Weekending

{do you like S' arrangement?}

I had intended to leave a simple message for you before we take off, but I knew it would be great if another longer post can be share before we set this space quiet again. Time is clicking as always, but we have been taking it normal and casual just like everyday doings.  It is about time to play a new quilt idea and make it an action rather than just think about it! It has been too long since I think about making.a.quilt! I miss it! It is something hard to use words describe or express.  Once the idea is on I took the action and started the hexie piecing process and it has filling me in and keeping hands busy.

The sharing table is all "mine" for last week! Thanks to S for the kindness of sharing the table with me and even let me have it for the week! There are few last finish projects need to wrap up and hexies everywhere. There's many possible color arrangements with hexies that I made awhile ago, but need more for the quilt.  I am thinking a lap size quilt, but a queen or a king would be awesome! Maybe I need to set a bigger goal for making larger size quilt for next year or two.  The hexagon size is 3/4" and will use red print as center. It reminds me the {log cabin quilt} I made earlier and the hexie project is nice portable project to transport around.

S and I took a trip to the east coast side; where we were right next to Pacific Ocean and closed to mountains and fields.  The mountain hot spring was so relaxing and S had the best time ever! It is always spoiled when we take a field trip outside the city limited. It helps us to feel fresh again.

It is not so wintery for us here, since we used to lived in bitter cold states. The winter colors here are so gorgeous! From the greens to the browns; the earth tone colors make us think of Fall in the states.  We could still see some vibrate colors essence the field. The strawberry season is almost here, but we'll miss it!

The bike trail was the highlight of this trip! We rode over an hour bike around the mountains without many people following on the trail. I didn't need to set my voice high and loud to ask S avoid the traffic. The up and down mountain trail was exciting for her! The last time we visited the same bike trail she was 5. It has been too long since we revisit again. We had wished to stay longer, but the time was so limited.

Do you like the train photos? I had wish some sunlight when I taken the photos, but the it was cloudy and rainy that day. The train pass through the Pacific Mountain trail line and was named the most beautiful train station in the east coast. S and I have decided we'll take a train trip next time when we visit again. It will be so nice to view the land and take time slowly to enjoy longer countryside getaway.

Our belongings are most pack and put away. We left few projects to finish up and some books to keep S going for last few weeks of our time here. We still take half day filed trips around the city limited and taste local food. It has been a great way to wrap up this adventure journey of ours.

On this thankful holiday season, we Thank many of our families and friends supporting us to make this journey safe and memorable. We Thank your encouragements each time when we share our stories and journey with you. It might not be the best way to do it, {{big HUGS to you all}}!! 

I would like to let you know that I will be closed {254 sewingshop} in a few weels and though if you are interested in any supplies they are all marked down. Hope the shop will reopen again in the future. For now, I will not be able to expend the shop inventory and need to set it quiet.

{1/4" mark} will be quiet for now! We will be traveling very soon and hope see you very soon~
until then happy sewing and happy holiday~

xxc

Weekending: thousand miles away

 

 { 06-03-2013 Tokyo Japan}

It has been a long time since the last post. Our move was a little  out of control and boy anything could gone wrong went wrong the week of moving. I have so many photos and stories to share with you later, but sadly I dropped my computer the week of moving week. The computer's operation system is not found at this point. I am taking it back to Taiwan and hope to retrieve all the files and photos. I have been crossed my fingers very hard and hope files and photos will be ok or I lost our years in ND photos... S is so kind to let me use her computer for the blog posts for now.

S and I flew over 6000 miles crossed the pacific ocean and landed in Japan last Friday. We are here for a short visit as we always plan this short vacation before heading our way to Taiwan. We have had so much great time with friends, great food, and great people in Japan. More stories later, i promise! 

The flight was long and S did very well for not being sick on the flight. She slept most of her time and watched a few movies. The trip has been so wonderful and she has been enjoy having mama's fully attention and fully energy just with her. I must admit spoil her a little extra on this trip was what I had before left the states. 

We both are still exhausted from the move and jet-lag from the time changes. We always had full busy first two days to exhaust our body then slow down when the body get use to the new weather and time zone. This morning, I was up at 4 and miss the French Press in the kitchen and miss some good coffee time and good blogs reading.. Did I just say coffee? um... 

