Happy Fall!

I'm back! Sorry for the lapse, but sometimes it is just hard to get motivated to put ones fingers to the ole keyboard. Not that I don't like blogging, but to be truthful, I don't feel the urgency to 'post' since I don't have any followers. I know, I know, I should be doing this for me! And really, I am!, but ya know, the 'ego boost' of a couple followers would give me a little more incentive to more regularly post. So, there you have it, I am but a shallow person looking for affirmation and acknowledgement! :-)

I have been enjoying this AWESOME fall weather, though. Finally got out of the soggy weather pattern here in Iowa, and we are now on week two of beautiful fall weather!! I spent this weekend getting the house decorated a bit for the season. My entry is now welcoming with a banner, pumpkins, gourds, and my 'classic' milk jug skeleton I made back in 1992 when my kids were in kindergarten and pre-school! Oh, time goes WAY TOO FAST!!!!!! I've been enjoying harvesting wonderful veggies from my friend's 20+ acre garden. Pumpkins, leeks, squash, peppers, gourds, Indian corn, potatoes (regular and sweet) and more! Have been using my brand new KitchenAid stackable aluminum steamer with GREAT results. It works great with squash......captures all the nutrients & results in thick mashed squash. Yum! I had been looking for a steamer for a while and finally found one at Target! I'd highly recommend it. I look forward to making lots of veggies with it!

Made a pumpkin pie yesterday with a cooking pumpkin from the garden. It is wonderful making something from scratch!! I also made a homemade butter crust. Topped it off with a pecan crumb topping, & it looks good enough to eat, no?? ;-) My hubby and I will be digging into it soon!! Yum!!!

Well, time to get a load of clothes on the line. There is a nice breeze so they should dry OK despite the cooler temps (maybe hit 70 today) AND the little no-see-ums should be blown off the clothes!! I should mow the lawn again today, too. I swear it looks as green as it did in the Spring and still needs a weekly mowing! Looking forward to yoga tonight. I started yoga classes at the Y again and love it! Lord knows my aging body needs to improve its flexibility. I think after two weeks I feel a tinsy bit more elastic! :-) I also need to get serious about eating better. While I was down to my 'perfect' weight a couple months ago, the needle on the scale has slowly, or actually not so slowly, started to move in the 'wrong' direction. I'm one of those who needs to keep tract of every bite and every calorie if I want to keep my weight steady. I guess it is time to get back to using an excel spreadsheet for my food log. Oh joy! Well, hope you all have a great week! Peace!

Life happened!

Wow! It has been three weeks plus since my last post. I was just so busy with summer's end activities..... moving kids to college, organizing/re-vamping & cleaning rooms, gardening, freezing veggies, mowing the incessantly growing lawn, cleaning up our rental property left in shambles both inside & out by our less-than-stellar tenants!, taking bike rides with my hubby and reading lots of good books. As my post title states- life happened!! Things have settled down a bit, so I'll try again to be a little more consistent! I'll share some photos I've taken recently. Tonight I did the 'foodie blogger' thing and took pictures of our supper. Iowa fed grilled pork chops!, homemade pineapple salsa with peppers, garlic, onions, & mint fresh from the garden, garden fresh potatoe slices sauteed in pecan oil and then baked ALL washed down with a 'cool one', a 12 oz Leinenkugel Berry Weiss! TGIF!!!!!

We're starting to feel a touch of fall here! Refreshingly crisp at night with low humidity and great temps! Also, have had NO rain since Tuesday when we got a half an inch. The faucet has been running pretty full out all summer, and the river through town has left its banks an unprecedented three times- the last of which was in the second week of August! We were lucky here, unlike other parts of Iowa, and no major flood damage occurred.

I mentioned in the beginning of this post how I have been reading! I finished Steig Larsson's dark and suspenseful trilogy and just loved the whole series! It was amazingly easy to get quite attached to the flawed yet, at the same time, highly endearing characters. Do any of you feel the same? In a completely different, and I mean different!, genre, I finished "Take Four", the final book in Karen Kingsbury's Above the Line series. It was good. Looking forward to the Bailey Flannigan series which will be a continuation of sorts of the Above the Line series focusing on one of the main characters. I'm also completely taken by Alexander McCall Smith's "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" series. They are just the cutest stories. Love them! Just delightful reads! So, as you can see, I've had my nose firmly in a book whenever I've had the chance! I usually try to limit my reading to just before bed.............. otherwise it is amazing how a day can fly by reading a book!!!! :-)

I saw my first movie on the big screen in ages recently! A friend and I caught a weekday matinee showing of "eat, pray, love" starring Julia Roberts. Julia did good job, but I must say I was not enamoured of the storyline. Maybe I should have read the book first- I just found it, shall I say, a little bit too 'new age' for my tastes. Anybody share my feelings or, in agreement with my sister, do you think it was the greatest movie ever and want to catch the first plan to Bali?! I really enjoyed catching a flick with a friend, however. I hope to do that again soon.

Well, I think I'll share a couple more photos and then call it a night. I've got more books to read!! First, an updated photos of the kitties!

