Some lessons take so long to learn.

I should know.

As a parent, I often feel as if I’ve said things hundreds of times, and I’m still getting the same results.

Apparently, as a child of God, I’m just as disobedient. Or perhaps hard-headed.

All this coming because of simple events.

I had just dropped the boys off at school.  They had missed the bus.

After the drop off, I got some coffee.   I headed home for a shower because I had errands to run before meeting a friend.

At home I was greeted by the beep of the answering machine.  Willik had left me a message, sheepishly telling me that he’d forgotten his lunchbox in the car. Going back to school was definitely not in the plans. I was not happy.

That lasted only for a second, as I heard the Holy Spirit say — “but you GET TO take the lunch box to Willik.  Annette doesn’t get to do anything for Ellen.”

Annette is an “oak of righteousness”.  When Isaiah mentions these “oaks” in Isaiah 61:3, Dan and Annette are who Isaiah was talking about.

A week ago tuesday,  they lost their daughter after a series of tragic events.  Although they’ve been in deep grief, they’ve been able to stand firm and show thousands of people that they serve a mighty God who sustains them in the worst case scenario.

I was flooded by guilt and thankfulness as I stepped out of the house and drove back to the elementary school.

The next 20 minutes consisted of much crying as I drove.

CRYING… in thankfulness

CRYING… with guilt

CRYING… for forgiveness

… for grieving friends

… in gratitude

… in petition

… in praise

It was possibly one of the most profound and poignant lessons I’ve had with God in a long while.  I know that I will not soon forget it.

The sorrow is still plaguing me, to the point of feeling ill at times.  I cannot imagine the grief that these friends are feeling.

Perhaps the scariest thought that the Spirit brought to mind, is that here I was learning a very important lesson about gratitude, but it meant that someone else was in terrible pain.

Why was I not in pain?  Why did my lesson have to come at someone else’s expense?

It seems an awful terrible price, and I certainly don’t pretend to understand the ways in which God works, but I know that He is amazing. He made me and he knows me better than anyone ever could.  I owe Him my life, and I owe Him my praise.

I hope that I will always be able to shine His light and love brightly and that I, too, can one day be called an “Oak of righteousness” by God.

Right now, I think I’m only a Pine…

Fried rice is my favorite thing to make for an easy to use leftovers and veggies. It makes for a quick and healthy meal.

I had technically stopped at 100.

So here’s 101-105… in that order…

101 Willik at the Reading Olympics making faces….

102 the moon looking gorgeous during the day time

103 a close up of the barrel of a “gun”

104 raindrops thru the dashboard

105 palm sunday presentation, synchronized…

I did take a photo on this day!

I just haven’t uploaded… til now….

96

97

98

i’m almost caught up!

That Bible(in Portuguese) was given to me by my grandmother, when I turned 6. I believe it was my first “real” Bible.
The second book, Life Together was given to me by Taylor and Susan Field soon after I started working as a semester missionary at Graffiti Church. It’s written by Bonhoeffer, a revolutionary theologian. I think the book speaks alot to my thoughts on “doing life together” as Christians. We need each other in order to stay the course, and keep following Christ.
The third book, Carnet De Voyage, is an artist’s travel journal through Europe and Morocco. This book inspired me years ago, to start keeping a more constant journal of my own life’s events, and drawing pictures/comics qualifies as a great way to diary!
The fourth book, The Ted Dekker trilogy, Black, Red, White, is the book I’ve been reading forever. I like it, but I don’t seem to spend enough time reading, these days. So I put it with this pile to remind myself that taking time to read is good and inspirational, and I need to do it as part of my artistic time.

Anyone reading anything good, lately. Do share. I’m interested!

My sis-in-law was stuck here an extra day because of the weather, abd as she left, her kids were getting sick and throwing up.

My kids were home sick again today, so I had to get a doctor’s appointment for them.  Of course, they said it’s probably just a cold, no big deal.

I started coming down with said cold, and I feel positively awful. Advil is currently masking my symptoms and enabled me to come to the computer and do this.

