Friday, September 28, 2007

Idealist

I road my bike today. I am 99% of the way there feeling like the bike is mine and seeing the potential for adventure on it. As I was riding, I realized I am an idealist. I have hope that some treasure awaits me out on the rides. At each intersection, I scan the gravel, dirt, and grime in the roadway for something special. To date, it hasn't amounted to too much. I've found a penny here and a nickel there. I think the most money was an old quarter one day. Today, I saw where the lines crew painted the white line right over a penny adhering it to the road for quite some time. I know my husband doesn't search for treasures while he rides. But, I am optimistic that one day I will find something to cherish!

Turkey Trot Done!


It was a beautiful day. There was a breeze keeping it from getting too hot. My son ran full speed with just a few walks. I was impressed to see him stop and walk with his buddy. It was like he wanted to pull his buddy along. My son just seems to love running. He ended up with the most laps in his class - by about a handful!

Turkey Trot

Today is my younger son's fundraiser, Turkey Trot, for his school. I am not quite sure why they do it in September. It sounds like a Thanksgiving thing.

The kids and teachers walk/run laps for a half hour. My son is psyched for it. His grade doesn't get to "trot" until after lunch. The sky is picture perfect beautiful. I just hope it doesn't get too hot. He has set a goal to try to run 30 laps. We'll see how he does.

It is a great money maker for the school, but involves lots of manpower. I get to go count laps recording the numbers as the kids funnel through the shoot. I have to find something yellow to wear. I have a very limited selection of yellow shirts. I like the color but it looks horrible on me!

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Dump the Palm; Get an Ipod

I am still struggling with this Palm Pilot connection. I have not been able to get it to sync yet. I am thinking I may just need to buy an Ipod. I did not realize an Ipod contains contact and calendar information. One thing I am not sure of is whether you can upload calendar changes from the Ipod to the Mac. I have to investigate. This may require a trip to the Apple store as I am only an owner of a shuffle!

Quicken for the Mac

Today I wanted to get the bills done and do some cleaning around this house. I did get the bills done. We just won't talk about the cleaning...

I was on a mission to get my Mac fully commissioned. I received the Macbook as a gift this summer and have enjoyed getting to know it. I love having a laptop and am becoming an Apple convert!

There were three things I was using the old PC for. One was to sync my Palm Pilot. I was not successful keeping up with two calendars, one on the PC and one on the Mac. I have a hard enough time with just one. So, I transferred all the info to iCal. The last few months, I have been just using that. I took my Palm out of my purse to see what it was like without it. I don't like it. There are times when you need to know what your calendar has on it. There are times when you just want to call that far away friend and need her number. And, there are times when you just want to make a note to yourself. I used the memo feature on the palm fairly regularly. Today, I loaded all the software and should be able to sync my Palm directly to the Mac. As luck would have it, the Palm battery is dead. It has to charge before I know if it all works or not.

Secondly, I needed to purchase and download Quicken for the Mac. That was the easy part. The "tougher" part was exporting the appropriate data files from the PC and importing them to the Mac. It took a bit of time, but it all worked out. I am now able to do my bills on my laptop! The Mac version of Quicken looks different as would be expected. I was able to reconcile our accounts and make all the necessary payments. I continue to input the data from our credit card statement as opposed to downloading the statement directly. This Mac version makes totalling like categories an easy task. I added the Quicken to my dashboard to make entries in a "dash," I guess. All in all, I am liking this Mac. It is requiring me to learn something new.

The last thing I am dependent on the old PC for is to print. I have the printer hooked up to a wireless network but am not able to access it from my Mac. I know it is probably just a setting issue, but I have run out of time for today...

Here's to Technology!

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

The Hat



I finally completed the hat. I took a beginner knitting lesson for three weeks and this is the outcome. My younger son is a jewel. I put the hat on my head and he said that it looked really nice. My older son (I love him, too!) said that I needed to make one for everyone in the family. Does that have Christmas written all over it? I am just not sure of the color and the lightweight yarn. It did look cute on my older son - just a bit big. My stitches are fairly loose. I got better as I completed the hat. For a first project knitting the "correct" way, I was thrilled to complete it. I enjoyed the whole fiber shop setting. I bought some more yarn for another project that needs to remain nameless as a certain someone in the house may check my blog. I will share pictures when I complete it. I thought I had the right size needles in my stash, but no such luck. I need to go back and pick those up tomorrow.

