Home-N-Vegie-Blog

Smarterer

2012-01-18T23:22:00.001-05:00

If you like to take quizzes (and see how smart you are!) Smarterer is definitely the place for you! Take quizzes on how well you know places like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, or how well you know software like Photoshop...and then invite your friends to take the quiz as well and compare scores. You can even add questions to quizzes or create your own quizzes. So get smart, and get Smarterer!
Submitted by bzzagent vegiemama

Parenting...From Varied Perspectives

2011-01-04T22:43:00.001-05:00

suggested by Spelling Search

"If you have children, how different is parenthood from what you had expected? If you don't have children, how do you think parenthood would change your life?"

Parenting is harder than I ever expected. The worst part is sticking to my guns when I have established a penalty for something. It's so easy to be worn down by the constant begging, whining, and pleas for compromise. I never dreamed how tiring it would be to be a parent. I'm not just the mom...I'm the household manager. I have to coordinate everything and make sure that everything gets done, whether it be by me, my husband, or my kids. If something isn't done or we don't do something we were supposed to do, it ultimately falls back on me. The emotional energy required is overwhelming...something I never dreamed of. Before being a parent, I was really just responsible for me. Now, I'm responsible for everyone in the family.

The other thing that was never really something I thought about was that my kids aren't just little "mini me's". They're not like I was as a child. Well, not usually anyway, LOL. Maybe that's a good thing. No really. Things that I was good at, they need help with. The good thing is that they each have things they're good at that I never was good at! Sometimes I have a hard time relating to the things they're not as good at...or I have a hard time knowing how to teach them if it was something I didn't struggle with myself. Certain aspects of music learning are a good example of that. Things that came easy to me are things that they have to work at.

One more thing that's a parenting mind-boggler is scheduling. I don't know how some people accomplish everything that needs to be done, because I struggle. It goes back to being responsible for everything, I suppose, but I never feel like there's time to get everything done. I'm literally on the go from the time I get up til almost bedtime, every day. If I sit down and relax, I feel guilty, because there's something that I've left undone in order to have a few minutes to myself. Tonight, for instance, when I finally did sit down, I realized that ds hadn't practiced violin. That involves me. I didn't feel like having to put back on my mom hat, so I let him slack. Again. Bad me.

This is a short season of my life...soon, all too soon, I'll have an empty nest. And then I'll miss this rat race called A Parent's Life. I will miss it very, very, very much.

To read the other perspective from my teen, click here.

Vegetarian 100 Foods to Try

2010-12-28T11:18:00.002-05:00

Let's see how I've done in my short life! Credits to About.com vegetarian.

Fresh young coconut
Vegetarian caviar
Truffle oil
Pomelo
Vegetarian black pudding
Kalamata olives
Saffron
Inari sushi
Huckleberries
Cashew nut butter
Banana roti
Laotian coffee
Goat cheese (not a particular favorite, but I've tried it anyway)
Chocolate chip cookie dough peanut butter milkshakes (in Chicago!)
Poutine (you can find a vegan version in Brooklyn)
Dolmas (stuffed grape leaves)
Gnocchi (not a favorite)
Roasted chestnuts
Baba ganoush
Wheatgrass juice
Soy cheese pizza
Yucca or taro root
Fresh grilled corn on the cob
Sangria
Macaroni and cheese
Persimmons (don't plan on ever eating them again, LOL ;-)
Indian barfi
Mangosteen
KFC Vegetarian Chicken Sandwich
Vegetarian turducken
Steamed edamame with sea salt
Saltwater taffy
Vegetarian Hot and Sour soup with lotus and woodears
Black sapote
Vegetarian Chinese steamed buns
Navajo tacos
McDonald’s Veggie Burger (it'll be a miracle if they ever sell one in my area...now BK, that's a good burger!
Sake
Gulab jamun
Fried pickles (YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMY!)
Chai tea
Thai papaya salad (som tum)
Pecan pralines
Fried green tomatoes
Vegetarian s'mores (over a campfire of course!)
Stevia
Macadamia nuts
Nutella
Veggie corn dogs
Garlic ice cream
Jackfruit
Vegetarian shu mai
Mango
Tandoori masala
Fennel
Fried plantains
Horchata
Sweet potato fries (also butternut squash fries)
Sunchokes/Jerusalem artichokes
Caramel popcorn
French camembert
Tofurky
BK Veggie Burger
Vegetarian gyoza/potstickers
Sun dried tomatoes
Gartini (garlic martini)
Vegan cheesecake
Avocado maki
Durian
Brussels sprouts
Nutritional yeast
Real butterscotch (what! I'm supposed to eat my cat???)
Starfruit
Lemongrass
Chartreuse
Zapp’s or Tim’s brand potato chips (trust me on this one!)
Fortune cookies
Cotton candy
Salted lime margaritas (the non-alcoholic version for me!)
Vegetarian rice crispy squares
Vegetarian prawns or shrimp
Balsamic fig reduction sauce
Passionfruit
Marmite
Wasabi
Vegetarian fluff
Honey dijon mustard
Bubble tea/boba
Blueberry beer
Deglet noor dates
Chocolate covered espresso beans
Chinese or Taiwanese stinky tofu “choh doh-foo”
Vegetarian Tom Kha (Thai Coconut Soup)
Vegetarian reuben
Coconut oil
Peanut brittle
Creme brulee
Vegetarian jerky
Crystallized ginger
And last but not least, someday.....Carl’s Jr, Wendy’s and Jack-in-the-box Veggie Burger (Hey, a girl can hope, can’t she?)