But before the full onset of symptoms came on, and just after we had lunch, I spotted these bluebirds outside my kitchen window.  Credit goes to “Trick” the cat, for spotting them first and meowing a whole bunch.  I quickly got my camera, and right through the kitchen window I was able to capture several shots before they flew away.  I hope they come again, cause they are so beautiful.  They help brighten this difficult winter I’m having.

Here’s the male eastern bluebird:

and the female:

And another bird I have to research to find out what it is…

Prayers would sure be appreciated for a speedy recovery.

I made a sweet potato mango soup in the crock-pot, and it was de-lish.  I made it for friday night’s gathering.  I had my friend Liza and co. visiting for the weekend, and I didn’t want to spend all day cooking, or all night cleaning.  The crock-pot saved the day, with THE slow cooker go-to website, and Stephanie’s recipe for the soup.  It was super good.  I used Trader Joe’s frozen mangoes(half the bag) and it was yummy.  I made a double batch, and had plenty of leftovers.  It was super hearty, and everyone enjoyed it, except maybe Luke, who’s 3 and doesn’t like eating much.

I made the pumpkin chocolate chip muffins on saturday morning.  Same recipe my sister-in-law had made last weekend when we were there.  I used a little less than the spices in the directions, but they were freshly ground by me except for the cinnamon, and I think that always makes a difference.  Also, I used super premium delicious Scharffen Berber chocolate chunks, and that really put it over the top!  This year I’m stocking up on cans of pumpkin too!  That way, we can have it throughout the coming year.

Then, as a treat one day, I made chocolate rice pudding, in my recently acquired rice cooker.  It was a huge hit!  I can’t wait to try and make it again with brown rice and add other variations.

Then, yesterday, to really go nuts, I decided to make yogurt in the crock-pot.  Yes, that is really going out there.  I had made yogurt once before, but barely remember what I did. and don’t remember the results.  I had some raw milk that was on the edge, and although I had intended to make fresh mozzarella with it, since I couldn’t find readily available rennet, I decided yogurt seemed like a good idea.  QGuess what.  it was.  We just had smoothies tonight, and it was awesome!  The yogurt was perfect. It was easy, cheaper, and just as good as the store, if not better.  I will do it again, and let you know all my tips when I feel confident about the process.  You can try your hand at it by going to Stephanie’s site, once again!  Let me know how things go for you and what you learn!

More regular crafting soon!

I intended to write all along our trip, but slow connections and many activities kept me from doing so.

São Paulo

The time in Brasil was full of inspiration.  Both for my artistic soul, as well as for my “life worth living” soul.

We had a wonderful time of spent with family.  We spent time with my grandma, who recently turned 90.  That was one of the main reasons for making the trip.  Unfortunately, she is getting more forgetful, can’t see very well, and is showing her age.  I’m glad the boys got to see her, and spend some time at her house.  Albeit difficult to have many quality conversations, it was good to see her.

We also spent good times with my cousins.  Some of them I had not seen in some 15+ years.  The years prior, they’d been away from God, but now they are all serving him with their talents and families.  We had fun singing together, playing together, and just hanging out and talking.  I got to meet all their wives, and kids, and that was great.  The boys enjoyed themselves immensely playing with the little cousins.  Meeting family was one of Willik’s favorite things from the whole trip.  Fabio got to share his testimony at my oldest cousin’s church, and all in Portuguese.  It felt really good to be sharing of Christ’s love.

Speaking of sharing, that was one of the goals of the trip.  We really wanted the boys to learn a sense of gratefulness a

nd appreciation for all they have.  I’m not sure all of it sunk in yet, and we will probably need to keep on making such trips and efforts.  We spent one saturday serving alongside some friends with a church ministry to reach out to neighborhood children.  Their goal is to provide a space where the kids can  feel welcomed, and stay out of trouble.  Hear of God’s love, and get some food.  No strings attached.  They come, hang out, play soccer, and are loved.  We shared a bit about how our life is here.  Fabio shared a little about his story with God, and the kids were completely riveted.  The boys enjoyed playing soccer with them, as well as foosball and ping pong.  At the end, we gave them FBC camp t-shirts, and they loved it!  They were so happy that they put their shirts right over what they were wearing!   It was really sweet.  Some of these kids live in one room with a family of 6, with only one mattress.  And they had smiles on their faces, and made my boys feel welcome.

