Read Any Good Books Lately?

I finished another book last night. I've been reading quite an eclectic array of books lately so I'm not sure what I should pick up next. A few weeks ago I went on Alibris.com and found the Jan Karon Mitford books that I needed to complete my series. A few of them I hadn't read yet so when they came in the mail I stayed up way to late finishing them up. Next I read all 5 novels and the story in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Then I picked up a book in our church library on the archeological excavations of Masada, Israel that were done back in the 50's. Last night I finished "The Moon Is Down" by John Steinbeck. I have to admit to not really liking John Steinbeck so I don't know why I picked this particular book up but this one I liked. Actually I think I'm two for two, I disliked "East of Eden" and "Grapes of Wrath" but I really liked "The Moon Is Down" and "Travels With Charley" so I'll probably continue to give him a chance until the dislikes outweigh the likes by a fair margin. I'm sure my book loving friends are curious as to my reviews of each book but as the water is now boiling for the noodles I'm making for dinner you will just have to wait; or come visit for tea and literary discussions. (Am I being too pushy with the tea invitations? Not a one has taken me up on the offer, okay one has but she doesn't even read my blog so it doesn't count.)

Stories to Tell My Children

In honor of Valentine's Day I thought I might sicken you with cute stories of togetherness and love. Okay, not really. It's actually just a coincidence that I blog this now and it's Valentine's Day. I spent my day working in the yard and then visiting with a girlfriend this evening for a few hours. It was a lovely day. Tonight we were telling stories of how we met our husbands and I got to thinking about when I actually "knew" that he was "the one". Well, this was the first inkling at least.
Erik and I went to Ecola together and through a series of adventures and mishaps arrived at the conclusion that we liked each other but it being Bible School and all we entered the awkward stage of "praying about it" but not actually dating. We realized that if we termed it "dating" it would become really serious and we weren't too sure we were ready for that. Well it did get a little too serious and we decided to back off even the praying about it stage and try to remain friends.
We hung out together the rest of the year, I completely oblivious to the fact that he was still pining away for me. The day of our graduation was also the day we had to move out of our dorm rooms and as I was packing up I remembered that I still needed to pay him back for my yearbook (he had kindly offered to pay for mine because I didn't have the money at the time). I went in search of him and found him climbing the stairs to the Old Ecola dorm. I met him at the top of the stairs and handed him his money as these thoughts raced through my head; now keep in mind that I refuse to live in drama (the climate is so unpredictable), I really don't even like passing through the region of drama, even more so as I mature (read ma-tour, it sounds better) but for this fleeting second in my history I was firmly planted there and these are the thoughts, thought with much passion, that passed through my mind as I gazed into his blue eyes, "I'm not ready to say goodbye, if I don't see him ever again I might die." Or something very close to that; his eyes are so very blue...
A few weeks later I caught the bouquet at Josh and April's wedding and there were raised eyebrows and loaded questions about prospects (seeing as Erik and I kind of attended the wedding together but with a group of friends). With a few blushes and furtive sidelong glances in his general direction I attempted to pass these off with a smile but no definite answer. (I don't think I've ever perfected that skill). But needless to say I've never needed to catch another bouquet and we will celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary in June and his eyes are still very blue.

Short Sands

The sun has been shining for three whole days! (Okay, not really three whole days, it goes down at night...) We've loved being outside playing and soaking in the rays while we can. Yesterday the kiddos and I headed to the park and then went up to the overlooks on Neahakanie to look down at Manzanita. Today we joined MamaGriffith and her clan for a jaunt down to Short Sands. I don't remember ever being there before. She took pictures, I forgot my camera but luckily I have an artist in the family and Hannah came home and drew some pictures of our fun.

What's In a Name?

There were times I disliked growing up an "Emily". Not that I dislike the name by any means, it just happens to be a common name which invariably causes some confusion if only a first name is given. Maybe it had something to do with having to use my last name or having to use my first and last and middle initial: Emily A. Horr. This is why I have a sense of humor and why I married young. (Dad and Mom, I hope you know that I love you and am slightly in jest here.)
I haven't thought much about being an Emily lately as I happen to be enjoying a time where there are none within the social settings I find myself in, that was until today.
About a month ago I received a text out of the blue from a friend's husband asking if I could babysit their three kids on the 6th of Feb. from 2:30 in the afternoon until 10:30 at night. I thought this an odd request but as I had nothing going on that day I figured "What the heck? What's 7 kids running around?" So I texted back, "Sure." Only I made sure to type my name at the bottom just in case he had a wrong number. But he texted right back with, "Great, contact you again when it gets closer." Two days ago I received a text, "We still on for Sat.?" "Yep." was my reply. Then we worked out exact time and payment for said babysitting, all through text messaging. Today, Feb. 6th at 2:35pm I received a text message that said, "Are you still coming?" This is where my brain started throwing question marks against my skull. "I assumed I would be watching them at my house." "We are just eating lunch and one is sleeping, can we make it here?" At this point I wasn't sure what to say, should I go with, "Well, I have two sleeping"? and then throw, "and banana bread in the oven?" in there as well for good measure or...I went with "This is Emily Dante...? I'm slightly confused."
That's when my phone started ringing, it was my friend calling and apologizing, apparently their regular babysitter is named Emily and somehow in both her and her husbands phones we had been mixed up and in my original text I had only typed my first name and not my last. I offered to still babysit seeing as it's a little last minute but they did find someone and I'm now looking at an evening with nothing going on, and here I was all prepared for chaos.
On a side note, as much as I hate using the telephone and calling people, even people I like (maybe more about this in a later post) I think I might just have to suck it up and call people for important events like dates and such.

