katmosphere

Reset your RSS feed reader!

noreply@blogger.com (kathryn) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:05:00 +0000

My blog has moved! In the moving process I had to export the blog, then I lost the ability to publish to it here. Now my hundreds of subscribers ;) can now find my new blog! Thanks for sticking with me - there are new posts on the new blog and I've already got several more scheduled to post. Enjoy!

Join me at:

http://kathrynpeebles.wordpress.com/

Things to come over this next week:
- lots of pictures!
- adorable baby chickens!
- a new competition between Joe & I - you pick the winner!

Where, O Where I have I gone?

noreply@blogger.com (kathryn) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 21:54:00 +0000

Actually, I moved my blog! I still need to redirect the page on our website, but you can get to it here:

http://kathrynpeebles.wordpress.com/

You've probably missed out on a few new posts, too. Sorry for the delay, but I was trying to get wordpress to do what I wanted.

I'll save details for later, but I now have fairly strong opinions on blogger vs. wordpress, so ask me before you switch your blog between the two!

Thanks for the patience during the switch over. You'll be rewarded with a lot of new posts over the next couple of weeks!

Finished Project!

noreply@blogger.com (kathryn) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 12:14:00 +0000

Well, sorta finished. Back in October I was working on an embroidery project, and Phase I is complete! Here goes: (click on it to see it bigger)

I'm going to cut out the letters that I embroidered and sew them onto better fabric (that's what I get for buying fabric from the $1 bin at Wal-Mart). The design on the P is a Celtic knot - which proves my interest in them extends to almost a year ago when I started this project!

The final product will be a duvet cover / quilt that looks something like this:

...except the purple will be the eggplant material below, the four shaded sections will be purple / gray leaf pattern below, and the middle will be a to-be-purchased silver / gray. (you can also see a close-up on the stitching for the bottom of the b and l)Here is the inscription below the shield:

I will embroider this in the same way I did Peebles on top, but much smaller. You can read my previous post for what it means. Time when I'm backstage turned out to be a great time to get some embroidery done!

for Andrew

noreply@blogger.com (kathryn) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 05:17:00 +0000

Recently, a friend said that either people end up not keeping up with their blogs or their posts dissolve into descriptions of the sandwich they ate that day. This post is for him.
I ate a fudgesicle today. It's by Weight Watchers, but it was absolutely delicious. I can't stand the feeling of the wood popsicle stick without getting goosebumps all over, so Joe served it to me in a bowl. It was really yummy. Blogger says fudgesicle is spelled wrong and should be fussbudget. What on earth is that?

Day Spa!

noreply@blogger.com (kathryn) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 12:24:00 +0000

For my birthday, Joe gave me a gift certificate to a local day spa (Riviera) and I promised to write about it after I went. (I had forgotten about the day spa dream I had until I reread that post - it went much better in real life!) Since the gift certificate expired this week, I finally went! It was very hard deciding which "treatments" to get, but I finally settled on the Escape package.

First, a 30 minute massage. I paid a little extra for a deep-tissue massage, and I'm sure glad I did! I had heard rumors about it hurting, but it was actually more like I expected a regular massage to be. It only hurt a little when she went over a couple of knots on my neck. I had trouble relaxing during the massage because I kept thinking about what I would write about it! I'm crazy! You'll be grateful that my thought of "I'm glad I didn't get a regular massage - if I wanted someone to pat my back for 30 minutes, I could have paid a neighborhood kid half this much" got cut due to its borderline-creepiness factor. Also, there were some bird chirping sounds randomly over the relaxing music that played. This occupied most of my thoughts. I really think it must have been a signal for the employees, but not for my massage therapist (she didn't change what she was doing anytime close to the bird calls). Anyone know what it could be?
I once was in physical therapy for back spasms (from a car accident), and he (PT) put some sonic pulse thing over the knots / spasms and pressed really hard, then rubbed the muscle. It was horribly painful (I often cried), but I felt EXTREME relief when he stopped. I was expecting something more like that for the deep-tissue massage, but it wasn't even close. Overall, I enjoyed the massage, but didn't feel any different afterward. Oh, and she rubbed my lower back / top of my rear. It felt as weird as one would expect (not creepy, just physically odd).