59 out of 100...guess I need to get ~~working~~ eating, LOL ;-)

Maple Time 2010

2010-09-06T22:24:00.001-04:00

Scrapbook layout of the first day of sap cooking, March 2010.

Morels

2010-06-05T11:43:00.002-04:00

Hidden treasure awaits,

Come, take a peek,

Don't tempt the fates

By resisting temptation to seek.

Where find this treasure?

You certainly will ask,

And I with pleasure

Am equal to the task,

As into the forest we trek.

From damp floor to mossy tree,

Our eyes blur as we continually inspect

Amongst leaves, the certain lee,

For certain characteristic wrinkle,

Soft, moist, smelling earthen,
Nurtured by rain's sprinkle,

Sun's warmth the grounds unburthen.

Stooping, we carefully pluck,

Not disturbing a single asci cell,

Counting the bounty of our luck,

The delectable, edible, precious morel.

@ vegiemama of Home-N-Vegie-Blog

Camping

2010-06-04T15:50:00.000-04:00

Rain or shine, all is fine
When away from home we roam.
We pack meals in our home on wheels
Clothing, things we use, even our shoes!
Playing cards, perusing the bards,
Swimming, sightseeing, but no water skiing.
History abounds, from ships to Indian mounds.
A camping foray is our favorite way to play.

@ vegiemama of Home-N-Vegie-Blog

Noah

2010-05-23T03:03:00.001-04:00

When sin and wickedness fouled the earth
God's option was destruction and rebirth.
Faithful, righteous Noah answered His call
to build a boat, teach, and plead with all
sinners to heed and repent.
He preached, not in a tent,
but at a construction site,
where grew in height
the giant boat He was given instructions to build.
No union workers or carpenter's guild
assisted with his project,
nor could he persuade any to protect
their lives by repenting and going inside.
The animals knew to follow the unseen guide
as out of the forest and across the plain
they came, from feather to mane.
Into their places they quietly went,
and then the angel God sent
ominously closed the door and withdrew.
Jeered by more than just a few,
the ark for seven days remained motionless
on dry land and grass.
Then the rains came,
forty nights and days the same
pounding, rocking, floating, wondering
what could possibly withstand the hammering.
Below the waves, mountains grew,
canyons receded, the earth's shape no one knew.
Protected inside by angels unseen
the family's awareness was keen.
As the waters began to recede
Noah wondered indeed
when they would disembark to the plain,
pitch their tents and crops again.
First the raven did fly
until things began to dry;
Then the dove was given a turn,
and with a fresh olive leaf did return.
Seven more days passed
and the dove disappeared at last.
With the ark's roof no longer there,
God said, "Enjoy the fresh air!
Come out and inhabit the earth, all of you.
Bring the birds and animals, too."
In gratitude and thanksgiving
with thanks to God, for they were living,
they offered Him sacrifices pure.
God's promise today still does endure,
sealed in the sky, the rainbow bright,
reflecting the Son's pure light,
as we will see on the day of glory,
the end, yet beginning, of the story.

