look familiar?

Been to the farmer's market this weekend? Or just the plain ol' grocery store?

Then maybe your kitchen counter looks like this:

Or maybe your fruit bowl looks like this:

Ok

1, 2, 3,

all together now -

I LOVE SUMMER!!!

taking bloom

Leucanthemum 'Becky'; Daisy; Long bloomer if spent blooms are removed

That's how our landscaping plan describes this sweet little plant. We have planted about 30-40% of what is on the plan so far, with a goal of completing most of our planting by the fall. This daisy plant went into the ground about 2 weeks ago and we have already seen a few blooms emerge. It's such a nice change from seeing nothing pretty in this space for so long.

Daisies have always been my favorite flower. They are so friendly and sweet, unpretentious and welcoming. Unfussy! I have a small bunch in a vase on my coffee table right now, they have been there for about 3 weeks. They last forever, don't they? Unfortunately, I don't see them at the grocery store very often. So it's a treat now. Inside and out, they're surrounding me...

So here we are...Friday again, how fast these weeks fly by in the summertime. What's going on this weekend? We have our 'to do' list - which includes sorting through stuff in our basement and figuring out what's going into the pile of things to sell next weekend at our garage sale. We have a whoooole lotta baby things to sort through. Part of me dreads it, but another part is so eager to just get rid of all the excess. Amazing how it all accumulates, right before your eyes.

Have a happy and fun weekend!

week 7

Here we are this week...things continue to zip along on the house across the street. The crew arrives each morning around the same time (6:45) and leaves in the early afternoon. They seem to be very conscientious. I saw them here this past Saturday, putting in a full day's work. Looks like they're trying to stay on schedule.

In other news, the search for the right super hair conditioner continues. The olive oil treatment from the other day may have to be repeated. It seemed to make things soft and manageable, but then I went and put a leave-in conditioner in my hair yesterday that made it feel dry again. Ironic, I know. By the way, am I boring you with all this hair chat? I'll keep quiet for awhile and only check back in on this subject when I find my magic concoction. Wish me luck.

inspiration

My Company Kids catalog arrived today (yours too?) and look what I found on page 34. The perfect bedding ensemble for a little boy who is getting ready to depart from his crib and move into a big boy bed. Perfect for someone who worships Bob the Builder.

Oh, I'm excited now. hooray! hooray! ideas ideas!!

eat your heart out rachel ray

I am sitting here at my computer with my head covered in olive oil.

(EVOO!)

Thank you for all the interesting conditioning suggestions. I've decided to give them all a try, and I'm starting with the olive oil since I had it on hand.

Not to worry, this isn't a dire situation. My hair's just a little thirsty these days. Too much sun and chlorine from our frequent trips to the pool the last few weeks.

I'll let you know how it goes with Rachel's favorite cooking ingredient.

Thank you again!

who says there's nothing to blog about

This was me last night, experimenting with a deep hair conditioning treatment that I got at Target. I found it in the salon care section, and it says "mayonnaise" on the outside of the tub. You put it on freshly washed hair (the directions say mix it with an egg if you have very dry hair) and let it sit on your head under a shower cap (or, if you're like me and you don't have a shower cap, try saran wrap - it works!) for 1-2 hours.

I was excited about this, but I must say that I'm a little disappointed by the results. My hair feels fine, but no different from how it feels after using regular conditioner. I was hoping for something a little stronger. Something like a noticeably! softer and happier head of curls.

Would any of you fine friends happen to know a good conditioning treatment? I have heard something about using coconut oil on hair, but I'm not sure how that works and where to find it. My babysitter says she used to use something that involves mashed bananas, but she can't remember exactly what the concoction is. If you have a suggestion for me, I'd love to hear it.

By the way, our trip downtown on Saturday was terrific. Thank you for those nice birthday wishes for my husband. We walked and walked and walked and saw all the things we wanted to that day. Including our old neighborhood and all the places we used to hang out. We felt a little old, but very happy to have the memories that we do. We're hoping to do this again...sooner rather than later.

the wait is over

Tomorrow, as you know, is a lucky day. 7/07/07. It is a date expected to bring lots of luck to anxious brides and grooms, favorite sports teams, new babies who decide "today's the day!" I hope plenty of luck is delivered to all, as promised. As expected from such a great date!


Tomorrow is also my husband's birthday. And, truly, he's a lucky guy. He'd tell you that himself. His special birth date has worked for him from day one...07/07 (his mom will tell you that he was even lucky #7 on his hospital I.D. bracelet.) Lucky guy.


