a letter to kayleen

Little tree

2012-02-14T15:54:00.000-07:00

A spider lives inside my head . Who weaves a strange and wondrous web . Of silken threads and silver strings . To catch all sorts of flying things . Like crumbs of thought and bits of smiles . And specks of dried-up tears . And dust of dreams that catch and cling . For years and years and years.

Shel Silverstein

Loving this.

Jumping the shark

2012-01-28T11:48:00.002-07:00

After years of threatening to throw Spencer the World's Most Awkward Surprise Party with only people he sorta-kinda knows on the invite list, he went behind my back and actually threw me a real one.
What a jerk.

The only 2 items on the night's agenda were to (1) eat crusty food then (2) sit around and ridicule me,
with everyone I love in attendance, plus a special surprise guest flown in all the way from Midwest, USA.
I may have cried, but I can't be certain.

It was one of the best, most overwhelming feelings ever. Which feels like a gross understatement, but there's really no other words for suddenly being faced with the reality that all of the people you love most, not only kinda-sorta like you back, but really know and understand who you are - right down to your quirky eating habits and favorite trashy television shows.

It was perfect,

perfect in every possible way that matters.

Now a week later, reading the party planning emails and I'm feeling just as touched by them as I did at the Roast itself. - I've summarized the highlights of the correspondence below for posterity's sake (no, that's funny. I just did it for me).

S: ok girls. i need some help planning a 30th birthday for kayleen.
this much i know: she enjoys a crowd, likes loud and inappropriate conversation, and i'm pretty sure she'd want to be wearing a tiara on her special night. actually i'm positive. who can get us a tiara???

S: a roast of some sort would be fun... what awkward stories personality quirks/flaws/etc. can we all ridicule her for? ... don't be shy.

Aft: I know Kay's would love a good roasting... I've heard her make the comment that she would love a reason for people to get together and talk about her.

Ty: This looks promising.

Sar: i think you need to celebrate what kays loves...
a theme party where everyone dresses up like one of the real housewives and she has to guess who's who, she likes uncomfortable things, any game that encourages lying, cocktails (monster+lemonade), and friends.

M: crusty food she likes... beef jerky, gummy bears, Swedish Fish, Sour Patch Kids, soft pretzels, monster/Mtn dew cocktail, taco bell tacos.

C: a giant game of mafia - and we all agree to get super into it,
or we just set up a table with a giant puzzle and let her have at it,
or a really uncomfortable game of "would you rather ... ?"

D: housewives playing in the background, abernethy on skype, a birthday song solo from me complete with an interpretive dance to go along with it... a mean game of mafia (or any other game that makes people squirm in their seats)

S: ...who can we get a tiara from?!

J: i'll spare you my witty rhetoric and just offer a resounding "here, here" to all the afore mentioned replies.

S: ...she's been joking about a surprise party for years. But, no worries. She doesn't suspect a thing. She's so duuuuummmbbb!!!

That's love, friends. Real love.

Keep your head in the game, Son

2012-01-03T14:24:00.000-07:00

Spencer coached O and E's soccer team this fall.

It was exactly how you'd imagine a bunch of 4-7yr boys chasing a ball back and forth on an open field would be.
Owen had a lot of fun, Spencer loved it (he really did) and wants to be Coach Spencer again,
and Elliot was strictly there for the postgame treats.

The last picture was taken right before the opposing team made the game winning goal.
Rolled right between the post and his butt without him even noticing it. - This scenario sums up his personality perfectly. He lives in his own little world where I'm guessing ninjas, pirates, and superheros reside as well.
I love this about him.

(All pics were taken by the Guinns [Thank you so much!])

Beep Bow Boop

huh?

Way to hustle #11

Coach Spencer & Coach Kyle & a Sonic Drink giving the boys a riveting pep talk

Game Treat Huddle. Lookin' alive, boys!

Postgame Parent Tunnel - 2nd time through I gave a spank. Owen loved going through twice.