Thank you for your emails and messages. We are surely miss our home in ND, but we are ready for the new year that's ahead of us. It has been so great to listen to S' observation and questions that she have had on this trip. She is soaking up so much news and gaining great experiences in her little body and I can't tell you enough.. this is what our year is really for!  A little scary still, but we'll make it fun and memorable.

Hope your weekending has been wonderful, {1/4" mark} home still on the move... will settle soon and hope more photos later. 

xxc

 

Random: heading East

Happy May 1st! When we lived in Iowa, Julie always prepared May first baskets for the kids that she babysit. Of course, S got one, too! Inside the basket always full with homemade cookies,  little flowers that kids picked from the morning walk and a note from each kid to their mama and dada.  I heart that tradition in Julie's house!

It has been a week that full with busy and some better news from the travel agent.  We should have everything settle by the end of the week. Thank you for all your well wishes I think they worked! Thank you for all the sweet and lovely comments on {keep it simple}.  {Thank. You}.

It is May 1st! We are moving in 24 days from today! Finally, I am more settled and ready to share with you where we are heading! It is not a secrete, but we have not feel that we are ready for this and with all the busy events lately. Everything just got postpone..

It has been little over a year of decision making and planning about where we heading. We are heading to East, Taiwan for a year! The thought for going to Taiwan came to me the summer before my last year of graduate study. I have listed many pros and cons about the move. S and I have talked about it before we approach our family. The move scars her to begin with. Every time, we talk about the schooling in Taiwan that brought her lots tears. She is fluent in conversation and listening, but reading and writing are not something that she can work with like her English.  We have done some new study at home since then, but it is still limited.  I have promised that we'll work together and we'll have great experiences instead of worrying not being able to catch up. 

I have always though it would be great to let S exposes to the culture that I came from, but it has been hard to find the good timing to do so. The post graduate year seems appropriate for taking the year off. This year would allow S and I spend time together, read, travel, make arts, be with family, and of course, pup, Lucky, the boy.

Beginning of this year, I have approached so many blog friends who homeschooling their children { thank you friends for you kindness}. There are so many information about homeschooling and I made many phone calls to find out the appropriate way for homeschooling. This is the part that I am not ready for! Homeschooling S for her U.S. study. I went and sat in her classroom one day in February and try to figure out how the teachers teach and oh boy, it is not as easy as I thought. Many of our friends have kindly offer Skype reading time with S once a week and help out her study via Skype. It really helps me out in many ways.  {My stars of Learning} is where S will post her readings and things that she enjoys while oversea. It is considered a portfolio that she can record her study on her own, so we can submit it in when we return next year to the school where we'll be.

My mom is overjoyed when I told her on the phone back in March. Oh, no screaming or tears! But I could hear her voice was higher when I told her our decision. That's a lot for my mom; a very conservative lady. I know that we'll have an interesting year together, but we'll try to be sweet and kind to each other.  It will be some adjustment to live with family again, but S and I both started looking forward coming home that grandma might be cooking dinner and Lucky might be waiting to play.

S is finally comfortable to share and talk about the move! She still unsure about schooling in Taiwan. She has many uncertain feelings about study in Chinese, but she will do well and hope gain tremendous great experiences for her little life.  She helps out packing her books and toys to store away. She picked out the clothes that she would like to take with. She gets involved with the move and be part of this adventure this time.

We'll still be here at {1/4" mark}, but we are away from the land that many of you and I are stand for. It doesn't seem like that going oversea is so difficult this time, but we do have more preparations to make and careful planning for S' schooling.

Within the year of oversea:
S will ...
-attend Taiwan's elementary school as an exchanged student and learn some Chinese.
-wear uniform to school everyday.
-greet the teacher before class starts and when class ends.
-spend time with extended families
-have a real pet, Lucky
-go to market with grandma at 6a.m. in the morning
-enjoy night markets
-travel to South East Asia
-experience different holiday traditions
--- much more

I, on the other hand would like take the post graduate year to work on some new sewing patterns and possible some a new quilt. A full suitcase of fabric is what I am taking and a full suitcase of books is what S is taking.  We both have our loves! 

The year of 2013 has been so great already even it is only May!  I hope to keep blogging and sharing even we are oversea. I'd love to show you my hometown and show you some fun places. Of course, I will continue sharing sewing with you and keep {shop} running.  This blog brought S and I many amazing friendships and many encouragements to keep moving on the days good and bad! Thank you for coming here to read a bit of this and that~  

now,
Stella.. are we ready for this adventure? It is going to be an excellent year ahead of us, i promise you!

xxc