Holding the World in a Paper Cup

Archive for January 2011

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Coming Home Update

Coco Calypso and I are currently sitting in the the Seattle airport awaiting our next flight that will take us even closer to home. Happy to be back in the world of 99 cent value menus! Suddenly very aware of how I lack style in my stretched sweater and my very hot boots. Chuck is safely back in his little cabin in Delta Junction after driving us to the Fairbanks airport (more on the little cabin later).

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Monday, January 24, 2011

This is major.

I've been thinking about my goals for 2011. There are lots of things I would like to learn to do in the year 2011. There are lots of small ways I'd like to improve our life situation in 2011. But, something enormous is blocking me from setting goals. Even little ones. We aren’t settled.

It seems like ever since Chuck and I have been married, we've been struggling to settle in somewhere. We lived happily in the Mill Village (Alabama City, Alabama) for 5 solid years. A year after Charley was born we knew it was time to move on from the shambling city around us. We sold our house after 2 days. To me, it was an affirmation from God that we were doing the right thing.

Since we left our quaint little cottage in Alabama City, we've lived in 5 different locations. SEVEN if you count living with Mom and Craig for 3 months, while Chuck was at the Bald Eagle Ranch. And we aren't through yet. We decided (long before the new year rolled in) that while we think Alaska is gloriously beautiful, this isn't it.

Even still, I believe with all of my heart we are on the path set forth for us by God. Sure we've made mistakes along the way, but God is helping us work those out. We knew before we left, Alaska would not be our life. It would an adventure. It would an opportunity for growth, but it wouldn’t be where we settled.

Before I left, I knew I’d miss home and all of our family there. But not only do I miss home, I miss the entire southern region. I miss big, thick oak trees and tall pines. I miss thunderstorms. I miss being able to run to the mailbox without shoes on, even in the winter! I miss being able to take a casual stroll through the woods without practicing my quick bear spray draw first. I miss being able to stare into starry nights for long periods without worrying about loosing any digits to frostbite. I miss the Coosa River. I miss riding my bike. I miss driving around with the windows down. I miss taking long walks while pushing an extra large kid in the stroller. I miss my MOMS Club. I miss the normalcy of having a Wal-mart within 20 miles of home. I miss paying reasonable prices for milk and canned goods. I miss having the security of a hospital within pre-bleeding out distance. Heck, I even miss hot summer days! (but just a little teeny tiny bit)

It sickens me to the core that Charley is spending any part of her life away from her grandparents that want nothing more than to spend days with her on cushy couches and sun scorched back porches. It hurts my heart each time I suggest going to play outside (something back in Alabama Charley constantly chomps at the bit to do) she cries.

And since our renters moved out of our house in Southside, Alabama last month without giving us a lick of notice, we’ll be back a lot sooner than we thought. And when I say we, I mean me, Charley, and the dog. And when I say “sooner than we thought” I mean on Sunday evening. This Sunday evening.

We’ve been struggling to pay the rent here (a whopping 1350 a month with NO utilities included) with a full on mortgage in Alabama for 2 months now. Throughout these 2 months we’ve had a plan. Rent the house. Get somebody in there as soon as possible.

I tried advertising on facebook. I posted the details so many times I may have lost a few “friends”. I tried craigslist. Dang craigslist. I even tried a listing it with a realtor.

Our Plan Continued: If no renter is secured, send Charley and Hayley home to beginning living as inexpensively as possible. Chuck would remain in Alaska for the sake of remaining employed, and for the sake of fulfilling his obligation to his company. He will stay somewhere. Cheap.

So anyway. I bet you got the idea by now. We didn’t rent it. It seems people aren’t really interested in moving in the dead of winter. Keeping up a family of 3 in Alaska and paying for a HOUSE for a family of 3 (or more) in Alabama isn’t in the realm of financial possibilities for this family.

So, mine and Charley’s Alaska adventure ends here. Tickets have been purchased. Our ride from the Atlanta airport has even been arranged. A storage unit in Delta Junction is being filled with all of the worldly goods I hold dear in life. Most of few remaining pieces of furniture that I hold dear in life are being sold via Delta Junction News Web.

Chuck’s adventure will continue for now. He will fulfill his obligation with his contractor while seeking employment in and around Alabama. We pray God will allow us to be together again soon. Not knowing when is the hardest part. No, I take that back. Seeing Charley cry about the prospect of leaving her Daddy is the hardest part. She is excited about going back to Alabama. She is looking forward to SO much. Her heart was never in Alaska. But, she wants us all to go home together. She loves her Daddy. She isn’t looking forward to saying good-bye. Neither am I.

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Friday, January 21, 2011

Featured!

Check it out!

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Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Rapunzel, Rapunzel, You're Getting a Hair Cut

I would like to know, what. was. Disney. thinking?