Today, at the fiber store, there was a couple in from Minnesota. He is a civil war battle guru and she knits. They hit the battle sites and the yarn stores all over the country when they go on vacation. What an interesting trade off. The woman was making a "quilt" of a sweater using skeins she purchased from all the places. That is an ingenous way to capture memories from trips.

I hope to keep the knitting up. It is still work and not something I can do without concentrating. I love that it has opened up my eyes to more creativity. We'll just see how many ideas I act on.

Inspirational


Today was the Jr. Beta induction at my older son's school. I had to admit I was a bit reluctant to go. I thought it would be just one of those boxes you check as a parent. Boy! Was I wrong. As part of the ceremony, they had two guest speakers. The first speaker was My Harrison, the FBI's Special Agent in Charge of the Memphis Field Office. This woman is very impressive. She spoke for about 15-20 reviewing her bio and talking about the FBI. She did not use notes and was a magnificent speaker. Everyone in the room was listening. At the end, she opened up for questions from the kids. She is living her dream and that feeling exudes from her. She stressed finding your dream and striving for it. I was envious. I am happy doing what I am doing right now. I feel the investment is worth the current commitment. Even so, I comtemplate what I am going to with my life when "I grow up." I hope the students got as much out of it as I did. Parts of her speech are presented in an interview with Road Nation a few years ago. The interview is about four minutes and well worth the listen.

The second speaker was the local leader of the Make-a-Wish Foundation. The Jr. Beta club sponsors children each year. It is just heart breaking to think of how these children are suffering. Make-a-Wish does a fantastic job providing the children with happiness.

I am glad I went to the induction. I found it very motivation and inspirational. We are proud of our son as he is laying the ground work for a bright future!

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

"Live Like You Are Dying..."

The song, Live Like You Are Dying, by Tim McGraw was ringing in my head today. I'd love to stream the song in this blog, but I am time constrained.

The homily from Mass this weekend revolved around this song. Believe it or not, our priest has a pretty good singing voice. He routinely breaks out in song. We all recognized this one. I was struggling with coming up with something to post today and started to think back to Sunday. The idea we should all live by is to be our best everyday. We don't get to know when our time here on Earth will end. I have trouble remembering that. Tonight, I've taken a deep breath and tried to think of the things I did today that would prepare me. They include the following:

I made lunches for my husband and children. I enjoy packing the lunches. I consider it a labor of love and they get to open their bags seeing what suprises are in store.
I called my niece letting her know we are still thinking about her and her husband.
I volunteered at my older son's school closing out the fundraising.
I rode my bike to and from school wth my younger son. He "broke away" up the street and beat me to the driveway.
I slowed down through the parking lot to let people cross.
I got all the weeks groceries for less than $150.
I told my husband how much I love his curls. It was humid today and he doesn't like when his hair does its own thing.
i sang some songs while driving with the windows down.
I tucked the boys in giving hugs and kisses.
I finished this blog so I could cuddle with my husband and tell him just how lucky I am.

~Sweet Dreams!

Cambiata

We've always thought my older son had a beautiful voice. As a young boy, he sang constantly. He is an auditory learner. When he learned how to spell his name, he sang the song I composed when he was a baby baby. I used to sing it to him - what seemed like all the time. We continued to sing the song adding our names as he learned them and adding names as our family grew. If you ask him the Lord's Prayer or the Hail Mary prayer, he'll sing it to you.

My son is going to audition for the All West chorus held in our state. It is the first year that he is eligible. I don't have any idea what to expect. I understand that it is very competitive. He has gotten the music and practiced for a few weeks now. I talked to his choir director the other night at the Open House wondering if this is something he should pursue. She was very complimentary describing his voice as a very beautiful Cambiata.

Cambiata? What does that mean? I asked my choir director last night (Yes. I've enjoyed singing, too.) He said that it literally means "changing voice." Our son's voice has not started changing yet. He has a higher voice range. After googling Cambiata, I found out it is the term describing boys with voice ranges like my son's. The Cambiata concept is accredited to the late Irvin Cooper. He analyzed middle school aged boys determining some did not fit into traditional music parts.