Yeah, this seems about right

Hello new year

2012-01-01T10:26:00.000-07:00

I've decided there should be some sort of medal for having all of the house laundry done, put away, without a single linen in the dirty clothes basket. 'Cause on the rare occasion I'm able to make this happen, I feel like a winner - and I'll shamelessly relish in even the smallest achievement.

So in accordance with this - appeasing my winning spirit and inflating my sense of accomplishment - I'd like to consider every year survived from here on out, with self and children mentally/emotionally/physically intact, as my grandest endeavor yet; my very own Mt Everest each new year.

Feel free to express your congratulations the next time you see me for making it to the summit, once again, with spirits and limbs attached (believe it).
Onward and upward.

2012, I resolve to...
Be more tolerant
Be less worldly-minded

Now we're here and now is fine

2011-12-30T22:42:00.001-07:00

Sometime around the end of last month Spencer and I celebrated a whole nine years of he and I, me and him, togethery usness over a plate of chicken and waffles.
It was as grand as we'd prefer it.

I'm forever intrigued by the unique dynamic a relationship develops over time; how a couple fights, what their daily ebb and flow is like. It's a balancing act proven difficult to fine tune. That interests me.
There's also this sort of whimsical allure I feel at the idea of two very distinct personalities finding a way to mold pieces of themselves together into a seemingly third singular identity. A pair.

So in regards to us, he and I, the ideal would to always be much more of a pair now than the year past, but not ever as much of a pair we hope to be by the year next.

I like the thought of that.
You are one in a million (I love you so),
let's watch the flowers grow.

Happy Christmas Face

2011-12-24T12:54:00.001-07:00

from the Reeds

Christmas story

2011-12-19T11:24:00.001-07:00

Several times this month I've found our nativity's characters all bunched together under the roof of the manger. I then take the time to spread them all back out again in their appropriate spots according to story, and mere physics.
I finally asked Jo why she keeps piling them on top of each other and she responded,
"That's where the party is."
"Where?"
"There.", under the roof of the manger.
I think she gets it.

Elliot knows karate

2011-12-17T10:06:00.000-07:00

A full minute of ninja tricks. Put your helmets on.

one of these things is not like the other

2011-12-09T12:04:00.001-07:00

Spencer was working out of town during Owen's 6th birthday last month.
I was simultaneously consumed with nursing clininicals and ended up being both physically and mentally absent most days.

I performed a solo of happy birthday for him, double time, en route to our regular morning drop-off. And that was it. (I'm not proud of it)
I tried making up for it days later by barely pulling off a surprise party at the first chance I had to breathe (who needs sleep). He was surprised, and grateful for several days following. - That's really all I ask.

Happy late birthday, brother. Thanks for hanging in there with me.

halloween 2011

2011-12-02T16:12:00.001-07:00

this is fun.

this is even more fun.

I am

2011-11-11T00:34:00.000-07:00

I struggle less now than ever with the unfounded fear of any potential offense I may cause from saying aloud what I really believe of God and Christ. Chock it up to age or just real progression towards self-actualization, but I'm comfortable.
Comfortable with who I am, what I believe, what I don't believe, what those foundations really mean for me and mine, and where my very unique self fits in the grand scheme of it all. For the body is not one member, but many...

If the foot shall say, because I am not the hand, I am not of the body. And if the ear shall say, because I am not the eye, I am not of the body. It is not therefore not of the body.
For if the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now God hath set each one of the members in the body, and now they are many members, but one body.
And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee, or again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Much rather, those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary and those [parts] of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor.
And our uncomely [parts] have more abundant comeliness, whereas our comely [parts] have no need. God tempered the body together, giving more abundant honor to that [part] which lacked that there should be no schism in the body - that the members should have the same care one for another...
And whether one member suffereth, all the members suffer with it,
And as one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
And now, ye are the body of Christ...(1 Corinthians 12)

...and i am.