Then a picture of my fall centerpiece in the formal dining room. Yeah, I'm definitely getting a bit anxious for a long, mosquito-free, beautiful fall season!

Good night!! Peace!

Plums and packing!

The plum tree in our yard is loaded this year, so I battled the mosquitoes and picked enough to make two batches of homemade cooked jelly! I tell you there is something extremely satisfying in hearing the 'pop' of the jelly jars as they seal after their hot water bath!!! I tried something new this year- reduced/no sugar pectin to make my jelly. I made one recipe the traditional way which took 6 1/2 cups of sugar to 5 1/2 cups plum juice- yikes, talk about a sugar high!!! The second batch I used Bell no sugar needed pectin. It appears to have worked great- set up well. I used 3 3/4 cups sugar for 5 cups of plum juice. (Yes, you can just cut back on the sugar- you don't need to go the no-sugar or sugar substitute route! Personally, our wild plums are too sour to eat without some sugar!) So, now I have beautiful jelly jars set aside for gifts for Christmas and other occasions, and I have a 'lite' option to give my more health conscious friends & family! Super!!!!

The other project I am doing now is helping my daughter with her "BIG MOVE" to graduate school this weekend. It will be her first apartment!- she was in the dorms for four years of undergrad. We are taking a two vehicle caravan, and that still won't carry it all! One vehicle is even a truck with topper! Her Dad has to go that direction on business in several weeks, so he'll take another load! It is an exciting but melancholy time!! I'm just happy I'll be able to spend about four days there helping her settle in before heading home. Dad is staying home to watch the fort, so to speak. If he came along we'd have to take the "Lucy" and there is no room in the truck for her kennel. Plus, since he has a job, he can't take the time off I can. :-) The trip is a good nine hours so here's hoping it is a safe and uneventful one! Peace.

Monarch eggs & caterpillars, at last!!!!!!!

Yes, I am soooooooooooooo psyched! I went out to check my milkweed plants this afternoon and lo and behold, I found some Monarch eggs and a wee, bity caterpillar! I am so happy! Just feel like I'm doing my itsy bitsy part to save the Monarch. Anyway, I took a photo to share the joy, so to speak. I'll take more as the caterpillar(s) grow. Keep on with your terrific weekend. Mine's sure a good one despite having to mow the freakin lawn, again!!!! Oh, and the river has yet to completely spill over its banks yet which is real good news. Bye!

Faucet's still on, Lord!!

Yes...... we are still sopping wet here in Iowa. About 2" again last night! The river through town is out of its banks again and isn't due to crest until Sunday! Not good. Just got back from a bike ride and got to see where the river has already risen over our community recreation trail. Heck, the waters had just receded from the flooding last week when we got over 4"!

I had a nice walk with a friend on the trail this morning before the river started to breech its banks! The top of my head is itchy now, though, as I just discovered I got a little sun-burned. I was so good about putting on sun screen before we took off on our walk, but alas, I neglected to wear a hat! Someone needs to create hair styling products with sunscreen in them.... or are there some on the market already? Share your info here if you know of some good ones! Anyway, it was so nice to have a walk-n-talk with a friend. Now as an empty-nester (and in between jobs, as well) I am trying to work on cultivating some friendships. I fear I let that part of my life go by the wayside as I focused almost exclusively on my family (particularly children!) and my work. Now it is time to start expanding my support network 'cuz I find it gets a little lonely when the kids have 'flown the coop', so to speak! Any of you out there feel the same? All I can say is this transitional phase of life (going from full-time motherhood to full time couple-hood) can be challenging! I mean, I love seeing my children grow, mature and thrive, and I relish the adult relationship we are starting to enjoy... yet, it is still hard not to feel somewhat left behind. They are just starting the exciting, albeit sometimes daunting!, journey to total independence & young adulthood while I'm facing the stark reality of middle age (yikes- turn 50 in May!) and beyond! Oh well, I think I'll move on from this rather depressing tangent I've taken off on- more on my mid-life crisis in another post! :-)

Have been getting some wonderful fresh veggies from my friend's garden lately. I froze some sweet corn the last couple days so my two children can eat somewhat well away at school. I should clarify that- my daughter does not need any help eating well, she does an awesome job! However, my son is lacking in the culinary arts department! He just has too many conflicting interests and good eating habits get put on the back burner, unfortunately! Today my husband cranked up the smoker, and we had wonderful pork chops, sweet corn, green peppers, okra brushed with olive oil & onion filled with honey all on the grill! Pair that with some red wine and homemade, garden fresh carrot cake for dessert and life just couldn't get much better!! Oh, with my carrot cake recipe I finally tried the healthy tip of replacing one-half of the vegetable oil (I use canola, of course!) with plain, unsweetened applesauce. It worked terrific! I could not taste or see any difference, and the substitution certainly shaved off some unnecessary calories!

