:::12 on the 12th -- It's a Celebration:::

1. I've been on a washcloth bender for a couple of weeks now.
2. One of the local PBS station plays two episodes of Eastenders every Saturday morning. I. love. it. The episodes are like 5 years behind, so I enjoy googling the cliffhangers.
3. Blue skies.
4. Home pedicure.
5. Lovely coworker Erica painting the prettiest vase at All Fired Up.
6. Shorty chose to do this fused glass thing-y.
7. Oh, I struggled mightily making a design decision.
8. My friend's little sister was in town and she made these coconut orange cupcake delightfullnesses of wondrous glory.
9. Shorty gave me this framed vintage Utah postcard. I love it so much. Seriously, this is one of those gifts that is just so perfect that I never would have known to ask for.
10. Group photo. Many thanks to Shorty and Carissa who have made sure that I've had awesome birthday celebrations for the past three years. I can't believe how nice they are to me.
11. I took this botched self-portrait during my cab ride home. I have no idea what happened, but I like the streaky lights running through me eyes.
12. Birthday card and gift from Jill. She takes the best photos.

:::I Won't Bring Up the Tapioca Because I Know That Hurts Your Feelings:::

{Posing for Scott}

Yesterday, my oldest sister turned fourty-three.

Woops, thirty-three. Sorry, Sarah.

Sarah is the oldest. I think you know what that means...Need I say more?

Woops, I keep forgetting that birthday posts are supposed to be nice.

Let me begin again.

Sarah is old.

Ha! Ok, ok. I'll stop. Honestly, mom. I'll stop.


Let me give you a small taste of Sarah's life right now.

{Working on numerous craft projects at the same time. In full disclosure, in this picture she's sewing the bag I made her make me the last time I visited. I kept telling her in my best Kathy Lee voice what a good little seamstress she was.}

{Diapering the child that will break her.}

{Feeling like a failure as a mother on a daily basis. Who knew motherhood was so rewarding!!}

{Cleaning up one mess as another is made.}

{Driving all over the town taking two kids to two different schools and running errands.}

{Taking care of the dog that everyone else wanted more than she did.}

{She takes care of the fish that I bought for Sophia. Ha! Sorry, dude.}

{She fixes real dinner every night and packs some for Donny's lunch the next day. One night I got hungry and ate part of his lunch by accident, but that's neither here nor there.}

But sometimes she has fun, too. Like when we went to the bounce house and she went down the slides with each of her kids.

And she's good at being nice to her kids even though they are taking years off her life.


And she's crazy. Also that.



Happy Birthday Sarah! We all love you and hope that sometime soon you'll take a well-deserved break. You just hang in there, just hang in there...

:::birthday:::

still not feeling the posting vibe, so here you go.

my birthday (last thursday, not today) was fantastic, probably the best of my life. generosity poured forth from coworkers, housemates, friends, and family.

the best part --the very best part -- was the surprise party that my friends at the house threw for me. i was so happy that i couldn't stop smiling. i've secretly wanted a surprise part my entire life. check.

on sunday i went to elizaben's for dinner. it was very good, of course. i made a coconut cream pie and brought the leftovers home to my friends.

great birthday. couldn't have asked for a better day.

:::birthday eve:::

i have no blogging motivation right now, but i need to post about my birthday before it's no longer of interest.

to celebrate birthday eve, i...

picked up a bunch of birthday mail...

steamed all of my sweaters...

and read my favorite scripture...

:::27 today:::

Grow old along with me!
The best is yet to be,
The last of life, for which the first was made:
Our times are in his hand
Who saith, "A whole I planned,
Youth shows but half; trust God: see all, nor be afraid!''

...

Rejoice we are allied

To that which doth provide

And not partake, effect and not receive!

A spark disturbs our clod;

Nearer we hold of God

Who gives, then of his tribes that take, I must believe.

Then, welcome each rebuff

That turns earth's smoothness rough,

Each sting that bids nor sit nor stand but go!

Be our joys three-parts pain!

Strive,and hold cheap the strain;

Learn, nor account the pang; dare, never grudge the throe!

...

Not once beat "Praise be thine!

I see the whole design,

I, who saw power, see now Love perfect too:

Perfect I call thy plan:

Thanks that I was a man!

Maker, remake, complete,--I trust what thou shalt do!''

...

Therefore I summon age

To grant youth's heritage,

Life's struggle having so far reached its term:

Thence shall I pass, approved

A man, for aye removed

From the developed brute; a God though in the germ.

And I shall thereupon

Take rest, ere I be gone

Once more on my adventure brave and new:

Fearless and unperplexed,

When I wage battle next,

What weapons to select, what armor to indue.