There is need and room for all of us, friends. We are never forgotten.
I'm a mormon

"That's why I'm a ninja."

2011-09-20T22:34:00.000-07:00

In conversation with Elliot:

"You, Owen and Dad look the same because you're all...."
"Boys!"
"So Mom and Jonah look the same because we're both..."
"Superheroes!"

well, sort of.

mesa my love

2011-09-17T11:51:00.000-07:00

I grew up on the same street my father did.
The majority of his 30+ grandchildren, including my own children, will grow up in the same neighborhood as well.

Bloom where you are planted.

I love my home. I love my neighbors. And I believe there is a happy place where compassion and the laws of the land meet. - I want my children to grow up in a place where this can happen.
Lets go, District 18.

you'll be a lady soon

2011-09-05T15:49:00.001-07:00

but until then,
happy (2nd) birthday, little pig.

free at last

2011-08-12T16:36:00.003-07:00

first day favorites:
o "second breakfast."
e "playing on the park."

the boys are out of the house(!!!).
we've plunged them both headfirst into the wonderful world of the public educational system.
fingers crossed they'll make it out on the other side unscathed.

as for now it's currently just us girls holding down the homefront (can i get a what-what).
and in the spirit of our newfound freedom,
we're kicking our feet up and lettin' our hair down, so to speak:

gather up the fragments that nothing may be lost

2011-08-11T10:16:00.004-07:00

spencer has been traveling back and forth between here and sweatsville-Austin since the beginning of summer.
he's missed a lot. swim team, singing performances, first day of school,
et cetera.
et cetera.

in spite of feeling like we're constantly treading water during the time he's gone, i think the kids and i have handled business relatively well on our own. like a bunch of champs in fact.
that's not to say we haven't each had moments where our legs grew too heavy to keep our heads above water any longer. we have. and still do.
i just try harder now to appreciate how easy life is while he's here,
and how great a thing take-out every night is while he's gone.

this place is a desert

2011-08-09T14:35:00.003-07:00

would it be cliché if i said this summer flew by?
it would?
oh,
well,
never mind then.

everything in its right place

2011-07-25T10:27:00.017-07:00

6/26/11: a sunday morning.
movie fort with popcorn and m&m's for breakfast.
don't let the serenity of this picture fool you though,
this fort was one of the worst things that's ever happened to me.
(but i am often times dramatic and probably should have known that m&m's for breakfast wouldn't end well by noon.)

7/24/11: i'm currently nestled in a far corner of our family room between a chest of drawers and jonah's crib,
quickly realizing how much i underestimated the uncomfortable factor of spending half a day in my tiny house with only myself + a 2 man carpet crew:
as they clear out each room i feel ridiculously lazy and keep awkwardly offering to help move things.
less than an hour in and i've already ran out of things to pretend to do to look like i'm busy, so now i'm just sitting and watching them.
and i have to pee (but they'll hear me)
i'll hold it all day if i have to.

hey you summertime

2011-06-23T21:37:00.033-07:00

in stripes and 110 degree heat.

i don't need to explain to any mother how long summer days are.
they just are.
and it was by the end of this one that our house wasn't near big enough for myself and all three of them at once so the unruly little chicks were politely booted out back.
i later glanced up through the kitchen window to find them standing there together, huddled around the wooden swing that hangs from our pecan tree while all three busily chased the pink ice cream running over the tops of their cones to their fingers and hands.
small graces.

the sun only held them a few moments more before our summer ended and i called them back in.

pizzas off the grill with guilt-free drinks and spinning hooray for earth - true loves

i've failed to recognize the Glory that surrounds us

2011-06-18T10:43:00.005-07:00

we went to see the tree of life last weekend,
and it was beautiful.

shot through a broader scope than that of our standard idea of cinema,
it's a montage of picturesque scenes loosely depicting the story of Us.
with no real resolve or reason,
because none is needed.

a nameless mother and father,
nameless brothers.
and at times in my own self-reflection,
i am all of them.