Next, a 30 minute mini-facial. My favorite part was having steam on my face for a long time. I got to just breathe it in! That was very relaxing. She looked at my skin with a Wood's Lamp... I wonder how people would react if she called it what it is (a UV light). She said I should try topical or low-dose antibiotics from a dermatologist. I'm not sure if I will or not, but I feel better knowing that my skin care regimen is appropriate. Like the massage, I was surprised to not feel any different afterward.

Finally, a spa pedicure! For around 45 minutes I sat in a massage chair and had my feet soaked, scrubbed and pampered. It was great! Even now (two days later), my feet feel extra soft.

I probably will not get a facial or massage (unless it is more intense) again, but I definitely enjoyed my relaxing day off - three hours at a spa is very nice! The "relaxation room" that you wait in between treatments is calm and peaceful.

Thank you, Joseph, for the amazing gift!

Coming Soon: A Stay-cation!

noreply@blogger.com (kathryn) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 04:57:00 +0000

I've go so much to blog about! We've done more work on the house and took a few days off work (during which a friend came to visit, and I visited a day spa).

You know it's bad went you are getting the only massage you've ever had and you are thinking about what you're going to write about it.

I have not been keeping up with the home & garden blog like I should, but I did post a couple before / after pictures that you might be interested in - check it out.

Little Black Book

noreply@blogger.com (kathryn) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 23:28:00 +0000

Around Christmas time, Joe bought be one of my new favorite things. It's a little notebook that I write down ideas I have. The categories are things like Things to learn, Home Decor, Funny T-shirts, and Things to Give. Basically whenever I think of something I want to remember, I write it in there. I love using it!

This is the notebook I use - it also has a bookmark and pouch!

Most of what I write is related to things I'd like to make (like a piece of art for our wall or a potential Christmas gift). Some of these ideas just pop into my head, but usually I see something that inspires me - or that I just want to copy outright. :) My inspiration often comes from everyday places (a bamboo project from Panda Express) or design websites (like Dustbowl), tossed in with the occasional visit to galleries.

This week I seem to have an underlying theme in my ideas. You highlight one part by doing something to the less-important part! I'll share.

Though it'll probably be a kid or baby name (or one of the dozens of t-shirt ideas I have written down) instead of hello, I see this in my future...
That is the work of Emma Smart (found via sub-studio design blog).

Then I came across bleach stenciling.
I already know how the conversation at home will go...
Joe: You haven't done that?!?
Me: No. Have you even heard of it before?
Joe: No, but it seems like the sort of thing you would have done.

I think I'll let Mom off the hook for not introducing me... kids and bleach don't mix well.

Now that I've started thinking about it, I've already got several ideas going. I think my first go will be making some contemporary / modern placemats. Placemats are so expensive, but cloth and bleach are so cheap!
I may try dipping the cloth in bleach water, or using rubber bands or strips of paper.

(these pics are some quickly done idea "sketches" I made using PowerPoint)

If you're looking for bleach stencil ideas, you should check out this site - they must have had fun!

I'd love to hear some of your ideas! Have you ever tried bleach stenciling? Is it as easy as it looks?

De Nile

noreply@blogger.com (kathryn) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 20:37:00 +0000

I am still (after 5+ years) taken off guard by the emails and comments I get at work. I just got an email that only said:

Thank you for the mouse.

You'd think I'd be used to the weird comments by now, but I guess I'm still in denial.

If you'd like to join me in denial, feel free to think the email was about a computer peripheral.

(speaking of... you should read my husband's story if you haven't already)

George Washington never slept at my house.

noreply@blogger.com (kathryn) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:42:00 +0000

Sometimes I skip blogging because nothing exciting is happening and sharing my big decision for the day (which toothpaste to use) seems lame.

That's not the case this time! SO MUCH has been happening!

We've had TWO big work-on-the-house weekends lately, and loads has been done! If only I had time at home to upload pictures, you'd be amazed. I finished the second coat of paint in the living area and tons of baseboards and trim has gone in. Unless you've lived in a house without baseboards, you have no idea how annoying it really is. We only lack hardwood floor in two bedrooms now! I'll save more descriptions for the pictures.

