Bran: in sickness and in celebration

if you read the loys in clemson blog, you know that when brandon and i are living in a state of sickness or transition, we do crazy things. this weekend found us both quite "under the weather" and so, to get out of our bedroom, which was starting to feel like a cave, we moved our futon mattress from the office into the living room. this enabled us to watch football and movies without being stuck in our room. as we were sleeping lots, it was nice to be cozy and stretched out rather than squashed on the couch. i really love this futon as it was my bed the last two years before marriage, so it was nice to revisit its comforting support this weekend.

and saturday was brandon's birthday- sort of lame to be sick- but we made the most of it. we used our door-table (what? you have to be creative when living in such tiny places) as a breakfast tray and i made him breakfast in bed of strawberry slices, cinnamon rolls, coffee and orange juice. it was a very relaxing start to a long day that would end with Clemson defeating FSU in a high-scoring football game. Go Tigers! (and also Miami- who also won on Saturday and also scored high) :)

pumpkin.

if you are going to make pumpkin foods this fall, you should try to make your own puree first!

but i should warn you...
it may take you

and your husband

to wrestle and stab and yell to get the pumpkin open

but these muffins are worth it

sunshine!

In my current stint of working part-time from home, I have fallen in love with several blogs and bloggers. They keep my creative juices flowing and are a constant inspiration. Several of them have giveaways all the time- I really dont understand how they can do that, but they do! I would like to tell you about The Bright Side Project, in their words:

Mission: The Bright Side Project is here to bring you sunshine every day with themed, daily giveaways. We hope to inspire you to stop for a second and remember life is (still) beautiful and there is goodness in the world. {who doesnt want this in her life?}

November's Theme: November is all about The List! This month we are giving away something for everyone on your shopping list AND something for you, too! Double the prizes!! Winners announced Wednesdays.

Trust me, you will find so many adorable shops and talented artists and awesome designers through this blog-- so, enjoy!

what i hate about...

...moving is that you find a place- the perfect place- for EVERYTHING: From shoes, to hair ties, to dishwashing soap to perfume to ties to dvds to photo albums. Its crazy how your stuff can change shape to fit in somewhere new. You may be wondering why I hate this so much. I will tell you: We all have things that we only use once every so often. Like a curling iron. I only use my curling iron when I am going to a wedding and want curly hair that day. Or winter slippers. If you move in the summer, you might not use those slippers until much later in your life at New Home. These might seem trite. And I suppose they are. but, when you have PAIN like, excruciating, cant stand up and walk straight pain, you need some help. And yes, you need more than drugs. And if your husband happens to be off at work for the day [yay for him!], and is not around to rub your tired, raw, sore, throbbing shoulders- you will need a hot water bottle. This is the item of "least-use-most-importance" in my house. When in pain, one doesnt feel like searching on hands and knees, on ladders and chairs, on washer, on dryer, under couch and sink for a pain reliever. Its just supposed to BE THERE. So, what I hate about moving is that two months ago, I found the perfect place for my hot water bottle and now, I cannot locate it in my time of utter need.

*you may wonder how I can blog in such a condition. i have overslept, laying down hurts, reading strains- so I prop myself up for computerized entertainment.

MA & ME

as time allows, more photos will be posted. for now, enjoy the delights of apple picking from bountiful trees and cliff walking along this rocky seashore

we wore hats

in memory of Jessie B. Karki (1917-2009)

New Castle, PA

clouds on 79 and 81

follow the yellow brick road

even if it leads you to Murphy, NC

Thanks for having us, Mum and Dad! It was a great day to wander the streets.

Blue Eyes and Crazy Hair

My Sweet Niece, Mairn Elise Hammes in Murphy, NC.

our september

finds us on the winding roads of east coast America

a poem, as read aloud on Sept 6

In these moments of waiting—

this simple wait—

from which I learn the voice of my soul,

secrets drip from my tongue,

reaching for my pain to lie

there

in surrender of this silence.

Swinging on this trapeze of unforgotten love,

I hope.

Hope.

hope in the abundance of laughter

hope in the renewal of rain

hope in the promise of this dream

In these moments of inhaled breath,

I beg for grace to reach down and cover

fill, even smother,

this jaded self

arms-knees-face-tongue.

And with this glimpse-

mirroring eternity-

my soul cries,

“take me with you—

in your naming, forget not me.”

-CHL

solitude

im lost in the mess of my desk, this space that is mine alone
with so much to do, so much i want to do, so much i have to do.
in the midst of it, kenyan coffee swirls in my mouth-
its rich undertones reminding me
of good things, cherished things, joyful times, and the providence of our Lord.
its a bittersweet reminder this morning.