceled, my mind flooded with the possibilities -- far more than I could accomplish in just a couple hours -- but at least I was able to do a couple things I needed to do.

Oh yeah, something historical was happening today too -- Obama's inauguration. I haven't seen, heard, or read a thing about it. I will try to catch up tomorrow.

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Today I'm thankful for:

• curb-side recycling pickup
• e-bills (less paper in my house)
• bedtime snuggles

Recalling childhood memories

My Stories in Hand class began on Monday, and today was the first day to begin thinking about some memories (up to now, we have been constructing a book of memory sparks and a jotter to note current happenings). Today's assignment involves reading through about a hundred questions dealing with childhood. While I did that, it came as no surprise to me that I don't remember a whole lot; not on the surface anyway. The questions did spark a few memories and I'm sure I'll be able to find more as I dig deeper, but I do have the sense (and I already knew this about myself) that I don't remember a lot of details from my childhood.

At the same time, I am aware that I know someone who says she remembers "everything" about her childhood in detail, and another person who, like me, feels she doesn't remember much. It has me wondering... why do some people remember a lot and others very little? Have we processed the information differently for some reason? Did I simply move on from one experience to another without giving the previous experience much thought? Did the person who remembers a lot think about her experiences often, thereby solidifying them in her memory? Or, are our perceptions of our childhood memories simply different; I mean, do I actually remember a typical amount but just perceive that it's not very much? In any case, I'm looking forward to the process of triggering and then recording whatever I can recall!

I'm curious, do you feel like you remember a little or a lot -- or perhaps an average amount (whatever that may be!)?

Excellent workshop

I took a workshop today called Building Relationships with Aboriginal People, developed and presented by Clayton Desjarlais of Mâwandônan Consulting, and I have to say:

WOW

This workshop was extremely educational and engaging. Clayton Desjarlais' presentation of complicated and tough subject matter such as treaties, the Indian Act, and residential schools was dynamic and thought-provoking. I laughed and I cried. I must admit my prior knowledge of these subjects was shamefully slim, and I'm so glad to have learned more today.

If you have the opportunity to attend this workshop (or any presentation by Desjarlais, for that matter), DO IT. I really wish all Canadians could take this workshop.

What's your sign?

I'm curious about something... What do you think of the zodiac or astrological signs? Do you believe in them or follow astrology? I really don't pay much attention to it, but whenever I do read a description of my sign, I am truly amazed by how closely it matches my personality. My birthday is on the cusp of Virgo and Libra. I guess I do have some of the Libra traits, but I think Virgo describes me pretty well.

I've received the following list by email a few times, and (I almost hate to say it) the Virgo description matches me quite well. (I must disagree with "pessimistic" though!) I'd like to know, does your sign match you?

CAPRICORN - The Go-Getter (Dec 22 - Jan 19)
Patient and wise. Practical and rigid. Ambitious. Tends to be good-looking. Humorous and funny. Can be a bit shy and reserved. Often pessimistic. Capricorns tend to act before they think and can be unfriendly at times. Hold grudges. Like competition. Get what they want.

AQUARIUS - The Sweetheart (Jan 20 - Feb 18)
Optimistic and honest. Sweet personality. Very independent. Inventive and intelligent. Friendly and loyal. Can seem unemotional. Can be a bit rebellious. Very stubborn, but original and unique. Attractive on the inside and out. Eccentric personality.

PISCES - The Dreamer (Feb 19 - Mar 20)
Generous, kind, and thoughtful. Very creative and imaginative. May become secretive and vague. Sensitive. Don't like details. Dreamy and unrealistic. Sympathetic and loving. Kind. Unselfish. Good kisser. Beautiful.

ARIES - The Daredevil (Mar 21 - April 19)
Energetic. Adventurous and spontaneous. Confident and enthusiastic. Fun. Loves a challenge. EXTREMELY impatient. Sometimes selfish. Short fuse. (Easily angered.) Lively, passionate, and sharp wit. Outgoing. Lose interest quickly - easily bored. Egotistical. Courageous and assertive. Tends to be physical and athletic.

TAURUS - The Enduring One (April 20 - May 20)
Charming but aggressive. Can come off as boring, but they are not. Hard workers. Warm-hearted. Strong, has endurance. Solid beings that are stable and secure in their ways. Not looking for shortcuts. Take pride in their beauty. Patient and reliable. Make great friends and give good advice. Loving and kind. Loves hard - passionate. Express themselves emotionally. Prone to ferocious temper-tantrums. Determined. Indulge themselves often. Very generous.

GEMINI - The Chatterbox (May 21 - June 20)
Smart and witty. Outgoing, very chatty. Lively, energetic. Adaptable, but needs to express themselves. Argumentative and outspoken. Like change. Versatile. Busy, sometimes nervous and tense. Gossips. May seem superficial or inconsistent. Beautiful physically and mentally.

CANCER - The Protector (June 21 - July 22) Moody, emotional. May be shy. Very loving and caring. Pretty/handsome. Excellent partners for life. Protective. Inventive and imaginative. Cautious. Touchy-feely kind of person. Needs love from others. Easily hurt, but sympathetic.

