Life in the Family Patch

Julie, Julia and Me

2009-09-04T17:30:00.000-05:00

After my sister, Pam, saw the movie, "Julie and Julia", she posted the Boeuf Bourguignon recipe on Facebook. Intended as wry humor, I suggested that when we were together for Labor Day, we should make the recipe. My sister-in-law, Leslie, joined in with a "yes, let's do it!" and so we will be cooking. We do enjoy cooking together and who doesn't like an challenge.

Today I printed the ingredients list and the recipe. Oh, dear! The recipe is a whole page. Typed. Single-spaced. At the beginning it lists: Difficulty - difficult. Uhhhhh.... I said to myself, "Too late now, sister, get shopping." Off I went to the grocery store. Did you know that the butcher has "secret" meat in the back and will cut it anyway you like? Julia's recipe calls for one 6-ounce piece of chunk bacon and 3 pounds (yes, pounds) lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes. Should you tip the butcher?

After the grocery store, I headed to the wine store. I truly enjoy shopping for wine. This particular store had a European wine section. Julia's recipe suggested Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone or Burgundy. I've had Burgundy and I'm not much of a fan, so I looked for the other two. We'll need a little extra wine beyond the recipe, of course. Here's what I found:

Louis Jadot - Beaujolais-Villages - 2006

J. Vidal-Fleury - Cotes du Rhone - 2006

Everyone arrives tomorrow and the cooking begins at 1:30 p.m. We'll take pictures and let you know how it goes.

Don't You Love Surprises

2009-06-04T10:35:00.000-05:00

Oh, my how time flies. This was a part of our super-sized celebration at our place on Mother's Day. We had four mothers in the house: Lauranell, Brett, Jenny and Brook. We also had birthdays to celebrate: Greg's 50th, Jess's 83rd, Spencer's 10th and Maddox's 4th. We do food very well, so well, in fact, that the crowd came for lunch and stayed through dinner!

Surprises can be life-altering. Did you know that?

When you are 3 going on 4 you need a little help keeping your eyes closed.

Aunt Piper was happy to help.

Don't we all love surprises? The anticipation grabs a hold of everyone!

The not looking part is excruciating. A little help here...

And then...

Oh, my...

a puppy!

With slobbery kisses...

and sharp teeth.

"Just don't poop in the house. Got it!"

Happy Birthday, Maddox!

One Down, Two to Go!

2009-05-16T07:30:00.003-05:00

My, my, haven't been here in a while! I've just finished the first of three semesters in the College of Education at K-State. The instructors fondly refer to this semester as "teaching boot camp". They are soooo funny! I'm glad to say I survived.

One of the classes I had was a technology class and I heard a few not-so-flattering things about this class from other students. The instructor was hired last fall and was teaching a three hour course. K-State's course is one hour and it's been hard to cut back to one credit hour's worth of work. Somewhere after the first few weeks of feeling overwhelmed I fell for this course. It must be something to do with why I majored in computer science the first time around?!? And the instructor...pretty amazing.

Anyway, here's the website I created posing as a teacher. 85% of it is projects from my classes so I will need to re-work it for use when I become a teacher, but you might take a look.

www.jennystewart.info

Can I Help with Those Christmas Lights?

2009-01-13T08:26:00.000-06:00

My husband took down the Christmas lights this weekend and it reminded me of the pictures I took a few weeks ago when he put them up. Once he gets started on a project, there's no stopping him. I wish I had more of that in me! I'm the one who works on ten things at once and I'm not sure any of them are ever completely finished. But can you completely finish laundry??? Just asking?

We were working inside and he was working outside.

The two oldest boys put the lights and ornaments on the tree, while Youngest, well, he,...ah...

You get the idea.

It's a good thing the Mortician was in a great mood, because it was cold outside that day, so...

I spent most of my time helping from here.

When he was finished we wandered out to see. My oldest son and I stepped out on the porch and immediately heard a mournful crying. We looked all around, but didn't see the source. We looked at each other and slowly looked up.

Yep, there's Sox the cat! That goofball cat!

As they say,..."curiosity killed the cat".

Do your cats come when you call? This one does not! She was an orphan and I shudder to think what she went through. It took weeks for her to come to us or let us pet and hold her.

So we pondered what to do as she paced in every direction except the ladder.

Since it was cold out and I'm a whimp, I gave up and left the kids to solve the problem. Just being a good mother and all, raising children with good problem-solving skills.

Middleman suggested to his younger brother that they leave the ladder up and hide. There's brilliance in that young mind. She was down within five minutes. I'm so proud!

Dreaming about my Garden

2009-01-10T14:30:00.000-06:00

Look what arrived in the mail...

Be still my heart...Organic Gardening magazine. Not only will I enjoy the beautiful pictures and reading the articles, I spent some time this morning ordering advertized seed catalogs. I promise to recycle those catalogs when I've finished! (Catalogs are a must-have in rural Kansas).

Receiving this magazine has got my mind working on next summer's garden. Are you starting to think about your garden? I'm convinced that's what these bitterly cold, windswept days are for. I plan to curl up in front of the fire and leaf through garden catalogs to help me make my final plans for spring.

Our soil is less than desirable...rock, hard clay. However, a huge, old organic gardening book tells me that clay soil is full of nutrients, it's just a matter of loosening things up with sand, compost and other additives. We began the process last year. Our first garden produced some teeny, tiny plants. Now I'm interested to see if our soil quality and therefore plant health (size) will improve this season.

For now, I'll brush thoughts of soil aside and concentrate on fruits and vegetables. Which ones to add? Which ones to leave behind? Any new interesting varieties? Must-have tools? (I would like a kneeling pad!). Mmmm...I'm already thinking of the first salad and BLT.

Clubing - Book Style

2009-01-08T08:45:00.001-06:00

Book Clubs have proliferated around the world. I understand why because seven or eight years ago a friend and I formed one. We both enjoyed reading and loved the idea of a high-brow excuse to get some gals together every other month. We started meeting in women's homes and quickly decided with all the kids in diapers among the members that we needed a night out! We stormed restaurants all over with our discussions and laughter. Now that most of the member's kids are well beyond diapers, even feeding themselves and some driving, we decided to return our meetings to member's homes.

Last year we changed up our whole system. We brainstormed a whole list of books and fought to the bitter end on the final six for the year...oh, how I kid...no fighting, as far from fighting as you could imagine. We drank wine, jabbered and laughed our way to the final six book selections.

Our system worked so well last year, we repeated it again in December to make our selections for 2009. How do we pick? Do we have a system? Well, sort of...

Enthralling story, controversial topic, exquisite writing style, a little romance...sometimes. We do try to pick one classic, one non-fiction, and one funny read. The rest...just memorable fiction. We usually stick by a rule that at least one member needs to have read the book, but occasionally we stray for a much-talked-about book.

Here are our selections for 2009 (Do I recommend the books with large pictures more? Aaah... no. The pictures just imported into this blog in different sizes and when you have 111 things you should be doing, you just can't worry about such things):

Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

The Worst Hard Times by Timothy Egan

Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann

The Shack by William Young

Here are the books we considered but did not select:

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquival*
Life of Pi by Yann Martel*
Loving Frank by Nancy Horan
Little Heathens by Mildred Armstrong Kalish
Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
The Last Voyage of the USS Pueblo by Ed Brandt
The Lost by Daniel Mendelsohn*
Enslaved by Ducks by Bob Tarte
Fifty Acres and A Poodle by Jeanne Marie Laskas
Flamingos on the Roof by Calif Brown
The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
Pope Jane by Donna Cross
Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson

I've read the three with astericks and recommend them!

Happy Reading!

An Unexpected Opportunity for Some Serious R & R

2009-01-05T08:00:00.002-06:00

When we first moved back to my husband's small town and he took over responsibility for his family's funeral home, we learned so much about the role of a funeral director. My eyes were opened to the compassion and stability my husband would provide to so many families. I also learned that someone needs to be available to answer the funeral home phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The first year my husband was that person. It was a challenge and we are thankful that we now have another employee with whom to share this responsibility.

Sometimes a situation will arise that offers an opportunity. Last week my husband oversaw a funeral in our building and the family asked if he could drive their loved one down to the Branson, Missouri area for a burial. 99.9% of the time we find a way to fulfill each families wishes and he agreed. My husband calculated the drive time and realized he would need to spend the night. The night, you say?

Over the years, we have heard about the Big Cedar Lodge in the Branson area and an idea was hatched.

I stowed away and after the burial, we headed south to the Big Cedar Lodge. Have you been there?

The road leading to the property winds all around through the woods and sports a "Don't even think about riding your motorcycle on this road" sign. The registration and nearby buildings are gorgeous, both inside and out with a post and beam design, beautiful stained glass and glorious views. We walked over to a cozy coffee house and sat out on the patio in the January 65-degree weather?!?! Can you explain that temperature to me?

Several lodges overlook the valley and this was ours, Falls Lodge...

Our room had a fireplace, jetted tub and balcony. We enjoyed the sunset from that balcony. We were also joined by many creatures, very similar to the room shown here...

no big deal when you are married to a hunter who has more mounted animals than this mini-collection.

Later we ventured to one of the restaurants. You may wonder about a Devil's Pool Restaurant or a Buzzard Bar, but we ate surprisingly well. KC Strip for him and Shrimp Pasta in Marinara Sauce for her.

Big Cedar Lodge is owned by the Bass Pro Shop, so you won't be surprised to learn that I anticipated a bait shop feel with a hunting lodge setting. Thankfully, I was wrong! The property and lodges do have a wildlife theme, but they also encompass all the modern ammenities with a few surprises thrown in. Artisan ironwork graced every building and our room was spectacular. My partner in this sneak getaway was a huge part of the package...you'll have to come up with your own on that one.

We're back to the real-world, re-charged, ready to wrangle boys and take care of business.

Happy New Year, I think!

2009-01-01T09:41:00.006-06:00

At the start of a new year, I began to reflect on the previous year and thought to write some words on 2008.

Hmmm...2008 was an exceptionally difficult year for my family and reflections don't seem like such a good idea right now. So how about some resolutions? I just love to dream.

1. I will get my tushy moving again and permanently reclaim the in-shape bod I had for about six months back in 1998. I was chasing around two boys, 2 and 4 years old, while my husband was in Mortuary Science school in Kansas City (home on the weekends). My social needs were being met during tri-weekly exercise classes. I can do this!

2. I will become a Mother Extraordinaire, keenly interested in any topic brought forth by one of my boys and infinitely patient with their... shall we say... creative antics.

3. I will fall madly, deeply in love with house cleaning.

ha ha ha ho ho ho hee hee wha ha ha ha, tears coming, oh...oh...oh gasp gasp snort. Those are so good! Quite possible, too!

Oh, alright, let me try again-

1. I will periodically take some time to re-balance my brain in light of my chosen loves: school, job, volunteering, shopping, cooking, gardening, reading...and most importantly, kids, husband, family and friends.

2. I will work to organize more and develop the habit of actually looking at the calendar each and every morning. No more relying on the brain for 2 or 3 day stretches as the brain does not appear to be as elastic as it once was.

3. I will expand the garden by adding more potatoes and corn. I will put in a strawberry bed, blueberry bushes and an asparagus patch. Planting the flower and shrub beds in the back yard will also be on the list. I will definitely have less weeds (oops, can't control that one).

4. I will continue on my quest to keep unneeded items moving on to people who need them.

5. Under intense pressure from my brother and his wife, we (I'm saying we here my Mortician buddy) will expand our recycling efforts. Milk jugs, cardboard, glass bottles, food scraps (into the composite pile, couldn't that count...somehow???).

6. I will budget my grocery needs. Sniff, sniff...sob...hiccup. I love grocery shopping! This one could be very difficult, but I am committed.

Okey dokey, that should do her. I'm optimistic about 2009! This year will bring many wonderful, memorable experiences to my family and friends and a new beginning to our country. I wish you all many blessings. Happy New Year!

Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas!

2008-12-23T18:31:00.011-06:00

This Christmas season has been a bit whacky around here. It seemed that December 1 gave way to December 20 and I am just now addressing our Christmas cards! Power shopping yesterday helped me finish all the gift buying. Today, tonight and tomorrow (Christmas Eve) will be filled with wrapping presents. I can't tell you I was ever finished shopping in September...

or October...

or even November, but usually we have it all together by now!!!

Life just happens this way sometimes.

Since you will not be receiving a Holiday card for a while, I thought I would share a few pictures that didn't make the Christmas cards.

I think there may be a young man behind that floppy-moppy puppy dog.

Our Cockapoo is a good sport.

I believe the instruction was "do whatever you want".

My personal favorite!

Our wishes to you for a memorable holiday season filled with laughter, family, friends and, of course, a bounty of food!

Dialog in the Dark

2008-12-22T09:16:00.000-06:00

On Saturday, we packed up the crew and headed to Kansas City. My mother-in-law was treating us to the wonderful Rockettes Show at the Sprint Center (more to come on that show soon). A few years ago we saw an exhibit in St. Louis called Titanic. It was truly remarkable. The KC Star included a recent article about a new exhibit called "Dialog in the Dark", produced by the same company that created Titanic.

My husband and I decided to run the premise of the show by our kids to see what they thought about touring it. If they seemed interested, we would go in the morning before the Rockettes show. They gave us the staring, puzzled, you-are-kind-of-strange look, which is a long way from "no way", so we ordered tickets.

The Dialog exhibit begins in a room like the one pictured above. My husband, my three kids and I all selected our canes and sat on our lighted cubes. We listened to a short audio tape that explained that the lights would be slowly dropped to "off". The soothing female voice added that many fear the dark, but that this was unneccessary as we would awaken our other senses as we moved through the exhibit with our guide. So...

...the lights faded to complete black. I'm not talked dimly light room, light around the doorways, clock-radio illumination...no, no, no... Total. Complete. Darkness. I could not see my hand a few inches in front of my face. My heart began to pound, my breathing became rapid and I began to sweat. Thoughts raced through my mind, "Where was the door? Could I get out? Maybe I needed to get out!" and I then heard a door open.

Our guide entered the room and began to speak calmly to us. My mother instinct took over and told me to get myself together! I was in here with my children! If I panicked what would it do to them? I began to hear Middleman and my husband whispering to each other. Middleman and I are cut from the same cloth. We experience everything with intense emotions and usually react with... intense emotions.

Our guide was a blind man. Todd was a 32-year-old newlywed. He reassuringly explained that he would guide us carefully through the exhibit and help us to bring our other senses to life. He asked each of us in turn for our name and whether or not we were ok. We each gave an affirmative (mine falsely buoyant, as I suspect Middleman's was, too). Todd kept his word and he clearly led us from room to room in the exhibit, all the while encouraging us to explore and guess what type of environment we were experiencing. We passed through a park and boarded a boat among other adventures. I don't want to give it all away. My youngest amazed me, he seemed completely unfazed. He frequently led us to new rooms and would wait in the new room alone while Todd returned to lead the rest of us! Middleman also became more comfortable even joking with Todd on several occasions. He wouldn't choose to do it over again, but was courageous and calm in facing his fears. As for Hubby and Oldest, they moved through with ease.

We ended by having a "Dialog in the Dark" with Todd, where he explained how he was diagnosed with diabetes as an infant. He added that he began to loose his eyesight 9 years ago and was close to being completely blind now. He explained that only 4% of the visually- impaired population experiences total darkness like the exhibit. However, the exhibit's power is in drawing your focus to your other senses, which is important to anyone experiencing an impairment. By the time we had reached this moment, I was having lapses of time when I didn't even think about the darkness. I just listened to his story.

