experiment succeeded.
cake was yummy!
i used cool whip instead of frosting on top, as some of the reviewers on bettycrocker.com suggested.
my 1/4 crema de coco and 1/4 cup 2% substituted for the 1/2 c coconut milk worked great.
the bananas gave the cake a little extra body.
the toasted coconut flakes were a nice touch, and i have some left over to sprinkle over ice cream... mmmmm
hubby liked it. dad liked it. mom liked it. i liked it. yes, i'd say that recipe is a keeper. it may not be completely from scratch, but that's ok by me. i can think of lots of variations... strawberries on top, pineapple on top... the list goes on.
the church picnic was fun. i got to see stephanie's precious girls... baby e is adorable with her mommy's dark, dark hair. baby bear seemed overwhelmed by all the people at grandma and grandaddy's house, but it did not take her long to get over her possessiveness and make friends with everybody. she even gave some of the other toddlers kisses. and of course, the kids loved splashing at the goldfish in the pond. the rain held off, except for a few sprinkles, though it seemed to rain all around us. we could have all piled into the house, but it would have been crowded. and my dad's living room looks like a gallery of his artwork right now, so we would have had to be careful... did i mention there were a lot of little kids around?
we were the last to leave. i love watching baby bear play or cuddle with her grandparents. since we live relatively close, i think we're going to have to start saying heck with gas prices and make it a point to get together at least once a week. we are blessed to have at least one set so close, and the others not very much farther away.
Saturday, June 02, 2007
my latest kitchen experiment is about to begin...
Banana Tres Leches Dessert
Wish me luck! I couldn't find coconut milk, so I am using crema de coco even though the recipe says not to. Another recipe had crema de coco in it, so I figure why not try... should be really rich.
And I have to figure out how to toast coconut for the garnishment...I'm guessing put it on foil in the oven til it browns slightly?
Banana Tres Leches Dessert
Wish me luck! I couldn't find coconut milk, so I am using crema de coco even though the recipe says not to. Another recipe had crema de coco in it, so I figure why not try... should be really rich.
And I have to figure out how to toast coconut for the garnishment...I'm guessing put it on foil in the oven til it browns slightly?
Friday, June 01, 2007
Why life and/or people are like a....
- the fruit is worth the wait
- some cherries stay attached to their stems, others drop off
- sometimes those that drop off get squashed, other times they top off a sundae
- some are sweet, some are sour... and that's not always bad
- they are meant to be eaten and enjoyed, as we should live each day to the fullest (i had to clarify that i'm not a cannibal)
Any other thoughts on this?
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Pray for my friends...
My fellow blogaholic Grace and her family are going to have to move again. They know God has opened a door in His perfct timing, but that doesn't change the heartbreaking facts of the circumstances. Or the fact that they will be moving farther away from their closest family members. Please pray for them to have peace and joy that only the Lord can give, for God's provision of finances for medical bills, and for physical healing of Grace's Crohn's disease.
Nattie, who I don't know as well but met on the Women @ Home forum, has cancer. She has two children.
Farm Wife is nearing the end of her 4th pregnancy... need I say more?
Stephanie & Jackie are adjusting to life with another child! (Steph has 3, Jackie has 4).
Our church is preparing for Family Bible Adventure (known elsewhere as VBS). Pray that kids will come to know Christ, and pray for everyone who is involved in the organization of such a large endeavor.
My fellow blogaholic Grace and her family are going to have to move again. They know God has opened a door in His perfct timing, but that doesn't change the heartbreaking facts of the circumstances. Or the fact that they will be moving farther away from their closest family members. Please pray for them to have peace and joy that only the Lord can give, for God's provision of finances for medical bills, and for physical healing of Grace's Crohn's disease.
Nattie, who I don't know as well but met on the Women @ Home forum, has cancer. She has two children.
Farm Wife is nearing the end of her 4th pregnancy... need I say more?
Stephanie & Jackie are adjusting to life with another child! (Steph has 3, Jackie has 4).
Our church is preparing for Family Bible Adventure (known elsewhere as VBS). Pray that kids will come to know Christ, and pray for everyone who is involved in the organization of such a large endeavor.
my mind's end-of-day wanderings-
... the house-lookers left less than 5 minutes after they arrived. must not be interested. i wonder who our new neighbors will be. i have some other ponderings about why houselookers seem to leave quickly... for instance, does the house stink? that would be a shame, because the previous owner kept it immaculate inside.
... i managed to finish laundry, including folding and putting away most of it.
... baby bear "rode" her trike (with me pushing her using the parent handle thingy) all the way down the street and back. still no pedaling going on, but her legs are getting long enough so she might be "walking" the trike soon. i still need to find a replacement buckle to sew on, as her seatbelt buckle is broken and does not stay tied very well.
... another calla bloom is on its way. that will make 9.
... i staked up some of the green bean bushes in their pot. they are getting tall. i probably crammed too many in one pot, but that's ok. so far, so good.
... my garden project for the fall/next spring will hopefully be a nice flower bed around my bay window in the back. i want to look at flowers from my bedroom windows. roses would be nice. i may need help convincing hubby to let me do it.
... would it be weird to plant raspberries along the side of my house? i'm addicted to gramma's frozen raspberries. they are too expensive to freeze when you buy them from the store. the gurney's site says they take full sun... do they really mean full, next to brick in poor soil sun? (i live on a corner lot in a subdivision, if that makes a difference.)
... we reduced the insurance on our old car to liability/uninsured motorists only. that will save us a nice chunk. hubby thinks that it's had a tough life, and if it gets wrecked we'll have to get something else. i hope it lasts for another 100K miles. but i'm not naive. i like not having a car payment.
... i grew up thinking an 8-year-old vehicle was still new. but i don't think any of them had been involved in 4 accidents. for the record, only one was my fault.
... i think some of the dahlia seeds i planted may have taken root. there are little sprouts coming through the mulch where I planted thema week or so before we put the mulch over them. so far, the only things i've managed to grow from seed are herbs, beans, and tomato plants. no flowers. well, except bulbs and rhizomes. they like me ok. so far. anyway, they are in the hot-as-hades end of my flower bed, so we'll see how/if they grow/bloom...
... my daffodil leaves are finally starting to brown. i can't wait to cut them back, but i want the bulbs to get the nutrients they need to bloom again next year, so i am patiently waiting for them to die on their own. no euthenasia for my flowers.
... the flower on the spirea shrub has a nice delicate scent... not too strong. i wonder if it's something that will be easy to split. if it is, i'll be happy to share. baby bear had fun playing with her "flou-flou" this morning. she kept raking them into her plastic scoop and carrying them around. so cute.
... my most recent transplants seem to be doing ok so far. one hosta seems to be struggling a little more than the other, but the black-eyed susan leaves appear to be getting comfortable in their new home.
... the plant that i got from a lady from tech mom's church bloomed today. it has an interesting small red bloom which reminds me of a tiny chinese lantern. i think it would look better hanging (as the lady suggested) than in its current pot... gotta see if any of my hanging pots are in working order and see about getting some soil from the tomato pot. i don't know what it's called.
... hubby is out of town. baby bear misses him, and if i scold her for something, calls out "Dada!" she is a daddy's girl, that's for sure.
... we have some stupid parents in our neighborhood. they let their children sit in the middle of the MAIN route into the subdivision and color with sidewalk chalk. and the 4 year old who is the size of a 2 year old (yes, smaller than maddie) rides her bike by herself on the wrong side of the street. it's a subdivision, people! with 150 homes in it. are you asking for your children to get killed?
... i wonder if the neighbors who have joined together to start an actual neighborhood association will be able to find a way to get the developer/property management to take care of significant issues like street lights not working and cliffs needing retaining walls, and not just police their neighbors for silly things like parking next to the curb or minor by-law violations? just curious... i supposed i can't complain if i don't check out what's happening...
... the house-lookers left less than 5 minutes after they arrived. must not be interested. i wonder who our new neighbors will be. i have some other ponderings about why houselookers seem to leave quickly... for instance, does the house stink? that would be a shame, because the previous owner kept it immaculate inside.
... i managed to finish laundry, including folding and putting away most of it.
... baby bear "rode" her trike (with me pushing her using the parent handle thingy) all the way down the street and back. still no pedaling going on, but her legs are getting long enough so she might be "walking" the trike soon. i still need to find a replacement buckle to sew on, as her seatbelt buckle is broken and does not stay tied very well.
... another calla bloom is on its way. that will make 9.
... i staked up some of the green bean bushes in their pot. they are getting tall. i probably crammed too many in one pot, but that's ok. so far, so good.
... my garden project for the fall/next spring will hopefully be a nice flower bed around my bay window in the back. i want to look at flowers from my bedroom windows. roses would be nice. i may need help convincing hubby to let me do it.
... would it be weird to plant raspberries along the side of my house? i'm addicted to gramma's frozen raspberries. they are too expensive to freeze when you buy them from the store. the gurney's site says they take full sun... do they really mean full, next to brick in poor soil sun? (i live on a corner lot in a subdivision, if that makes a difference.)
... we reduced the insurance on our old car to liability/uninsured motorists only. that will save us a nice chunk. hubby thinks that it's had a tough life, and if it gets wrecked we'll have to get something else. i hope it lasts for another 100K miles. but i'm not naive. i like not having a car payment.
... i grew up thinking an 8-year-old vehicle was still new. but i don't think any of them had been involved in 4 accidents. for the record, only one was my fault.
... i think some of the dahlia seeds i planted may have taken root. there are little sprouts coming through the mulch where I planted thema week or so before we put the mulch over them. so far, the only things i've managed to grow from seed are herbs, beans, and tomato plants. no flowers. well, except bulbs and rhizomes. they like me ok. so far. anyway, they are in the hot-as-hades end of my flower bed, so we'll see how/if they grow/bloom...
... my daffodil leaves are finally starting to brown. i can't wait to cut them back, but i want the bulbs to get the nutrients they need to bloom again next year, so i am patiently waiting for them to die on their own. no euthenasia for my flowers.
... the flower on the spirea shrub has a nice delicate scent... not too strong. i wonder if it's something that will be easy to split. if it is, i'll be happy to share. baby bear had fun playing with her "flou-flou" this morning. she kept raking them into her plastic scoop and carrying them around. so cute.
... my most recent transplants seem to be doing ok so far. one hosta seems to be struggling a little more than the other, but the black-eyed susan leaves appear to be getting comfortable in their new home.
... the plant that i got from a lady from tech mom's church bloomed today. it has an interesting small red bloom which reminds me of a tiny chinese lantern. i think it would look better hanging (as the lady suggested) than in its current pot... gotta see if any of my hanging pots are in working order and see about getting some soil from the tomato pot. i don't know what it's called.
... hubby is out of town. baby bear misses him, and if i scold her for something, calls out "Dada!" she is a daddy's girl, that's for sure.
... we have some stupid parents in our neighborhood. they let their children sit in the middle of the MAIN route into the subdivision and color with sidewalk chalk. and the 4 year old who is the size of a 2 year old (yes, smaller than maddie) rides her bike by herself on the wrong side of the street. it's a subdivision, people! with 150 homes in it. are you asking for your children to get killed?
