Blogger is not saving "enter" when I hit the enter button, so until I figure it out we will just have to be patient and read my entries without spaces between paragraphs or thoughts. Which ticks me off, because it completely throws off the rythym of the eye and the thought as you read, and I put a lot of thought into those spaces, but oh well, if Blogger thinks it knows better...
Well, as you can see my blog is once again unformatted. That's because I'm finally trying to figure out this whole create my own format thing out. Again. There's this great site called The Cutest Blog on the Block, and they have awesome tips, hints, and tutorials for just this kind of thing. Using one of those tutorials I was able to create the cute signature at the bottom of my posts-after 6 hours of trial and error. I'm using paint.net, and it's not quite as self-explanatory as I imagine Photoshop would be. Which is why my signature is a little on the simple side. But hey, I did it all by myself. Hmmmm, I wonder how long it will take me to create my own background...
"Bottle of red, bottle of white, all depends on your mood tonight..."
Anyone else feel the need for a nice bottle of Pinot Noir or Merlot, some good music, and absolutely NO interruptions? There is nothing more I love than to put on some comfy clothes, decant a Cabernet, and put my feet up while I get drunk on Norah Jones and Billy Joel. Well, the wine helps, too.
"Red red wine, stay close to me..."
I love my parents for letting me live with them while I sort out my life, but now it's pretty well sorted and I'm so impatient to move out. It's impossible to kick back and relax when the tv below is blaring and your dad wants to know if the laundry in the dryer is yours and your mom is answering the phone that's ringing off the hook. It's not their fault. They're living their lives and I'm a little bit of an interruption. But even when they're gone...
"The days of wine and roses, and you..."
It's not my home. It's not my kitchen, my living room, my furniture, my wine glasses, my window with my view. I just feel so temporary, and it's hard to relax when you feel like an intruder in your own life. It's especially hard when those evenings of wine and music are so few and far between...
"Bring me wine, and make the music mine..."
Now that's not to say I don't enjoy a glass of wine or two in my bedroom as I wind down for bed. It's just not my bed, not really, and while it's my room, it's just not the same. So (long dramatic sigh) I just have to be patient for a few more loooooong months to find that little corner of the world where I will so happily inhabit and imbibe that oft sung of spirit.
Okay, I admit it. I (much like my friend Lauren) blogstalk. I will click on friend's of friend's of friend's blogs...to see if they're interesting, if they have any good stories or tips, and if their blog looks better than mine. (The answer is usually yes.) As I stalk, I've noticed A LOT of sites dedicated specifically to tips: tips on cooking, on raising children, on crafting. My friend Alicia has one (the link is on the side---->) that is wonderful, full of great crafting, cooking, and quilting tips. She has links to all sorts of wonderful websites that inspire her creatively. I love all of them.
And I almost never get to use the tips.
Why? Because I'm single (well, dating with no intention of ever giving him up, but not married or living together), I don't have kids (my nephew is too young and too far away for most of the fun things I'd like to do with him right now), and I work 40 hours a week. I have hobbies and friends that keep me away from my home a lot. Does that mean I can't have a wonderful, crafty, home-cooked life too? ABSOLUTELY NOT. I know many many people like me who live a less than domestic lifestyle, and I think that there should be a place for those people, too. So I created The Do-It-Yourself Life blog. There you can read about how I lost 30 pounds and keep it off (even though I sit on my butt 10 hours a day). You can see how I have homecooked meals EVERY SINGLE DAY at that 10 hour job. You can read about my "crafts" (oh, god, don't think it's gonna be anything special, because I get cuts on my fingers just looking at scissors). Most of all, you can read about what NOT to do, because I pretty much specialize in that (see Cookie Day for more details). Really, I think you'll find it both amusing and helpful. If not, well, I never liked you anyway.
Please note: the blog is under construction. It will look much prettier when I figure out the whole blog layout thing. The Cutest Blog on the Block has great tips for that, but their server keeps crashing, so I have to wait for them to get it back up before I figure it out. Trust me, you'll hear all about it....
A few days after the New Year, my Uncle Dennis (my mom's brother-in-law) passed away from lung cancer that spread to his brain. For many the loss of an uncle is a sad but distant happening. Not so for my family. I come from a family where we know everyone-cousins, aunts, uncles, second cousins, step-cousins, grandparents, grandparents of cousins-family is family. I am very lucky that both my parents, and both sets of families, make an effort to keep in touch and visit frequently, even though we live halfway across the country from one another. Therefore I count many of these people not just as family, but as friends. My heart aches for my aunt and cousins, because they are some of those people.
I don't want to eulogize my uncle here, mostly because my cousin Keith's speech at the funeral (which I hope to get a copy of and post here) absolutely cannot be topped. I do want to talk about the wonderful, moving, and practical ways family and friends came together to celebrate a much loved man and to help his family in their time of need.
My Aunt June and Uncle Dennis live in a small town called Catlin, IL. The population is about the same as that of my high school. I have to admit, I've made fun of their choice of home more than once. I never will again after what that community did for my family. I want to pass it on, because many of us wonder what we can do to help a family when they experience a loss. Most send flowers or donate to a cause close to the heart of the deceased. If, however, you are wondering if there is something more concrete you can do, here are some of the things that the wonderful people of Catlin did for my aunt and cousins:
Remember the next time you know someone who experiences a loss that prayers and flowers are appreciated, but the everyday items we take for granted are needed, often forgotten, but help in the process of moving on.