So tomorrow we are - just the two of us - taking the day and spending it with each other in the city. We have 2 different babysitters taking 2 different shifts throughout our long day away, the first reporting at 8:45 a.m. We haven't planned what we'll do yet, beyond take the train down and back. I'm sure we'll figure it out. Maybe a picnic lunch in Millennium Park. Maybe a trip to the Art Institute (where, sadly, we are members who have never used our membership.) Maybe a little shopping? A walk by our first apartment together? Definitely a special dinner at one of our favorite old haunts.


Anyway, here's what I'm wearing for the occasion. My new Lilly dress! I have had this in my closet with tags on for months now, waiting to wear it. First, waiting for the weather to be warm enough. Then, waiting for the right occasion. Last Saturday I considered it. We went out to dinner and it was a beautiful night...we sat outside under the stars. I considered my dress then, but knowing our plans for tomorrow decided to wait just a wee bit longer.

And now I'm happy that it's making its debut on such a grand date. The dress seems worthy of the great expectations surrounding this special Saturday in 2007. Or, perhaps it is the other way around? The date is worthy of the dress. hm mm. Not sure. Either way, I'm thrilled I'll be wearing it for just us tomorrow. On my husband's special day.

week 6

After a day away, it's back to business for the construction crew working on the house across the street. Aren't they making such swift progress? I bet you're looking forward to seeing next week's picture already. I know I am!

Yesterday was our party and...of course!....I did not take any pictures. But my littlest guy and I tiptoed out this morning and snapped this picture so I could at least show you some of how things looked yesterday. You can also see that we are coming along on our garden in front. Little by little by little....it's a slow but steady process (you remember those overgrown bushes that were ripped out last summer, don't you?)

Have a good one!

how lucky we are

...to live in such a glorious country

...to be free.

Hope your 4th is festive & fun...

and rain free! :)

party prep

My mom was here for a long weekend and flew home this morning. I miss her already. While she was here she did a lot to help me get ready for our 4th of July party tomorrow. We picked out food, decorations, and all the essential party items. What a help she was...with party planning, as well as just being here and helping the whole household hum along on our usual crazy days. If you are someone who adores her mom like I do mine, and you happen to live close to her...you are so very lucky.

It wasn't all work this weekend. We saw a movie together on Friday and spent Saturday shopping. We also managed to squeeze in a few rounds of cards here and there. Spite & Malice is our game. Ever play it? It's about the only card game I play. But I love playing it, especially with her.

uh oh

Yesterday was laundry day and my dryer broke. During the "whites" load, as you can see. So my husband quickly strung up this temporary clothesline. Good thing it's June and not January! Another reason to love summer. :)

My dryer is less than 2 years old. And it's GE. Isn't that something? It tumbles but no heat. Oh well, we'll see what the problem is. The tech won't come until next Friday. That's right, next Friday. There must be a lot of broken dryers out there.

property ladder

I love Property Ladder on TLC...and since getting our dvr, I've become a regular viewer. This show is addictive! It seems like no matter how organized the people on the show are, something always goes hideously wrong - schedules, budgets. It's like watching a car accident. Every time!

There's a flip down our street, it went on the market about 3 weeks ago. All eyes are on it to see what will happen, when it will sell. I should take a picture of it to show you. The market around here has gotten so soft. Just imagining what it must be like to be the owners and trying to sell makes me a little uneasy...

across the street - week 5

Making lots of progress every day on the new house, and I'm going to (try to) keep up a regular post on this. There's some more teardown action going on in the next block down, and I will show you that, too.

Have a good one!

more nostalgia

Ok, last post for awhile on "remember when". But a friend just passed this site on. If you were a saddle-wearing gal in your school days like I was, take a walk down memory lane as you peruse their vast selection.

As I just said to my friend, I remember thinking that these shoes were so comfortable. Clearly that was before I discovered Dansko clogs!

new old space

Finally, finally I am showing you the "after" version of my back porch. This was a long project in the making. Remember me bemoaning the paint job last year? I may have fallen behind on other projects, but at least this one has at last been crossed off the list. Oh, I haven't yet gotten around to painting the floor in here, and no, haven't yet spray painted the second pair of wicker chairs. Come to think of it, I still need to hang up my little sparkly star that's there in the corner (thanks, Brig!) But, close is good enough. Time to show you something other than house construction!


I'm not sure...but I think in the end I needed a deadline to get this room done. If I hadn't committed to hosting my Mother's Day party last month, I very well might be telling you right now about how long it took me to paint the second coat of paint last weekend. As it turned out, I spent 3 weekends committed to painting 3 coats on the paneling & trim, and then another week or two scouting around for seat cushions and pillows, a rug, lamps, bar stools, and accessories (major luck and success at the Crate & Barrel outlet, Target, and Sur La Table.) In the end, getting it all done in a short amount of time was the best motivation. It always is. For me, anyway.