I haven't spent much time analyzing my son's music. I want it to be his thing. He has been assigned the Alto part. He has a CD that highlights his part. Right now he is just supposed to practice, practice, practice. He has four weeks before the audition. I am thinking I may be more nervous than he is. He is fortunate to be getting lots of one-on-one attention at school. He may meet with my conductor a few times trying to get over the fear of singing for a stranger.

We got to hear him practice tonight and it gave me goose bumps. He has been given a gift and we pray he can make the most of it!

P. S. - This is my first posting with a link embedded in the text. This blogging is teaching me so much!

Monday, September 24, 2007

Kid's Triathlon

Yesterday was a local kid's triathlon. My older son competed. It was very hot! He did well placing second in his age group. He thought the swim and the bike were no problem. He got it on the run about 2/3 of the way through. I don't think he had to walk, but he had to really dig down for the finish. It is such a great event for kids to participate in. Some even formed relay teams. I am just always impressed. It is much more than I could or can do!

First out of the pool, but had to walk past all the lanes to get outside

Getting a mark on his arm needing three to complete the ride

Refueled and back to himself accepting his second place award

P. S. - He did go to sleep early and had to be nudged this morning!

Turkey Trot Pep Rally


The big PTA fundraiser for my younger son's school is coming up this week. They had a pep rally last Friday. All the kids in the school wear their school tshirts with each class wearing a different color. They make posters, noise makers, and attention getters. Each grade competes for a spirit stick. The high school cheerleaders even came. The kids had a great time, but it was a bit hot. We are hoping for cooler weather for the actual event. It is a run/walk. My son loves to run and really pushes himself. He hopes to run more laps than last year. I will let you know how it goes on Friday!

Friday, September 21, 2007

Inaugral Soccer Tournament


My husband and my youngest son, Peanut, pulled out this evening for Peanut's first out of town soccer tournament. It is just few hours away. But, far enough that I could not drive back and forth to meet commitments we have here at home. I have to admit it felt kind of weird seeing them go. Peanut was excited. He moved his booster to the center and propped his feet right up on the arm rest. I bet he'll be playing as much PSP as he can get in before it gets dark. They get to stay with college friends and actually get to go to a home in between soccer games. I don't think Peanut will miss out on too much not staying at the hotel. His soccer team is not the best. They do seem to be figuring it out learning how to play as a team. I am saying a few prayers that they will play well and have a good time.

The weirdest thing of the night is that I am going to home alone. (I remember dreaming of these nights when the boys were young crying and very high maintenance. I thought I'd always be sleep deprived!) My older son just got a call for an invitation to go to the movies. The movie sounds kind of goofy. Right up his alley! I could not be happier. He's settling in with some friends and I think I just might have to do a little shopping!

Ladders


What is it with ladders? The other morning I was cleaning the kitchen. I needed the step ladder to vacuum the dust above the cabinets and to clean the top of the refrigerator. When my younger son walked into the kitchen, he was thrilled to see the ladder and wanted to climb up it right away. I snapped the photo thinking I may be looking up to him some day. All he did was climb up, pose and climb back down. It put a big smile on his face. He was getting ready for school. Note the hair. It stays like that until he bikes to school. After he takes off his helmet, it is spray bottle and brush time!

Anyway, I remember as a kid being fascinated with ladders. My parents' hobby was a farm. The farm had about a dozen beef cattle that helped keep the fields mowed. Some fields were share-cropped growing corn and tobacco. One barn always had bales of hay in it. I was only three when my parents bought the farm. As I got older, I got to climb up the ladder into the hay and play around. As I got even older, I got to climb the ladder and throw the bales down. I remember that excitement when I'd walk into the barn and see the big extension ladder out.

When I was professionally employed, I got to climb ladders too. I did not mind the "normal" ones. But, the horizontal ladders on the side of storage tanks can get scary. The ladder on the side of a railcar is a bit scary too. You just don't realize how high the railcar is until you are standing on it. The railcar can rock too making it even more interesting. Don't worry. My safety was never in jeopardy. I worked for a company that followed all the procedures.