I mean come on. Hair like Rapunzel's wouldn't work it real life and it sure doesn't work in pretend life.

Oh yeah. Time for a more sensible do, Rapunzel.

Lookin' so chic.

Your welcome Rapunzel. That'll be 150 dollars.

On a related side note, we must remove Rapunzel from The Berry Fairy's room each night because she looks like "a dead body".

I get that.

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Dear Old Golden Rule Days

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Sunday, January 16, 2011

Just a Phase

See any resemblance?

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Saturday, January 15, 2011

A Chicken. From Scratch.

Recently Foghorn Leghorn was invited to the birthday party of a sweet friend. In fact, this is a friend whom she has said she will marry because he is kind, has a nice voice, and is cute. We needed to make a good impression. We can all see what was at stake. Right? RiGHT?

Alright then. I got to thinking. For a while I seriously contemplated making a rubber band gun for the child. I mean, what is THE must have toy for every little 4 year old boy? A weapon that slings painful shots of rubber, of course! I even sketched out a rough outline of a pistol on a 2X4. But then I remembered I was out of jig saw blades. The last time I checked prices at the local hardware store they were around $20.00 for a pack of 4. Nix the rubber band gun. Your welcome, Wyatt's mother.

So. I asked myself, "What does this boy really enjoy? What does he love?" The answer was simple. Chickens. From the moment I met Wyatt, it was obvious that he loves his chickens. And we all know there are times when you can't hang out in the coop.

So I searched the internet for chicken tutorials. Believe it or not, stuffed chickens are scarce in the world wide web. But, I did find one thing. See it on my laptop there? It is a pattern. Did I mention, I don't have a printer?

So, there I sat, trying to work from a pattern (something I have never succeeded at doing in the first place) from the screen of the computer. For those who don't know, patterns are generally useful because they are a guide of sorts and are used specifically for pinning to your fabric and cutting around. Kinda like tracing. Without the pattern, it was difficult to wrap my mind around how the belly would fit onto the chickens sides. But, after a rough trial run with construction paper and tape, I worked it out.

First I cut my basic chicken shape from fleece. 2 of them.

To get one side of the belly shape, I traced the underside of the chicken side onto a small piece of felt.

To ensure both sides were exactly the same, I just folded it over and cut it out.

Then, I stopped taking photos of the process. I am a terrible tutorial maker. I think it is because throughout any sewing project, I am continually doubting it will work. I am always one step away from giving up. I know with one wrong cut, the whole thing could be ruined and I generally don't have the drive to start from over and risk failing again. BUT, I was determined to make this chicken work. I sewed one eye on three times before I got it right. I read each set of instructions several times before making a cut or a stitch. I think the main reason I put forth so much effort into this project is because Chuck was impressed by it. With each new completed step, he was complimentary and encouraging. This is not usually the case with him. I think having a connection to the recipient and his parents helped. Also, neither of us knew I could sew a stuffed animal.

If you are serious about following this tutorial, then go here. It is what I used, and far better than any instructions I could put together.

I made his legs from an old sweater. I only resorted to a sweater after realizing chicken leg sized denim will NOT turn right side out after it has been sewn. Neither will cheap felt. It's got no give.

When I was finished with the hard parts, Foghorn Leghorn stuffed him. This small step made my little Lion/Hippie (check out her costume) feel like she was really involved in the making of this bird. Don't underestimate the small stuff.

After he was packed full, I watched this youtube video on how to sew an invisible ladder stitch to close that hole up.

For this chicken I have prayed.

Seriously.

I prayed for this chicken. I prayed that it would turn out alright. I needed to succeed.

Yo Adrian,

I did it.

12 Comments

Ice Fishing on Bolio Lake

One day last weekend, Chuck and his friend Jeff M. took the kids ice fishing.

In order to go ice fishing in Alaska, for any length of time, in the winter, with little kids, you got to get yourself one of these.

This my friends, is an ice shanty. Beneath those long runners that span the underside of the shanty, is ice. Round about 3 feet of it. Now it is still difficult for me to wrap my mind around a lake that is frozen so solid that you can drive a truck on it. But people do. People do it all the time.

This is how you keep warm in an ice house.

BYOW (Bring your own wood)

The interior of an ice shanty is missing a bit of flooring. Obviously, this is where the holes are augered. Most serious ice fisherman have a motorized auger. However, being new to the sport (and broke as convicts), Chuck only has a hand auger (manually powered by hand). Jeff too, only has a hand auger. I'm not sure what his excuse is. From what I understand, it takes a great deal of effort and time to hand auger a hole into 3 feet of ice.