We also gave t-shirts to a Baptist Orphanage.  They were well received, and we were told that they had a singing engagement on the following Sunday, and needed to have the same outfit, so the t-shirts were an answer to prayer.  It’s great when we can be part of God doing something!  The kids got to have lunch with some of the kids there.  I got to hold one of 2 newborns they had at the orphanage.  It was heartbreaking to think of a 2 month old at an orphanage.  The families of those little guys were being given a chance to get their life back together, in order to be awarded custody of their kids back.  Mixed feelings on that!

We spent time with my aunt on my mom’s side, and my cousins there. My cousin Mayla is starting her PhD in the Sciences, with some emphasis on the environment.  She took us to an ecological park with animals from South America only, where she had done some of her research for her master’s degree on some of the monkeys.  She also took us on a tour of an old coffee farm and museum, where she works as a guide and teacher.  Both of those places provided us with a great outings for the boys to burn some energy as well as have a little culture brought in.  On the last day with them, my younger cousin Andre joined us.  We went to TAM airlines aviation museum.  That too was educational as well as fun for all.  I must confess that by the end of that trip, I felt I didn’t need to look at another plane for a good long time.  My aunt was my first art teacher, and she continues to do and sell many crafts.  She taught me a new stitch in crochet which I need to find some time to practice.  We ended our time in Sao Carlos with an excellent cappuccino that was drowning in a huge chunk of delicious Kopenhaggen chocolate.

While in Ribeirao, I had the opportunity to meet a fellow artist.  A friend of my cousins, who is an illustrator, and had previously commented on my blog and invited me to go to her studio.  She was so gracious in giving me some awesome Brasilian

children’s books, we exchanged some ideas, and she encouraged me to pursue some illustration venues in Brasil. Illustrators are in high demand there, and she has lots of contacts.  She actually already showed my artwork to one person who apparently liked it, and has given me their contact information.  I’m praying and thinking about what to do, and how best to show my artwork in a way that would work for children’s books.  I’m thankful for another artist to share war stories with!  It’s a blessing!

We also spent a glorious 2 days at a friend’s beach house.  Going to the beach in winter is unreal, but it’s a regul

ar occurrence in Brasil.  The boys loved it, and I got great photo ops… I wish we could have spent at least a week there.  The friends are great and it had been over 10 years since I’d seen them, and the reunion was perfect, all kids getting along and everything!

The last few days were São Paulo days.  Much inspiration from sity life, graffiti and just the lifestyle.  It’s a more spread out version of New York City, and although crime is somewhat worrisome there, it makes me feel at home.  Shopping at the central market and shopping in Japantown were highlights that are unforgettable.

I hope to be there again soon.  This time, sooner than a 9 year lapse.  Look for artwork that reflects Brasilian experiences soon!

weekend arts and crafts fair in Embu, SP

Monday was an awesome day.  Thanks to our host Sueli, who took on the role of our very own personal driver, we spent the whole day out.  We first went back to the little center of town near where they live, Embu, and walked around for some wonderful pics, and also we became the proud new owners of a handwoven, authentic hammock, that should hold the whole family!!

Then we went to an orphanage named Lar Batista.  This orphanage was one which my grandpa had been very involved in while he was alive.  We had lunch there, and the boys sat together with some other boys, and managed to have some sort of conversation in Portuguese, while they ate.  They also showed us around, and explained a little bit about what they do, which includes a sort of After school program for nearby children who live in one of 5 nearby shantytown/slums.  They teach them music, English, art, amongst other things.  They also feed them lunch.  At the orphanage currently, they have 24 children in this particular facility, but there are 4 other facilities that are supported by local baptist churches….  More on the specifics later.

We then went to a park I used to go to as a kid. Parque do Ibirapuera.  Unfortunately, it was cold and cloudy, with temperatures hovering the low 50′s, so we didn’t stay as long as we wanted.  It was good for the boys to run around.  They did get in trouble for speaking English out in public, though.  We are really trying to get Phoenix on board.  He is still being stubborn.