Well, time to get back to my page-turner book. I'm reading the first book in Stieg Larsson's acclaimed trilogy, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo". Although a bit dark, I am loving it and can hardly put the book down. I'm nearing the end and am on the 'reserve list' (first in line, thankfully!!) at our local library for "The Girl Who Played with Fire". Good night and have a GREAT weekend. Peace.

Shut off the faucet, God!!

Yes, we've received more rain here in the soggy state of Iowa!! Four, yes, four!, inches overnight!! I would have taken a photo of the rain gauge, but my hubby dumped it when he went out to check it this morning! Unfortunately, it was a little too much moisture for the soil to absorb, so our basement got a little wet. Luckily, it leaked in on the side of the basement where we have a drain and no carpet- the utility room and pantry. The dehumidifier ran all day along with our AC and that made short work of the water. Really, I've not much to complain about compared to the flash flooding some communities had to deal with. What a summer! Usually by late July we've stopped mowing and our lawns are getting brown- especially our lawn since I refuse to waste a precious resource keeping a lawn green!

Finally had a chance to take some updated photos of our kitten, "Elphaba". "Elphie" is growing so fast! She is getting along well with or other two cats, "Frodo" and "Sam". My husband captured one photo of "Fro" and "Elphie" sleeping together in one of their favorite 'nap' spots- cats have so many as those of you 'owned' by a cat(s) already know! :-) Hope you enjoy the pics!



Have enjoyed the bounty of a friend's large garden lately. We've been out 'shopping' in the fields, and I've brought home sweet corn, green beans, beets, lettuce, cabbage, cucumbers, kohlrabi, onion, potatoes, broccoli, basil, peppers (green and jalapeno), turnips, zucchini & peas. Looking forward to tomatoes, cantaloupe and watermelon! I made my favorite veggie recipe yesterday- a chocolate zucchini cake! Yum! I also had fun making a yummy Mediterranean dinner last night- shrimp piccata pasta with salad greens, walnuts/dried cranberries & apple cider dijon vinaigrette and a glass of white grenache! It made my husband and I feel like we were back in Spain- we had a wonderful trip there earlier this summer! Anyway, my husband thought the meal deserved a picture! As I rarely get that enthusiastic of a response for most of my meals (and rightly so, I must admit!), I immediately grabbed the camera. Thought I'd share it with my imagined? blogger followers, too. Bon appetit! Opps, I mean, bueno comiendo! I'll try to post the recipe for the shrimp piccata pasta soon. I must admit the salad was one of Dole's awesome bagged mixes! :-)

Not much more to post today. "Elphie" is being very naughty right now, so I need to supervise our rambunctious kitten. Have a great night. Stay dry!

Freedom!

Another week has zipped by, but the good news is I am ALL DONE with my census work! While it was okay some of the time- met some real nice and helpful people- overall it was disappointing. As seems typical of any government enterprise, the census bureau was quite disorganized with a lack of efficiency as well as fiscal restraint. So many mistakes were made and repetitive actions taken, that I quickly became rather disillusioned. I did my assignments with speed and accuracy, but I can't say the same for other enumerators. The U.S. Census needs to make some major changes and go digital in 2020! Hopefully 'change' will come.... but, as with the promises of my successful presidential candidate, one's rhetoric is often completely disengaged from one's actions and results.

Still no camera, so I can't share updated photos of our little "Elphaba". She is growing like a weed!! So adorable! All the cats are getting along well now except for the skirmishes which are typical of any 'siblings', two- or four-legged! :-)

It has been horrifically hot here in Iowa. Heat indices in the 100's! I feel blessed to have central AC! I don't know about you, but the combo of heat & humidity has always done me in!!! Despite the heat, I did do a little cooking yesterday. I made my first homemade chocolate custard/pudding. No jello pudding box mix for this gal!! It was quite the project, but it turned out awesome. So thick with a great chocolate flavor. It was worth all the steps... making sure that the initial heating of the milk did not reach boiling, grating three squares of unsweetened chocolate, separating eggs (yeah, I put the custard in a pie shell and topped it with meringue. Realized too late that meringue is touchy to make in high humidity AND more is not better when it comes to the time your eggs are left outside of the fridge before separating!!), and then CAREFULLY heating the mixture to a full boil lasting thirty seconds WITHOUT scorching! The one step I drew the line at was putting my finished custard through a sieve to make sure there were no little egg clumps- figured a few tiny egg clumps wouldn't kill anyone. (I've yet to really taste any!) I'll try to post the recipe when my daughter has time to show me how to attach recipes to my blog. Remember to bear with me.... I'm a newbie!!!! :-)

Finished reading Take Two and Take Three by Karen Kingsbury- both so good! Now I just have to wait for her to complete Take Four which I think completes her Above the Line series. Now I'm on to reading Nicholas Sparks' The Last Song. Started out kind of slow but now I'm totally into it. I LOVE to read.... I really try to restrict my reading time to defined periods (a half hour break during the day or just before bedtime) otherwise I can easily find myself reading away an entire day! I know there are worse vices, but nothing gets done around the house (i.e. cooking, cleaning, taking care of the pets, interacting with my hubby :-), etc......) when I'm totally enraptured by a book! Ah, it's my 'cross to bear."