The Dialog in the Dark experience will not soon be forgotten. I hope that I and my family have taken away from it a deeper understanding of what people with a variety of impairments must face. The difficulties and fears that they must overcome, and the adaptations they need to make. I had to reach inside to find the courage to continue and am glad I did. For more information on the exhibit, click here.

I've Been Away

2008-12-20T18:55:00.003-06:00

Hello Everyone,

I've been away...on an African Safari! No? A backpacking trip across Europe! What? No? A scuba diving adventure in Key West! Pfft! Oh, Alright! I've been right here with my nose in my testbooks. I've been studying math, math and way-hey more math. I've been thinking about math, talking about math and even dreaming about math...what defines a field? What defines a group? What's the order?...you will not believe that order has nothing to do with, well, order.

I finished my finals on Thursday and, yes, I was so very excited, except that I was so very tired that it took me a couple of days to realize I had in fact finished my finals.

Tomorrow...hopefully, I will have a new post. Today was one of those days where so much happened I want to share it all but need a little time to get it contemplated, sorted, organized, outlined, parsed and written. See you then.

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?

2008-11-30T16:27:00.003-06:00

I love that title! My friend, Dina, threw it out after I ran down our Thanksgiving guest list. My husband, kids and I usually travel to St. Louis to have Thanksgiving at my brother, Marty's house. Last year was the last Thanksgiving we were able to enjoy with my Mom before she passed away, which made us feel that a complete change-up was in order.

The Thanksgiving Celebration landed at a new location...my house in Kansas, offering the opportunity to include my husband's family as well. The guest list swelled to include my brother and his wife and his kids; my sister, and my Dad and his new friend - all traveling from St. Louis and staying for the weekend. Additionally, we pulled in my father and mother-in-law; my husband's sister and her husband, her daughter and significant other and granddaughter, her other daughter and her son along with my husband's other sister. 22 people in all.

I would be showing you pictures, but since I was already bossing them all around on when to arrive, what to bring, when to eat, who would say grace and at which table to sit, I decided to not make them pose for pictures. You'll have to take my word for it...they all looked fabulous!

I'm 44 and I've never roasted a turkey...may we just start there on the prickly nervousness hovering in my subconscious. My father-in-law came over the night before and instructed me on brining a turkey and left me with cooking instructions for the next day. Don't be believing ANY recipe that says 15 minutes per pound! You may end up 1 1/2 hours off like we were...thankfully I was checking the turkey every 3 1/2 minutes. I highly recommend brining. The turkey was tender and succulent without being salty.

My mother-in-law decorated two of the three tables. My sister made a fresh flower arrangement for the third. Lovely, inviting, festive... some things should be taken care of by others...like table decorations! Everyone contributed a edible delicacy.

My nervousness caused me to create all sorts of time-out plans for myself. A stroll around the pond, a game with one of the kids, a bottle of wine (glass, optional) in my closet... silly, silly girl. It was a wonderful day! Truly wonderful. The guests chatted animatedly, the food was divine and the day relaxing.

We decided to ask the kids to spit up between the three tables, instead of forming a pack of five wiggly, giggly goofballs. This led many of the couples to split up and the two sides of the family to mix together. I was thrilled to watch as all three tables bubbled with conversation.

My family stayed on until Saturday...hitting an interesting gallery and some off-the-beaten-path stores along with more communal cooking and... overeating. I enjoyed every minute and didn't realize how much energy I had expended until I crawled into bed at 8:30 on Saturday evening.

I hope you also had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

Watching B-Ball with the Boys!

2008-11-25T22:03:00.006-06:00

Tonight I sat down with my four boys to watch a Kansas Jayhawk basketball game. They were all very excited about the game, so I decided to settle in with them and enjoy the match-up. KU was playing Syracuse in a tournament game. I can't tell you which tournament because I don't really know much about basketball.

I was determined to enjoy the game. It was being played at the Sprint Center in Kansas City and they sometimes showed shots of the city. I enjoyed that part very much. Anyway, I began to concentrate on the game. The anticipation in the room was intense. I watched the dribbling and the passing... some shooting and some scoring ...and then... I noticed a little curly-que in the back of Bill Self's hair. I also noticed that many of the audience members had on the same T-shirt and it provided a sea of Jayhawk blue as a background. I then began to notice all the tattoos! Oh, my, some of those players are covered in tattoos!!!

I commented that the uniforms were really cool! I think I saw an eyeroll.

Ok, back to the game. Dribble, pass, pass, pass, dribble, shoot and score! One of my sons commented on this being a re-match of the 2003 championship game with Syracuse. Yeah, they all cheered! I complimented my son on knowing this piece of trivia...he responded with an eyeroll.

More watching of the game...dribble, pass, pass, pass, shoot and score! Suddenly the room erupted with "FOUL!!! Why didn't they call a foul? That was definitely a foul! I saw a foul!" I was very tempted to add my observation, "I didn't see a foul," said with knowledge, experience and authority. However, I was certain that comment would have been met with yet another eyeroll.

After a few more minutes, I knew I was destined for reading a good book in my bedroom. Before I left, however, I had to make one last comment. "What do all those boys have tattooed on their arms? I bet it says, I love my Momma". You guessed it...a lot of eyerolls.

It's About the Hunt

2008-11-18T08:42:00.007-06:00

It all started many years ago something like this...

Bart - John, best friends in college
John - Shermoe, hunting buddies
Shermoe - Big Wave, hunting buddies
Big Wave meets Bart and they become hunting buddies.

Big Wave, nicknames are a plus, has been driving from Michigan to stay with us during hunting season for many years. He usually comes on very short notice and stays anywhere from a couple of days to more than a week. Panic, you say? Inconvenience? Nope! He's the easiest houseguest you will ever have. He comes home after dark, goes to bed before the kids and leaves in the morning around 4:30 a.m. He also calls on his way to the house offering to stop for groceries, bears gifts of homemade delicacies from his garden bounty and tells great stories.

Why, you may ask, does this guy drive from Michigan to Kansas twice a year?

Buckasaurus

To hear him tell it, Michigan does not have a large deer population but they do have a huge hunter population. Kansas, on the other hand, has a huge deer population and not a large hunter population. Kansas also has acres and acres of prime deer habitat...so much so that these areas are overpopulated.

Kansas is where Buckasaurus lives!

In the last few years, I've suspected that Bigwave has an alterior motive.

Cocobolo's Restaurant in Manhattan.

It has become an anticipated part of each visit...we head to Cocobolo's for some margaritas and de-vine food.

This year we took another hunting buddy, Ron, with us.

Thankfully his wife, Sherry, joined us, too. There's only so much pretending I can do that they are in the woods photographing wildlife when two or three hunters get together to tell stories with only one she-girl along.

Now he's a happy man! He can "photograph" his Buckasaurus and head home.

See you next spring, Bigwave.

Back to the 80s

2008-11-15T09:19:00.006-06:00

We continued to celebrate Rechelle's 4-0 birthday last night. She and a gang of newly 40 gals decided to host an 80s party. She explains it here.

Initially I wasn't feeling the 80s vibe and decided to wear a retro-ish shirt and old knit poncho, then the day before the party I sat in my closet and tried to conjure the perfect 80s outfit. As my eyes scanned the pants, shirts, sweaters and skirts, a little something caught my eye.

Do you see it?

It's was crammed back in there with my old business suits and high school prom dresses. Thank you, Mom, for saving these treasures all these years.

I thought, "ok, if I can get my 40-something self into that, I will just have to wear it". By some miracle I got the thing on, so I explained my plan to my husband. He ran downstairs and came back with his "plan".

Here we are in our 80s glory...the Kirkwood High School hockey cheerleader and the Wamego High School tennis star!

Our friends, Dale and Nancy came over just before the party. Nancy helped me try to get big gorgeous hair like hers. Ah...well, half a can of hairspray later. I wasn't one who ever truly achieved big hair. I must not have had enough AquaNet...

Off to the party we went, which conveniently was next door!

Here are the birthday girls ...

You could start a forest fire with that cake! Us over-40s can throw down the jokes, can't we???

We spent the first half hour cracking up at all the "costumes" from Flashdance to Preppy to Madonna to High School Jocks... and lots of mullett wigs. We then danced the night away to all those unforgettable 80s tunes by the Flock of Seagulls, The Gogos, The Bengals, The Clash, Phil Collins, Michael Jackson, Prince... now that was a night to remember. Thanks, Rechelle and Mike for hosting!

For more 80s retrospective, check www.countrydoctorswife.com.

Adventure Girls

2008-11-11T08:15:00.002-06:00

These two - it was ALL because of these two, Nancy and Rechelle!

They were both born on November 4, you see. Do you know what a birthday means among friends... let alone two birthdays?

A reason to celebrate, of course, and celebrate we did!

Under the inspiration of Kim, we piled in the car and headed west. We met up with Katie in McPherson (McFearson in my spelling book), Kansas, at The Cook's Nook.

But that was only the beginning. We wandered down the main drag, moseying in and out of shops until we found this little treasure...

"What? Me? Why, yes, I would love to be interviewed for your story! It was 29 years ago this week that I was born. This day with my girlfriends? It's spectacular! No I would not say there is a food theme. No, definitely not! Well, yes, we met in a kitchen store... yes, we are in a cake store and... well, um, yes, we are planning on having lunch... "

Toting our bags of pancake mix, muffin mix and syrup "for our children", we slogged on to lunch at a greek cafe... hummunahummuna...hummus, anyone? We gabbed and gabbed until the the cafe workers turned off the lights and padlocked the door...ha ha ha, so it seemed, but it turned out the workers needed to set up for a wedding reception while wondering if we would ever leave!!!

We continued on our quest to investigate any shop with an interesting name, sign or window display.

We ended the brisk, breezy afternoon with a warm cup at the local coffee house.

What better way to celebrate two birthdays then...

hanging with your girlfriends.

Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rechelle writes about our day, too, right here and Nancy gives her pics and perspective here.

It's Just a Crazy Hair Day

2008-11-10T12:51:00.004-06:00

Youngest had "crazy hair" day on Friday. After considering his options, he wanted a mohawk. I believe it may be every mother's nightmare that their teenage son will come home with a mohawk, blue hair or a piercing. For my nine-year-old, it's just adorable and funny!

A can of hairspray and some hot air later... and I don't mean to imply I talked his hair up, although that would be entirely possible ... wah-la.

He had a great day!

I'm Back...from the Political Blackhole

2008-11-07T10:28:00.004-06:00

We interrupt this political programming to say...the election is over, you may return to your life!

I don't know about you, but I have been consumed by the election information. I've read political commentary, reviewed polls and developed a close personal friendship with Anderson Cooper. Whether your candidate was elected or not, it sure has been interesting. Compelling, engrossing and addicting would be my personal adjectives. I've enjoyed and fretted over every minute of it! We couldn't really lose, could we? Either the first African-American president or the first female VP, which would signal progress toward a more fair and equitable future. This election, however, was even larger. We are facing the worst economic issues since the Great Depression. People are losing their jobs and their homes.

So I hope we will pull together regardless of whether or not our candidate won. We'll try to make good, responsible, personal choices, and we might even be ready to sacrifice for the good of everyone, because I have the sense that the ship carrying all of us is taking on water. When we help each other, we, in the end, help ourselves. I'm very hopeful that we will see positive change. I realize it will take a while... maybe years, but we live in an incredible country! A country of hope and renewal... one where dreams can come true.

So let's weather this storm together and know that good times will return and with them the hope of a good life for even more people worldwide.

Let the Buttons Do the Talking

2008-11-04T08:57:00.006-06:00

As I've mentioned before, my mother was politically active. Some political punch exists in my husband's family as well. His aunt once served as the Chairman of the Kansas Republican party.

We've inherited some commemoration of these experiences - political buttons.

Here's a sampling of my Mom's buttons. She worked on many civic projects including raising money for the library, the school district and the city pool. She also was a democrat, a yellow dog democrat! I recently learned from my cousin, Shelley, that this is a real term, studied in college political science classes, and I assume a moniker of great honor within the Democratic Party. It means even if the dems were to put up a yellow dog as a candidate, my Mom would have voted for her!

Here's a look at the buttons collected by my mother and father-in-law.

I love that many different parties are represented here with buttons from Reagan to Carter to Perot. Even Rockefeller. I need a little help though. Who's Stassen and Bob Ray???

A true political button collector has the cool button from both parties. You might see Carter's face while reading Ford's name, but look from a different angle and see Ford's face while reading "Carter".

How about this cool Ford button? How could he not win with a button like this?

We have followed this election so closely for the last few months. It's hard to believe it is finally Election Day! We will know, I hope, who our next president will be before we go to sleep tonight. We are going to a Watch Event this evening... the kids, too. We've got them so excited (some might suspect brainwashed)! I hope you take the time to VOTE today, because...

Celebrating A Life

2008-11-03T10:30:00.000-06:00

Earlier this week, our family lost another beloved member, my aunt Jean Day. Aunt Jean was one of my Dad's two sisters. His other sister, Jewell, passed away a few years ago. My aunt Jean lived her 82 years in the Alton and Godrey, Illinois areas working 40 years for Shell Oil Company. She loved to travel, crochet and keep a stash of chocolate.

Over Labor Day this year, we packed our five selves in the car and traveled to St. Louis to help celebrate my Dad's birthday. On Saturday of that weekend, we ventured over to Alton, picked up my Aunt Jean and headed up the Great River Road. We dined at a family, favorite restaurant, The Finn Inn.

It's not nice to take a picture just after the food arrives. Your subjects are...well, busy ... my Dad and Bart are on the left, and my Aunt Jean and my niece, Ellie on the right.

The catfish and buffalo (fish) were divine. Ellie prefered the fries.

We learned just a few weeks ago that Aunt Jean had become very sick and she declined rapidly. My breath catches as I think of the two family members we've lost this year, so I will turn to the positives, as they are always so many.

Following the services, our family gathered for lunch at one of my aunt's favorite restaurants - Red Lobster!

Table one includes her son, Jerry, my husband, Bart, our cousins, Ted and Joy on the left. On the right are two of Ted and Joy's kids, Kevin and Shelley, and Alice, Jean's husband, Walt's sister.

Table 2 hosts Ellie and my sister-in-law, Leslie on the left. My sister, Pam, my Dad, Jim, my brother, Marty and David, Alice's son, all on the right.

Table 3 - the boys!

It was wonderful to visit with Ted and Joy. This has been a difficult time for them and I know they seeing everyone and having two of their three children with them.

Kevin, who lives in New York City, Shelley, from Tennessee and her daughter, Brianna.

Aunt Jean, thanks for those bottles of Coke, some of the only soda I had as a child. I guess you figured out that I knew where your stash of chocolate was following my weekend stays. I also remember studying the map of the United States in your basement that had push pins marking all the states you had visited with Uncle Walt. A white one for once, with a red pin added for twice. I can only imagine the wonderful memories that map holds. We will all miss you.

Oh, To Be Nine Again

2008-10-25T11:31:00.006-05:00

Yesterday our youngest had two boys over for dinner and a sleepover. Since it was Friday night, it was easy-on-the-cook night. We had beef tips and noodles from the illustrious Banquet Chicken Company. I know we were living on the wild side with that beef...

Hubby went to the store to buy a second box, some cheddar cheese and some salad. The kids devoured the beef tips in record time and only nibbled at the Chardonnay Cheese Bread I made. We dined in opposite proportions. The bread was incredible, especially paired with that glass of wine!

The kids ran off to play for about 15 minutes and reappeared for more food. Off to play, more food, more play, more food...

Is it just boys???

