Halu-Halo

It takes a village...

Halu*Halo — Sun, 19 May 2013 23:07:02 -0400

...to raise this military spouse.

Thirty days ago, we packed our two vehicles with our most precious cargo and traveled to our new home state. Ten days before that, a massive moving truck came and emptied our humble home of all of our belongings. Twenty-five days ago, we moved into our new home. Five days ago, we unpacked the last of our boxes.

This weekend, we experienced our first midwest thunderstorm.

And before, after, in between all of these days, our friends have helped us.

Help came in the form of meals, good wishes, hugs and encouragement. It came without us asking, without me even knowing I needed it (because I'm stubborn that way). Help came from our best friends, from neighbors, from family, and even, from strangers. But help came right on time, on the brink of those moments when I thought we couldn't pull any of this off.

Many people comment, "I don't know how you guys can move so much." Or, "I don't know how you can handle a deployment/be alone/do it all on your own." Most of the time, I say, "I'm used to it," or "I do what I can."

I admit I never say enough that, "We don't do it alone."

We're never really alone, are we? Whenever the stuff hits the fan, it's so easy to go into onesself. Heck, when the good things happen, we may pat ourselves on the back, and credit own our hard work alone. As if we were on the liferaft surrounded by the good fruits that we harvested on our own, as if no one taught us how to sow, have hinted at the best place to cast our lot.

I'm convinced otherwise.

And I've got our eighth home settled in to prove for it.

To these folks, THANK YOU. From my core, I WILL NEVER FORGET. And I promise to pay it forward.

I hope you have a great week!

Up for air

Halu*Halo — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:50:05 -0400

*snuggles Internet*

I'm still here, dear friends.

Three days travel, one blown tire, twelve nights on air mattresses, four in temporary lodging, and millions of meals in chain restaurants and snacks from very shady gas stations later...

Under boxes, but all family members accounted for, and so far, so good. Kansas has welcomed our large brood with open arms. My raging Northern Virginia allergies have all but disappeared, and my belly is full of goodies from my sweet neighbors.

We are exhausted, but everything is just perfect.

I hope to be back in this space soon. I am still on Twitter, of course!

Have a great day, everyone!

Let's escape, shall we? (photoblog)

Halu*Halo — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 21:04:07 -0400

Let's forget that two out of the three floors of my house are in boxes, and I'm not quite sure where my bottle of contact lens solution is. Or that I mistakenly didn't indicate I wanted to keep my spices and a pan or two so that I could cook in our ten day interim before our final move.

Nope.

Let's talk about last week instead.

Let's talk about Philly.

Philly was fun. A great mix of history, of old and new, of delicious meals, topped with excellent weather.

Only three hours away from our nation's capital, but far enough to truly feel like I was on vacation, the city diverse and a far cry from the suburbs.

I even mentioned to Hubby that its vibe reminded me so much of San Francisco...the neighborhood cultures defined as clear as gridlines on a map, and yet it felt natural and easy to be different.

We could have stayed at least two more days. We barely made a dent in our agenda. But we had to get back, the urgency of our transition just under the surface of all the fun we were having.

And we have been running ever since.

Three days to pack, ten days to move, six HaluHalo family members. We will do it again, with or without pots and pans, probably with Hubby and my nerves frayed to bits, but most importantly--together.

Seven steps to let go of stuff.

Halu*Halo — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 23:33:14 -0400

Do you have a junk drawer?

I do. And it's a hot mess.

Clarification: was a hot mess. As of this afternoon, it is the epitome of organization. Pencils and pens are in their rightful bags, and crayons aren't mingling with erasers. And get this, I even checked the ink status of each pen and marker and kept those that are, truly, useful.

*bows*

It was a small victory in this thing called purging, now an every two-to-three year process that is equally tedious as it is therapeutic. I'm pretty good at it now, my heart calloused from being physically separated from my things, trusting others to pack and store them for weeks at a time, for my goods to travel across the states and oceans in their care. I've unwillingly said goodbye to many pieces of furniture and beloved breakable items. I'm so efficient after fifteen years of military moves that my mother, who once enlisted my help when it was time for her to purge, even called me "heartless."

*bows a second time*

But I've got to tell you, it feels good. I love knowing what I have, and I cherish those things I choose to keep.

There's a difference there: choosing to keep vs. passive affection.