... i wonder if the neighbors who have joined together to start an actual neighborhood association will be able to find a way to get the developer/property management to take care of significant issues like street lights not working and cliffs needing retaining walls, and not just police their neighbors for silly things like parking next to the curb or minor by-law violations? just curious... i supposed i can't complain if i don't check out what's happening...
i spy...
a family going into the house across the street with a realtor. mom & 2 kids. yes, i am that nosy. my couch is conveniently located right in front of my living room window. my blinds are open, letting natural light in.
i should be using this time more constructively. in fact, as my computer's battery is almost dead, perhaps i will go find my list of things to tackle today and legitimately cross them off...
a family going into the house across the street with a realtor. mom & 2 kids. yes, i am that nosy. my couch is conveniently located right in front of my living room window. my blinds are open, letting natural light in.
i should be using this time more constructively. in fact, as my computer's battery is almost dead, perhaps i will go find my list of things to tackle today and legitimately cross them off...
hubby has a point
summers in wisconsin are much nicer than summers where we live. it's only may, not even summer yet, our grass is already turning brown, and today it is HUMID. maybe that's just because it was 70 and not so humid at gramma's. the weather is teasing us. it feels like it wants to rain, but it won't. i'm just prayin' that if it does rain this week, it will not be on saturday, when we crash the church picnic for steph's & my parents' church at my parents' house. it wouldn't be the first time a church picnic has been postponed due to rain, but still...
so, i continue to water my flowers and veggie pots so they don't wither away into the clay. my green bean plants are flowering... does that mean the beans will come soon? anyone know? i'm assuming so, since that is generally the order of growth for tomato plants, which have also begun to flower a bit.
if only the rest of the family would move back north, should hubby's crazy ideas come to fruition. the 12-hour drive would make it nearly impossible for baby bear to truly get to know her cousins and grandparents.
summers in wisconsin are much nicer than summers where we live. it's only may, not even summer yet, our grass is already turning brown, and today it is HUMID. maybe that's just because it was 70 and not so humid at gramma's. the weather is teasing us. it feels like it wants to rain, but it won't. i'm just prayin' that if it does rain this week, it will not be on saturday, when we crash the church picnic for steph's & my parents' church at my parents' house. it wouldn't be the first time a church picnic has been postponed due to rain, but still...
so, i continue to water my flowers and veggie pots so they don't wither away into the clay. my green bean plants are flowering... does that mean the beans will come soon? anyone know? i'm assuming so, since that is generally the order of growth for tomato plants, which have also begun to flower a bit.
if only the rest of the family would move back north, should hubby's crazy ideas come to fruition. the 12-hour drive would make it nearly impossible for baby bear to truly get to know her cousins and grandparents.
Wordless Wednesday
Gramma & a friend wait for the water trough to fill.For more Wordless Wednesday posts, visit the WW HQ or 5 minutes for Mom!
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Some things I learned over Memorial Day weekend...
An 80-something year old woman (approaching 90 really) can scale a fence and trudge through manure like there's nothing to it.
Not having a shower is not so bad when the weather is cool. (Gramma has a bath tub, but not a working shower.) Yes, I bathed. No, not every day. It's a small tub and to be honest, it's a bit of a nuisance. Those of you who have been there understand.
Baby Bear has a healthy respect for farm animals. She stayed her distance from the heifers and chicks, but was quite happy to tackle Kitty.
Jay Alan Sekulow's organization is not exempt from the "charities that prey on the sympathies of the elderly" syndrome. Hubby signed Gramma up for the do-not-call list in her state. Hope it helps.
Gramma can relax. As long as there's no meal to be planned. We even ate out a couple of times, which helped her relax even more.
It's not appropriate to garden on the Lord's Day. Unless it's to dig up plants for your grandaughter who is leaving the next day.
Window a/c units don't have 9 lives. Therefore, before installing for the summer, make sure the unit still works. Especially if you're paying to have someone else install it.
Buckets of rain water make excellent water for flowers and new plants.
Cows like to eat watermelon rinds, but not asparagus. (Especially 1-inch thick stalks.)
Baby Bear can sit pleasantly in a church service- as long as the music doesn't stop. Once the music stops, she says and signs "more, more" and starts to cry. It doesn't matter if the music is your simple old fashioned organ and piano and not contemporary, either. Music is music to her.
Visiting with old family friends after 8 years brought back memories from my childhood. Who would have thought that I would distantly be related by marriage to the man who baptizd my younger sister at our church in Michigan?
The simple life is both simple and complex. Farmers must rely on faith, trusting God to send the water their crops need. All the planning and preparation in the world is dependent on nature... God's provision. Of course, without their diligence, the fields and animals would not thrive either. What a balance!
There are always tasks to do, but when distant relatives from the city come visit and request a tour of the farm for their 1 1/2 year old, they are your honored guests.
A 100 year old farm house, if renovated and taken care of, can look really new.
A white fluffy dog that lives on a farm is seldom really white or fluffy.
If you want a kitten, find a farmer. Many farms have dozens of them around. Too bad we couldn't convince hubby to let us take one for baby bear.
Sleeping in til 7:30 is really sleeping in on the farm.
Watching Kitty climb the maple tree is sure to amuse my Baby Bear.
Toys are silly. Sticks and stones will do just fine.
Lambs whose mommy's milk doesn't come in are called orphans and must be bottle fed. An IBC root beer bottle with a nipple contraption thingy will do just fine. No Dr. Brown's, Avent, etc. necessary for the lambs!
Oscar can be a female lamb's name. It was an orphan and is now the matriarch of the farm where it lives. The farmer's daughter will not allow her dad to get rid of it because it was born when she was 2. She starts college in the fall.
Jelly jars make a great bridal shower gift- if the bride knows how to make jam. Fortunately, the recipient does indeed.
It is possible to gain 4 pounds in 5 days.
Baby Bear, like her older cousins, does not like spatzel (dumplings). She does like the beef that goes over the spatzel.
Although Gramma's frozen raspberries did nothing for her in October, Baby Bear has since decided they are one of her favorite types of fruit.
While I did miss reading my friends' blogs, I actually didn't really miss posting every day. This means that with a little self discipline, perhaps I will try to limit my time online and accomplish more around here. Maybe. Oh, wait, that would require self-control. And I'm an addict.... if you don't believe me, scroll down to see how many times I've posted since last night.
An 80-something year old woman (approaching 90 really) can scale a fence and trudge through manure like there's nothing to it.
Not having a shower is not so bad when the weather is cool. (Gramma has a bath tub, but not a working shower.) Yes, I bathed. No, not every day. It's a small tub and to be honest, it's a bit of a nuisance. Those of you who have been there understand.
Baby Bear has a healthy respect for farm animals. She stayed her distance from the heifers and chicks, but was quite happy to tackle Kitty.
Jay Alan Sekulow's organization is not exempt from the "charities that prey on the sympathies of the elderly" syndrome. Hubby signed Gramma up for the do-not-call list in her state. Hope it helps.
Gramma can relax. As long as there's no meal to be planned. We even ate out a couple of times, which helped her relax even more.
It's not appropriate to garden on the Lord's Day. Unless it's to dig up plants for your grandaughter who is leaving the next day.
Window a/c units don't have 9 lives. Therefore, before installing for the summer, make sure the unit still works. Especially if you're paying to have someone else install it.
Buckets of rain water make excellent water for flowers and new plants.
Cows like to eat watermelon rinds, but not asparagus. (Especially 1-inch thick stalks.)
Baby Bear can sit pleasantly in a church service- as long as the music doesn't stop. Once the music stops, she says and signs "more, more" and starts to cry. It doesn't matter if the music is your simple old fashioned organ and piano and not contemporary, either. Music is music to her.
Visiting with old family friends after 8 years brought back memories from my childhood. Who would have thought that I would distantly be related by marriage to the man who baptizd my younger sister at our church in Michigan?
The simple life is both simple and complex. Farmers must rely on faith, trusting God to send the water their crops need. All the planning and preparation in the world is dependent on nature... God's provision. Of course, without their diligence, the fields and animals would not thrive either. What a balance!
There are always tasks to do, but when distant relatives from the city come visit and request a tour of the farm for their 1 1/2 year old, they are your honored guests.
A 100 year old farm house, if renovated and taken care of, can look really new.
A white fluffy dog that lives on a farm is seldom really white or fluffy.
If you want a kitten, find a farmer. Many farms have dozens of them around. Too bad we couldn't convince hubby to let us take one for baby bear.
Sleeping in til 7:30 is really sleeping in on the farm.
Watching Kitty climb the maple tree is sure to amuse my Baby Bear.
Toys are silly. Sticks and stones will do just fine.
Lambs whose mommy's milk doesn't come in are called orphans and must be bottle fed. An IBC root beer bottle with a nipple contraption thingy will do just fine. No Dr. Brown's, Avent, etc. necessary for the lambs!
Oscar can be a female lamb's name. It was an orphan and is now the matriarch of the farm where it lives. The farmer's daughter will not allow her dad to get rid of it because it was born when she was 2. She starts college in the fall.
Jelly jars make a great bridal shower gift- if the bride knows how to make jam. Fortunately, the recipient does indeed.
It is possible to gain 4 pounds in 5 days.
Baby Bear, like her older cousins, does not like spatzel (dumplings). She does like the beef that goes over the spatzel.
Although Gramma's frozen raspberries did nothing for her in October, Baby Bear has since decided they are one of her favorite types of fruit.
While I did miss reading my friends' blogs, I actually didn't really miss posting every day. This means that with a little self discipline, perhaps I will try to limit my time online and accomplish more around here. Maybe. Oh, wait, that would require self-control. And I'm an addict.... if you don't believe me, scroll down to see how many times I've posted since last night.
Farm Life 101
Kitty relaxes in Gramma's flowerbed
Kitty relaxes in Gramma's flowerbed
Sam fixes the roof after winds tore part of it off.
Gramma, Lori, Laura (exchange student from Germany), Baby Bear,Hubby, Sarah & Buster
Hubby, Baby Bear & I pretend to drive the John Deere
This is the closest Baby-Bear would get to the chick
The chicks weren't very crazy about meeting strangers, either.
This calf was born just 4 days before our visit!
The lambs were a little shy.
Chatting with Great-Uncle John (Gramma's brother)
Gramma shows us that climbing over the fence is a piece of cake.. who needs a gate?
While the water trough fills for the cows, Gramma sits near the foundation of the old barn... accompanied by a friend.No sense in tromping back through the pasture more than necessary!
I've posted more photos of our Memorial Weekend visit at Hannah Bear's Cave.
Tackle It Tuesday
I have so many photos from our quick trip North, not sure where to begin. So I guess I'll start with my Tackle It Tuesday photos.
#1: Last week's final tackle before packing- the FRIDGE
It was such a relief to come home an not have a stinky fridge to greet me!!!#2: This morning- Plant verigated hostas and black-eyed susans that Gramma dug up for me. They get afternoon shade, so I am hoping it's not too much sun exposure for them. The hostas I planted earlier were struggling... I think I split them too much. Well, one was doing fine, the other wasn't. So Gramma gave me more. I hope we get rain soon, but until then, I'll water when I get the chance. I'm not sure if we have any restrictions yet. Ignorance is bliss.
mommy's helper
hosta- far leftblack eyed susans- in front of shrubs, behind front row
(verbena, snapdragon, sedum, celosia, & spirea shrub, left-right)
The verbena and snapdragons are barely hanging on in this location. oh, well.
The "final" product. Hubby won't let me buy any more plants this year,and I've crammed all I can into our small space.
For more TACKLE IT TUESDAY posts, visit 5 minutes for Mom!
Monday, May 28, 2007
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
I backed out...
the zoo will have to wait for me until we get back. We have to leave in plenty of time before rush hour Thursday morning to beat traffic through the city, and with hubby coming come tomorrow night, I want to have as much of Hannah's & my stuff taken care of before he gets here. Nice theory. That fridge is still beckoning my assistance. I gag whenever I open it, so I'd better go find a clothespin or something to protect my gag reflex. Other than that, I'm fairly pleased with what I got done today. It's so nice to have our bathroom spic-n-span, smelling like bleach and cleaners. The bath mats even smell fresh, after air-drying outside in the sun. And those sheets... well I must resist the temptation to crawl into them early, as there is still much to do.
