Friday, May 29, 2009

Quick Recap...Before I Forget...

I already have no idea what's been going on this week! I forget SO quickly!

Monday Emma was a not-feel-good-bear, but Tuesday she felt better and went to a cousin's school band concert.

Anna got sick Thursday morning, and had a dreadful fever with headache and sore throat all day, and Friday morning got up with stomach pains so bad she was doubled over in the floor. We took her to the ER, and the doctor said it was probably just a virus, which I had suspected anyway.....but I can't take a chance with my baby, so off to the ER we went. She was fine after the meds (the names of which I've forgotten) and ate, which she hadn't felt like doing yesterday, and walked about 2 miles when she went to my mom's tonight. She fell asleep early tonight, so hopefully she'll wake up feeling better tomorrow.

Thursday Daddy and I went to the food pantry to help unload food first thing in the morning, then when we were finished there we went and picked a gallon of cherries. I just got around to pitting them this evening, and we had cherry dumplings for supper...SO delicious! I had enough for another day, too, so I put those in the freezer for later. I LOVE spring and fresh fruit!

My garden is BEAUTIFUL...I need to get some pics of it. The tomatoes are almost knee-high now, and starting to bloom...except one poor fellow who is being eaten for some reason. Still, one plant out of 16...I can let the bugs have one, I guess. lol I remembered today I had meant to get some peppers so I can make hot sauce again, I don't suppose it's too late, so I might try looking for some pepper plants to put out, and I forgot okra, too, so I might also possibly try to get some of that going...I don't know about seeds so late, though....que sera sera, I guess. ; )

Tomorrow I'm going to go to a used book sale or two...depending on what time I get going in the morning. I had books I was going to take to try to sale, but they were supposed to be dropped off by 1 today, and we didn't get out of the ER until 1:30. Que sera sera there, too, I suppose. ; )

We took 12 boxes...cases, really...of books to the library for their annual sale. I am SO glad to have those boxes out of my living room floor and off my porch and out of my van! I did pretty well, I thought...I only found two books to bring in the last time I went through them. ; ) I'm just hoping we won't buy any of them back at the sale. lol

Oh, yeah...one more thing...

Rosie picked me! Rosie picked me! Rosie picked me!!! (You can't see it, but I'm doing a happy dance, which is what I do every time I think of it! Rosie picked me!) I get a really cool long black necklace, which Emma is already asking to wear. ; ) AWESOME!!!

Monday, May 25, 2009

white & green

it begins with a colour challenge for this week is white and green.

I have attempted a photo slideshow...something I've wanted to try for a long time.

5-25-09

Emma was sick today, so we scrapped all our plans and stayed home most of the day.

In the evening we went to get water, and the cherries were ripe! (Well, ripe enough...lol) I ate so many my teeth felt funny, because they *were* still a bit sour. By Wednesday, though, I think they'll be just about right. The mulberries were starting to get ripe, too...Yay for fresh fruit! I LOVE spring!!

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Third Week of May Recap

I'm going to try to do a quick recap of last week before I forget it all...

I've already blogged about the book sale, so I'll start after that...

Thursday, Daddy went up to Gilbert, WV, where the flooding was, to help bring a kitchen trailer back with a man who had been doing relief work. He was gone all day, because he worked in the morning, came home long enough to grab a snack and a water bottle, then he headed up there, and it was 8:45 pm when he got home. While he was gone Anna and I walked up the road a little ways to a spot of easy creek access and waded in the water a bit, then we came home and got Emma and we all walked to the end of the road and back. I cooked a chicken and made spinach soup again (and put a bit too much salt in the soup), and we all had homemade ice cream when Daddy got home...except for Daddy who is lactose intolerant. He had popcorn, and we all watched The Tale of Despereaux, which I enjoyed. It was a bit hard to follow in places, but still, a very satisfying movie.