We all settled into bed about 11:00 p.m. The three young men decided to sleep in the living room, just outside our bedroom door, rather than the downstairs family room. For the first fifteen minutes my husband and I were treated to an at-length discussion of farting and food, interrupted periodically with hysterical giggling. A brief rumble ensued with much more giggling and just when I was ready to get up to ask them to settle down, they became suddenly quiet and we heard not from them again.

I remembered I had this picture of the same three dudes from this last spring.

Oh, to be nine again!

100,000 People gather in St. Louis

2008-10-18T15:32:00.001-05:00

Wow! That's what he said... I say, Wow, too. This photo was taken from a vantage point under the Gateway Arch with the Mississippi River behind and downtown St. Louis in front. An estimated 100,000 people gathered in my home town to hear Obama speak. I wish I had been one of them.

That Just Right Piece of Furniture

2008-10-13T08:30:00.000-05:00

This house of ours had a deep, painful void. A place of emptiness... cold, vast and unpleasant. Yes, that's the only way to describe it! Oh, not really, but it makes the story more interesting, don't you think?

In our eating area of the kitchen, we had a wall with a nothingness quality to it. We tried to fill it with plants and then commenced to ignore it's unfinished appearance. We looked for just the right hutch for more than two years. Who knew it could be so difficult to find the right piece of furniture! What we found was either of the wrong style or, more often, the wrong price range. You know that range...way too much!

I had a little time recently and secreted myself away to Topeka and I saw her. At first my mind could not, would not register what I was seeing! There she was and she was perfect. She was newly made in an old style using salvaged wood. So she has a comfortable, well-used patina. I fell deeply in love with her...now what would my husband think?

To my deep satisfaction he loved her, too. At least he humored me with, "yes, honey, it's perfect". I know he cares for her about as much as our cats. So we bought her and pulled our previously readied van around back. To my frustration we found that only her bottom would fit in the van. I know usually it's the bottom that has trouble squeezing in, but you see, she's very tall. We explained we would return with a truck. With one last look, we said goodbye and promised to return as soon as possible.

If she had known the state of her chariot, she may not have agreed to come home with us. Our truck is a classic, a 1975 Ford that was once used to deliver monuments to the local cemeteries. It must have had a life before stone deliveries that involved emergencies judging from the light on top?!?

It's not safe to drive this particular truck more than 55 miles an hour, but we were in no hurry. My boys refuse to ride in it anywhere beyond town for fear a door will fall off. We brushed all this aside because our hutch needs to come home.

A moment to talk about the store where we found this hutch: Gallery Classics. It's a wonderful store filled with Belgian antiques and all manner of gorgeous house decorating accessories. If you are in Topeka or even the state of Kansas, you may want to stop in at this store. I know it's not the first time I've told you to drive for hours for something, but if you've taken my advice and had some Ted Drewes custard, you'll be loading up this weekend to visit Gallery Classics. I just know it!

We gently laid her better half in the truck, carefully strapped her in and headed home. We nearly killed me carrying her into the house. I'm kind of a wimp when it comes to carrying furniture, even though my incredibly patient husband has the heavy end.

Once we got her positioned, we stood back and thought...just right. It will probably take years to fill her shelves, but that's ok, as I imagine the collection of keepsakes will eventually tell our family story.

"Honey, about those curtains."

I think I heard groaning.

Happy Friday!

2008-10-10T07:55:00.000-05:00

With all the seemingly never-ending rotten news of the economy, what we need is a little sunshine and beauty! Thank heavens for the spectacular weather of the last few weeks. It's been alternating between mild, sunny, breezy days and days of soft, steady rain. A few days of howling wind have made an appearance, too, but overall it's been lovely. My husband and I are starting to think we have been magically transported to a resort town.

Shhh... please don't tell this profusion of flowers it's darn near the middle of October!

And what of these beauties...they've been fooled into thinking it's still August.

Those tall grasses! They're just too smart, spurting out their fall seed pods. Yet they are unmistakably retaining a summery green glow.

We had dinner on the screened porch a night ago and yes, this morning is gorgeous. This weather is what I'm talking about! I hope you have it, too. Happy Friday, everyone!

Comfort Food Season - A recipe for that last Garden Zucchini

2008-10-09T08:30:00.000-05:00

I love comfort food! That sentence has many, many, many meanings. Your comfort food is probably different from mine. It's most certainly in the mind of the beholder. I suppose the concept can be taken too far. Having a special treat every once in a while to say "job well done", "I'm glad that's over" or "that cranberry-spice scone sounds soooo good" is ok. I sure hope so 'cause that's the conversation I had with myself yesterday before I ate the scone from Bluestem Coffee House following my test. To use food to comfort ourselves daily or fill a void may not be wise. I suppose what we select is important, too. A pound of fudge, five candy bars or whole bag of chips... probably not-so-good. Anyway, back to loving comfort food...

You may have noticed a trend in my cooking...lots of pasta, red sauce and fresh ingredients (where possible). It's because these foods are comforting to me. Strange, I know. They come warm out of the skillet or the oven (in the case of the dish below), they taste great, they're filling and they're healthy. I can't help it...knowing I'm responsible for feeding the four men in my house leads me to spend a lot of time trying to find healthy, tasty foods.

Some of my garden plants this summer were teeny, tiny compared with normal growth. My zucchini plant was one and it didn't produce any harvestable veggies until the very end of the season. After sauteing a couple and a few chilly nights, it was time for some comfort food!

Pasta Bake with Zuccini

1 16 oz. box of Ziti, Mostociolli or Penne (I only use about 3/4 a box)

1 lb. ground beef

Red Sauce (in a hurry, Newman's Own Basil and Tomato is delish)

4-6 oz. Mozzarella Cheese

1/4 cup Parmesian Cheese

A Zucchini, chopped (size based on how well your family likes zucchini, my theory is smaller is less noticeable...)

Start your pasta a-cookin'. As you can see I throw in whatever I've got.

While the pasta is cooking, brown the ground beef, pour off the grease and add your tomato sauce. Spice her up if you like. Add your zucchini for a minute or two, just to soften. The zucchini will finish cooking in the oven.

Mix the sauce together with your noodles.

Dump the whole she-bang into a casserole dish.

Shread some mozzeralla over the top and sprinkle with Parmesian. Cover with foil and pop in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until slightly bubbly and serve. Yummmmm-O.

Now that's comfort food!

On Being a Woman

2008-10-07T13:29:00.005-05:00

I was sharing with a friend the other day how it seems at times my tendency towards absent-mindedness and being a scatter-brain rises to epic proportions. She explained that she read somewhere or other that as our hormones bottom out each month before, well, it has many names, I call it my monthly "friend", the female mind has a hard time putting two thoughts together.

It's possibly a hormonal imbalance??? I'm so relieved. I was beginning to think I had early brain atrophy. As I've mentioned before I'm taking some classes at a nearby college and I've been studying for a midterm. I read a practice problem, calculate the answer and check to see if I'm right. My forehead is beginning to hurt from thunking it down on the table after each wrong answer. In almost every case, my reasoning has gone haywire and I've left out a step or two.

Well, that dreaded end of the monthly cycle has passed, so I'm hoping my hormones and my brain power are on the upswing... and fast. My test is tomorrow. Please root for me gals (and guys)!

William Allen White Children's Book Awards Celebration

2008-10-05T21:11:00.005-05:00

On a crisp, clear October morning a sea of little urchins waited patiently to climb aboard two yellow buses. 64 urchins and 20 grown-ups to be exact. Where were they going? On an adventure to learn about the 2008 William Allen White Award winning authors. The yellow cruisers bumped and bounced into Emporia State University just after 9:00 a.m. The kids flowed out and joined children from around the state.

As they waited to have their newly purchased books signed by the authors, the young (and old) ones met a variety of creatures. Fascination filled their eyes as they reached out to touch an armadillo, snake and iguana.

After lunch a little time to play outside gave way to lining up for a parade.

A parade filled with chants of books, novels and reading.

The merry group walked down the mainstreet of Emporia to the auditorium where the honored authors would speak. Speak they did. Weaving tales of childhood days curled up with wonderful books, early attempts at writing and finally success. The authors added stories of the "real" people, animals and places that inspired the books they've written.

Winner 3rd-5th Grade

A Dog's Life

by Ann M. Martin

6th-8th Grade Winner

Airball: My Life in Briefs

by Lisa D. Harkrader

*A huge KU fan who lives in Tongonoxie.

What did these now weary creatures think over as they returned home on the great yellow buses. Reading can wrap you in an enchanting story - I hope. Writing may allow you to invent interesting characters, develop captivating stories and express yourself - for some. Going on a field trip, shouting one's lungs out with great chants, running at full speed to avoid being tagged and getting to drink soda is a blast - possibly every single one.

2008-2009 Nominees

The First Days of Fall

2008-10-02T10:15:00.000-05:00

Last night the thermometer dipped into the 30s. No denying it now, the seasons are a-changin'. We've had a month of what my husband and I have been calling "resort weather". High in 70-80s, low in th 50-60s. Pure heaven. It's funny though how living in the midwest, with it's distinct seasons, leaves you restless if one goes on a little too long. Here's a sweet adieu to summer.

With much anticipation we put in a vegetable garden complete with raised beds and a wind-blocking wall. We've marveled all summer at the bounty.

The first signs of warm weather brought out the neighborhood buddies to wrestle around.

An early season basketball game got the boys fired up.

More fun was had this summer in the canoe on the backyard pond. Not only this hual of fish, but swimming, splashing and general mayhem. Oh, and how could I forget...the leeches!

It was a summer of learning with Oldest and Middleman mastering kneeboarding. Youngest also jumped into the fray fighting for his next turn on the tube.

Aaaah! The evenings of baseball have now been replaced with evenings of football. I have a deep appreciation for baseball's non-contact element. It's also noteworthy, in that it's reminiscent of my youth, when I frequently attended Cardinal Baseball games in St. Louis. Now, it's my boys playing which beats watching the pros ANY day.

We enjoyed watching our nephew, Marshall, play Lacrosse. Youngest longingly watched and wished to move in with his cousins so he, too, could play.

As for me and enjoying a summer evening with my girlfriends, no worries there, we'll just move those antics right inside!

How can we not enjoy the dog days of summer??? However, in the meantime, we turn our attention to those unique cold weather activities that conjure memories, comfort and fun. For me, it's making hearty foods like soups and stews, and anything requiring the use of the toasty oven. It's fires in the fireplace. It's seed catalogs in January and of course, the holidays and all the tradition and...craziness that goes along. Summer, until we meet again...

The Legend of the Piasa Bird

2008-09-30T11:00:00.001-05:00

As a child, I knew when traveling on the Great River Road just the right time to look for the Piasa Bird. At that time it was about halfway up the road to my aunt's house. It was painted high up on the cliff wall - a famed, colorful, scary birdlike beast!

The Piasa Bird is now closer to Alton and resides on the cliffs above the Indian Caves, at least that's what we always called them. My father investigated those caves as a boy.

Now they are fenced off for safety.

The great bird has been repainted above the caves and a sign tells of it's legend. An explorer, Jacques Marguette, in 1673, discovered a painting of two "water monsters" on the bluffs of the Mississippi River.

Later in 1836, John Russell, a novelist, wrote about a legendary dragon-like creature the Piasa, "the bird that devours men."

Devours men? Oh, dear. Women? Children??? The original paintings were Native American. What led to the telling of this story? Was it passed down through the generations? Surely the story of the creature was greatly enhanced through time? Wasn't it??? Is there a kernal of truth? It's what makes seeing the bird depiction so interesting and why so many people stop to investigate.

Just to Say Hello

2008-09-30T08:27:00.004-05:00

Hello Everyone,
Just a quick note. I didn't intend to take a break from blogging. The other parts of my life became very, very busy. I was working on my part of the preparation for a fund-raising carnival at Youngest's school. I was also trying to scale the side of a mountain of homework for my two math classes. Keeping my house together, my kid's fed and my kid's at the right locations for practices and games had not been forgotten. And...I have become fascinated with the...ok, I'm going to confess...the news! I've been a real news junky these last two weeks. If I turn on my computer, I check the latest polls, read the headline articles and check on various political blogs. I've watched CNN more in the last month than I believe in my whole lifetime. It's been captivating, interesting and at times, frustrating. So there you have it. Sorry to be out of touch and I hope to have a new story for you soon.

The Great River Road

2008-09-22T08:00:00.001-05:00

Over the Labor Day weekend, my husband, my kids and I traveled to St. Louis to visit my family. On Saturday, we loaded up a crew: grandpa, aunt Pam, us and two cousins, Marshall and Ellie.

We drove to Alton just across the Mississippi River on the Illinois side. My parents were both born and raised in the neighboring town of Wood River, Illinois and two of my aunts lived on the north edge of Alton up The Great River Road.

The River Road has many family stories woven into it's path. It is also well-known for the bike trail that follows the road north through many quaint, little towns.

As a child we drove the river road many times each year on the way to my aunt's homes up beyond the cliffs. This day we picked up my father's sister, Jean and headed up the road to Grafton, Illinois. Along the way we passed the turn-off to Piasa Creek where my grandfather had built a fishing cabin with his father. Many 4th of July's were spent at that cabin.

In Grafton, we ate lunch at the Finn Inn, which has a unique atmosphere...

All sorts of Mississippi River fish keep you company in large tanks at the end of the booths. We devoured fried catfish and buffalo, corn fritters and fries. Yummo, as long as you could keep your mind off your cholesterol level.

Don't they look full and happy?!?!

You may have heard of Grafton this summer, when it flooded. This isn't the first flood for Grafton, yet it's unique setting keeps it's residents determined to stay. So determined many of the homes and businesses are built on stilts.

Grafton has grown significantly since my more youthful days. This lighthouse is new as are many restaurants, and art and antiques shops. With it's proximity to St. Louis, the beautiful drive to reach it, the curious shops and wonderful food, Grafton has become a popular destination town. For me it remains woven into my memories. I so enjoyed taking my kids there.

I have a few more stories for from this trip: the legend of the Piasa Bird and the Geode Man. Coming soon.

The Parking Lot

2008-09-19T11:16:00.009-05:00

As most of you know, I'm a student these days. I've returned to Kansas State University to earn a second degree in Education. It's my hope to be a high school math teacher. Going back to school at 40-something is an unusual experience. My perspective is clearly very different than the typical college student's. First I cry as I write my tuition check and then am neurotically determined to earn straight As.

K-State calls me a non-traditional student. I beg your parden. I guess that's better than over-achieving nutjob. Anyway, as a non-traditional student, I do not live on campus or even in the same town for that matter. I need to drive to campus on school days and do the Parking Lot Sit. The Sit is an activity involving positioning your car at the end of one of the rows of parked cars and waiting. When someone walks to his or her car to leave, the person waiting the longest puts on a blinker and creeps toward the space. This signals to all the other Sitters that this spot will be taken...BY ME. Back off. I know Judo and could hurt you. It can become exceptionally tense.

It's very thrilling to Sit and as those who know me well understand, I don't do waiting very well. I much prefer to be just on time...well, ok... I'm usually a little late. Being a little late just does not work when you need a coveted parking space. So I arrive early and... I wait.

I observe many things as I wait...the young student driving the brand new Suburban or the cute blonde in the Jaguar??? I also grit my teeth at the students who choose to not do the Sit, but instead troll the lanes, driving up and down hoping to see someone starting his or her car. These rude co-eds then try to jump their car into the space before the students who have been patiently waiting. Grrrr.