speedos and sunscreen

2011-06-15T08:35:00.001-07:00

as a family we attended owen's very first swim meet last week.
bad idea.
the amount of people and time spent sitting in the sun was insane.
apparently part of being a swim team mom means sitting through a ridiculous amount of warmup and races while you wait to watch your own child's 5 second trip across the pool.
when it finally came time for his small moment in the sun,
he finished second to last,
jumped out of the pool and ran to the bleachers handing his 7th place ribbon over to us,
smiling from ear to ear saying, "i think i won."

i think you did too, son.
and next summer we'll be putting you in gymnastics instead.

lelly turns 4

2011-06-13T07:55:00.007-07:00

brought to you by debbie and the dollar store.

birthdays at our house are easy.
extremely low key with last minute party invites.
i like to maintain a low level of expectation from the people around me,
which means i rarely do big or fancy.
but this year i gave it that extra effort,
wrapping his gift in actual "happy birthday" paper instead of a leftover christmas one.
no one seemed to notice any difference.

underarmor

2011-06-02T00:30:00.006-07:00

we're into the first week of summer.
during the last week of classes owen's school held a water day,
where he later returned home from with out any underwear on.

o: mom, you didn't send me any underwear with my clothes!
m: yes i did.
o: ... what color were they?
m: white. are you not wearing any underwear?
o: i didn't know they were mine! the teacher asked!
m: the teacher asked the class whose they were? where are they now?
o: in the lost & found.
m: listen to me... you just leave them there.

i then took the opportunity to explain to him that lying by omission is not always that bad. and if it means you go commando instead of having to claim your skivvies in front of your entire class, then you keep your hand down.
lesson learned.

all in all, i'd say it ended a pretty successful first year.

in the spirit of elijah

2011-05-04T10:21:00.003-07:00

my last living grandparent passed in april.
she was well in to her 90's, the last of her siblings to go and i imagine was greeted at the veil with many open arms that have waited patiently for her.

i've seen almost every episode of i love lucy with my grandma, choked down a countless number of her tuna sandwiches that as a little girl i claimed 'tasted like flies', and have been blessed with inheriting her slightly less-than-petite ankles. thank you, grandma.

grandpa and co

and just so you don't ever question the calibre of roots i come from,
i give you grandpa flake. get your stripes on, brother.

moonwalk

2011-03-24T22:42:00.001-07:00

spring break and '80s wind breakers.
holler.

i'm still, i'm still an animal

2011-02-15T21:24:00.001-07:00

months ago my cousin likened her to a kewpie doll.
i was offended until this picture. and now, well...okay.

i have a perfect body 'cause my eyelashes catch my sweat

2011-02-03T06:29:00.005-07:00

i've recently become my own worst critic. but isn't that who it usually is.

i've been gearing up to take on that thing that almost killed me last spring.
and after weeks of effort to correct a major (we're talking major) holiday weight gain and picking my running back up after losing it completely - you mean i can't maintain by eating whatever i want and sitting on my butt all day. lame. - the scale remains the same.

running every day and focusing my meals around the holy bible of eating and not. a. single. pound. lost.
i admittedly can be just as superficial and human as the next and it's these sorts of things that have the potential to wreck me completely.
and maybe it did for a while.
but something happened amidst my self-pity party and, in few words, i got over myself; took a hammer to the scale, patted myself on the back for the small headway i have made, pulled out the old fat jeans from storage and went on with my days.
happy and healthy and with a little more junk in the trunk, i went on with my days. - and that in itself is a victory.

hurts to purr - matinee

my personal style peaked in '93

2011-01-19T11:24:00.007-07:00

today i'm 29.
it feels the same as 28.
and yes, 2 posts in a row about my birthday feels as self-indulgent as it probably appears.

according to my facebook newsfeed - because getting your news from anywhere else is just stupid - i'm shifting over from capricorn to sagittarius. i'm elated. it's fitting and lifts the burden after all these years of being seen as emotionally lazy, uncommitted and easily bored.
it's finally not my fault, friends, it's in the stars. - best birthday gift ever.