@ vegiemama of Home-N-Vegie-Blog

Bracket Fungi

2010-05-10T00:00:00.000-04:00

Neat fungi...same formation, viewed from opposite sides.

Spring Trillium

2010-05-09T00:00:00.003-04:00

My favorite spring wildflower. Did I say favorite? OK, I meant one of my spring favorites ;-)

Psalm 23

2010-05-08T22:12:00.001-04:00

Nothing will I lack
With the Lord at my back
My Shepherd, my Guide.
He takes me beside
Pastures of green
Near waters' shimmery sheen
A place of rest
A haven, a nest.
My innermost being
Undergoes reconditioning
As along the passageway of spirituality
He pilots my journey.
All due honor, respect, and praise
I give to His name, all of my days.
Even when I am near life's eclipse
No cry escapes my lips
Darkness doesn't leave me fainthearted
For I am comforted
Because my Shepherd has marked me
His sheep, for eternity.
While in view of the tempter outside the stable
With confidence, I come to the table
Heavy laden with Your gift, a fete
Lovingly prepared, my own personal banquet.
I am set aside, consecrated, my mind
With cascading oil I to you bind.
For the remainder of my days
I am blessed by your gentle, softhearted ways.
And when thru resurrection my life extends
My Shepherd will forever be, My Best Friend.

@ vegiemama of Home-N-Vegie-Blog

Family

2010-05-04T22:05:00.001-04:00

Mom, dad, two kids,
The perfect, All-American family.
Two goldfish and a cat
Do blend in quite dandily.

Though far apart in age,
We've formed a unique blend,
Whatever life may bring our way,
On each other we depend.

@ vegiemama of Home-N-Vegie-Blog

Based on Genesis 1:26, 27; Exodus 3:14

2010-05-02T08:32:00.003-04:00

You are My reflection
With My hands
Your body I formed
Lovingly
Carefully
Tenderly
Your are My friend
Glorify Me
Show the world who I AM

@ vegiemama of Home-N-Vegie-Blog

Poetry Foray

2010-04-28T12:39:00.003-04:00

I know, I've missed nearly all of Poetry Month (April), but it's never too late to start celebrating. I've read lots of poetry this month, and even started a poem based on the 23rd Psalm. I will finish it sometime, I promise! I also began working my way through Painless Poetry by Mary Elizabeth (a Barron's book). It was a fail for my junior high daughter, but I think it will be a GO for me. I've never learned to analyze and understand poetry, although I do enjoy reading it. I would like to know more. So here I am!

The book segment that I read today challenged me to write a poem using a starter sentence that they provided (1st sentence). My writing is based on a tree that I did see (and photograph) a few years ago, that had literally just been struck by lightning. The photograph shows it the morning after, and it has since been cut completely down.

Lightning just shattered that tree!

Tendrils of smoke, still do I see

wisping from its scattered pieces;

Broken, black, scarred: the tree ceases.

Synchro Swimming

2010-04-10T09:12:00.002-04:00

DD12 participated in an introductory synchro swimming class this spring. This is the routine her class performed at the team's spring show last night.

Spool & Cord Gears

2010-03-27T00:00:00.000-04:00

This is a pretty cool gadget. You can rearrange the spools wherever you want them on the pegboard, and there actually is a double drive gear (the small black thing behind the red spool). DS8 is laboring hard to turn the crank and get everything moving. He did it!

Racecar for Two

2010-03-26T00:00:00.000-04:00

One's a wild driver, and the other looks less than thrilled to be there ;-)

L'il Racecar Driver

2010-03-25T00:00:00.000-04:00

Every young man should have a GREEN racecar, right? OK, he won't get far...but it was fun pretending, and playing "pit crew".

