Getting Crafty

 I decided that one of my goals for this year is to do something creative/crafty each month. I had this idea in December so when I made my Christmas list (we did a gift exchange and everyone had to do a list) I put several crafty things on there. Between my birthday and Christmas gifts I ended up getting 3 paint-by-numbers, a 3-D puzzle of the Hogwarts castle and a little mini magic shop that has to be put together.

January I put together the castle. It was fun to put together and not too difficult (though I did have my moments of not being great at puzzles). I like how it came out and it's now in my office on my dresser.

February's project was my first paint-by-number. I got one "easy" and two "moderate" difficulty.

After doing the easy one, I'm a little scared for the moderate.

It was fun to do but I am annoyed by the fact that you can see the numbers through many of the paint colors. Lots of areas have like 3 coats! I did a little research and hopefully have some plans to make it work better in the future.

It looks pretty good from a distance but not so much up close.

Anyway, I think I might get a frame for my laundry room where I can hang each painting after I do them. Right now it's hanging up in the laundry room with painter's tape and it occasionally falls down.

I am now working on March's craft.

The miniature magic shop!

I had started in in February but realized I needed some tools so I put it away and did the painting instead.

I got my tools and I've been working on the little room for awhile now. Turns out tiny furniture and decorations are pretty fiddly to work with. My final results on most of the furniture is a bit less good looking than the picture. Lots of glue everywhere.

But it's pretty fun.

Here's the furniture I have done so far.

I've reached the point of the electrical so I'm feeling a bit out of my depth but I will persevere.

I finally finished the magic shop!  It's pretty cute and the lights actually work.

April's Crafty project was to cut and sew my current quilt to fit our new bed. We bought a bed with drawers in the base so I can't have the sides of the quilt hanging down over the drawers. It wasn't too hard to do but, per usual, I made a few mistakes that made it harder. First  thing I did was pick out the wrong side of the quilt (top instead of side) so I ended up picking out way more than needed. I did get it done though and it works just great on the bed!

I don't know if what I'm counting for May is officially "crafty" but I'm counting it because it's been a busy month! I planted a bunch of different flowers in my little backyard garden. Then Frank and I decided to place some bushes along our back fence. We purchased, hauled, dug holes and planted 11 bushes! It was hard work and even though I did help a lot, it was much more work for Frank. The bushes look great though and our yard is really coming together.

How I "met" Ann Patchett

Many years ago I somehow came across a book that looked interesting to me. I have no exact memory of how I found this book. However, I read the book and found it very lovely. I enjoyed the writing and found the story intriguing.

My husband likes to tease me because if you ask me immediately after reading a book, how I liked the book, I will tell you all kinds of things. Ask me later, even days later, I will only be able to tell you how the book made me feel and maybe a detail or two...but not much. A few months later? I will probably remember that I liked it or didn't like it but no details at all.  I don't know why I'm like this. I do feel like I have good reading comprehension but just not a whole lot of retention. My brain purges all extra information unless it is needed for daily life apparently.

Anyway, a few years (I think) later, I was making a task of reading through the Boston Public Library's list of books to read. I don't recall if it was "important books to read" or just here are a bunch of books to try or what. But I really enjoyed doing that and I read a bunch of books that I never would have chosen otherwise. I started reading a book and was really enjoying it. I thought the writer was really good.  I got a good 2/3 the way through this book when I was suddenly thinking...I have read this book before.  But I couldn't remember the ending so I just kept going and I really enjoyed the book. Again.

More time goes by. Months? A year? Not sure.

I'm walking through Costco and perusing the books as I am wont to do. One book stuck out to me because it had a really beautiful cover. I took a picture of that book and vowed to read it. I went to the library and checked it out. I start reading it and, this time, it takes me only a few chapters before I am thinking "OH MY GOSH, IT'S THE SAME BOOK AGAIN"

You may not be surprised to find that I went ahead and read it the third time because I remembered no details really but I remembered that I enjoyed the writing and the story.

This third time I vowed to place this book and its author into my memory bank so as not to do this a fourth time. 

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

I have told this story many times. I don't know why I feel compelled to tell this story as it doesn't make me look good. But it's funny, so I tell it.

I realized a couple of months ago that, even though I really enjoyed that book and loved the writing, I hadn't really sought out more books by Ann Patchett. So I began to look for more. 

The first one I read was the Dutch House. Again, loved her writing.