i feel older than i should

2011-01-12T10:38:00.002-07:00

self-portraits at almost 29. (i can't wait to go grey.)

pied piper

2011-01-11T09:07:00.004-07:00

little graces and ipads.

boom dynamite

2011-01-09T10:24:00.001-07:00

i'm part of a gang.
we meet monthly.
like a book club, but less classy.

i'm the one in the middle who looks grossly similar to an adolescent boy.
note to self: flannels with this haircut can be dangerous. be careful out there.

balance and edit and edit and balance

2011-01-02T00:09:00.004-07:00

when the poet's sentiments are overly visible,
the audience may become uncomfortable.
by writing simply and only about what is there,
the audience is drawn into the poet's world.
this is where the most important aspect of the sense of beauty lies.

naoto fukasawa (objectified)

my resolution for 2011 is to incorporate this idea more into my daily life. balance and edit. edit and balance.
happy new year.

war is over

2010-12-26T08:08:00.010-07:00

picking up the camera was second thought this holiday, which was nice not to really mess with it.
we loved being with each other, sorely missed some, gave thanks for the many blessings in our lives, and really did give those mario&luigi matching pajama sets to the boys - but in my defense, we had a theme.
let there be peace on earth,
and let it begin with me.

happy christmas face 2010

2010-12-20T22:02:00.011-07:00

download all tracks,
here
here
here
and here

happy christmas face to you, friends, from all of us.

the end

2010-12-17T11:52:00.000-07:00

day 55

LOCH project - FIN.

radio flyer

2010-12-16T11:12:00.001-07:00

day 54

my little sister graduates from ASU with a masters in teaching today.
a masters.

did i mention i've been on the wait list for RN school for almost 2 years now.
2 years. just to begin my RN.
then another 3-4 (realistically 10) for my BSN.
a bachelors. in only 15+ years. - i'm smart. i went to college....

and the sickness spreads

2010-12-15T08:53:00.004-07:00

day 53

i blame elliot.

picking oranges

2010-12-14T21:46:00.001-07:00

day 52

snakes!

2010-12-13T19:22:00.002-07:00

day 51

and in other overly dramatic news: i no longer remember what it feels like to not be deathly ill.
godspeed to me.

love like a sunset

2010-12-12T12:13:00.004-07:00

day 50

i came down with something nasty last night and haven't left my bed since.
sometime early this morning, amidst a high fever and my i-swear'i've-never-felt-this-sick-in-my-entire-life dramatics, we decided s would have to miss all of his church duties for the day to stay home with the kids.

i woke up hours later - claiming i was for sure going to die soon - to a spotless house, reorganized kitchen&pantry, and a fridge so clean i'm no longer embarrassed to tell friends where to get a drink from.

then later i overheard him say under his breath how much he still loves our (way too tiny thousand sq ft) house,
and how this has been the best day ever.

ha!

this just further proves what i've always known (1) he would make a way better housewife than i ever could and (2) i married so right.

ho ho ho

2010-12-12T03:31:00.001-07:00

i can hold my breath much longer than you

2010-12-11T13:35:00.007-07:00

day 49

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today is a good day

2010-12-10T18:22:00.006-07:00

day 48

there's nothing extra in life i'll ever think i need.
i know that,
but then there's the moments where i actually feel that. - when everything around me feels completely complete.

today was a really good day.

falling leaves

2010-12-09T16:19:00.007-07:00

day 47

i let him pick out anything he wanted,
and he chose an umbrella.
then he sat under our tree for close to half an hour waiting for it to rain leaves.
i love him so much.