And, as always, I'm glad in the end that I worked so hard. It was worth it. You may have noticed the little booster seat at the table there....we are enjoying all of our meals out here these days. And the boys - when they are playing indoors - are mostly out on the porch. It's a nice change. One of the biggest perks for me is discovering that our wireless connection works out here. So I can blog to my heart's content as I drink my coffee in the morning or listen to the sprinkler at night. Mostly I think we just appreciate being in a different space, and finally enjoying space that was right under our noses all this time.

happy audience

So much to see across the street!

house update

Here's what's happening in the lot across the street. The old house was torn down 3 weeks ago. It took 2 days for the demolition. The foundation is coming along....you can see it pretty clearly in the photo. We don't know the couple who owns the land and is building the house, we've just met them briefly. But I see their car drive by in the evenings so they can see the progress. Can you imagine how excited they must be?

home again

Hello! My travels are over and I am home for good. It is nice to be back. So nice!

I took 3 separate trips over the past 3 weeks. First, a trip to southern California for business. Interesting work....and bonus because I was able to see my youngest brother, who lives out there. From there I took a direct flight to Ohio to see my parents (and meet up with my husband and kids) for a week. We drove back here with the last of the 2 wicker chairs (yep, there they are) for my porch. Then, it was back to California last week to finish up on the project that I had flown out for earlier. I got back late Friday night.

So...

How are things with you, fellow bloggers and readers? Have you been enjoying the beginning of summer as much as I have? I hope so. I'll be back soon to talk more about what's going on here. Until then, I hope you're doing well in your little corner of the world!

heading out

I am getting ready to leave this afternoon for a few days on a business trip. In fact, this week kicks off a 3-week period of travel for me. Some is for work, some is for pleasure. All of it promises to be good.

I won't be blogging for awhile, but if I can I will check in with all of you, visiting you in your homes and catching up on what you're doing. I wish you a happy beginning to your summer. See you in June!

what's better?

...than going to your mailbox and finding an adorable thank-you note from one of your best friends? Brig, this wasn't necessary, but you should know that it's made my day. So, thank you.

here it is

all set for summer!

can we build it!?

Plans are in motion to tear the house down across the street* from us. Prep work started this morning. We received a letter in the mail yesterday which said that demolition will be May 30-31st. If you are a Bob the Builder fan, if you have an almost fanatical obsession with diggers and cement mixers, if you eat, sleep, (and dream) construction, consider visiting us next week. It's bound to be a good show.

*house being torn down is owned by a young couple who purchased the house from her parents. They are planning to live in the new home that is built. This seems like a new twist on teardowns around here (usually it's - old homeowners leave, new house is built, new homeowners come in), so we're excited to see what's constructed...

have you seen this?

It's the pink seersucker Issac Mizrahi swimsuit from Target. I would have never known it was out there if I hadn't become so immersed in blogland. Someone was talking about it on a blog a few weeks ago, so I ended up looking for it in my local Target store and buying it (I have the tankini top and the side-tie bottom.) It's pretty darn cute. $40 is what I paid, though I think you can pick it up now for around $30 on the Target website.

Yesterday's trip to the city was exhilarating. Aside from a successful business meeting, I stumbled into a 25% off swimsuit sale at Macy's. And I happened to find another cute suit. I would post a picture, but I can't find one online and my camera batteries are charging. I know you would like it if you saw it, though.

Two new swimsuits in one season! I have not had this much success in the swimsuit category since I was a child. I was thinking that I'd return one, but now I'm having second thoughts. How often is it that you find a suit you actually like, never mind two? And it isn't even Memorial Weekend yet!

catching the 8 o'clock

This is a treat. I'm catching a train to the city this morning for a business meeting. My destination is one of the buildings you see in the picture above. I'll be slipping on my is-she-or-isn't-she-a-mom mask as I ride into town. Wonder what my fellow commuters will guess? It's so tempting to wear flip flops, but I think that will give me away. Maybe not if I'm casually reading the WSJ. Will be back this afternoon in time to watch the newest episode of Bob the Builder with members from my favorite construction crew. Hope your day is a good one, too.

someone's always watching

Let's say you live near a Wonder-Hostess bakery outlet (and, oh yes, those delightful places do exist.) In addition to getting great deals on bread and muffins, you can pick up those sometimes hard to find grocery items, like Light Hostess Cupcakes (have you tried finding these at the grocer? Not an easy task.)

Let's say you live less than 2 miles away from the outlet. It'll be easy to justify in your mind that you can go back as often as necessary. So it's no big deal if the box of 8 cupcakes somehow shrinks to a box of 1 in less than 24 hours.

