I have been shamefull;y remiss...

So much happening in the last month or so since I last posted. Forgive me for my neglectful ways!!!

We have been living on an air mattress in an empty apartment with no internet, not TV, and hardly any books and only a couple outfits. I have kept myself busy cooking bone broths, lacto-fermenting peppers after fire-roasting them, seafood chowders, spaghetti squash, apple sauce, and many other delights. (God bless the inventor of the crock pot!!!)
Things are going swimmingly even as they are not....

I think our land lady started getting an idea about how much all the remodeling is going to cost her because she said she wanted to retest the apartment again to see exactly where the mold is so she knows how many rooms to tear up...fast forward a week and a half...we hadn't seen anyone coming or going to our apartment from the testing company and we called her. She said, "yeah, guess what, there is no more mold!!!" TADA! No work was done other than some cosmetic things...and yet the mold magically cleared up??!?!?!?!

Yeah right. We asked our Dr. if this was a possibility and he said no way. Sooooo, we are going to try to diffuse a blend of oils that someone recommended that is supposed to help kill the airborne spores and cut down on chances of infection. Fingers crossed that this works!!!

So, we will be trying that and will be praying that it can at least keep us from getting reinfected for the next couple months because....

....Big news....

The Mr. is getting a promotion which will result in us moving TO THE COAST! TO THE TOWN WE GO TO ON VACATION!!!!!! Away from the horrible air, the hot weather, the dead brown grass....

We are kind of in shock and there is a lot that has to be worked out (ie: housing..it's rather expensive) but we are excited too.

I'm a little scared, I've lived in this town my entire life, all my friends and most of my family are here....it will be hard....but if it's where we are supposed to be, we will make do! (Ummm, and it's gorgeous and beautiful and bike friendly and the air is clean!!!)

Also, BIG NEWS!

My new doctor has been working wonders. I am no longer allergic to EGGS! Tomatoes! Garlic! Milk! and he is working on eventually reversing all the other allergies too.
My thyroid is functioning normally!!!
I get sleepy at 11pm!!!!
I still feel tired but the lack of motivation has disappeared. (hence all the cooking!!!) So I still want naps but I don't always take them because I want to do other things more!!!!!
The infection is pretty much cleared up for me (though The Mr. and The Kidlet have since been tested and they are both starting treatment too. Poor guys!)

So yeah. I am getting better. We might get worse when we go back into that apartment, but we don't have to live there very much longer. I cannot express how amazing it is to hear things like, "____ is functioning normally".
I'm used to being the exception to the rule but it's always in negative ways like, "We don't know how it's possible for you to have THIS many issues!!!"

Now it's turned into, "I'm amazed at how quickly you are healing! It's phenomenal how much
stronger your immune system is!!!"

My mind is boggled.

So. Moving home soon. Pictures and normal blogging to resume post haste.

Miss you lovelies!

Lovies and Lagging,

-K

I'm A Sucker For Stationary!

I love stationary...adore it...hoard it...and never use it!!! It is too precious to me! Which is so silly! Earlier this week we went to Santa Cruz for the day to meet with Bruce (the Bassist, organist in the band of our dear friends Garage Voice) We walked around and ogled shops and books and music and ate and basically did nothing we wouldn't do whilst apart yet somehow it just felt richer for having been done with him. His friendship is so precious to us and he blesses us so much more than he knows. The day went by so fast and I kept feeling the urgency to "hurry up and cram things in" but the things we always wish we could do with him and the other fellows are just being together and talking and listening to music and having dinner, basically, the things we did whilst visiting them in Seattle... and we did ALL those things. The only downside was that neither Bruce nor The Mr. had all their books with them so they spend hours studying together. I think that is something that The Mr. loves most, being matched with a friend that loves learning as much as he does, and not learning to pass a test or write a paper, learning for the sheer joy of it, for the beauty of finding truth in all it's absoluteness.

This post is about stationary though...oh my goodness, so many cards and gift wrappings, and tags and embellishments and stationary sets....it PAINED me to walk away from so much loveliness, which is silly seeing as when I do buy such things I cling to them like Gollum. "MY PREEEECIOUSSSSS". My new resolution is that I AM really truly going to start using my stationary. A piece of this darling little set is going to be used to write my first letter to my new friend and fellow allergy sufferer, Jasmine.