life is

2010-12-08T20:40:00.001-07:00

day 46

next live sale & vendor list

2010-12-07T20:31:00.007-07:00

vintage house - mid century furniture & home decor (preview pics of some pristine pieces coming next week)
flour clothing - vintage duds
folding chair design - hair accessories & earrings

n.eve design - archival prints

artvork - modern art prints & originals (there's a wall in my house that's waiting for this)
goodie jar - handmade jewelry
elephant house - vintage duds
seesaw design - letterpress & vintage duds - and if i fancied myself as the name dropping kind, then i'd mention how their 2011 calendar made martha's christmas gift list this year. and anyone who is a friend of martha's, is a friend of mine.
swib design - felt hair accessories.
mimi made - all things made & lovely
mimi leavitt photography - fine art prints
GROWop - phoenix based co-op of artists & crafters with some rare vintage finds sprinkled in.
i heart mesa - because we really do heart mesa (and their new diving lady shirts are the bomb. you know you want one.)
and 2 little boys selling donuts, hot chocolate and pomegranates. bring some quarters, people, you won't be able to say no.

plus so much more...

never ending math equation

2010-12-07T05:40:00.001-07:00

day 45

97.666% of the LOCH project has been a product of my phone. i did the math.

which makes me believe a photograph is 97.666% lighting/composition and only 2.334% subject/overpriced gear.
which helps me to let go of my dream of a $1500+ lens sitting in my camera bag.
i hate money.

goodbye(s)

2010-12-06T21:29:00.000-07:00

day 44

caught in the symmetry of your mind

2010-12-05T21:25:00.001-07:00

day 43

dusk number two.

scholastic

2010-12-05T21:23:00.001-07:00

"they told me to open my eyes."

your feet are wheels

2010-12-04T21:01:00.000-07:00

day 42

i'm a little uncomfortable with how soon this came.

patience

2010-12-03T22:43:00.000-07:00

day 41

self portraits

2010-12-02T22:10:00.000-07:00

day 40

[your name here]

2010-12-01T14:26:00.003-07:00

another sale happening in 10 days and we're looking for 1 or 2 more vendors - if you think you may be interested, simply email flourclothing[at]gmail by this friday afternoon with either a link to your site or pictures of items you'd like to sell.

i'll have an updated list of vendors and a link to their shops by this weekend.
happy holidays, friends.

*and by 10 days, i mean 17.

head of the table

2010-12-01T13:26:00.000-07:00

day 39

we like to party.

as easy as pie

2010-11-30T21:45:00.004-07:00

day 38

really.

one, two...

2010-11-29T21:53:00.002-07:00

day 37

sufjan in the mornings

2010-11-28T16:14:00.005-07:00

day 36

along with the carpenters and the Jackson 5.

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christmas lights and paper airplanes

2010-11-27T21:04:00.001-07:00

day 35

it's time.

happy, happy 8

2010-11-26T21:51:00.001-07:00

day 34

we've been married 8 years today.

we went to see last train home as part of our celebratory date and i'm reminded of how easy our lives are.
and how crippling those eases can be if we let them.

no, thank You

2010-11-25T00:00:00.034-07:00

day 33

personally, i'd rather spend double what i'd save by waking up in a few hours to to rub elbows in a 3 hour long line with my fellow patrons of the local walmart.
really.
and let me be the first to tell you that the savings gained just isn't worth the dignity lost, people.
(but afty, in no way does this imply that i no longer want you to pick me up that taio cruz album from target while you're out. throw some weight around if you have to, girl.)

good luck to all of the black friday shoppers. let's keep it classy out there.

you're not obliged to swallow anything you despise

2010-11-24T00:03:00.002-07:00

day 32

as sure as you have eyes - they've got no right.

a 1000 different versions of yourself

2010-11-23T07:20:00.051-07:00

day 31

in short, we all matter far more than we typically have a clue about,
and love is what is real.
we tend to believe in what we can see and touch. we believe that the world, as it appears to be, is the real world.
on the basis of my experience, i've come to believe that reality is both revealed and concealed by the world we see with our eyes,
and that none of us are who we appear to be.
--jeff rediger

i watch oprah. and despite my overall eye-rolling attitude towards a recent episode, this thought from one of her guests has stuck with me.

