i;m learning how to sew? Ok, ok I've been taking beginning sewing classes since June 16th and have completed 3 pairs of baby legs for Marisa(1 pair of pink and purple striped ones, one pair of Duke, and one pair of Carolina Panthers.) I'm HOPING someone out there (hint hint) will track down a pair of adult size USC Trojan Knee high socks so I can make her some of those.
I completed a dress for Marisa as well. With Mickey Mouse on it. Surprise surprise. I've also done: a blanket for a friends baby boy, PJ bottoms for my niece(and I have a couple more pairs on "order" from the other nieces), and I've also made a hooded towel for Marisa.
It doesn't sound like much, but let me tell you cutting a pattern takes me FOREVER!!!!!! So the dress and PJ's took some time,. I have 1, maybe 2 more classes left and I am sad to see it end. I plan on getting together with some friends to sew twice a month, and I've bought some holiday patterns to sew as well.
I absolutely love sewing. It's so fun to create new things and see people enjoy them. Uncle Chicken will smile because the hooded towel has pink camoflauge ribbon on it (I can see him rolling his eyes now).
I realy wish I had done this when i was younger. I would have loved creating things for the older nieces and nephews who are now too old to think anything Auntie Katie makes is "cool". Who knows, maybe the boys will like new boxers. hahahahahahahahahahahah
My next attempt at somethign cute will be a rag bag. I think all the nieces might get one of these. It's a purse made outof a rag quilt. GO ME!!!!!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
What it looks like
Forgiveness. A while back I asked my friend Andrew to post on what forgiveness means. I was in a rather pitiful, place in my life. While things seemed well, with a new baby on the way, a husband who loves me so very much, a job that brings me constant joy. Yet amidst all the joy, was an underlying sorrow.
You see, friends who called themselves friends, turned unexpectedly, out of a bunch of "I don't know what to say" and "I hope we can reconcile"...with no clear idea of how that should take place other than WE (Derek and I) needed to be sorry.
Those of you who read this blog know what that was like. Some of you read it with tunnel vision, some of you came here daily to see if I was talking about you and some of you read, and still say that YOU, YOURSELVES did nothing wrong.
I rejoice in those who stood by me and helped me to see my wrong doing as just that...wrong, all the while wishing the other parties would do the same. People I trusted, cared about, welcomed into my life, shared some of my deepest thoughts with, invited to our wedding, spent HOURS upon HOURS talking to, and even eventually meeting face to face. With one swift email sent in September, those same people became strangers to me. Oh they still said they cared and prayed for me....but you cannot deny that friendships changed on September 3, 2007. And not for the better.
I spent months and months going from not caring to being angry to not caring, to being angry. It started to become tiresome. Was I wrong? yes, was I wronged? That is STILL up for debate and you know what I've come to realize? It's all over control of a website...A WEBSITE!!!!
I've struggled far too long with this. I've said I would let it go and obviously I haven't or I would not be writing this blog entry now would I? But alas...with revelation comes clarity and i realize....no matter how many times I apologize, say I was wrong, say my husband was wrong...it's just never good enough. I'm supposed to pretend nothing happened and "build a relationship from there"
Excuse me?
About a month and a half or so ago I was blogging about how could I ask my youth to forgive, if I was still struggling with it myself? Little did I know that would answer itself in the form of a message on facebook from my ex husband.
Pick your jaw off the floor, you read it right....my ex husband.
Many of you know he and I were married for a short time, and divorced before I was 30. We had some mutual friends and so there was always that strange connection. But honestly he and I were best friends long before we were bf/gf, long before we were engaged and long before we were husband and wife. It was oneof those friendships that probably should not have been taken to the next level but was. I have no regrets about that either,. it is in the development and failure of the relationship on that level, that I learned so much about myself, about what it means to forgive.
His grandmother is sick and upon hearing the news I informed Derek I would be contacting him. That began a string of emails filled with "I am so sorry" "I hurt you" "I was responsible for___" and so much more. 8 years in the "making" this once broken relationship had begun to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It's called forgiveness, and healing.
While we will never ever be the friends we once were, we can rejoice in what we learned as a result of our actions, and acknowledge what we BOTH DID WRONG in the failure and demise of our relationship. I have to say, he is hell bent on taking all the responsibility, but I will not allow him to. He can only take part of it. I too, wronged him as he wronged me. To me...that is what forgiveness looks like. We are taking the necessary steps to forgiving one another, and restoring the friendship that once was.
Of course, there will not be trips in the Alpha to Taco Bell, but there will be times of reminiscing (Carolyn cake, potlucks) and times of rejoicing in what is now unfolding. We won't be best buddies, and we won't call each other on the phone and talk for hours, but we will supoport one another when that support is needed....but on a different level than before.