Also, I'm in a play for the first time! It's "George Washington Slept Here" put on by the Navasota Theatre Alliance (community theater). It's a light-hearted comedy-ish play, which is fun. I have a tiny part (Katie the cook), but I'm helping with props and backstage stuff, too. I auditioned the first week of January and we've been having rehearsals ever since. Tonight is our "friends and family night" - essentially our final dress rehearsal for a forgiving and non-paying audience. We open Thursday night and have performances Thursday through Sunday for the next three weeks! Let me know if you're coming so I'm sure not to miss you (also, don't come late because you can't sneak in once it has started). You can check out the times / dates here and reserve tickets here.

I've enjoyed my time with the NTA. I think the cast ranges from a 7th grader to retirees. EVERYONE is really encouraging and friendly, which makes long rehearsals much better. I've learned more about what putting on a production is like; it's unique! You have to trust others in a different way - not only onstage (that they'll remember their lines and blocking), but also offstage (that props will be put where they belong or someone won't run into you in the dark backstage area). I'm glad I joined on for this play, and think I would enjoy more acting in the future!

note: Many people have asked me why I auditioned for a play. I had to have a performing arts credit in college (the 8 semesters of band and choir somehow did not count), so I took an acting class. I had done skits when I was in the Aggies for Christ (and always got complements), so I was interested in learning more about acting. The class was challenging, but I definitely grew through it. We did perform scenes for the class (my final project had more lines than I do in this play for sure), but I never got a feel for what all goes into a play. Since then, I've done a tiny bit of acting (Remember my panic attack last year? I actually got paid for that! And there's always that time I had a stalker...) but had been hoping for more. If I could do anything I want, I'd star in a musical. But I don't know how to dance and my singing voice shakes when I'm nervous. And as a newbie, you don't get a big role. So, here I am!

pictures as a couple

noreply@blogger.com (kathryn) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 17:19:00 +0000

It seems like every time Joe and I take a picture together, one of us looks good and the other looks like a dog in a car wash. I really don't think it's all in my head. The Christmas before last we took over 80 pictures of us to put on a Christmas card. Three turned out okay. THREE! If that's not enough proof, here's some more...

This looks like a normal picture of me... actually, it's likely better than I normally look:Now, let's pan out a bit and see Joe:
He did just walk in from the windy outdoors, but... well, maybe it's just in my head... but when I imagine a half-crazed hungry vampire who is about to blow his cover (which I imagine fairly often), this is the look I see. It's a little hidden behind the "Is this person going to count to three? I probably have a few seconds to get positioned" face, but that hint of barely controlled frenzy is there. (Hint: cover his mouth and just look at his eyes - it's there!)

church

noreply@blogger.com (kathryn) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 12:34:00 +0000

I'm overdue to post pictures of the house - we've done a decent amount of work on it. Maybe I'll get to tonight while Joe is camping (yes, the low is 32 degrees and yes, he's a bit crazy).

Joe and I went to Houston last weekend to visit his parents and sister (a belated Christmas visit). It was a quick trip, but we got to see his cousin and 6 of her kids. That makes it sound like she's got two dozen kids - she's only got 7. ONLY. ;) We went to church with Joe's parents so also saw several other people who love Joe and don't get to see him very often.

A friend who used to live in town and be a part of the same local church as I am wrote an article published online. You can read it here - it's not long, check it out! She includes some of her experience with our congregation.

I apparently didn't blog about the ComChurch 10-year birthday celebration! (This is something she refers to in the article.) It happened towards the end of October - the weekend between the two weddings I mentioned. I was also distracted with 30 days of creativity posts and my friends adopting a cute new baby. Between all those things, my blog / explaining-what-was-happening energy was used up. But it was a great day! Lunch and fun outdoor time in a park close to our new house, and dinner / music / sharing that evening. Though I'd never met many of the people who came back to celebrate, I did know some and had heard about most.

boy, I'm lost...

noreply@blogger.com (kathryn) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 12:48:00 +0000

I just came across this neat looking light fixture (on this designer's site)...