Let's say your kids didn't know the cupcakes were in the house and your husband doesn't eat junk food. No one can point a finger at you when the stash is diminished. Right?

Well, no, actually. My experience is that there's always someone who keeps an eye on you. Call it your subconscious. Call it your inner voice. Call it the last, lone cupcake in the fridge. Someone will be there, calling you out on what you did. Making you think twice about going back for more.

sunday scenes

A little low on news today, so instead I'll show you what was going on here yesterday.

First, my Mother's Day roses are still holding on. When they first arrived they were pale pink, but as the blooms have opened over the past week, they've turned into a beautiful shade of cream. Wish you could smell them through your screen. They are still fragrant and obviously very lovely.

Next, we had a visit from Fireman Small out on the porch after lunch. He wouldn't have shown up without Daddy's help.

Finally, new best friends mowed the lawn together. The little guy wants to do everything with the big guy these days. Well, almost everything...I still get a lot of snuggle time. In the picture below they are walking right by the tomato plants (which by the way, sailed through the frosty night last Thursday.)

I'll be back soon. Have a wonderful day!

Dad, you were right

When my parents drove up here last weekend, my dad came ready to work. He brought 2 more of the wicker tables that had belonged to my grandmother, and spray painted them out behind my garage (he tried to bring 2 more chairs but couldn't get them to fit right on the top of my mom's car.) He fixed our broken doorbell. He hung up a sign on the porch. Because I rely on his extensive knowledge about it, he went out and selected the wine for my party. He bought tomato plants for our garden. But he didn't plant them.

When I asked him why he didn't want to plant them (it was more of a whine, "Daa-ad, wwhhyy not? "), he said we needed to wait a few more days. Until after the "three sisters" pass - May 16th, 17th, and 18th. He said it's an old German farming rule of thumb, he learned it from his grandfather. It's not enough to wait until May 15th. You have to wait for the 3 sisters to pass to avoid risk of a late spring frost.

Now, I've Googled "three sisters", and where crops are concerned, I am not seeing anything about planting dates. I see results about companion planting, as in, plant your beans, squash, and corn all together (could be that this is common knowledge to all of you green thumbs out there.) But never for a moment do I doubt my dad. I'm sure the rule exists. He's the smartest guy around.

But anyway, we didn't wait. The tomato plants went into the ground on Sunday, May 13th. As we were getting ready to plant them, I told my husband about the 3 sisters warning. But we both agreed that a few days ahead of time shouldn't make any difference. After all, the forecast on Sunday said we would have a mild week.

Of course, you all know how the forecast can change.

So, with a frost warning in place last night, I called Dad after dinner for some advice. He did not say "I told you so". But he did tell me what to do (that's why you see my little plants under cover up there.) In a little while I'll go out to see how they did overnight. I just called Dad a few minutes ago and he says sprinkle them with a little water as I uncover them. I'll let you know how they fared.

how'd they do that?

I promised you an update on the window boxes, so here we are. Since last Friday was my party, and the boxes were empty, we had to act quickly. My husband did not have time to cut out the screens. But fortunately, we took Rick up on his offer and borrowed his ladder. One night after work last week, my husband dragged the ladder out from our back yard, set it against the house, and climbed on up. He just set our flowers inside the boxes, they are still in their little plastic pots. If you can see, there are red geraniums and a little yellow-greenish ivy. It worked out great as a temporary solution until we (he) can get back to the windows this weekend and cut those screens out. We've had just enough rain to keep the flowers thriving in their pots. So far, so good!

testing, testing, 1, 2, 3...

YELLOW

You are very perceptive and smart. You are clear and to the point and have a great sense of humor. You are always learning and searching for understanding.

Find out your color at QuizMeme.com!

Borrowing shamelessly from Sisters with Style, I present to you...drumroll...the color test. What is your color? What does it say about you?

I admit I'm a sucker for online tests. You may have guessed this since I've posted one or two here before. Are you? I think nothing of grabbing paper & pencil in the middle of the afternoon to score my way through emailed personality tests. It doesn't matter how long they are or how much time they waste. No, I didn't get a chance to schedule a dentist visit today, but I did confirm that I'm still an ENFJ. Good thing, too. You never know when your personality will change.

The continuing evolution of all the tests you can take to better understand yourself only fuels my interest. Yes yes, there's what color are you. But have you taken what does your favorite color say about you? Two different tests. How about what song are you? Maybe that's too general. Ok, which hit song from 2005? There's much, much more. What kind of traveler are you? Do you worry too much? Which TV character are you most like? Quite awhile ago I took the Desperate Housewives test (I'm Lynnette). Recently I took a few minutes to do the flower test on TulipMom's site. The results show that I am a snapdragon. Hmm. Wonder what that means?

