My mom saved these favorite toys from my childhood, and occasionally, I pull them out of storage to see how they have weathered the years. They still make my heart do a little flip.
1980s Treasures
Category: Fun finds
so random, I know
As a preteen, I was really into archaeology, especially anything having to do with Egypt, and this song probably came out around the same time. So to me, this is brilliant. Ha ha!
still stitching
Do you recognize the works of art that inspired these little cross stitch pieces? I delight in these tiny projects.
The other tiny masterpieces I have made this summer can be found HERE.
(These were made from digital patterns I purchased from an Etsy shop.)
Marysvale Spring Break Trip
It is a formula that works, to visit Marysvale each summer. This year, we visited for a couple days during Spring Break. Many trails were still covered in snow, but we discovered a new waterfall and had adventures all the same.
Goodness
I admit that I have felt so weary of winter lately, but this crocus was a hopeful sign this afternoon when we stepped out for a walk.
Our new neighbors were awake this morning when I opened my kitchen blinds at 6:45 am. They made no effort to hide their morning routine framed by their vast uncovered windows. I find it comforting to see serenity and life in that house, at last.
I had an anonymous friend send me gifts throughout 2021. She mailed me themed monthly gifts, anniversary and birthday gifts, and basically overwhelmed me with generosity. She made a difficult year easier. As I read her final card to me, revealing who she was and why she did this kind thing, she told me about another gift she had given. Every day of 2021, she had prayed for me by name, which really means a lot to me. Last night she gave me a last array of gifts, not via mail, but in person: my favorite candies and a gift card to my favorite restaurant. I gave her the handmade doll I had wrapped and waiting in the closet for the day when we would meet. Goodness, so much goodness.
Bright spots
In this assortment, you will find things that I would like to remember about this week. Wouldn’t it be sad to forget *that* sunset? Or that Mark came home excited about the progress he made on his woods project… And that I worked on a quilt and found a few happy surprises… Wouldn’t it be unfortunate to forget these happy little things?
Museum of miniature art
I have opened a miniature art museum on my front porch. It delights me to find the children in the neighborhood are displaying their art here. I got the idea online and sent invitations to create pieces no bigger than a library card. Slowly, the art began to appear. Paige kindly contributed a piece early on just in case no one showed up. 🙂 I have never “caught” anyone leaving art, and that is part of the fun. What will I discover in the museum today?
New Game
Daniel recommended this game to us, so we tried it with a few friends last night. It’s a series of questions to inspire conversation and connection. We laughed and had fun and talked about important things. I recommend it. It is mostly a talking game, but I will tell you that music was a big part of it, and we came away with a few choice drawings.
We’re Not Really Strangers is the name of this game and we played it with people we know well. Daniel first played it with people he hardly knew at all. Both groups had fun.
Digitized
We borrowed our family history center’s photo scanner and I enlisted help from our oldest kids and Richard to scan hundreds of photos one evening this week. It is the most amazing thing to suddenly have digital copies of photos taken before we had a digital camera. It makes me happy and it was so easy.
2020 photo album
Richard is on the 9th or 10th day of his bout with COVID-19. We don’t know where he was exposed. The illness has a new character each day, but his oxygen levels have been fine, so I am grateful for that. He has stayed isolated from us, and no one else at home has tested positive. The worry I have felt is a small thing compared to what others have gone through with this illness so I hesitate to even mention it. I will say that although Richard’s case can be termed as “mild” and he has not complained, this is a different kind of illness and unpleasant at best.
What is helping us get through quarantine? Entertainment. Empathy from an employee of the attendance office at the high school. Dedicated teachers who make education happen. Surprises left on our porch from friends. Sunsets. For me, it helps to have routines I can do without thinking and something to look forward to each day. On Tuesday, it was the arrival of our 2020 photo book. I wrote before that creating this album helped me see that 2020 was a great year for the Ross family. God gives us eyes to see sometimes.