Going backwards, Sunday was possibly just as good, if not better.  We spent the better part of the day, after a late start, in the center of town, walking around and enjoying an arts fair.  It goes on every saturday and sunday.  It takes over the whole town.  It made me want to live here, just to be able to show and sell my work on a regular basis, in a place where value is given to it.  The art and artisan/handmade stuff was amazing, and so inexpensive that it made me feel really bad, in that they weren’t making any money.   We  drank coconut water straight from the coconut.  We then had a pretty late lunch and went to their night services.

Other random facts:

We’ve been having  brasilian coffee around the clock!  We’ve seen more than a few dogs that have no owners and just roam the streets.  Sao Paulo has much more traffic than NYC, and we spend large parts of each day in the car.  Seeing family is fun.  Poverty is a very real concept, and it makes me crazy that we have so much.  Having fresh squeezed and natural juices is part of the norm.  Yum.  A roast pig has too much fat and too many bones to make it worthwhile eating.  All my family seems to love handmade stuff, so I guess I’m not so weird after all!

“Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and  not for men.” Colossians 3:23[HCS]

Completing 40 pieces of art in 30 days is a big task.  Some might call it impossible…

Come and see what I’m doing this month at 30dayartist.com

What I’ve been thinking about is, inspiration.

Where does it come from, how do you get it, what do you do with it?

And what happens if you don’t feel inspired?  How can you paint/draw/create?

Rebecca Finch wrote a really interesting piece about inspiration last year at this time, when she did the 30dayartist run with some beautiful oil paintings.  She talks about going to the studio even when you don’t feel inspired.  I think I’m beginning to learn this lesson.  I’ve had glimpses of this, but now I’m starting to understand.

Inspiration can come from anything.  A friend mentioned being amazed and in awe of how weeds have beautiful flowers, and that is inspiring.  One might be inspired by hearing a beautiful song.  Or being in love.   Or reading a great book, or seeing a movie.  But I know I won’t have that everyday. Nonetheless, I need to draw or paint everyday, in order to keep my skills sharpened, and my mind creative and motivated.  Inspiration will come, and on those days, I will probably make the kind of painting that sells.  But even if it doesn’t, it won’t be a day wasted.

My last blog’s name was “Seeking the Muse”.  I truly want to seek the Muse. My Muse is God.  I want to know Him more, and love Him more, and I know that if my art flows from that, it will truly be Inspired.  I don’t mean to say I will paint “christian” art, but my art should be an outward flow of my love for Jesus.

Accountability is great, and I hope those of you who are joining me in this journey will check in with me and ask me how I’m doing with my art when May is over.

There are a few things that have inspired me lately.

A podcast of an interview with an art family.  This family, who I’ve “followed” for a whole is truly living the kind of life I hope to live.  They are not working for “The Man”.  Listen if that interests you…interview with Beerhosts .

Also, Danny Gregory, has been a source of inspiration for a long time.  I credit him partially with getting me back into making art regularly.  I have several of his books, and I want one of his latest ones,  An Illustrated Life,  if anyone is feeling generous.

I am also inspired by my kids.  Sure, I have those moments when I wanna pull my hair out, but I also love when they are creative(see their artwork below), and cute, and kind.  I want to inspire them to do great things.  I want them to be inspired by my being diligent and doing the best I can do as a mom, a wife and an artist…okay, as a housekeeper too….

“The music  that really turns me on is either running toward God or away from God. Both recognize the pivot, that God is at  the center of the jaunt.” Bono

“Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working”
Picasso

“Inspiration is for amateurs;  the rest of us just show up and get to work.”
Chuck Close

Join me in the journey over at http://30dayartist.com

Leave your comments and feedback there.

I drew a cat.  Our newly rescued cat– “Trick”

See it here.

Today, we got a cat!

Actually, I’d been wanting a cat for a while.  I’d always said that when we got our own house, I had wanted a cat. We’ve now been here for almost 2 years.  It was time.

Also, I now have my studio in order, and ready to be there regularly, and it will be nice to have company while I make art.