The concept for the light came from a flight that crashed and was thought to have no survivors until years later. I read a little on the site they linked to about it and found that the crash happened in 2004! I couldn't believe I hadn't heard of it, much less that a movie hadn't been made of the dramatic tale! I was also surprised that they had pictures of the plane in air, and thought it was a fluke that some family member or news photographer happened to take pictures of the plane. After several minutes of reading the history of Flight 815, I realized my mistake. Yes, I was reading the story of the popular television series, Lost. (I've never seen an episode, but Joe and I have thought about watching it all on DVD once it's finished.)

What ever happened to design inspired by nature or emotions? I guess a lot of design now is inspired by art, I just hadn't thought of a tv series that way before. What do you guys think?

Celtic Knots

noreply@blogger.com (kathryn) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 12:01:00 +0000

Me giving Celtic knots a try was a perfect storm with several contributing factors...

I had art and Scotland on the brain after a trip to Salado.

I had been thinking I should work on calligraphy, so I flipped through a how-to book and read the last section on illuminating letters. I thought I should really give it a try - how neat! Knots are a major player when it comes to illuminating letters. As an example, this is from the Book of Kells (an illuminated manuscript in Latin - the four Gospels - circa 800):

I already did one Celtic knot detail on the P of Peebles on my current embroidery project. (Still working on that, if you're wondering. I'm on the final e!)

I like to doodle in ways very similar to Celtic knots.

I recently read three books by Stephen Lawhead - the first two in "The Song of Albion" trilogy, and the first book in "The Celtic Crusades" triology. All of them have heavy Celtic influences. I've read Scottish and Irish stories (fable style short stories) that give insight into Celtic mythology, and I find Lawhead's books a much more enjoyable way to learn a little about that culture.

On to my first go at Celtic knotwork... I didn't have any plain white paper, so you'll have to ignore the blue lines.

The one in the bottom right corner is in-progress (so you can see the steps). Here's the finished product (I think it's my favorite):I didn't use a ruler or compass, but I did make dots to keep reasonable spacing. I got the designs from a website. It was fun! Making the knots added necessary mental stimulation to the episode of Quantum Leap we were watching at the time (as well as giving my obsessive-compulsive desires a peaceful outlet). I'm sure this will work its way into a gift or art for my home eventually.

Interesting side note: As I was reading up on the history of Celtic knotwork, I found that the Christians (monks) who came to the region adopted and continued / furthered the use of the native art (knotwork) by illuminating the manuscripts they copied. Joe and I have talked a lot about Christianity interfacing with culture - specifically the artistic part of culture. It seems like this is an example of art being enhanced (instead of ignored or squelched) by Christians, which makes me curious all the more!

Seven Years of Heaven

noreply@blogger.com (kathryn) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 12:45:00 +0000

(Isn't Seven Tiers of Heaven a phrase? If not, then I guess I get an F in word play for yet another blog post.)

Joe and I have been married for a full 7 years! We went to Salado, Texas, to celebrate. It's a small town that gets all done up for Christmas. There are tons of art galleries and antique / home decor shops. It was a very fun trip!

We admired the count down to Christmas...

Shared some secrets....

Enjoyed 70 degree weather (isn't Texas great?)...

Stayed in the Levi Tenney House.... (It was a bed and breakfast, but we were the only ones in the whole place!)Saw many knotted trees...
Explored a beautiful old chapel...
And discovered many cute shops.

My favorite part is how visiting all these places gets my creative juices flowing. I had several art project ideas (as if I'd ever run out) that may make their way into our home someday. There is also a Scottish heritage to the town which got my brain churning. In case you didn't know, Peebles is a town just south of Edinburgh, Scotland, located in Peeblesshire! Isn't Peeblesshire a fun word? I've mentioned my bed-covering (comforter) project briefly... in addition to our name, it will have the crest from this town. The crest doesn't have a lion or a shield or anything you typically think of... it's got three fish. But that's for another post! Speaking of, my next post with contain examples of something that was Scottish-inspired. I know, I've got you waiting on the edge of your computer-desk-chairs!

Is it really 2009?

noreply@blogger.com (kathryn) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:41:00 +0000

I think not. Maybe 1958. If it were 2009, there's no way that this is in the Science section of the NY Times. It's a Q&A, and apparently someone wrote in asking if it's safe to store foods near a microwave, where they may receive "unhealthy doses of microwave emissions." Really? I mean, really?

