Summer of Love

Megan loves Volkswagons, and so do I, so in paying homage to the hands-down greatest scrawlable vehicles the West Coast has ever seen, here are some pictures: It's yellow. *sigh* It's GREEN! *very audible sigh*

The yellow one is for you, and the green one is for me, and if I were the poetic type, I would pen a song right about now

Just Beachy

Well, Spring is getting hotter, and Summer is knocking at the door. Of course, Summer means swimming, and swimming means wearing a bathing suit of one kind or another. (just a warning to any guys, this whole thing is going to be pretty non-applicable to you) As the rest of the nation gears up to don their -ahem- less than decent swimwear, conservative people (especially women and girls) are faced with the quandary of how to enjoy the hot weather and still retain a modicum of modesty.
I wore the generic "one-piece" until I was about 11, and around that time we (my parents & I) decided that standard bathing suits did not incorporate enough material into their construction. So, we began our search. First, we got one of those stretchy little skirt things to go over my current suit. That was far from satisfactory. Then, in 2004, we discovered the bathing suits offered by the Hopkins family: http://swimmodest.com/ They are Mormons, and I consider their suit to be agreeably modest, and though the price is a bit steep for my liking, it is a good option for those who do not sew.
There are several other companies who make fine suits, but my favorite is Simply Modest Swimwear: http://www.modestswimwearsolutions.com/ Crystal Huyben has made a lovely, easy to follow pattern in multiple sizes, and that is how I make my own suit. Lycra fabric can be obtained at relative inexpense on Ebay, and it is such fun to choose your own materials!
Here is a picture from last year (when I still had long hair!)

These suits offer great ease of movement, and depending on the weight of fabric you choose, they aren't heavy, confining "bags." The length of sleeves, skirt, and leggings are all variable according to your taste. With that, I wish you all a happy, modest summer.
P.S. another benefit of more coverage is you don't get so much sunburn! :-)

How to go insane

Project DeCaffeination: Day 3

Ugh. Yesterday, I had not a single drop of coffee. I didn't realize how dependant I am on the "Christian drug of choice." After getting 2 or 3 hours of sleep, I had one cup. And a good thing too, because I was unexpectedly asked to go clean a three-story house for 4 hours. (thanks Mrs. Underhill, I really did have fun!) *sigh. I'm back to square one. Maybe I'll cut out sugar. I don't get withdrawal syptoms with no sugar. But coffee... my purification might have to wait for another day.

Decaffeinated

The Plan: eliminate all but "social" caffeine intake.
The Quarry: Myself
Progress So Far: Close to Nil
Day 2 of..... a really long time.
Yesterday I blew it. I drank approx 3/4 cup of black coffee. It really did help me, but later that evening, I didn't have any, so I woke up late & feeling like a piece of trash. This might be harder than I had estimated. Hopefully, it will be worth it.

E. Glacier

We spent our weekend in East Glacier. Besides having a severe cold on Saturday (a day when Megan & I got quality "two friends lazing on the couch" time) it was mildly enjoyable. And we got cool pictures.

Saturday Night

A Little Levity

Ok, so now that I've had a good cry, I can post something which would fall into the "stupid" category. Check out the convoluted geneological journey that Ray Stevens takes in
"I am My Own Grandpa."

Fly

Have you ever had one of those distant, foggy little memories that you kind of keep to yourself, unsure that what you "remember" was even documentable fact?
Well, I had a moment like that today. Over the past few months, I've had this urge to look up a song that I remember listening to when I was little. Younger. Whatever.
The only catch was that I couldn't recall anything about it, except that it was sung by a lady who dedicated it to her niece who had died. That was it, and just as I was becoming quite frustrated with myself, I decided to ask Mom about it. Stupid me; I should've tried that in the first place. When I mentioned it she said, "Wow, you remember that? That was Celine Dion."
I liked Celine Dion?!?! That was a surprise. Trouble was, neither of us could remember the title. So, after a few minutes of searching, we found that it was called "Fly."
So, I might sound like a major sap, but I'll confess, that is one of the only songs that can make me cry. In fact, I'm tearing up as I write this. Maybe it's hayfever. Anyway, if you are up to hearing something sentimental, I added Fly to my playlist, @ the very bottom.

Something Blue

Adorable blue shoes by Fluevog. Totally impractical, but how fun!

Amore Musica

Yesterday, I received my first album of Russell Watson: Amore Musica. I like Watson's operatic style so much, it reminds me that being cultured doesn't have to hurt. A really easy guy to listen to, he chose a beautiful selection of familiar, obsure, and original songs for this album.

Special thanks to Ridge for getting me hooked on this music.