Flying Heritage Collection

Dad and Mom

As part of my Dad's Christmas present, we visited the Flying Heritage Collection in Everett, WA. My Dad is a self professed old plane nerd.  So, a place like this is his mecca. The heritage flight Museum did not disappoint. This collection was put together by Paul Allen. What is unique about the planes? The majority of planes in the collection are flyable.   They have frequent fly in's.

Even Sherman Tanks are 12th Man Fans

They also have a tank collection as well. 

 

 

On the way home, Charlie drew this picture of a plan going down.  I thought it was pretty good.

 

 



What I learned in 2014

I have been participating in "What I learned" each month with the blog Chatting at the Sky.  Since it is the end of the year, I am doing a 2014 wrap up of what I learned.

I strapped on a FitBit and my friend tried to walk me and her dog to death. (love ya Mrs Epi) I did think the fitbit made a difference.  It made me conscious of my lack of movement and  to get moving. Who knew such a little device could make such a big impact?

I really gave my one little word a workout.  My one little word for 2014 was Evolve.  I learn I could evolve.  I even did Zumba.  I was way outside of my comfort zone. I was even was a crew leader for VBS. The whole family got to help with a haunted forest as well.  I can't even watch scary parts of movies without shutting my eyes so I am glad I was able to assist without freaking out.

I read a lot of great books which reaffirmed reading is my form of relaxation.  I participated in Life as Mom's booking it. My year of booking it roundup.

Cody standing with a pile of Ivy he pulled
at the Larrabee Park CITO

We geocached a lot. I know we are totally nerdy. Love it! We also participated in a lot of great geocaching events - North Kitsap Cache Machine, Great Balls of Fire, Mount Vernon Geocoin Challenge, Point Roberts Cache Machine, CITO Larrabee State Park, 12-13-14.

I did 31 days of blogging and discovered it is hard but worthwhile. 31 Days of Adventure

I got to discover the joys of having a 1st year Trumpet player.  It reminded that all of us start as beginners. I appreciate my son's tenacity. 

My husband and I started a little business venture.  We make picture frames from reclaimed wood target frames.  We call them matchstick frames.  So far we haven't been monetarily successful but we haven't invested much and we have learned lots.

shot up heart

One Little Word 2015

So it begins...

I choose the word (insert drumroll)

LAUNCH

 

I have known for a couple of weeks this was going to be the word for me.  For a number of years, I have participated in Ali Edwards one little word.  Basically you choose a word instead of a resolution to represent that year.  Last year 2014, my word was evolve. 

 

What the word LAUNCH means to me

 

 Less about talking about doing things and more about doing things

 

My oldest will be a senior at the end of this year.  Because of his unique situation and awesome abilities.  I will need to help him launch himself.  This calls me to do things that I am not skilled at and be a much bigger advocate than I am . So launch is also scary but necessary.

 

I also think the word launch requires a certain kind of boldness and jumping in.

 

Launch also represents that all the preparation has been done and now is time to put those skills into

practice.

 

Launch also involves risk and possible failure as well.

 

 

 

 



A Very Bookish Linky

Stitch the Bear Reading

 

Christmas Book Flood - Iceland's Tradition of Giving Books at Christmas

Need a Reading Challenge for 2015 - Check It Out

Need a Best Reads List of 2014 - Library Reads Favorite of Favorites- Goldfinch and All the Light We Cannot See are included and I read and liked in 2014

Merry Christmas

 



MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Just wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a Merry Christmas from our family to yours. We took this impromptu on the beach near Semiamhoo.

Wrapping Up Booking It 2014

After 5 years, Jessica is ending her Booking It link up.  Please check out her favorite reads from the last 5 years.  She has done a marvelous job and I will sad to see this linky end .  But make no doubt about it the reading will still be happening in 2015.

*** I decided to link up to Modern Mrs. Darcy's favorite books of 2014

I read 44 books in 2014!

My favorite Books I read in 2014
( in no particular order)

Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman
Home is a Roof Over a Pig by Amnita Arrlington
A Memoir Hungry by Darlene Barnes
Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Sample
All the Light You Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
The Accident by Chris Pavone
The Smartest Kids in the World by Amanda Ripley

Stitch Mischief 2014

We don't have an elf on the shelf but we do have a very mischievous bear. The Bears name is Stitch.  He hasn't been as busy getting into stuff this season but did have a few tricks up his sleeve.

He had to get into the act and build his own gingerbread house. Granted he didn't come up with the idea entirely by himself.

Of course, he got in the act right of way.  He climbed the tree as soon as we put the tree up.

Who knows what Stitch will do next?