As I am writing this, I am thinking I need to pull the ladders out. In this house, ladders are associated with painting. And, we need to do some painting. Perhaps, that will be a project for next week and pictures may even make it to the blog!

P. S. - My husband is the only one tall enough to see over the top of the refrigerator. It made his day when he saw it sparkle!!

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Wallabees


We reached a few milestones at our house. First, my older son's foot is officially bigger than mine. They are just a bit bigger. I can still get away with slipping them on in a pinch. That comes in handy when I have to run out for the newspaper. Anyway, I am not sure where the time has gone and how he has grown so quickly. Second, we succombed and bought him a pair of Wallabees. They are thing to wear - in his eyes. Apparently, you are supposed to wear them without socks. Can you say smelly? My son resigned himself to wearing them with lowcut socks. You aren't supposed to lace them tight either. That slipping-on-your-foot thing equates to a cool stride down the hall. My husband had a pair of Wallabees when he was younger. I guess the saying is true with fashion that "what goes around comes around." I can pass on the '80s shoulder pads coming back!

My son will be walking in these shoes for his year in seventh grade. I am glad that I have already been there and done that. We just pray his walk is as "comfortable" as possible.

Swimming in September



It has been a long time since Buddy got to go swimming. I was on my way to take him for a walk and he ventured towards the car. I interpreted it as his way of telling me it was the morning to go swimming. He was a bit of a handful initially. Luckily, there wasn't anyone else at the lake. He just ran and ran around with the tennis ball in his mouth. It was like he was set free! He took care of some business and then got to business retrieving the ball. He was so excited bouncing around like he had springs on the bottom of his feet. He shakes every time he gets out. I think he was a mission to see if he could get me wet too! Thank goodness for the Chuck-It invention. I don't have to touch the lake-watered, slobbered on tennis ball.

When we got home, he was begging for more food. I am such a softie that I gave him a scoop. I need to tackle the TODOs for the rest of the day...

Oh! I forgot to bring my camera and only had my phone to capture the moment. The coolest thing - I was able to use the Bluetooth connection to copy my photos right to my computer. You gotta love it when the wonders of technology excite you!

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

No Telephone

This is too weird. My husband took a work conference call early this morning. I checked my emails early this morning. We got a phone call pretty early this morning. Sometime around 9am, the phones stopped working. Fortunately, I have my cell phone to fall back on. There is a problem with a main cable phone line in the area. I don't know who it affects or how widespread it is. The recorded message says we may not have service back until Friday evening. That seems unacceptable. I don't even talk on the phone much. During the day, it doesn't even ring much. But, to not have it makes me uneasy. Our interenet service is provided by the same carrier. It is affected too. I am grateful so some other strong wireless network that I can use to log in. I can't imagine what happened unless it is construction related.

Oh Well! I guess I can get the knitting done on my hat before my class tomorrow!

Monday, September 17, 2007

Tomato Basil Pie


I tried a new recipe tonight for dinner. It was Tomato Basil Pie. It would be great paired with a spinach salad. My sweetie and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a new twist for tomatoes.

TOMATO BASIL PIE

Deep Dish Pie Crust
2 cans Del Monte diced tomatoes, drained & seeds strained
2 1/2 cups Mozzarella, divided
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2-4 minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried basil or fresh basil
1/3 cup Parmesan
Olive oil

Cook pie crust according to directions. Layer 1 1/2 cups of Mozzarella on top of pie crust. Mix the mayonnaise, garlic, basil, Parmesan, and 1 cup of Mozzarella. Add the tomatoes. Add the cheese mixture on top. Drizzle the olive oil on top. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

I caught a bit of Rachel Ray's show this morning. Two families swapped kids - one set of picky eaters for one set of adventurous eaters. One thing I took away from the show was to keep the dinner exciting. We have one very picky eater. I love to cook and try new things. It is easy to just cater to exactly what the kids like. But, I am going to try to spice it up and keep it exciting for me. A few nights a week, I am going to try something new and get the kids to taste it!

Head Cold Advantages

I hope I am on the downward slope of this head cold. I do feel better, but don't want to stray too far from the tissue box. There are advantages to just hanging out at home. I got to talk to a friend of mine and my sister called. It was nice just to chat and catch up.