We are not minimalists, I assure you. I am a crafter and have had every piece of craft material or tool under the sun, but I don't keep them all forever. (Including fabric and yarn, which I share or donate - for real!) But I have learned to keep what I love, what I adore. I have realized that quality over quantity will rule anytime, anyday.

I'm always asked what my purging process is like, so I've decided to share it with you. There are a few fundamental questions I ask myself as I go through a drawer, a closet, a bookshelf.

1. Does it work/fit? Is it usable?

2. When was the last time I used it?

3. Can I use it for reference? Is it a tool? Does it serve a purpose?

4. Was it given to me by someone I cherish dearly? If so, does it jive with my things?

5. Does it hold a specific significant memory?

6. Do I love it to the depths of my soul?

7. Do I have room?

It's not a perfect system, but it's kept our clutter at bay, and it has actually molded my spending habits to reflect a simpler lifestyle. I can walk into our storage room and not feel like I'm being swallowed up by Mount Clutter and Doom, which is a big win, in my book.

Do you have any general purging tips?

The G word

Halu*Halo — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 15:44:00 -0400

To my IRL (local) friends,

I don't say it.

I don't think it.

I'm giving ample warning, my friends, that you mustn't either. Not in front of me.

We're doing this again. My eighth time as a military spouse, our sixth time as a military family with kidlets. And as a child of nomadic, adventure-seeking parents: too many to count.

It's tough. It's tedious. It's pull-my-hair-out-stressful. Now, at thirty days out, you might even catch me talking to myself, writing lists for the heck of it, eating french fries as if the zombie apocalypse were happening tomorrow.

You'll just have to be patient with me. It's called The Letting Go.

I am in the depths of storage, sorting out our sterilite containers. Keep? Toss? Donate? I am concocting creative dishes using ingredients we cannot take. I am also packing away great memories of new and old friends, of road trips and family vacations, of accomplishments and challenges.

After over fifteen years as a military spouse, I know the rigamoroll. You can even say I have a system. I am even proud to declare that I have perspective.

But do not say the G word to me.

Because there is no such thing as goodb&* in my book, not if the sun still rises, if the phones still ring, if the internet continues to connect. We can still be as close as you and I choose to be, and even if we lose touch, you are still in my heart. I don't have any expectations. I'm pretty laid-back like that.

So when we see each other one last time before my move, don't say goodb*&. Tell me we'll keep in touch, that we'll post pictures, text or snail mail. That time will pass but our friendship will stand still until we pick up where we left off.

Be laid-back too, tell me "see you later." I bet the more we say it, the universe will make it happen.

xoxo,

Tif

My 2yo's version of hide and seek = How I looked revising today

Halu*Halo — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 22:05:14 -0500

"C'mon caffeine, kick in, dangit."

"When I count to three, all of my passive sentences and little darlings will disappear! One...two..."

"Nonononono they're still there! Why, oh why, can't this thing write itself?"

"I need a snack. And more coffee. And a hug."

The positive about all of this? My WIP is shaping up despite my whining and complaints. And of course, I had such a cute helper who kept me laughing.

I hope you had a wonderful day making stuff!

This quilt...

Halu*Halo — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 05:47:32 -0500

...is my first for 2013, and hopefully the first of many for this year. In my quest to not throw my handmaking by the wayside while writing, my goal is to do at least four this year.

...is not for me, or for my family. It is a charity quilt, for a young girl who had cancer. The blocks were donated by some of the talented ladies of the Northern Virginia Modern Quilt Guild. Shapes were appliqued using thicker fabrics, such as chenille and denim, because A was losing her sight from the complications of cancer and I thought a tactile quilt would benefit her the most. It is a large quilt, almost twin-sized, and I pieced the front and back in random style. After stipling throughout, I hand-bound it with pieced binding, using the scraps of the fabrics I incorporated.

...sadly, didn't make it to A in time. She passed away. This quilt is going to her parents, who hopefully will know that a group of ladies prayed for their child in the small stitches they laid on fabric. That just like this quilt, we as a group knew that their child was unique, quirky, colorful, but magnificent all at the same time.

This quilt was the project I worked on as we greeted 2013. It inspired this post, the thoughts of this child the catalyst. There is no promise of tomorrow. Life, today, is about making a difference. Life, today, is a gift. This child (who I am not naming for privacy purposes), gave strength to hundreds of people. Her facebook page gleamed of her vitality even in her sickness. And even I, who didn't know her personally, sobbed as I sewed, celebrating the hope she gave the ones she left behind.