The answer isn't much better. He starts out with "If the foods you are storing near your microwave oven are not somehow visibly changed, as if cooked, then they are not being affected by your microwave," and continues with reminding us that using a microwave does not make food radioactive or contaminated. I was hoping that the author, C. Claiborne Ray, had recently joined the Times from Cnn.com, but was saddened to discover he'd been an editor there for over 25 years. Other challenging questions tackled by Ray include "Is it dangerous for children to go through metal detectors?" and "When I walk through the woods, are the same flies following me, or is it new ones in new areas?"

*sigh*

Christmas 2008

noreply@blogger.com (kathryn) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 04:20:00 +0000

I've been gently reminded that I said I would try to post at least once a week, and it's been a bit more than that. Again.

Some people wish for a white Christmas. We were in Texas - this is what we found in the yard instead. I was taking pictures of him with some of us (we didn't touch him, just got close). When Lauren (my sister) posed, I told her to get closer to it so she patted the piece of wood next to her and made the tongue-click / generic "come here" for animals sound. Suddenly, the armadillo went under that piece of wood. Scary for Lauren, very funny for us. I'd post the picture, but it's on her camera and I don't think she'll give it to me. I did get this one, though...
I just downloaded almost 200 pictures from the new camera we got for Christmas! Thanks, Mom and Dad! (And Lauren & Kevin for the memory card - ours would have only held about 30 pictures on this camera that puts this MEGA in megapixels!)

We were at my grandmother's in Junction (Texas Hill Country) for Christmas.

Here's the roll call: Robbie (Grammy), Great Aunt Ruth, Larry & Kay (Dad & Mom), Lauren & Kevin (sis & her hubby), Joe & I, Aunt Rhonda, Cynthia, Brad, Jennifer, Richard, and Lily (cousins). Lily was the only kid around and she entertained us with her own take on a few Christmas songs. I hadn't seen my Great Aunt Ruth (Grandpa's sister-in-law) in a very long time, but I really enjoy her visits.

I'll post soon about our anniversary trip to Salado! Until then, Merry Christmas from Chili's in Austin!

Girl Scouts!

noreply@blogger.com (kathryn) — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 02:25:00 +0000

For the first time in TEN YEARS I met up with my old Girl Scout troop! Our leaders were also there.left to right: Trudi (Rebecca's mom), Jane (Mary's mom), Mary, Rebecca, Theresa, Heather, me!

I have many happy memories with these gals, and will share just a couple.

Rebecca and I went on a Girl Scouts / Girl Guides trip to Mexico with girls from as far away as Greece! We learned Cielito Lindo and Hey Mickey (You're so Fine) in Spanish together. :)

Rebecca and I (with bangs) in Mexico... such cool uniforms! ;)

Theresa was not only an awesome leader, but also my incredible fourth grade math teacher, Ms. O! She's now a college prof. up in Maine! I could share hundreds of happy stories, but most of all it amazes me how absolutely wonderful she was to me, despite my behavior in her class. What love and patience!

Oh, and Merry Christmas! I'll have another holiday post soon. :)

News, C.S. Lewis, and Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (kathryn) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 12:59:00 +0000

It's been a long time since I've posted about an article I've read, and I think I've earned a post. I've shown great restraint on articles about chocolate making and a teacher assigning math homework (if those two had been combined, I couldn't have been so strong). :)

I encourage you to read this very short Opinion article in the NY Times. It's about C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and the way we celebrate Christmas. The author is not a Christian, but likes (their opinion of) Lewis' approach to the holiday - a mixture of various pagan celebrations. It's something I hadn't thought about in relation to the Narnia books, and I'd love to hear your opinions!

Winter has come!

noreply@blogger.com (kathryn) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 03:03:00 +0000

First, we put an end to Fall with good food for Thanksgiving Day (most of which was prepared by Joe's wonderful sister Emily)...
Then, lots of dessert! Emily's mouth-watering couer de creme...and my cake (I've recently discovered mint chocolate Irish Cream, my current favorite surprise ingredient).

Just last week we had a rare welcome to winter - no, not the almost 80 degree weather Tuesday - snow on Wednesday!