I did not want to feel too guilty. So, I started organizing in the kitchen. It may take me days, but the end result will be wonderful. I started with the pantry continuing on with the some of the drawers. We are the masters at accummulating items we don't need or don't use. I organized broadly into round lids, quadrangle lids, round containers, square containers, plastic items and metal items. I need to do something better with my knives. I had them in a block for years and moved them into a drawer a few months ago. I cleaned out under the sink. I did not find any treasures - just our fair share of grocery bags. Buddy will only put a dent in what seems like a lifetime supply!!




Hat Premiere

I've knit a few things in the past via the teach yourself method. It was cumbersome as I am left-handed. I ended up holding one needle between my legs. Go figure! Sheer determination got me through those projects.

I have wanted to learn the "right" way for some time. I finally started lessons last week at a nearby fiber shop. The owner is from Germany and has been knitting for years. In this beginner's class, I will learn to knit a hat. I am using circular needles knitting with the continental method. It is wonderful. I am still getting my rhythm down. The stitches vary in tension. But, I am hopeful it will all fall into place. You can see my progress. I need 7.5 inches of this until I get to move on to the next step.


I think this one may have to be for me. I love the color green and this was the only shade avaiable in this type of yarn. I don't think the boys could pull this one off. Anyway, I will be sure to post the finished product.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Homemade Chicken Tenders


These chicken tenders were ruled the best by all at our house. They are my husband's favorite. I have not made them for a long time. Tonight was a treat and I thought I would share the recipe~

HOMEMADE CHICKEN TENDERS

2# of chicken tenders or boneless chicken breasts
1 cup of sour cream
1 tsp of lemon juice
1 tsp of worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp heaping of celery seed
Pepperidge Farms corn bread stuffing mix
butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375F. Mix sour cream, lemon juice, worcestershire sauce, and celery seed in a dish. Crush up dressing in a bag. Transfer dressing to a dish. Dredge chicken in the sour cream mixture. Coat with the dressing. Place on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. Brush with melted butter. Repeat process for remaining chicken tenders. Bake for about 30 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked. Enjoy!

Blue Jay Tours Neighborhood

We have a Kymco scooter known as Blue Jay. It has sat in the garage "sleeping" for most of the summer. Believe it or not, it can be too hot to ride such a thing. Now the weather is beautiful. Blue Jay got a bath and went out for a spin this afternoon. I have driven it and ran a few errands with it. Today, for the first time, I got to be the passenger and go for a spin around the neighborhood. Having me on the back made the cornering a bit different. I got to hold on with my hands around my sweetie. It was the best medicine for my head cold.


Our older son got to ride it for his first time - only around the neighborhood. He was holding his head back laughing as they went down the hill. He said the air on his feet tickled as he was only wearing flip flops.

Our younger son got to go for a spin too. Fun was had by all!

Blue Jay is clean and ready to provide transportation to work for my husband. What a wonderful way to start the day!

Friday, September 14, 2007

A Million Dollars

My younger son had a creative writing assignment in school. The topic was IF I HAD A MILLION DOLLARS. The following is his rough draft (click on it to enlarge it and bear with me as the scannning is not that clear):

I was very impressed with his maturity as his first thoughts were to give the money away and to a worthwhile cause, St Jude. He must think his mom needs a new car! I am not quite sure about a Corvette! He does look out for the puppy dog too. Ironicallly, he did not think his dad needed any money! I am not sure how he makes up for that one!?!

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Riding in the Rain

I got my nerve up to go for a real bike ride today. It has been so dry here for so long that it did not dawn on me to check the radar. It was cloudy and cool. I was confident. My feet were clipped in and I was getting to know my bike. At one point, I noticed the sky looked a bit darker. I decided to turn around. That was a good thing. The rain started and just kept right on coming. It was a steady good rain - for the grass, not for someone on a new bike. My bike was baptized. With God on my shoulder, who knows where this bike riding will take me.

I dried it off as soon as I got home. I am crossing my fingers that the chain is still lubed.

This is only a start and lots of room for improvement. I am just thrilled to be almost over the hump mastering the pedals. The speed and the distance will come.

