News and Stuff

Boy, do I need to dump out my brain. I skimmed the top off of my brain soup the other day, but I need to get all of it out. I will now subject you to way too many words and even more photos. You have been duly warned.
I left work a little early today to kick off my long weekend. I'm really looking forward to hanging out at home with the hubbo and kiddos.
Also, I had plans to meet up with Alli and visit the chapel of Florida Southern College. It's a Frank Lloyd Wright building, but she can tell you lots more about it than I can. All I can say is that it was a beautiful, intimate space and what's more, the company was wonderful. I got to give her the first of my pay-it-forward objects - that shawl that I finished yesterday. It was still a little damp from blocking (I used a blow-dryer to speed it along!), but I was really excited to pass it on, as I really felt like the pattern and the yarn both were really well-suited to the recipient. It's funny how hearts connect. Ours have connected mostly in the blogosphere, even though we knew each other in high school



I managed to pull off a weensy bit of shopping. I found a duvet cover at Ross last weekend that I decided would make a fantastic sundress. It was only fifteen dollars for the queen-sized one and there's no way I could find that much fabric for that price (unless it was on the one-dollar table at WalMart and, let's be honest, that has its place, but not as a swishy summer dress). But I don't have enough dresses yet to start up the No Pants Summer and it will take me a long time to finish one at the rate I can go these days so I bought a dress too. I saw it and wanted it. It was reasonably priced. I put it back on the rack. But then I had to go back to it and look one more time. You know how that goes - I decided to try it on because usually, dresses off the rack are not as cute on me as I hoped they would be. Then it's easier to leave it at the store and feel smug about not being fooled by a sly little lying sort of a dress. But this dress actually was telling the truth. It was just as cute on me as it whispered it would be, so in the interest of instant gratification and not rushing through the dress I'm going to make, I bought it. Can you tell I feel a little guilty?
We also went out for pizza. I would like to point out that I have not had a slice of pizza in a year and a half - possibly more. Due to the health problems I'd had, dairy was a no-no. But Dairy and I have been joyously reunited, though we're taking things a little slow this time around. And I had pizza. It was fabulous. And while we were in the little pizza joint, the afternoon rain started up in a glorious fashion.
We've had some summer-like gullywashers this week, which I love, but they also signal the seasonal change that's coming, which I don't love. You can have our summers. I don't like them.
Tomorrow is Chris' birthday. I'll be making him a special Birthday Breakfast, so on the way home from shopping, we ducked into Publix. Upon exiting, Emma and I were treated to the most amazing rainbow that I have ever seen. Ever. It was a bright and full arc and you could even see the violet clearly! What's more, it was a double rainbow. A full double rainbow! I tried to catch it with my camera once we got home, but this is all that was left:


In leftover news that hasn't made it to the blog yet.....
1) I would like to point out that my sister-in-law and I met up for coffee and a little bit of Public Knitting this week. It is so great to have a sister-in-law that may as well be my real sister. We even look a little bit alike. Seriously. My very own grandma once mistook her for me. She's so creative and has such a great sense of personal style. We're both really aching for some creative direction and it was nice to explore some ideas with someone who understands. We're going junking on Saturday. I can't wait! And there may be a photography class in my future.....
2) Mom's sweater:










3) We found out that Andrew is far, far down the waiting list for the choice school we had decided was a good option. Private school is getting pricier and pricier and while we were not comfortable with our public school options, this one had a couple of soothing bonuses. One would be that he would be under the care of my former youth pastors, who would be his teachers all through middle school, two was that another friend's mom is also a teacher there and I know she'd keep an eye out for him too and three was their technology extras. At any rate, this has been a huge stress factor for me. But he is not getting into that school. Which means he'll stay right where he is and I trust that it must be right where God wants him to be too. We prayed that God would open the doors to the best possible environment for our boy. And I think He did.
4) We've been looking at adding on, but that's not going to happen. I had hoped to spread out a little bit and find some breathing room, but it looks like we will have to get creative and rework the space we already have. Sigh.

Most of these things could be entire posts in themselves, but it feels better today to just dump out the facts than to explore the details.