Joe woke me up with news that it was snowing! Once we determined a suitable punishment if it was not actually snowing and he was just plotting to get me out of the warm bed, I got up and looked outside to see this:

I wrote this on our deck...and received a surprise snowball in the back!

Later, Joe called at work to tell me to look outside. It was snowing like crazy!!! I don't remember the last time I've seen it snow like that during the day, but I bet my age was in the single digits. Joe and NEVER seen snow like that (hey, he's lived in Houston and L.A.)! It was exciting. My German and Kansasian? (from Kansas, not Kans - Asian) neighbors at work didn't show proper enthusiasm, but I went outside with my coat and camera.

from my window... I like the dancing-couple sculpture
and from outsideI wasn't the only one who didn't expect the snow!
We had a safe drive home in the snow...and stopped by the creek a block from our house - it was beautiful!

Who knows if we'll ever see our home with this much snow on it again?!? It was still snowing when we got home from work.

Joe won the snowball fight.Finally, Joe and I put up our Christmas tree last night!

Welcome winter! Feel free to stick with the 70 degree days!

Fun at Work, Part 4

noreply@blogger.com (kathryn) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 13:02:00 +0000

We had snow Wednesday - LOTS of snow! But that's not what this post is about. Sorry.

I work in a small medical research lab. Sometimes we have students rotate through, but generally there were three of us in the lab and my boss who is also a department head (so I usually see him briefly a few times a day). Recently, the other woman in the lab graduated (with her Ph.D.) and is currently moving out of state. For her last day, we had cake and this balloon lab person waiting at her desk when she came in. I made it. Give me some credit - it's a lot harder to draw a face on a balloon than one would think. And I don't draw noses.

So now there are only two of us in the lab! It's quite different, but good. It wasn't that long ago when I was hesitant to talk about my co-workers for fear it sounded like I worked at a strip club (seriously - there was Candi, Angel, Honey, and me - Kat).

work story #2

Thursday morning I woke up not feeling great, especially when I tried to coax my body out of the warm bed. So I sleep in a little, skipped my shower, and threw on a gray sweatshirt (one of Joe's old ones, no less) and jeans for work. I don't typically interact with other people much, so it doesn't matter how I dress. (I know, that's the sort of thing they'd freak out over someone saying on What Not to Wear.) Mid morning, I saw my boss and he reminded me that we had the award service this afternoon - where I'd get my 5 year service pin (I started here as an undergrad - I'm not quite that old yet). I had completely forgotten, and I asked him if I should run home and change, or at least put on one of our scrub shirts so people would assume I was doing some sort of surgery. He said "No, they don't take pictures or anything. It's not that big of a deal."

That afternoon, I went down to the lobby a few minutes early, and a large mass of people are already listening to the Dean of the college - they had started a few minutes early! They began calling up people for the 5-year service awards. A friend who worked with me when she first got here was the first to go up. They handed her the pin and a fleece blanket (embroidered with our logo). Then there was a FLASH. If only it had been our seizure-inducing fire alarm lights. They were taking pictures of each individual with the dean. I'm not sure you understand the magnitude of this. These things have a way of showing up on the website, recruitment material, and those banners they attach to the light posts for everyone to see. My boss looked back at me, and I did my best to give an incredulous glare. He laughed and turned back around.

Well, I didn't fall down as I accepted the pin and blanket, so it could have been worse. I'm hoping I blinked for the picture, though I'm not sure I timed it right.

And that's my work story for today.

P.S. I did take lots of snow pictures. Translation for Mom: I don't want any emails asking about the snow, I'll post them when I can. ;)

P.P.S. Though quite old, there really are three other Fun at Work posts. Everyone knows a convincing made-up number should be odd. Not only is four even, it's a square number. That's making up numbers mistake #19. Catching on yet? Fine, if you don't believe me, here are one, two, and three.

books, Part 2 (how the most recent obsession began)

noreply@blogger.com (kathryn) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 12:48:00 +0000

(continuing the book theme of my previous post)

Friday, November 21st, Joe and I were walking to the register at HEB when I saw him. A kid (how I now refer to high school guys) who looked normal other than white makeup on his face. Let me remind you, I'm in Bryan, Texas. Not much of a goth scene here. So I nudged Joe and shot a questioning look at the guy. Joe whispered, "That movie - Twilight," and I choked out a laugh before I could stop. Immediately Joe said "You're one to laugh!" He's totally right - but it caught me off guard! Vegetarian vampires walking around HEB!