"I forgive you" is one step...."I was wrong too" is the other. Talking it out and acknowledging the opain and hurt suffered, seeking forgiveness, and then healing together.
That, to me, is what forgiveness looks like.
I pray that each of you seek out those you have hurt, and who have hurt you, and restore what once was. If you are waiting for the other person to take full responsibility, then you need to look at the big picture. It's not about YOU.
A priest once said "In the end it's all about relationships." Honestly? I've done what I could with some.....I wish they could say the same. Only time will tell. I just hope it doesn't take 8 years.
BTW, to my pastor friend...THANK YOU for always listening to me when I needed to vent and cry. Once again, you have saved the day for Derek and I.
You see, friends who called themselves friends, turned unexpectedly, out of a bunch of "I don't know what to say" and "I hope we can reconcile"...with no clear idea of how that should take place other than WE (Derek and I) needed to be sorry.
Those of you who read this blog know what that was like. Some of you read it with tunnel vision, some of you came here daily to see if I was talking about you and some of you read, and still say that YOU, YOURSELVES did nothing wrong.
I rejoice in those who stood by me and helped me to see my wrong doing as just that...wrong, all the while wishing the other parties would do the same. People I trusted, cared about, welcomed into my life, shared some of my deepest thoughts with, invited to our wedding, spent HOURS upon HOURS talking to, and even eventually meeting face to face. With one swift email sent in September, those same people became strangers to me. Oh they still said they cared and prayed for me....but you cannot deny that friendships changed on September 3, 2007. And not for the better.
I spent months and months going from not caring to being angry to not caring, to being angry. It started to become tiresome. Was I wrong? yes, was I wronged? That is STILL up for debate and you know what I've come to realize? It's all over control of a website...A WEBSITE!!!!
I've struggled far too long with this. I've said I would let it go and obviously I haven't or I would not be writing this blog entry now would I? But alas...with revelation comes clarity and i realize....no matter how many times I apologize, say I was wrong, say my husband was wrong...it's just never good enough. I'm supposed to pretend nothing happened and "build a relationship from there"
Excuse me?
About a month and a half or so ago I was blogging about how could I ask my youth to forgive, if I was still struggling with it myself? Little did I know that would answer itself in the form of a message on facebook from my ex husband.
Pick your jaw off the floor, you read it right....my ex husband.
Many of you know he and I were married for a short time, and divorced before I was 30. We had some mutual friends and so there was always that strange connection. But honestly he and I were best friends long before we were bf/gf, long before we were engaged and long before we were husband and wife. It was oneof those friendships that probably should not have been taken to the next level but was. I have no regrets about that either,. it is in the development and failure of the relationship on that level, that I learned so much about myself, about what it means to forgive.
His grandmother is sick and upon hearing the news I informed Derek I would be contacting him. That began a string of emails filled with "I am so sorry" "I hurt you" "I was responsible for___" and so much more. 8 years in the "making" this once broken relationship had begun to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It's called forgiveness, and healing.
While we will never ever be the friends we once were, we can rejoice in what we learned as a result of our actions, and acknowledge what we BOTH DID WRONG in the failure and demise of our relationship. I have to say, he is hell bent on taking all the responsibility, but I will not allow him to. He can only take part of it. I too, wronged him as he wronged me. To me...that is what forgiveness looks like. We are taking the necessary steps to forgiving one another, and restoring the friendship that once was.
Of course, there will not be trips in the Alpha to Taco Bell, but there will be times of reminiscing (Carolyn cake, potlucks) and times of rejoicing in what is now unfolding. We won't be best buddies, and we won't call each other on the phone and talk for hours, but we will supoport one another when that support is needed....but on a different level than before.
"I forgive you" is one step...."I was wrong too" is the other. Talking it out and acknowledging the opain and hurt suffered, seeking forgiveness, and then healing together.
That, to me, is what forgiveness looks like.
I pray that each of you seek out those you have hurt, and who have hurt you, and restore what once was. If you are waiting for the other person to take full responsibility, then you need to look at the big picture. It's not about YOU.
A priest once said "In the end it's all about relationships." Honestly? I've done what I could with some.....I wish they could say the same. Only time will tell. I just hope it doesn't take 8 years.
BTW, to my pastor friend...THANK YOU for always listening to me when I needed to vent and cry. Once again, you have saved the day for Derek and I.
Monday, July 21, 2008
A Letter to the Red Sox
Dear Boston Red Sox,
Thank you for visiting the great state of California. We hope you enjoyed the sunshine, the beaches, and In N Out Burger.
We wanted to give you this gift as a reminder of your stay here this past weekend:
With Love,
The Anaheim Angels
Thank you for visiting the great state of California. We hope you enjoyed the sunshine, the beaches, and In N Out Burger.
We wanted to give you this gift as a reminder of your stay here this past weekend:
With Love,
The Anaheim Angels
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