Our sprinkler is not rotating back and forth as it should. I think it's pretty much worthless, except perhaps as a toy for Baby Bear. It gets stuck in one position, which waters only one area very well. Thankfully we do have a hand-held spray nozel, and I used that to water my babies tonight. 3 soft-pink callas are in bloom, with at least 5 more on the way... I'm tempted to cut one for inside, but we are leaving in less than 2 days, so that would be silly. I'm just in shock that they came back thriving this year. I may have to split them for next year at their current growth rate. The Sweet William Dianthus that I received from Tech Mom has taken really well to its sunny home on the side, and I love its simple white flower. The dianthus and glads are the only things that seem to be thriving in that section. I may pull the shrubs out and just make the end section a bulb/flower bed next year. Iris (our state flower, I do believe) and lily of the valley might do nicely there. One section of hosta is stuggling, the other seems to have some new growth. I'm not sure seedum can really be killed, and it will be nice to have some color from them in the fall. Some of my snapdragons are doing well, but some are struggling. Same with the verbena. But all in all, in case you can't tell, I am pretty proud of my little flower bed. Borderline psychotic, I know. Oh, and I have convinced myself that the "new" lavender callas are taking their time coming up and probably won't bloom til next year, as is the case with many callas. (Their tallest sprout is no more than an inch out of the ground.) So I will have a "T" shape of calla lillies welcoming guests at the sidewalk.
Ok, folks... time to check some other blogs and then get back to work before I rest for the night. I suspect Bear will rise and shine early; she fell asleep around 6:30 on our walk and I was able to put her down in her crib without waking her.
the zoo will have to wait for me until we get back. We have to leave in plenty of time before rush hour Thursday morning to beat traffic through the city, and with hubby coming come tomorrow night, I want to have as much of Hannah's & my stuff taken care of before he gets here. Nice theory. That fridge is still beckoning my assistance. I gag whenever I open it, so I'd better go find a clothespin or something to protect my gag reflex. Other than that, I'm fairly pleased with what I got done today. It's so nice to have our bathroom spic-n-span, smelling like bleach and cleaners. The bath mats even smell fresh, after air-drying outside in the sun. And those sheets... well I must resist the temptation to crawl into them early, as there is still much to do.
Our sprinkler is not rotating back and forth as it should. I think it's pretty much worthless, except perhaps as a toy for Baby Bear. It gets stuck in one position, which waters only one area very well. Thankfully we do have a hand-held spray nozel, and I used that to water my babies tonight. 3 soft-pink callas are in bloom, with at least 5 more on the way... I'm tempted to cut one for inside, but we are leaving in less than 2 days, so that would be silly. I'm just in shock that they came back thriving this year. I may have to split them for next year at their current growth rate. The Sweet William Dianthus that I received from Tech Mom has taken really well to its sunny home on the side, and I love its simple white flower. The dianthus and glads are the only things that seem to be thriving in that section. I may pull the shrubs out and just make the end section a bulb/flower bed next year. Iris (our state flower, I do believe) and lily of the valley might do nicely there. One section of hosta is stuggling, the other seems to have some new growth. I'm not sure seedum can really be killed, and it will be nice to have some color from them in the fall. Some of my snapdragons are doing well, but some are struggling. Same with the verbena. But all in all, in case you can't tell, I am pretty proud of my little flower bed. Borderline psychotic, I know. Oh, and I have convinced myself that the "new" lavender callas are taking their time coming up and probably won't bloom til next year, as is the case with many callas. (Their tallest sprout is no more than an inch out of the ground.) So I will have a "T" shape of calla lillies welcoming guests at the sidewalk.
Ok, folks... time to check some other blogs and then get back to work before I rest for the night. I suspect Bear will rise and shine early; she fell asleep around 6:30 on our walk and I was able to put her down in her crib without waking her.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Finding Focus/Tackle It Tuesday
If Baby Bear and I are going to make it to the zoo on Wednesday, I've got a LOT to do tonight and tomorrow. Please bear with me as my Tackle is Pretty much the same as last week's. Yes, I am THAT domestically challenged and/or lazy. (If I'm truly being honest, I'd say it's the latter.)
Fold & PUT AWAY Mt. St. Laundry-It's already washed, at least!
Sweep kitchen floor
Clean Master bathroom
Pick up living room/hannah's room/Hall spaces
Vacuum living room/hannah's room/hall spaces
clean out fridge... it's starting to stink, it's that bad.
Load/Unload/reload dishwasher as needed
Hand-Wash/Put away dishes
Water flowerbed and pots(like I really need to be reminded of that-if I spent half the time inside as I have outside lately, things would be looking a little better around here! )
Clean off countertop
change & wash sheets from our bed
And somewhere in between....
Go for a walk with Baby Bear...
Read books with Baby Bear...
Cuddle with Baby Bear...
(Not that I need to be reminded of those things, either, but hey....)
My goal? To have the house in reasonable-enough condition so that when we return from our trip next week, I'll not be overwhelmed by complete chaos. I want a fresh start!
It feels good to have a start on this list before I go to sleep tonight.
Green= Done;
Yellow= In progress
Red= Top Priority, regardless of my motivation level
Last edit, 10:12 p.m. Tuesday
I think I'm going to call my Tackle Complete, at least the picture-posting-portion. Baby Bear awoke from her LONG morning nap, and quite frankly, I hate cleaning. I'm going to have to learn to spread out my tackles... i.e. QUIT PROCRASTINATING ! We still might have to cancel our zoo plans with neighbors, as I don't see myself pushing hard enough to get everything ready for our trip tonight and tomorrow afternoon. Sigh.
If Baby Bear and I are going to make it to the zoo on Wednesday, I've got a LOT to do tonight and tomorrow. Please bear with me as my Tackle is Pretty much the same as last week's. Yes, I am THAT domestically challenged and/or lazy. (If I'm truly being honest, I'd say it's the latter.)
Fold & PUT AWAY Mt. St. Laundry-It's already washed, at least!
Sweep kitchen floor
Clean Master bathroom
Pick up living room/hannah's room/Hall spaces
Vacuum living room/hannah's room/hall spaces
clean out fridge... it's starting to stink, it's that bad.
Load/Unload/reload dishwasher as needed
Hand-Wash/Put away dishes
Water flowerbed and pots(like I really need to be reminded of that-if I spent half the time inside as I have outside lately, things would be looking a little better around here! )
Clean off countertop
change & wash sheets from our bed
And somewhere in between....Go for a walk with Baby Bear...
Read books with Baby Bear...
Cuddle with Baby Bear...
(Not that I need to be reminded of those things, either, but hey....)
My goal? To have the house in reasonable-enough condition so that when we return from our trip next week, I'll not be overwhelmed by complete chaos. I want a fresh start!
It feels good to have a start on this list before I go to sleep tonight.
Green= Done;
Yellow= In progress
Red= Top Priority, regardless of my motivation level
WHAT'S YOUR TACKLE?
Last edit, 10:12 p.m. Tuesday
I think I'm going to call my Tackle Complete, at least the picture-posting-portion. Baby Bear awoke from her LONG morning nap, and quite frankly, I hate cleaning. I'm going to have to learn to spread out my tackles... i.e. QUIT PROCRASTINATING ! We still might have to cancel our zoo plans with neighbors, as I don't see myself pushing hard enough to get everything ready for our trip tonight and tomorrow afternoon. Sigh.
Breaking news:
Story #1:
I'm not really an addict!!!!
I found this "internet addiction" test and scored 39... now I'd better prove this to myself and focus on what needs to be done at home, especially while Baby Bear sleeps. :-) 39 is dangerously close to 50...
Story #2:
My calla lily cluster (say that 10 times fast) now has 2 open blooms, with 2 more visibly on the way. The other cluster has at least 3 buds-in-progress. My babies are thriving! And my tomatoes already seem to have "perked" up since I added their homemade fertilizer of eggshells and coffee grounds, followed by a good dousing of water from my cheesy-but-useful green watering can.
Story #1:
I'm not really an addict!!!!
I found this "internet addiction" test and scored 39... now I'd better prove this to myself and focus on what needs to be done at home, especially while Baby Bear sleeps. :-) 39 is dangerously close to 50...
Story #2:
My calla lily cluster (say that 10 times fast) now has 2 open blooms, with 2 more visibly on the way. The other cluster has at least 3 buds-in-progress. My babies are thriving! And my tomatoes already seem to have "perked" up since I added their homemade fertilizer of eggshells and coffee grounds, followed by a good dousing of water from my cheesy-but-useful green watering can.
natural fertilizers
Well, call me odd, but I'm jumping on the organic fertilizer bandwagon. Sort of. This summer, my Mom told me that coffee grounds can be used as fertilizer or in compost. Then, some friends at W@H swore that their roses bloomed better with coffee grounds used as fertilizer around them. So, as my cherry tomato plants are not growing as well as I would like and we do have a new Starbucks within walking distance (if I'm motivated enough-I went through the drivethru today), after I ordered my orange creme frappucino (a disappointment, but ok), I asked the barista for some grounds. Expecting a confused response, she actually was surprised that I only wanted a little bit. I told her I have a small garden and am just trying out the coffee-makes-good-fertilizer theory. She smiled and said"no problem", and proceeded to get me my Grande cup of coffee grounds as requested. I added most of the grounds to my tomato pot and a few to my green been pot, covering the egg shells which I have crushed and added in the last couple of days....
Yes, you read that right. Egg shells and coffee grounds are the newest phase of my gardening experiment. I also read somewhere that ants don't like the smell of coffee, so perhaps other insects will stay away and I won't have to use harmful repellents? Nice theory, anyway!
These may be old news to you real farm-hands and gardeners, and they do make sense to me as I've seen my parents use egg shells in compost for years. The good news is you don't have to go all gung-ho into composting if you don't have the time or space to get some of the benefits!
Well, call me odd, but I'm jumping on the organic fertilizer bandwagon. Sort of. This summer, my Mom told me that coffee grounds can be used as fertilizer or in compost. Then, some friends at W@H swore that their roses bloomed better with coffee grounds used as fertilizer around them. So, as my cherry tomato plants are not growing as well as I would like and we do have a new Starbucks within walking distance (if I'm motivated enough-I went through the drivethru today), after I ordered my orange creme frappucino (a disappointment, but ok), I asked the barista for some grounds. Expecting a confused response, she actually was surprised that I only wanted a little bit. I told her I have a small garden and am just trying out the coffee-makes-good-fertilizer theory. She smiled and said"no problem", and proceeded to get me my Grande cup of coffee grounds as requested. I added most of the grounds to my tomato pot and a few to my green been pot, covering the egg shells which I have crushed and added in the last couple of days....
Yes, you read that right. Egg shells and coffee grounds are the newest phase of my gardening experiment. I also read somewhere that ants don't like the smell of coffee, so perhaps other insects will stay away and I won't have to use harmful repellents? Nice theory, anyway!
These may be old news to you real farm-hands and gardeners, and they do make sense to me as I've seen my parents use egg shells in compost for years. The good news is you don't have to go all gung-ho into composting if you don't have the time or space to get some of the benefits!
