so tired of coughing

oh my dear friend! this whooping cough is for the birds. I am having a very slow recovery. I am still coughing quite a bit, so much so that I have pulled the muscles (yes I do have some somewhere) in my stomach! So now every time I cough it is like a billion tiny razors all pulling in opposite directions in my gut! Lovely. I can't talk long or I start coughing. Eating makes me cough as well. And though I tire easily, I managed to take the kids for a short walk about this morning. Good mama! Sorry for the lack of interesting posts. All that is going on here is mama recoup!

happy Friday!
hope yours is germ free:)

my philosophy

summed up in a poem by mary oliver. I found this poem today while poking around over at pulling radishes.

When death comes
like the hungry bear in autumn
when death comes and takes all the bright coins from his purse

to buy me, and snaps his purse shut;
when death comes
like the measle pox;

when death comes
like an iceberg between the shoulder blades,

I want to step through the door full of curiosity, wondering;
what is it going to be like, that cottage of darkness?

And therefore I look upon everything
as a brotherhood and a sisterhood,
and I look upon time as no more than an idea,
and I consider eternity as another possibility,

and I think of each life as a flower, as common
as a field daisy, and as singular,

and each name a comfortable music in the mouth
tending as all music does, toward silence,

and each body a lion of courage, and something
precious to the earth.

When it's over, I want to say: all my life
I was a bride married to amazement.
I was a bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.

When it's over, I don't want to wonder
if I have made of my life something particular, and real.
I don't want to find myself sighing and frightened
or full of argument.

I don't want to end up simply having visited this world.

a plague upon our house

seriously the family has been struck down by whooping cough. Now I know what you are thinking...didn't I get a shot for that? Why yes, yes you did and you can still get the bloody thing! Even if you just had the shot as my two year old has found out. For a tiny view into what the last three weeks have like here at Sleepy Hollow Hall, I will direct you over to my beloved's blog. Read his post titled "good thing kids are cute". As the only member of the family not to fall yet, he has been picking up the pieces as best he can. Poor guy!

The good new is that the doctor has just loaded us all up with serious drugs and we are on the mend. God bless Zithromax! may I still have a lung left in my body when this is over!

the giving season is coming

isn't she pretty??? I can't remember where I found her now... I am sure on some blog or another that I adore! I may use the image for to/from tags for the holiday season. It is fast approaching this year and with the current financial state of the world, it is going to be a very handmade christmas. Can I tell you what joy that brings me. Now I love presents and stuff just as much as the next girl! But I my favorite thing of all is a handmade present. One that shows that the giver really put some thought into who the receiver is and what they are about. Lucky for me I have surrounded myself with a group of friends and family that are amazingly talented!

I am planning on doing a lot of knitting and soap making for people this year so I had better get started. What are you planning on making?

many years ago my father-in-law suggested just such a handmade christmas. looks like I will finally get my wish!

life is a little screwy around here!

as you can see I am sure! please someone explain to me why it was 100 degrees in the shade at my house yesterday. Seriously I checked!

why oh why oh why!