off with their heads

2010-11-22T19:17:00.000-07:00

day 30

sunday's end

2010-11-21T23:54:00.000-07:00

day 29

time is a fever

2010-11-20T21:20:00.003-07:00

day 28

a deceiver you think you own, it turns away.
the last time we looked,
you were danger bear.
danger bear.

you're a freight train and your heart is for beating, so lean back, tuck in,
and drift off.

kashmir has been spinning on repeat here.
danger bear

covered in packs of snow

2010-11-19T13:11:00.003-07:00

day 27

you are free

a formal affair

2010-11-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

day 26

family portraits aren't really my forte.

matinee

2010-11-17T15:12:00.000-07:00

day 25

i caught an apple and she caught a fox

2010-11-16T14:24:00.011-07:00

day 24

i convinced spencer to trade out our old dresser for a mid century estate find that is less than half the size of the one we're used to.
then i drove 9 over-stuffed garbage bags to DI.
when the winter comes and the greenery goes we will make some shelter.

life feels a little lighter.

lego jets and battle ships

2010-11-15T14:16:00.003-07:00

day 23

happy 5th birthday, buddy.

this way

2010-11-14T20:40:00.003-07:00

day 22

listening walk

2010-11-13T18:48:00.000-07:00

day 21

lighthouse

2010-11-12T14:21:00.000-07:00

day 20

remember

2010-11-11T21:44:00.002-07:00

day 19

to the rescue

2010-11-10T22:26:00.004-07:00

day 18

some people are meant for the country.
that "some people" is my brother. and this is his son visiting from montana,
who i caught wearing an oversized black cowboy hat, galloping circles around my mother's house all morning shouting, "c'mon little horsies! giddyup!"

elliot tried to join in. but the poor kid just couldn't get the gallop right. - we're city folk.

bloom where you are planted

2010-11-09T16:45:00.006-07:00

day 17

i'm reminded on occasion of the beauty of residing in a neighborhood that may not appear very shiny from the outside. - starting with most of our pretenses being thrown out the window,
then sold at the 24-7 yard sale 4 houses down.

...where i bought a working typewriter for only $3.
hey new neighbors, you're alright.

in song

2010-11-08T20:48:00.000-07:00

day 16

i try not to think about how vulnerable i am to failing them.

happy medium

2010-11-07T16:09:00.000-07:00

day 15

it's a terrible love, it's quiet company

2010-11-06T10:31:00.000-07:00

day 14

make believe

2010-11-05T22:45:00.000-07:00

day 13

chalk on concrete

2010-11-04T22:35:00.000-07:00

day 12

it's time to swap

2010-11-04T22:32:00.000-07:00

Flour will be at the anticipated Fraser Fields Swap next weekend with select shop items and some new unseen finds.

we're going to make it simple and cheap.

2 clothing racks of our finest duds, 2 prices: $25 and $50.

and who would i be without a giveaway: all participating swappers will have the chance to enter our raffle on the night of the swap for the chance to win any single flour item, of winner's choice, from inventory available at swap.

what is a Swap? swapping 101

and if you're as paranoid as i am about bringing something totally awesome to swap, only to find out it's totally not, then click here for appropriate swapping items.

(a dressing room for trying on clothing will not be available. but measuring tapes for sizing and fit will.
let's swap.)

i should learn my lesson not to complain so loudly

2010-11-03T05:19:00.000-07:00

day 11

sunday picnics on the living room floor.

then almost dying - only 4 lives left. watch yourself, brother. - and screaming for dad to come home. apparently sundays weren't hard enough for us already.

facial scars are endearing, right? (right?)

dusk

2010-11-02T00:26:00.001-07:00

day 10

negative space

2010-11-01T12:42:00.002-07:00

day 9

the older i get, the more i learn to appreciate the value of not just space, but the ability to allow that space to simply be.