More License Plate Art

2010-03-24T00:00:00.000-04:00

Two sports cars created entirely from license plates. They were more monochromatic (or is that monostate-ic) than the US maps I posted yesterday, but cool nonetheless.

License Plate Art

2010-03-23T03:32:00.002-04:00

These US maps are made from old license plates, with each state being cut to the proper shape from a plate from that state. Even Hawaii makes it into the picture (lefthand photo bottom lefthand corner) with the islands showing the letters to spell "Aloha St."

Happy Pi Day!

2010-03-14T19:50:00.003-04:00

A party isn't complete without decorations!

Chique Pot Pie from vegweb.com http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=14660.0

Even the salad looked like pie :-) And then there's this dessert concoction...PMS Pie. Nobody in our house has PMS but the pie was good anyway! http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=25721.0

Blue Skies, Smiling at Me....

2010-03-11T00:00:00.000-05:00

I just can't resist an incredibly blue sky photo!

Maple Tree Knothole

2010-03-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

Proof Positive...

2010-03-09T00:00:00.001-05:00

that the fire burns! Every time I stick my nose outdoors (which seems quite often, for some reason ;-) I savor the sweet smoke that wafts over my yard.

It Only Takes a Spark....

2010-03-08T00:00:00.000-05:00

To get a fire going....

Gathering Kindling

2010-03-07T00:00:00.000-05:00

Breaking sticks for kindling...

Woodpile for the first fire...

Loading the fireplace. Ready, set, cook!

A Little Bubbly, Anyone?

2010-03-06T00:00:00.001-05:00

Mmmmmm, sweet bubbles. Now, somebody light the fire!

Sapsicle, Anyone?

2010-03-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

Mmmmm, frozen sap in natural popsicle form ;-) She said it was good!

Icy Sap

2010-03-04T01:52:00.001-05:00

That sap freezes in the buckets overnight...here it's being filtered to screen debris and the ice is caught on the screen as well.

First Sap Collected!

2010-03-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

On the left, you can see the first day's haul...20 gallons. On the right is just one tree, and you can see that the bucket is already partially full and it hadn't even started flowing yet in the morning! As it warmed up, I could see the sap dripping into the top jug all the way from in my house.

How'd He Do That?

2010-03-02T00:00:00.000-05:00

This squirrel appears to be growing right out of the tree!

But, this proves that he really wasn't...and there's no hole in the tree nor is there a branch for him to perch on. He just suspended himself, for no apparent reason ;-)

Looking Rather Pathetic...

2010-03-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

Wouldn't you say?

Even the tail over the head wasn't keeping off the chill that day!

Happy Birthday Poppa!

2010-02-28T00:00:00.000-05:00

Leaves and Shadows

2010-02-27T00:00:00.001-05:00

I've been waiting for the perfect picture and I got my opportunity! 5 minutes after I snapped these shots, the sun was GONE...no more shadows, no more sparkles!

Yesterday's mystery photo object is asparagus!

Whatzit?

2010-02-26T00:00:00.000-05:00

Mystery photo item. Any guesses? Check back tomorrow for the answer!

Squirrels...or Monkeys?

2010-02-25T20:26:00.000-05:00

Introducing Tom...Peeping Tom

Yes, the picture is oriented correctly. He's at the top of the wall, trying to figure out which direction to go next.

This is a different squirrel...headed up, or down.

New Work Critters

2010-02-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

There were two of them (and I think these pictures show the two but I never could manage to get a pic with both of them at the same time).

Go Ryan Bedford!

2010-02-23T00:19:00.001-05:00

Watch Ryan Bedford skate today for the US in the 10,000 meter speedskating event. This photo was shot in my hometown in January, when he came back for a visit with his first speed skating club. GO RYAN!!!

God's Floral Artistry

2010-02-22T00:00:00.001-05:00

Think spring...it may get here!

When You Kiss A Frog...

2010-02-21T00:00:00.000-05:00

It definitely turns into a prince! (If my animation shows up, that is ;-)

Explorers

2010-02-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

Captured by the Lens

2010-02-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

An oldie but goodie.

