It Will Get Better

The past week has been horrific. Truly horrific. I watched the news unfold into terrible scenes of smoke, fury, and violence. Sitting safe and sound in our calm little oasis, I was suddenly shaken into such a state of sadness for my fellow foreign service members all over the middle east and north africa. And I thought over and over the past week how fortunate we are to be here in Bangkok. I'm sure my friends in Cairo were once grateful to receive an assignment there too. I don't take anything for granted anymore.

We have laid low the past week, the kids going to school and playdates as usual. Me, waiting and hoping to hear from my husband every day, as he had a few weeks of training to complete back in D.C. I say a few, casually, but it was really a month. A stinkin' lonely. month.

Our supernanny tried to keep our spirits up, and took me exploring through Chinatown so I could drool over the fabrics. Store after store of lace, batiks, and here and there some decent cottons. Notions and sewing supplies! It was heaven.

I loved the back-soi markets, filled with everything imaginable and everything you might see in an Oriental Trading catalog. Funny. For 20baht a piece, we filled up on ridiculous sunglasses, and I grabbed beads and crafty things for projects I saw on Pinterest. We melted beads last weekend to make suncatchers and things like that. Yes, we actually DO the things I pin from time to time!

You could walk all day down these alleys, and I'm excited to go back by myself sometime to hunt down more, and to pick out fabric for my gown for the Marine Corps Birthday Ball.

For about $70 you could also pick up one of those amazing headdresses or headwhachamacallums that you see the thai dancers wear, or for dollars apiece you can stock up on pearly hairpins and other sparkly stuff.

Another day I stepped out to look at ball gowns, thinking that might be a cheerful thing to do. And then I took my little Bean out on a mommy-son date night to make sure he was getting all the attention he needed from me. Its not always easy compensating for a parent being away-sometimes you don't realize the kids are hurting until they start acting out. But I've been doing this a long time, so I catch it fast.

I had a lot of alone-time too. When Nate was napping or after the kids were put to bed I hid in the office and worked on making it into my little studio. The brightly colored fabrics and hand-dyed yarn make me happy, and having a room to spread it about has made me feel more creative than ever.






I even framed some of my favorites.














 I pulled out old projects that had stalled or had stumped me, and found new ways to finish them. Like these adorable twirly skirts.

And I prepared Buddha for another adventure.