Today I saw a girl that just made me giggle. This morning's weather was lovely and as I Sat I turned off my engine (no adding to global warming when it's not necessary) and waited with my window down. I began to hear a periodic soft chirp. Hmmm. I then saw a girl wandering around in the parking lot scanning for her car. As she got closer I couldn't help but chuckle. When she finally discovered her car, a wide, relieved smile spread across her face. I can get away with giggling, oh, yes, I can. You see I'm that girl quite regularly.

at the ball diamonds...

at the grocery store...

at Target...

at the Mall.

A Beautiful Morning

2008-09-17T07:42:00.005-05:00

It was a cool, peaceful, misty morning,

tinged with the smell of...

skunk!

Oh, am I glad the dogs sleep inside!

My Boys Enjoyed Clothing Shopping - I Think Not!

2008-09-15T17:30:00.000-05:00

I've entered the Twilight Zone, when it comes to keeping clothes on the backs of my boys. It's a strange and eery place for a girl like me who begged and begged her mother for clothes. I'm a gal who enjoys shopping, not in a neurotic way, I just enjoy acquiring the essential items.

My boys detest clothes shopping. They will shoe shop any day of the week, but mention clothes and, oh boy, you will witness every form of resistance. If you find a way to get them to go, they don't like to look at the clothes, they don't like to tell you which they like, and they definitely don't like to try on the clothes...and about this time a mother's brain begins to melt.

In years past, this refusal to shop was not a problem. I would shop for them and they would wear the clothes. Something has taken hold of these boys. They will no longer grab just ANYTHING to pull over their heads and onto their legs. They have become selective...AWARE.

So what's a mother to do? It's a truly bizarre dilemma. I'm still begging. Now I beg MY CHILDREN to go shopping with me! To accomplish this I've first, laid down the law: an outfit is worn for only one day. You'll have to trust me when I say one day is MORE than enough. Next, I have explained that if they do not go, they will have to wear last year's jeans when it gets cold, even if said jeans are three or four inches too short. Finally, I was simply forced to explain to them they will need to wear what I select for them NO MATTER WHAT, if they refuse to shop!

They agreed to go yesterday! To my great fortune, their father was home and in a moment of weakness, he agreed to go, too! As we entered the mall, my hands began to sweat and my heart to pound. Would I leave this mall with my sanity? I tried a strategy designed to make it easier on both my husband and me. "I will take Youngest (the child who needed the most clothing) with me and you take Middleman and Oldest to the store they like and we will meet." The ole' "divide and conquer" strategy.

Youngest seemed to like this approach. When we arrived at the store, I began by asking him of the shirts in a particular display which color combo did he like best. He pointed. I quickly grabbed his size. Onto the next grouping. Same approach, same result. Whew, this was going well. Jeans...dreaded jeans. Who knew a slight color variation could be so upsetting to pre-teen and teenage boys? A stroke of luck, however. All the jeans displayed were very close in color...grabbed a few sizes and we headed for the fitting rooms. Youngest was beyond cooperative!!! We left the store with some new clothes that he liked AND agreed to wear!

We met the rest of the crew and found they also were successful...a pair of jeans for each boy. We were able to work Oldest into selecting a shirt and some boxers (sorry son, I have inadvertantly revealed your boxer/brief preference). I may have learned the most valuable lesson of all today. The time to go shoe shopping is when only one child needs one pair of shoes... ha ha ha, that happens a lot, hee hee hee ho ho ho...like almost never! Picking up that one pair was amazingly easy. We made it out of the mall alive.

My plan is too study what we bought today very, very carefully. When it is time for the boys to have more than one pair of jeans that fits, I will go to the mall ALONE and buy EXACT duplicates. By then they will probably prefer some variation... refuse to wear them... and I will check myself into the local mental facility.

The Besto Pesto

2008-09-12T08:00:00.001-05:00

Do you have a coffee group? Having coffee with your friends involves the sharing of great wisdom, not to mention laughs. Occasionally, gifts!

At this morning's coffee, Sarah brought me this wad of fragrant Basil from her garden.

I threw in the basil I had left in my garden and the pesto making began in earnest.

Basil Pesto
2 cups basil leaves, packed down
1/3 cup pinenuts
1/4 cup parmesian cheese
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

If the pinenuts are not chopped, place in food processor and pulse to chop. Add cheese, garlic, salt and pepper and 1/2 the basil. Pulse. Add the rest of the basil. Pour oil in with processor running until it forms a spread.

Refrigerate and use within several days or freeze and use within 3 months.

I broke out the Quisinart, which was a wedding gift from my in-laws. They've tried for years to convince me to keep it on my counter, but the only appliance that has been a fixture is my husband's coffeemaker. But y'know, they may be on to something... ideas bounced around in my head as I processed. Pizza dough may be next.

When Marjory learned that I wanted to freeze the Pesto, she suggested freezing it in an ice cube tray. Once it's frozen, pop out the cubes and place in a freezer bag. I will then have go-to Pesto for soups and sauces, or I can use several cubes with pasta. Brilliant! I have to admit to having a hard time putting that tray in the freezer after hearing the dishes the gals prepare with Pesto, but I did it. My plan is to pull some cubes out in the deep, dead, cold of winter.

A Garden Tour at My Sister's

2008-09-10T22:00:00.001-05:00

My sister, Pam, loves gardening and a few years ago completed the Master Gardener program in Indiana. She now lives in St. Louis and has been transforming the yard of her new home. It is gorgeeeous, simply gorgeous!

This little bed greets you as you drive up. It's at the front edge of the yard telling you there's more beauty to see.

Pam has been working inside and outside on making her new house an inviting, beautiful, refreshing home. She added a picture window to her family room looking out over the back yard and here's what you see.

Walk out onto the patio and this burst of color and texture grabs your attention.

As you stroll into the backyard, you're greated with all kinds of lovely plantings. The mulch she uses is this new stuff called "Black Gold". It's not oily, I swear! It's like a black peat moss or rich, dark soil. Only it's magical, because she says it stays in place and seems to control the weeds better than traditional bark mulch.

Look at this...those weepy, bushes that are really trees are just too cool!

Do you see that bush in the back with the fushcia flowers? That little number has caught the eye of my husband. He wants to plant them here in Kansas.

They are Crepe Myrtle (with my poor spelling I first typed Crape Myrtle...drop the first e...now there's a plant you want in your yard - ha). I've been asking around and what I've learned is they are a little tempermental here... a little too windy and a little too cold in the winter. They will grow here, but every few years they decide they are perennials instead of bushes and die back to the ground. We can live with that, 'cause you need to keep the guy who does all the heavy lifting very, very happy! If he wants some Crepe Myrtle, he's getting some!

Touring gardens is inspiring, with different plant varieties to investigate. How it's all put together, for me, is the most intriguing part. Pam has that gift. She is able to group plants in ways that make a whole garden bed interesting and beautiful. I love watching her gardens evolve and am currently plotting a way to extract her creative genes and inject them into me...we are sisters, so it should work!

Ralph Waldo Emerson Wrote It and Kevin Lives It

2008-09-07T17:00:00.000-05:00

My cousin, Joy, on my father's side, has one daughter and identical-twin sons. One of these sons, Kevin, headed to New York City when he finished college. You might think to find fame as an actor on broadway or fortune working on Wall Street, but he endeavors at something significantly more important.

Here's Kevin with my Mom in October of 2007.

Kevin first worked at a long-term intensive residential drug and alcohol rehab facility for prison-involved men. Now he serves as Assistant Director of Palladia Inc.'s. Dreitzer Women's and Children's Program (http://www.palladiainc.org/). Kevin emailed his family and friends explaining that the facility is a 26 bed long term intensive residential drug and alcohol rehab for single women. These women have been in prison, homeless, and have chronic substance abuse and psychiatric issues. They move into the facility with their very young children ages 0-4. He added that Dreitzer is an exceptionally pioneering and innovative program that offers women the rare opportunity to receive intensive treatment while also living with and caring for their children. Sadly, there continues to only be a handful of such programs in the country despite the growing need for them.

What a remarkable young man!

At the end of his emails, Kevin includes the following quote that truly embodies the person he is and offers inspiration.

-- "To laugh often and much, to win the respect of the intelligent and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, to redeem a social condition, to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

I've Got a Secret...about Frozen Custard

2008-09-05T11:00:00.000-05:00

I've got a secret, well...ok...not really, especially if you live in St. Louis! I know the location of the best frozen custard in this here small world.

Ted Drewes

Ted started his business many, many moons ago. Before a few folks discovered his luscious, rich, unforgetable treat, he operated out of a tiny building, like a little shed, during the summer and then in the winter he used his parking lot to sell Christmas trees.

When you have something truly special word travels...and travels and travels. Fast forward to today and a trip to Ted Drewes (worked into all of our St. Louis visits) greets you with this...

You know what I really love? Ted won't franchise! I bet he's been asked about a gazillion times, too! He did have some of his products in local grocery stores at one time, but mainly he sticks with his two locations - the original on Chippewa and a second on Grand Ave.

The base recipe is guarded in a vault, I imagine. The add-in list and speciality concretes are listed on a big board on the side of the building. My sister had Tirimizzou, a nod to her alma mater the University of Missouri. The kids had a variety...chocolate to snickers. As for me, I had my all time favorite: Chocolate Chip. I know what you are thinking...she traveled all that way and she had Chocolate Chip!!! You'll have to trust me on this one...it's the closest thing to nirvana that I've found. They take chocolate syrup and swirl it into the custard. The chocolate freezes ever so slightly and melts in your mouth releasing waves of chocolate goodness.

So...on your next visit to St. Louis or if you're within one, maybe two...no I'm thinkin' three hours of St. Luois, head straight to Ted Drewes on Chippewa Road. Tell them Jenny sent you. It won't actually get you anything... except maybe a strange look.

Guess Who Turned...Another Year Older?

2008-09-03T15:34:00.009-05:00

My Dad!

His birthday falls around Labor Day, which gave us a great opportunity to travel to St. Louis to all gather and celebrate.

My sister is a truly talented cook and she prepared an incredible meal including Grilled Beef Tenderloin, Garden Salad, Risotto, Roasted Potatoes and Fruit Salad. Following the meal we anxiously awaited dessert of Chocolate Layer Cake and Blackberry Cobbler. One of my Dad's favorites is Blackberry Cobbler and I tried a new recipe that far surpassed my expectations.

Time came to blow out some birthday candles.

"Uhhh...could I get a little help here?"

"Hmmm...some more help, please. Does anyone have a bucket of water...a fire hose?" Oh, my sneaky sister! My brother finally got those perpetual lighting wax sticks out with a glass of water.

We enjoyed the lovely evening on my sister's patio and then gathered for more conversation in the living room.

Don't kids usually last longer than the adults...

Happy Birthday, Dad! We look forward to many more.

I Just Love My Landscaping

2008-08-26T12:45:00.015-05:00

While planning our new house, my mind often wandered to landscaping. Visions of the Missouri Botanical Gardens in my home city floated in my mind...then I would come crashing back to reality. Reducing our utility bills with shrubs and trees probably should have come to mind, as this side benefit becomes more important all the time. My thoughts, however, were of blending the sharp edges of the house into the countryside and of shifting an open field into a beautiful, shady retreat.

White Hydrangea

Last fall, we worked as a family tackling our first project, the front landscaping, with two willing participants and three forced-labor children. The first job, unloading a truckload of composted manure...a shovelful at a time, was not terribly popular.

Moonbeam Coreopsis

Next up, spreading a truckload of mulch, which we purchased at Hardwoods, Inc. in Belvue, Kansas. We have a very old truck that we took over and had them fill for a couple of nickels. Well, a few more than a couple, but it was very inexpensive. Again, we all grabbed shovels and blanketed the area with fragrant cidar mulch.

Pink Blushing Knockout Rose

The final step was, of course, my favorite part, digging the holes for the plants that had been delivered by Master Landscaping of Manhattan. Jill at Master Landscaping drew our design taking our ideas and giving them a lovely polish.

Little Princess Spirea (in front), Royal Star Magnolia (on the end)

When we built the house, we decided a sprinkler system was more important than a refrigerator or windows. Even so we still wavered back and forth because of the expense. I'm pleased to say we have all three. So after planting, the hubby re-adjusted the sprinkler system to water the new plantings and we sat back to watch. (sat back...ha ha ha...more accurately, we were freed to work on something else).

The front landscape has many purposes...

Prairie Fire Crabapple with Veronica all around

Not only beauty, but a park for the animals...

an extra run space for our basketball playing boys.

... and for us, landscaping is a relaxation opportunity...strolling to take in the bursting blooms, pulling a few weeds and breathing in the fresh air.

The Great Wall

2008-08-26T09:33:00.012-05:00

We had a bit of a drainage problem after the house was completed, so earlier this spring we had the handy-dandy, earth-mover man come and re-work our driveway.

As an added bonus, his work created a place where we needed a rock retaining wall. In my imagination, this wall would offer endless landscaping opportunities... or at the very least add some interest to the front yard. The only downside is most of my outside "images" involve work for the husband. Fortunately on this one he didn't seem to mind.

We headed down to the local stone yard and selected a tumbled limestone called Dover Shell. This stack was delivered Saturday morning.

After the rain stopped and the area dried up enough, Bart got busy on this weekender project. He measured, dug, selected, hauled and leveled. Repeat, repeat, repeat!

As I watched and took photos I could feel some words bubbling up and pushing to get out..."would you like some help?"

"Sure".

My job was backfilling behind the stones. I felt a compulsive need to try to separate as much dirt as possible from the gravel. ho ho hee hee...I'm afraid, I wasn't much help.

About as much as the cats....

...who had a compulsive need to walk the wall.

The hubby finished up on Sunday evening.

Isn't it cool???

A Summer Lunch?

2008-08-25T08:00:00.003-05:00

My friend, The Country Doctor's Wife is truly a fountain of wisdom, especially on matters of customer service, family relations and cuisine. I have no doubt that the new editions of Emily Post and Rachel Ray will carry numerous quotes from her blog. So when she paired two garden favorites together for lunch the other day, I followed suit.

After all, this spring I dove into the gardening world once again with an unparalleled enthusaism - reading organic gardening books and magazines, and dirting my hands whenever possible. I've studied and tried mouthwatering recipes based on homegrown vegetables and fruits, and have worked to bring more cooked-from-scratch meals into our home. As called for in the recipe, I have fresh homegrown tomatoes and cucumbers.

Aren't they lovely?

Something, however, went seems to have gone wrong. I've made a big mistake in following the recipe and I'd better consult CDW on this mishap.

Some pizza rolls showed up on a plate...

...my plate!

Just Wondering

2008-08-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

How do you convincingly explain to a boy that socks were not meant to be disposable?

Playing Student at Back to School Night

2008-08-22T12:00:00.000-05:00

Last night was Back to School Night at the Middle School for Middleman. It started with a free hot dog dinner... if you serve free food, they will come. I pitched in a little in the meal prep and geez, that time was priceless. Lots of sage advice on handling teenagers flew around during the assembly line work. Thanks, ladies.

Following the meal and a welcome from the principal, the students with parents in tow completed a super-shortened school day. A bell rang and we headed for the first class...gym. The gym teachers worked hard to fill the 8 minutes and warned we may have to fill the extra time by running laps...huh? Isn't this pretend school? All concentration was lost as I imagined us old-fogies hoofing around the gym... thankfully the bell rang... onto the next class.

