Muleart

You might remember a painting that caught my eye in a local store a year or so ago.

I originally tried to get Carisa to buy it but $365 for a picture of two donkeys 

staring each other down would be a bit much for anyone.

Monte and I really liked it and vowed to paint one ourselves once our addition was complete.

Monte felt it summed up marriage in a single work of art.

No words needed.

Well, that time came last week.

I bought a pack of poster boards so we could feel free to make mistakes.

I just grabbed the paint I had and mixed colors to get what I wanted.

We did a pencil sketch first, each drawing one mule.

Monte decided that “muleart” is what 

this form of art should be called.

A little classier than “donkey art” 

or “mullet” 

as my autocorrect keeps trying 

to change “muleart”  to.

Interesting…

We outlined the sketches with black paint.

I tried to do the spots on my mule like the expensive painting but it ended up looking like some sort of medieval executioner hood.

Not the vibe I was going for at all, 

since you know, 

the summarization of MARRIAGE,

so I erased them.

My mule.

Monte’s brother said my mule reminded him of a character from a Kevin Henkes book.

Which are all mice.

So I have a mouse mule vibe going out.

Monte’s mule.

I had to fight Monte to put any definition of a pupil in his mule’s eye.

Without it, there was a possessed-mule-back-from-the-dead kind of vibe,

which would’ve changed the entire tone of the painting for sure.

I hope no one’s muleart could be best defined by

a possessed-mule-back-from-the-dead.

Especially one that’s trying to scare

Chrysanthemum, for the love of Pete.

Monte’s mule is still giving my mule a pretty stiff stink eye.

But I love the bewildered look of,

“Who? Me?”

that my mule is sending out.

Says a lot about our marriage.

I decided to use a barn wood frame that my dad made for our finished muleart.

While our builder, Paul, was over last week with the painter, Chuck, doing touch-ups, I asked the best way to hang the picture and next thing you know, I was sitting on the sectional telling BOTH of them to move it “just a teence to the right”. 

I’m going to miss them SO MUCH.

Paul asked if Monte painted it.

After I said yes and before I could say that I painted part of it too, 

he wanted to know why Monte drew my mule 

giving his mule such a stink eye.

Says a lot about our marriage,

doesn’t it?

Before Paul left, he said he wanted to commission Monte for three more paintings since,

“It won’t take him more than 7 minutes for all three of them!”

Then he laughed and laughed.

Muleart.

So misunderstood.

Is it Summer Yet?!

No, no it is not.

Said the school calendar

and sadly, the weather.

It’s chilly and overcast!

It’s been non-stop activity here.

I don’t know why the end of the school year always involves so. much. parental. involvement. 

Permission slips to sign.

Money to send in for pizza parties.

Projects involving everything we do not possess in the house.

Banquets.

Finals.

Choir concerts.

Usually these concerts are not enjoyable.

Middle school voices and pop music don’t always go together. 

I still think Bon Jovi’s ears are bleeding 

from the “tribute” McDaniel’s class did two years ago. 

“Living on a Prayer” my foot. 

We had very low expectations when Ellie told us that they had been practicing Elton John and Billy Joel songs.

Monte tried to schedule a business trip to miss the concert. 

I told him that would not. be. wise. 

But we were so pleasantly surprised by how good the concert was!

I’m guessing Elton and Billy’s ears dripped nary a speck of blood. 

The 8th grade boy who bravely and beautifully sang the solo “She’s Always a Woman to Me” 

got a rousing standing ovation 

and made my nose run because I was 

fighting the ugly cry off so hard. 

Mainly because he was so 

obviously flabbergasted 

by our applause.

I forgot what I was talking about…

Oh yeah,

our crazy life.

In just the last few weeks ALL THIS HAPPENED:

Monte’s sister, Gretchen, came for a visit from Texas.

We haven’t seen her in 5 years, which was just entirely too long.

Her visit was so fun, full of shopping, food, karaoke and lots of laughter and good conversation.

But it was much too short.

We took her to Cuco’s to celebrate her birthday. When Monte alerted the staff that we were celebrating a birthday at our table, they came out singing and whooping and hollering and plopped the sombrero on Ellie’s head because Gretchen was in the bathroom. 

Ellie’s expression screaming,
“It’s not MY birthday!"

Monte ran back to the kitchen to let them know that the birthday girl was in the bathroom and to do it all again when she was out.

They did.

We finally got new carpet installed in part of the basement and cork installed in the other part. 

Monte gave me a tight budget for the carpet and when I shared that with the sales lady at a place with the words “carpet” and “junk” and “yard” in it, she directed me to a corner of carpet rolls that she assured me was still a “notch above rental” grade carpet.

Yippee.

I like it.

The cork is very cushy under your feet, which is nice.

We still haven’t gotten everything put back together in either room. Because I’m thinking of switching things out. 

And by that I mean THROW IT ALL AWAY. 

Of course I won’t, but it’s a goal.

Sumita’s daughter got engaged!!!