This has been a nice weekend starting Friday. Had to pick up my husband from the airport and got to combine that with a visit with my son! It happened to be moving day for him because of renovations occurring in the college housing complex he is residing in during his summer internship. All the interns had to move into the newly renovated apartments so their old ones could be updated. The new apartments are much nicer, and he really 'lucked out' on having Mom and Dad available to help on the hottest day of the year!!! Yesterday, I did a little cooking (my custard!), and we did some grilling (pork roast, hot dogs and hamburgers) in order to avoid using the stove. Despite the wicked temps, my hubby and I fit in an evening bike ride- not too bad since there was a breeze and we kept moving. This morning we slept in a little and attended the 10AM Mass rather than our typical 8AM Mass. Father Matt was back from his two-week vacation which was nice. He always gives good homilies with at least one joke!! Now I'm just waiting for my daughter to check in- she was up in the Twin Cities visiting a friend this weekend- and should be on the long drive home about now. Gathered she's having a GREAT time via her facebook update!!

Well, I know it is the Lord's Day, but I still have a little housework to do. The saying does go, "cleanliness is next to Godliness", so I think God will be okay with me doing a little vacuuming! Have a great Sunday! Peace!

Time flies..... when you're having fun??!!

Wow, time has flown since my last post on the 5th. It's been a little crazy around here. Since I am currently in-between veterinary positions- as you may (or may not) recall- I am a veterinarian by profession- I am working as an enumerator for the 2010 US Census. We just started the second phase on Wednesday (July 7) where we re-check vacant and deleted houses to make sure we didn't miss counting ANYONE. It has been pretty frantic 'cuz of time constraints. I knew that would be the case, so all day Tuesday, the 6th, I mowed, did miscellaneous yard work and cleaned the house. Plus I planned ahead a few meals. Then Wednesday, the 'madness' started, and I've been putting in 11 - 16 hour days!!! Plus, to top off the first day of phase II, on Wednesday I got bit by a dog! Of course, being a vet, I immediately requested a look at the dog's rabies vaccination certificate!! It was current, thank God! However, I made the error of mentioning the bite (which did draw blood) to my supervisor and, the government being the government (and quick to cover its a**!), I was made to immediately head to the ER to have an exam, receive a tetanus booster and start on antibiotic. What a fun, fun day!!! I'm doing fine- the only residual pain is due to the tetanus booster. Your arm aches for DAYS after that shot (and , in my case, swells real big, too)!!! I'll call the dog's owner after 10 days to make sure it is alive and kicking, and if 'all is well', this latest saga will be behind me! :-) So..... if you see any injury statistics for the 2010 census workforce, you'll know I am one of those found under "dog bites/attacks"!

Oh, good news with my milkweed flowers. I saw a Monarch butterfly making the 'rounds' by them the other day. No eggs yet, but I'm cautiously optimistic!! I'll share pictures if I discover any eggs or caterpillars! (still don't have my camera back from my son the 'great traveler', but I'll borrow my daughter's if the need arises!)

Still reading books despite my long census hours- skimping on sleep a little as I often find myself reading well past midnight! The last novel I completed was Dan Brown's Deception Point. I loved it- a real page turner!! Course, I love all his novels including The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons. I never understood the controversy surrounding them, and heck, I'm a practicing Catholic! Too me his books are just great fiction! However, if they do touch on some of the darker realities of the Catholic Church's history, that's OK. After all, the only way to conquer and destroy evil is by exposing it to the "Light"!!!!

Had a wonderful walk this evening, after my census work, with my dog and daughter. Then I've been enjoying reading my latest book, Take Two by Karen Kingsbury. It is Book 2 in her Above the Line series. Yes, I am a rather eclectic reader!!! I love her books....... I envy the very personal faith of her characters. I enjoy the fact that some of my favorite scripture verses are often cited throughout her books within the context of the story, and it helps me to keep them close to my heart and mind! Her stories are certainly captivating and very enjoyable if you like Christian fiction.

Well, time to call it a night as the clock has struck 12!!! Possibly my last census work day tomorrow..... only three cases left in my assignment. Wish me luck on finishing them up, so I can FINALLY catch up on house-keeping. Let me just say, the dust bunnies are currently winning the battle in my house!!! :-) I'll blog again soon. Peace!

Rain, again!

Gee, we just can't seem to get out of this particular weather pattern of rain and more rain. It is real muggy, too! Oh, a real down-pour has begun just as I am writing this entry. At least there are no severe weather warnings blaring on my weather radio at the moment!