Winter Snowstorm

2010-02-18T22:09:00.001-05:00

Well I don't see the animation, but it's supposed to be snowing. Maybe once I hit publish it'll snow ;-)

Whole Grain Pancakes

2010-02-17T11:00:00.003-05:00

My kids *L-O-V-E* it when I make these pancakes...or better yet, waffles...so here's the recipe.

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup quick oats
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbs Ener-G egg replacer
3 Tbs maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups buttermilk

That's it...and you know how to mix and then make pancakes, so I won't bore you with all of that ;-) Stay tuned next month for maple syrup time!

Ironing

2010-02-16T20:41:00.001-05:00

So, today the girl tween found "new" clothes in her closet. (See, sitting in there doing schoolwork proved useful after all ;-) It's hand-me-downs that now fit. So, in a fit of industriousness, she cleaned older clothing out of her drawers and is ironing items that were not fit to be seen in. Yes, the child is doing all of this work. So I should turn into new clothing and beckon her to do chores, and she would run willingly to do them, right?

Nutty Child

2010-02-15T20:38:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure whether to say this child is mine, or not...but she is on the shelf in her closet, studying. A stepladder is required to get up there. Oy!

My Valentines

2010-02-14T09:03:00.000-05:00

Love you darlings!

Momma Love

2010-02-13T18:10:00.003-05:00

This is me with baby bear. J/k, but I do love kids

*******************thismuch*******************

and I'm not afraid to show it!

Valentine Kitty

2010-02-12T11:39:00.000-05:00

Can't forget sweet Butterscotch the lazy cat on Valentine's!

Snowy Sign

2010-02-11T11:29:00.000-05:00

My ds liked this sign when we were out shopping. I need his eyes...I didn't even notice it until he pointed it out to me. OK, in my defense, we were parked behind a truck and he'd noticed it while I was watching traffic & driving.

Crazy in Love

2010-02-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

Love Kiss

2010-02-09T00:00:00.000-05:00

Love

2010-02-08T14:28:00.000-05:00

Valentine Bear

2010-02-07T14:26:00.000-05:00

Mathematical Squirrel

2010-02-06T00:00:00.000-05:00

Notice that this little guy chews his bread from being bread-shaped to a triangle. Quite the smart little critter, don't you think? Note his little friend munching away in the background.

Sunrise...and the Fading Moon

2010-02-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

There are no words needed for these photos!

Lightly Row

2010-02-04T00:00:00.001-05:00

This is the cute little guy in yesterday's picture, playing Lightly Row. He's only been playing the violin for a month!

New Little Violinist

2010-02-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

I got ds7 a violin for Christmas and he's doing really well with his lessons. Helps to have a lesson every day, LOL.

Happy Groundhog Day!

2010-02-02T00:13:00.000-05:00

Will there be a shadow? Or won't there be a shadow? Only Punxatawny Phil can tell!

Singing Snowmen

2010-02-01T00:15:00.000-05:00

If I Got In My Car...

2010-01-31T00:00:00.000-05:00

And drove until I ran out of gas, could I live there?

Well, the question didn't specify which direction I would be driving, so I will choose a direction. North. Could I live there? Definitely! (Especially if I didn't have to find a job...which since this is a hypothetical question, I will hypothetically have an unlimited funding source and not need to work!) North would put me somewhere in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, or perhaps even in Canada if I didn't turn west in the U.P. Since the U.P and Northern Ontario are both favorite spots of mine...well, living there is a moot point ;-)

Interestingly enough, driving until he ran out of gas was exactly how my dh ended up in this state. He had $40, a car, and 4 bald tires...and when he ran out of gas, he was here. He stayed here everafter. Yay for me.

More Sewing Pictures

2010-01-30T00:42:00.000-05:00

Here is DS7, still at his task of sewing. Good thing the apron fabric stripes are a different color from his shirt stripes or he'd blend right in!

