Flat Stanley and Gimpy Yoga

For those of you who have heard of Flat Stanley, I offer a new version: Gimpy Gertie. Gertie's travels are a bit limited, but fun nonetheless.

Here I took Gertie on a field trip to the hospital and home again. "Oh, look Gertie! Many trees. That is because we live in Oregon." Gertie likes trees.

I gave Gertie the premier TV-watching spot on the couch. Ooh, ahh. It's a good thing Gertie likes TV--she has watched a lot in 3 weeks. "Cash cab can be very deep," she said.

A rare snapshot into Gimpy Yoga. We were one with the universe, or at least with the Suburban. You should be especially impressed that I am so one with the universe that I don't even have makeup on and have just emerged from anaesthesia and I will STILL post this for all to see! :)

Evolution of the Jumping Couch

If you haven't already, please read the previous post on "The Jumping Couch." These are supplemental photos to detail parts of its evolution. Enjoy!

Birthday girl and friends at her Pony Birthday Party--2001.




Scarecrow Love--notice the newly covered couch cushions, but the faded base cover.

Here you see the lovely slipcovered cushions and the nasty uncovered base--recovering in progress.



More beautiful cushions and faded arms--but Colin's pretty cute!



Colin--older, wiser, and still cute! Couch--much more faded.





From ponies to high fashion--Kendall still likes to pose with her friends.






And Preeeeeeesenting--the full potenial of the couch in all its glory.

The Jumping Couch

I've been reading my friend Heidi's hilarious blog and THIS post about the need for creepy houses in the lives of children inspired the following comment from me. As I re-read it before posting (must check for those offensive little spelling errors), I realized the profound truth my words conveyed, so I post them here to enlighten your lives (perhaps with a tad bit of embellishing).

This is exactly why I don’t like living in the suburbs. Everything is too clean and shiny and perfect. Childhood just doesn’t thrive in the suburbs. Where's the adventure? The ability to build secret forts in abandoned places, to find priceless treasures hiding in the alleys, to take your friends to elaborate worlds you've created in your backyard "forest?" This is why I ocassionally allow messiness in my house–spookiness can be found in my junk room, and endless crafts come from the stuff that is piled on counters. In our family room, we lounge on a Clawson family fixture, the "jumping couch"--a 20 year-old sectional inherited from my parents that I have personally slip-covered with denim 3 times in 12 years. Elaborate games of tag could be played on the "jumping couch," while my kids and their friends got out the rainy day wiggles (we have a lot of those in Oregon). Huge forts have graced my house over the years, built with the 13 cushions lounging on that couch. Monstrous pillow slide competitions were held on our flight of stairs, also using those marvelous cushions.

Now that my kids are older, the couch seems a little more tattered. The denim is worn thin where bodies have the most contact. The springs kind of hang out the bottom in some places and my dad can't get out of it without help because the seats are so saggy. Still, I can't imagine ever getting rid of it, and at least one of my children wants to inherit it when I "die" (hahaha). Although I don't want to admit it, grandchildren will be running around my house in not too many years. More than likely they will live in the suburbs. Life will probably be harder for them than for their parents in this ever unstable time, but when they visit grandma and grandpa, they will always have the jumping couch, and everything will be right with the world.

If I Were Living a Seinfeld Episode...

the following experience might become ugly. You see, I've been catching up on my blog reading. As you might notice, my sister Jennie's blog, "My Life is a Sitcom", is the number 1 choice on my blogroll. I used to be number 1 on hers too, but moments ago, I discovered that I've fallen from #1 to #15--that's right--FIFTEEN! That's a hard one to swallow.

If I were Elaine, I might do any number of things: suck up in various ways to move up the heirarchy, break up with her, do a totally embarrassing dance. But I am going to be a bigger person than that. I am going to take a harsh look at myself, accepting the consequences for being an infrequent blogger. I am going to realize that my life is boring, and my daily activities are simply not that funny or entertaining. I am going to acknowledge that after all our years of being related, she might still harbor ill-will for me because I cut all the animals off the mobile hanging over her crib in a fit of 3 year old rebellion. I am NOT going to take offense that this might be revenge for telling her that she "has the same ugly nose as me" in high school. I am going to post multiple, highly-entertaining posts today to show her what she's missing. Neener, neener, neener. 8-P

See, look at the integrity I can muster for myself if I only try. Look at how I look to our forefathers, like Abraham Lincoln and Jerry Seinfeld, for inspiration and guidance. Look how I can yearn for all of you to be more like me in every way--good, and hardworking, and slow to take offense. If you want someone to truly lead you--look no further than Becky Clawson. Give me Liberty or Give Me Death! Ask not what you can do for your country... Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh, what a relief it is. Becky Clawson for President!!!

O'er the Land of the Free...and the Home of the Brave.

There's nothing better...

than October in Oregon!!! And I mean that sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, as I sit here on November 5th watching the wind and the rain, and listening to reports of flood warnings on the news. Just before my surgery, we enjoyed a trip to Bauman Farms outside of Salem. What a Heavenly Day: vibrant colors everywhere, perfect 70 degree weather, fresh "squeezed-as-you-watch" apple cider and hot apple cider donuts. I'm sure this is why the Pilgrims planned Thanksgiving. I think Fall in the northeast looks a lot like Fall here, and if so, I would have planned a feast too. Such bounty deserves a holiday all to itself!