One day this week...not sure which one...I cut my hay, then Friday I raked it and covered it just in case it rained Saturday, like was predicted...however, it didn't rain Saturday, and was beautiful and sunshiny and I could have left it out to dry a bit longer. Oh well. ; ) We went to visit my mom, and Anna found a tiny baby bunny getting eaten (or preparing to be eaten) by cats. She rescued it, and made a nest in a round plastic thingey for it, and brought it home with her. It's skin was torn off it's hind leg, but she still had hopes it would be okay. We put it in with Brussels Sprout, because we figured if anyone could help it, it would be Brussels Sprout. I looked up caring for baby bunnies online, though, and it said only 10% of wild bunnies taken in will live, and almost none that have been attacked by cats. : (

Saturday I began the day by buying strawberries...YUMMY!!! Then we went up to my mom's and spent the day, the squirrels playing with my sister's kids, and Daddy working on Mom's garage. In the evening we stopped at home for a minute and fed the baby bunny some fresh clover and spinach and lambs quarters. Then we went to a cookout with our food pantry friends. We were tired and not planning on staying long, but you know how it is, and we sat and talked, and the squirrels played baseball and hide-and-seek, and carried around the ABSOLUTELY cutest miniature dachshund EVER! His name was Zero, which was a dreadful name for someone so cute. : )

It was late when we got home, and I was planning on reading in bed for a bit before falling asleep, but only read one page and I was *gone*. I have no idea how late the squirrels stayed up, because they were still up, eating strawberries and reading when I went to bed. : )

Today when I went out to feed the rabbits, Anna's little wild bunny was almost dead, but I didn't wake her to tell her, only waited until she woke up, then told her, and when she went out to check, it had already died. We buried it next to the bunny hutches, nestled in some fresh hay. So, today has been a sad day for her. :,,,(

This week we have a dozen or so things to do, but only two actually marked on the calendar, so I'm hoping we can remember them all...I *really* need to get them all marked, but some things I don't remember the actual date we're supposed to be doing them! I guess I'll guess, and we'll see how well I do....I might at least learn to start marking things down. ; P

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

yellow memories...


The "it begins with a colour" theme is YELLOW for this week.

When I was about 13 we moved into an old, old house. The kitchen was an addition, tacked on to the back of the original 1800's house, and it *could* have been a very dreary, unhappy room.

Instead, my mom painted the walls a cheery yellow, added blue touches for accent, and hung what I remember as the most beautiful curtains in the whole, wide world. They were gauzy white, with yellow flowers on long green stems.

I sometimes dream about having those curtains in my kitchen.

Even on the coldest wintery days (and that house did get cold!) the kitchen was always a warm and happy place to be.
With sweet and happy memories of a yellow room, it's no wonder it's one of my favourite colors now! : )

Monday, May 18, 2009

One of my Favourite Things...

is a used book sale!

We totally got more stuff than this, but about half of it disappeared as soon as we came in the door.

We did get less stuff than at last year's sale, but we still managed to come home with a box full.

Besides what is in the picture Daddy got several books, and I picked up some posters and nature magazines for Anna, plus a binder and a folder. We took fifteen or so boxes ~BIG boxes~ of books to sale, and we brought home fourteen boxes full...so since we filled one box there, we sold two boxes of books! Yay! We made $26.80.


Emma wanted to keep our table...and I didn't mind, because I wanted to shop. She did all the calculating in her head...I took a calculator, but she didn't want to use it.


When we got home they got out the Model Magic stuff and played with it some, and Emma made this statue for Froggy's front yard...

she says the smile reminds her of Aunt Bea...

You may have to click on it to see it close enough to tell. ; )

turquoise

Apples for Poppy Anne photographic treasure hunt...turquoise. "I have come up with this: once per week {mondays}, I will give any of those who wish to participate, a photographic treasure hunt of sorts. It can be a private experiment or it can be a public affair of your choosing."

I looked about for turquoise, and thought I didn't have any.

Then I *really* went searching...

and I found turquoise in bits, here and there...

On my coffee mug...
In the fraction tiles....

which are seldom used for fractions...the squirrels use them for some sort of game with dice; I've not been able to understand their instructions so far. ; )

on books...and on the "Buddha Bag"....turquoise is such a cheery color, I wish I had more of it around!

'Twas fun searching out the bits of color in my life!

Thanks for the inspiration!

Seventeen Years Ago Today...

I wasn't "the baby" of the family any more.

I spent the first part of the day in a hospital waiting room.

I cried the first time I held him.

I was afraid I'd drop him, so I held him on a pillow.

I swear...he seemed SO tiny!

He was the most wonderful gift I'd ever been given.

He has never disappointed me.