I'm sure one of the reasons that these tests are so irresistible to me is because they provide results that are generally flattering and nice to read. Come on, just look at the results above. It doesn't matter how I fare in real life, my online color test suggests that I'm smart. Don't you love reading that you're creative? Successful? Fun to be around? The people behind these tests and quizzes know what they're doing. If you need more proof of that, pay a little visit to this site today. Spend a minute or two. Or ten. But don't say I didn't warn you.

leftovers

The party was great. Wow, and all of your comments... I felt like I had my own personal little cheering section with me on Friday! Thank you for that.

We had so much food at the party, almost too much. Thinking that it would be just the opposite, I whipped up a few things at the last minute. We didn't even get to my favorite dessert, Gooey Butter Cake:

The whole thing was intact until Saturday a.m., when I started in on the interior. I've been working away at it little by little, as you can see. The good thing about this dessert is that it is very rich. So even if you think you can eat the whole pan, you can't. Still, I might have to send the rest in with my husband to work today. The party is indeed over.

Anyway, if you're a southerner, you may already know and love this dessert. If not, I highly encourage you to throw out worries or cares about cholesterol and calories and make this for yourself (and some special friends) very soon. It's delish!

Gooey Butter Cake

Mix and spread in a (lightly greased) 9x13 pan:

1 yellow cake mix

2 eggs

1 stick of butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Top with (mixed together)

1 8-oz. package cream cheese

2 eggs

1 16-oz. box powdered sugar (reserve a little for sprinkling on top of cake after baking)

Bake 35-40 minutes at 350 until lightly golden. Center will be soft and (of course) a little gooey. Sprinkle a little powdered sugar on top.

for Lisa

perfectly ok

Tomorrow night I am hosting a party. I've been planning it for awhile, and I'm excited about it. You see, it's just for the ladies. All the important women in my life (well, nearly all...) We're going to eat, drink, and shop. What's better than that?

But, you know how it goes when you're the host. You go into overdrive, trying to get everything just right. I've devoted the last 3 weeks to party prep. Painting, painting, (more painting), arranging furniture on my newly freshened porch, buying this and that for it. My husband (poor guy) has heard more than his fair share of requests beginning with, "before the party, can we...?" And he's done as much as he can to get to all the items on the list. We both have.

But you know what? Not everything got done. I realized late Tuesday night that some things just weren't going to happen. Painting the porch floor. Getting the front garden beds under control. Heck, even planting my window boxes (although I do have a little shortcut there, and if I get a chance I'll post a picture.)

Whatever disappointment I was feeling about not accomplishing all the things on my list was scrapped when I heard some sad news earlier this week. The news was about a friend of a friend. And it put things in perspective for me. It 'righted' my tilted view.

There's nothing like a dose of real life to make you understand - however briefly - priorities. The timing couldn't have been better in my case.

Instead of focusing on what I don't have on Friday, I'm going to think about all the blessings that I do have. I'm going to relax, enjoy myself, and enjoy all the wonderful women who will be here. I'm sure when they look around my little cottage they will see only the good things, not what needs to be done or what needs attention. And I'm going to see the same.

unexpected difficulty

Behold the window boxes on our dormer windows!

You can't imagine what an accomplishment it is that they are up. Now, I realize you can only see one in this photo. Take my word for it - they're both up.

We've been working on getting window boxes installed since December. I'm not sure you can tell...probably not from this picture...but the pitch of our roof is quite steep. Therefore it's been hard to find little boxes that can fit in the space.

Rick the workman came over Sunday to put them up for us. Dragged his big 2-story ladder out from his truck and set off to tackle the job. He's a great guy, does great work. As he's finishing up with the first one he calls down to me, looks like these screens are tricky, they must come out from the inside. When my husband says he doesn't think they do, Rick says oh, they must, I've never seen screens that don't come out. After he's finished, the two of them trot upstairs and look at the windows from the inside.

Sure enough, the screens don't come out. They don't move or slide or anything. The storm window moves up and down, but the screens stay put. As I'm sure you've guessed, the windows are original to the house.

So then Rick says, you'd better plant bulbs! he he he! And, you can water them from the ground, just point the hose up in the air! When I ask my husband how we're even going to get up there to plant them, Rick says, you can borrow my ladder! he he he!

Yes yes yes. Even the most SIMPLE tasks end up having some kind of unforeseen glitch to them. Don't they? Little window boxes. Little, sweet, cottage-y window boxes. Big problem! No access to them. Not unless you happen to have a gigantic ladder with (as Rick calls them) "antlers" attached to the top. Which we don't.

sigh.

