:. 2011: a short history .:

So very hard to believe we are wrapping up another 365-day span. Don't want to sound too ancient here, but my, oh my, how the days/weeks/months fly by!
I know I've been a most pathetic blogger this year; my thoughts have been scattered and my heart has been elsewhere.
Oh, and I've been a bit busy as well.
But I would like to at least mention for posterity some of the highlights of the past year.

* biggest and BEST news: Sloanie B. decided to join our family. Josh, Em and boys are blessed and delighted to finally have occasion to pull out the ruffles and tutus. Thanks, guys, for adding such a sweet princess to the Hulling mix.

* and along those lines, the news that Chris and Katie will be adding a BOY in March to their already tutufied household. There's nothing better than waiting for a baby to be born!

* to add to the beauty of a new Saldanha baby was the announcement that C, K and fam would be moving to Des Moines in 2012! Woo-hoo on that one! They are coming to be part of a church plant, so I'm expecting God to use them and bless them. (and naturally, we, their family, will be blessed to have them here.)

* Benny has adjusted pretty well to life on disability. I've never seen his workshop look cleaner! He's on the verge of turning out some amazing projects.

* I decided to give up cooking. THAT'S a relief!

* my business has boomed. What started out as an infinitesimally small venture is now what I'd consider a micro business. I have about as much work as I can handle and still enjoy it.

* my garden spent yet another season in overgrown disarray. I'm wondering if I'll ever have the energy to tend it as if it were my Eden?

* all my grands continue to delight and amaze. I seriously have the most beautiful, sweetest, funniest grandchildren in the world. [Just glance to your right if you don't believe me!]

* my God continues to uphold me with His tender right hand. He remains faithful even when I am not. He blesses, He provides, He strengthens. All because I am His. Abba, Father. How lovely to say those words.

I truly hope you have seen God at work in your life this past year. If you somehow missed it, I'd suggest you take a closer look. I'm pretty sure you've not really been left alone.

May 2012 bring you joy and peace!

:. for unto us .:

Why Christmas?

Because the King of the Earth threw off His royal robes and humbly, willingly, stepped into the skin of man. And the world rejoices at the sound of a newborn's cry: God has come to save His people.

Emmanuel.

God is with us.

Right here.

Right now.

For you.

:. moms .:

"Like all mothers, mine was beautiful."

That is a very memorable quote from a very forgettable memoir I read years ago. It has stuck with me all this time, nicely capturing the feeling most of us have for our moms.

[I realize we live in a sin-cursed world. I realize there are some BAD moms out there - neglectful, abusive, mean, or apathetic. But for the most part, moms are pretty wonderful creatures.]

Moms are generally patient, nurturing and loving. A mom has eyes in the back of her head, knows all, sees all . . . and quickly forgives all. A mom is understanding, sympathetic, a good listener, and has the coziest lap in the world. There is nothing like her. And yes, moms make mistakes, and get tired, and lose their patience, and sometimes even (heaven forbid!) get a little cranky. So what? They're human.

But this blog isn't about moms in general. It's about my mom.

I truly do have a beautiful mom. She is generous, kind and loving. She is funny, warm and an absolute blast to be around. She has had more than her share of heartache, but has always maintained a positive attitude. She finds humor in the everyday things of life. She raised ten children (did you catch that?? TEN!) without a whole lot of help. (And if I do say so myself, we are all pretty awesome adults.) She instilled in us a reverence for God - her source of strength. She is the original SuperWoman.

Today is her 80th birthday, and she is as beautiful and awesome as ever. She works part-time, she drives a sweet little car, she likes to kick back with a beer. She loves a good laugh, and is hilarious herself. She is still the selfless, loving, encouraging mom of my childhood.

Mom, you are AMAZING, and I love you very much. I hope I can be just like you when I'm 80.

:. oh, look, it's a blog post .:

I make no excuses for not blogging more. If you've been paying attention, I've already made my excuses.

For today, simply an observation:

Never give up on anything with roots.

It's true in gardening, true in life.