Homeschool Sewing Class

2010-01-29T00:37:00.000-05:00

DS7 is making himself an apron to protect his clothes when he goes to his ceramics class. Grandma is the tutor for this, since my sewing machine seems to rebel at doing things like, well, sewing ;-) The fabric is actually the bottom that was cut off his new curtains. They were long and his bedroom windows are short, so the curtains got shortened and now interesting projects are being concocted to use up those wonderful large pieces of fabric ;-) Since a sewing machine has a motor, DS likes sewing, LOL. More photos to follow tomorrow!

Chicago Boyz

2010-01-28T00:00:00.001-05:00

DD with two of the Chicago Boyz Acrobatic Team members. These guys were GOOD! I do good to jumprope with one rope and two feet. They had umpteen ropes and jumped with many more body parts than I would dream of jumping! Their tumbling routines were excellent and they definitely can fly high!

Highwire Artists

2010-01-27T00:00:00.000-05:00

Walking the highwire Somersaulting over someone lying on the highwire

7 person pyramid crossing the highwire

Circus Critters

2010-01-26T00:00:00.000-05:00

2 camels, 2 horses, and 2 ponies. They had a neat dance routine to show tunes.

Circus Elephants

2010-01-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

Stupid camera didn't take the picture I wanted to get...the little elephant crawling underneath the big one. These guys were cute, especially when the lullaby played and they all laid down for a snooze ;-)

New Word for Today

2010-01-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

BLOVIATE slang To discourse at length in a pompous or boastful manner.

I did not know this ;-) I hope I don't do it.

Grapefruit Pecan Bread

2010-01-23T02:06:00.000-05:00

Grapefruit Pecan Bread

Go light on the sugar to experience the grapefruit's full puckering potential. This recipe comes from myrecipes.com.

Serves 12

1 large pink grapefruit
1 Tbs grated grapefruit rind
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbs vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 Tbs water

Coat an 8-1/2 x 4-1/2" loaf pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

Peel and section grapefruit over a bowl, reserving juice and membranes. Set sections aside.

Squeeze membranes to extract juice and discard membranes. Place sections and juice in a food processor and pulse 3 times. Set aside 1-1/4 cups mixture, and reserve remaining grapefruit mixture for another use.

Combine rind, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the mixture.

Combine grapefruit mixture, oil, vanilla, and egg. Stir well. Add to grapefruit mixture dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Stir in pecans.

Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Combine powdered sugar and water and stir well with a wire whisk. Drizzle over bread and let cool in the pan 10 minutes. Remove bread from pan and let cool completely on wire rack before serving.

Country Road in the USA...

2010-01-22T00:00:00.000-05:00

...in the Dead of Winter

Snowy Arbor

2010-01-21T00:00:00.001-05:00

Over the river and thru the woods...

2010-01-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

Oh wait, never mind. With the slush and cracks in the ice, we'll just stand on our side of the river and admire the view from a safe vantage point ;-)

Nature's Christmas Tree

2010-01-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

It just needs a few cardinals & blue jays scattered among the branches to bring complete perfection.

River Ice

2010-01-18T00:00:00.000-05:00

Crack in the river ice, caused by spilling at the dam downriver. As we stood at the riverbank, we could hear and see new cracks forming. No, we don't often walk on the river ;-)

River View

2010-01-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

The view downriver.

Kayak

2010-01-16T00:00:00.001-05:00

Time to cruise on down the river, eh?

Vegetarian Turkey

2010-01-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

It must be vegetarian--it's growing in the garden!

Snowy Pines

2010-01-14T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hard Cider

2010-01-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

Lends new meaning to the term, doesn't it? These are some of the 96 gallons made this fall on my late grandpa's antique (1870s vintage) cider press. Thanks to grandpa and now my dad, it's still going strong!

Snowy Berries

2010-01-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

Great Snowy Heron

2010-01-11T00:00:00.000-05:00

Looks a bit chilly, doesn't she?

Snow Eater

2010-01-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

What's more fun in a snowstorm than a lovely mouthful of fresh fluffy snow?

Snowy Chiminea

2010-01-09T00:00:00.000-05:00

It looks like it's eating snow!

It's in my blood...