The boys are very happy as well, and truthfully, they made the choice on this cat, more than I did.  We did like one other cat at the Bucks spca, but he wasn’t as playful and friendly, and this guy clearly won all our hearts.

His name was Patrick, and we’re changing it to “Trick”.  We figured this was a nice transition, and shouldn’t scar him for life, plus I have to admit, I’m not a fan of animals with human names.  It doesn’t seem right.  He also was full of tricks and playfulness at the shelter, so it just seemed right.

He is a 3 year old male.  He was in a home before, but they gave him up because apparently they had too many pets.  He’d been there for about a month and a half, and although shy at first, he’d definitely had come around. He chased every toy the boys put in front of him, and even thru all the commotion of many people in the “cat room”, he was still playing.

He is a mix, with some tabby and possibly some Maine Coon in him.  He is big, and gentle.

Right now he is too scared to come out from behind the toilet,  but I’ll be excited to share many pictures, and hopefully get a few drawings and paintings of him too.

Yesterday was a beautiful day. It was more like summer than spring.
After the boys came home from school and got their homework done, they went to play outside.
They were there a long time, as I started to get dinner ready.
All of a sudden, they both came in and brought me tons of flowers they’d collected.
Here’s what I got…

After some coffee and a nice shower, I had renewed spirits and strength.  I decided to paint, and film myself in the process.

Of course, after watching it back(I didn’t even finish watching), I was bored to tears, and decided that if anyone would want to watch it, it would have to be much, much shorter, and speedier.  Enter video editing, where you spend too much time accomplishing nothing.

I finally got it done last night, and it’s now ready for publication.  So, if you want to waste (you’ve been warned!) 2+ minutes of your life, and see a little bit of the process of it coming together, here it is.

If you don’t want to watch it, that’s totally okay as well.  I’ll even put a picture here, so you can still feel like reading this post wasn’t a waste of your time.

Here is a not so great shot of where I stopped yesterday.  I need a few more “go’s” at it before it’s done.  I’m liking it, although I’m not loving the surface.  More on that later.

I don’t shop much for clothes, or shoes or make-up.

I don’t get my nails done, I don’t get massages or go to the spa.

In a rare moment, I buy something for the kitchen.  That is something I use, but it will benefit the whole family.

Of course, there are things I want, but being as I don’t bring in any “mula” for the family, I don’t feel like shopping for myself is really warranted.

That’s not to say I couldn’t name 50 things I would want, if given the choice.

The things I want more often, though, are things that relate to making art of some kind.  This is where I usually end up spending.

So, when I earned a “monetary thank-you ” from our  previous church, Graffiti for doing some design, I decided that this time I would be self-indulgent.  I decided that I would buy one of 3 things I’ve been wanting to add to my photography gear.  Choosing between a flash, a new lens and a tripod was a hard choice.  Each had it’s merit, and would be so useful.  But in the end, I chose what would be most fun.  A new lens.

I bought a Sigma telephoto lens.

I’ve had it for 2 days, and I’m already loving the ability to snap a closer look at the birds in my yard.

I will be posting pictures on my photoblog early next week, as soon as I get a chance to preview my photos, and pick the best ones.  Stay tuned for a more thorough review.

In a large crock-pot, put 2 quarts of water and the package of canjica. Turn it on low, and forget about it.
About 5 or 6 hours later, check it for taste. It should taste soft and chewy, sorta like al dente pasta. There should be some water at the bottom still, but most of it will have been absorbed by the corn.
At this point, add the cans of sweet condensed milk, and the regular milk. Also add the cinnamon sticks and the cloves(in a cheese cloth or in a tea infuser) and the shredded coconut. Try to work quickly, in order to lose as little heat from the pot as possible. Stir it all in, and close it up again.
Put it on high, and let it start to bubble. About an hour and a half later, this should be ready to serve.  Give it a really good stir.
Pour it into a bowl, add some powdered cinnamon and some peanuts on top.
Enjoy!
Some other tips:

This makes alot. Whatever you don’t eat, separate into several containers, and freeze the rest or refrigerate some for the day after for desert or breakfast.
When re-heating, add a little milk or half and half to thin it out a bit.
Another good addition is a teaspoon or so of peanut butter.