So. That's where the story ends...for now. The weekend ended and we ran out of time to work on this dilemma. We think we'll have to cut the screens out. I know that's extreme. But both rooms where these windows are have more than one window. And, so what if we get a few bugs when the windows are open? I can't have inaccessible window boxes. We can't rely on Rick's big ladder each season to get up there (and down!) And, I'm not buying a ladder that we otherwise wouldn't use, for the sole purpose of maintaining flower boxes. hmph!

* * * *

To Be Continued...

handsome addition

We added shutters to the sides of our house this weekend. It's been part of the plan all along, we've been wanting to do this ever since we finished painting the outside last summer. Ok, so it took us a little while to get to this part of the plan. But now they're up, and they're not coming down!

When we decided to paint the house white last year, we thought black shutters would be a nice contrast. I was all set to add them to our front bay windows, too, but then read that bays should never have them. Makes perfect sense when you think of it...shutters are supposed to fit as if they were still used to shield windows from storms. Without shutters around them, we're still looking for a way to give the bays some contrast. We've brought home wrought iron window boxes but had to return them...the space below the windows makes it difficult to hang anything. When and if we find a pair that work, I'll let you know.

We did find window boxes for our dormer windows upstairs and had them installed this weekend as well. But I need to save that story for next time...

* * * *
P.S. Sesame Street was great!

7 things

Happy Saturday!

Mary tapped me to play "7 things", so here I go...

* * * *
7 things

1. I am ambidextrous. This is because I'm a lefty. It's a right-handed world, people. Lefties must adapt or they will perish. Really! All lefties are ambidextrous.

2. My husband is a lefty, too. Between the two of us we have 4 very efficient and capable hands.

3. I met my husband on a blind date three weeks after I moved to Chicago. That was 12 years ago.

4. One of the people involved in setting us up was his sister, Lisa. She lives out of town now but we keep up through email and also through the blogworld. You may have seen her comments on your blog. She always has something nice to say.

5. Before staying home with my children, I worked in advertising. So I always enjoy reading about what Lisagh is up to at work.

6. I still do quite a bit of work as an independent contractor for my old agency, as well as other agencies and businesses in town. Working on the side like that helps me maintain a nice balance in my life.

7. Today I have tickets to see Sesame Street Live. I've never been. There are two little people in my house who could barely sleep last night and who were up at 5 this morning because they are so excited about it. Maybe we should have waited to tell them until after breakfast?

* * * *
Play on! I tap Kellie, Heather, and Navybluegirl. Have fun, ladies!

thought provoking

If you're interested in a new book, may I recommend Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. It's a true story about one man (Greg Mortenson) who, after a failed attempt at climbing K2, finds himself forever changed after witnessing the hardships of the lives he sees in Pakistan. He begins a personal quest to build schools for the children in remote Pakistani villages (mostly girls) as a way of promoting peace throughout regions that encourage Islamic extremism.

Though I found the writing itself to be almost too detailed, this is a fascinating story. It provides an encouraging, if not challenging, prescription of what can be done to promote peace and harmony in a post 9/11 world. And it helps explain why we should care about helping people beyond our borders.

back at it

Now that it's warm out, I've taken up running again. And as always, it's so hard. No matter what I seem to do at the gym during the winter, it seems I'm never in good enough shape to just ease into it out there. It's always an uphill climb at first. Lots of huffing and puffing and sidewalk pedestrians moving out of the way when they hear me coming up behind them (they can hear me about half a block away.) I know it will get better in about a month. Maybe less.

I don't run long distances. I rarely if ever go farther (or is it further?) than 3 miles. This is good for me. It's the range that seems to be the best fit.

Several years ago, when we lived in the city, I got into this kick about pushing myself to run longer and longer distances. I think I just wanted to see if I could do it . Also, I was inspired by the joggers I saw every morning down by the lake. I figured, if they can do it, why not me? I started keeping a daily log of my runs on the Hal Higdon website. It was kind of exciting to see my progress over the months, to see that what I thought was impossible was actually - possible! I'd go out in the morning for a run by the lake, then come into work and log my miles on the computer. I saw my distance building like a graph chart. 3 miles, 3.5 miles, 3.7 miles, 4.1 miles, 4.6 miles...and so on. I peaked around 7.5 miles. That was plenty, I didn't have to prove anything to myself after that point. Plus, I got pregnant. My interests changed.

Today I don't think about pushing the distance, I think about pushing myself out the door. But hopefully not for too long. When summer really gets going, I'll be just fine.

this just in

Before leaving for work this morning my husband took out the glass in our front storm door and put in the screen. Hooray! Spring really is here!

P.S. That browned out grass that you see? That's part of the area where our new garden beds will be. Not to worry, it's all part of the master plan. ;)

3 coats later...