Smells great in my house at the moment. Placed a wonderful loaf of Everyday Whole-Wheat Bread in the oven about ten minutes ago...... boy, does it smell great! Yeah, I know, should not be running the oven on a hot, muggy day, but when you need bread, you need bread. I wish I had a "summer kitchen"! (for my readers (imaginary?!) that are not familiar with that term, it is a separate, small building that sits near the main farm house. In days of old it was popular to have such "kitchens" in which during the hot summer months baking, canning, etc... could be accomplished without making the main living quarters intolerable. My folks have one on their farm, but my Dad has converted it into a fly rod production/fly-tying retreat! :-) Getting back to my Whole Wheat bread.... I found it in the magazine Eating Well. That is an EXCELLENT magazine, by the way. You can find the recipe on their website at eatingwell.com (I tried to attach a link here to the exact html SEVERAL TIMES, but for some reason, the link shows in my draft but not when I post. Grrrrr!!)

Finished reading Jodi Picoult's House Rules. What a great, yet at the same time, difficult book to read. I have a friend who has an adult autistic son. I've always admired her strength and commitment to his welfare. I often wondered it I could handle such a test of motherhood with such grace and determination. This book seems to capture the feelings such a mother must experience (overwhelming love as well as overwhelming physical and emotional strain); however, not being the parent of an autistic child, I can only guess that Picoult's book portrays that reality accurately. It also touches on how strongly and permanently siblings are affected by a developmentally, emotionally or physically disabled sibling. Picoult's book, Handle with Care, also touches on this issue. That is another thought-provoking and emotionally raw novel which I strongly recommend.

Well, the oven is 'beeping', so I had better get my bread out ASAP! Take care, and I hope your week is off to a great start!!!!!

Independence Day!!

Celebrating another birthday today..... our country's! Went to Mass this morning and the closing hymn was "Let there be peace on Earth". A great sentiment; yet how unlikely given our human tendencies to not compromise (& to always see others' faults and totally refuse to acknowledge our own!) I seem to always find myself remembering events of my childhood when holidays come around... like the fact that there was a period during my childhood when we no longer went to firework displays because my parents felt they glorified war. The firework boycott was during the time of the Vietnam conflict, so in retrospect, I can understand their point. At the time; however, I just thought it was yet another weird thing about my family, and I missed my Mom making a huge paper bag full of buttered (none of that lite microwave stuff!)popcorn to munch on while we watched the display light up the sky. I also recall how in the year of our country's bicentennial we each had make a project for sophomore history class to celebrate our country's 200th birthday! I decided to make a needlework based on a photo of a hand pump and pump house on our farm. The strange thing is my teacher okayed the project despite the fact that the pump/pump house were only 100 years old. I always thought it was weird how I was able to do a project that celebrated my pump house's 100th B'Day instead of my country's 200th. Maybe "A" students, like 'jocks', can get away with just about anything?! It was a beautiful needle point, by the way...... just not relevant to the assignment! :-)

It's rainy again today- got 3/10ths overnight. Muggy with lots of mosquitoes now! Yesterday was sunny, breezy and pretty nice. We had a good day with extended family having a 'barn raising'- started constructing a 60' quonset to be able to store machinery in- particularly the combine with its head attached. I had a chance to bond more with my nieces and nephews which was nice. They all live states away, so don't get to see them much.

Well, I've got butter softening to make "super chip cookies" in celebration of my son's B'Day. (The recipe is one he made for 4-H and got considered for State) He'll be passing though on Wednesday on his way to a conference, so he can have some..... maybe I should wait to make them 'til Tuesday night??!! They are REAL yummy, ya know! :-) Had garden fresh beets with lunch today. I just love them. I eat them peeled and boiled with no added toppings. Awesome!! Well, have a great 4th with family, friends or just your best friend- YOU!!!! Peace! Let it begin with US!!!!!!

Happy July!

I feel bad that I have neglected my blog for virtually a week. Some things came up, and I just didn't have the energy to post. Sorry if anybody in the cyber world has been checking in on my musings! I'll try to get better at sticking with the program. :-) I won't be able to share any photos for a bit, though, 'cuz I let my son borrow my digital camera since his is getting repaired. He is having some traveling adventures both through his summer internship and personally that really necessitated his having a camera along. I miss it, though. The ease of a digital camera is so conducive for snapping shots at the spur of the moment. However, one finds oneself taking literally hundreds of photos!!!! I had trouble organizing my old 35mm film photos... in fact, there are still boxes of photos that have yet to find a home in a scrap book!! Now, with the ease of digital photo taking, the problem of documenting with actual words all my photos is nearly impossible. Oh well, I just seem to block out that reality and keep clicking away!!

I've been checking my milkweed plants- still blooming and smelling lovely- but no butterfly eggs yet. There have been some smaller butterflies around them as well as small bees and other insects, but I have not 'caught' a Monarch visiting them. Keep your fingers crossed for some Monarch caterpillar action!

Still doing some fun summer reading. Just finished The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander Smith that is this month's selection for our public library book club. I enjoyed it a lot. Not my typical genre, but it was a fast and fun read. I look forward to hearing other book club members' take on the book when we meet in July. Now I've stated Jodi Picoult's House Rules. It is one of those books that is hard to put down and an emotional read. I feel she is a great writer with her books being VERY thought-provoking. I usually need to have the kleenex box nearby as I read her stories, as I often find myself reading along as tears track down my face.