That weekend we had been doing wedding shower and house related stuff. By the time Sunday (the 23rd) mid-morning rolled around, I had a strong urge to get out of the house and do something totally different. Joe puts up with these urges well, so he asked what I wanted to do. A movie sounded like fun, so we looked up what was in theaters (How did we live without the internet? Remember those horrible theater-time recordings - the ones you would listen patiently to, only to get distracted RIGHT when they said the times for the movie you wanted? ). Nothing at all exciting was in the theaters. We tried to think of other things to do, but couldn't. Finally, I convinced Joe to take me to see Twilight. It's been a while since he's sat through a high school drama movie with me, so off we went, more for the thrill of seeing a movie during the middle of the day than anything else.

(Deep Breath) I actually liked it. More than a little. That's all I'm going to say about that.

Tuesday night (the 25th) I got to talk with two of my friends who were reading the books, and I made plans to borrow the first one on Sunday. Both were excited I was giving it a try. Later that night, Joe took me by Hastings, and I bought the first book. Yes, I bought it from the Teen Series section. Can you see the obsession beginning?

Over Thanksgiving I read the entire Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. All 2824 pages (including the draft of Midnight Sun available on the author's website). Here's how it went:
Thursday / Thanksgiving: Much of Joe's family was watching movies (we're talking Nacho Libre), and blocked it out and read. Emily has an awesome jacuzzi tub, so I got to try it out and finish the first book, Twilight, that night.
Friday late morning, I bought the second book, New Moon. In the afternoon, Joe played disc golf in a Houston park while I enjoyed the nice weather and got started reading. I finished it that night at home. Joe took me to pick up the final two books, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn.
Saturday & Sunday I hardly did anything other than reading. I was a little sick, so staying still felt even better. Sunday night I finished the fourth book and Midnight Sun (like the first book, except told from Edward's point of view - thanks, Chalyce, for sharing!).

So did I enjoy it? Most definitely, yes. Now that the buzz has worn off a little, I can see some of the faults, but I still like the books. Even though the last one (Breaking Dawn) may have more inconsistencies, I think it was my favorite. It was a little more my style - more action-focused than relationship-focused (like the first two were). The second, New Moon, was my least favorite, but any book that can make me feel so strongly ("God help me, if she kisses him, I WILL rent a steamroller to destroy this book") deserves some amount of credit.

Let me know if you read these and what you think! We'll talk about dressing up to see the next movie together. ;)

Why I love Texas...

noreply@blogger.com (kathryn) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 19:39:00 +0000

It's December 3rd and 81 degrees outside.

books, Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (kathryn) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:58:00 +0000

I've done a LOT of fun reading over the last few weeks.

I tend to be rather obsessive when it comes to reading. My family would tell you that is an extreme understatement.

Starting in junior high, every Christmas I would get my gift from my parents early - the last day of finals. It would be a new hardcover book (quite a few years the newest Stephen King book), and I would start on it right away. There were easily days when all I would do was read and (if I remembered) eat and sleep a little. During the school year, I had to limit myself to short stories only so that I would have time to do my schoolwork. Ah, what happy memories I have of my own reading days. When I graduated high school, I had read all Michael Crichten's and Stephen King's books. (S.K. quickly fell out of my favor, but I kept up with M.C.)

When we went to Dallas three weeks ago, I got to pick up a couple of books. I read The Last Sin Eater and The Shack. (Thanks Staci and Shelley for recommending and lending them to me!)

The Last Sin Eater was good - I especially liked the concept for the book. I felt like the protagonist's emotions and reactions were realistic. My only criticisms... It's definitely a Christian fiction novel, and gets preachy briefly. I'm not sure it needed to tell as many stories from the Bible as it did, but those were only a small portion of the book. The author seemed to have trouble keeping a consistent point of view.