We moved through Middleman's schedule, sitting at his desk and glimpsing his view for a few moments. We heard the philosophy, guidelines and expectations of each of his teachers...got to size them up. They gave us varying ways to contact them and were quite sincere in their desire for us to use them. I couldn't help but be impressed by the number of teachers who off-handedly expressed a love for their subject! Their pleasure at starting a new year was leaking out everywhere. It was contagious. I even appreciated hearing the "new" late work policy - the third "new" late work policy in three years. They were not ashamed of improving it and working to pull the best out of the students. Not even a hint of a "this is the way it's always been done" attitude. I liked that.

We also gained an understanding of the amount of energy consumed by our son each day. He needs to hike from one end of the building and back no less than five times a day. Doesn't leave much time for socializing, daggumit! Must be why he loves getting to school early and eating lunch.

The demands on Middleman's time, energy and attention are great. Back to School Night helped me know caring people are in the building, willing to help...gives a Mom great comfort. It's going to be a good year!

One of Our Own Earns Prestigious Award

2008-08-21T08:44:00.011-05:00

Brook, Greg, Piper, Brett and Maddox

As many of you know, our brother-in-law, Greg, has served in the military for his entire career. He has earned many promotions and honors, including his most recent promotion to major. As a career military person, Greg volunteered to deploy to Afghanistan. Last July, he traveled to the southern region of Afghanistan very near the Pakistan border...not a safe place. He remained for almost a year, returning in April to a very happy family.

We learned yesterday that he has been awarded the Bronze Star. This medal may be "awarded to any person who, while serving in any capacity with the Armed Forces of the United States, distinguishes himself by heroic or meritorious achievement or service." This is a great honor and one that we are not surprised Greg has earned. He is a man of high character, courage and innate leadership ability.

Congratulations, Greg! Thank you for devoting your life to serving our country.

P.S. If you decide to deploy again, voluntarily, we may have to hurt you ourselves... xoxo

A Cow in the Backyard

2008-08-19T10:15:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, I had coffee with my neighbor and she casually mentioned to me that she was thinking of getting a cow...maybe, two cows. These would not be pets. They would be cows for eating. The neighbor on the other side of her has wanted to do this as well and they have been toying with where to put fencing and exactly how this would all work. She visited with a knowledgeable farmer from our church, who mentioned that we (here's where we come into the picture) have some nice brome grass on our field back by her barn. Cows really like brome grass, she explained. Maybe we would be interested in a side of beef?

Ah...

Well...

Stutter, spit, choke...

You better let me think about it...

At the dinner table last night I brought up the subject.

My husband's response, "Excuse me...???"

My oldest's response, a silent, you've-completely-lost-your-mind stare.

My middleman's response, "We're going to have a cow in the backyard and then EAT it?" Earlier this summer, one of my kids said that the potatoes we had dug from the garden were gross because they were so dirty. We have become a bit removed from "the how" of our food reaching the table.

My youngest's response, "I think we need a leapord or a lion in the back pasture, not a cow."

After the idea sunk in for a while, and brains whirled about the workings and meanings of such a quest, the thought of raising our own hormone-free, pasture-feed beef seemed to take on a bit of acceptance. I just mowed that field over the weekend and coincidently kept thinking surely there's something interesting we can do with this pasture...

Family Reunion - Part 2

2008-08-18T08:30:00.004-05:00

Did anyone tell, notify, alert...uh, warn, the wonderful people at Marion Lake that our family was coming?

This was Reunion Command Central...the location of the food, the air-conditioning and the weather-wimps (just kidding Boppa (Jess) - 100 degrees outside, yummy food and drink inside - I'd say you were the wise one).

As I mentioned in Family Reunion Part 1, one fascinating aspect of reunions are all of the pictures and stories that are shared. We all enjoyed reviewing and discussing the pictures.

Let's talk a moment about food, shall we? Is it possible for two or more people to gather without an overabundance of food? I think not! One of the reunion traditions I enjoy are the family recipes. Here, Nana and Brook are making Momo's biscuits. We also had Momo's fruit salad and Tutti Fruiti Ice Cream.

Need I say more???

Well, maybe a little more...we had two additional delicacies that were beyond compare! One was the fried fish dinner, which is also a reunion tradition. John catches the fish at area lakes and then uses his special recipe batter and cooking method to make us all drool, fawn and beg him for more. Here he is between his two brothers, Ken and Brent.

Susie showed us how to make a special Swedish dessert, Osta Koka with Lindenberry Jam. It was wonderful and tasted like a custard or thick pudding with a sweet, tangy topping.

Taste aside, the real fun was making it.

The day was steamy and the lake was inviting. Jarod was the hero of the day, he took all who were up for a ride out on the boat.

Jarod pulled my boys around for a little kneeboarding. Later others went skiing and just for a ride.

Later in the afternoon, Jennifer and Susie demonstrated an ancient family tribal dance with Maddox as the upside down princess.

Here's the whole gang. Aren't we gorgeous??? *You may click on the picture to see a larger version.

Thank you, Susie, for all your work planning this year's reunion. The lake is an undiscovered jewel, the food was, as always, wonderful and the time spent together, priceless. See you all in 2010! Did I hear Maine? Wyoming?

A Freshman. Already?

2008-08-14T10:38:00.004-05:00

Oh, mercy! Another milestone. My oldest son left this morning for his first day of high school! High school!!!

For years parents of older children have advised appreciating every moment as it goes by so quickly. I have smiled and nodded thinking they were overdramatic and sentimental. After all we are talking about 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for fourteen years!

At times over the years I have to admit to thinking, "oh, when they are grown up and we have the house to ourselves, we will...", especially when the boys fight incessantly over a game, track yet another pound of mud into the house, or dirty every dish we own.

But somehow those words would echo in my mind..."it goes by so fast". I would think to myself, don't wish this time away, just round 'em up and get them washing dishes. Ha! ...or sit and listen to their stories.. ...or watch them puzzle out a problem. ...or marvel at the 7th-8th grade growth spurt. ...or enjoy another sporting event.

Fumbling with the camera and a deluge of emotions, I watched him walk away. He's so ready for more challenges, more learning, more life. Am I ready? Yes, I think I am. I'm so proud of the young man he's become and am anxious to see him tackle, sometimes fall and get up again in all things high school. Go for it, Oldest!

*Incidently, those girls saw me lift the camera and teased him, so I'm in big trouble when he gets home!

Family Reunion - Part 1

2008-08-12T20:30:00.001-05:00

There's something special about this couple. It's not just that they are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary in this picture. It's also not that this man was a Kansas State Representative from 1939 to 1946, which is interesting to me since I come from a politically active family. What's special is these people are my husband's grandparents.

My mother-in-law, Lauranell, stands on the left next to her father, mother, sister, Ramona and sister, Elna. Her brothers, Kenneth and Pete are in the back.

My mother-in-law's family has hosted bi-annual family re-unions for many years.

This reunion photo is from approximately 1955. My father-in-law is on the right in the back row and my mother-in-law is to the left of him holding my husband's oldest sister, Brynn.

Since marrying my husband, I have the pleasure of attending these events. We have traveled to Maine, Colorado, southern Kansas, Kansas City and across town (to my mother-in-law's house). One of the intriguing parts of these gatherings are the old pictures and many stories that are shared. Much talk of the original family home takes place.

This beautiful house was designed by my husband's grandmother and was built in 1910 for $10,000. The house and family farm were located in the sweeping Blue River Valley that is largely under Tuttle Creek Lake today. The main reason my husband's grandfather ran for office was to forestall and hopefully eliminate the plans to build the Tuttle Creek Dam. The project was postponed for many years, but in the end the periodic flooding in the area along with significant flooding in 1951 made the construction of the dam inevitable.

An attempt was made to move the house, but it failed when teenagers, I'd like to think, accidently started a fire in an upstairs bedroom as the house stood on girders ready to be transported. The fire quickly consumed the entire house.

Many special pictures and memories are shared at family reunions while new ones are made.

Check back for more on this year's reunion!

Why All The Violence, Batman?

2008-08-10T11:21:00.007-05:00

Raising boys sometimes means disappointing them. My boys will not be seeing the new Batman movie. My husband and I reached this decision by seeing the movie ourselves.

For my husband's birthday, he wanted to go out to dinner and a movie. We dined at Coco Bolo's in Manhattan, Kansas, the most enjoyable time of our evening. We then went to see "The Dark Knight". Why not? All of our boys have asked to see it and the movie has grossed a record-breaking $400 million dollars in just 18 days. Clearly masses of people are watching this movie. We also thought "Batman Begins", a prequel, was a compelling story and our boys have watched it.

I became rather uncomfortable early in the movie. I just could not get past the intense scenes of violence. The Joker, played by Heath Ledger, is particularly sinister with depraved, unpredictable cruelty. Also disturbing was the reaction of a young lady in her 20s sitting next to me in the theater. She frequently laughed, particularly at the dialogue and actions of The Joker. At the end, she jumped up and said, "I loved it"!

The movie was rated PG-13, which covers movies appropriate for children ages 13 through 17. At 17, a movie is branded R, which can be the kiss of death for box office revenue. It appears the Motion Picture Academy felt this movie skidded in at 16 years, 11 months and 30 days. Although an R-rating would have made our lives easier, since my 12 and 14 year-olds expected to be able to see this movie, we didn't hesitate to explain to our boys that they would not be seeing it any time soon. We explained that the dark, cruel nature of the movie was disturbing to us and we didn't want to share it with them.

Wrapping my mind around our society's apparent entertainment by senseless violence is very hard for me. One might say at least it's on the big screen and can be explained away as fiction. It seems to me that I have read a number of articles about desensitizing based on viewed images and copycat crimes based on movies. I'm just uneasy with the thought that we may be entering a historical time when the crowning jewel for movie makers, box office cash, is based on the level of creativity in shocking the audience with new forms of contrived violence. Isn't there enough horrible violence in the world already?

It's my sincerest hope that in our sophisticated world, we will transcend the fascination with guns and weaponry, the need to vanquish "the enemy" and the images of one human beating another to a pulp. A naive thought, maybe, but one I just can't give up on.

Homegrown Veggies = Shrimp and Feta Pasta

2008-08-08T08:30:00.001-05:00

With tomatoes ripening in the garden, I pulled out my husband's favorite recipe, Shrimp and Feta Pasta.

Here's the cast of characters...

Mostaccoili noodles, olive oil, basil, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, tomatoes, green onions, shrimp and feta cheese.

My favorite part comes after simmering the sauce ingredients, tossing it all together and eating it!

This is not a great food picture... When I'm not as pressed for time, I throw in some chopped tomatoes and onions at the very end to enliven the color combo. I'll just ask you to take a leap of faith and try this recipe for yourself.

A note: the green onions, tomatoes, parsley and corn were all from the garden. Can you believe that??? I'm still trying.

Shrimp and Feta Pasta

1 1/2 lbs. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
A sprinkling of lemon juice
6-8 green onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
A smattering of olive oil
3-4 ripe tomotoes, chopped (peeled if you like)
1/2 cup or so of white wine
2 teas. chopped fresh basil (1 teas. dried)
2 tblsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 teas. salt
A dash of pepper
1 cup cubed feta cheese (cubed, not crumbled, I buy a block and cut it up)
1 12 oz. package Mostoccioli or Penne Rigate noodles

Wash and pat shrimp dry and sprinkle with lemon juice.

Start the pasta cooking and cook according to directions for al dente or just tender.

Circle a pan once or twice with olive oil and saute the onions and garlic until tender...a couple of minutes. Add tomatoes, wine, basil, half of the parsley, salt and pepper. Lower heat and simmer about 15 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.

Stir in shrimp and lemon juice. *I sometimes add some reserved tomato and onion at this point for more dazzling color. Cook over medium heat until shrimp turns pink and is slightly firm, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cheese and sprinkle with remaining parsley. Toss shrimp mixture with noodles and serve! De-lish!

Family Fun at The Ozarks

2008-08-06T09:19:00.010-05:00

It was a foggy, mysterious morning... ha. Not really, it was blazing hot and suffocatingly humid, and my camera went into shock and fogged over. Perfect weather for a mini-vacation at the Lake of the Ozarks. No, really! The water is readily available for boating or swimming until you are exhausted and then you can collapse in the air-conditioning of the cabin.

My father has a cabin at the Lake. I was surprised when my brother pointed out that this is the fourteenth summer! As I thought back on those first getaways to the cabin, I remembered my oldest, now fourteen, swinging in a bear swing hung from a branch of a stately oak growing up through the middle of the deck. Yep, fourteen years.

We had the pleasure of traveling to the cabin this past Thursday. We were joined on Friday by my brother, Marty and his family. We did, however, face a few challenges at the beginning and end of this trip. We started with a boat that refused to run and an attack on my sister-in-law of a chigger army and ended with a blown-out tire on I-70 in east KC and lost keys that found their way to the inside bowels of the boat under the engine. I'm pleased to say, we managed to pack some fun into the middle.

The chigger bites may have had something to do with the two furry characters in this photo. Leslie and I were the usual escorts when these girls needed to go outside. She's definitely sweeter than me, as her doctor told her it's the worst case of chigger bites she has ever seen. Itch, scratch, groan...

We have a double-decker dock and the kids love to jump off the top deck... love, love, love it. They endlessly entertained themselves making up different ways to jump. I supervised...well, I read my book and sort of supervised.

Saturday brought boating fun...knee boarding, wake boarding and tubing (in my brother's boat). Saturday evening brought a boat cruise.

Boating is such a wonderful experience.

Not only does it style your hair...

It brings out your children's desire for world peace.

Talk about styling hair.

On Sunday we piled in the boat and traveled to Ha Ha Tonka State Park. On a bluff overlooking the lake, a man built a stone castle for his new bride. As these stories go, the man died before he was ever able to live in the mansion and the house later burned leaving only a partial stone shell. Park visitors may climb 316 steps or follow a meandering path to reach the castle. Bart and I climbed the steps, something we did years ago. Funny how it seemed as though they had added 150 steps and somehow thinned the air.

At the base of the bluffs is a frigid spring. How do I know? My nephew took us all to a spot where the water from the spring rushes by out into the big Lake. The adventure is to jump into this water and float out. Say what??? Not wanting to be a wuss or a sissy, I jumped in. Suppressing a scream as thousands of needles pricked my body, I floated out. Refreshing was how my sister-in-law described it! Refreshing? All the boys jumped in over and over and over...can you explain that to me?

It was a wonderful mini-vacation filled with moments of contemplation...

and silliness...

Thanks, Dad, for having the cabin, taking care of it and letting us come visit!

And Then It Was Gone...

2008-08-05T07:30:00.001-05:00

Just an update on the blackberry pie. We traveled to the Lake of the Ozarks this weekend and took our pie. It survived the ride largely intact except for a little jostling that caused some leaky juices.

The first night my husband and I cut two pieces, warmed them up and slowly ate them. The pie was wonderful! Our mm-mm-mmms got a couple of the kids interested and they too, had pieces. Just over half remained and I thought, great, when my brother and his wife arrive, we can all enjoy Mom's Recipe blackberry pie after dinner.

Following our meal, I went to serve the pie and only a sliver remained! What? Huh??? The kids had almost finished off the pie sometime during the day! Kids don't really like pie! Do they? Isn't there a rule or law or something stating that kids don't like pie...unless it's chocolate or ice cream pie. hee hee My kids and my nephew definitely like blackberry pie!

We all watched as my brother enjoyed the remaining itsy-bitsy piece. I will need to go blackberry hunting today.

A Blackberry Pie to Remember

2008-07-31T18:00:00.001-05:00

The wait is finally over!

My husband and I walked out to the blackberry patch and were greeted by dozens and dozens of ripe berries. My heart skipped a beat.

Picking blackberries just makes me smile! It's fast work of the ones you see easily, then it's time to look among the leaves.