So I went through the library app and just put holds on all of the Ann Patchett books. The next book that became available was not a novel, but a series of essays. It is called "This is the Story of a Happy Marriage". Wow, did I love this book. She had one long essay about becoming a writer and it felt a bit like advice for someone wanting to be a writer. I have never had any aspirations to become a writer. I don't, as some people do, feel that I have a story inside of me that needs to get out. However, this essay really spoke to me because over the many years of my life, I've had periods of time where I have found a great deal of meaning through writing. I've kept journals and blogs. I've done scrapbooks and really enjoyed the journaling portion of that hobby. I stayed sane through Franks cancer treatment through writing messages to friends and family. Since moving to Utah and starting to work full or mostly full-time, I have stopped pretty much all creative endeavors. I don't do paper crafting or sewing. I have even stopped writing and have huge gaps in time in my blogging which I used to do quite religiously. I miss being creative but work life seems to suck creativity right out of me. When I miss the writing, I find myself attempting to write just simple blogs about an activity we've done and the words are stilted and difficult. The end result is uninspired.

But as I read those essays by Ann Patchett I felt myself drawn back to writing. I started having thoughts go through my head that I wanted to write down.

So here I am. Who knows if it will last or if daily life will suck it back out of me. But I'm glad I "met" Ann Patchett through that crazy book I read 3 times without meaning to and I'm enjoying that feeling again of having something to say.

Michigan June 2025

I went to Michigan for a long weekend from June 26-29th.

It just so happened to be the exact weekend that Ryan was moving to Michigan so I arrived on Thursday afternoon but Branden left Friday morning to help Ryan drive back. Didn't see him much!

It was very hot and muggy when I arrived and Branden said they just started having some rain showers and storms that day.

I arrived and took my usual nap (6 am flights just trash me), then I picked up Isabelle at the Dieter's house. On our drive back we had a massive rain storm and it was crazy!

A bit later, Kaylee and Amber came home from her work (Kaylee and Riley were helping out on a presentation about service dogs).

That night we played some cards and went to a movie (How to train your dragon). We ate out at a little pub sort of place before the movie and the food was yummy. I shared some of Brandens mac n cheese (I can never resist mac n cheese). We tried to have a fun first night since Branden was leaving.

The next morning I took Branden to the airport and when I got back the girls and I headed out for our activity. Amber worked one more day at her summer camp.

I didn't have any good ideas and it was SO HOT...so I said well we could see another movie? The girls were not interested in that (which I don't even get...I would see a movie every day!) Anyway we did a bit of google and decided to go to the Museum of Natural History at University of Michigan. It was pretty easy to find and the entry was free! 

We started off with a snack from the snack bar...lunch was planned for after so we had to top up.

We enjoyed all of the Dinos and other large bones and whatnot

It's important to pretend to get chomped by large toothy heads!

I let the girls each buy something from the museum store which they loved.

Kaylee insisted on a selfie...

Afterwards we went to Isabelle's favorite: Panda Express with dessert at Cinnabon. 

During lunch Kaylee told me I looked way older than her other grandma. LOL. Well, dang.

I said that is was probably my grey hair and maybe her other grandma used hair dye?

The evening was relaxing and we watched a movie at home which was good fun: Kpop Demon Hunters!

Saturday, the big plan was to go to the Toledo Zoo!

I always give amber the option of coming with or enjoying some alone time and she chose alone time (that girl is no dummy! That's what I would choose in her shoes)

It was hot as hades. I was constantly looking for indoor spaces and/or shade. I'm a wimp.

The highlight was feeding the giraffes!

Bald eagle maybe?

We bought dip n dots for 8 bucks a pop!

Flamingos were super cool but stinky!

Indoor bird aviary

Also an aquarium!

The girls wanted a picture of the snapping turtle because their mom doesn't like them. haha

The polar bear was out and pretty active for a bit.

We rode the train of course

Afterward I dropped the girls by their other grandparents for a cousin's bday party.

I was planning to stay but had a bad headache from the heat so decided to head home for a nap and meds.

The first thing Kaylee did when we arrived was to ask her grandma if she dyed her hair! 

Haaaa!

The answer was no...so I just look old I guess.

The only thing we missed out on that the girls wanted to do was to go to a new cafe in their town that they've head was good...but it closed at 3 pm so that'll have to happen next time!

Branden and Ryan arrived home from driving from Utah at about 5 am Sunday morning. Once we were all up, the dogs got introduced with not much trouble and we headed off to church while the guys slept some more. Balder was completely calm around me that morning which was so unusual. We're chalking it up to the fact that he was in a strange house not his own. I liked it though!

Church was nice though I stayed in the foyer due to perfumes and the fact that I'd had a headache the day before.

When we got home we played some games with Ryan but Branden had to go back to work since he'd missed Friday.

I had to head out to the airport around 4 for my flight.

Another fun, if short, visit!