The Shack was great - I'd highly recommend it. There were sections I don't think I agree with for sure, but overall it was thought-provoking while still and enjoyable read. My biggest criticism... It is presented like a true story someone is recording for a friend. I can only think of two other "Christian Fiction" books I've read who have done this: C.S. Lewis' Out of the Silent Planet, Rick Joyner's The Final Quest. This has got to be one of the literary tools that frustrates me most!!! Before I rattle on, I'll say I think TFQ could be from visions / dreams of Rick Joyner's. Especially the first part of the book. If anyone had doubts as to whether OotSP was true or not, they'd only have to read the third book in the series to be quite confident that none of it happened. The author of The Shack, William Young, states clearly on the book's site that the story is fiction. He seems to throw off the question of why it's written as a true story by saying he originally did not intend for it to be widely read or published. Why do they do this?!? It drives me mad. If I ever write a book and do this, friends - please stop me!

Day 28: Be Thou My Vision art project, Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (kathryn) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:36:00 +0000

Quick catching up... I did this November 18th!

I had an idea for an art project for our piano nook (I know, how cool is it we have a piano nook?!?) a while back, and finally starting putting it together. I feel like it incorporates a lot of me, and I'll be glad to have it in our home.

Song.

Less than a year ago, I was listening to a group Joe likes (I like some of their songs) called Glad. On one of their a cappella albums, they recorded the song "Be Thou My Vision." Here's the first verse (here's the rest with and ugly midi playing the beautiful melody in the background):

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

I had heard it before, but that time it stuck with me. I immediately started to memorize it, and had it down fairly well in a few days (so many rhymes to mix up!). The following Sunday at our church's worship service, we sang it for the first time (that I was there for) - what a happy surprise that was! The song is frequently on my mind and conveys so much of what I feel.

Supplies.

Being the outstanding artist that I am*, I started with a trip to Michael's to see what canvas was cheapest. I ended up with two 9" x 12" canvases that wrap around the sides so that I don't have to frame it and it can blend in with the wall some. I wanted to have some texture to parts of the canvas, so I asked my mom how people add that. She suggested gesso, with the stipulation that the last time she bought it was the year I was born. Near the gesso, I found some lightweight texture stuff that I decided to give a try. For paint and brushes, I'm sticking with what I used on walls in my house. Here were the supplies:

Doodles: the foreground and background.

I have two forms of doodling. Both are relaxing to me, and both will be represented in this art project.

One reveals my obsessive behavior and involves patterns, often of simple geometric shapes. I would guess that this doesn't come as a surprise AT ALL to most of you. I'll explain how this fits in with foreground of the project more later. While it's not one of the shape ones, here's an example from one day at work when I was teaching / helping someone do an experiment (translation: sitting there three hours and answering questions as they came up):

My second form of doodling is the opposite: completely unplanned, unpredictable, and uncontrolled. I start by drawing one random line (swirl / squiggle / swish / whatever). I then look at the page, and feel like a line belongs somewhere else. I look again and see where another one goes. And again, and again. I don't see where more they belong other than just that next line I'm about to draw. If I'm using colors, I usually do one at a time, finishing with one color before moving on to the next. It's really fun, because the end result always surprises me. I've kept some of them, but they're still in boxes - I'll try to post one if I find it. THIS is the form of doodling the background takes one. Here's the first canvas, with my lines molded on (I used the non-scoop end of a plastic spoon) and the background paint (same as the wall it will be on). The picture makes it look a little brighter than it is, but you can mostly make out the textured lines:

I used my second doodling form to decide where the raised lines would go, and where the green paint would go on top of it. I DID have in mind how the song would go on top of it (the obsessive part of the painting), but I think that only effected this part subconsciously. (picture of the green layer of paint soon to come)

Aside.

I read and wrote about a type of dementia a while back, and my doodling styles described above where definitely on my mind, raising my curiousity at the time. The ties between math and pattern-type drawing makes sense to me... what about this other type? How do you all draw or doodle?

to be continued....

*in case you don't actually know me, I'm being very sarcastic - I don't paint. Once my husband (who paints even less than I do - at least my mom and grandma have talent) and I did another painting project for our living room, but that's all!

What we've been doing hints

noreply@blogger.com (kathryn) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:22:00 +0000

As a hint of things I've worked on lately (but don't want to take time to write about), here are a couple of pictures...

I might finish this tree one of these days...

With help from Danny, we've started putting tile down in the slab part of our house (no baseboards yet)!