More are almost alway hidden beneath. This year because of all the rain, we even found branches bowed over and touching the ground under the weight of the huge, succulent berries.

This variety, Chester Thornless Blackberry, from Stark Brothers Nursery, is sweet and juicy. They are the reason we have not accumulated any berries so far this summer. We keep eating them!

Fortunately, we were able to keep ahead of our eating on this excursion and collect more than enough berries for a pie.

My mother made wonderful pies. A couple of years ago, we made pies together and I wrote down the recipes as we estimated the amounts on each ingredient. As you can imagine this pie has special meaning to me.

Homegrown Tomatoes

2008-07-30T09:24:00.005-05:00

Oh, my! It's been a fun week in the garden. Between rain storms, I headed to the garden

...and this is what I found.

This beautiful, BeefSteak tomato made incredible tasting BLTs.

The rest became frozen tomato sauce. I used an EASY method my Dad taught me.

Wash the tomatoes, remove the core, cut into quarters and drop into a big pot. We keep the skins for the fiber and nutrients...and because it's much easier! If you prefer you may blanch the tomatoes and remove the skins first. You may also remove the seeds, too. Not this girl, too much fuss.

Now bring the pile of tomatoes in the pot slowly to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat to allow the now nearly-liquified mixture to simmer. Simmer to evaborate off extra water and stir occasionally to check the thickness. This may take several hours depending on the quanitity and water content. When desired thickness is reached, remove from heat and let cool. Ladle into blender and puree. Ladle into freezer bags, mark the date and throw in the freezer.

It's wonderful sauce for pizzas, spaghetti and soups. It will last about 6 months, so if you have more than 6 months worth, you will need to take the canning plunge. I haven't tried canning yet, but hear it's not hard. My pile made 4 pint bags of sauce, which will last us less than a month in the fall, so I haven't yet felt compelled to can. I am, however, toying with the idea because I could then have diced tomatoes.

If you have any experience canning, I would love to hear about it.

An Adventure in Kansas City

2008-07-28T17:30:00.001-05:00

We traveled to Kansas City this weekend to meet my brother, Marty, his wife, Leslie and their kids, Marshall and Ellie. On Friday evening, we ate dinner outside as the temperature and humidity dropped to tolerable. We had heard of some alien activity in the area, so Saturday morning we were up early and set off to investigate.

It was true!

Aliens have set their mothership down in the Power and Light District of downtown Kansas City. They call it the Sprint Center. These creatures enjoy good concerts, so we investigated procuring tickets to the Tina Turner concert, but felt the $150 per ticket was beyond our human limits.

Basketball seems to be another favored pasttime of these extraterrestrials. They have constructed a Basketball Experience.

As you begin your "experience", you are surrounded by images of the game. A distraction while being x-rayed, brain scanned and otherwise analyzed.

The Stretch.

or wing span?

In the main arena, you are enticed by a variety of physical challenges.

Many were entranced by shooting as many free-throws as possible while the clock ticked to zero.

My Sister-in-Law
My Brother
My Husband
My Nephew

...and even me!

Goals that allowed normal sized humans to dunk were also a draw.

My oldest, just like a pro... yeah, baby!

Yep, it may be a few years and some inches before this guy is ready for the NBA.

Future sportcasters in training...

ET, can you say rivalry???

Intense rivalry?

For an out-of-this-world adventure: The Basketball Experience in Kansas City.

Garden Update

2008-07-25T13:30:00.001-05:00

I just couldn't let you get away for the weekend without a garden update!!! You've probably been wondering, waiting with baited breath, dying to know...ha ha ha hee hee hee. I hope to not bore you, 'cause it's been so busy in the garden this week, like finding treasure every single day!

My youngest came along with me to the garden yesterday, at first to help pull some weeds, then he noticed some very red tomatoes. Off he went to the house and he came back with two very large bowls. He meant business.

It was fun to be in the garden with him, because he was very excited. He showed me the cherry and roma tomatoes he was picking several times as though they were jewels. I know that feeling! He was even a bit annoyed that I stopped the action for this picture.

He looked in all the good hiding places.

He also picked our last batch of green beans. We've had them at dinner four times in the last week or so.

Meanwhile, Mom worked on the weeds:

I had definitely neglected this particular bed, because look what I pulled up with the weeds.

Now the bed is ready for planting. It still has carrots, green onions and leeks growing...they need some company, I think.

Time to make Pesto with this basil. I hope I haven't waited too late as they are just showing flower buds. I learned from Susie this weekend that you can cut them back for regrowing several times in one season! All is not lost if it is too late as we have already enjoyed Ensalada Caprese several times.

Look at this beauty - Peaches and Cream. I was so thrilled to open this ear and see the beautiful corn inside. Stunned may be a better description of the feeling...no worms and lovely kernels. If an amateur like me can do it, so can you!

We boiled the corn up for dinner and it was spectacular!

Have a great weekend!

The Challenges of Learning Photography

2008-07-24T08:00:00.002-05:00

As you may already know, I purchased a new camera. I have been studying the manual, reading photography blogs and trying out the camera. I'm finding that being madly in love with the art form clearly will not be enough! It's hard to take a good picture! It's not just having a good photo "eye"... or being mechanically adept...or being gifted creatively...or being able to figure out all the lingo... it's remembering to take the picture! I have realized that my ability to take even a medicore picture will be resting on my memory!!! I'm doomed.

The first mountain to climb...just remembering to take the camera along. I had the rare opportunity to go to Lawrence, a town I love...forgot the camera. We took our boat out for the first time in 9 months and my kids learned to kneeboard...forgot the camera. When my sister, Pam, was here visiting we got all dolled up and went out to dinner...forgot the camera. Grrrrr. I think I need some sort of carrying device that I can strap to my body, kind of like a bra. I NEVER forget my bra.

Second issue, when I have the camera, I need to REMEMBER to turn it on and take some pictures! You may have noticed in my camping trip post, I forgot to take a picture of the camp site. Good Lord, we spent hours packing all that gear in the car and then another hour or so putting it up by the lake and I couldn't remember to take one measly picture! I think I need to start thinking about pictures in the same way I think about feeding my children. I'm a three meals a day girl, so they get three meals a day AND snacks. Some would say I'm a bit neurotic about feeding my kids healthy food. Come on now, fess up, some might say that!

Finally, even with the camera turned on and at the ready, I tend to get so caught up in the excitement, I FORGET to take a picture! I crouched by the fence at my sons' final baseball games, killing my 40-something body, so as to be ready to take an action shot. I saw lots of action and THEN remembered the camera was in my hand!

Here's a rather embarrassing example. My son, on the right, had caught a line drive flyball to the cheers of the crowd. I swear he did. I swear! It's just, well, I took this picture about a minute later when I had recovered my senses. Darn it!

At my middle son's game, I vowed to do better and took this pretty cool action shot of him pitching. However, I had to take 397 pictures to get this one and since he's also in motion it could be any kid. Daggumit.

What to do? How about a brain transplant. May I request a new brain with lots and lots and lots...and lots of good memory cells! Please. Pretty please. Pretty, pretty please.

Big sigh. I'm open to suggestions.

In Training!

2008-07-23T07:55:00.004-05:00

Remember this guy...

The Iron Man

...he's been recruiting!

Camping, Swimming and Goofing Around

2008-07-21T19:00:00.001-05:00

When I was a kid, we camped for almost all of our vacations. Didn't everyone camp? I thought so. Many of our family's friends camped and we traveled together for many years to set up our tents for a week in Florida. My parents "had it down" even building a large, wooden camp box, which they painted pea-green. The sides folded down to reveal dozens of cubby holes all carefully packed with the essentials. The box stood on legs and with the flaps down provided "counter" space. As long as I can remember, my family also owned a boat, so we camped by the water. I have wonderful memories from this time.

My husband and I have wanted to share the camping experience with our boys, so when we heard a family reunion was being planned at a lake, camping came to mind. The departure day arrived and we began to pack and pack...and pack...and PACK...AND PACK! Clearly we do not "have it down".

We were forced to do some unpacking, so we could fit the kids into the car. Jeez, you need a lot of stuff to camp...at least we thought so!

All that packing was forgotten when we found our campsite.

Ahhh...the water. We sat at the water's edge and enjoyed the view, while the kids explored.

Get a look at this table! Stone posts also line the top edge of the damn on either side of the road. Some campsites had stone fireplaces with cooking grills. Several of the camp areas have old concrete pads with a raised edge...we thought old cabin foundations. No, they once would be filled with water in the winter for ice skating!

This is the...,you guessed it, the potty hole. I kept thinking Civil War-era jail and left the door open just in case.

I neglected to take a photo of the fully assembled campsite, so please conjure your own imagine. It will be better than the real thing. Friday night, Bart's cousins, Rick and Susie, and Jim and Jenni joined us for storytelling around the campfire. Jared, Rick and Susie's son, helped our boys fish and make s'mores. We were all shocked to learn that what seemed like a half an hour had stretched to nearly midnight.

Saturday morning we hit the swimming beach for some surfing,...

jumping and...

Super Hero flying.

Saturday afternoon was the family reunion and Sunday was exploring and boating...more on that later.

This sun-soaked guy, like the rest of us, was sad to leave the lake but ready to be home.

Harvesting Green Beans

2008-07-18T08:00:00.002-05:00

Since it's a first year garden at our new house, I planted a little of everything this year. Why not experiment a bit to find out what grows well AND disappears at the dinner table?

The green beans snuck up on me...

I thought I should take a look the other day and was surprised to see a batch ready to be picked, right that minute!

I'm afraid I was forced to relieve my first garden assistant of her duties. She was a real pain in the ....y'know. Immediately following our sojourns to the garden, she would need a bath, dry, fluff and curl. Way too much work! So I hired a new assistant, our trusty Lab, Bailey. She sat in the path while I enjoyed picking green beans. The panting was a little annoying, but hey, one should not be picky.

She looked the green beans over carefully.

"I prefer Zucchini".

Well, I never. Solo may be the answer.

We steamed those beans up, added a little butter and they disappeared. Don't you love seeing kids eat vegetables?

Ensalada Caprese

2008-07-16T12:00:00.000-05:00

We picked the first tomato yesterday, an Early Girl. She received the royal treatment, a pairing with fresh basil (also from the garden) and mozzarella with a drizzling of extra virgin olive oil.

My youngest son took a look and said "fancy food." My husband and I grinned and explained that he would NOT like it. He eyeballed the cheese for a second and took off. Whew, that was a close one.

I would have loved to have fresh mozzarella, but it's a bit of a drive to get it, so we made due with just regular... It didn't seem to matter...

Kitten Wins Over A Devoted Dog Lover

2008-07-15T08:00:00.004-05:00

For those of you that know my husband well, this is a remarkable moment. For those that do not, please let me explain:

My husband does not like cats...that's simply to mild...

My husband hates cats! Can't stand them! He's even been overheard saying cats were put on this earth to be drop-kicked.

This abandoned kitty, named Sox by the boys, seems to be getting under his skin.

Do you suppose he may even pet the kitten?

Could we dare to think he may coo to it?

Coo to it??? Uuuh, no cooing, definitely NO cooing.

Now wait a minute, after examining this photo a little closer... I believe he was watching TV...yes, I'm sure of it. It was probably ESPN! That explains everything! He didn't even KNOW the kitten was in his lap!!!

Dang it, I thought for sure we had had a breakthrough.

Important Note: This story is greatly exaggerated. It's true and I just didn't want any confusion about it. My husband LOVES all domesticated animals, especially our three boys.

Cultivating Weeds?

2008-07-14T08:00:00.002-05:00

There's a bit of a weed problem along the garden paths. Pulling all those weeds has been on the to-do list but just somehow has never made it to the top.

When I toured Sharen's garden she mentioned using Round Up on weeds in her garden...in her garden!!! She said just be careful to only spray the weed and you will be fine. My Dad worked for Monsanto Co., the maker of Round Up, for many years, so I was more than willing to give this a try.

This is only 24 hours later!!! All the vegetables seem to be just fine. Round Up, where have you been all my summer?

While I was out there, I spied this teeny, tiny watermelon. The little sign is 1" x 2" as a comparison. I am hoping it will grow, but some things in my garden are just teeny, tiny this year... more on that later.

The Roma tomatoes are not teeny, tiny, however. Aren't they lookin' good? We're eating cherry tomatoes now and will have some other varieties soon. Can't wait!

Raising Good Marriage Material

2008-07-11T12:20:00.000-05:00

The ability to feed one's self something other than fast food or a TV dinner is an enviable skill.

Let's go a step further and say that one incomparable gift that a mother may give to her sons is some cookin' and cleanin' skills.

With this end in mind, I've encouraged each of the boys to learn to cook. We've started small with opening a can and heating up soup, and have progressed through mac and cheese, pancakes and cookies. I've found a heavy emphasis on favorites has increased interest!

I fully understand the mess potential here. At times it makes me shudder a bit. At these moments, an interview I watched years ago strangely pops into my head. In it, Steven Speilberg's mother said, "I would let Steven create whatever he wanted in the kitchen as long as he would clean up." I'm thinkin' Steven turned out pretty well.

My youngest came into the kitchen a few days ago and announced that he was going to make pancakes for himself and his brothers. He set to work and the only help he needed was my reaching the cooking oil on a high shelf. Halfway into the pancake making he decided to make scrambled eggs, too. Oh, mercy...he even helped with the clean up!

July 4 in a Small Town

2008-07-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

Growing up in the city, July 4 was an enjoyable, low-key day with relatives visiting, sparklers and fireworks in the park. The fireworks were similar to the ones we all shoot off in our backyards today!

So for me July 4 in my small town is something of a phenomenon. It's not just a day off from work, it's days and days and days of hoopla! This year, we enjoyed the carnival, fireworks in the backyard, dinner with friends, fireworks in the friend's neighborhood, a car show, a parade, dinner with family and... fireworks at the city ball diamonds. The highlight for my boys, you guessed it - fireworks!

4th of July holds special memories for me as last year my Mom and sister, Pam came to visit. My sister came to visit again this year and we had a wonderful time!

Also, last year my mother-in-law, Lauranell, was honored with the Citizen of the Year Award and was Grand Marshall of the parade. My husband was driving the car and my three boys rode with grandma.

A little side story: as the crew in the car waited for the parade to start. Nancy Boyde, Kansas State Senator walked up and extended her hand to my husband. She said, "Lawrence, congratulations on being named Citizen of the Year." My husband chuckled, swung his thumb toward the back seat and said that would be my MOM, Lauranell. hee hee

Our parade is a long-running affair, not just in terms of the length of the actual parade, but also in terms of consequtive years of parading. It draws a crowd and a motley crew of entries. This year was no exception. Our parade was in top form with antique cars, garganchuan trucks, antique tractors, heavy machinery, themed floats, unusual tractors, politicians, horses and state-of-the-art tractors.

You've heard of funny cars...this is a funny truck. The back-end has it's own driver who seems to have had a few too many libations prior to the parade. The K-State paintjob may explain it!

Woo hoo hoo, hee hee hee...this guy cracked me up. He was so serious about riding.

Here's some of the family after about an hour of watching...something tells me they are thinkin' about dinner.

Horses, now that's my favorite part! Not just because they are beautiful beasts, but because they are the second to last entry in the parade. The last entry...

The pooper scoopers!

Our little town's parade seems to be a big deal...not just the number of entries, which has some limits, believe it or not... but because of the wide variety of entries. At least that's my story. In all truth I'm not sure I fully understand it. I will add that election years, like this one, are particularly amusing as ALL of the candidates come out...local, county and state!