Steel Cut Oats


Steel Cut Oats are supposed to be good for you. And, from lots of testimony, they taste better than regular oatmeal. I decided to try them. I searched for a slow cooker recipe and mixed it all up last night. The house smelled great this morning as the scent of cinnamon made its way throughout. Unfortunately, the steel cut oats were not good. They were bland and not appetizing. My husband was the only one to brave a bowl full. I opted for my standard fruit and yogurt. I guess I will have to try making the steel cut oats on the stovetop. It will take planning as they cook for some time...

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Great Gadget


I bought the best little gadget this week. It is perfect for transferring my pictures from my camera to the laptop. No more inserting the SD card into the printer and logging on to get the photos. Now, I just slide this little gadget into the side of my PC. I highly recommend it.

Look out! I may be downloading even more photos!

Musical Chairs

The music was playing in our family room this weekend. The couch used to be against the wall. The ottoman was in the attic. The chairs were in different places. When the music stopped, everything had a new home. It feels like a refreshed room. I still need to get some kind of window treatments. I am thinking some sort of sheer just to soften and diffuse the light.

Welcome to my family room. Feel free to stop in to chat, to watch, to listen, to stitch or to just hang out!

Note the pillow with the tassels on the couch. That is one of Buddy's favorites. The chair in the foreground referred to as the tomato chair is a great place to curl up.

The TV looks dated compared to what is out on the market these days. I've got my eyes open for an afghan with texture and color to throw over the back of the couch.

In the corner of the room is the infamous marble top dresser. Growing up it was a dresser I used in my bedroom. It now contains lots of stitching, knitting, and needlepoint items. When I need a new project, I can "shop" in my marble top.

Pumpkins will soon adorn the mantle. We had our first cool morning. Fall is almost here!

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

911



It was about this time six years ago that my husband called me from work to tell me to turn on the TV. My mom was visiting. We turned on the TV just in time to see the second airplane hit the World Trade Center. Even though we were sucked into the news, we tried for our boys' comfort to carry on like normal. My older son was already at school. My younger son went on to Mother's Day Out. We ran a few errands feeling uncomfortable at Macy's where the mall was closed and the store had extra security guards.

We were trying to protect our children. They did not need to be scared. My older son got in the car after school, he immediately noticed the car dealer's flag was at half-staff. He wanted to know why. I know it has been 6 years, but there are still lots of why questions. My younger son doesn't remember too much about that day. When we try to explain, we still struggle with the whys.

I am the youngest of six. Normally, I get updates on my siblings via my mom. I occassionally talk to one of my brothers or sisters. On that September 11th, I talked to all of my brothers and sisters - all in one day. My mom had flown down to visit. Given the grounding of all the planes, flying home was not an option for her. So, they all called checking in on mom. We, as a family, were rallying together. Our task was miniscule compared to what other famlies were going through. We did get her home by car. My brother met us half way.

My husband and I went to NYC just a couple weeks later. Our trip had been planned for months to celebrate his birthday. I lost lots of sleep wondering if we should really go. We decided to show our support and go. We stayed near the UN. Our hotel had very few tourists. Most were Red Cross there helping out. A friend of ours took us down to ground zero. I will never forget the smell, the ash, the horror. I did not want to stop. I just wanted to keep walking to get out of there. That weekend, President Bush declared war. I yearned to be back home with my children.

We have been back to NYC since then. The city has moved forward. It is an amazing place. The Statue of Liberty or "that girl out in the water" as my youngest son called her, says it all. We are grateful for our freedoms.

My simple prayer for today is for peace throughout the land.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Grandparents' Day


My younger son welcomes his grandparents to his classroom this afternoon. Fortunately, his paternal grandparents live close by. He gets to show off his room and they get to meet his teacher. He interviewed his grandpa about his school days. His favorite subject was chemistry, FDR was president, computers were not invented, and there wasn't any A/C. I'd like to be a fly on the wall to hear the other grandparent stories.

My younger son's maternal grandma lives far away and won't be joining him in the classroom. We'll send thoughts her way. My younger son's maternal grandfather passed away 11 years ago. He will make his presence known. My younger son buttons his polo shirts all the way up, something his grandfather always did. I try to convince my son to unbutton one button, but to no avail. He is adamant about buttoning them all. I just smile to myself and thank my dad for that!