"It tis the Season" Linky Love

Needing some Christmas Inspiration?  It a season of busyness.  Here are some links to love


I am not sure why there is a cactus included in the show but it is interesting.

Good Life by Jason Wright on Becky Higgins Blog is about Christmas Jars

Why We Still Send Holiday Cards by the Artful Parent

A Sequential Date!

Kevin made the large SeaHawk. We are holding it in the back - Kevin, Me, and Cody.
Charlie is holding the green sign.

Today we participated in a geocaching flash mob in honor of 12-13-14.  The actual event was held at 10:11 on 12-13-14.  We were way sequential.

A sequential date pattern won't happen again for 89 years -- until 1/2/03 ... in 2103!

Cody hold the sign-
Tis the Season to Be Sequential

Adventures in takng Family Photos

At Thanksgiving, we were at Nonna's and Pappy's so we decided to take a family pic.  That is when the adventure began. We were all sitting and posed when MY HUSBAND tried to hide behind the tree. There always has to be a joker in every group.  His mother asked him to come here or something like that.  Well, the wrong person responded.

Tigger who was actually sitting nicely before this jumped up on the couch on all of us.  Love my expression.

We managed to get a couple good pictures.  (Yes, the dog even cooperated.)

Darn You Foreign Tree Makers!

I am in awe or something with the Chinese Innovation in our pre lit tree.  We set it up and only one small section lit.  Our tree would of been great for a red neck Christmas tree, though Meanwhile  brilliant me, thought we will simply pull off the lights and re-hang lights.  

It is OK if you start laughing right now.  Well let's just say it wasn't as easy as that.  It seldom is that easy, by the way. It took 4 of us about 2 hours to undo the lights and wire cutters as well. 

In the end, we rehung LED colored lights that took about 20 minutes. I have a whole new appreciation for the foreign laborers who made this bad boy. I might mention that I am convinced that  a few of them might of been disgruntled workers because some of the wires were so well knotted.

Booking It November- Better Late Than Never

I am going through a book dry spell.  I have picked up a few books only to abandon them.  I need my books to be easy to read and to be relevant. I actually said to my friend I ONLY read three books this month.  She laughed. 

Last month, I read Astonish Me. by Maggie Shipstead.  It was OK.  I am a sucker for books about ballet and this was a compelling twisty read. 

Astonish Me is the irresistible story of Joan, a young American dancer who helps a Soviet ballet star, the great Arslan Rusakov, defect in 1975. A flash of fame and a passionate love affair follow, but Joan knows that, onstage and off, she is destined to remain in the background. She will never possess Arslan, and she will never be a prima ballerina. She will rise no higher than the corps, one dancer among many.- Amazon Review

This month I read " All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr.  It did indeed live up to its hype. The ending wasn't quite right for me but I definitely enjoyed the read.

A book about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II. Amazon Review

Dandelion Hunter by Rebecca Lerner was my last read of the month finished it at Thanksgiving.  Ever considered urban foraging.  This book gives a lot of insight of what it would take to live by only foraging. It was fascinating. I found it thought provoking. 

In this engaging and eye-opening read, forager-journalist Becky Lerner sets out on a quest to find her inner hunter-gatherer in the city of Portland, Oregon. After a disheartening week trying to live off wild plants from the streets and parks near her home, she learns the ways of the first people who lived there and, along with a quirky cast of characters, discovers an array of useful wild plants hiding in plain sight. As she harvests them for food, medicine, and just-in-case apocalypse insurance, Lerner delves into anthropology, urban ecology and sustainability, and finds herself looking at Nature in a very different way.  (Amazon Review)

What are you reading that is relevant? Got a suggestion for a hurried blurry mom leave it for me in the comments.

Clothespin Wreath

I thought I would attempt a new wreath for the Nester's Wreath DIY Party. Please check out all the wreath eye candy over at the Nesting Place.

I made mine out of clothespins from the dollar store and the wreath form is a wire hanger.  I simply wired the hot glued clothespin stars to the wreath form with floral wire. I was inspired by the clothespin snowflakes I made last year.

At the center of the stars are red buttons I had on hand. This was a last minute craft and I will probably rewire and maybe include some smaller clothespin stars as well. I am forever tweaking. It is a crafting disease.

Hey Nester, I am embracing my lovely limitations and not worrying about this wreath being perfect. Because it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful!

Check out some of my other unusual wreaths of the past.

The required SEAHAWKS wreath made with Coffee Filters.  GO HAWKS!

Popsicle Snowflake.  I think Giant Popsicle Snowflakes make a terrific wreath.  I have white doors so I made mine blue.