Another memorable 4th! A time to appreciate our incredible nation and the freedoms we enjoy, and a time to celebrate with family and friends. I'll be signing off now as I need a nap. I still have not fully recovered, and I do hope someone will wake me before the next 4th of July.

Woman Committed for Not Being Able to Say NO

2008-07-08T11:09:00.005-05:00

Reporting from the Psychiatric Ward of the Local Hospital:

Woman receives phone call from husband announcing the discovery of an apparently abandoned kitten. Kitten has been attacked and has sustained minor injuries to the face and leg. Woman immediately goes to investigate. She finds poor kitten is also starving. Orders husband to buy food and meet woman at home.

Once kitten is fully satiated on food and water, husband and woman take note of black kitty's four white socks, white stripe on face and black-dot nose. Woman looks forelornly at husband. Husband responds with "that's a cute cat".

Woman is a goner. She reports adoption of THIRD cat to three sons and is immediately carted off by men in white coats. Surely there is a cure for "cute baby animal, must adopt" syndrome!

Homegrown Spuds

2008-07-06T18:25:00.000-05:00

We headed to the garden to harvest potatoes - Yukon Gold Potatoes.

"We" became my husband, Bart, as he was having so much fun digging up the potatoes. I pulled some weeds instead. Too bad you can't harvest weeds and do something fabulous with them!

What to do with freshly dug potatoes? How about a surprisingly easy Shrimp Boil that looked something like the picture above. Oh, was it good! A messy meal where you appreciate all of the flavors.

Shrimp Boil
1 lb. uncooked shrimp
1 lb. smoked sausage (I used turkey keilbasa), 3/4 inch diagonal-sliced pieces
4 or 5 ears of corn, halfed
Equivalent of one large potato per person, quartered
1 onion, halved then quartered
1 teas. garlic powder or 1 clove minced
1 teas. dried Parsley or 1 tablespoon fresh chopped

Bring water to boil in large pot. Cut potatoes into 1 inch pieces and boil until almost tender. Add shrimp, sausage, corn, onion, garlic and parsley. Cook until shrimp is fully pink (about 4 min.). Be careful to not overcook the shrimp as it will become tough.

Fortunately, we had a nice, little haul of potatoes. Hmmm...need to get thinking of some other messy, yummy meals.

Happy Fourth of July

2008-07-04T00:18:00.003-05:00

Happy Fourth of July!

From Cow Pies to Homesteads

2008-07-02T12:38:00.000-05:00

When we moved to my husband's hometown, we bought a house "in town" with the intention of moving just outside of town within a year or two. We loved our neighborhood so much we stayed for nine years. Even so, we kept our eyes and ears open for land that had a country feel with a close-to-town location. A few years ago, we heard there might be some land for sale. Farm land in this area is profitable with multi-generational families farming it, so land is NOT readily available - especially land close to town. We were thrilled when we were able to make the purchase of 40 acres with our friends and next door neighbors.

We designed a small subdivision with seven lots.

Did you know you get to name your subdivision and streets?

What once led to a cow pasture is now TallGrass Lane with Autumn Blaze Maples lining it's edges. At the top of the gentle hill is Indian Summer Circle to the right and Little Pond Circle to the left. We've already watched as seven houses came from grass to holes to cement to boards to shingles to siding to complete! Now many of the neighbors are planting trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals and gardens. The transformation has been mind-boggling.

The last family moved in a week ago and we are now 7 families: 14 adults and 21 kids. We have 12 boys and 9 girls ages 4 through 16.

What better way to celebrate than a neighborhood cookout! We gathered on the back side of our pond, where there's a little shade and plenty of room to relax...

and be entertained...

Two of our newest neighbors jumped in to roast marshmellows for s'mores. Steve also pinch-hit on the grill. Thanks, Steve.

A bonfire does seem to draw a crowd.

The evening was breezy (no bugs), high seventies (no sweat) and finished with chocolate sheet cake (no kidding)!

Sharen's Country Garden

2008-06-30T08:30:00.003-05:00

On Friday, I had the pleasure of visiting the gardens of the sweetest lady on the planet, my friend, Sharen. In her magical garden, your cares and worries melt away with the dazzling beauty of the flowers and dreams of the delightful tastes of the fresh fruits and vegetables. Sharen completed the Master Gardener program a few years ago, which added to her knowledge and experience. Here's a peak at her lovely gardens.

Sharen at one of her favorite places. This archway leads to the playground; she also owns Sharen's Country Kids Daycare. She says the clematis will stretch all the way across the arch by fall and bloom in a cascade of flowers.

She and her husband, Jim showed me their favorite place to relax. A deck overlooking the garden. I understand why they love this spot!

Sharen has picked up tables and chairs over the years, mainly at yard sales, and annually hosts a huge family reunion in the midst of this setting. Wonder why the family insists she be the host?!

We meandered around investigating the different growing beds Sharen has developed for vegetables here and flowers there. We first wandered into the vegetable garden. What in the world...I'm now convinced I've grown a tiny, teeny garden.

Just look at this unbelieveable yellow squash plant.

Gorgeous tomatoes, too!

Cabbage, peppers, onions, green beans, cucumbers and more are hangin' out here growing huge, loaded with tantilizing veggies.

Of course, she's evenly more deeply engrained in my heart because she, too, loves blackberries (and rasberries, gooseberries, peaches, apples and cherries, too. All growing in her yard).

Next we made our way through the winding flower beds. So many unexpected surprises...an overturned bucket, a cream separator, an angel. Sharen loves to go to yard sales and she has an eye for garden treasures.

I had an early love of daylilies that had faded for some reason. It' been renewed. If you have lots of sun, daylilies are perfect!

I waited for the sun to shine on this beauty and make it dazzle, but y'know I have a little trouble with patience.

Here she is with her girlfriends.

Just to give you an idea of Sharen's knowledge and talent, this Wisteria is just three years old!

Purple coneflowers, daisies, daylilies and more greet you as you drive up to the house.

As these hollyhocks stand guard.

We had a wonderful time walking through and discussing the plants...me unknowingly learning, she unknowingly teaching. She asked me to come back! She explained that it all changes as different plants begin to bloom later in the season. "On a Saturday, I'll make lemonade". I can't wait! Thank you, Sharen.

Anticipating Blackberry Pie

2008-06-27T15:33:00.001-05:00

I have a thing for blackberries and especially blackberry pies, blackberry cobblers, blackberry scones or blackberries over ice cream. If all goes well, we will have blackberry pie in two to three weeks.

The blackberry plants are loaded with berries.

We bought these plants from Stark Brothers Nursery in Louisiana, Missouri, just north of my hometown of St. Louis. We received the bare root plants in the mail and they were incredibly healthy. We planted the berry plants three years ago and, to be honest, have hardly lifted a finger since except to pick.

On our property, we also have a stately, ginormous Mulberry tree.

It's the "As-old-as-your-greatgrandma" variety. It's the overseer and wisdom-giver to a number of smaller Mulberry trees surrounding it.

I hadn't eaten mulberries before living here. They are very sweet, yet watery tasting with an impossible to remove inner stem. Could this be why you don't hear about Mulberry pie as apoused to the coveted Blackberry pie? When I make Blackberry pie, I'm my mother-in-law's favorite daughter-in-law! She too covets Blackberry pie. Let's not dwell on the fact that I am her ONLY daughter-in-law.

The countdown is on! I'm dreaming of Blackberry pie.

Photos, Pictorials and Prints

2008-06-26T08:30:00.001-05:00

I have a new camera! I have been a-wishin' and a-hopin' for a new camera for quite some time. My old point-and-click mini-digital did not take close-ups or action shots well. Two things I'm very fond of as I have three growing, sports-playing boys.

So where to go for good information? Blogs, of course!

Here are some of the bloggers that unknowingly helped me out:

My Treasure Box

The Shutter Sisters

The Pioneer Woman

After studying the equipment list these women had posted and reviewing the options, I chose a Nikon D40. It's the entry level digital SLR camera for us amateurs. By the way, I have no idea what SLR means. I have, however, read some great beginner articles at Jeff Corman Photography Studio website.

You may have noticed some of the photos from yesterday post, Dale's Birthday party, were pretty darn good. It was the camera! Every setting was on auto and I just pressed the button. I'm excited, intrigued and inspired by my peak into learning about photography. Naturally I hope I can put what I learn to use immediately to take captivating, awe-inspiring, award-winning photos.

ha ha ha ho ho ho,... oh, I'm cracking myself up... It may take a while, a long while, but I feel determined to learn more about photography. I have a lot of milestones to record here!

I better get busy! Signing off.

Jenny

Sporty Forty

2008-06-25T09:20:00.001-05:00

A birthday to celebrate? We love to celebrate! Our friend, Dale, recently turned 4-0.

We've all heard the "40 is the new 30" phrase being bandied about these days. In the case of Dale, it's just may be true. In preparation for his birthday, he completed a half Iron Man. The show-off!

His wife, Nancy, served up some scrumptious food and you can check it out on her blog here.

We relaxed on the deck for a while. As some of us are a bit older than Dale....ehemmm, not by much, just wanted to make that clear... we gave him the news on what to expect.

We included an explanation of the new gear Dale would be needing for all his sports activities. "Dale, you'll be needing this to hold up the family jewels, and fight the effects of gravity and aging!"

She did not appear amused. Could it be because she will be turning 40 this year as well and only wonders what eye-opening information and incredible, keepsake quality gifts she will be receiving?

Ok, back to the celebrating...

and the relaxing...

Dale's girls, Alison and Madison, helped make the evening special.

As did cake and ice cream...

Happy 40th birthday, Dale!!! We love you.

Girls Can Drive Boats, Too

2008-06-23T08:30:00.000-05:00

Do you have a hobby that brings you deep happiness? One that refreshes your outlook? One that you are able to share with your family?

How about boating? My family had a boat since I was able to look the family beagle in the eye. Sometimes we would go boating in lakes near home and once a year in the Gulf of Mexico, after hauling the boat and four children in a station wagon for more than 20 hours straight. Were my parents crazy??? Oh, the memories.

My husband and I walked the gang plank a few years ago and bought a boat and on Friday, we hauled it over to Milford Lake. Milford is a beautiful lake with limited development along it's shores. A couple of marinas, some beautiful wooded campgrounds and two towns: Milford and Wakefield grace it's shores. The lake is big enough to anchor peacefully, run the throttle full out or turn circles draggin' a tube.

This boating trip included some firsts. On the way we needed to stop at a marina to by a plug...without a plug the boat sinks and ours was mysteriously missing. After several years of tubing, the older boys were ready for something new, so at the marina they picked out a knee board and off we went.

The weather was gorgeous, low 80s, sparse, white, bushy clouds and no wind. As the day wore on thunderclouds formed on the horizon and rather than be threatening, they added to the beauty of the day. The boat has been in the neighbor's barn for six months, so there was a long moment of silent prayer and hopeful thoughts, when my husband turned the key. After a few false-starts and sputters the boat hummed to life and we cruised into the lake.

Not to waste an ounce of gold-laced gas, we threw a kid in the water right away. Knee-board, shmee-board, Mason conquered it in a flash. By the end of the day, he figured out how to turn backwards and board in reverse. Dane was next and he, too, took to the knee-board like a natural. Later in the day, he rode the tube, which by that point felt rather easy for him to master...so he did some hotdogging. He turned backwards and showed us his rear, rolled over to get a good tan and stood no-hands. At 25 miles an hour, I was laughing one moment and sucking air the next. He didn't fall off until we needed to slow down.

Spencer waited patiently while the older boys rode the new knee-board. You see, Spencer has enjoyed watching for several years. During thefinal outing late last summer, he rode the tube once. Look out, this year, the little man is ready! He hit the tube full of excitement. We have developed hand signals over the years...slower, faster, I'm done, turn, circles, just right. At first his hand was stuck in the faster signal and then it moved directly to circles. Circles are where you drive the boat in circles so you can run over your own wake. Our boat makes a rather large wake for it's size. Not good for water-skiing, great for tubing! The sheer delight on his face after hitting the big waves made us all crack up.

When we got hungry we headed for Nudee Beach. We've never seen anyone nude there, just lots of boats...only this year, no beach. The lake is up 10-12 feet, so the usual beach is under-water. We did find a few feet of mud off to the side where we anchored. Reaching land was an adventure because the mud/sand of shore was quicksand. "Honey, could you throw me a life preserver. Well, no, I'm not drowning exactly."

After chowing down, a little more knee-boarding and tubing, we headed back to the dock. Bart and I take turns backing the trailer into the water or driving the boat onto the trailer. It was my turn to drive the boat onto the trailer. Girls, I'm sad to report sexism is alive and well. It kind of cracks me up. As I drive the boat toward the trailer, the fisherman and other ski boat operators (almost all male) will stop what they are doing mid-activity to stare...not just look, stare. If I manage to drive the boat on first try, their jaws drop open and I get comments ranging from "Good Job there, little lady" to an astonished "Wooooow". I once heard "How'd you learn that???" Uh, let's see, probably the same way you did! Yesterday... two "Good Job"s. Noone notices when Bart drives the boat on. The most satisfying comments come from the other gals, "That was great", "I need to just try it!"

We drove home, unpacked, took showers and headed for deep slumbers. A good day - full of new memories.

I'd love to hear about your favorite hobby!

Note: You may now comment without needing a userid and password, so I hope you will share your thoughts.

My Little Davids Take on Goaliath

2008-06-20T12:08:00.001-05:00

When we finished the house last spring, we had a concrete pad poured outside the garage. It was rather small and in our haste to complete the project we didn't pay close attention to the steady downhill incline of the driveway until we had a bit of a water issue.

We knew we needed to address the "puddles" that formed with each rain, but much more importantly we needed more room for the boys to have a basketball area. So we had the wonderful earth-moving man and his concrete pouring sidekick make a visit to our house.

Wah-lah...

Isn't it beautiful? Something is missing though. Yes, something is definitely missing!

Where we live, we have mighty Kansas winds. We also have three mighty boys. Often the three multiple to four, five, six or more boys. Girls, too! What's missing is a heavy-duty basketball goal. Our solution, the GOALIATH.

The GOALIATH means business. It's not for any meek, reserved, wishy-washy b-ball players.

My two oldest boys and my husband began to assemble this behemoth system.

I noticed that my 14-year-old was READING THE DIRECTIONS. Sniff sniff, I'm so proud!

Later I caught him teaching his father how to read the directions! Who knew the GOALIATH would be a miracle worker.

The hanging day came. People from miles around came to help. Well, ok, it was just our neighbor, Matt. They worked, sweated,... worked and sweated some more, until they accomplished the unbelievable, the GOALIATH was fully assembled.

See that box up there... it's a light.

Yup! We have 24-hour basketball playing capabilities, right here at our very own home!

Aaahhh, no more extra "puddles" and a great area for basketball playing. You should see Bailey, the dog, play. She was telling me all about it here, and I think she may be drafted.

Here are my boys making their NBA tryout tape...

A Memorable Garden Tour ?

2008-06-19T10:23:00.004-05:00

I've been thinking about giving you a link to another blog for the last day or so...actually more like obsessing about it. It keeps popping into my mind at all kinds of strange times during the day and night. It would be a link to my next door neighbor and friend, The Country Doctor's Wife's blog. Why would I link to one of her posts when many of you already read her blog?
When many of you may have actually come from her blog to get to this blog!!! Well, it's because I deeply loved this particular post. It was imaginative, clever, unexpected, hilarious and inspiring. That's why! So here you go...

The Country Doctor's Wife

P.S. The Country Doctor's Wife lent me one of her Beverly Nichols books and I am chuckling my way through a series of lessons on gardening.