:. happily ever after .:

monterrey, mexico • july, 1996

Happy Anniversary, Josh and Emily! 14 years . . . wowza! May God grant you the unconditional love that bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things. May you always be aware of the precious gift you've been given, never taking each other for granted. May you stay strong in your devotion to one another, and in your devotion to your Savior. May God give you strength in the hard times, a thankful spirit in the good times, and joy always. May you continue to raise your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, giving them a secure foundation for their futures. Thank you for the example you have been to so many, modeling the extreme love of Christ for His Church. Wishing you many, many blessings in the years to come!

:. s words for $500 .:

Oh, yikes. It started out as just another Special Day With Grandma. But then poor Liam caught the business end of a sword, and, well, like I said: yikes.
And no, of course it wasn't a real sword. And yes, that is a fat lip. A fat lip and three stitches.
Yikes.

Anyone else care to spend a Special Day With me??

:. phew! .:

My goodness, does life never slow down?!? So much has happened in my little corner of the world lately. Here's the run-down in paragraph form:

my eye surgery went well [no dangling sutures needed!] • so now I no longer see two of everything, and that's wonderful, indeed • but shortly after that, benny and I spent 7 hours in the ER • which ended with him having an appendectomy at 4 a.m. • he then spent 3 days in the hospital trying to bounce back • which unceremoniously began his life on disability • because his Parkinsons just wasn't allowing him to be able to continue working • so now he's trying to figure out what to do with the rest of his life • and I remember that displaced feeling when I was faced with an empty nest all those long years ago • so I know just what he's going through • it's definitely going to be an adjustment after spending the last 40 years of his life going off to work every day, being a 'productive member of society' • but something I learned long ago is that being a 'productive member of society' doesn't always involve receiving a paycheck • so I'm certain he'll soon realize what a treasure it is to be able to spend his time doing things he wants to do • he mentioned, for instance, that he's always wanted to volunteer somewhere • and that would be awesome • and hopefully he'll also get himself back down to his workshop and create some beauty, now that he has the time to work at his own 'park-pace' [I just made that term up. pretty dang good, I'd say] • and speaking of creating, I have recently branched out with my purse business • I am repurposing burlap coffee bean bags into some pretty sweet items • so look for purses, book covers, wallets and etc at Tandem Brick Gallery or your nearest Grounds for Celebration • (did I mention they're pretty sweet?) • and somewhere in the midst of all that, Miss Eisley turned ONE • her mommy and daddy hosted a wonderful garden party in her honor on Mother's Day • and can I just say I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate? (Mother's Day and her birthday?) • And Gavin is finishing up his first year of school • and as always, I'm so very proud of how hard he works at everything • Liam and Taterbug continue to amaze at how stinking funny they are • funny and sweet and thoughtful (yes, I love my boys!) • my garden is a mess, and so far I've planted absolutely nothing • and I probably won't because, well, have you not just read this far and seen how crazy life is right now? • and here's just a sample of my new bags . . . fun, funky and I realized how much I love the smell of jute!

so, thanks for reading.

:. stop crowding Jesus .:

The woman awoke with the same sense of despair she'd known for the past dozen years. She could hardly find the strength to drag herself out of bed every morning. Her medical condition had only grown worse with the passage of time, in spite of seeing every specialist she could find. She'd spent every last penny on doctor after doctor, trying all the latest advances in medicine as well as every quack cure, only to be told, "There's nothing I can do for you."

After twelve years of suffering, she was out of money, and out of hope.

On this morning, she managed to get up and get dressed; the pantry was bare and she had no choice but to go to the market. Oh, how she dreaded being out in crowds! Her malady wasn't usually obvious to outsiders, but there had been those embarrassing times when the blood had gushed out, staining her clothes for all to see. It was painful; it was humiliating.

The market was busier than usual that day; something or someone was drawing a massive crowd at the end of the street. Curious, the woman carefully made her way to the edge of the crowd. She inched her way in until she could see what was causing all the commotion.

Standing in the middle was Jesus.

The woman had heard about him. Some said he was the One Who Was to Come, the Messiah. Others said he was Beelzebub himself. She'd heard stories of how he had healed with a word or a simple touch. One story going around was that this Jesus had actually brought a dead man back to life.

Whatever the truth was about him, here he was now, right in front of her. If she wanted to, she could reach out and touch him, he was that close.

Reach out and touch him . . .
If the stories were true . . . if he is the Messiah, the Son of God . . .
If he really could heal with just a touch . . .

