What a difference a week makes. Since the Dr. suggested I may have Celiacs Disease, I have been on a gluten free diet. Hence the AA chip. I think the chip is appropriate because I feel like I am in the early days of sobriety. My head is clear for the first time in quite a few weeks. And the cravings are still ever present. Gluten free means no bread, rolls, cake, cookies or anything made with wheat, rye or barley flour. Even the seemingly "good stuff" can be off limits--balance bars for example. I have become reacquianted with the vegetable. And my new best friend is the George Foreman grill. I never made kabobs this pretty unless I was serving to book club.

Last night I spent a hour or so looking at The Story People website. When I first started blogging, I would insert a story of the day. So here's one entitled INVENTION for this picture:

I always wanted to invent something that would move around & make funny noises & would change the world as we know it & I forgot all about that until we had kids & now I see I came pretty close.
Enough for now...love to all.

Okay, sorry but I just read another one that made me crack up called BAD FIT

Certain types of people don't fit in here, she told me when we first moved in.
Just assume you're one of them & you'll be fine.

Okay really enough...love to all.

One more quick post tonight. I have had a couple of people comment lately about the name "Luscious Chaos." I cannot claim ownership cause I took it from a most unconventional artist/storyteller named Brian Andreas. http://www.storypeople.com/storypeople/Home.do.
If/when you check out his site, be prepared to waste an hour of two laughing. And when you find a piece that touches you particularly please share it with me in the comments.
Really enough for now...love to all.

As CP wrote, we will all remember where we were on that beautiful, crisp morning in September 6 years ago. I had just quit my job to be a SAHM and we were in process of revising our lives to live "providently" on one income. It was the first morning in our newly downsized home and I was waking to a day of unpacking. It addition to the shock and horror of watching the planes shatter buildings, I felt the intense urge to drive to my children's school and bring them home for protection. There was such an eerie feeling that there was more coming.

So where did the Tates spend this 9/11? At Disneyland. Okay, I know this would seem to trivialize the day, potentially to be renamed "Patriots Day." However, while chatting with a couple while waiting for a show to begin, I got a new perspective.

This couple told me that they wanted to celebrate our uniquely American way of life and freedom enjoying themselves pumping money into the American economy. Those who perpetrated the horrific event would much prefer us to spend our day remembering the vulnerability we all felt when we saw this tragedy playing out in major cities at the same time. I like the idea of celebrating our freedom in a truly magical place where I can do and wear and buy and say almost anything I want (The recent Southwest incident reminds me that freedom has some boundaries). So today I will spend a few minutes thinking of some incredible sacrifices and be ever grateful for my blessed life.

Besides the lines were incredibly short.

Enough for now...love to all.

AN UGLY HANDMADE PRESENT IS NOT A GIFT

Since I have to spend time resting, I decided to start crocheting again. I got this idea to make scarfs for the girls in my family. I love to give and receive handmade items. I have often stated that "the love is in the stitches." However, while I was crocheting, I had a strange memory hit me like a brick wall. My Grandmother was very talented in all the..let's just call them "vintage arts." She could quilt, crochet, knit and can with the best of her generation. When I was ten, crocheted ponchos were totally cool and I asked her to make one for me. In the seventies, the color palette was mostly comprised of neon bright colors. Well, she finished the poncho and put it in the mail. It was beautifully made but the yarn she used was a varigated autumn mix. Beautiful for my then 70 year old Grandma, not so hip for a ten year old. I wore the poncho often but never felt quite right. This might have something to do with the only dress I had to wear it with, an olive green Deseret Industries dress that was missing the first button. In my fourth grade school pictures, you see a big ole safety pin in place of a button. The poncho veed perfectly to highlight my second hand dress. Over the years, I have always had a strange sensation when looking at amazing items with questionable color palettes. I feel a stitch in my heart because at this point in my life I am fully aware and awed at the time and skill these pieces take. And also I connect with the desire to see the receiver of homemade gifts really love the item and not have to fake it. After all, you really can't exchange or re-gift these personalized items. You are kind of under some type of obligation to wear or use the item especially in front of the creator. My dear friend Barbara marshalled members of my book club to contribute quilt blocks to this beautiful lap quilt. I sat down and cried when I opened this 'perfect' gift. The colors are amazing, the sentiments as touching. I know the work that went into this gift and was such a perfectly timed and wholly appreciated gift. I am touched to tears everytime I think about it.

So now to the heart of this post--is this yarn ugly? If I made you this scarf would you wear it out of obligation or choice? I chose the red because Amanda is a UTES fan and could use a scarf for the games. All of a sudden I have turned into my grandmother. Full of self-doubt as I no longer know what colors are cool. One step away from making crocheted toilet paper covers, I need your help. You know I don't often stoop to begging for comments but if you read this post and don't normally leave comments--today is the day. Sign up for a Google account and leave me your opinion. The Tate Family Christmas is hanging in the balance.

Enough for now...love to all.

Well this post will be a rambler cause I wanted to document a couple of things Spencer said to me yesterday on the way to the Walmart. We are driving down the street and he says, "Mom, this really is a great neighborhood to live in isn't it?." Continuing with, "I'm so glad that we don't live in Long Beach, that's where all the Junk Jackers live." Okay, I'm sure there are plenty of you out there that are so much cooler than I am. I had heard of car jackers, but junk jackers. Okay, apparently Junk Jackers are people who will steal anything, any ole junk. I guess there is an elaborate networks of junk fencers who want the junk. Who would have guessed that is going on in Long Beach?

Later, as we are pulling into the parking lot, he says, "Walmart, better be living up to their committments!" He was concerned about their statement, "always low prices." He is so amazingly random right now. I could listen to him philosophize for hours, until he launches into a conversation about the intricate characteristics of various Pokemons. He launched that topic and as gently as possible, I told him that I really don't follow Pokemons and that maybe we could talk about something interesting to both of us. He just looked at me and said, "Mom, I have tried to teach you." Then he said, "Sometimes it is not that the Teacher is not ready to teach but that the student is unwilling to learn."

How true my profound Son!

Enough for now...love to all