Category: general

One year ago today, I took the plunge and started this live journal, thanks to inspiration from galestorm. I’ve met many wonderful people online since I started and found a community that offers support and encouragement, and given me an outlet for my writing, and the things I want to say and record. 🙂 I don’t have time to say much since I’m still in Oregon and am having a blast! There are 4 of us here now and the other 3 arrive today. I got to see Becky’s kids for about an hour yesterday, and we can all feel...

We were going to go to Bronner’s and take bets on how long it would take Anders’ eyes to roll up into the back of his head, but as (his) luck would have it, we ran out of time due to the siren call of all the outlet stores at Birch Run. I sound like someone who lives for shopping, if you judge by what we seem to be spending the most time doing during this vacation, but really it’s only because I haven’t been home to the States in over 2 years, and we saved up the wish list,...

I’m not sure there could have been a more perfect summer day than this one. Summer Sights: A monarch butterfly that landed on my footrest and breathed in and out with his wings. As soon as the thought “I should fetch the camera” crossed my mind, he lifted and floated away. The grass-marinated slickery limbs of my children as they slipped and slid in and out of the pool The nodding, sun-saluting red red RED heads of the bee balm flowers and a crouching, mud-brown toad blending into the woodchips The sinuous wavy curves of water from the hose sprayed...

In the harsh, cold light of day this morning, I made the tough decision to return the biggest (and most expensive) impulse item I picked up at B&N yesterday: a special Book-Lover’s Edition of Trivial Pursuit. 🙁 The biggest reason why? Because both Anders and my mom, upon separately hearing what I had purchased, said, “But…who are you going to play it with?” *sob* So, tonight I trounced Mom at cribbage and now I feel better. Anders and I spent some time at Lowe’s this morning drooling over chandeliers and hanging lamps because we have now lived in 2 houses...

I just spent 2.5 hours drifting in a bibliophoria through Barnes & Noble ALONE, at my own pace, with only my good sense to restrain me.

After a long day spent at home yesterday while Anders was out golfing, and not incidentally, beating my Uncle Mike at it (woo hoo!), I was SO READY to get out of the house today. We left at lunchtime and drove down to Detroit and polished off a stack of shopping items on our to-do list. I’m feeling very happy about the money we’ve spent so far. 🙂 There are sales everywhere right now, it’s the perfect time to be out spending money! At Gander Mountain we found new sandals for Anders, convertible camping pants for the kids and the...

My little journal is feeling neglected. It’s turning brown around the edges and curling up. I’d feel guiltier if I wasn’t so busy, and Karin is nagging me to read to her from her Bionicle sticker book so who has time to post updates? Our trip to Chicago seems to be vaporizing into the air, like the pipe dream it really was. It makes me sad, a bit, but since I was already pretty resigned to the fact that we weren’t going to make it there, it doesn’t feel like the end of the world. It poured rain all day...

Woot! 2 journal entries in one day while on vacation?! You lucky dogs, you 🙂 We managed to waste spend several hours at the mall today without actually accomplishing much…although the kids came away with some clothes and so did we (I cannot currently express my love for C.J. Banks enough). Mostly the kids had a ball playing like wild things in the playplace with the gigantic climb-inside fish. Then we stopped by Meijer’s which is a little too overwhelming a store for someone who has been living in Sweden as long as I have, and picked up some groceries....

My sister and her family left a few minutes ago to return to Virginia. They’ll be back again in 10 days. The house is definitely quieter with the removal of 1 dog and 2 kids, but not nearly as much fun. We don’t have any plans today, so maybe we’ll go shopping. We’ve already been here a week! Man, time flies!! Last night we gave my mom her birthday presents (her birthday is Wednesday) and Sarah baked a banana cream pie covered with fresh blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. YUM! During the day we took the kids to the mall and...