Youth ended, I shall try

My gain or loss thereby;

Leave the fire ashes, what survives is gold:

And I shall weigh the same,

Give life its praise or blame:

Young, all lay in dispute; I shall know, being old.

...

Thoughts hardly to be packed

Into a narrow act,

Fancies that broke through language and escaped;

All I could never be,

All, men ignored in me,

This, I was worth to God, whose wheel the pitcher shaped.

Ay, note that Potter's wheel,

That metaphor! and feel

Why time spins fast, why passive lies our clay,--

Thou, to whom fools propound,

When the wine makes its round,

"Since life fleets, all is change; the Past gone, seize to-day.''

Fool! All that is, at all,

Lasts ever, past recall;

Earth changes, but thy soul and God stand sure:

What entered into thee,

That was, is, and shall be:

Time's wheel runs back or stops: Potter and clay endure.

He fixed thee 'mid this dance

Of plastic circumstance,

This Present, thou, forsooth, would fain arrest:

Machinery just meant

To give thy soul its bent,

Try thee and turn thee forth, sufficiently impressed.

...

But I need, now as then,

Thee, God, who mouldest men;

And since, not even while the whirl was worst,

Did I--to the wheel of life

With shapes and colors rife,

Bound dizzily--mistake my end, to slake thy thirst:

So, take, and use thy work:

Amend what flaws may lurk,

What strain o' the stuff, what warpings past the aim!

My times be in thy hand!

Perfect the cup as planned!

Let age approve of youth, and death complete the same!

-- "Rabbi Ben Ezra", Robert Browning

:::all i wanted for Christmas:::

was a beef stick, remember?

but mom said no, again, for the millionth time, probably for the same reason that i wasn't allowed to wear corduroy pants as a child or play the game girl talk with my friends even though it's only a game, and playing it doesn't necessarily make you 'own of those girls', and heaven knows i probably could have benefited from being one of those girls since i'm staring down 30 with less 'experience' than a pimple-faced 13 year old...

anyhow, my mother has rules for how things are done.

so she told me, yet again last year, that i couldn't have a beef stick for Christmas. so i said, 'why?!' and she said, 'rebekah, i'm not getting you a beef stick for Christmas!' and i took up my burden -- not playing it so heavy as in the past because of her cancer -- and then she felt bad (which was the point) and sighed and said, 'fine, i will get you a beef stick for Christmas,' and i said, 'no, no! i don't want a beef stick anymore!' and she said, 'i'm getting you a beef stick!' and i said, 'i don't WANT a beef stick anymore!' and she said, 'where can i buy beef sticks online?' and i said, 'do. not. get me. a. beef stick. for Christmas.,' and she said, 'ok.'

so really she won ANYHOW even though it was MY Christmas present we were talking about...

whatever.

so anyhow, i didn't get a beef stick for Christmas.

but because my other family members read my blog, and because i have put so much effort into my relationship with my posterity (by extension), i got a beef stick for my birthday. a 14 oz, beef and pork, hardwood smoked, semi-dry, summer sausage from hickory farms established 1951, farmhouse recipe. that's what is says on the label. that's what it is.

last night, after i had opened my package, and after the tears subsided and i was finished jumping on my bed, i called my sister's house to thank them for the sausage, and she said, 'see! we read your blog!', which i already knew because they leave comments, but now i really know because they got me my very own beef stick for my birthday, just like i said i wanted for Christmas.

so now i think i'm going to start dropping subtle hints about things i like to see how many of my readers will send me presents, because if i can't make money selling ad space on my blog i might as well get almost strangers to send me gifts in the mail, don't you think? and pretty soon i wouldn't have to buy anything for myself because i could write a blog post about the window i'm having a hard time finding curtains for, or how much i love the color pink, or that i really love making cards but can't get the craft store ever because i don't have a car, and people would send me pretty little packages in the mail just for me being me and because they really wanted to be cool and popular just like i am. that would be awesome!!!

but, let's get back to the beef stick. i was so happy last night, and i told my sister, 'i'm so happy tonight!', and sophia shouted in the background, 'DO YOU LOVE YOUR MEAT STICK?!', and i shouted back, 'YESSSSSS!'

and i'm slicing into it now. at work, mom. i'm eating my beef stick at work. yeah. not so dainty, am i?

and for future reference, i like the color yellow, polka dots, and starburst candies. my birthday is on thursday, so you could send me something in the mail that i would get on my special day if you sent it priority or fedex or something like that, and then i would have something waiting for me when i got home and i could pretend that i was all shocked that my dear friends actually remembered me on my special day.

and if you send me something really good i might even mention you on my blog and maybe you could start your own racket with your own readers (but i won't be one of the people sending you presents since i started the whole thing).

happy birthday to me.

(picture to be added)