Quiet

around here this morning.

No little ones visiting.

My littlest one is gone for the day.

I should go read a book.

I did it!

I stuck to it all day long today.
Started at about 7 this morning and didn't stop 'til after 5pm. And I didn't do the Fly Lady thing. I did the cd thing instead. One room for nearly a cd's length ... nothing quite like an audio book to motivate me.
Not done, but I'll be happy with what did get done.

Started in my bedroom with my clothes.
I gave up trying to fit into some things again.
Other things ... even if I would love to fit into them again ... how many pairs of capris does one need in this climate of ours. Not that many.
Little slippy on sandals that hurt your feet? Gone.
I handled every article of clothing (except the socks and undies) that was in my room and belonged to me.

Then I moved to the storage room.
It is rather large and dreamy for storage.
And when my dear husband built the thing ... he filled it.
I've not touched it since then.
Today I touched. Everything but his tools and stuff. That I won't touch with a 10 foot pole.

I really had to wonder about a few things. Like how many pairs of feet live in this house? How many of them actually slip their feet into snowboard boots? And ... why are there so many of them?!

We also have this nifty rod running down the center of the room. Jackets and coats are another problem. I didn't go through them. I'll save that for another day. I really can't say too much in that department though. I'm a bit of a collector myself.

My aim had been to get rid of things. I was going to pitch to my hearts content. The heart wasn't content with any pitching today. I do need some hanging devices for things like skiis and fishing poles ... being as I didn't manage to get rid of not much of anything in that room today. Aargh! There isn't really an available wall left. I'll have to take over another room I guess. My hubby would rather build a garage. I think I agree with him.

So here is Problem #1. There are boxes of things down there that probably don't need to be. I'd love to e-bay some stuff and see if I can get rid of it but I have no clue if it is worth anything or not. So, I rearranged things ... picked up some massive dust and other stuff with the shop vac ... gave it a once over and left it all in there. Nearly all. I did remove several bags of stuff. Like chair cushions. I don't own any dining room chairs anymore. I haven't for nearly 3 years now!!

Problem #2 is that if I get rid of stuff I might need it later. How dumb is that?! But ... you just never know. I really don't want to replace luggage that has a handle that may be tricky to put back into the bag while the rest of it still works. Even if it IS ugly.

I did make it through the rest of the basement as well. Need another several hours in the laundry room ... and a trip to donate all kinds of items to the local thrift store. After which ... I'm done and ready to play.

Mission accomplished ... mainly because this handsome guy was gone all day today. You gals know how it is, right? They're home and you don't get a thing done.

Tomorrow I'm going fishing with him. :)

How does your garden grow?

A potato got caught in the middle of the carrots and is growing quite nicely. :)

Looking at these luscious carrot tops makes me quite excited for next year and a much larger garden ... and all that weeding! I do love weeding.

Zucchini was started rather late. I transplanted several plants outside and the rest in the greenhouse. The greenhouse plants we moved outside last weekend. I do have a visible start of one squash on a plant. Grilled zucchini coming up!

These things are my pride and joy this year. Should they ever grow big enough to start turning red ... I'll be crowing from the rooftop. We really do have about 100 tomatoes growing out there. And I still don't like tomatoes. I don't have tomato cages. Instead they are tied up and all over the place using anything from oxygen tubing to zip ties to bungee cords. Whatever is most handy when the plant starts to fall over. I've trimmed the plants to nearly naked. Taking off anything that isn't nearly vital to the growth of fruit.

Along with our tomatoes ... we have the biggest crop of daddy long leg spiders I've ever seen in my life. They are feasting everywhere ... either they or spider mites (whatever they are). Good thing I'm not needing these delicate blooms for anything other than a strainer or a funnel. This would be my first dahlia ever ... and the seed was planted at Easter. Patience is big in this gardening game over here.

I am off to clean my room. I am going to pull a half Fly Lady and set the timer today. I'll go for longer than 15 minutes ... maybe 30 in each room and see what I accomplish!

Vacation Days 1 and 2

Monday is finally here!! Vacation week has started!! 

Jari and I headed out fishing to Jim's Creek bright and early. Jari managed to catch one nice size red ... I just played with the fish. They danced all around me ... even had the nerve to chase my lure like they were in a game of cat and mouse. Guess they preferred to stay right where they were ... rather than with me.

As much as I'd have liked to take one home with me ... it was equally wonderful to just be out there. In the damp. In the chill. Mist rolling in and out with seagulls anxious for a meal.

Homeward after a few hours of that.