LEO - The Boss (July 23 - Aug 22)
Very organized. Need order in their lives - like being in control. Like boundaries. Tend to take over everything. Bossy. Like to help others. Social and outgoing. Extroverted. Generous, warm-hearted. Sensitive. Creative energy. Full of themselves. Loving. Doing the right thing is important to Leos. Attractive.

VIRGO - The Perfectionist (Aug 23 - Sept 22)
Dominant in relationships. Conservative. Always wants the last word. Argumentative. Worries. Very smart. Dislikes noise and chaos. Eager. Hardworking. Loyal. Beautiful. Easy to talk to. Hard to please. Harsh. Practical and very fussy. Often shy. Pessimistic.

LIBRA - The Harmonizer (Sept 23 - Oct 22)
Nice to everyone they meet. Can't make up their mind. Have own unique appeal. Creative, energetic, and very social. Hates to be alone. Peaceful, generous. Very loving and beautiful. Flirtatious. Give in too easily. Procrastinators. Very gullible.

SCORPIO - The Intense One (Oct 23 - Nov 21)
Very energetic. Intelligent. Can be jealous and/or possessive. Hardworking. Great kisser. Can become obsessive or secretive. Holds grudges. Attractive. Determined. Loves being in long relationships. Talkative. Romantic. Can be self-centered at times. Passionate and emotional.

SAGITTARIUS - The Happy-Go-Lucky One (Nov 22 - Dec 21)
Good-natured optimist. Doesn't want to grow up (Peter Pan Syndrome). Indulges self. Boastful. Likes luxuries and gambling. Social and outgoing. Doesn't like responsibilities. Often fantasizes. Impatient. Fun to be around. Having lots of friends. Flirtatious. Doesn't like rules. Sometimes hypocritical. Dislikes being confined - tight spaces or even tight clothes. Doesn't like being doubted. Beautiful inside and out.

Daily scan: ~20 Jul 1992

Whenever I need a healthy dose of perspective, all I need to do is think about the people and places I saw when I visited Tanzania in 1992. I had captioned this photo, "Women filling gourds with water. The only source of water in 100,000 acres." These women would walk for hours just to fill their gourd with dirty water for their family. It's practically unimaginable, and yet it's the reality for so many. This was in Mureru village, a name which I believe applies to the whole area, not just a small community where people live close together. [Edit: These are Barabaig people.]

I went to Tanzania with my friend, Leeann, whose parents and younger siblings were living there at the time. They knew other Canadians in the area who worked for CUSO, and only through the CUSO couple were we able to visit a rural village like this one. What an incredible experience this was. I'm still amazed that I was there. When I opened this album, it was hard to choose just one photo to scan today. So many of my photos from Tanzania speak volumes.

Daily pic: 10 Nov 07

The sun was setting as I drove away from Weyburn late this afternoon. I was there attending my friend D's funeral. She was my age and had two children, the oldest one just a few months younger than my oldest. She passed away one year, one month, and four days after being diagnosed with cancer. I had not seen her for six years. So I've been thinking... if there's something important that you (I) want to do or say, then you (I) should do it now, not later. It's not a cliché.

The bright spot of my day was having a good visit with my parents over supper this evening. Thanks Mom and Dad.
I love you!

Attention on AIDS

My sister-in-law, Laurel, had her photo in the Leader-Post today on the front page of the City section. The caption says, "Laurel Stang hangs a flag in Wascana Centre Sunday as part of the Community Action on Aids project." Here's a link to the article: Attention on AIDS.

Laurel is a Public Health Nurse at the STD Clinic in Regina. She's a very special person to do the type of work she does and to deal with the situations she encounters on a daily basis. No doubt about it.

In support of the fight against AIDS, I also want to mention the following campaign to increase awareness among youth. Check it out and spread the word. There are many ways to "make some noise" about AIDS -->
(To post a banner on your site, go to the website, mouse over "SPEAK", then click on "Make some noise".)
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{P.S. Speaking of nurses... I must say that I think nurses are exceptional people in general and I'm so thankful for them! They do difficult and important work. I'm proud of Laurel and of all the nurses in our family, including my mom!}

More quotes from today

Warning: A little toilet humour follows...

Within the past five minutes:

Sophia, from the bathroom, "It's like I'm laying a hundred eggs here!"

Neil to Sophia, after a brief conversation about wiping bums, "If you ever have to wipe my bum, you can pull the plug while you're at it."

I'm practically in tears writing this. You can't buy entertainment like that.

Quote of the day

Not from my kids this time, but from the greeter at Walmart:

After looking at Georgia and commenting that she still looks new, the greeter lady said, "We've had a variety of babies come in this year... boys and girls."

I wonder when they didn't have a 'variety' of babies come in!
(I really wonder if she realized how silly that was.)

Just because

I spent the past hour holding Georgia. She was asleep the whole time so I could've put her in bed, but I just wanted to hold her. Just because.

I wanted to hold her
because I love her so much,
because she's so tiny and warm and cuddly,
because she won't be this size for long,
because I can't get enough of her beautiful face,
because I'm so glad she's here,
because she's such a miracle (as all babies are),
because there's nothing better than holding your baby.

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This sums it all up for me...

Before you were conceived I wanted you
Before you were born I loved you
Before you were here an hour I would die for you
This is the miracle of love.

--Maureen Hawkins