Alyssa and Andrew explaining how he proposed. They are adorable.

Andrew asked if Sumita would host an “immediately after he proposed engagement party” for their friends because that’s what’s happening in the world now because of Pinterest.

Anyway, Sumita put me on food duty (hello, Chocolate Cafe) because she couldn’t have trays of anything in her fridge because it would tip Alyssa off.

Julie made the most adorable burlap heart garland and put together beautiful flowers.

Carisa made her FAMOUS caramel corn because Sumita had seen this idea on Pinterest:

Get it? He POPPED the question and there’s POPcorn
in the bags!
Alyssa’s sister, Olivia, made the cute tags. 

These were the favors everyone could take home.

In fact, Pinterest was the inspiration for the cookies and cupcakes too:

It’s a ring!

These were my favorites!

Chocolate Cafe did an amazing job, as always. 

Since we live right by Chocolate Cafe, we brought all the trays of food. We were loaded down and had to pull over twice because something shifted or clunked around in the back. By the time we pulled into Sumita’s drive, we all were holding a tray in our laps.

Sumita made these adorable banners.

Talk about a MAD DASH to get everything hung up, set out and in place before they came back engaged.

I think we had just an hour.

It felt like we were on an HGTV show where party planners compete

 to put together an event in a very short amount of time.

Whew! 

It takes a village.

Julie started working at a diner as a waitress.

So we surprised her and showed up for breakfast during her shift.

And we made her wait on us.

Of course.

The food was really good and the atmosphere quirky.

Watching Julie with her customers was like watching a mayor walk through town. She was patting people on the back, shaking hands and kissing babies. 

Totally in her element.

I wanted to get a picture by the diner sign as we were leaving.

I snapped the picture below as Carisa asked a lady walking behind me if she’d take our picture so I could be in it.

The lady gave Carisa a dirty look and indignantly said,

“No!"

We all burst out laughing because WHO SAYS THAT?!

A cute young teen (who I swear Ellie went to preschool with) offered to take our picture and her opinion on just how rude the lady was to us.

I FINALLY got to put my livestock trough to good use.

I planted four different tomato plants in three different varieties, one cucumber, one yellow pepper, two basil and one cilantro. And more herbs inside that I keep on the window sill by my kitchen sink.

My cucumber plant is already dead.

So that’s a nice kick in the head.

Monte’s brother Bryson and our niece Gaelyn came from St. Louis for a visit on their way to Pennsylvania for college visits.

We were too busy talking and laughing to take pictures.

While they were here the cement was FINALLY poured for our side door steps!

It’s so nice not to have to jump down and back up to use this door.

You might have noticed a little wheeled vehicle in the picture above.

We noticed it too.

The cement guy left some equipment in our backyard.

Hopefully because he’s coming back very soon to install our patio.

This was FAR too tempting for Monte and I.

Especially since I’ve been wanting to drive some type 

of construction equipment since this house project began.

Monte had to put on his free JEEP hat for this.

Of course, I had to take a turn.

This was the moment when I discovered the keys had been left in this cute little doo-hickey vehicle.

Monte told me to fire it up but I was too scared.

I told our builder, Paul, that if the patio isn’t installed ASAP, Monte and I are taking this bad boy for joy rides around town.

We might even offer rides to the neighbors.

We have one more day of school, three more graduation parties, one more sports banquet, a broken washer and a clogged drain upstairs--again.

Is it summer yet?!

Picking Emergency

I got a call from my friend, Julie, last week that she had found a great wooden ladder on the side of the road and that it wouldn’t fit into her car.

She drives a mini-Cooper.

Yes, the same one that my builder, Paul, 

crashed into backing out of my driveway.

McDaniel was home sick that day and was with me in the kitchen when I got the call.

As I grabbed my keys to head out, McDaniel asked,

“Is this what you do all day?”

I wish!

I love picking emergencies!

People call me all the time after they have spotted something
on the side of the road that they think I might like. 

Or Carisa just tries to be funny.

I get “tipped off” to chairs mostly.

When you name your blog, 

“Chairs From the Curb” 

you have to expect that.

Although one time I do recall being at lunch with a friend and she mentioned a solid wood table she had spotted on a curb not far from where we were eating. 

I was driving a station wagon then and she had a van.

We piled the kids and their car seats (it was that long ago!) and ourselves into her van and she helped me load the very heavy, awkward, oak table into her vehicle as it started to rain and the kids started to scream because their mommies were shoving someone’s trash into their car.

It was our craft table for many years.

I easily found Julie’s car on the side of the road.

It kind of looked like it had fangs.

I pulled the VERY LONG, VERY SOLID wood ladder out of Julie’s car to put it into mine without taking out the garbage truck that decided to pull down the VERY NARROW road we were on.

It felt very much like I was in a cartoon 

or a Vaudville skit.

I could almost hear the musical accompaniment 

as the mile-long ladder teetered between 

being parallel and perpendicular 

to the street while I carried it.

