Putty and Paint

I took the misshapen pieces of Nutmeg's doll house over to Keira's to see if she could help me finish it up. I had faith that she had inherited some skills from her father just as I inherited decorating skills from my mother - though osmosis.

She did, she whipped that baby together in less than 2 hours while I watched, smothered baby Zachary in kisses and fetched diaper wipes to clean up wood glue.

She came through.

I have to find a way to cut out the remaining windows and decide what to do about the roof. We decided to scrap the stairs, even though stairs are a very important part of a doll house it just added too many complications, and so, our "Betsies" will have to fly up to the 2nd and 3rd floors. Alas.

Goals for 2009

I don't do resolutions, they seem a little too resolute. I like to make goals instead, something to reach for but not too concrete to allow for the ebb and flow of life.

Here are some of Samurai Mom's goals for 2009

Spend more time interacting with each of the children.

Do Family Home evening more.

Serve more.

Adopt more structure into our day.

Sew a tartan Christmas Skirt.

Crochet snowflakes.

If handmade Christmas gifts are to be given - start them in September.

Figure out how to read while knitting.

Go walking.

Learn to listen and ask better questions.

Miss Messy

In school I would ALWAYS come out of art class covered in whatever medium we were working in, paint, clay, glue, metal shavings, slivers of wood. My clothes took a beating.
I am still like that. I guess that is one great reason for knitting and sewing - very little residue left on my clothes.
Even when I garden I get filthy. A friend asked me yesterday if I had ever heard of gloves. Gloves, who needs them? One must really get into something for it to be worth doing, no?
So this weekend I have primed, primed, painted, painted, painted and painted again the upstairs bathrooms. My hands have so many colors on them right now. Yesterday I had to wear a ribbon to church in hopes of camouflaging the grey primer at the crown of my head. Hopefully I all of the paint will wash off by Thanksgiving. Meanwhile I will be covered in Grass Cloth, River Rock and Bitter Chocolate.

Organizing

My neighbor and I had decided to finally branch out and get to know our neighbors and to organize them into a neighborhood watch.
She made a cute flyer with a row of different houses on the bottom. I told her it looked great but to be accurate for our neighborhood, they should be the same house repeated.
Here's hoping the dessert potluck meet and greet/neighborhood meeting goes well and that no one gets into a fight with the guy who leaves his hug delivery truck parked on the corner blocking traffic.