2010-01-08T00:16:00.000-05:00

Crazy flowers

2010-01-07T00:13:00.001-05:00

I don't even remember if this is a Christmas or Easter cactus. I'm pretty sure the plant doesn't remember either. It just blooms when it feels like it...in cool weather, of course. I dare not move it once it starts to bud, or they abort. This year it bloomed prolifically (10+ flowers) around Christmas, so I guess it's a Christmas cactus. For now.

Complaint Department...

2010-01-06T00:00:00.000-05:00

Feel free to print this picture and post wherever necessary in YOUR life ;-)

Carousel Horse

2010-01-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

She looked pretty so I decided to photograph her. The sign said the animals were "napping" but I think she looks pretty wide awake, don't you think?

Eeyore's House

2010-01-04T00:00:00.001-05:00

This is a collaborative effort...the house components were made and assembled by my ds7 in his ceramics lessons...the small bits (bird, owl, log, mushrooms) are ceramic bits that were made long ago by my grandma. Since Poppa helped ds put it all together, 3 of our 4 generations were involved in one way or another. Now, where to store it!

This cutie was under my Christmas tree...

2010-01-03T00:00:00.001-05:00

...all innocent-like, too ;-) Actually, he helped me open the box containing my new blender, and then played with the contents.

This snowman has a face...

2010-01-02T00:00:00.001-05:00

...and I really like it. My dd12 handcrafted it from ceramics. She gave careful attention to details, both in forming it and in glazing it. Now I just need the perfect place (other than my blog!) to display it!

Who Is It?

2010-01-01T00:01:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure who this is, but he/she/it appeared on my porch today. That should scare any creepy wanderers in the neighborhood, anyway, right?

Fun, educational website for kids

2009-06-05T16:38:00.003-04:00

I just have to share this! http://kidsedwebsites.com/ is a website that posts a daily learning activity for kids. Recent ones that I glanced at were: design and test a catapult, build a pyramid for pharoah, solve a medical mystery, and create and explode a volcano.

Spring Wildflowers

2009-04-21T08:23:00.005-04:00

Spring has finally started to appear! Can you believe it? Of course, they're still talking snow. I thought the FCC has rules about saying naughty words on air, but "snow" must not be one of those naughty words, at least by their rules. In April, it's a naughty word by my rules, however!

Anyway, ds7 and I found the following while we were riding on the Rail Trail the other day: bloodroot and two little sprigs of Dutchman's breeches. I showed him how the bloodroot leaves and stem "bleed" (it was more orange than red, strangely...usually it's red!) Dutchman's breeches are my favorite...they're so cute and they really do look like upside-down Dutch boy pants hanging from a clothesline. The timing was especially appropriate, as we had just finished reading The Wheel on the School the night before :-) In my yard there are three little wild strawberry blossoms (so far). I'm so glad to see the first signs of spring. Bring on some more flowers, and some wild strawberries to munch on, too!

Overheard in the backseat...

2009-04-17T21:48:00.002-04:00

DD11 gets a text message from a friend, Julia. DS7 asks "Who is Julius?" I interjected that it was Julius Caesar. After a moment, DS7 replied that Julius Caesar is already dead. DD11 referred to the texter as "she", at which DS7 informed her that Julius Caesar is a boy, not a girl. Um-hm, sounds like somebody's been eavesdropped on core 6 again ;-) That was two or three months ago when we covered that time period. Yay, he remembered!

Invasion of the Cat Burglar

2009-04-16T09:03:00.003-04:00

So picture this. DD11 is sitting on the "throne". She's alone in the house...I'm at work, the "boys" are asleep. Suddenly, she hears a noise in the bathtub. Unable to arise and discover the source of the noise, she sits quietly, contemplating the causes. A mouse? A burglar? A CAT burglar? Suddenly, a head appears. A furry orange & white head. Thankfully, it was nothing more serious than the dreaded cat burglar.

So now we have discovered why our septic system gurgles and blurbles. The cat has been bathing while we are away, and filling our septic tank. I thought he'd smelled sweet and clean lately ;-)

Another record maple syrup year...