I was hoping to show you my beautifully painted porch this morning...but wouldn't you know, I'm not finished painting. ah! Somewhere in the middle of coat #2 I decided that it needed a third coat. Yes, yes, yes. Trying to keep up my enthusiasm here. I finished coat #3 late Sunday and started in on the white trim. I'm hoping that's just 2 coats...we'll see. The important thing is that it will all be over soon. I hope. And then on to more exciting things! Chair cushions! Floor rug! Room accessories! Fun finds to share! Stay tuned.

In related news, my husband spent the whole weekend creating a garden bed at the back of our garage that wraps around to the back door of the porch. He went to an Arbor Day sale on Saturday a.m. and bought 2 new baby trees for the area. I did not make it outside with my camera, but I'll show that to you soon. While we were admiring the new area (what a change from what was there before - basically nothing!) we started dreaming and scheming about a backyard patio. Mind you, we have our plates full in getting our landscaping situation under control this year, but putting in a patio is so enticing. Did I mention we're having a 4th of July party? Is it possible to get this all done in time...?

it's a blogworld afterall

Remember me telling you about my artist friend Mary? She is the gifted lady behind a few special pieces in my home...this, this, and (oh how could you ever forget!) this.

See that piece up there? Sorry about the blurry picture. That's my dry sink, which used to belong to my grandparents. I wish I had taken a picture of what it used to look like inside. There was a record player & radio built right in, all you had to do was open the doors. 2 large speakers were built into the sides. I had those taken out last year, and then Mary painted the doors and trim for me.

As you have come to expect, she did gorgeous work, and the piece has gone from ugly duckling to room stealer. Modeled (of course!) after my beloved MacKenzie-Childs pottery (Mary likes it, too.)

Here are a few close-up photos so you can see her attention to detail...

She even painted the inside of the doors, too. Can you imagine being able to paint this way yourself?

Her sweet style reflects her personality. She is just that - sweet. I know that word is used a lot, but when you are talking about Mary, no other word is quite as fitting. She is also very humble about her talent.

It was her idea to add the black & white trim to the top of the piece. She also decorated the lampshade on the lamp that I had here, and added the checked trim to its top. I'm not sure if you can see it clearly, but she painted the lamp finial to look like an artichoke.

So, why am I bringing this up right now? Tonight?

I found out over the weekend that Mary, who is my friend in "real" life, is also a friend here in blogland. That's right! She stumbled upon my blog when reading Kim's blog the other day (another thanks to you, Kim. I'm not sure if Mary and I would have found each other out here without your fun blog!)

Anyway, I'm delighted to tell you that Mary is out here in blogland, keeping her own blog that showcases her (and her daughter's) delightful, beautiful work. That's right! I'm thrilled that you can go and explore Mary's world and see for yourself her unique, remarkable talents.

Please stop by and see my friend Mary! You can tell her that you've been an admirer of hers for awhile now...

package!

Look what was waiting for me when my youngest son and I got back from our walk this morning: a package from a blog buddy!

Don't you love the cute little pink checked ribbon? Can you see the stationery a little bit on her enclosed note? Darling!

Yes, sharp shopper Ms. A sent me a prize for winning her drawing the other day. What you see below is an eternal fortune cookie, one that keeps on doling out smart advice and answers, whenever you give it a little shake (the answer screen is on the bottom). Also included was this cute little key fob from Toe Goz.

Thank you very much, Princess! I will be consulting my cookie regularly. And looking forward to my next martini...

just another shopper

Look at this scene. New groceries on my kitchen floor, ready to be put away. Pretty unremarkable, hmm? Well, no, actually.

Right now my 2 sons are out. One is at preschool, the other at his half-day program (his "preschool".) And I am here by myself.

Wednesday mornings I have 1.75 hours by myself. Each week it's a little different, how I choose to spend my time. I have been known to go to the library and leaf through back issues of People and US magazine, for a little escape. I have been known to hang out at Caribou Coffee, blogging as I sip a latte. More often than not, I head to the gym. Today I took myself to Target.

We have a very nice Target near our house. It's been open...what...about 4 years now? It's a Super! Target, where you can find a wide variety of grocery items. They don't have everything there, just the basics. But you notice a dramatic difference in your receipt when you shop for your basics there v. at the regular grocery store. Plus, they have a nice selection of Bob the Builder toys. The importance of that cannot be understated.

As I was pushing my cart around, choosing a bunch of bananas in the produce aisle, picking up canned tuna in the "canned meat" aisle, maneuvering around the checkout line with (mostly) moms and kids, it occurred to me that my being alone gave me a whole new identity at the store. Usually I am the mom, with one child in the cart, one tagging behind. Or sometimes, 2 in the cart (the kind with double seating), trying to break up fights as quickly and quietly as possible.