Sunday, May 20, 2007
4 days 'til we go back in time
I mean, to Gramma's house. or Great-Gramma's, as Baby Bear and her cousins know her. Baby Bear has grown a lot since Christmas, and since we're not sure we'll be able to go up for hubby's cousin's wedding in July thanks to his job, we're going while we can. We have learned not to take our grandparents for granted. While she is still in reasonably good health for a woman her age, she is our last living grandparent on earth, and I hope Baby Bear and she will have time to build memories together.
"back in time" will mean we may not have internet access. we will have a bathtub, but no shower, unless we set up the contraption in the cellar.
We may bring our computer, so we can show Gramma some more pics of Baby Bear, and I may just have to "blog" in word or my (ghasp) journal with actual binding.
We're looking forward to seeing Gramma, perhaps some other relatives, and seeing Baby Bear's reaction to the cows and a large yard to run around in. Now I've just got to check the weather and figure out how to pack... summer/spring/winter? It's a different world in Wisconsin.
Oh, if you live near us and have a special cheese request or would like fresh cheese curd, check out Meister's website and e-mail me if you want us to pick some up from the factory for you.
I mean, to Gramma's house. or Great-Gramma's, as Baby Bear and her cousins know her. Baby Bear has grown a lot since Christmas, and since we're not sure we'll be able to go up for hubby's cousin's wedding in July thanks to his job, we're going while we can. We have learned not to take our grandparents for granted. While she is still in reasonably good health for a woman her age, she is our last living grandparent on earth, and I hope Baby Bear and she will have time to build memories together.
"back in time" will mean we may not have internet access. we will have a bathtub, but no shower, unless we set up the contraption in the cellar.
We may bring our computer, so we can show Gramma some more pics of Baby Bear, and I may just have to "blog" in word or my (ghasp) journal with actual binding.
We're looking forward to seeing Gramma, perhaps some other relatives, and seeing Baby Bear's reaction to the cows and a large yard to run around in. Now I've just got to check the weather and figure out how to pack... summer/spring/winter? It's a different world in Wisconsin.
Oh, if you live near us and have a special cheese request or would like fresh cheese curd, check out Meister's website and e-mail me if you want us to pick some up from the factory for you.
Comin' 'round...
I was back to 100% by early this afternoon. I never got the fever or anything, which is a good thing. Very good thing. Ran up to the new superstore, returned the vacuum bags which were the wrong size, and picked up some goods for the week. Most importantly, carrots, celery and broth for our soup. If I actually cooked chickens with bones, I might have had some broth on hand in the freezer, but I didn't. I put in a little garlic, fresh-picked oregano, basil & thyme from the herb pot, and cheated on the carrots... I bought the pre-cut bagged "baby" carrots because I was not up to chopping and peeling carrots today.When I returned, I enlisted Baby Bear's help in dropping the Diet Mt. Dew cans into their drawer. She loves that chore. As I began to set my soup ingredients on the counter, Bear saw the carrots and grunted for some. Thinking she wanted some to eat, I sliced some lengthwise into chewable strips and put them into a snack cup for her. She immediately took the snack cup, lifted the lid to the 1 qt. saucepan she had on the floor, and dumped the carrots into her "pot." Maybe there is hope for me to teach my daughter a little domesticity. See her blog for the rest of the story.
After dinner, we went outside. Bear and I watched hubby mow the yard. (Note: I would have done it if I were allowed to, but that cliff is too steep.) He took periodic breaks and I made sure he had plenty of water. Bear and I also visited Sundae, the Jack Russell Terrier, and his owner, who was planting "flou-fuh" (flowers:petunias) in her flowerbeds. After the mowing and trimming were done, we finally spread the last bag of mulch over the flower bed, giving it a polished look until it fades back to the natural tone from its current medium brown.
Oh, I'm going to brag a little. Three more calla lily buds have appeared since last week, and the tallest of my 5 asiatics looks like it's budding on the tip. The Sweet William which Tech Mom brought from Gramma's farm is blooming, and the hostas and seedum are still alive. Perhaps I'll take some pics of my babies this week. I told hubby that since I can't have any more babies right now (at least, we aren't planning to try for bit longer), I'll just have to take care of ALL my babies. I'm sure he wishes I'd give the inside as much TLC as I give my flower bed. We'll get there...
Baby Bear has decided she HATES evening baths. I guess I'll have to try giving her morning baths. I bathed her while she was standing up and trying to climb out of the crib all by myself- hubby was watching the sprinkler water the flower bed for me. I do believe the terrible twos are beginning at almost 19 months. She was in bed by 7:20, which is becoming the norm now that she rarely takes an afternoon nap.
I was back to 100% by early this afternoon. I never got the fever or anything, which is a good thing. Very good thing. Ran up to the new superstore, returned the vacuum bags which were the wrong size, and picked up some goods for the week. Most importantly, carrots, celery and broth for our soup. If I actually cooked chickens with bones, I might have had some broth on hand in the freezer, but I didn't. I put in a little garlic, fresh-picked oregano, basil & thyme from the herb pot, and cheated on the carrots... I bought the pre-cut bagged "baby" carrots because I was not up to chopping and peeling carrots today.When I returned, I enlisted Baby Bear's help in dropping the Diet Mt. Dew cans into their drawer. She loves that chore. As I began to set my soup ingredients on the counter, Bear saw the carrots and grunted for some. Thinking she wanted some to eat, I sliced some lengthwise into chewable strips and put them into a snack cup for her. She immediately took the snack cup, lifted the lid to the 1 qt. saucepan she had on the floor, and dumped the carrots into her "pot." Maybe there is hope for me to teach my daughter a little domesticity. See her blog for the rest of the story.
After dinner, we went outside. Bear and I watched hubby mow the yard. (Note: I would have done it if I were allowed to, but that cliff is too steep.) He took periodic breaks and I made sure he had plenty of water. Bear and I also visited Sundae, the Jack Russell Terrier, and his owner, who was planting "flou-fuh" (flowers:petunias) in her flowerbeds. After the mowing and trimming were done, we finally spread the last bag of mulch over the flower bed, giving it a polished look until it fades back to the natural tone from its current medium brown.
Oh, I'm going to brag a little. Three more calla lily buds have appeared since last week, and the tallest of my 5 asiatics looks like it's budding on the tip. The Sweet William which Tech Mom brought from Gramma's farm is blooming, and the hostas and seedum are still alive. Perhaps I'll take some pics of my babies this week. I told hubby that since I can't have any more babies right now (at least, we aren't planning to try for bit longer), I'll just have to take care of ALL my babies. I'm sure he wishes I'd give the inside as much TLC as I give my flower bed. We'll get there...
Baby Bear has decided she HATES evening baths. I guess I'll have to try giving her morning baths. I bathed her while she was standing up and trying to climb out of the crib all by myself- hubby was watching the sprinkler water the flower bed for me. I do believe the terrible twos are beginning at almost 19 months. She was in bed by 7:20, which is becoming the norm now that she rarely takes an afternoon nap.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
thank God it's Saturday
and we don't have to feel TOO bad about taking things easy. Hubby and I came down with some kind of stomach bug last night, and were alternating trips to the bathroom. I've managed to keep down some applesauce and think I'm coming around. Hubby has chills and tummy aches really bad.
His doc appt. went ok, except that his pulse ran low during one of the tests, so he'll go back for more testing in a couple of weeks. Doc has a theory, but I'll spare the details on here.
Baby Bear is playing wth her alphabet bus, a little sad that we are not up to interacting a whole lot, but doing well over all.
I think all of us will remain in our pj's all day.
and we don't have to feel TOO bad about taking things easy. Hubby and I came down with some kind of stomach bug last night, and were alternating trips to the bathroom. I've managed to keep down some applesauce and think I'm coming around. Hubby has chills and tummy aches really bad.
His doc appt. went ok, except that his pulse ran low during one of the tests, so he'll go back for more testing in a couple of weeks. Doc has a theory, but I'll spare the details on here.
Baby Bear is playing wth her alphabet bus, a little sad that we are not up to interacting a whole lot, but doing well over all.
I think all of us will remain in our pj's all day.
Friday, May 18, 2007
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"Mischief is your middle name, but your first is friend.
You are quite the prankster that loves to make other people laugh."
I found this blogthing/questionairre over at This Garden Is Illegal, a blog I stumbled upon this afternoon.
I HEART Baby Einstein!
After FINALLY washing the kitchen floor after lunch today, Baby Bear and I went outside to enjoy the beautiful weather. We played with her new ball, raked mulch, picked flowers (whether they needed picking or not, and not necessarily in one piece.) Then I decided to move a couple of my flowers to more strategic locactions. They were getting smothered out by other plants, and I thought a move might increase their odds of survival. As I dug, I discovered slugs. I may have to try the old slug and beer trick. It worked for Inkling, and I've put far too much effort into one little flower bed to let the slugs roam free. Of course, after you move plants, they need water. If you missed the pics on Baby Bear's blog, she LOVES playing in the water. Today she called the water coming from the sprayer "rain". After retrieving the ball which nearly rolled completely down the hill, we went inside to change Bear and dry her off. Now her hair is super curly and cute from being wet and not rolling around on it in bed. I hope the curls are here to stay, they are precious.
Anyway, now we're watching Baby Newton. It amazes me how well these simple videos keep my child's attention. Perhaps it's because we don't have cable, so she is not used to all the other shows, but she really seems to enjoy the Baby Einstein series. I am exhausted from repeatedly keeping her from stepping on the flowers just in the knick of time.
Hubby is at the Doc making sure what happened last week was a one time thing and not caused by something scary.
After FINALLY washing the kitchen floor after lunch today, Baby Bear and I went outside to enjoy the beautiful weather. We played with her new ball, raked mulch, picked flowers (whether they needed picking or not, and not necessarily in one piece.) Then I decided to move a couple of my flowers to more strategic locactions. They were getting smothered out by other plants, and I thought a move might increase their odds of survival. As I dug, I discovered slugs. I may have to try the old slug and beer trick. It worked for Inkling, and I've put far too much effort into one little flower bed to let the slugs roam free. Of course, after you move plants, they need water. If you missed the pics on Baby Bear's blog, she LOVES playing in the water. Today she called the water coming from the sprayer "rain". After retrieving the ball which nearly rolled completely down the hill, we went inside to change Bear and dry her off. Now her hair is super curly and cute from being wet and not rolling around on it in bed. I hope the curls are here to stay, they are precious.
Anyway, now we're watching Baby Newton. It amazes me how well these simple videos keep my child's attention. Perhaps it's because we don't have cable, so she is not used to all the other shows, but she really seems to enjoy the Baby Einstein series. I am exhausted from repeatedly keeping her from stepping on the flowers just in the knick of time.
Hubby is at the Doc making sure what happened last week was a one time thing and not caused by something scary.
Boo-boos, anyone?
Our favorite contest coordinators have done it again. They are partnering with NexCare, and a lucky winner will receive 45 boxes of band-aids!!!!
I can only imagine what my nieces would find to do with 45 boxes of band-aids?
If you want to enter, go to the contest at 5 minutes for mom.
Our favorite contest coordinators have done it again. They are partnering with NexCare, and a lucky winner will receive 45 boxes of band-aids!!!!
I can only imagine what my nieces would find to do with 45 boxes of band-aids?
If you want to enter, go to the contest at 5 minutes for mom.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Things that make me go "hmmm...."
for the past couple of weeks, I was wondering why the lavender callas I had planted were not sprouting yet. Well, last week, some green leaves poked through the ground, but they looked more like the sprouts from my day lillies than the spikes from my other calla lillies. I didn't want day lillies in that part of my flower bed, so I pulled up some of the sprouts. (In spite of my Dad's advice to let them grow and see what they become.)
