A Plethora of Ponderments, Poetry and Plain Old Purity

This is just a small tribute post to my beautiful daughter, Marin, and a bit of a happy dance post for actually being able to dream a dream this evening... to envision possibilities in a future that has been looking somewhat prison-esque to me, of late. I hope you enjoy the photos of Marin, and of Vanessa and Dayton, as well, from the fall dance at school.

Kevin, Audra and I went to the bookstore today and I spotted a calendar for sale that takes vintage photos of women in the majestic throes of housewifery - circa 1950's - with smart, sarcastic phrases super-imposed. My favorite was of a smiling, cherubic, 50's icon of a housewife whose companion statement read, "If what you mean by happy is a prison sentence with no chance of escape... then, yes! I am happy!" It struck me as funny and Kev and I had a good chuckle. The contrast between the smiling faces and the acerbic verbiage was quite lovely. I also found a hilarious book called "What to Expect When You Are Expected" playing off of the series of a similar title, except written to the unborn fetus. Pretty dang funny. All in all... a great visit to the bookstore. Wouldn't you know it? The one book Audra picks from the shelf to lay down on the floor and flip through, is a book we already have at home, Jan Brett's Christmas Treasury. I said, "We have that book, Audra. I read it to you." She replied, "I'm just looking at it, Moomm..." like sheesh...

Anyway, here is my tiny little one stanza poem about Marin that just seemed to hit the spot at 2:00 a.m. yesterday morn:

daughter

ever watchful and reflective
eyes of innocence and blue
wise beyond this earthly kingdom
gentle as the morning dew

November 6, 2009
Donna Brooks van Uitert

I also had a fun visit to the D.I. this evening with Dayton. I wasn't quite sure why I was going, but it seemed like a good thing to do, so Dayton and I had a fun treasure hunting trip to the big "D" and found too many treasures to possibly take home. I did buy, however, a lazy-boy recliner in near-perfect condition and an upholstered chair that matches my front room couch reasonably well, in that eclectic way I prefer, of course. I did not resist the temptation to buy this monstrously awesome entertainment center armoire they had for sale for $75. It was just too gigantic and marvelous to resist. Of course, it may not fit in my home, and heaven knows I don't have a place for it, but it was so cool, I just had to indulge myself. We will either find a place for it here, or I will find a new home for it on ksl.com.

I really do love reselling used furniture and have been very blessed to have an eye for what sells online, but haven't been into the resell business for the last year or so. Rekindling this old flame is part of my "Dream a Little Dream" experience tonight. I simply adore the weirdly elaborate... sometimes grotesquely large in size... furniture that I find at the thrift shops. LOVE IT!!! I once had a dream (one that was on the brink of realization, I might add) of opening a used furniture store in Coalville and passing along quality, fashionable furnishings to the common folk in those parts who didn't want to drive into Salt Lake for a good deal. Heaven knows Park City doesn't have inexpensive used furniture for sale... I think it might be against the city code, to tell you the truth... hardy har har. Anywho... needless to say, I didn't open my shop. I did, however, buy furniture for it. That truly is how close I thought I was to realizing this dream. I sold most of it over a few month's time and helped pay the bills while we were struggling to make two house payments and keep the collection agencies at bay. It surely was a blessing to have that resource and certainly softened the blows of our financial crisis. We have no financial crisis, to speak of, these days. HALLELUJAH!!! Heavenly Father has blessed us beyond measure and we are so grateful to be out from under the black cloud of debt. However, I still love buying and reselling quirky furniture and am thinking of bringing back the old dream of setting up shop... with the twist of a warehouse to sell out of, instead of an open to the public kind of store.

We are considering this nifty little Victorian home for sale in Wellsville as a daytime depot for moi... running kids to school fifteen miles each way is getting old... twice and sometimes three times a day. If you know me at all, you know I like to drive, but only in those "I want to go for a drive" kind of moods... not "I have to take the kids to school" ball and chain schtick I've been engaging in for the last three months. My life has felt like anything but my own since I traded in the homeschooling "fly by the seat of our pants" lifestyle for the transient glory of taxi driver and STILL homeschool mom of four - just now encapsulated between the hours of four and ten p.m. I am what the Spanglish might call "el toasto burno" or "burnt toast" for all you heathens who don't speak Spanglish. And, yes... I am a complainer, as well, just for kicks. I don't really want to be a complainer... but then I must want to be one, since I'm performing the duties of Chief Complainer Whiny Pants with such zeal and zest that I put Lucille Ball and Roseanne Barr to shame, I'm afraid. Ah well... complaining's a nasty job, but somebody's gotta do it... *wink wink*

Speaking of complaining... I really need to mention what a fantastic example of non-complainability my dear Mother-in-law is (doesn't the word non-complainability just tickle your tongue as it rolls off? the fact that it isn't a word just makes it all the more fantastic!) My Mother-in-law just retired last week... wahoooo!!! Whilst reflecting upon her years of sacrifice and hard work in helping to support her family, it dawned on me that I don't think I've ever heard her complain about it. Kev and I have been married for twenty years... twenty years... and, honestly, I can't remember one complaint falling off her lips about her obligation to work. She is an absolutely awesome example of integrity, graceful endurance, and quite simply "putting the shoulder to the wheel." I'm sure she has had her complaints throughout the years concerning various things, but I find it extraordinary that I have never heard her complain about going to work. What a great woman, mother and wife. I can certainly take a few lessons from her about "doing my duty with a heart full of joy" and maybe learn a thing or two about the Art of Shut the #$%@ Up and Quit Yer Complainin'! Thank you, Karen, for the years of service on behalf of your family and for the example of not only your work ethic, but your enduring to the end character and positive attitude. Your charity and love for your family has not gone unnoticed and lucky for me, I get to reap the benefits of your righteous womanhood on a daily basis just by the blessing of having married your fabulous son. When he smiles, I see you and love him all the more for it.

Now, back to this Victorian cottage in Wellsville. We are thinking of either replacing our rental house in Layton with it, or quite simply adding it to our investment portfolio as a pet project for me to lovingly restore, use as a hair salon/massage parlor (don't get excited...it's not that kind of massage parlor...), furniture reselling headquarters, storage facility for our motor home and outside trailers, school house for Audra (we are considering bringing her back home for a year or two of positive character and identity reinforcement... that girl... I'll tell ya...grumparoo to Timbuktu!), and just an all around pit-stop for me and the kids so we can save some time and money from running back and forth to Beaver Dam several times a day. Out of breath just from reading that? I think that sentence deserves an award. But seriously, those are the thoughts and dreams from the previously vacant persona I have acquired over the last two years... the artist formerly known as "who? huh? oh... that absent spirited and fitfully mindless creature inhabiting Donna's body? right on..." I actually felt alive tonight thinking of the possibilities, and seeing as that I haven't been able to envision many future goals (or shall I say any future goals) for a long period of time now, it is quite refreshing to take joy in the thoughts of plans and projects and all that jazz... even if they don't work out. Decisions like these require much prayer and pondering and when they are right, they just seem to fall into place. Should that happen with this decision, I would assume that I will be thrilled. If it's not meant to be, then it's not meant to be and another dream may find its way to my doorstep, preferably sooner than later. *grins*

Goodnight, Ya'll... This is what happens when I don't write for awhile. My dad asked me for an email when I was chatting with him on the phone this evening and I reminded him that I respond quite regularly to his emails, to which he replied that he hasn't received an email from "the Farm" for a long time. Well, here ya go, Pops... this one's for you!