Maggie arrived today!

It has been a very happy day today for our family! Andrea and Craig welcomed a new baby girl into the family. She is absolutely adorable. Her name is Marguerite, or Maggie for short. (My middle name is Marguerite, and I am quite proud and pleased to have such a special connection to my new niece. )

I was very lucky to have been in the hospital when she was born, and so I got to meet her when she was less than a half an hour old. She weighs only 5 pounds, 13 ounces, which is really quite small. Very very small. She is perfect and completely adorable. Big blue eyes.

Andrea is doing very well. I spoke to her again this evening over the phone and she sounded in great spirits. She's floating on cloud nine.

I am also very proud to report that I was the first to change little Maggie's diaper, which was a messy, sticky treat. (Actually it wasn't technically a diaper change, since she wasn't even wearing a diaper, she was that new. So I cleaned her up and put on her very first diaper. The first diaper of a nearly continuous string for 3 or so years...!) Those tiny little arms and legs were flailing about, and she didn't like it one bit. Those newborn diapers are sure tiny. And believe it or not, it seemed big on little Maggie. How quickly we know she will grow.

I feel very privileged to be part of this special day for Maggie, Andrea and Craig. Congratulations to them, and a very warm welcome to Maggie!

Landscaping Inspiration

I'm testing a new way of showing a slideshow, this time through Picassa WebAlbums. How do you like this compared to Pictobrowser?

These pictures are from my friend Kristin's house. I love how she created texture on the ground with the squares. I have a shady side yard where not much will grow, and this could be a great way to create interest. She has a great sense of style.

New name for my blog

I decided I needed a better name for my blog than "Laurel's Blog." So, I changed it. I chose Set of the Sail because of the quote "Tis the set of the sail and not the gale Which determines the way they go." It's from this longer poem from Ella Wheeler Wilcox:

One ship sails east and another sails west
With the self-same winds that blow.
Tis the set of the sail and not the gale
Which determines the way they go.
As the winds of the sea are the ways of fate
As we voyage along through life,
Tis the act of the soul that determines the goal,
And not the calm or the strife.
-Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Credit for finding this poem goes to my father, who once, very long ago, gave me a copy of this quote, in a little frame. I have kept it for years, transferring it from one apartment and home to another, until I settled into my current home and gave it a more permanent and prominent place on my dresser top. I don't remember when my father gave it to me, nor what he said when he did, but I can guess that the quote touched him in the same way it touches me now. He probably has no idea that I have kept that little thing for so long, and that I have valued it as much as I have. He reads this blog, so I guess he knows now. : )

Sometimes I encounter people who are struggling, and I often want to give them this quote. I think embracing it in your own life is one of the most challenging feats you can accomplish, but if you do, one of the most meaningful and rewarding. So much of my personal history seems to evolve around my efforts to set my sail. So, it seems a fitting place from which to derive the new name of my blog. Thanks, Dad!

Jackson's Birthday Party

Daydreaming about outdoor kitchens

I had another quiet moment this morning, before the kids were up and about, and I was browsing again online, and came across another picture that I liked, and that gave me an idea. I've been thinking about what to do with the window and door configuration along the wall in the back that currently has the sliding glass door and the back door leading from the kitchen to the backyard. When we replace the living room windows with doors leading to the back, will I have too many redundant doors? Should I consider removing the kitchen door and just use the sliding and french doors?

This picture makes the case for eliminating the kitchen door. I could put in a nice window, like the one here, and an outdoor countertop. It would be a great place to set out food or drinks for parties in the backyard, with built in storage underneath. If you picture this in my yard, the new french doors from the front room would be just out of sight to the right in this picture, and the sliding door from the dining/family room space would be just out of sight to the left. Interesting...

Ahhh

Sometimes I just see a picture and I want to be there.

The whole house is asleep, and I'm enjoying a quiet moment at the computer. I was lazily surfing around when I came across this picture. There's nothing too special about it, but somehow it just makes me want to step right in. I think it's the uniform color scheme, the variety of textures, the relaxed details. Nice.

The picture is from Veranda magazine, and I'm not sure why the image came with all that text.

Chapter books for a 4 year old?

I know it sounds a little crazy, but I think I want to start reading chapter books to Julia. My nanny and I were having a great discussion this morning about kids who read, and I was recalling the evenings of my childhood when my mother read to me from books that were beyond my own reading level, but which completely captivated me as a listener -- the kind where you beg for just one more chapter.

Julia and I read lots of books together, and while she loves it, sometimes I wonder if she could handle longer more complicated storylines. (And I sure wouldn't mind that myself!) A couple of the recent books my mom has dropped off (Amelia Bedelia and The Case of the Scaredy Cats) have been a little longer than the typical picture book, and, confirming my theory, Julia has LOVED them, wanting them read over and over again.