Another great day for drying clothes on the line- I have two load out there drying in the wind as I speak. Read in one of my magazines that you should wash bedding weekly to minimize dust mites and dust in particular. Somehow I had gotten out of the habit of washing bedding that often- lazy I guess! :-) - but I've turned over a new leaf and am now on top of the situation. It helps to have a new high efficiency front loading Whirlpool washer to make laundry fun!!!!! I'm also trying to vacuum more... with THREE cats all long-haired, I think "Elphie" is going to have a long coat.... vacuuming AT LEAST weekly is a must. I sure love my bagless Bissell Pet Hair Eraser. It freaks me out to see all the dust and hair I pick up, however. Yuck!!! Guess I need to brush my four-legged fur balls a little more too!!

Well, got some more house work to do, and some baking and bookkeeping as well. My youngest turns 21 today, so I'm in mourning a little too!! Where does the time go??? Seems like just yesterday he was 2 and calling me a "Bad Mommy!" when I told him some random pieces of iced birthday cake were all that were left of the 'Combine Cake' I was making for his birthday!!! He was not amused, but it made for some cute family videos!! Don't worry, we quickly showed him his real "Combine" cake- a real masterpiece if I say so myself- and he was all happy!!! Ah, the joys of motherhood- way too fleeting. Now he is on a plane to see his girlfriend and his best friend-NOT ME!!! However, that is as it should be, and I hope he have a great time..... but not toooooo great! ;-) That's all for today- Peace!

Family time!

A great day today, albeit a bit of driving. The whole family (hubby, daughter and I) got together to visit my son at the location of his summer internship (He is studying accounting and will be a college senior this fall.) It was great to be together if only for a short time! (My hubby and I are entering our fourth year as 'empty nesters', and I still find it hard. I'll talk more about that journey in a future post, though!!) Anyway, we had fun going out to eat, doing some shopping (went to Von Maur's and Whole Foods) and touring the beautiful grounds of the large company my son is interning for this summer. I've never been to a Von Maur's before.... quite the fancy (and 'pricey'!) store with a live pianist playing soothing tunes to shop by! Impressive! I just loved the Whole Food store! The fresh fruit and veggie department just blew me away!!! Also, loved the plentiful samples throughout the store especially the cherries, pineapple and various cheeses! Yum!!!! I don't ascribe to all their organic and local food rhetoric, but I still enjoy the store and some of their products. (This can be a topic for a future post, as well!)

Oh, I need to let you know that our new kitten has a name....... "Elphaba" or "Elphie" for short. Those of you who LOVE the musical "Wicked" will immediately recognize the name. For those of you who are not familiar with the AWESOME musical "Wicked", I recommend you get tickets and attend a show! You can also read the book, but personally, I think this is one case where the 'movie' (or in this case "musical') totally out-does the book!!!!!! Anywho, "Wicked" is the true story of the relationship between the 'wicked' witch and the 'good' witch in the Wizard of Oz before Dorothy and "Toto" arrived on the scene. "Elphaba" is the real name of the 'wicked' witch. As you can see we decided to not stay with the Lord of the Rings theme of feline names.... none of the girl character names seemed to fit our "Elphie".

Well, I have some work to do around the house, so I had better sign off for now. Have a great evening, and I'll 'see ya' on the blog tomorrow!! :-)

I be a spinning!

Got a chance to use one of my favorite kitchen gadgets today with fresh lettuce from the garden.... my salad spinner. It works great! There is nothing like fresh greens topped with some crumbled baby bella mushrooms and homemade peach vinaigrette! Yum!



I also had fun going to some garage sales today with my daughter who is working on furnishing her first apartment! I couldn't pass up a few bargains myself- one was a set of three cute pictures for a buck each. They made me smile.. how about you? Now I just have to find a good spot to arrange them in a group on a wall somewhere. I know... in my newly clean and rearranged bedroom!!

Short post today... off to bike with the hubby. Yeah, we may not be talkin' too much yet, but at least we're bikin' together. :-) Have a great night!

Long day!

Nothing like a little wine and cheese to get your zen on!! I decided I needed a little re-charging before I head upstairs to finish rearranging and cleaning our bedroom. Sometimes I just get the urge to rearrange furniture- can anyone out there relate?! Today I was hit with the urge to 'shake up' the master bedroom. I think the urge mostly came as a consequence of being 'pissed off' at my hubby of 24 long years (yes! I consider it mighty LONG today!), and I needed an outlet for my emotions. At least I'll get a clean room out of the whole blow-up!! The project has stretched into an all day event, since once you move furniture, you find yourself needing to vacuum, dust, pick up all the clothes that is thrown about and, in my case, strongly consider buying some new light blocking curtains to hang over the wood blinds! I took several breaks through out the day to wash numerous loads of laundry and hang them out on the line (a GREAT line-drying day, weather-wise) as I also got the 'bug' to wash all my downstairs linen curtains (a spring cleaning project that was WAY over due!). I also fit in a little shopping for food for both my family and my backyard birds. One of my hobbies is bird-watching and keeping my bird feeder station stocked with food (black oil sunflower seeds, niger thistle, and fresh sugar water solution for the little Ruby Throated hummers!) and fresh water. I needed the sunflower seed- was on sale at Bomgaars!, and thistle, and I also got a large, compact birdseed block for the woodpeckers- they found it almost immediately and started digging in. Needless to say, I LOVE MY BIRDS!!! I'll try to get some photos of my feeding stations and some birds soon.

