:. talk about indolence .:

Gavie and I were hanging out the other day, playing a game of 'ways we are different, ways we are alike'. I threw out the fact that he likes to run, and I don't. Without missing a beat (and with absolutely no malice) he said, "Granny, you are indolent."
[For all of you people too indolent to look it up in the dictionary, it means 'lazy'.]

This from the boy who a year ago could hardly read. This from the boy who had pretty much been given up on by his teacher last year. This from my dear, sweet 2nd-grade Gavie, who is now reading at a sixth grade level, thanks mainly to the wonderful people at Educational Resource Associates.

What a wonderful thing, to be able to read! It broadens not only your vocabulary, but your whole world.
And you know what? Gavie's right: I do trend towards being indolent.

:. Orange ya glad it's not the 70's? .:

I was given this rescue chair a few months back. It was headed for the curb, but since it was in pretty good shape (other than the hideous out-dated orange velvet) I decided to give it a home. It remained stashed away in my garage until recently, when I finally found THE PERFECT FABRIC.

First off: EVERYTHING. There wasn't enough 'cush' for my tastes, and besides, I couldn't bear the thought of putting my beautiful new fabric on the old, worn-out foam and batting. So I took it down to the bare wood and springs.

You find such interesting things when tearing apart something that old (said the medical examiner as he finished up the autopsy. Just kidding.) I found a pair of tweezers, a pair of scissors, and THIS guy:

Such a McMillanish super stud. Oh, the 70's.

I didn't take a lot of step-by-step, but here I am midway through. New foam, new batting . . . and that gorgeous birdie fabric!! I used 4" thick foam for the back and seat cushion, and wrapped everything with a generous double layer of batting. CUSH-EE!!

And the finished chair:

And here it is in it's natural habitat:

A perfect addition to my little corner of the universe.

I am NOT by any means an expert upholsterer. This is only my second attempt, but with the limitless  information highway known as the internet, you can learn to do ANYthing. (I've often said if there was a tutorial online for brain surgery, I'd probably give it a whirl. IF I could find someone willing to let me try it out on them.)

And finally, I leave you with the CarLingHa family motto:

"Don't look too closely!"

:. balance .:

A faithful reader of this blog (perhaps the only reader of this blog) gently reminded me the other day that it has been nearly a year since I've posted anything. [Thanks, mom.] I decided to log on just to have a look around. Imagine my chagrin when I realized how outdated the pics were on my sidebar, not to mention the fact that I had yet to post a snap of my littlest Thatcher love.
Yes, I've been negligent, lazy, uninspired, busy, careless . . . call it whatever you will.

I decided a few weeks ago that 'balance' would be my goal for 2013. Doing what needs to be done, making time for people I love, taking time to relax, a little of this, a little of that.
And in that vein, attempting to blog when and if I actually have something blog-worthy to share.

We'll see how it goes.

For now, please enjoy the updated pics of the wonderful little people in my life.

:. things I know, things I love .:

A list (because that's the easiest post of all):
* daylight savings wreaks havoc on your circadian rhythms
* BUT, it's absolutely delightful to have sunshine into the evening hours
* this week, the forecast calls for sandal weather. Ladies, go get a fresh pedi and dig out those flips!
   (Sorry, Paige.)
* the Saldanhas living in Des Moines makes me over-the-top HAPPY
* little brother coming any moment also makes me ecstatic
* having SIX little people in my life is one of God's hugest blessings

Picture this:

* Liam demonstrating Irish step-dancing (my new favorite mental picture)

* Sloanie's rosebud lips (the stuff of dreams)

* Tate in full battle gear, sword drawn (bad guys tremble)

* Gavie, the sweetest, hardest-working first grader I know (he says Grandma Jean is lucky, because she's almost 100 - his favorite number!)

* Miss Eisley, the funniest, cutest almost-two year old in history (tutu included)

* everything God does in His kids' lives has its root in love. Perfect, unconditional, agape love
* because of the above, WE NEED NOT FEAR. EVER
* hearing those first birds of spring singing their lovely songs is unsurpassedly glorious
* we should all get off faceBOOK, and spend some face TIME with those we call friends
* because really, social media will probably be the death of real social interaction
* we are thankful for our new church family; such a wonderful group of like-minded people
* if you're in the vicinity, you really should check out westwindchurch.org
* and speaking of westwind, so great to see Chris and Kate helping to lead worship on Sunday mornings. Does a mom's heart good. (besides the fact they sound awesome together.)
 * and on that subject, just how DOES a mom get so blessed? Every one of my kids is an amazing adult:

my boys are hard-working, godly men, lovers of their families and obedient to the call of God on their lives.

my girls are hard-working, godly women, lovers of their families and also obedient to their God.

Aahh, I am so, so very blessed.

:. my grands, my loves .:

We had the distinct pleasure of hosting these three wonderful gentlemen overnight last Friday. I snapped this pic just before bedtime . . . and don't worry, it wasn't ALL sitting quietly on the sofa, reading. We had plenty of  F.U.N. (Cuz that's just the way it is at granny's house!)
Please look closely at this picture: notice Gavie is reading The Bible. Tate is perusing a book filled with pictures from The National Gallery of Art. And Liam, dear Liam, is reading a comic book. I kinda LOVE this picture!
We had a great time together, and the only problem occurred when I loaded Liam's toothbrush with A&D ointment, rather than toothpaste. Mmmmmm.
[Trust me, no A&D was ingested.]
Then there's this:

This pic was taken on the morning of November 30, 2011. (Yeah, that's how far behind I am in blogging.) In case you're not aware, that was the morning Miss Sloane Cadèt was born. My guys got their boy-band rockin' while they patiently waited to head down to the hospital to meet their new baby sister. Awesome.
And speaking of Sloanie B, take a look at this sweetness:

This wouldn't be a complete post without a couple of cousin pics:

Oh, how they love each other!
And finally. Here's Miss Eisley on Christmas morning, complete with tutu and toenail polish:

Like the title says, my grands, my loves.