There was certainty in her movement as she reached for him. She somehow knew that all she needed was a single touch to his cloak and her suffering would be over.

Her finger lightly brushed the back of his garment. She was instantly aware of healing surging through her ravaged body; she knew that at last she had been freed from her affliction. She felt like her old self, the one she'd long forgotten.

Jesus stopped short, looked around the crowd and asked, "Who touched me?" His followers thought he was joking. "Everyone is crowding in on you, and you ask who touched you? Seriously?"
But Jesus continued to search the crowd until his eyes met those of the woman. Trembling, she fell at his feet and admitted that it was she. With tenderness in his voice, Jesus said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." *

It is possible to stand right next to Jesus, but never touch Him in faith. It is possible to crowd around the Savior, but never be freed from our sin. It is possible to follow Him, but never allow Him to change us.
Don't make the same mistake the crowd made. Go ahead and touch Him . . . really touch Him in faith. You'll be amazed at the results.

*the original story can be found in Mark 5

:. boho hobos .:

After spending the last several years learning how to make V.E.R.Y. structured bags, I suddenly find myself wanting to do some very unstructured sewing. The result: sort of 'bohemian meets urban meets shabby'.

(You think it doesn't KILL me to leave all those threads hanging?!?!??)

Available now at Tandem Brick Gallery.

:. under the knife and dreaming .:

Lazy days are fabulous. Lazy eyes, not so much.

Thanks to my Graves Disease, I've been having a spot of trouble with my eyes for awhile now. [Yes, that's why I've been wearing the attractive prism on my attractive glasses; really attractive look, I know.]

If anyone reading this happens to be the praying type [and how on EARTH could anyone get along without??!??], then I would appreciate your prayers. On Monday I will be having my eyeballs cut into in order to (hopefully) be rid of this doubledouble visionvision thing once and for all. (See what I did there?)

I've been assured it's not a big deal (yeah, right.)

I've been assured the surgeon is pretty good at this (hope so. When he asked at my pre-op appointment if I had any questions, that's what I asked him, "So, are you good at this?" I was serious; he just chuckled.)

He might MIGHT leave some sutures hanging out of my eyes for a few hours so he can do some 'fine-tuning' later in the day.

Did you hear me?!? I said he might MIGHT leave some sutures hanging out of my eyes for a few hours so he can do some 'fine-tuning' later in the day.

What the WHAT?!?!??!?!?

Let's just hope the good doctor doesn't have a fight with his wife that morning. Or that he doesn't down a triple espresso right before he walks into the OR. Let's hope.

I've only had surgery one other time in my life . . . . eons ago I had my tonsils out. And my dear little sister said the other day she remembers me being really REALLY sick from the anesthetic. I don't remember that at all.

Great. Thanks, Mary.

Like I said, if you're the praying type, then I'd be grateful if you'd offer one (or two) up for me.

:. mission accomplished .:

Sometimes I get an idea in my head and I can't let go of it; I just know I have to act. We have this old chair that I've been holding onto for Chris and Kate; it's headed for their basement family room. Out of the blue I decided I should reupholster it for them. Here's the deal: NEVER in my life have I reupholstered ANYTHING. But I look at all things crafty and think, "How hard could it be?!". After reading a couple of blogs on 'how to reupholster a wingback chair', I decided to go for it. [I honestly think if there was an online tutorial for brain surgery I'd probably attempt it.] So here's the lovely chair before (keep in mind my tastes have changed in the last 15 years!): Structurally quite sound, just tired, worn (and somewhat hideous!) fabric. So, off with the old!!

There's no turning back at this point. (And I found the anatomy of a chair quite interesting.) I also realized that sailors aside, reupholsterers probably cuss more than any other profession. [We are talking at least 15 MILLION staples that need to be removed!!] But after just a few days of work, and with the help of an air compressor and pneumatic staple gun, voila! A chair that Kate now says is going to go in their living room!!

Oh, yeah. The fabric I used? My new favorite: drop cloths from Sherwin Williams.

Fabulous for the french shabby look!

As I said, VOILA!

:. family togetherness .:

Hoping to find one of these babies on Craig's List. At the very least, I think Benny could rig one up. It's always refreshing to see a family enjoying a favorite past time together; I think my own fam would really, really enjoy this. And JUST THINK of the projects I could get done!