Sunday, September 9, 2007

The Rain in Spain


It has been so dry here for so long. We had some rain yesterday. On the way to church this morning, my older son was praying for rain today. He just wanted to go outside and play in the rain. Can you say cheap entertainment? The boys went outside to play football. It was incredibly humid. Before long, the steady rain started. The kids had an absolute blast. They are soaked from head to toe. It has lightened up, but they are still out there playing some version of touch football. Seeing the smiles on their faces is worth the extra loads of laundry.

The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plain,
Today it fell here - to my boys' gain
With only the puppy dog to complain!

Banana Bread


Can you smell it? The house was filled with the warm yummy smell of banana bread. Good memories are associated with banana bread. When the boys were babies, I used to make it about every week. It was my outlet for too ripe bananas. It seems like the bananas are getting eaten a bit quicker here. If some don't get eaten and start to look brown, I slide them into the freezer. My collection of frozen bananas was taking up lots of freezer space. So, I thawed them, pulled out the food processor and made three loaves. We have a nut allergy preventing the addition of that crunch to the bread. At my older son's request, we added mini chocolate chips to two loaves. We will be enjoying banana bread with cream cheese for breakfast!

Saturday, September 8, 2007

Ice Cream Truck


My kids have waited all summer for the ice cream truck. Now, it has come twice in the last two days. They were thrilled with their afternoon treat today. It was perfect as it is still hot and humid here. One boy got a chocolate crunch. I always liked the strawberry crunch when I was little. My other son got a bubble gum popsicle. It doesn't sound too good, but he thoroughly enjoyed it.

I remember how excited I got as a kid when we heard the ice cream truck. It did not always come by and I wasn't allowed to always get something. I remember once raiding the piggy bank dumping loose change in my pockets and running through the neighborhood to find the truck. We had paths that cut between the houses to connect the streets. Once, I ran through a few paths ending up pretty far from home. In my haste to find the truck, I think I forgot to ask permission. I remember my parents being quite upset with me for not asking and for going so far from home. It did not matter, though. I got the ice cream and it was yummy!

Friday Night High School Football


We went to the local high school football game last night. It was my first one and we've lived her for 7+ years. My 7th grader was off with his friends. One boy has a girl friend. Yikes! A few have cell phones. They were calling and texting friends at other games. He seemed to have a good time, but we heard about how "mean" we are that we won't allow him to have a cell phone. Our younger son brought a soccer friend. They had a blast. We sat close to the student section. I wonder what impact those high schoolers had on our elementary schoolers. Some high school boys had their chests painted. They carrried big flags and rang cow bells. When the home team scored, they dropped down and did push ups. The total number of push ups was equivalent to the current score. It was entertaining to watch. Our team was so far ahead, the mercy rule was imposed in the second half running a continuous clock. It made the half fly by. The high school bands seemed smaller than when I was in school. The band was only wearing tshirts and shorts due to the heat. There wasn't a drill team. They had a flag corp and lots of cheerleaders. I caught two small give-away footballs sponsored by a local car dealer. That made the little boys' nights. I think we'll try to make it to some more this season and feel the community spirit!

Friday, September 7, 2007

BULLS-EYES



When most folks hear bullseye, they think of a dart board. That is not what you think of in my family. The name BULLS-EYE puts a smile on my face. They are those yummy Caramel Cream candies that taste so good. I love sweet chewy things. These fall right into that category. Fortunately, I am the only one in my immediate family that likes them. I don't have to share! I don't buy them very often as I have to eat them all. I bought a few today and they brightened by day. How come candy does that? It must be the memories that go along with it. My siblings and parents enjoyed the caramel creams. Mom used to always have some in a bowl when we came home to visit. We'd grab a few as we walked by. It is a good thing we did not walk by too much! If you haven't tried them, give it a shot. Just make sure you squeeze one - ever so slight - in the bag before you buy it. The Bulls-eye should be soft indicating it is fresh and ready to be gobbled up! Here's to Mr. Geotze and his confectionary business started in 1895 in Baltimore, MD!!