What I learned in November

I learned it isn't too bad to turn 43!  I had a nice low key birthday.  Loved it! I should probably change my "about me" on my blog side bar.

Kmart's Jingle Bellies ad cracks me up.  I know not totally appropriate but funny.



Jingle Bells by a beginning trumpet player is INTERESTING. I love that now the playing has improved to sound like Jingle Bells.  Which is NICE!

Black Friday Linky Love

Are you full of turkey?  Here are some interesting links to waste your down time.

3 Video Games that Improve Focus

Unconventional Honeymooners - Over at 100 Dollars of a Month she had a post about honeymooners who traveled the U.S.A. performing and profiling hourly jobs.  Check it out.  This is a couple on a mission.

Broccoli, Jerry Seinfeld, Insurance Reform

Much has come out in the last month and half about gains in Autism Research.  As a parent to a kid on the spectrum, I like to keep abreast of such things.

There was a recent study that was done that a chemical compound found in broccoli sprouts aka sulforaphane can lessen the effects of Autism. After reading about the study, I pretty much wanted to run out and purchase broccoli sprout extract .  The funny thing or maybe the ironic thing is broccoli is one of my aspie's favorite vegetable unfortunately he would have to consume an ungodly amount to get the same results.  Autism Daddy had a pretty comprehensive post on broccoli research and the fever effect. Here is the link to Seattle Children's Autism Center Blog

There was a lot of hub bub about Jerry Seinfeld being on the spectrum.  I place this in the category that anything that helps awareness is great and I am for. More importantly, I am not sure that it actually increases acceptance.



Washington State became the 38th state to require autism coverage.  This is HUGE.  Maybe now my kid can receive ABA therapy. My guess is even with this change all the result will be is a lack of providers.

A Few of My Favorite Things

Today is my Birthday!!!

So I thought I would be Oprah like and share some of my favorite things without the big giveaway -

Libraries
We have a new one.  This is so exciting to me.


Plants
Sometimes the more distressed the better. My I like Big Plants is one of my most clicked blog posts.

Giant Aloe Plant with baby aloes

Tea
I know I live in the land of coffee aka Home to Starbucks. But I like to end my day with tea.  I am currently hoarding a stockpile of Nutcracker Sweet which is only found in grocery stores during the holidays.  But my other go to teas are Red Rose and Sweet and Spicy.

Donuts
I cannot lie.  I love donuts.  I blame my father.(love ya Dad) My favorites are buttermilk bars and maple bars. 

Happy Veteran's Day

My Dad - U.S. Air Force

 

 

Thank to all that are serving and those that have served.  Thank you for your service to our great country.

Shadow Photos

I seem to have a fascination with shadow photos. Thought I would share a few. Does anyone else go through a phase where they seem to take photos with a theme?

Heart in the Blinds
 

windmill shadow in our garden

sun shadow from origami hung in window

 

Burlap Wreath

I have been seeing burlap wreaths EVERYWHERE. I have pinned a bunch on my wreath pinterest board. I decided to take the plunge when I scrounged a wire wreath form for free.  It pays to look in the Re-Store free bin. This whole project was around  5 dollars.  The burlap I got from Walmart and the felt from Micheals. The burlap wreath pictured in All of You October 2014 priced out at about $9.33.

I made the wreath but it needed SOMETHING.  I love the look of felt flowers.  I used the tutorial over at the Crafted Sparrow

 

 





Crazy Christmas Cactus Lady

Yes, I am a crazy Christmas Cactus lady.  I have 6 Christmas Cactus.  In the picture below, 5 are pictured

I am living by the motto you never can have too many that is the basic principal of my plant philosophy. While some of the cactus are blooming, I thought I would share a few pictures. These are in a north facing window.

I think this especially dark dreary time of year in the Pacific Northwest it is nice to have some pretty blooms.

Haunted Forest Part 2

Charlie in his werewolf mask on the Game Camera

On Halloween, we worked the Haunted Forest.   The rain seemed to stop just when we needed it to. I thought I would share some more pictures. This was an eagle scout project whose goal was to raise food goods for the local food bank. It was held at the local gun range in a wooded area on the property. We had quite a few people who came through on Halloween. See Part 1

The Haunted Forest Food Drive ended with huge success. With the great effort of the Custer Sportsmen's Club the Food Drive was able to collect over 2187 lbs of food for the Ferndale Food Bank! That is nearly 3 times the goal that I had for this event. The success of the Haunted Forest Food Drive was a direct result of the generosity of the patrons of the Custer Sportsmen's Club.

Cody examining a dummy caught in a web

 

Cody in skeleton mask

One of the zombies

 

The Scout in Charge