The thought occured to me that I might have planted my new callas there, instead of where I had thought I'd planted them. I don't remember. I remember thinking about planting them where the sprouts have come up.
Anyway, different varieties of callas have different leaves, so we shall see. (Someone in the neighborhood has these really exotic yellow ones with red tips and dark green leaves, totally different shaped leaves than my soft pinks.)
My transplanted cherry tomatoes seem a little wilted and sad. I gave them some plant food and water, so we'll see.
Baby Bear is announcing her naptime is over, gotta go!
for the past couple of weeks, I was wondering why the lavender callas I had planted were not sprouting yet. Well, last week, some green leaves poked through the ground, but they looked more like the sprouts from my day lillies than the spikes from my other calla lillies. I didn't want day lillies in that part of my flower bed, so I pulled up some of the sprouts. (In spite of my Dad's advice to let them grow and see what they become.)
The thought occured to me that I might have planted my new callas there, instead of where I had thought I'd planted them. I don't remember. I remember thinking about planting them where the sprouts have come up.
Anyway, different varieties of callas have different leaves, so we shall see. (Someone in the neighborhood has these really exotic yellow ones with red tips and dark green leaves, totally different shaped leaves than my soft pinks.)
My transplanted cherry tomatoes seem a little wilted and sad. I gave them some plant food and water, so we'll see.
Baby Bear is announcing her naptime is over, gotta go!
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
about my new header
I liked a header that someone else used, and decided to check out the website. I did have to mess with the code in blogger a little to make it work with my template, and thankfully I did not royally mess my blog up. I am NOT a techie.
Anyway, this one jumped out at me, because apparently it was taken in the Adirondack mountains. One summer as a teenager, I spent a week at Word of Life Island, in Schroon Lake, NY. You guessed it, in the Adironcacks.
During the preceding school year, my family had gone through some tough challenges. Of course, there was getting the older brother graduated and off to college. He did that pretty well on his own, but still. Then there was my Dad's mystery illness. Extreme joint pain, heart palipitations, fatigue. Our family's PCP had sent him for all sorts of tests, the only one that came back even borderline positive was the test for Lyme disease. Yet, our PCP didn't think that was the correct diagnosis to make because of the absence of the "classic" bulls-eye rash. Dad found an internist whose opinion differed from our PCP, and drove the 45 minutes each way for additional testing and treatments. At one point, he was on IV medications and home from work (though he managed to build a hutch top for mom's bachelor chest while he was "bedridden".)
Anyway, I had the opportunity to go to this week of summer camp, and while Dad's condition had improved a lot under his treatment, there was still a lot of fear and undertainty surrounding his illness and treatments. It was obvious that just one round of antibiotics would not be enough.
I remember sitting on top of the hill on that island, staring at the sunset and the water after an evening chapel service. I knew that if the Creator of those beautiful surroundings made every little detail, He certainly would take care of my Dad.
15 years later, He has. Oh, Dad still has symptoms related to his chronic condition. But God has kept him with us, and he is now retired and living life enjoying God's creation. My daughter and niece get to know their Grandaddy. As a teenager watching IV meds drip into my father's arm, I couldn't help but wonder... and worry...
So, you see, this photo is more than just another sunset. It reminds me of musings past, and the peace that God restores.
I liked a header that someone else used, and decided to check out the website. I did have to mess with the code in blogger a little to make it work with my template, and thankfully I did not royally mess my blog up. I am NOT a techie.
Anyway, this one jumped out at me, because apparently it was taken in the Adirondack mountains. One summer as a teenager, I spent a week at Word of Life Island, in Schroon Lake, NY. You guessed it, in the Adironcacks.
During the preceding school year, my family had gone through some tough challenges. Of course, there was getting the older brother graduated and off to college. He did that pretty well on his own, but still. Then there was my Dad's mystery illness. Extreme joint pain, heart palipitations, fatigue. Our family's PCP had sent him for all sorts of tests, the only one that came back even borderline positive was the test for Lyme disease. Yet, our PCP didn't think that was the correct diagnosis to make because of the absence of the "classic" bulls-eye rash. Dad found an internist whose opinion differed from our PCP, and drove the 45 minutes each way for additional testing and treatments. At one point, he was on IV medications and home from work (though he managed to build a hutch top for mom's bachelor chest while he was "bedridden".)
Anyway, I had the opportunity to go to this week of summer camp, and while Dad's condition had improved a lot under his treatment, there was still a lot of fear and undertainty surrounding his illness and treatments. It was obvious that just one round of antibiotics would not be enough.
I remember sitting on top of the hill on that island, staring at the sunset and the water after an evening chapel service. I knew that if the Creator of those beautiful surroundings made every little detail, He certainly would take care of my Dad.
15 years later, He has. Oh, Dad still has symptoms related to his chronic condition. But God has kept him with us, and he is now retired and living life enjoying God's creation. My daughter and niece get to know their Grandaddy. As a teenager watching IV meds drip into my father's arm, I couldn't help but wonder... and worry...
So, you see, this photo is more than just another sunset. It reminds me of musings past, and the peace that God restores.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Not-so-wordless/works-for-me Wednesday
earth-pots
herb pot: basil, oregano, & thyme
bean pot
cherry tomato potI inherited the above pots from Tech Mom and Dad, and have used them as my garden. Why? Well, the short story is that I don't trust the dirt in our back yard. Construction crews dump all kinds of trash, and who knows how long that junk stays in the ground. I don't want it going into my veggies. Plus, I got the pots full of soil from Wisconsin- nice, black dirt. Well, this Spring, I emptied one of the pots, using the soil for planting my annuals and bulbs in my flower bed... We bought some more potting soil and manure last weekend, and I moved the tomato seedlings into their new home today. Works for me!
soon-to-bloom pink calla lily(framed by yellow celosia, purple and white verbena, and white snapdragon)
It may not be Wednesday yet, but I want to focus on other things tomorrow.
However, I wanted to share these photos.
(I'm ecstatic that the callas made it through the winter and
didn't come spike before the pre-Easter freeze.)
And since the tomato pot was part of Tuesday's Tackle, why not post it today?
For more WW participants, go to 5 minutes for Mom or the Wordless Wednesday HQ.
Fore more WFMW, visit Rocks in My Dryer.
Before photos:
Tackle It.... This Week
ARgh.. Yesterday afternoon, I typed out my list of things to tackle, lost my internet connection, and Baby Bear awoke from her nap at the same time. So here I am, in my nightgown, listening to Baby Bear bang wooden puzzle pieces together like cymbals, and trying to re-focus.
My house needs a makeover. Not in the Extreme Makeover sense, where they come in and tear it down and start all over. No, it's only 4 years old. It neets an Organization Makeover. In my usual form, I sit here overwhelmed by the multitude of areas which need tackling and freeze. Once upon a time, I thought a project called the Finding Focus Project sounded like a good idea. It still sounds good. And then there was the Large-Family-Logistics inspired weekly "routine", with a focus area for each day. Again, it still sounds good. There's a big difference between liking the sound of something and taking action.
Anyway, here's a list of things I need to tackle. I am ashamed to post pictures of every area that needs tackling, so the ones above are just a few. It will take more than today to turn every area around... and keep it organized. But it's a start...
- load dishwasher/wash dishes/put away dishes (never-ending chore)
- sweep & wash kitchen floor
- wash bathroom floors
- wash & fold laundry & put away
- sort baby clothes: organize nursery dresser
- read and play with baby bear
- pick up living room- Baby Bear dumped her blocks out again before I had the chance to take an AFTER pic. At least I KNOW the carpet is clean under the new mess.
- pick up bonus room
- vacuum living room/hall/nursery
- vacuum bonus room
- change sheets
- vaccum stairs
- put soil into empty pot & transplant tomato plants into it
Green= done (though some may be done at several points, such as reading with baby bear)
Yellow= in progress
For more tackles which humble, motivate,
make you feel good or guilty, visit
5minutesformom
last edit 3:43 p.m. Fridaymake you feel good or guilty, visit
5minutesformom
I stalled a little bit, actually I got distracted playing a few good rounds of "boo" (hide and seek/peek-a-boo combo) with Baby-Bear. And I actually cooked dinner and had it ready when hubby got home from work and finished his toned-down workout upstairs. (well, the crock pot and the stove cooked, I kept an eye on things.) we went for a walk after I transplanted my tomato seedlings, and I had to watch American Idol. After photos? Later this week...
Monday, May 14, 2007
To work or not to work?
Outside the home, that is. A few weeks ago, I received a phone call from the Foreign Language Department Chair at a local Christian school. They have an opening for a part/time teacher in my subject area. I was interested at first, but the more I thought about leaving my little girl in others' hands, no matter how capable they might be, the more I reconsidered. "Part-Time" is still every day, just not for the full day with this school's schedule. When traffic is GOOD the drive is 20 minutes... longer during peak hours.
Today, two more people approached me and mentioned that they passed my name on to this school. Is God trying to tell me something? Hubby and I had pretty much decided not to pursue the opportunity any further. I've always wanted to stay home during my child's earliest years, and as she blossoms into a little girl I want that even more. Working 4-5 hours per day plus commute is still a little closer to fill time than I want for us right now. There are factors involved that cause me to pause and consider, and I am honored that a couple of someones thought of me when they heard of the need. But does that mean I am ready to make such a big change? (I'm not asking you guys, I'm just thinking aloud.)
Outside the home, that is. A few weeks ago, I received a phone call from the Foreign Language Department Chair at a local Christian school. They have an opening for a part/time teacher in my subject area. I was interested at first, but the more I thought about leaving my little girl in others' hands, no matter how capable they might be, the more I reconsidered. "Part-Time" is still every day, just not for the full day with this school's schedule. When traffic is GOOD the drive is 20 minutes... longer during peak hours.
Today, two more people approached me and mentioned that they passed my name on to this school. Is God trying to tell me something? Hubby and I had pretty much decided not to pursue the opportunity any further. I've always wanted to stay home during my child's earliest years, and as she blossoms into a little girl I want that even more. Working 4-5 hours per day plus commute is still a little closer to fill time than I want for us right now. There are factors involved that cause me to pause and consider, and I am honored that a couple of someones thought of me when they heard of the need. But does that mean I am ready to make such a big change? (I'm not asking you guys, I'm just thinking aloud.)
Sunday, May 13, 2007
It's been a good day.
Baby Bear woke us up at 6:15. That wasn't so good, but she was in a good mood, so things could have been worse. I was greeted at her door by a Mother's Day card containing a nail spa gift certificate for a a bit of pampering. I have had one professional pedicure in my life, and maybe one or two manicures. The certificate may even be enough for 2 visits. And of course, it includes free babysitting by hubby while I go by myself. Going to the nail spa with an 18 month old would hardly be relaxing. Hubby's card was very fitting, with a sweet note.
Hubby and I attempted to get some Mother's Day pictures of me and Bear in front of our flowers. I'll post the results on her blog sometime soon. The yellow day lilies are in full bloom, and the first pink calla lily bloom should open in the next couple of days.
Nursery was sparse his morning... we had just 2 in our room. We could have combined with the room next door, but didn't, and the calm was a nice change. We helped the kiddos make mother's day signs (we traced their hands, they scribbled). When Big Boy's Dad picked up his son, he exclaimed that his wife would be thrilled, because they have tons of crafts from their oldest, but not many from the younger boy.
We ate Chinese at the only Chinese place hubby really likes, Bear fell asleep in the car on the wy home, and all of us napped until 3 or so.