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Dawn Direct


This morning it was the same routine - empty the clean dishes from last night, put them away and load the dishwasher with the dirty breakfast dishes. The boys have started loading the dinner dishes. It is fun to open the dishwasher and try to figure out their loading logic. I have one of those AH-HA moments when the counter is finally clean. It gives me energy to forge into the day. Today I looked around and noticed one of my favorite things right there next to the sink. It is the Dawn Direct Foam. It is the best invention. All you have to do is squirt some into the dirty pans and the Dawn starts working. You don't have to pick the bottle up and pour out too much. In my opinion, the Dawn product managers knew what they were doing. I need to email Proctor & Gamble and let them know.

As the holidays approach each year, I think about giving my friends some of my favorite things. They aren't anything like Oprah's favorites, but they make my day easier. So, watch out! This year you may receive some Dawn wrapped up all fancy!

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Speedplay Pedal


Okay! This is what the pedals look like on my new bike. I have special biking shoes that are compatible with the pedals.

I did try the bike out this morning. I got my left foot clipped in and pedaled away. I clipped my right foot in too. As soon as I realized both feet were attached to the bike, I started to panic. When I applied my brakes, I was able to clip-out with my right foot. I made it about a mile around the neighborhood. Some of that was riding with only one foot clipped in. I practiced against the curb clipping in and clipping out with both feet. I just have to gain the confidence that I can unclip my foot and get it on the ground if I need to. I feel like I am taking baby steps in the right direction. I can only hope that with these baby steps my confidence grows exponentially. The weather is a bit cooler and I need the exercise. I need to be riding the new bike for miles. Perhaps, by the end of the week...

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Creature Comfort


We spent the Labor Day weekend visiting family. Buddy, our Labradoodle, spent the weekend at the kennel. It is so strange to be in the house without him. He is getting bathed and won't be ready for pick-up until later today. I was looking at my pictures. This one of him was taken a week ago. The dog seems to choose the hardest spots in the house. He loves to roll on his back before falling sound asleep. Sometimes, we will find him with his back paws up and his front paws facing the sky leaning against a wall. It just doesn't look comfortable.

We have had him for 1.5 years. He is a loved member of the family. I am grateful he finds comfort on our hard floors. We find comfort just knowing he is here to pet and play with. I can't wait until he is ready to be picked up today!

THE Bike


I finally took the plunge. For the past many many years, I have been riding an upright, heavy, hybrid bike. My bike brought me many happy miles. But, it was getting old and it is very heavy. I need to be able to keep up with my family. I bought a new cyclocross bike. It is essentially a road bike, but has the ability to go on dirt paths. I liked that flexibility as we do ride on some trails and over boardwalks.

We loaded the bike and a new play bike for my oldest into the car adding to the four bikes we had brought with us. There were bikes and tires everywhere. For the drive back to home from Ohio, the boys were sitting very close to each other. They did not mind. They too were very excited that mom is graduating up to a road bike.

My husband is thrilled. He claims I just don't know what I am missing. He hopes I get to appreciate the love he has for cycling. We got it home and put the speedplay pedals on my bike. I have not ridden a bike where you have to "clip in" in order to ride it. I tried it out this morning just in the cove. I made a few rotations with both feet locked in place. This is where my issue with control comes into place. I don't want to fall, but have to learn how to get my feet out of the clips quickly. I hope to practice a bit each day. Before long, it should become second nature.

I'll keep you posted...

Happy Birthday!


Saturday was my older son's 12th birthday. We aren't sure where the time has gone. He has grown up so quickly. He opened some presents. This year the games for the Wii were the hit. We all went biking, had dinner with cousins, and ended the celebration with ice cream cake. His lungs are strong. He got all 12 out in one blow. I wonder what he wished for?!?

Biking the Trails


This weekend we went to Ohio bringing the four bikes with us. The network of trails is amazing. The weather was beautiful and it was well worth it. There is something about the freedom you feel riding along a path feeling the breeze in your hair. It was so impressive to see so many other people out there taking advantage of the trails too. On Sunday, we rode east following the bike path toward downtown Dayton. There is a bridge specifically for the path path to cross over the interstate. Amazing! The boys are ready to go back. My younger son just wants to grow. He yearns to race his big brother and beat him!