(Sorry to give away the surprise, my dear!!! Don't worry, there will be more cuteness that you do not see here)

A letter is currently winging it's way to me from Australia thanks to her and I cannot wait to write my first note to my new Pen Pal!

The little blue book is another little curiosity I picked up and I am loving...write one tiny paragraph about whatever, each day, year long, for 5 years!!! Basically, a diary, but hopefully one I can actually stick with. I love the simplicity and the restriction of it. I can jot down a saying by The Kidlet, or some lovely happenstance I want to remember...that's the plan anyway. The point of the book is in the format, as you finish out the year and start over you do not just keep going forward you jump back to where you started and you write there, so everyday for the following years you will see exactly what you wrote the year before. I love the concept, I hope I can hold up my end of the bargain.

I also found the darling post cards at the same book shop as the book and stationary and this darling shirt on clearance at UO. I didn't realize it till I got home how everything I ended up with had such a theme. Red, Cream and Blue.

♥

Argh, this is what I get for messing with html...changed my font and now I can't figure out how to fix it. ARGH!!!

Well then I leave you with this...

May you be blessed with friends are dear and precious as our Bruce!

Lovies and Little Lovelies,

-K

PS. the bicycle pin was also from the book shop. :-)

PPS. (Weird, now it's back to normal...ish...again.) A giveaway is coming soon...it will be stationary...part of my training to learn to let go of what I am too greedy with.

Out In The Forest Again

So we had ourselves another day up in the mountains, we made it up much earlier than usual and actually got some swimming, napping (which turned into multitasking as I burned whilst sleeping....good job me.) and picnicking in. On the way home we stopped and The Mr. grabbed these shots. Man, he's getting better!!!

It was a lovely day, hopefully we can get some actual camping in soon and stay overnight.

The Mr. is back to teaching (he's works as an assistant in a special ed. program for Autism)

He does not love this job, it sucks the life from his soul. He sees children with so many problems and he is powerless to help because pretty much anything constructive is prohibited due to the always looming fear of the school board that someone might sue somebody over something. So basically he is a glorified babysitter. He just hates that there are things that could be done and his hands are tied to do anything beneficial. I could talk about this for way too long and the point of this blog (generally) is for the beauty in life, not the things that drive me crazy (though clearly, I've digressed a bit lately)

Anywho, the fact that the woman he assists is a very unpleasant and unprofessional individual doesn't help matters any. He carries the work load and yet for some reason she seems to hate him for it. I don't get it. The point of all this info is that the job he got several months ago working at a RAW Organic Dairy is going to be giving him more work and as of next month he will not have to be at the school anymore!!!! He didn't want to leave the school in a bind in the first month and just up and quit on them so he told them his plan to leave in a month and in the mean time help train whomever and then "git while the gitting is good". That teacher couldn't even let him last a week. She kept telling all his fellow workers (when he wasn't around) that she might just let him go early (which is silly for her to say because she has no power to fire people) and keeps pressuring him to leave early. He was just trying to do the right thing by everyone else and she's making him pay for it. This woman...I tell ya....ARGH!

Anyway, long story short, The Mr. will be done with that despicable school district as of tomorrow!!! Money will be tight next month but our Father always provides and we are super excited! He was going to be working 16 hour days 6 days a week for the next month. But not now!!!! YIPPPEEEE! I'd rather have him than money! He is so happy!!!

In other news, our landlady had a specialist check our apartment and he seemed skeptical about there being unsafe levels of mold but did some extra tests. They came back confirming what my doctor said....mold, lots of it, and the bad kind!

Our landlady is going to have us move into our old apartment which will soon be vacated by Ms. Allie of Thecatandthecow. I am so sad to see her go but the timing of all of this has worked out pretty well considering. Also, our rent will be cut in half whilst all the remodeling is taking place (see, it's all working out for next month already! Less money but less rent so YEA!!!)

So yeah, life is complicated but it's still pretty gosh darn good!!!

YIPPEEEE!

