Many Happenings

My children are fun. I don't write about them often, but they are a constant source of amusement. A few mornings ago, I went into get the kids out of bed and as soon as I opened the door Aubrey belted out, "ME!" (mehh) I don't think it was intentional, but it was funny because I usually get Johnny out first. She was kind of asserting her little need to be first, I guess.

Today at lunch, Johnny stuck a shard of a chip in his sandwhich and held it out to me, singing oh, so softly, "happy . . . to you; happy . . . to you."

They are starting to fight. Not an occasional scuffle or one-sided toy snatching, but all out mutual shrieking and grabbing and clinging. We had an episode in the bathroom Saturday night that would persuade any childless person to never, ever want children. It involved two haircuts, a screaming child, a spray bottle, hairs all over the bathroom and two shrieking children in a tub either trying to steal a plastic boat or throwing themselves over the boat to prevent the other from getting it. The night ended with screams and soap and more screams. And, yes, hair on every surface of the bathroom--whew!!!

I am enjoying spring without camp looming ahead. A lot of things are getting done around the house since I'm not working on camp in spare moments, but I am still having pre-camp anxiety dreams.

Last night, I dreamt that it was the first day of camp and I was sitting amongst the campers as the skit narrator/camp pastor/main character was telling the Bible Story. He almost said a dirty word twice and then gave up and bolted away, leaving a pavilion full of people staring at an empty stage. I looked back at Matthew and somehow I realized that I was supposed to get up on stage and finish the lesson. When I got up there, I realized that I didn't know the Bible story AT ALL and sneaking glances at the Bible, I told the entire camp something about Moses and Mary being without sin. Yep. Not a good dream.

Pretty much every element of that dream has a basis in camp past. I won't go into details.

And, news upon news: I have been given permission to paint my walls! The only restriction was that I use semi-gloss or gloss. Umm, okay!!! When our house was painted after the remodel, the contractor ordered flat paint. Now flat does hide imperfections, but it shows dirt like nobody's business. Every but or scratch against a wall leaves a mark. I could steadily apply Magic Eraser and get nowhere with it. The hallway is particularly bad.

I'm going to do the kitchen first, then the hall. I have a khaki-ish color I used in the bathroom that I was pondering for the kitchen walls and backsplash. Does anyone else have any ideas? Should I be bold and exciting?

Green and Copper

That is what I love. Green and copper make my heart sing. Somewhere along the road of decorating I had forgotten that. Green is my absolute favorite color for decorating. Excepting a changing table, though, there is no green furniture in my house! I'm going back to it now. I just painted my kitchen chairs mint green. I was hoping it would look more celadon, but mint rocks, plus it kind of glows at night!

I need to paint my table now. It's a fake farmhouse table that we pulled out of a dumpster. You know the butcher block wood with the turned legs. They are prolific. I love the shape, but the black legs with the wood top on top of a bamboo floor are just kind of tired. I am thinking red!

My question is: should my table be red on top and bottom or just red on the bottom and a white top? Am I crazy for wanting a red table? I can't leave it black 'cause it will cause me to think of mint chocolate chip constantly--and that's not a good thing.
The lady I boarded with in college had a red table and chairs in her breakfast room and they were such a comforting and familiar thing.

Anyway, folks. Please leave input. Also, pray that I get twenty thousand things done in the next twelve hours. Including a birthday party, trip to Wal-mart, Dirt Cheap, 90 minutes of driving and possibly painting more furniture.

Bargain of the week

Dirt Cheap in Collins, Hattiesburg, and most likely Magee and other locations is selling Lands End bathing suits at a great price right now!

For fifteen dollars I got this top (in turquoise) and three different bottoms. That was the TOTAL. There are lots of sizes and styles and options. Each piece is priced at 3.50, but you do have to dig through the pile to find your size and style. Lands End suits are amazing and have lots of modest options. I would have spent well over a hundred dollars ordering all these through Lands End. It's definitely worth a trip down south.

I am always glad to accompany people to Dirt Cheap--so, if any of my faithful readers need a tour guide . . . .

An Open Letter to President Obama

Dear Mr. President,

I just wanted to thank you for delaying the switch over to the digital television system. Since I had procrastinated on buying a converter box, it was most rewarding to be able to continue enjoying my favorite network shows without having purchased the box. I am looking forward to many more weeks of not buying the box and watching my favorite shows.

In that spirit of cooperation and grace and enabling, I ask you to please consider postponing daylight savings time for a week or two. I'm just not ready to lose that hour this weekend. Early, early church is a bit too much for me given the economy and all.

Sincerely,
Bodene

Gourds?

I just realized that while my blog is called Gourds are Gorgeous and Organic, I have a collage of buttons in green and red and white, which are not at all gourd colors. Nor does the address: bodene have anything to do with gourds. I have some major consistency (is that the right way to spell the consistency of which I speak?) issues here people.

I also spoke last week (OH, so optimistically) of posting photos. But, my hard drive is full and our burner is broken which means I haven't been able to upload any photos to our computer in a while. Alas, poor Yorick!

Things are being done and projects are being tackled, but mostly people, I have been sick. The yucky, deceptive, vicious crud. When the pines are dusted with the chartruese pollen, I am made sick.

Spring is wonderful, but certain portions of spring are very, very bad on this allergy suffering woman. My mother in law has a beautiful yard, planted with gorgeous flowers, backed with a stunning rye grass field and ringed with pine plantations. Need I say that the very MOMENT I get out of the car to visit her in the spring, I begin sneezing and the rest of the visit is spent one of two ways: Option one: sneezing and blowing my marathon/sprinting runner of a nose on whatever is handy. (Generally rough paper towels, 'cause the angel soft just doesn't hold up). Option two: take any of those remarkable otc anti-histamines and promptly go to sleep for the duration of the visit. Not only am I insanely allergic to spring, but I am insanely sensitive to any and all antihistamines. I talking about weak, floppy limbs, fuzzy-headedness, inability to operate machinery, sleeping for days on ONE DOSE.

If I were a super hero, I'd be Paula the Immune. I never, ever, catch anything contagious. I could go into nasty bathrooms, empty trash cans, mop floors, baby-sit snotty children (wait, I did all of that in college!) and never get sick. But, all the evil axis of anti-superheros would have to do to bring me down is dust me with pollen and rye grass and/or slip some benadryl, zyrtec, claritin or allegra into my beverages. Then, I'd be a goner.

Yep. So . . . I am sick. I feel okay as long as I'm sitting or lying down. The moment I stand up, it's all over. This isn't very conducive to caring for children or keeping up with laundry. Johnny keeps taking off his diaper and wetting the bed. I'm out of crib sheets and who knows when they'll make it into the wash--the line is so long. I have learned that you can make up a bed with a sari, or a king size fitted sheet if necessary. I can laugh at tomorrow however, 'cause the kids are going to my moms and she has clean crib sheets. Lord-willing, I can down some nyquil or other miracle drugs and sleep this sinus crud off.