(Now to find a "healthy" boy for the rear!)

:. spring ahead .:

It'll be spring soon, and to help you get a jump on the season get yourself on over to Tandem Brick for one of these bright beauties. (Yes, that is, indeed, a ruffle.) C'mon, you know you want one!

:. meant for the garden .:

Mmmmm, just look at this beautiful springtime bouquet Benny sent me for our anniversary. My house has smelled so wonderful all week! If you're lucky enough to have a scratch n' sniff monitor, go ahead: get close and inhale!!*

It is gorgeousness such as this, and what it does for the spirit, that proves we were originally meant for the garden. I can only imagine what Eden must have been like. Imagine God walking with you in the cool of the day, chatting about whatever is on your mind! (If you've never read Milton's Paradise Lost, may I suggest you go read it right now?)

And speaking of our anniversary, just look what my wonderful kids cooked up for us:

Besides a DELICIOUS dinner, which Emily literally cooked up for us, they bent their heads together and honored us with this beautiful family tree. The very talented Chris Saldanha did the artwork, with input from all. It's amazing, isn't it? (Any wonkishness in the picture is due to my photoshopping attempts to remove the flash. Crappy photographer, crappy editor. What can I say?) It looks stunning on my mantel, and every time I walk into the living room, it is a reminder of God's tremendous hand of blessing on my little family. It's perfect.

You know what else is perfect? The fact that Miss Eisley, on the very night we celebrated 35 years, decided then and there to crawl for the first time. Very thoughtful of the little lady!

*Editor's note: There is no such thing as a scratch n' sniff monitor. Don't you wish, though?

:. it's been awhile .:

Holy guacamole, where did January go??!? [Good riddance, I say!] There are now only 44 days until spring!! My heart sings right along with Barney Fife:

"Welcome, sweet springtime, we greet thee in song!!"

So many things going on in my head. Think I'll just give them to you in bullet points:

◘ Wondering what the heck is going on in Egypt. So I went straight to my Egyptian friend and asked her: "What the heck is going on in Egypt?" Her response: "I dunno know." Thanks, Sylvia, for the insight.

◘ Pretty much loving sewing right now. And grommets. And rivets. I don't feel like a sewing project is complete until I've used a hammer.

◘ Realizing if I lived to be 120, I wouldn't come close to trying all the craft ideas I've seen/bookmarked/heard about.

◘ For the record: I.HEART.HEATED.SEATS.

◘ Saw two flickers at my bird feeder the other day. My stars, are they ever cool!

◘ Was just reminded of this powerful truth: "If God be for us, then who can be against us?" Yowza, my soul needed to hear that!

◘ Looking forward to celebrating our 35th anniversary tonight with my wonderful family. (I'm sure I'll post more on that later.)

◘ So proud of my Gav for all his hard, hard work in kindergarten. His mommy showed me some of his schoolwork from November, and compared it to papers he did in December. Oh, my, how far he's come in such a short time. What a champion!

◘ Benny started physical therapy. Hopefully it will help his balance and motor issues. Now if he could just be offered a nice early retirement package . . .

◘ I recently took some new designs over to Tandem Brick. (see picture above.) Run on over and take a peek! I'm loving the look of image transfers.

◘ Miss Eisley is almost mobile!! She's been working very, very hard at that crawling thing, and mommy reports that she has A.L.M.O.S.T. got it! Way to go, baby girl!

◘ I recently acquired a beautiful aviary cage for my little Mozart. I've always wanted to give him more space to FLY!! I also decided to get him a "friend", in the hopes that I would have little baby canaries fluttering about. But alas! they are not getting along. Dang. I might try again in 44 days. (Spring . . . when a young bird's fancy turns to . . . oh, never mind.)

◘ I realized I rarely listen to an entire CD. More like: skip, skip, track 3, skip, skip, skip, tracks 7 and 8, skip, track 10 . . . you get the idea. Guess I should just use iTunes.

and . . . that's all I've got.

*addendum:

◘ Liam and I saw A FOX the other day! He was just loping across the street, right in front of my car. (I think he was loping anyway.) We were pretty excited! I stopped the car and we watched him lope back into the trees and lope around. Lope, lope, lope. You'd think I lived in the Great North Woods instead of right smack in the middle of the city.

and now . . . that's really all I've got.