He is absolutely the sweetest fellow I've ever known.

I could still tell the story of choosing his name.

He's never once complained to me about it. ; )

He is awesome!

He is responsible.

He is sweet.

He is kind.

He likes money in the same way I do.

He likes clothes in the same way our sister does.

He is looking more and more like my older brother every day.

He's almost an adult.

He drives now.

And he has a girlfriend.

I don't see him nearly as much as I'd like anymore.

I miss him when I don't get to see him.

When I stop by his school for some other reason I snoop around until I at least spot him.

I will cry when he gets married.

I will cry when he has kids of his own.

Heck, I'm crying writing this out!

He's my baby brother.

And I love him like he's my own child.

Even though he's not so much a child any more.

I told him he wasn't taller than I was until he could kiss me on top of my head.

One day when I went to visit, he walked past and kissed me on top of my head.

He's so much taller than that now I can barely kiss his cheek standing on tip-toes.

He's gone to a track meet thing this week....and I don't get to wish him a happy birthday in person, although I did when I gave him his birthday money last week.

Happy Birthday, Baby Brother!

Do you have any idea how much I LOVE YOU!??!

Saturday, May 16, 2009

I can SEE my Desk!

My desk BEFORE:
And my desk AFTER!
I am SO thrilled I have it cleaned! Now I can use it...already I've cleared out a drawer for papers I need to go through...hopefully I'll be motivated to actually sit down and read them and decide to keep or toss them. ; )
In other news.....I was playing catch-up on the mending, and found a pair of Daddy's jeans. I thought it wouldn't be worth my time to fix them...they won't fit anymore!

He's only half the man he used to be, but I still love him. ; )
(We won't discuss what that says about my mending pile...)

Sunday, May 10, 2009

A Lovely Mother's Day

This morning when I got up there were three cards and two gifts on the table waiting for me.

This one is from Anna. (Translation:
I love you so I made a poem for you.
_______________
You know & I know
You are not old,
And I love you
More than silver
and gold! )

This is one of my gifts from Emma...isn't it sweet? : )
They also had decorated the living room mirror with hearts.
We went out for lunch, and when we got back home I received one more gift....
... this is the first year this particular peony plant has bloomed, and it has LOTS of buds! I am SO thrilled it bloomed on Mother's Day. : )

I relaxed on the porch and read for a while, enjoying the sun and soaking up the GREEN!!! I LOVE SPRING!!! You know how Scrooge McDuck dives into his piles of gold coins? I want to be able to do that with the green on the mountain! ; ) It thrills me every time I see it.

I made Cream of Spinach soup for supper...it turned out really good, but neither girl would eat it because of the color. Emma said, "You don't want to know what I think that looks like." lol
It was good enough that I had two servings! I made it from scratch, too...starting with picking the spinach from my garden. It took about 2 1/2 hours from garden to stomach. I'm still considering whether or not it was worth it. lol 2 1/2 hours is a lot of time to spend on one pot of soup only half the family eats!

From cards and gifts to lunch out to a new flower to a yummy supper...it's been a good day. : )


Thursday, May 7, 2009

The Meme for Today

Adopted from Dawning's blog .

1. If you were to kill a man, horror movie style, which kitchen utensil would you use?
**I guess a knife...I've never really thought about it before.

2. Did you ever swallow a coin?
**I did, when I was about 5 or so. I was under a church bench, during service, with a nickel. I popped out from under the bench and said, "Mom! I put it in my mouth and it went down!" She told me to go back under the bench.

3. What was the worst gift you've ever received?
**On my first birthday we were together, Daddy bought me a cake with red icing. I'm allergic to red. That was awkward. ; )

4. What is your most embarrassing childhood memory?
**Coming out the church door, pausing dramatically in the doorway to make sure the boy I liked was watching, then slipping and falling flat on my butt.

5. How many kids do you want?
**I'll keep the ones I have.

6. Whats your moms middle name?
**She doesn't have one.

7. Have you ever operated a fire extinguisher?
**I don't believe so.

8. Worst car you ever had to drive and why?
**Hyundai...need I say more?

9. Who do you hate?
**Hate's to strong a word for people. Some I greatly dislike, but I don't believe I *hate* them.

10. What do you hope to have accomplished by the end of this year?
**I would love to have a new house.....although that wouldn't really be *my* accomplishment...

