Life in My World – Soaking Up What Little Time We Have Left with Ty and Michelle

1.  The Fort of forts

I’ve mentioned before that I loved to build forts as a kid.  It was my favorite summer activity.  Well, I have the fort of forts now and it’s just in time for summer.  Ty and Michelle took our water heater closet and made it into a fort craft room just for me.  It is so wonderful.  I’ve never had a private space like this.  (I don’t know if you remember, but a few months ago I cleared out the water heater closet and put a table in there and dubbed it my space for projects.  A week ago I asked Ty to cut a board for me and when he saw the set-up said, “This is pathetic.  You’re just making do.  We’re going to fix this and make it nice for you.”)   Ty and Michelle hung lots of shelves and made a desk that wraps around two walls with enough room for sewing and scrapbooking.  We puttied and painted.  It is cute and organized and it gives me that same giddy feeling as the perfect fort with mud pies on a summer morning.  I can't wait to use it.

2.  The Cedar Chest

Ty and Calvin are finishing a cedar chest for Michelle.  They pulled an all-nighter last night trying to finish it.

3.  Supper and a New Recipe

Michelle cooked a Tex-Mex supper the other night.  I loved it.  The recipe is from Michelle’s grandma, which makes it even better:

 TORTILLA CHIP DISH

from Carole Applegate

2 lbs. ground beef, browned                 4 TBL sugar

1 onion, chopped (2 TBL dried)           2 tsp. chili powder

2 – 8 oz. cans tomato sauce                  2 tsp. oregano

3 – 6 oz. cans tomato paste                  ½ tsp. salt

48 oz. water (6 cans)                            2 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. Accent                                        2 cups rice, cooked

Combine and simmer all ingredients (except rice) for 40 minutes.  Add rice.  (At this point it could be frozen for future use.)  Serve over tortilla chips (Doritos).  Top with grated cheese, shredded lettuce, chopped onions, sliced olives, sour cream, etc.

4. A T-Shirt Quilt  

Michelle made a t-shirt quilt from Ty's old t-shirts . . .  just. like. that.  She is really good with measurements and figuring things out; she also learns quickly and isn't afraid to experiment and improvise.  She whipped this out in about a day.  I was impressed.  She was impressed.  Ty was impressed.  Calvin was impressed.  It was fun working on it with her.

5.  No Baby Yet

Ray and Calvin were trying to decide which side of the cradle should face the wall and
which side should face out (or in other words, which side had the prettiest wood grain pattern).
I said, "I promise you, once a baby is in that cradle no one is going to notice the grain on the wood."
They both looked at me like I had carrots growing out my brain and said, "Men will notice the wood."

Ray and Cali’s baby still isn’t sure it wants to sleep in the cradle yet.  Maybe tomorrow.  We’re going to drive over to Seattle later today to celebrate Ty’s birthday with Ray and Cali and Joe and Ande.  Maybe the baby will change its mind and join us when we get there.  In the meantime, I am excited to see the cradle now that it is stained and oiled and has little sheets and a quilt that Cali made for it.  

And that's life in our world this week.  We're really going to miss Ty and Michelle when they leave next week.  Christmas seems so far away.