I started out the morning on a good note (before the hubby melt-down) by biking 9 miles with my daughter at 7AM. Actually, she biked 18 miles.... did the first circle around town solo, and then I joined her on the second loop when she was going a 'tad' bit slower!! Felt good to get exercising crossed off my 'to do' list first thing in the morning!

Well, the cheese and wine are gone, light is quickly fading from the sky, and the dust bunnies upstairs are calling my name. Better get to it. Have a great night.

Rain, rain go away!!!

Wow, the rains just keep coming down by us! I'm glad I ran out of time to mow yesterday, 'cuz I think the lawn grew another couple inches overnight. Guess what I will be doing as soon as I post this?! ;-) The picture shows that we got a good 2" of rain overnight. There were severe storms all around the area- my weather radio alarm was going off constantly- but thankfully none hit our area too bad. Now it looks like we may have a couple days of potentially dry weather. It is going to be very hot and humid, however, so I can't discount the possibility of storms breaking out in the evenings.

My current read, The Shadow of Your Smile, that I made reference to in my post yesterday is getting a little better, yet I am still able to set it down to write this post! I still think it is worth reading if you are a die-hard Mary Higgins Clark fan like me, however.

Going to keep the post short today.... not in the best mood. Husband is pissed at me, and my jaw is still a little sore from my dental procedure yesteday. Have a great day, and I'll blog more tomorrow.

Peace!

Open wide!!

Good morning on this first full day of summer!! Sad to think that the "longest day of the year" is already behind us now and that the days will start to get, albeit subtly, shorter. :-( I spent the morning in the oral surgeon's chair having a crown lengthening! Not the most comfortable way to spend the morning with my mouth wide open- temporomandibular joint gets sore in a hurry! All went well, though, and I was impressed by my surgeon talking me through the procedure AND, miracle or miracles, giving out his personal cell phone number in case of complications! I mean, you don't see that too much anymore. Plus, the dental assistant even called me this afternoon to be sure all was well. Yes, I'm impressed. My daughter had her FOUR impacted wisdom teeth surgically extracted by a different oral surgeon this past January and the follow-up couldn't have been more different. There were no follow-up calls and they had her out of the chair and walking to the door to leave before she was truly even cognisant of her surroundings. It was weird! All went well for her too, due in BIG part to her meticulously following the post-op instructions of 'no exercise for weeks', 'salt water rinses', pain relief and ice pack use. No dry sockets for her, thank God!

Started reading the new Mary Higgins Clark book, The Shadow of Your Smile, around one week ago. The surprising thing is I am only on page 77!!! I've read ALL her books, just loved them AND typically found myself reading long into the night 'cuz I couldn't put them down. Sadly, that is not the case with her latest novel. I wonder if it is just a slow start or if it is time for Ms Clark to retire her pen and simply bask in the glory of her extremely successful career. Have any fellow Mary Higgins Clark fans out there noticed a subtle decline in recent literary offerings??? I faced a similar disappointment with John Grisham..... nothing he has written recently has came close to the matching the quality of The Firm, in my humble opinion! Let me know your thoughts. Anyway, I'm enough of a Mary Higgins Clark fan to keep plugging away at her book....and who knows, I may find myself reading through the night yet again. I'll let you know.

Peace!

Cypress musings!

Happy Monday!! Finally got most of my photos uploaded with descriptions written for each from our recent trip to Spain. I made a pilgrimage of sorts to a cemetery in Vilafranca del Penedes, Catalonia, Spain, to see the gravesite of my paternal grandfather. He died fighting for Spain against the dictator Franco in the Spanish Civil War. The majestic Mediterranean cypress trees throughout the cemetery were something to marvel at. I found a picture on the web of Vincent Van Gogh's Cyprus Tree and just love it! I thought I'd attach it here for your enjoyment. I had not know that the Mediterranean Cypress tree is nicknamed the "graveyard cypress". Makes sense, though, given the fact that they were the predominant tree species in all the 'cementiris' I chanced upon.

I just love Van Gogh's post-impressionist work, don't you?! His paintings just seem to draw me in and not let go. Here's a good website that shares pictures of his work http://www.vangoghgallery.com/catalog/

Had a great Sunday seeing the extended family when we all gathered to celebrate my in-laws 50th wedding anniversary! It was good catching up since we all live in distance locations through out the US. Well, not much else to report. All the rain has resulted in our lawn growing by leaps and bounds, so off to mow. Have a great day!

She had us at 'meow'!