2009-04-12T00:01:00.000-04:00

I just realized that the last thing I said about maple syrup season was that there'd been a fire. Oops! Things didn't halt because of a little thing like a fire. My dad ended up with 850 gallons of sap (100 more than last year) and 15 gallons of cooked syrup. Would have been 20 gallons if he hadn't lost sap in the fire, but he was in danger of losing the sap to spoilage because he was having trouble getting it cooked fast enough, so perhaps the fire was a bit of a blessing. Anyway, everything is packed away for another year, which we are of course looking forward to, but we'll take spring, summer, and fall first, thank you very much ;-)

What to blog about?

2009-04-11T09:09:00.004-04:00

I was reading about the International Food Blogger Convention. Wow, does that ever look fun? Food and blogging...two of my favorite combos. But really, I'd rather blog about education, because I have this:

Yippee, boxes of books...some of them new, some of them being recycled (hence the non-Sonlight box...that's core 2 that I pulled off the shelf...so easy thanks to the nice orange spine stickers SL provides :D)

So yes, I'm at work. I'd prefer not to have to save any lives today, because those books are speaking to me. Very soon they shall be in my hands, and then, woe to anyone who dares to interrupt me for something so trivial as...say...needing an ambulance ;-)

Fire Photos

2009-03-25T20:25:00.004-04:00

Before picture, from maybe three weeks ago. Note the large blue storage tank...actually, there were two of them and they each held 60 gallons of sap.

After, pointing toward the side where the blue tanks were. You can see the black area extending out from the front of the cooking area. The woodpile has greatly diminished because much of it was at least partially burned, so he has finished off burning it in the cooking fire.

Charred stump that has been used as a chopping block in the past.

Trash by the road, awaiting tomorrow morning's pick-up. The blue things are obviously the storage tanks. The greenish thing between them used to be a very large trash can. The buckets are his 5 gallon pails that he used to carry the sap that he emptied out of his tap containers.

Other side of the trash pile.

The good news is that the fire is still burning and the sap is merrily boiling away. Takes a lot to shut down Poppa's Syrup Operation!

Sad news for the maple syrup operation

2009-03-23T22:12:00.002-04:00

There was a fire at the maple syrup operation tonight. Not the fire that was supposed to be. The area around the stove burned in a small brush fire. Gone are 150 gallons of sap that were waiting to be cooked, along with the two large storage drums and a few buckets that held the sap, plus equipment, including damage to the nice big floodlights my dad used at night (I think a new cord will repair those...hopefully anyway!) I'm not sure if his woodpile burned or not. I'm at work...my poor mom was home alone when it happened. She was blaming herself until my ds7 pointed out that he's seen my dad extinguish small fires that could have gotten larger as this one did. Ironically, the boiling fire itself was fine...the sap was cooking away merrily when the fire department arrived.

Not sure at this point what my dad will do...he obviously has no storage facility now for any sap he collects. I don't know if he will rush out to replace his equipment, or call it good for the season and pull his taps. He's got a good syrup harvest even if he doesn't continue to make any more this year. He probably doesn't know at this point either...by light of day he can assess and rebuild.

God is good tho...there was no wind so the fire didn't extend toward either of our homes. No one was hurt. Nothing was damaged that can't be replaced. It happened while it was still daylight, not overnight when we were sleeping.

Japanese Tanka Poetry

2009-03-20T21:06:00.002-04:00

DD11's language arts this week dealt with forms of Japanese poetry, and she was assigned to write a tanka, which is a traditional poetry form. It consists of 5 lines, with the syllables following this pattern: 5-7-5-7-7. In an effort to inspire her to work on her partially-complete tanka, I created one myself:

Maple trees in spring
Dull branches appearing dead
Hidden life within
Sweet sap, vital nutrients
Fire, thick syrup emerges

Amazing Hiccup Cure

2009-03-14T00:01:00.002-04:00

Believe it or not, there's a cure for hiccups, and you probably have it right in your kitchen. Eat a spoonful of peanut butter. Amazingly, that's all there is to it! Both of my kids have tried it, and it works instantly. It's pretty funny, when they start hiccing away, to see them run to the kitchen and rummage in the drawer for a spoon so they can dive into the peanut butter bowl ;-)