We took an afternoon stroll, which was mostly successful, although Bear fell and scraped her knee. She has been sitting on Daddy's lap for at least 30 minutes, snacking on life cereal and cheerios, and mimicking Daddy's version of NKOTB "oh, oh, oh, oh, oh... the right stuff."
Frozen pizza's on the dinner menu, and we're relaxing. Oh, and the a/c has been working all day. A nice, comfy 70 degrees. Yahoo!
Baby Bear woke us up at 6:15. That wasn't so good, but she was in a good mood, so things could have been worse. I was greeted at her door by a Mother's Day card containing a nail spa gift certificate for a a bit of pampering. I have had one professional pedicure in my life, and maybe one or two manicures. The certificate may even be enough for 2 visits. And of course, it includes free babysitting by hubby while I go by myself. Going to the nail spa with an 18 month old would hardly be relaxing. Hubby's card was very fitting, with a sweet note.
Hubby and I attempted to get some Mother's Day pictures of me and Bear in front of our flowers. I'll post the results on her blog sometime soon. The yellow day lilies are in full bloom, and the first pink calla lily bloom should open in the next couple of days.
Nursery was sparse his morning... we had just 2 in our room. We could have combined with the room next door, but didn't, and the calm was a nice change. We helped the kiddos make mother's day signs (we traced their hands, they scribbled). When Big Boy's Dad picked up his son, he exclaimed that his wife would be thrilled, because they have tons of crafts from their oldest, but not many from the younger boy.
We ate Chinese at the only Chinese place hubby really likes, Bear fell asleep in the car on the wy home, and all of us napped until 3 or so.
We took an afternoon stroll, which was mostly successful, although Bear fell and scraped her knee. She has been sitting on Daddy's lap for at least 30 minutes, snacking on life cereal and cheerios, and mimicking Daddy's version of NKOTB "oh, oh, oh, oh, oh... the right stuff."
Frozen pizza's on the dinner menu, and we're relaxing. Oh, and the a/c has been working all day. A nice, comfy 70 degrees. Yahoo!
The woman was made out of the rib of the side of Adam-
not made out of his head to rule over him,
nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him,
but out of his side to be equal with him,
under his arm to be protected by him and near his heart to be loved by him.
-Matthew Henry's commentary on Genesis 2:18
not made out of his head to rule over him,
nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him,
but out of his side to be equal with him,
under his arm to be protected by him and near his heart to be loved by him.
-Matthew Henry's commentary on Genesis 2:18
I came across this quote this week in a book, and our Sunday School teacher used it in our lesson this morning.
I am thankful that my Heavenly Father gave me a husband who protects me and our daughter with his arm and loves me with his heart.
Happy Mother's Day!I am thankful that my Heavenly Father gave me a husband who protects me and our daughter with his arm and loves me with his heart.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Season's first burger grill (this post was inspired by Zann's pondering)
As you all know, our a/c is not working up to its fullest potential. It is doing better tonight, after having thawed thoroughly, it has not re-frozen. yet. It's keeping the downstairs a comfy 74 degrees. (comfy compared to the 82 that it has reached this week). a/c dude is supposed to recharge the freon on Monday afternoon.
Anyway, hubby is feeling back to normal today, and we ran some errands this afternoon. One of them was getting the propane tank for our grill refilled. While we sat in the parking lot waiting for hubby to return with the full tank of propane, Bear spotted a plane WAY up in the sky when it still looked the size of a toy plane. "Plane!" she exclaimed. Thank the Lord she can see alright so far!
After heading to Ace Hardware, where we had $10 off with coupons, and Wal-Mart, which is trying to put Ace Hardware out of business as the new supercenter just opened up across the street, we went home. Baby Bear was full of energy all afternoon. She refused to nap. Thankfully, she was in a good mood, except when she threw the ball that I got her for $1 at Ace out of her crib and decided "naptime" was the best time to need a diaper change.
Anyway, as we are trying not to heat our house up too much (and as you all know I am not very domestic), we had decided to grill burgers. I made the patties, hubby scraped the freshly lit grill with his groovy tool that has scraping blades on one side and metal brillo-pad-ish material on the other. We found the grill spatula (teflon and grills are probably not a good combo, so we do have metal for grilling), I did decide to bake sweet potatoes, but the heat output was still less than if we'd used the stovetop. Hubby even sauteed my spinach on the burner thingy on the grill, and baby bear helped me pick basil, oregano and thyme from the herb pot to add to the spinach. (Hubby doesn't eat most beans, so the most obvious veggie choice of baked beans was out of the question.) All this happened after hubby asked if we had any AA batteries to replace the dead starter battery. Thankfully, we returned from Tech Mom's with a Costco pack of AA's.. catastrophe averted.
Baby Bear enjoyed her bits of my burgers,her share of spinach and sweet potatoes with butter, and it was so nice to eat at home together. We've eaten out a bunch lately, too much.
That, my friends, is the not-so-exciting story of our season's first grill-venture. If you don't own a grill, I highly encourage you to find one that suits your needs... camping size, charcoal standard dome-lidded, or fancy-schmancy double decker gas with an extra burner for side dishes.
Now I must go trim hubby's hair so I don't have to do it on Mother's Day.
As you all know, our a/c is not working up to its fullest potential. It is doing better tonight, after having thawed thoroughly, it has not re-frozen. yet. It's keeping the downstairs a comfy 74 degrees. (comfy compared to the 82 that it has reached this week). a/c dude is supposed to recharge the freon on Monday afternoon.
Anyway, hubby is feeling back to normal today, and we ran some errands this afternoon. One of them was getting the propane tank for our grill refilled. While we sat in the parking lot waiting for hubby to return with the full tank of propane, Bear spotted a plane WAY up in the sky when it still looked the size of a toy plane. "Plane!" she exclaimed. Thank the Lord she can see alright so far!
After heading to Ace Hardware, where we had $10 off with coupons, and Wal-Mart, which is trying to put Ace Hardware out of business as the new supercenter just opened up across the street, we went home. Baby Bear was full of energy all afternoon. She refused to nap. Thankfully, she was in a good mood, except when she threw the ball that I got her for $1 at Ace out of her crib and decided "naptime" was the best time to need a diaper change.
Anyway, as we are trying not to heat our house up too much (and as you all know I am not very domestic), we had decided to grill burgers. I made the patties, hubby scraped the freshly lit grill with his groovy tool that has scraping blades on one side and metal brillo-pad-ish material on the other. We found the grill spatula (teflon and grills are probably not a good combo, so we do have metal for grilling), I did decide to bake sweet potatoes, but the heat output was still less than if we'd used the stovetop. Hubby even sauteed my spinach on the burner thingy on the grill, and baby bear helped me pick basil, oregano and thyme from the herb pot to add to the spinach. (Hubby doesn't eat most beans, so the most obvious veggie choice of baked beans was out of the question.) All this happened after hubby asked if we had any AA batteries to replace the dead starter battery. Thankfully, we returned from Tech Mom's with a Costco pack of AA's.. catastrophe averted.
Baby Bear enjoyed her bits of my burgers,her share of spinach and sweet potatoes with butter, and it was so nice to eat at home together. We've eaten out a bunch lately, too much.
That, my friends, is the not-so-exciting story of our season's first grill-venture. If you don't own a grill, I highly encourage you to find one that suits your needs... camping size, charcoal standard dome-lidded, or fancy-schmancy double decker gas with an extra burner for side dishes.
Now I must go trim hubby's hair so I don't have to do it on Mother's Day.
Friday, May 11, 2007
shortest ER trip on record
around 3:30, hubby called. i expected him to say he was on his way home from the gym. instead, he told me he had fainted at the gym and was in the ER. the doctors were running tests, he didn't know anything yet, just that he had become really lightheaded and the trainers had a hard time getting him to come around. this was his first workout at a new gym, so it wasn't like there were any familiar faces around.
we already had plans to meet my family for dinner not far from the hospital, so i called my parents, let them know what was up, put together a bag of stuff for baby bear just in case she had to stay with her grandma and grandpa, and called family and a couple of friends on the way to ask them to pray.
all the tests they took came back normal, but the ER doc wrote a referral for him to a cardiologist just in case, and he was good to go by 5:45.
God gave me a peace through the afternoon. I knew that I had to be strong for Baby Bear, and while she looked at her father in his "crib" rather quizically and with concern. GranWendy and GranDaddy arrived shortly after we did, and they kept one another occupied while we waited for additional tests and finally, the doctor's clearance. we were able to have dinner with my parents, bec, brett & juliana after all. (both girls devoured their mexican rice and made big messes.)
Please pray that it was nothing serious that caused this, and that hubby will get some rest this weekend.
around 3:30, hubby called. i expected him to say he was on his way home from the gym. instead, he told me he had fainted at the gym and was in the ER. the doctors were running tests, he didn't know anything yet, just that he had become really lightheaded and the trainers had a hard time getting him to come around. this was his first workout at a new gym, so it wasn't like there were any familiar faces around.
we already had plans to meet my family for dinner not far from the hospital, so i called my parents, let them know what was up, put together a bag of stuff for baby bear just in case she had to stay with her grandma and grandpa, and called family and a couple of friends on the way to ask them to pray.
all the tests they took came back normal, but the ER doc wrote a referral for him to a cardiologist just in case, and he was good to go by 5:45.
God gave me a peace through the afternoon. I knew that I had to be strong for Baby Bear, and while she looked at her father in his "crib" rather quizically and with concern. GranWendy and GranDaddy arrived shortly after we did, and they kept one another occupied while we waited for additional tests and finally, the doctor's clearance. we were able to have dinner with my parents, bec, brett & juliana after all. (both girls devoured their mexican rice and made big messes.)
Please pray that it was nothing serious that caused this, and that hubby will get some rest this weekend.
i will resist one urge, but not another...
i will resist the urge to complain about the temp in our house.
i will NOT resist the temptation to register for more mother's day giveaways at 5minutesformom. some of their friends are giving away some pretty cool things. such as:
i will resist the urge to complain about the temp in our house.
i will NOT resist the temptation to register for more mother's day giveaways at 5minutesformom. some of their friends are giving away some pretty cool things. such as:
- fabulous jewelry from designing diva
- more fabulous jewelry from alli's originals
- mommy cards from fruition designs
- organizational tip book by Amy Knapp
a/c unit is frozen. we could have paid an extra $100 to have the guy thaw it out for us, or we can wait for it to thaw and he can come back to put in more freon. we'll take plan B. wish we would have thought to just turn the darn thing off this morning. a/c dude said he will try to stop by to see if it's thawed later, and if he can't make it today, he put us down for a slot on Monday. Our oscillating fan has proven to be one of the best wedding presents that we received. we're hanging out in the living room, with the fan circulating the air on us. at least the problem seems to have a simple solution.
bear is mad. shots are no fun. for anybody. the only word she wanted to say at the doctor's office was "bye".
bear is mad. shots are no fun. for anybody. the only word she wanted to say at the doctor's office was "bye".
Thursday, May 10, 2007
81 degrees. inside. with a/c doing something, but not cooling well.
let's all start singing old the patch-the-pirate songs... "i can't wait til tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow..." that is assuming the a/c dude can fix our problems in one trip.