If you try it, let me know how it turned out, and if you like it!

Thanks Pink Bites for a good canjica recipe in English measurements for me to go from; and for enlightening me to other brazilian recipes.

Thanks everyone for playing!
More contests in the future!

This is a sparrow.  They are the “common” bird around, but even they, when perching, have a very regal look, and it’s nice to get my camera and take some photos to get a closer look.  I only see some of the details once I upload these photos.  Of course, it makes me want a zoom lens, but that just has to wait.In the meanwhile, I will paint some of the birds I’ve photographed.  Here’s the first one.

5″x7″ on 140lbs. watercolor paper

Even more so, is making fresh bread yourself.  And then, if you can turn out a loaf that rivals the bakery, then you’re really in for a trip!

About a month ago, I was reading about nearby farm, and a blog associated with it.  The people writing the blog are writing about the vegetables they are getting weekly from the farm, and what they are making with it.

In one of their entries, they mentioned an apparently famous internet phenomenon, the no-knead bread.

New York Times’ No-knead Bread

Yeah, I had never heard of it either, so I went on a search to find out what it’s all about.  There I go, spending more time online than I should, but yet, finding such a treasure can be merited.

I also came across another site, Breadtopia, which is really helpful with more videos of the bread making process, as well as other variations, and other people’s attempts, and their comments.

Anyway, I tried it 2 times now.  The first time, I think the yeast I was using wasn’t very active, and kinda old, so the bread was good, but it didn’t rise much.

The second time, the result was entirely different, and it was delicious, and it looked every bit as good as other bakery bread.

See?!

Yup, I made this!  And it was super yummy.

Anyway, I pretty much followed the Breadtopia’s recipe, with a few variations.

Here’s my take:

2 cups white bread flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 teaspoon instant yeast(it might be called “breadmachine” yeast, but don’t use active dry yeast, or rapid yeast)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 cup purified(bottled)  room temperature water

How to prepare:

Mix all the dry ingredients first.  Then pour the water in and mix it together until a wet dough forms.

Cover your bowl with a plastic bag, and let it sit on your counter for at least 12 hours, but 18 hours is best.

The dough will have risen considerably!!

Once the time’s up, generously flour your work area.  Put the dough over the floured area, and spread it out into a big oval.  Fold it into 3, and then once over itself.  Cover it with seran wrap, and let it rest for 15 minutes.

While waiting, get another large-ish bowl, baste it lightly with olive oil, (and in my case, I dusted it lightly with wheat bran, but it’s not a necessity).

Once the 15 minutes have passed, grab the dough and form it lightly into a ball, and put it into your oiled bowl, and cover it with a cotton towel.  Let it sit for about an hour and a half.

When there’s about a half hour left, turn your oven on to 475 F( I might try 500 with my next loaf) and put your dutch oven with the lid(or other covered pot) in the oven, so it can get hot as well.

When everything is piping hot in the oven, pull your pot to the edge, grab your dough and carefully(don’t burn yourself!) put the dough, which will have risen again, in the pot.  (Watch the video above, and you’ll see what I mean.) And cover the pot again!

Bake for 25-30 minutes, remove the lid, and bake for another 10-15 minutes.

You’ll be amazed at the results.

Let it cool a little in a cooling rack, and then cut into it!

It’s awesome with some butter!

And now, I will go eat a slice, before I have to pick up the boys.

Let me know of your questions or attempts, and I’ll let you know of mine!

If you don’t know, I was born and spent all my childhood in Sao Paulo, Brazil– “the most populous in Brazil, in South America and in the southern hemisphere.”

Then my family immigrated to the U.S. and I’ve lived in NYC for most of the rest of my life.  So, I am a city girl.

What you may not know is that I spent a summer in Southeast Oklahoma–completely rural, and then I spent 6 months, living right outside Yosemite National Park living in a double-wide trailer by the Merced River.  I also lived in the Mojave Desert, in a little Marine Corps station town called 29 Palms.  So although a city slicker, I’ve had my share of non-city life.