Father's Day Meal - Unexpected Hit

2008-06-17T18:00:00.003-05:00

On Father's Day, the whole family piled into the car to go out to lunch and then grocery shopping. Grocery shopping? I know, strange! Anyway, on the way I was reading cookbooks...just in the mood for something new and since it was Father's Day, a new special dish for dinner seemed in order.

My new favorite cookbook is Tyler's Ultimate by Tyler Florence, because it has easy-to-make, savory recipes. Perfect for a house full of boys. I love the format - recipe on the left and mouthwatering picture on the right. A few weeks ago, I made the Spaghetti and Meatballs to the deep pleasure of my family.

I kept turning back to the page with the Crab Cakes, so I asked The Father what he thought. He said it sounded great.

Five portions of crab cakes and sauted vegetables were served up. Crab cakes are a bit out of the realm of food likes for the three boys. To my astonishment, the vote was 4 out of 5 for having this meal again. Pretty good, Tyler! Thanks.

Creatures of the Deep

2008-06-15T21:30:00.002-05:00

My middleman had three friends over on Friday. After the furious, unforgiving tornadoes in the area last week, this day's gorgeous weather was a welcome change. The boys headed out the back door to the pond. They stripped to their underdrawers and dove in.

After an hour and a half of mayhem and fun...

I yelled for them to come in so we could get going to a ball game. Dane jumped in the shower. Mason, my oldest, came upstairs and calmly said, "Uh, Mom. Dane says he can't go because he has leeches." Say again...

I knocked on the bathroom door and asked to be let in, not likely with a 12-year-old boy, but surprisingly the door opened. Uh oh. Sure enough, LEECHES! I don't recall anything in the Mom Job Description about LEECHES!

He explained that he had already removed a 2" one from underneath his, well, ummm... you get the idea. He still had bazillions of teeny, tiny leeches on his hands and pretty much everywhere around the underwear region! We worked at picking them off his hands for a few minutes when an idea dawned and I said, "Lather up, let's see if we can sufficate these little dudes!" Whew, it worked!

I went up stairs to break the incredible news to the other boys. Did you happen to hear them screaming? To assuade the look of panic on one boy's face I said something like "In the old days, medical professionals used leeches for medicinal purposes." Confusing them as a distraction is usually a good technique. One of the boys found a one and one-half incher between his toes and yelled, "GET. IT. OFF!" Thankfully that one was the lone ranger among these three boys.

Now then, let's just put this little encounter with leeches, behind us...full body shudder.

Happy Father's Day

2008-06-14T14:30:00.002-05:00

Happy Father's Day

Here's a video of the sacrifices, bravery and devotion of Dads.

Video

Alma, Where Landscaping Work Will Get You an Ice Cream

2008-06-12T23:15:00.000-05:00

A quiet, quaint, small town rests in a valley about 20 minutes south of us: Alma, the city of native stone. Some uniquely crafted limestone homes can be found in Alma...hmmm, maybe a good post for the future. Also, in Alma, a funeral chapel. One of ours that was in desperate need of some landscape TLC. The bushes had engulfed the front of the building in a way that made me think they might just swallow the building whole. The dead twigs seemed to be strangling the flowers and the dandelions were having a party. So the hubby and I packed up ourselves and the three boys, and headed over to tackle the job.

Specific instructions, and days and days of pep talks seemed to work wonders. Each boy attacked, ...no, dove into, ...uh, no, made an effort at his assigned task.

Does stopping to have one's picture taken mean that Dad has to do more work?

"I will organize everything in the back of this truck. All of you - rake, trim, mow, weed and haul!" hee hee hee, I kid. This guy worked as hard as the rest of 'em!

A passing, official-looking helicopter seems like a good reason for a break!

All of the effort paid off, because the funeral chapel looks tended, loved, and cared for now! See...

Note: I may need a camera tripod, so as not to make roof overhangs appear to be hanging crooked!

You might think the boys were moaning and dragging their feet... well, a moan or two, but we were offering pizza for lunch to build up strength for the job and ice cream once the wilderness was tamed.

This inspired, little walk-up eatery is worth a visit. Hamburgers, bierocks, fresh-squeezed lemonade and ice cream!

You may also sort through and buy lovely potted plants, if you wish. Alma, an unexpected afternoon entertainment.

Spencer Plays Ball

2008-06-10T19:29:00.006-05:00

As is usual for the ball games, we start with a few sips of Vault, hee hee, WATER in the dugout as the coaches discuss the game plan.

Let's make sure that homeplate is firmly in place,

assume the ready position and...

BAM! It's a double.

"I'm feelin' good."

After the game, the coach gives a "way to go" on the win and begins to discuss, with his rapt audience of... Spencer, the finer points in life.

Dang, he's cute!

When you receive a "stickers" fruit snack, it's imperative that you put it all over your face before you eat it. Little league baseball...a dream to a whole bunch of young boys.

A Little Funeral Home History

2008-06-08T19:15:00.000-05:00

My husband, Jess Barton "Bart", is the fourth generation mortician in his family. His father, Jess, of course, is the third generation. Jess and Bart's mother, Lauranell, have some intriguing old photos from the family business. The photos are included below with a history complied from an interview with Jess.

In 1897, my husband's great-grandfather, J. E. Stewart, began a furniture-hardware-undertaking business on the main floor of The Columbian Theater building.

In case it doesn't show clearly, the words Hardware and Furniture appear on either side of J. E. Stewart and Sons sign. An Undertaking sign hangs below.

It may sound like a strange business combination, but it made sense for the times. Furniture makers often also made caskets and they needed hardware to finish the job. J. E. sold solid walnut furniture made by the Abernathy Co. of Kansas City, and he employed a local finish carpenter to build caskets.

When a person died, J. E. would go to the family's home to prepare the body for viewing. As was common for undertaking, the family kitchen was the hub of his work. The family then went into the store to select a design for the casket and plan the services. Funeral services took place in the home or the family's church. Jess remembers moving many chairs and floor lamps into homes when he was a boy.

Pictured above is the black team of horses with the funeral hearse. J. E. also owned a white team and the family chose which horses would transport their loved one.

In 1918, J. E. bought this hearse, which was the first motorized hearse in Kansas.

A wealthy businessman named Louis Leach lived in our town for many years. In the 1880s, he built the Leach Opera house.

He also built this beautiful home across the street. The two buildings were connected by an underground tunnel. The actors and musicians would stay at the Leach home and all would travel to the Opera House via the tunnel. Within the basement of the Opera House were Turkish steam baths and the tunnel made using the baths and returning to the home during the winter comfortable and private.

By 1918, Mr. Leach had been living with his children in California for a number of years. He wrote a letter to the city council wishing to sell the opera house to the city for $2000. He did not want to be paid but rather have the city donate the money to various local charitable organizations. The city turned him down. J. E. wrote to Mr. Leach and accepted his offer.

So the Stewart Funeral Home opened in the old Leach Opera House building. Now, the option of having J. E. come pick up the person who had died and make preparations at the funeral home was available. Many families chose this option right away and over time all did.

Because the vehicles used by funeral homes were often large and able to hold a cot, many funeral homes also ran the ambulance service. The Stewart Funeral home did as well from the early 1930s into the 1960s. The family charged $5 a call for many years. This was not a profitable amount, but Jess's father, Harold Stewart, viewed this as a service to the community.

Bart's grandparents, Harold and Ruth, lived in this sweet house next door to the Leach Opera House. It even has an "S" for sweet on the chimney. Ok, I know it was really for Stewart.

In 1998, Bart joined the family business and the current location was completed in the same year. The current location was designed by Jess and Jess, Lauranell, Bart and I worked together to make the construction and decorating decisions. The new location offers much more parking and is on one level to make it handicapped accessible. The design is more open and added a family hospitality area. So the fourth generation of the Stewart family continues to provide funeral service needs to the families of the community.

Those Adorable Boys

2008-06-05T10:30:00.001-05:00

I came across the third picture in this group the other day and it prompted me to find the other two. All three pictures were taken when the boys were between 12 and 18 months. What a wonderful age!

They were intensely curious, happy-go-lucky and thrilled with making LOUD noises.

They would greet their dad or me as though we had been gone for days when it had only been a half an hour. Their favorite place when they were tired or not feeling well was cuddled up in my lap.

When Spencer was not much older than in this picture, a neighbor said to me with tears in her eyes, "God invented the teenage years so you will be able to let them go when the time comes". I smile at that now, 'cause I get it. That's the bittersweet part of being a parent. You have to let them grow up.

Honey, I Shrunk the Carrots

2008-06-04T12:51:00.006-05:00

These teeny-weeny carrots were planted more than a month ago. Maybe, just maybe, this is normal growth, but I suspect our clay soil is stunting them a bit! Those are potato plants towering over them. We replaced the unbelieveably compacted clay soil in this location with "garden grade"...whatever that is. Our neighbors called us "cheaters" although their corn only grew to 2 feet last year!

I'm not heartbroken over the carrots as they have these itsy, bitsy leeks and some peewee green onions to keep them company. Does anyone have a magnifying glass?

I've been reading up on improving clay soil. One recommendation is to mix in 4 inches of organic matter each year and another recommends adding sand with frequent cultivation. Follow these measures and they say you will see improvement in 3 to 4 years. What??? Gasp, choke, spit...I'm NOT that patient! I'm gonna need to stick to cheating...clearly I'll still need to augment the soil as even the cheating soil contains some clay, but I'm ok with that.

The tomatoes seem to be doing fine. I've wrestled them into some cages and am hoping to keep 'em tame.

The corn looks swell and will certainly be "knee high by the 4th of July".

These green bean plants also look great! We're still eating lettuce and spinach...yummo! Next may be some tomatoes!

Garden Tour - Including A Classic Barn or Two

2008-06-02T22:15:00.001-05:00

The nearby city of approximately 50,000, at least they are hopefully awaiting the official count, which has something to do with receiving more federal money, had a garden tour on Sunday. To my deep delight my husband agreed to go with me. He's the one who digs the holes for the new trees and shrubs, and builds fences, so we need to get him inspired!

We both fell in love with the setting of the second garden we visited. It's outside of town on a few acres. Both the husband and wife have horticultural degrees, so we arrived with a feeling of "not possible" for us and left inspired.

This is their organic vegetable garden. Ours is a teeny, tiny version of this one.

I simply must conquer my fear of growing roses! Any advice?

This is the view of the side yard garden standing on the steps of the very cool, rustic barn. The barn has an area that has been converted to a gathering space.

The next house was built in 2001 by the owners of a nursery. Most features would be next to impossible without a similar business ownership, but a few things caught our eye.

This patio with pergola could be the setting for frequent evening gatherings. The wisteria was my favorite feature! It's baby wisteria at this point, but image what it will look like more fully grown on the trellis.

The last house catches your admiration from the road.

The native, stone house was built in 1901 and many of the trees must have been planted at this time. A cottonwood tree in the backyard has a trunk more than 4' in diameter! Those are oaks towering over the house in the picture.

Just look at the treasure we found out back.

Alice, the tractor, needs a home just like that. Horses, please. How do you build a 100 year old barn?

The Heart of Our Nation - Part II

2008-06-02T09:15:00.001-05:00

You may have thought I had forgotten about the Part I thing... y'know, usually followed by Part II and maybe Part III.

Here's part II.

This sexy guy was located in one of our favorite museums.

The Museum of Natural History

We loved this museum so much we returned for a second day. On the first day, we learned about prehistoric creatures of the lands and the deep waters.

The kids were clearly rivoted by our ongoing commentary on the points of interest.

Our second day at the museum found us checking out the dioramas, taxidermied animals and other exhibits more closely.

It's easy to poise, smile and be carefree in front of the stuffed grizzly bear...operative word "stuffed".

Close your eyes and think savana.

We saw a sign for the Hope Diamond and Bart and I gasped and said, "We have to go see the Hope Diamond"! We arrived in the room with the security guards and the long line. We patiently waited and finally reached the carefully lit case with the prize. Dane looked in and said matter-of-factly, "I thought it'd be bigger. A lot bigger."

For those of you who saw the movie, "Night at the Museum", you will probably get this right away. For the rest, in New York's Museum of Natural History, the exhibits come to life at night to the utter surprise of the new security guard. Whenever he passes a statue similar to this, the statue says, "I want gum gum, dumb dumb". I don't know how we convinced Dane to take this picture, but Bart and I laughed hysterically, not that he's dumb dumb, of course. Anyway, oh lord, please tell me my children will not be as corny as their parents.

Play Ball

2008-05-31T15:13:00.006-05:00

If it wasn't for that "country van" (ours), you might think this was a family-friendly used car lot! Nope, it's the parking lot at the new Sports Complex. Completed this spring, the complex includes four ball diamonds, a generous smattering of tennis courts, a couple of soccer fields, an already heavily-traveled walking trail and vast amounts of mini-van/suv parking.

The ball diamonds are a bit imposing. Can you see what appears to be tiny kids out there? They are actually 11 and 12 year old boys. From the grassy knoll, you can view four games at once by slowly turning. It's really cool!

Dane took a moment before the game to get in the zone and it worked well for him. He struck out six kids in three innings and only allowed one run! Overall? They lost 10-9, darn it! Not to worry, we'll be back ready for more baseball on Monday evening.

On the Grill

2008-05-30T08:20:00.004-05:00

Over the Memorial Day weekend, we had the pleasure of grilling out with friends one night, grilling out with my husband's sister and her spouse the next night and being invited to dinner at my in-laws the next night. We know how to eat around here! We enjoyed the three evenings very much.

I did not take pictures out of respect for the privacy of those close to me...it was a momentary lapse, I must not have been feeling well.

I did capture this precious moment between my husband's father and his great-granddaughter.

She found his hearing aid, examined it and asked many questions. She then looked at him very seriously and said, "You have another one of those". She turned his head and looked in his other ear and a triumphant smile broke out across her face.

It was 20 Years Ago Today

2008-05-28T22:58:00.014-05:00

My husband and I tied the knot 20 years ago today! How can that be? A bunch of life has been crammed into those 20 years! In honor of such a historic day, here are a few shots from the big day.

I believe we were thinking, "Am I ever glad that part is over. Where's the party?"

My suppot group - my husband's sisters (two on left), our nieces, my sister (on my right) and my pals. They must have really liked me to wear those pink popsicle dresses. Pinky-peach was how I described the color at the time... and I was gaga over it. The matching roses were "Sophia". My husband, who has an "in" with the local florist, still gives those roses to me each year.

My husband and his home boys. My two brothers (one on his left and one second to the right) were also convinced to join the gang, along with our nephew. You may notice that they look rather sunburned. They played golf for most of the day before, followed by a bachelor party. When I reached him at the end of the aisle with his sunburn, a bit of a hangover and wedding jitters, he looked as though he might faint at any moment.

The reception was held at the Missouri Botanical Gardens in the beautiful upstairs of the main building. A jazzy, blues band played and the doors to the the garden were open. It was lovely. I do remember a bit of concern over the nude statues being exhibited at that time. My grandmothers were there, after all!

You may be able to see the guests lined up for food in the back. They were either ravenous or the food was incredible, because the food ran out a little early and my father needed to beg for more in the kitchen. Even though I'm the youngest of my family, I married first (just by six weeks) and when we left the reception, for the only time I know of, both of my parents cried. That's when I "got it" that the evening was life changing.

A city, a small town, separate toothpaste, family, friends, separate sinks, three sons, many pets, separate retirement savings plans and a funeral home business later, it's been a wonderful, cuh-razy, action-packed ride.