9:49 p.m.- until a few minutes ago, we were hanging out on the front porch, enjoying the breeze and fresh air. it's now down to 79 inside after opening the windows and turning off the a/c to give it a break for a couple of hours. baby bear is asleep, half-naked, in her crib. don't worry, i'm sure she's wrapped a blanket around herself and is plenty warm. oh, and she had such a bad diaper that she tapped on the front door, said poo-poo, and let us change her without too much of a fight. it was 8:45, past her normal bedtime, but she was having a lot of fun sitting and figuring out how to stand on her trike on the grass outside. no need to ride it, there are plenty of other uses! i have the feeling she'll be catching up to her cousins' crazy antics sooner than i'm ready. this after begging to wear her training pants earlier today (they are pink and pretty), then begging to have them taken off, then going into the bathroom, standing next to the potty but not sitting in it, closing the door in my face, and peeing all over the floor and herself. and then falling flat on her butt and back when she couldn't walk on the slippery floor. i washed the floor while she took a bath. at least she peed on the bathroom floor.
we let her go to bed with a sippy cup of water so she doesn't dehydrate from sweating so much. no rain yet. darn. i thought for sure that if i watered my flowers, it would rain, anyway. good thing i opted to water them!
let's all start singing old the patch-the-pirate songs... "i can't wait til tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow..." that is assuming the a/c dude can fix our problems in one trip.
9:49 p.m.- until a few minutes ago, we were hanging out on the front porch, enjoying the breeze and fresh air. it's now down to 79 inside after opening the windows and turning off the a/c to give it a break for a couple of hours. baby bear is asleep, half-naked, in her crib. don't worry, i'm sure she's wrapped a blanket around herself and is plenty warm. oh, and she had such a bad diaper that she tapped on the front door, said poo-poo, and let us change her without too much of a fight. it was 8:45, past her normal bedtime, but she was having a lot of fun sitting and figuring out how to stand on her trike on the grass outside. no need to ride it, there are plenty of other uses! i have the feeling she'll be catching up to her cousins' crazy antics sooner than i'm ready. this after begging to wear her training pants earlier today (they are pink and pretty), then begging to have them taken off, then going into the bathroom, standing next to the potty but not sitting in it, closing the door in my face, and peeing all over the floor and herself. and then falling flat on her butt and back when she couldn't walk on the slippery floor. i washed the floor while she took a bath. at least she peed on the bathroom floor.
we let her go to bed with a sippy cup of water so she doesn't dehydrate from sweating so much. no rain yet. darn. i thought for sure that if i watered my flowers, it would rain, anyway. good thing i opted to water them!
it's all relative...
baby bear and i went to the park for a couple of hours. boy, was it HOT. now the house seems cool, at 77 degrees. the chocolate mint cookie shake i picked up from chick-fil-a is probably helping with my comfort level. maybe i'll take a quick nap while bear rests, then do a 10-minute-tidy just in time for hubby's arrival this afternoon. the house is a wreck.
hubby said it's raining on the interstate; perhaps he'll bring the cooler air with him!
baby bear and i went to the park for a couple of hours. boy, was it HOT. now the house seems cool, at 77 degrees. the chocolate mint cookie shake i picked up from chick-fil-a is probably helping with my comfort level. maybe i'll take a quick nap while bear rests, then do a 10-minute-tidy just in time for hubby's arrival this afternoon. the house is a wreck.
hubby said it's raining on the interstate; perhaps he'll bring the cooler air with him!
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
current indoor temp: 78 F
that's WITH the a/c "on", the ceiling fans and all other fans running, all lights off, blinds closed, etc... i'm thinking of using this as an excuse not to cook and to head somewhere that has working a/c. hubby's not here, anyway. the a/c guy is coming on friday, if there is a cancellation tomorrow, i am tempted to skip play group if necessary.
i tried spraying down the outdoor a/c unit to get the dust off it... that didn't make a difference. i've tried turning it off and back on, resetting the breaker, etc.
so it looks like hubby will be coming home to a warm house, tech mom will no longer have to freeze in her own home, and baby bear will continue running around in nothing except her diaper for the time being.
it's not even summer yet. at least it's not 100 outside.
10:45 pm update... still stuck at 78. the temp climbed up to 80 when i decided to open the windows during our evening walk. so i closed them again and have learned that some of the a/c is in fact working. the tall oscillating fan will be moved into my bedroom shortly. bear has a small fan on her dresser, providing added circulation. not that the air actually gets to her, because she insists on sleeping with her blankie and pulling it up over her head. the sweat makes really tight, cute curls, though! i don't expect the a/c to work any better tonight than it did last night, but it does seem to be pulling humidity out of the air, which is a good thing.
hubby may be reconsidering coming home with our house's current state of temperature. tech mom, send some of your freon with him, OK?
that's WITH the a/c "on", the ceiling fans and all other fans running, all lights off, blinds closed, etc... i'm thinking of using this as an excuse not to cook and to head somewhere that has working a/c. hubby's not here, anyway. the a/c guy is coming on friday, if there is a cancellation tomorrow, i am tempted to skip play group if necessary.
i tried spraying down the outdoor a/c unit to get the dust off it... that didn't make a difference. i've tried turning it off and back on, resetting the breaker, etc.
so it looks like hubby will be coming home to a warm house, tech mom will no longer have to freeze in her own home, and baby bear will continue running around in nothing except her diaper for the time being.
it's not even summer yet. at least it's not 100 outside.
10:45 pm update... still stuck at 78. the temp climbed up to 80 when i decided to open the windows during our evening walk. so i closed them again and have learned that some of the a/c is in fact working. the tall oscillating fan will be moved into my bedroom shortly. bear has a small fan on her dresser, providing added circulation. not that the air actually gets to her, because she insists on sleeping with her blankie and pulling it up over her head. the sweat makes really tight, cute curls, though! i don't expect the a/c to work any better tonight than it did last night, but it does seem to be pulling humidity out of the air, which is a good thing.
hubby may be reconsidering coming home with our house's current state of temperature. tech mom, send some of your freon with him, OK?
Wordless Wednesday
29 candles
For more Wordless Wednesday participants, visit the WW HQ or 5minutesformom.
I've also posted more photos at Hannah-Bear's Cave.
29 candlesFor more Wordless Wednesday participants, visit the WW HQ or 5minutesformom.
I've also posted more photos at Hannah-Bear's Cave.
the a/c is on the brink.
after dinner last night, it was up to 78 degrees. this morning, i had it set at 68 to see if it would go that low.. it made it to 71, which tells me the sound of the fan that i hear running is doing absolutely nothing. that is totally unacceptable for eskimo man, i mean, hubby. i am NOT cancelling our playdate plans tomorrow, so that means while i take bear to her 18 month checkup on Friday, hubby can stay home and wait for the a/c technician to give us an estimate. we'll just have to recruit all the extra hands at the doctors office to hold her still while she gets her shots. that'll be fun.
at least i slept well last night, because if the a/c is not fixed by this weekend, hubby will be very cranky.
after dinner last night, it was up to 78 degrees. this morning, i had it set at 68 to see if it would go that low.. it made it to 71, which tells me the sound of the fan that i hear running is doing absolutely nothing. that is totally unacceptable for eskimo man, i mean, hubby. i am NOT cancelling our playdate plans tomorrow, so that means while i take bear to her 18 month checkup on Friday, hubby can stay home and wait for the a/c technician to give us an estimate. we'll just have to recruit all the extra hands at the doctors office to hold her still while she gets her shots. that'll be fun.
at least i slept well last night, because if the a/c is not fixed by this weekend, hubby will be very cranky.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Another addiction?
This morning I decided I didn't like where I had planted some of my lillies. So I moved them, closer to eachother instead of all spread out. I decided to go for a big burst of their color in one region of the flowerbed instead of little sprays across the whole thing, if that makes sense. I hope they make it, I think they'll be fine. I gave them some extra soil and food. Still no sign of the new callas, and I can't remember exactly where I planted them. So either something ate them while we were away, they rotted, or they are slow-growing. Hoping for the latter, but if they are the only main casualty, my garden will be ok.
Bear is napping. I think she's teething. I should be cleaning. It is "Tackle It Tuesday", after all...
My Dad is coming over to use the plants I split for him as an excuse to see his granddaughter. :-)
This morning I decided I didn't like where I had planted some of my lillies. So I moved them, closer to eachother instead of all spread out. I decided to go for a big burst of their color in one region of the flowerbed instead of little sprays across the whole thing, if that makes sense. I hope they make it, I think they'll be fine. I gave them some extra soil and food. Still no sign of the new callas, and I can't remember exactly where I planted them. So either something ate them while we were away, they rotted, or they are slow-growing. Hoping for the latter, but if they are the only main casualty, my garden will be ok.
Bear is napping. I think she's teething. I should be cleaning. It is "Tackle It Tuesday", after all...
My Dad is coming over to use the plants I split for him as an excuse to see his granddaughter. :-)
Monday, May 07, 2007
Beginner's Gardening Site
I found this through a search on dogpile.com (my favorite search engine).
Check it out!
I found this through a search on dogpile.com (my favorite search engine).
Check it out!
menu plan monday...
umm, that would be see what i can scrape up for me and bear while hubby heads back west for a couple of days. there, tha was easy.
other wanderings of my mind...
we met our newest neighbor tonight. he is absolutely adorable. he weighed 8 lbs, 9 1/2 oz and was 20 inches long. it's no wonder his mommy was so ready for him to come out. she is normally very petite. his mommy and daddy are so proud, and we are very excited for them. baby bear wanted to give him lots of kisses. she loves babies. she also wanted to keep the bag that we brought a gift in. indian giver. (the baseball playsuit is a little small for her, though.) he will be one week old tomorrow, and everyone seems to be doing terrific. the cat might feel a little left out, but he will be ok.
baby bear and i ran some errands today. we played outside in the yard. i did some laundry. there's are still so many things left to do. part of me wants to ignore the chores, but really, i can't. i read proverbs 31 today. maybe it's time to revisit my finding focus project before the year is half gone. oh, and maybe i can teach her that while picking flowers is fun, picking all of them defeats the purpose of all of mommy's hard work in the garden. what? 1 1/2 year olds don't reason? you don't say...
umm, that would be see what i can scrape up for me and bear while hubby heads back west for a couple of days. there, tha was easy.
other wanderings of my mind...
we met our newest neighbor tonight. he is absolutely adorable. he weighed 8 lbs, 9 1/2 oz and was 20 inches long. it's no wonder his mommy was so ready for him to come out. she is normally very petite. his mommy and daddy are so proud, and we are very excited for them. baby bear wanted to give him lots of kisses. she loves babies. she also wanted to keep the bag that we brought a gift in. indian giver. (the baseball playsuit is a little small for her, though.) he will be one week old tomorrow, and everyone seems to be doing terrific. the cat might feel a little left out, but he will be ok.
baby bear and i ran some errands today. we played outside in the yard. i did some laundry. there's are still so many things left to do. part of me wants to ignore the chores, but really, i can't. i read proverbs 31 today. maybe it's time to revisit my finding focus project before the year is half gone. oh, and maybe i can teach her that while picking flowers is fun, picking all of them defeats the purpose of all of mommy's hard work in the garden. what? 1 1/2 year olds don't reason? you don't say...
Sunday, May 06, 2007
I wonder how long it takes for calla lily bulbs to spike after their initial planting?
I planted already grown plants last year, so this is a new thing for me. All my other bulbs have come through. I hope I didn't put them in the ground upside down! That would be just my luck. But hey, my pink lillies from last year have definitely multiplied, the glads are coming up nicely, and the asiatic lillies have popped through the mulch. Oh, and the snapdragons that I thought were frozen have come back nicely, which is a very good surprise! So I supposed if my lavender calla lillies don't come up it's no big deal. Or maybe they just take a little longer, and they wll extend the color of my garden a little later. That would be nice.
Digging in the dirt isn't always fun, especially with a toddler tugging at your leg, but the anticipation of the end result is like waiting for Christmas morning as a kid.
Perhaps I'll post "in progress" pics tomorrow... to show how much they have grown since I planted them!
