Juno

I just watched the movie Juno for the 100 millionth time tonight. HBO seems to be airing it a couple times a week these days. This movie gets me everytime. Juno is very funny with her immature one-liners and Bleeker is just a lanky, awkward athlete with tangy breath. I can't help laughing during this movie, even though the subject matter is rather serious {I'm not so sure the movie exactly portrays the real challenges of teenage pregnancy}. In the end, what literally brings me to tears is when Vanessa is in the hospital and the nurse comes out and says, "Would you like to meet your son?" I don't have any children of my own, but I think my maternal instincts kick in and I start to imagine what that must be like, even as an adoptive parent, to hold a baby, your baby, for the first time. What a miracle.

Our New President

I have a secret crush on our new President, Barack Obama. He intrigues me. I love to listen to him speak. He is so eloquent and honest. I feel like he is genuinely speaking to me. I was just watching him dance with the First Lady. They are so romantic, even after what must be the longest day of their lives! I look forward to the years ahead. I think Obama will be a fabulous leader. He is a man of action. Our nation is in a pretty frumpy state right now, but the enthusiam of our country is overwhelming. It is refreshing. I hope it lasts.

Countdown to April 18, 2009

Last year G and I ran the Salt Lake Half Marathon. It was quite the accomplishment for both of us and a big step towards running a full marathon. I think I am finally mentally prepared for 26.2 miles. I thought I had Kate on board to run it with me, but apparently she's broken her ankle snowboarding. G is trying to convince me to run the half again, and beat our time from last year. When talking to my mom about it, she said, "Why would anyone ever want to do that?" So now that I've rallied my support group, let the count down begin. Every week I go for a "long run" and every week my long run gets longer than the weeks before. This week I am on my seven miler. Easy. It's when I get to the 20 miler when I might see the wisdom in my mom's question.

Word Search

I just finished this cute little blanket to put on my Etsy site. The blue fabric is Michael Miller's Word Search fabric and the back is a coordinating brown & blue polk-a-dot flannel.

The ABCs are the same flannel fabric that I've sewn on and quilted around. As the blanket is washed, the edges around the letters will fray slightly to give the letters a little texture.

The blanket is quilted with the entire alphabet and bound with a silky ribbon. Who wouldn't want to cuddle with their little one with this cute blanket? Plus it's educational!

Send Me to Detention

I'm a blog delinquent. I've posted nothing about Christmas, New Years, cabin weekend, friends, family, G. I'm sure I can find something interesting to tell my faithful readers. Is it too late to post the draft I wrote two weeks ago on my thoughts about Christmas? Maybe I'll just save it for next year.

Frosty

Tonight I was hemstitching fleece blankets for the local fabric store. My hemstitch machine resides in my unfinished basement next to the outside air vent. It's the only place in the basement with an electrical outlet and the temperature down there these days is, oh, 40 degrees, if I'm lucky. Every time I work on the hemstitch machine I emerge from the basement in a near hypothermic state. So tonight I got smart and bundled up to do my work. For the first time ever I emerged from the cold cement depths a warm gal. G captured the moment.

Yuletide Christmas Riddler

Can you name the Christmas carol based on the clues? See the answers in the Comments. How did you do?

1. Quadruped with Crimson Proboscis

2. Eight P.M. to Six A.M. without Noise

3. Minuscule Hamlet in the Near East

4. Ancient Benevolent Despot

5. Exuberance Directed to the Planet

6. Listen, Aerial Spirits Announcing

7. Trio of Monarchs

8. Yonder in the Hay Rack

9. Cherubim Audited from Aloft

10. Assemble, Everyone Who Believes

11. Hollowed Post Meridian

12. Fantasia of a Colorless December 25

13. A Dozen Twenty-Four Hour Yule Periods

14. Befell During the Transparent Bewitching Hour

15. Hypothermic Homo Sapien of Crystallized Vapor

16. Desire a Pair of Incisors on December 25

17. I Spied My Maternal Parent Osculating

18. Perambulating Through a December Solstice Fantasy

19. Adorn the Vestibules

20. Tin Tintinnabulums

Dank u Sinterklaasje

On the eve of December 5th, Sinterklaas sails by steamboat from Spain to the Netherlands with gifts for the children. The children leave their shoes by the chimney filled with carrots and straw to feed Sinterklaas' horse as he and "Zwarte Piet," or Black Pete, walk the roofs dropping gifts down the chimneys into the children's shoes. If the children have been good, they receive gifts and chocolate letters. If they are naughty, they get coal and sticks used for spanking.

I remember Sinterklaas coming to visit at my Grandparent's house. After telling Sinterklaas what we expected for Christmas, each of us would receive a chocolate letter. Then we would all sing "Sinterklaas Kapoentje."

Me (dressed as the angel that I am) and Sinterklaas

Many years later while several family members were planning a trip to Holland with my Grandparents, my Grandpa asked if any of us could speak Dutch. I broke out the only Dutch I knew - you got it - Sinterklaas Kapoentje. Everybody joined in with glee. Toni may have even harmonized. When we were finished with the song Grandpa shook his head laughing and said, "You guys don't know anything. That was terrible! Don't sing that in Holland." Apparently we completely slaughtered the words. Grandma tried to sweep up our mess by singing the song again properly, in her loudest most punctuated singing voice.

Here are the words, and how it is really sung.

Sinterklaas kapoentje
Gooi wat in mijn schoentje,
Gooi wat in mijn laarsje,
Dank u Sinterklaasje

Translation:
Saint-Nicolas Little Rascal,
Put something in my little shoe,
Put something in my little boot,
Thank you little Saint-Nicolas!

Vrolijk kerstfeest!

Spirit of Christmas

I have to give a shout out to Creche-A-Day. This is Michael's reminder of the reason for the season. I think it's quite clever.

Church Bag Sophisticate

Introducing my latest project, the Ava bag crafted by yours truly, using the finest damask fabric by Joel Dewberry and coordinating fabric on the inside. The pattern indicated "easy" and it is, in fact, reversible. I couldn't resist. Not only did I order enough fabric for one bag, I picked up some fabric for an additional two, which is really four. A girl can never have enough pretty bags. I figured I could have it made in a couple of hours. It started coming together quite nicely, and rather quickly until step # 9: "Make Curved Trim and Handle" when everything fell apart. It all started to read the same - sew right sides at trim on bottom of contrasting side to top of trim right sides together for the contrasting side of handle facing. I was confused. I had to unpick many, many times to get it right. I even ended up re-cutting a few pieces of fabric, it was that bad (or I am that much a perfectionist). Then getting the top stitching to work perfectly with both sides of the bag (remember it's reversible) was another challenge. This bag took forever to make, but isn't it lovely? It's currently my "church" bag. It's roomy enough to carry my scrips, Sunday school manual, writing utensils, Kleenex, pack o' gum, chap stick, meeting programs, announcements and a baggy of Cheerios should I get hungry in the third hour.