11. Do you have any really crazy relatives?
**In my family everyone is crazy. Some are worse than others, though.

12. Did you ever wake up under the influence of NyQuil, completely unable to move?
**I don't believe I've used NyQuil since I was a teen.

13. Are you feeling nostalgic right now?
**Not really...a bit hurried, maybe, but not nostalgic.

14. Did you own a Lite-Brite?
**I believe we had one once, a used one without many pieces.

15. Can you dive?
**I'm too scared to try. I don't swim that well.

16. Do you own a mouthpiece for anything?
**I don't think so.

18. Have you ever used a pogo stick?
**I bought one at a yard sale and Daddy threw it away because he was afraid the squirrels would get hurt on it. : ( I like a pogo stick every once in a while.

19. Who was the most creative bum you've ever met, trying to get some money from you?
**I don't remember, because I've never listened well enough to hear. (I tend to ignore people.)

20. Whats your favorite Jelly Belly jelly bean flavor?
**I don't know. I'd have to have them all lined up, with labels, and seconds or thirds of the best ones...

21. Favorite food you CRAVEEE?
**Fruit!

22. When was the last time you pulled lint out of your bellybutton?
**I do not know....sometimes after s** I find someone's chest hairs in there, though. lol

23. Did you ever use someone else's toothbrush?
**Only accidentally.

24. Do you REALLY floss everyday?
**Yes. I REALLY do.

25. What is your favorite cologne/perfume you always wear?
**I don't always wear any perfume. In fact, I very seldom wear it. But if I do, it's exclamation.

26. If you were on Double Dare, would you take the physical challenge?
**No.

27. What's the largest living organism that you killed?
**I ran over a dog once...it was dreadfull! Such a thud!

28. Did you ever take a lighting bug and smear its guts on your arm so you get a cool glowing effect like war paint?
**Only when I found them already dead.

29. What's the best toy you've ever gotten in a McDonalds happy meal?
**I like those little dolls...Madame Alexander...

30. If you could be anywhere in the world doing anything right now what would it be?
**I'd be on a beach, enjoying the water.

31. Can you juggle?
**No....I've always wanted to learn, though. Anna is learning. She's getting pretty good, too.

32. How do you feel right now?
**Like I should be getting in the shower, instead of being online.

33. Do you remember that square candy bar called "Chunky"?
**That's said like it doesn't exist anymore. Doesn't it?

34. Predict the length of the next Peter Jackson movie.
**Tell me the length of his last three movies, and I'll try to make a reasonable prediction.

35. What was your favorite toy as a kid?
**Either a dingeley apple or a cow that mooed. It would be difficult to choose. lol

36. Are you willing to go the distance?
**I'll go until my feet hurt. ; )

37. Did you answer question 17?
**I slithered right past it without a second thought. Not really....having Dawning's answer made me look.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

5-5-09

We were kidnapped again yesterday....this time I had planned on a quick trip to a greenhouse....but since we were so close I thought I'd run by my dad's grave for a minute, because I don't get up that way often.When we left the cemetery, Daddy turned left, instead of right. I'd only been to the left once in my life, and vaguely remembered greenhouses in that direction. They were in poor repair and rather disreputable-looking now....but we pressed on, turning right at the end of that road, then I don't know how many more times we turned and turned.....until we finally had no idea which county, or even which state, we were in at times. We helped a few turtles off the road....this one's a snapper, and he was SO agressive...he came after our toes and Daddy laughed at us, because we squealed and scattered. lol
There were several barns with these painted quilts...Appalachian Quilt Trail ...they're so pretty.
(I don't believe this is a barn...it was in the middle of a little town we went through.)

Saturday, May 2, 2009

I don't know...maybe it's the Vitamins?

I am waking up earlier and earlier lately. First it was 8, then 7:30, then 7:10, then this morning I woke up at 6:30. I've not been napping mid-day either...I've had a mid-day nap for *years*. I started taking a multivitamin a little over a month ago...I wonder if that's it? Or maybe it's just SPRING! I LOVE SPRING! ; )

My squirrels spent the night with my mom last night, so it's just me and Daddy today. He has plans...free comic day, an antique bottle show, yard sales....I am hoping to get dropped off at a used book store while he's at the comic shop. :D