Look at her reel that baby in. At first glance you might assume that rod is kid sized, but it's just a standard ice fishing rod. Imagine sitting 6 feet beyond your hole with a standard size rod and trying to eyeball your lure down into into it. The focus is the hole, so the rod is short.

If you are interested in renting an ice shanty on Donnelly Training Area's Bolio Lake, near Delta Junction, Alaska then go to http://www.fortgreelymwr.com/

You'll need $20.00 a day. Less is you are military.

While I am confident enough to allow my kid to sit inside a hut on top of a frozen lake, 'cause, well, everybody else is doing it, I still have some uneasy feelings about this whole frozen large bodies of water business. I'll say this. If anything remotely similar to a frozen lake was above ground, over such a wide expanse, and folks were going to walk on it, put buildings on it, and sometimes even drive on it, somebody'd put a 2X4 under it.

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Monday, January 10, 2011

Hoots at Random

Me: Clean your room.
Her: Are you going to help me clean?

Me: Are you going to help me clean when we are done with your room?

Her: No.

Me: Then no, I will not help you clean your room.
Her: That’s not fair!

Can circus clowns communicate with dinosaurs?

I think I bumped my head and my rememberies went out.

Coal and Light Switches

(What Santa will bring you if you are not good.)

Oh also, tangerines are known as tambourines around here.

I refuse to correct it.

6 Comments

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Necklace and Ring Gift Idea

For Christmas, I made these knot necklaces for a few of my closest friends in Alaska.

I attached the necklaces to glitter covered card stock before I wrapped them up.

I wish I would have found the project idea soon enough to make my mom and sister one.

Click below to to see where I found the idea AND the tutorial.

While you are there, look around a while. Kate writes a great blog.

I didn't have a proper box or gift bag for wrapping them up, so I cut out a rectangle of paper with my scalloped scissors. Then I just stapled the edges.

With each necklace, I included one of these rings.

Click below to check out the etsy store where I bought them.

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Thursday, January 6, 2011

Post Holiday Such and Such

Alaska has been incredibly warm lately. Today it was 24 degrees! A few days ago it was in the 50's! Imagine that! In town, the snow is actually melting. The warmer weather is on account of the "chinook winds", so I hear. Something about warming wind from the ocean....whatever. I am way to tired to figure it out right now.

In Alaska anything above 0 is a great day for playing outside, so the preschool kids got some time to play today. Like I said earlier, all this warm weather is causing a great deal of the snow to melt. What is left (a lot of water) hardens to ice. Not fun for parking lot walking but great for sledding. The kids enjoyed the heck out it with reckless abandon. They had little regard for anything in their path (me).

Today was the day for returning to work/preschool after the lazy days of New Year's. It really took its toll too. To top off my part-time day job ( I know, I am such a wuss) I went to the gym afterward, with very little enthusiasm. You see, I am suffering from what is known as "The Atkins Diet Gaunt" (ok, it really isn't "known" as that). It means, I. am. SO. weak. I feel gaunt, but I am not gaunt. I feel like I am low on blood or something. Simple tasks make me want to fall out.

I know The Atkins Diet isn't exactly the healthiest way to go, but I had to do something ya'll. This diet has worked for me in the past AND it is simple. I am limiting myself to 2 Diet Mountain Dews a day, drinking pond loads of water, and eating meat. And vegetables. I know I will acclimate to this no sugar, low caffeine way of life soon. I am planning to stick to it. I know this because I posted it here. If I somehow knew I was going to fail, no way Id' be sharing it here.

Man. I just remembered. We are going to a pizza party tomorrow.

I guess I can always just rake the top off. My sister taught me that. She's always had such stellar table manners.

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Monday, January 3, 2011

Just Wanted to Share

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Sunday, January 2, 2011

Wolverine. Or is it?

Ok. It's not. Which is ok by me since I would prefer my husband not to have bones that grow from his knuckles. But hey, I shouldn't knock it 'cause it works for Wolverine. Very well. If you catch my drift.

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Birthday Gift Idea

We had to prepare for a birthday party recently. The invitation said "no gifts". Now, normally I would find it tactful to respect the "no gifts" request, but this party was in honor of a little girl that came to Chrysanthemum's party with a gift. I didn't feel right showing up empty handed. I told her mother so. Her mother said if it would make us feel better then we should just make something.

I thought that was a grand idea.

So we took our recipe for crayons (crayons and a candy mold) and made 6 of those suckers.

We stacked them up and tied a pretty ribbon around them.

But we didn't think that was enough. So we made a coloring book.

I took 6 or 8 sheets of basic white paper and folded them in half. Then I punched a hole in the fold on each end as far as the hole punch would reach, and bound it with a ribbon. I reminded Chrysanthemum that the pictures needed to be outlined drawings and she made the pages. She really enjoyed it too. It was sweet to see her putting so much effort into it.