Lovies and Awesome Landladies,

-K

Overdue Children's Book

Dress: Buffalo Exchange

Slip: Neighbors Yardsale

Shoes: Target

Song of the Day: Psalm 91 by Garage Voice

It's been a while since I've posted about a kids book and I'm tired of posting nonsensical, whiny, crybaby rants.

So here you have it. Another child's book character inspired by a children's book. Funny thing is, we never had the books for these characters, I only found out about the books in the last couple years when I started perusing the internet trying to track down the toys that we had as children. If you have never met them or seen them, then I am sorry to say your childhood was missing a piece a whimsy. If you know these toys as well then you know about how precious they are, how wonderful the little squeak when you put your fingers in their arms and squeeze.

My mother still has our set from when we were kidlets but my big sis and I shared the one set and she can't split it up between the two of us so she keeps it at her house for the grandkidlets to play with. I have stalked ebay and have managed to come up with the mom, the dad and the log house. Hopefully I will get my mitts on the kiddo soon. Hope they strike a chord with you as well...but please don't outbid me on EBAY!!! ;-)

I found this dress last summer when we were looking at a school in Portland for The Mr.

I couldn't believe it when I noticed The Kidlet playing with the Mommy Squirrel and realized how much the outfit looks like that dress. Btw, I totally have a hat like hers. I kid you not. Seriously. I meant to take a pic of it. Darn, too bad I forgot. ;-)

Lovies and Living,

-K

PS. been messing with the layout (meaning a computer savvy friend I call O. edited it for me because I have absolutely no idea about any of it.) got myself a flickr and am trying to figure out how to get some of the pics bigger, hope you guys like the new (ish) look. :-)

BOOOOOOOOO!!!! (I will slap you in the face you rotten food allergies.)

The verdict is in.

The old allergy list has been altered....by 3!!!!

Tuna, blueberries and raspberries are now allowed back onto my place.

And I don't want to sound like an ingrate because I am indeed grateful that I can have them again....but let's be honest.....

Eggs, wheat, dairy, tomatoes.

THESE are things that are in EVERYTHING!

It would have been nice if I could eat them again.

I think my rotten attitude stems from this....

I now how 13 new allergies.

That's right.

13!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The new allergies are as follows:

Eggplant, Cantaloupe, Cranberry, Lime, Malt, Perch, Pineapple

Quinoa, Tangerine,

SUGAR CANE, LIME, MUSTARD AND GARLIC

What the what!?!?!!? I've already had my precious wheat pasta and spaghetti taken away from me....now GARLIC!?!?!?!?! And I can't have ketchup and mayo anymore (eggs and tomatoes are no-no's) and now MUSTARD!!?!?!?

Also, SUGAR CANE!?!?!!? WHAT!

WHHHHHHAAAT!?!?!!?

And HOW, pray tell, is one allergic to Tangerines and Limes but not Lemons and Oranges?!?!?!?

HOW!?!?!?!?!

I am peeved. To say the least.

Sigh.

Our landlady had a specialist come out and test our apartment today. We are waiting to hear the results. At this point if they come back negative I guess we are going to move anyway, since the issue is that I am testing sensitive to the apartment, maybe it's fine levels for someone else. (I'm a mold light weight???) But then, if they come back really high then she said she'll start gutting the apartment and tearing stuff out...but then how do we live here while she's doing that? AND what if they don't get everything out. (I've heard from various home owners that it's pretty tough to get rid of once you've got it)

So...limbo continues.

The Mr. went up to the foothills today to just be alone and pray without distractions. We are praying for guidance and clarity. That's the thing we are lacking most right now.

Clarity. Not that we demand to have all the answers, but just that we would know what we should do or not do with the info we have. Some sort of direction. (again, if you're the praying kind, feel free to add that to your list, if you feel so led)

There is an apartment a couple blocks away that is available and just so happens to be next to an old friend (and former student) that is only $25 more a month for rent (no idea on utilities) and actually has a very small second bedroom. That would be a step up for us, though I am nervous about living on a ground floor. I like be up above things, it cuts down on a lot of worries. (Wow, that statement is very revealing of my biggest weakness...worry)

But it has a garage, hook ups for a washer and dryer, heating and A/C. and partial hardwood floors. That is a huge answer to a lot of things we were praying about. The location is in the neighborhood we want but is on the corner of two MAJOR streets and there is a bus stop directly in front of the apartment. I've always wondered how the tenants handle it when I drive by and see all kinds of random people hanging out on the porch of that apartment waiting for the bus. They trash it...a lot. So, that is not ideal....but again, there's a lot about it that I like. What to do. What to do.