Tracks of Thought

There are days when it seems I can't put two thoughts together. I stop for a minute to gather these errant thoughts that are ping-ponging around my brain and get distracted by one crisis or another from my drama loving children. This is the life of a mother; when you start making analogies between wooden train tracks and your thought life.
My thoughts sometimes seem scattered around the room like Ivan's wooden train tracks, waiting to be found, whether by purpose for creating a longer track of thought or by accident, taking an unsuspecting foot by surprise. Sometimes I stop and gather them into the tub they belong in and snap the lid shut hoping to keep them contained for a few minutes but it is not long before they are again strewn across the floor with mirth. There are "change the point" pieces; tracks that branch off to two different lines, there are curved pieces that can throw you around a loop, there are incline pieces that prepare you for the bridge ahead, there are the actual bridges that somehow transport you safely across a hazard, there are pieces that have been found by the aforementioned foot one too many times and can therefore no longer be connected to the rest, there are the long straight pieces that are there in all their simplicity and there are those that slide out of view to only be found during a thorough cleaning.
Sometimes I am able to create a track of thought and leave it here for your trains of thought to run around and if you enjoy it I am glad and am honored that you keep reading even after strange posts like this one.

Tea Anyone?

When my grandma moved to assisted living I was given the opportunity to take a few of her things that meant a lot to me, I choose to "inherit" many of her tea cups. She had quite a few and when we were younger we were allowed to choose one to drink from when we visited. They are all different and all very pretty. I've always had a fascination with tea and tea parties. But for years now the tea cups have sat on a shelf, while looking very pretty they just sat there gathering dust but for the one time a year when we put on a "Lady's Tea" at church. In my recent spurt of cleaning out the house I decided that if I didn't really use an object it needed to go but I can't bear to part with these teacups, what was I to do? Why use them of course! Now at least once a day I make tea in an actual tea pot and if I have the luxury I sit at the table in the kitchen, or if not I stand at the counter and drink tea in a real bone china teacup. Most times the kids join me, even the boys. (They have their own tea cups for now, when they're older I'll let them choose one of mine). This morning I made my coffee in my smaller teapot and drank my coffee out of a teacup. Erik said I was almost being heretical but oh well, I don't think it's the kind of heresy that will shake the earth's foundation.
I was reading in 2 Timothy this morning and came to chapter 2 verses 20-21:

In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

Instead of sitting on a shelf gathering dust, maybe I should get up and cleanse myself and be prepared so that the Master might find me useful. (Romans 12:2, Ephesians 6:10-18, Ephesians 4:17-32)
But what if I break? Isn't bone china a little too delicate for everyday wear and tear use?

2 Corinthians 4:6-7
For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. (emphasis mine)


My tea cups may get chipped and dinged and maybe a few will get broken but what good are they sitting on the shelf looking pretty. They need to be used for what they were intended and if a few happen to get chipped while they are being used it's better that then having them collect dust until the shelf collapses under the weight of all the cups and all the collected dust.
(This is not a commentary on my housekeeping skills...but I do really hate to dust.)
Oh and by the by, I have plenty of tea cups so if ever you want to stop by and join me you are more than welcome.

Singin' In The Rain

We finally got tired of our small collection of movies and signed up for Netflix. Our second selection was "Singin' in the Rain". The kiddos and I watched it today and Hannah immediately asked to watch it again, I said probably not right now but maybe Daddy would want to watch it later. What do you know? At the dinner table tonight Erik asked the kiddos if we should watch it tonight. After confessing to him that we had already watched it Hannah piped up with the suggestion that we just watch it again. She loved the movie but was slightly disappointed that the girl didn't actually sing in the rain. The movie also afforded me my new favorite Ivan quote, or rather conversation. This happened during the wind/white scarf dance during the Broadway melody.
Ivan: "Why do the guys always hold the girls?"
Me: "Well, the guys are stronger and that's just the way it's suppose to be."
Ivan: "Does Daddy ever hold you?"
Me: "Um...yes, but not like that. Your Daddy doesn't dance."
Hannah: "But one time he danced with me!"
Me: "I know Hannah, you are a very lucky little girl. But Daddy doesn't usually dance like that (insert pointing to the tv screen here)."
Ivan and Hannah together: "Oh."