So I started doing some research online. I came across this Amazon discussion thread from a guy looking for chapter books to read to his 4 year old. The replies confirmed what I suspected, which is that many 4 year olds (depending on the kid, clearly) can enjoy being read to from chapter books that require multiple nights to get through. I found lots of suggestions here, many of which I well remember from my own childhood.

Examples:
Stuart Little
The Mouse and the Motorcycle
Little House on the Prarie
The Wizard of Oz
Junie B. Jones
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle
My Father's Dragon
Pippi Longstocking
Ramona the Brave

Most of these are either the first book of a series, or from prolific authors who have other similarly great titles. This goes without saying, but there is such a richness out there to share with Juila (and later Andrew.) I can't wait to try one on her. I'm thinking about starting with My Father's Dragon or maybe Mrs. Piggle Wiggle. (Mom, do you still have a copy of that?)

Any other suggestions? Many of the books above feature boys as the title character, and I'd love to find a few more with girls in the lead role.

(Susan, if you are still looking for birthday gift ideas for Julia, perhaps a title from this list or your own childhood memories would be a great option!)

24: The Unaired 1994 Pilot

Check out this video of what the show "24" might have looked like in the early 90s. Hilarious!

Appliance overload

Yesterday we took our first step into the world of kitchen appliances, in anticipation of our remodel. My Mom and Dad came over to watch the kids for a few hours (THANK YOU!) so that we could hang out at the local kitchen showroom. We got the scoop on all the categories, all the brands, all the options... wow it's a lot to absorb!

Some decisions will be easy, and some will be hard. The easy ones will be the dishwasher (we're going with the one my in-laws just bought and love) and the laundry (who cares, as long as it dries clothes in less than my current 2 hour model?). And we're hoping we can re-use our fridge, saving us a bundle we can put toward other priorities.

Cooking-related appliances are going to be tricker. The options and possible combinations are many and complicated. We are currently leaning toward a range top with a separate wall oven/microwave combination. But do we do the straightforward 4 burner model, or do we upgrade to one with a built in griddle? Will I regret going with only one oven? Two seems like an extravagance when the only time I can imagine needing two is the holidays... but many kitchens have two ovens... Anybody have any words of wisdom on two vs one oven?

Then there are the extra luxury appliances that I was convinced we needed while in the showroom, but now in the cold light of day, outside of the spell those places cast, I'm not so sure. For example, a "beverage center" which is a little under-counter fridge that gets all the drinks out of your regular fridge, leaving more room for the food which seems smart. (Our fridge always feels packed, and I can only imagine how much worse that will be when we have teenagers in the house!) So, perhaps a separate fridge dedicated to drinks makes sense. But where to put it? And is it worth the expense? I'm thinking the better choice is just to drink more water from the tap... healthier for us, and for the environment since there are no wasteful containers. But is that realistic???

And then there's the ultimate, tempting but completely indulgent appliance: The steam oven, which I had not even heard of before yesterday. Apparently it cooks with steam, keeping the food moist and flavorful without the typical added fats and oils. A very healthy way to eat, and it looked awesome. But, it's about the size of a microwave, and requires yet another space in the kitchen. Will it fit? Is it completely ridiculous? I have a feeling it's one of those things that people with unlimited space and money have.... and that certainly does not describe us!

Lots to think about, and we haven't even gotten to countertops, backsplashes, lighting, cabinets and floors. Gracious... maybe our current kitchen is just fine.

Running again

Some say that it you make a commitment public that you are more likely to keep it. So, here I state that I have started running again, after a several month hiatus. Today was my third morning successfully completing an early morning outing, so I think it is respectable enough now to really say I've started running again.

My goal is three mornings a week at a minimum. Please feel free to check with me and ask me how the running is going. Knowing people are expecting me to be able to answer that question helps. Funny how we can play games with our minds.

I've been running with my iPod, but this time with my own music instead of the "Couch to 5k" podcast I was using last time. But I find I really prefer the high energy, strong beat songs, like Pump It by the Black Eyed Peas. Unfortunately, though, that's the only song of that genre I have on my nearly empty iPod. I listened to it 4 times in a row this morning. Really! So clearly I'm looking for more good running songs, with that same kind of energy. Any suggestions?

As an aside, I've got to say that I have mixed feelings about my iPod. I love the idea of it, and I love the ease of use, the whole system. But I confess it feels like just one more thing to manage and keep up to date. I already try to keep up with blogging, keep up with my favorite couple of shows on Tivo (So you think you can dance and Battlestar Galactica!), keep up with the kids, keep up with my photo albums, keep up with work, keep up with thank you notes, birthday gifts, doctor's appointments, book club reading, and the list goes on and on. There is so much! I wish I could just magically have the darn iPod filled with great music that I didn't have to take the trouble to find. I just don't know music and it seems intimidating to try to find music I like. I know that sounds silly. When I hear music I know if I like it or not, but I can't for the life of me ever remember the name of the song or the artist, so once the song it gone, it's gone... little chance it'll find it's way to my iPod. So, anyway, iPod management suggestions are also welcome!

Have a nice weekend!