What a special day....... we have a new addition to the family. No name as of yet, but that will come soon. Probably stick with the Lord of the Rings theme as with our other two cats, Frodo and Sam! This is a female, of course, given she's a calico. I have to recall the names of female characters in the Lord of the Rings and see if any suit her. She was 'dumped' at our local little league fields just as my husband and I were riding our bikes past on our local recreation trail. My husband noticed a car off by itself in the parking lot- no games were playing at the time- then it drove off and as we biked by the area the car had been parked at, we heard these terrible cries. Of course we had to investigate! Lo and behold, a tiny calico kitten came running our from under an evergreen meowing hysterically while simultaneously purring like crazy. Needless to say, we had to take her home... walking our bikes the rest of the way. As I type this she is purring and resting on my lap. She's got a full tummy (she was soooooo hungry and thirsty!), had Frontline applied and has been wormed with Drontal. (I'm a veterinarian, so new additions get the 'works'! I thought I'd wait a couple days for ear mite treatments and first vaccinations.

The other thing I wanted to share today was a picture of a milkweed (Asclepias) plant in bloom in a bed in my front yard. I know it is considered a noxious weed by farmers, but I know butterfly caterpillars love it, so I do, too. Plus, I think it really has a great smell when in bloom. I hope I can attach additional photos later in the season documenting visits by Monarch butterflies with lots of Monarch butterfly eggs left attached to the undersides of the milkweed leaves. Subsequently, I hope to see & photograph plenty of monarch caterpillars munching away on the milkweed's leaves, the beginning of pupation and, finally, the Monarch's future hanging, literally, by a thread from the plant- its chrysalis.


Well, that's all for today. Time to chase after our new four-legged wonder. Not sure if she's mastered the litter box yet, so she needs constant supervision!

Nature's chorus!

Boy, the birds were obnoxiously loud this AM singing to the breaking dawn. Although I tend to complain a bit about the noise, I sure do miss it when things calm down in July once the breeding season is over. I'm continuing to read The Declaration. It is good but somewhat predictable themes and scenarios. I am still enjoying it, but the author is a bit heavy handed in trying to get her point across. Maybe that is because it is aimed at a younger reading audience........ I've had a lot more life experience than that audience and am aware of a wide range of often diametrically opposed view points. I still recommend you pick a copy up and read, read, read!!!!!

Today I am taking another step in reducing our household use of plastic. You know those ubiquitous plastic bags you get at just about all stores? Well, I'm trying to stop using them. I had been 'recycling' them by using them as garbage bags, but now I am going to buy a plastic garbage can- yeah, I know, that's rather inconsistent, but I hope to find one made of recycled plastic! :-)- and then up my composting so no 'wet stuff' goes in the garbage. That way I can use my fabric totes for shopping. I've also swore off purchasing bottled water. The Story of Stuff bottled water video (http://storyofbottledwater.org/) really woke me up! Check out the web site if you're interested. It is great!! Anyway, wish me luck in my endeavors to help the planet one little step at a time. I'd love to hear what YOU are doing to help the planet in little and big ways!

Well, today I'm trying to clean house big time. I've procrastinated enough by blogging. Bye for now!

Books and Nature's Bounty

Good morning! Started the day with a great power walk with my daughter and dog "Lucy" (see photo) Then I received an 'S.O.S.' from a friend needing some immediate help in her huge garden with cultivating. It was great being out on the hillside working the land and afterwards 'shopping' down the long, lush aisles. I've lots of salad greens, peas, onions, and baby red and white potatoes to clean. Can't wait to enjoy nature's bounty for lunch! Also started a new book yesterday, The Declaration by Gemma Malley. Very thought provoking!!! It is a "young adult" selection, but I enjoy books that target all age groups.... good literature is good literature! Consider joining me in reading this interesting book. Maybe we can discuss it next week if anyone wants to. Also, remember The Thirteenth Tale?..... another great book I'd like some feedback on! As you may have guessed... I love books!!! Well, back to veggie prep- have a glorious day!!!

Hello cyber world!

I did it! My hand hovered over the keyboard, hesitantly, and then ...... I marked the circle that allowed access of my blog to "anybody"! So, here I am! Available to all but very possibly visited by none. Anyway, here it goes. Today, I want to share a great book I just finished reading, The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. What a great book- so wonderfully written. It pulled me in via the short paragraph written on its back cover and never let go. Have any of you read it?? If so, thoughts? If not, why not find it at your public library, read it- should be done in 24 hours if you get addicted like me!- and then report back. Peace .... & happy reading!

Maiden journey into the blogisphere!!

Wow, my first blog post!!! Not really sure what to write.... not really sure what to share. It is with high expectation and equally great trepidation that I enter this 'new frontier'! At forty-nine, this new frontier's means of communication is definitely a 'second language' for me and not my 'native tongue'. However, not to be daunted, I have decided to plunge into this new world- later than many yet sooner than some- and hopefully grow and learn through the experience. I feel a deep longing to share some thoughts honestly and openly- and sadly, this is often more easily accomplished through the anonymity of the cyber world. I hope to gain some insight and direction through these posts. I'm not sure where this blog will take me- or you, if you chose to join me on this journey. All I know is that I am excited to begin!