As big as my Pilot is compared to Julie’s mini-Cooper, I cannot believe it took up every inch of interior space I had!

So now it sits in my garage until I deliver it to Julie because clearly, she can not swing by and haul it home herself.

And be street legal, anyway.

Do you have any harrowing picking emergency stories?

I use the word “harrowing” 

and “emergency” 

loosely, of course.

Cinderella

Ellie and I went to see Cinderella a few Sundays ago while Monte and McDaniel were watching the new Avengers movie.

Ellie had already seen Avengers with friends that Friday night.

I don’t do superhero movies.

Unless, of course, it’s at home, 

I absolutely HAVE to

and I’m allowed to hot glue something during it.

Ellie and I were the only two people in the entire theater.

We tried putting our feet up on the seats in front of us because, 

who would care,

but it wasn’t super comfortable 

and it kinda blocked our 

own view of the screen. 

So much for being rebels.

The thing that really struck me in the Cinderella movie was the prince’s insistence on opening the royal ball to everyone.

Allowing ANY maiden in the village to come regardless of her bloodline.

And it wasn’t the princess that was shoved his way that the prince favored,

but a commoner.

So, basically, a Kate Middleton.

It was quite the bold suggestion.

A prince with royal blood marrying a girl with, well, none.

It rocked tradition.

We’ve been reading in Psalms for bible study and I’m also doing a discipleship program that has me reading through Luke.

Both talk of the “favor” of the Lord.

In Luke it’s absolutely groundbreaking that Jesus speaks of and to the Gentiles, not just the Jews, the chosen people.

He opened up the ball.

People weren’t happy one bit about it just like the advisors to the king weren’t happy in Cinderella about the prince’s suggestion for the ball, which its intention was finding him a suitable bride.

In Jesus’s kingdom, he’s inviting us ALL. 

To know Him. 

To spend eternity with 

Him in heaven. 

A forever ball.

Not just for the holy, 

the certain religions only, 

the try-hards, 

the I-have-to-earn-my-wayers, 

the non-doubters.

Everyone.

And he favors us.

Me. 

You.

Once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior,

it doesn’t matter if the 

glass slipper doesn’t fit.

Jesus shattered it on the cross.

It’s irrelevant.

And that’s just about the happiest ending I can think of.

Mother’s Day Weekend

On Thursday, I got a text from Julie that she noticed a HUGE box at my front door when she stopped by.

I was at lunch.

When I got home, it took me and the neighbor girl who happened to stop by to drag this box inside.

It was addressed to Monte.

Of course.

I wondered what type of paper products 

he’d ordered in bulk this time.

I also feared he’d ordered some ginormous
Gator for our front yard.

When Monte got home from work he told me it was my Mother’s Day gift and I could go ahead and open it.

It was this:

Lush, backyard, huh!

A livestock trough.

Ok.

Before you start getting a teence bit mad at Monte on my behalf, 

I ASKED for this.

Actually, two of them. 

But I’m happy with one to start.

I’m going to fill it with dirt and make a raised garden bed.

No more bunny rabbits chewing up my plants!

No more bending over to weed!

The problem now is where to put it because my girlfriend warned me that once you put the dirt in it, it will not be budged.

If only the patio was installed! 

It’s now been a month since 

the originally promised install date.

Ahem.

In the mean time, it sits in our dirt pile/yard for all to see making us, to quote McDaniel, “official Rednecks” now.

The sun really reflects off the metal too, I’m sure blinding the pilots flying overhead.

I love my livestock trough! 

I kinda thought we’d head out of town together to a farm supply store to pick it out, but then again, I forgot who I’m married to.

Mr. Online Orderer.

I spent my Friday in the extreme heat tagging all the stuff we’ve been storing since the house construction for a yard sale.

Our city-wide yard sale date was Saturday.

I’ll go more into that in a few days.

It was super hot then too.

Me and the girls left Monte for a few minutes during our yard sale to hit a few of the other sales and came back fairly quickly (just.too.hot) with inline skates for both girls, some Mason jars, a purse and a free football.

The girls immediately tried out the skates.

Ellie dusted off her old ice skating lesson skills and took to it easily.

McDaniel was a little less confident.

On Sunday the girls treated me to breakfast in bed and handpicked flowers from the yard.

Our lilacs finally bloomed!!

McDaniel helped me with 13 kindergarten through 2nd graders in Sunday School.

We made angels out of crescent roll dough. We baked them and had the kids eat them.

Trying to keep them patient and all sitting down and all listening to the lesson during the baking process fully challenged my motherhood skills.

They were adorable,
especially the little boy with a bad case of bed head,

but I was pooped.

We rushed out of church to our favorite Mother’s Day brunch.

Don’t let the background fool you, we were still in Ohio.

It was a seafood theme this year, which we adored.

And the pistachio creme brûlée was wonderful.

The rice krispie treats with crushed up Reese’s Pieces on top? 

Brilliant.

I decided to come home and clean out my closet lest I go into a full-belly coma.

Hope you all had a wonderful Mother’s Day!!