morning after

2010-10-31T20:41:00.000-07:00

day 8

and sharing with sister.

happy halloween.

so much for superman

2010-10-30T00:11:00.003-07:00

day 7

we just came back from the documentary film, waiting for superman,
and despite my audible gasps and fist shakes towards the screen, i kept a level head and made sure to take all of the facts in with a grain of salt.
if keeping a level head means i stood to applaud my girl, michelle rhee, when she stated,

There's this ... willingness to turn a blind eye to the injustices that are happening to kids every day in our schools, all in the name of harmony among adults.

bam!
(i might have thrown a fist bump in her direction when i went to sit down.)

then i got home, opened my computer and read from a random review,

waiting for "superman" is the movie version of all those books and white papers about flaws in the U.S. educational system that we're generally too illiterate or lazy to read,

which of course threw me off my high-horse and brought me back down to the reality that any call to arms is lost on me after a few days.

moral of the story: gravity will always win.

waiting for superman - 7.5/10 stars

mercado

2010-10-29T15:52:00.001-07:00

day 6

aka. school's halloween market from hell.
what is it about ages after 7 that suddenly make kids neither cute nor endearing.

there's a ship that sails by my window

2010-10-28T04:50:00.003-07:00

day 5

there's a ship that sails on by.

fireflies

2010-10-27T17:42:00.000-07:00

day 4

and we laughed and we laughed and we laughed

2010-10-26T14:35:00.005-07:00

day 3

driving with just owen in the car the other day, digging through the console from the back seat, he pulled out a cd i had made for spencer.
all the names we used to know: 18 songs that remind me of you

he asked what songs make me think of him. all of the same ones, of course.

bat for lashes - daniel

stained glass windows

2010-10-25T07:01:00.005-07:00

day 2

"i'm a man of memories..." - thomas s monson (rs broadcast 2010)

the first two minutes (found only on video) of this talk was one of the best pieces of talk i have ever heard.

[sunday] i'm in love

2010-10-24T19:35:00.006-07:00

Day 1

counting the significant and not so significant days gone by has turned into somewhat of a security blanket for me.
or maybe it's simply become a way for me to measure time missed. a way for my mind to quietly work its way back when it needs to.

9 weeks of shooting in black and white.
Lack of Color Here (LOCH) project. take one.
see you after christmas.

i missed you for twenty nine years

2010-10-23T12:44:00.003-07:00

day 92

text from little sister: the next time you see mom please have her tell you the story of how she went down to the tea party rally today in downtown phoenix. dropped off. by herself. then walked 16 blocks down jefferson to ride the lightrail home. you'll die.

she had my father drop her off on a whim when they happened to drive by the rally.
and apparently she made friends all along the way with people most of us would veer away from.
none of this surprises me about my mother. she's got heart.
and is about as good a person as they come.

i'm old

2010-10-21T22:37:00.002-07:00

day 91

i recently found both of these cameras - one working, one tbd - at an estate sale for less than a few dollars,
and spent the rest of the weekend trying to explain what film is to owen.

he kept looking at me like i was talking about some sort of harry potter magic.

let's get our southwest winter on

2010-10-20T21:37:00.013-07:00

day 90

in arizona, halloween marks one of the most exciting events of the year,
the first night of wearing a sweater without actually sweating.
it's so exciting.

coming for winter in shops:

now he can finally wear those teeny tiny running shorts with some actual ownership

2010-10-19T22:58:00.001-07:00

Day 89

One of my favorite memories is looking over to see bjork standing next to me wearing the same all grey new balances as I was wearing - circa 2000, in the nyc.

This memory tops that one.

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just dance

2010-10-16T07:22:00.007-07:00

day 88

it was at the dancing spin atop the floor waxer right around minute three where it dawned on me who this kid was.

(bang)
from the womb.

download: foals - blue blood

swimming in november

2010-10-14T17:30:00.002-07:00

day 87

arizona, my love...(post here)