PS. It may or may not have a murphy bed hidden behind a built in china cabinet. How ridiculously cool is that!?!?!?!

I wasn't going to include pics with this post...but now I will.

Ladies and gents.... pics of the apartment....

This looks like a murphy bed, right!?!?!

My other concern...there seems to be NO closet space. Egad.

Sigh.

Lovies and Lentils

(which I am not allergic to...but lentils without garlic??? Meh.)

-K

The Kidlet, The Mr., Me and The Lil' Sister

This kid is too funny for words. He's getting to that really really goofy stage and it's cracking me up.

Taking a brief break from the plethora of my mum's b'day trip 2 weekends ago I will tell you about what we did this last weekend.

On a whim we decided to drive up to a lovely place in the mountains known as Dinky Creek (last summer I took some underwater pics there, if you recall.) It was very late in the day and too cold for me to swim though my lil' sis jumped in and froze her patoot off as a result. It was just so nice to get up out of the smog, smell pine trees, watch fish swim, and go rock hopping. We didn't have much time before sundown but it was nice just the same. On the way back home we stopped off and chatted it up with some horses. Nothing too exciting but lovely just the same.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tomorrow I have ANOTHER doctor's appt. with my OLD doctor (or rather current...not to be confused with the NEW doctor that thinks I have an infection in my endocrine system) to follow up on the test results we have been waiting on regarding my food allergies.

I am allergic to a bazillion (around 15) things.

Eggs, Wheat, Dairy (though raw dairy doesn't bother my as much) including butter, kidney, navy, black, and pinto beans, blueberries, raspberries, apples, tomatoes (a hard thing for an Italian that also LOVES salsa and ketchup) Tuna, Baker's AND Brewers yeast....and something else I can't remember at the moment.

She said that if I cut them all out for a long time maybe my body would calm down and I'd be able to have them again...someday....she also said it's possible to develop NEW allergies

(Please Lord, please no!)

My insurance doesn't cover this allergy test and it's quite pricey so we waited over a year and saved some money to have the test done again....

Tomorrow we find out either dreaded (nothing's changed OR I have MORE than BEFORE!!!)

or joyous (maybe I can eat some the things I've been missing again!!!) news!!!

Fingers crossed, hands clasped. Whew. We shall see what shall be.

Lovies and Lily pads,

-K

Mum's 60th B'day Part 2

The Mr. and this random guy above were doing handstands.....so of course

The Kidlet had to try it too.

Upon perusing the pics The Mr. took I have found that I make this face a lot when I'm dancing.

:-/ Oops. I had no idea. Now that I know....it probably won't stop.

The day before my Mum arrived at the coast for her surprise b'day weekend we were already there and had the delightful opportunity to experience the San Luis Obispo Farmer's Market.

If you live within driving distance, do yourself a massive favor and get your hiney over there! It's AMAZING! So much good stuff!!! I found Gluten-free, vegan banana nut bread (Why oh why did I buy more than one tiny loaf!?!?!?!) Dairy free caramel walnut clusters, and so many flowers and jams and veggies and delights and music....sigh.

I hope to go back soon!

If only we could live in that lovely town for always. Siiiigh. SLO or Seattle, I would be quite happy in either location.

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Still working on processing the possibility of moving to a new apartment, the new dietary restrictions, etc. None of this is made any easier by us trying to make a decision about whether or not The Mr. should go back to teach....which we need to decide soon since the school year is starting in 2 weeks. Siiiigh, what to do? I'm not sure what to even look for because we don't know what we will be able to afford with all of The Mr.'s work stuff up in the air. How does one budget when one doesn't know what money they will have to budget with?

Hmmmm.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lovies and Lethargy,

-K