Now I ask all of you the same question I asked myself: Have you made this difference?

Rookie mistakes

Halu*Halo — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:05:49 -0500

In a crafter's world, there are things that are absolutely critical:

As quilters: Don't forget your seam allowance when you measure and cut.

As knitters: Complete a guage swatch prior to starting your project.

As writers: Spell check.

As cross-stitchers: Count your stitches.

And yet, again, I decided not to follow one of these critical rules.

This is the January stitch pattern from the 2013 Woodland Sampler. Super cute, no? I used to cross-stitch a decade ago but put it down for a long time, not finding cute enough patterns to stitch with.

And then came this website, which has the sweetest patterns, evarrrr. I promised myself that if I decluttered my crafting room, I would reward myself with a new set of cross-stitch materials. You will be happy to know that I have recently filled up a tiny drawer with new needles, fabric, and floss.

But as I embarked on this project, I did that thing many advanced crafters do: become cocky. And I didn't follow directions.

(Hubby calls it being stubborn. I call it attempting to discover my way of doing things.)

Rookie mistakes I committed with this January block:

1. I didn't count my stitches when I framed out the space. I kind of eyeballed it, quickly running my fingers through the stitches, satisfied with the count, only realizing later that I was 6 stitches short. So, I had to make my reindeers slimmer, and shifted them up and right by two stitches. I also removed the row in between the reindeers, so in my little block, they are kissing.

2. I used the wrong colors on the antlers, noses and hooves. I switched them up in my head. The hooves an noses were supposed to be black, the antlers were supposed to be brown. Le sigh...

3. The word "January" was supposed to be in a light blue. I used an ice blue instead, thinking it would pop against the mushroom colored fabric better...but now...I can't even...

Lessons humbly learned:

1. Yes, things do work out in the end, but...

2. Do the absolute critical thing: i.e count your stitches.

3. Enjoy the confusion that takes place.

4. Go with the flow.

5. Be grateful for the changes: Kissing reindeers are much more appropriate for this romance lover, don't you think?

6. Cherish it.

How about you? Have you had any humbling experiences lately?

I hope you guys have a great first of the month. Here's to a productive February!

Hang tight.

Halu*Halo — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 22:41:00 -0500

So much crazy news this week:

Lance Armstrong

Manti Te'o

Beyonce

Lots of talk of deception, of what we should believe. The attempted deconstruction of situations, of piecing stories, of defense and accusations...it's almost too much.

I had to combat it somehow:

I wound a hell of a lot of floss into tiny bobbins. I enjoyed as these tiny strings slipped through my fingers onto plastic.

And I dreamt...I dreamt about the projects I'm hoping to complete with this great stash of colorful fiber.

There's so much untruth in the world, it's all around us. But even the winding of string, the project that grows from imagination, that is enough to hang on to sometimes.

It's tangible, it's real.

Thank goodness.

Have a wonderful weekend!

On a roll

Halu*Halo — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 13:34:38 -0500

Status check!

1. New Years gift treats...check...

2. New Years cards...well...this is where I'm at:

©tif johnson

But hey, in past years, I have sent our New Years greetings in February. So, friends, sing praises of triumph! You might get this paper greeting before Valentine's Day! (lest you think I'm kidding, remember the time I finished a Christmas knit...IN FEBRUARY?)

3. Today, I made the best banana bread! Sometimes Paleo treats don't satisfy my sweet tooth. In fact, since changing our lifestyle, I have just accepted that I wouldn't find a suitable substitute for my most favorite baked good, but by golly, this is it!

©tif johnson

I used this recipe. Julia, THANK YOU for making this woman so.very.happy. I even tried it out with my sweet girlfriends this morning (who are my guinea pigs for everything) and I got the thumbs up from them too. I may make a double batch tomorrow.

Now, to find the perfect Paleo chocolate cake....

4. I have been sending ALL THE QUERIES. And revising my WIP slowly.

And I've been working on this:

It's the beginnings of a writer's website, a launch pad of sorts. It's very simple, but it's a start. Believe it or not, working on this website helps solidify my resolve. That everything will happen in its due time. And that what will happen is meant to be if I keep moving forward.

Right?

(everyone nod, please)

I hope you all have been staying warm! Time to bundle up--it's supposed to snow at our Nation's Capital. Or so they say...