I planted already grown plants last year, so this is a new thing for me. All my other bulbs have come through. I hope I didn't put them in the ground upside down! That would be just my luck. But hey, my pink lillies from last year have definitely multiplied, the glads are coming up nicely, and the asiatic lillies have popped through the mulch. Oh, and the snapdragons that I thought were frozen have come back nicely, which is a very good surprise! So I supposed if my lavender calla lillies don't come up it's no big deal. Or maybe they just take a little longer, and they wll extend the color of my garden a little later. That would be nice.
Digging in the dirt isn't always fun, especially with a toddler tugging at your leg, but the anticipation of the end result is like waiting for Christmas morning as a kid.
Perhaps I'll post "in progress" pics tomorrow... to show how much they have grown since I planted them!
Another installation of the Mother's Day Giveaway for from 5 minutes for Mom!
They are giving away a copy of Hannah Keeley's Total Mom Makeover.
The author has a fabulous first name, and it sounds like I could use some of her tips.
They are giving away a copy of Hannah Keeley's Total Mom Makeover.
The author has a fabulous first name, and it sounds like I could use some of her tips.
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Feliz Cinco de Mayo! (Happy May 5th)
I'm not quite the history buff, but I have personally been to the fort in Puebla, MX. This is the location of the Battle of Puebla, which is commemorated by Cinco de Mayo. Cinco de Mayo is not to be confused as the Mexican 4th of July, as many of us gringos might assume. I believe that it commemorates the Mexican defeat of the French, who were attempting to take over the country. Good thing they lost, otherwise we'd have southerners trying to learn French, and God help anyone with a southern accent who is trying to do that. (Me, included.)
We made it home safely... mostly sunny skies, no overturned tractor trailers or other wrecks on the interstate, and Baby Bear only protesting mildly every so often. She even napped for about 1/3 of the drive!!!
While Hubby unloaded the car, Baby Bear went straight to her trike in the garage and asked to ride it. We walked down to the end of the street and back, and by the time we got home, Hubby was exhausted. So I took Baby Bear out front to help me plant the flowers which Tech Mom brought down from Great Gramma's farm in WI. They've been in limbo for 2 weeks, I was compelled to give them homes in our gardem ASAP. Well, Baby Bear insisted on digging in the dirt and bagged cow manure/soil stuff. Yes, I know that is gross. I don't care. She had her plastic scoop and rake, and knows that raking grass is not as much fun as digging in the real dirt. Needless to say, she got filthy. And when she became tired, she got clingy. So I interrupted Hubby's phon conversation with his brother, he stripped her down to her diaper on the front porch, and took her in for a bath. That did the trick.
I found places for the green and white hostas and seedum, and then I extended the bed at the end of the deck for the mystery flower. It's going to have a white bloom, and may be called Sweet William, or a type of dianthis, or something.. Tech Mom couldn't remember. My glads and calla lillies are at least a foot tall, and the asiatic lillies are starting to peek through. My green beans have grown a LOT in their back pot, and the tomatoes that I thought had died in the Easter freeze on that same pot are alive and growing. The newest calla lillies haven't come up yet, but that's ok. I'm hoping they will rise to the occasion and provide just the right splash of color after the others have slowed down. They will be transplanted to another pot after I buy more dirt. After touching up the mulch, I think we'll be done, other than watering and weeding, at least til fall. Oh, and except for trying to keep my veggies alive out back.
Hubby needs the laptop to catch up on bills. Good night, y'all!
I'm not quite the history buff, but I have personally been to the fort in Puebla, MX. This is the location of the Battle of Puebla, which is commemorated by Cinco de Mayo. Cinco de Mayo is not to be confused as the Mexican 4th of July, as many of us gringos might assume. I believe that it commemorates the Mexican defeat of the French, who were attempting to take over the country. Good thing they lost, otherwise we'd have southerners trying to learn French, and God help anyone with a southern accent who is trying to do that. (Me, included.)
We made it home safely... mostly sunny skies, no overturned tractor trailers or other wrecks on the interstate, and Baby Bear only protesting mildly every so often. She even napped for about 1/3 of the drive!!!
While Hubby unloaded the car, Baby Bear went straight to her trike in the garage and asked to ride it. We walked down to the end of the street and back, and by the time we got home, Hubby was exhausted. So I took Baby Bear out front to help me plant the flowers which Tech Mom brought down from Great Gramma's farm in WI. They've been in limbo for 2 weeks, I was compelled to give them homes in our gardem ASAP. Well, Baby Bear insisted on digging in the dirt and bagged cow manure/soil stuff. Yes, I know that is gross. I don't care. She had her plastic scoop and rake, and knows that raking grass is not as much fun as digging in the real dirt. Needless to say, she got filthy. And when she became tired, she got clingy. So I interrupted Hubby's phon conversation with his brother, he stripped her down to her diaper on the front porch, and took her in for a bath. That did the trick.
I found places for the green and white hostas and seedum, and then I extended the bed at the end of the deck for the mystery flower. It's going to have a white bloom, and may be called Sweet William, or a type of dianthis, or something.. Tech Mom couldn't remember. My glads and calla lillies are at least a foot tall, and the asiatic lillies are starting to peek through. My green beans have grown a LOT in their back pot, and the tomatoes that I thought had died in the Easter freeze on that same pot are alive and growing. The newest calla lillies haven't come up yet, but that's ok. I'm hoping they will rise to the occasion and provide just the right splash of color after the others have slowed down. They will be transplanted to another pot after I buy more dirt. After touching up the mulch, I think we'll be done, other than watering and weeding, at least til fall. Oh, and except for trying to keep my veggies alive out back.
Hubby needs the laptop to catch up on bills. Good night, y'all!
Friday, May 04, 2007
It's been a good two weeks.
Baby Bear has loved chasing the kitty, feeding the goldfish in the pond, going for strolls, picking flowers, scrambling up and down the stairs and spending time with Tech Mom & Dad. She has also been a trooper at staying up an hour past her regular bedtime on several occasions when we've gotten together with friends. You know your toddler is ready for bed when you set her in her pack and play, she rolls over, wrapping her blankie around her, and exclaims "bye!" She's done that quite a bit, and we've cracked up as we left her to fall asleep on her own.
I'm sleepy. I've taken tons of photos, which I'm going to have to compile into collages or something. I have yet to teach Tech Mom how do upload pics to her blog. I think it will just be easier for me to get her password and hijack the thing. Or else I'll just post them on my blog. We're both too tired to mess with a lesson at the end of a day.
We head home tomorrow. Home, sweet home. This is a close 2nd, but I am ready to go home.
Baby Bear has loved chasing the kitty, feeding the goldfish in the pond, going for strolls, picking flowers, scrambling up and down the stairs and spending time with Tech Mom & Dad. She has also been a trooper at staying up an hour past her regular bedtime on several occasions when we've gotten together with friends. You know your toddler is ready for bed when you set her in her pack and play, she rolls over, wrapping her blankie around her, and exclaims "bye!" She's done that quite a bit, and we've cracked up as we left her to fall asleep on her own.
I'm sleepy. I've taken tons of photos, which I'm going to have to compile into collages or something. I have yet to teach Tech Mom how do upload pics to her blog. I think it will just be easier for me to get her password and hijack the thing. Or else I'll just post them on my blog. We're both too tired to mess with a lesson at the end of a day.
We head home tomorrow. Home, sweet home. This is a close 2nd, but I am ready to go home.
Have you ever wished there were more verses to the song, "My God is so big!" I have! Well, crt's friend Camille and some of her friends wrote some.... click HERE to read the lyrics!
Meme Tag : Seven
People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things,
as well as these rules. You need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names.
Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them
that they have been tagged and to read your blog!
*************************
I'm tagging the following people:
Caslon
Inkling
Becca
Zann
Michelle
Stephanie
Emily
Haley has tagged me to complete this meme.
Here are the rules: Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves.People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things,
as well as these rules. You need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names.
Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them
that they have been tagged and to read your blog!
*************************
- I think I'm getting carpal tunnel syndrome in my wrist because of my blogging addiction.
- I am older than my hubby. Not by much, but this is funny because everyone tells me I look younger. Every now and then (maybe a couple of times a year), when I order a margarita or daquiri, I get carded. Unless I'm at the Mexican restaurants which we frequent. They know I'm older than I look.
- While I am very disorganized in many areas, I have certain obsessive tendencies which contradict that inherent messiness. The most noticable at home is my silverware drawer. I can't think of the others, but my family might reveal them. (Blogging is the most obvious.)
- I'm cultivating a love for gardening. It's in my genes, as my parents have gardened as long as I can remember. My Dad's parents had a wonderful garden in Yonkers, NY. My yard is not very big, so this poses a spacial problem. I may have overdone it planting bulbs this year. But pretty flowers are better than no flowers! Gardening reminds me of our Creator and I am awed by the unique qualities of the various plants.
- I have a harmonica collection. I received my 1st Harmonica as a birthday present, I think when I was in the 5th grade, but it might have been middle school. My grandpa let me play his harmonica when we visited him, so my parents bought me one. My neighbor's uncle saw me playing on our front stoop, and a year or so later, he mailed his harmonicas to me shortly before he died of cancer. I would love to learn the best way to clean harmonicas. I'm scared to play them because I don't want to get them too dirty.
- I majored in Secondary Ed-Spanish, but I've forgotten a LOT since I graduated. I taught High School for just 2 years before venturing into other areas. Now I stay home with my little girl.
- I'm a novice scrapbooker, and my husband is trembling with fear at the potential cost of the hobby. I may have recruited my new friend Carmen to the scrapping community last night. I've accumulated a decent collection of tools: corner rounder, circle cutter, 12 inch cutterpede paper trimmer and deckled blade, set of 20 edged scissors, tiny brads, girly papers, baby themed stamps, adhesives, and pens. It's time to get to work! I tend to get overwhelmed at the idea of the big picture and struggle with just taking things step by step.
I'm tagging the following people:
Caslon
Inkling
Becca
Zann
Michelle
Stephanie
Emily
I like winning just about anything, but these drawing giveaways from 5minutesformom (who else?) are especially great Mother's Day ideas...
http://www.5minutesformom.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/review-mei-tai.jpg
Mei Tai baby carrier
It works up to 35 pounds, so I could still use it for Baby Bear and
future kiddos! Or it would make a GREAT Baby Gift.
ipod nano and chocolate gift set
i don't have an ipod. i love chocolate. need i say more?
Visit 5 minutes for Mom to sign up and read the details if you'd like to win!
Mei Tai baby carrier
It works up to 35 pounds, so I could still use it for Baby Bear and
future kiddos! Or it would make a GREAT Baby Gift.
ipod nano and chocolate gift set
i don't have an ipod. i love chocolate. need i say more?
Visit 5 minutes for Mom to sign up and read the details if you'd like to win!
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Thankful Thursday...
Today I celebrate my husband. He was born 29 years ago. He is a wonderful partner, friend and father. He made me laugh when I first met him, and while life often seems more serious these days, he still makes me laugh. God has given him a desire to protect and care for his family that many people never get. He works hard to provide for us, and the gift of his faithful companionship is something I cherish. Happy Birthday, Hubby! Te amo mas y mas!
Today I celebrate my husband. He was born 29 years ago. He is a wonderful partner, friend and father. He made me laugh when I first met him, and while life often seems more serious these days, he still makes me laugh. God has given him a desire to protect and care for his family that many people never get. He works hard to provide for us, and the gift of his faithful companionship is something I cherish. Happy Birthday, Hubby! Te amo mas y mas!
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