Today I could have been anyone. Anyone! Well, almost anyone. I did have my wedding rings on, so people could see that I am married. But the rest of it was sort of open-ended without my usual identity in place. Without my little guys around. I let my mind wander...

Maybe I was a newlywed, shopping for her new husband and new home? Maybe I was the mom of high schoolers. Maybe I couldn't have kids? Maybe I had chosen to not have kids. I saw a mom in front of me in line who was worn out, exhausted. She had a newborn baby boy and a toddler daughter with her. Our eyes met briefly as she stacked her groceries on the belt. And I wonder who she thought I was. I wonder if she thought, that lady looks rested and has no idea what it feels like to be me.

happy feet

1 sunny, warm day.

2 little people, excited to finally wear their flip-flops.

20 happy toes.

making strides

We spent the weekend outside. It was sunny and warm with a cloudless sky. *happy sigh* It was absolutely beautiful. Hello shorts, t-shirts & sandals! What a happy reunion I had with you!

You may remember me mentioning my back porch project last summer (yes, last summer!) On Saturday I got back to it: cleaned it out, cleaned it up, and started painting the walls again.

I also painted all of the porch furniture. The wicker above, and the iron table and chairs below. It took me 12 cans of spray paint to complete the job. I ended up with a nose full of white paint, but it was worth it.

My husband worked hard preparing our new garden beds. He spent time out front outlining where the new beds will be. Then he cleared out this area next to the garage that had been full of overgrown and mangy brush/plants/who knows what from yesteryear. As you can see, he got some help from his trusty sidekick.

We had lunches and dinners outside on our picnic table. The kids were ready for a bath and thoroughly worn out at the end of both days. Strangely, I found working hard outside rather relaxing and fun. Now that it's Monday I miss that we're not out there, all together. But the forecast looks good for next weekend. I'll keep you posted on our progress.

small houses

In her comment the other day, Kellie said she wondered why there is such need for space these days - as in, people choosing bigger houses over smaller ones. Then, Homedaisy asked us to show her our words.

Well, these words aren't mine, but I thought of both of you gals when I saw them.

This sign hangs on a small house that is a few blocks away from me. Across the street from the house there is construction on a new house, the old home that was there was torn down. When I saw the sign, I knew it wasn't a coincidence that the owners of it had decided to hang it so prominently by their front entrance. It is as if they are trying to tell the world that they don't like big houses, either.

spring thaw

So, what happens to the young bear, after a long winter hibernation? I'll tell you what happens to him.

He (and his younger brother) don jean jackets and leather slippers and head out to the trampoline. The slippers are to protect their feet - um, er - paws, from those pesky pine needles that fall from the tree above. The jackets are to protect their bodies, in case they end up in a ball, intertwined and rolling across the mat. (Actually, it's not in case this happens...it's for when it happens.) You've probably seen a ball like that. Maybe you've seen one in your own home? Little bear cubs, giggling as they hurl each other about and wrestle around (does this happen with girl cubs too?)

Good thing Mom can step in as referee. Sometimes when they really get going the ball becomes a blur, and she can't see where one ends and the other begins. On days like this she wonders, where does this energy go, when the bears are cooped up indoors?

Oh well, no need to think about that again for a long, long time.

thinking outloud

Cindy at My Romantic Home was nice to give me an award last week...the thinking blogger award. I got distracted last week and didn't get back to my blog after the big house tour (guess that wore me out), and then when I did get back into the swing of things, I started reading everyone else's blog first. I'll tell you what, reading about your lives is what makes me a thinking blogger. And I think it makes you one, too.

It's so much fun to read your funny stories. So delightful to see beautiful pictures of your home, your inspirational home, your work in progress home. Great fun to check in on what you're wearing, what you ordered, who you ordered from. Such a treat to see what you baked, how you grilled, what you served up on the dinner plate last night. I live vicariously through you when you tell me about your trip abroad as well as your night out on the town. It's true - my home, my wardrobe, my cooking, my (attempt at) crafting, my traveling plans...all influenced (and truthfully, made better) because of you.

But, the real benefit of the blogging world, for me anyway, is sharing all parts of life through you. The good, the average, the not so good, even the downright awful. You saw my story the other day, but we all have stories of our own. And, it's the "comments" section at the bottom of each post that makes it a shared experience. I learn from you, you learn from me. I support you, you support me. Who says we aren't friends, for this is what you do in a friendship...right? You celebrate the good and muddle through the bad. Together.

So, as I sit here and digest the news of yesterday, I am grateful that my thoughts are out there, with you to read them. I'm grateful that yours are out there so I can read them. I'm happy that we can talk and think and comment on life together. And somehow make sense of it all.