So, it was with my joy, that I pursued an attempt at getting a riding mower for our lawn.  The new ones at Lowe’s are well over $1000 and the much coveted John Deere models come close to $2000 and some surpass it.  It was with much chagrin that I swallowed Fabio’s words as he’d told me I’d need to sell some artwork if we were to get a riding tractor/mower.

But alas, my heart was not dissuaded, and I found several listed on craigslist for around $300.  Lo and behold, it was worth my efforts, and the guy we purchased it from was so nice, that he drove back to our house with Fabio to help him unload the thing, and he also gave him a gas-powered weed-wacker.  That, my friends, is life in the country.

So, I was  very excited to relive the Oklahoma farm days by mowing immediately, as our grass was more than in need for a trimming.

Let’s just say that after emptying 4 double bags of grass, I still have more than half a yard to go.  But boy am I glad.  And if you feel like you need a little farm-like time, give me a holler, and I just might let you take a ride.

Check me out in all my glory, and get a little glimpse of our yard with the photos below.

The Mircats Inn should be open for visitors in October.  Start your bookings now…  All we ask for are some NYC unique food gifts such as: bagels, assorted International foods, and some real brazilian coffee.

Dublin Borough: 2,083

–

NYC land mass: 304.8 square miles

Dublin:3/4 mile square

–

NYC landscape: islands and skyscrapers and government housing

Dublin: farms (dairy, veggie and beef)

–

Our previous apartment: 2nd floor of a 3 family home

Now: 2-story house

—

before: no yard

now: 1/2 acre

–

before: not enough closets

now: plenty of good closets, basement and garage and “attic” space

–

gas prices: Above $4/gallon

now: $3.54/gallon at our last fill-up

–

before: dropping off laundry or washing at my parents’ house

now: laundry in the basement

–

before: 1hour and a half to get both boys to thrie respective schools

now: one school, 3 miles away

–

before: lots of friends and awesome church family

now: I don’t know anyone, and we haven’t found a church yet.

Those are some of the cahnges I can think of right now.

Lots of great ones, but definitely some hard ones as well.

Although we have a nice, strong wooden loft bed, Willik has a strong wooden loft bed, and Phoenix has a custom made wooden bed with a bookshelp headoboard, we cannot take these with us.

Our bedrooms at the new house have low ceilings, and we won’t be able to fit these in there.

So, we’d like to give them away…

We are taking the boy’s twin mattresses, however.

So, who wants or needs a bed, or knows someone who could use a new loft bed, let them see the pictures below, and drop us a comment, and we’ll be in touch…

They’ll have to come and help disassemble. Depending on the day, we might be able to help you get the bed to where you need to go.

These will be available til August 5th.

Click on each photo to read more info.

The first bunch is for Willik’s top twin loft.

The second batch is Phoenix chucky custom twin.

The last is our full-size loft.

Enjoy, and please help us give these beds good homes.

Someone asked me last week what percentage of our stuff we had packed.  I said, more hopefully than realistically, that we had done maybe 20%.  When I told Fabio, he said we had done maybe 5%.  That was depressing.

So this weekend, we got more boxes from the liquor store, and I packed some of the less used stuff from the high kitchen cabinets, and found more stuff to give away, which means, less to actually move.

Tomorrow will mark exactly 2 weeks to settlement.  So today, I was trying to take care of some of the business of moving.

I called some of the utility companies to transfer service, and researched a bit about phone and internet choices.  I also made copies of our previous car insurance stuff, in order for our new home and car insurance to become effective on time.

We got a couple more estimates from the radon specialists, so we have to decide when and what we’ll do about that.

Yesterday I talked to a cleaning lady about doing a hardcore cleaning before we move in, so that’s all settled.

So the home stretch is definitely in view.  I can’t believe this dream, of having a home, which is been brewing in my heart for 3 years, is finally coming true.

God is so good! He’s so good to me.  I can’t wait to see the boys running around in the backyard, and loading the dishwasher, and washing clothes in my own house. Yes, I’m excited about these things, and have even been making up songs about this.

Too bad all this couldn’t happen where we would be suspended somewhere in/above NYC–then we wouldn’t have to leave our church, friends and family.