I'm not managing to accomplish what I had dreamed of this week.

To be perfectly honest ... I'm not going to hit much of anything on my list.

Ugh. Makes me frustrated.

I did manage this one yesterday tho'.

Way back when (which really wasn't that long ago in reality), Alaskan homesteaders didn't have access to many of the food stuffs found in stores in the more civilized areas. So a great amount of their innovation was derived from using existing resources in creative ways. Honey was one of those condiments that was always in short supply in the early days of Alaska history.

I picked some of this ...

a little of that ...

very little of this ...

and a few more ingredients such as allum and sugar.

Next to the boiling, straining and water bath processing of them .. and on to the taste test. I was super impressed with the taste. I am quite certain that it doesn't have the nutritional value of real honey ... but a dab on some bread, a drop in your tea or honey in your bread dough ... it will certainly work!

And ... being as I really have a hard time watching things go to waste ...

I made another batch on Tuesday as well.

That really is just an excuse to be in the kitchen.

Like clover and fireweed going "to waste" is enough to ruin my day.

Visiting Monday evening.

A run to check out a school on Tuesday morning with a stop at an antique store. I found one of my tea sets in that store. Along with plenty of my white glass. Nothing I couldn't live without tho'. Good thing. 'Cuz I'm not shopping anyway.

Target for laundry soap. I was going to be good in the coupon department. Have decided to get motivated and start working at this saving coupons and shopping sales again .. after reading about Jenny's great success. I left quite a few coupon deals in the store and walked out with other things instead. Laundry soap was less expensive without the coupon if you bought another brand. Enough of that. I did get a few school supplies as that is around the corner.

On homeward to take a nap ... and then bake some bread.

Enough of Tuesday.

Tomorrow I must clean!

If I get distracted in the morning and end up running somewhere I'm off kilter for the rest of the day. Can't manage to get back on track for anything!

I'll be running in circles at 70!

Vacation

is bliss.

Pure. Bliss.

Having teenagers isn't always bliss.

End. Of. Story.

It was Thursday night at 11:00 pm

and I finally took a good look at the note attached to the Youth Camp form. When I had glanced at it before, I knew that I had to send cookies along.

They hadn't gotten done.

I worked every day and we've had company all week.

I'm also use to notes that say "2 DOZEN cookies".

I saw the D and I saw the O ... and my brain read dozen.

It wasn't until 11pm the night before camp that my brain read Double Batch.

Crud.

So, I set the cookbook on the counter with a note for Tia.

I told Jari to make sure she was up early enough to get the cookie baking done.

And I went to work.

She was gone for camp by the time I got home Friday.

Cookies were done ... thanks to some help from Joyce.

Mess cleaned up. Cookies gone. Child gone. Whew!

Saturday evening I downloaded pictures off the computer ....

and found this one.

In case you can't read the note, it says

Tia

Please help mom with this. Dad should be home by noon.

Love, Dad

The next picture downloaded (in order and I'm not kidding you) was this one.

Please ignore my coat rack.

Check out the long skinny things leaning on the coat rack.

This is a test.

Not of the Emergency Broadcasting System ... but of something downright close.

I think it is called the Salmon Are In at Jim's Creek Department.

I know what I see.

Fishing poles.

Looks to be about 4 of them.

At about this point I was going to write something like (he really didn't go fishing).

He just walked in here to see what I was doing and I had to show him.

He really can't remember if he fished on Friday morning or not!

The man is getting seriously forgetful.

He didn't.

The melting pot that we call our yard

has several modes of transportation with different license plates this morning.

A van with Minnesota plates came and parked on Tuesday evening. Joyce and Brian made their way here from Minnesota, without benefit of flight, and are here with two darling kiddos. Trina was certainly the center of attention at Bible Class last night with all the young girls.

Tanner has certainly grown since I saw him last!

Tanner was busy watching this young man teaching him some interesting new tricks. Watch out Joyce! You may not have a tow strap left when he's done figuring out how it all works. :) I wish I dared try it. I can just see myself landing with a stick through my noggin or something like that.

Isaac Skoog flew in Sunday evening. I know that his mom is sort of missing having his toothbrush in the bathroom. "What?" you say? Really, she did. Right here. Just scroll to the bottom of the page. We have been enjoying his talent on the guitar as well. :)

  

I think he's been keeping himself occupied while he's here ... and anxiously waiting for his friend to arrive. Johannes got here last evening ... on a motorcycle (Virginia plates this time around) .. after driving 8,000 miles. I really am thrilled that people just get out and do things like this instead of being stuck in a rut somewhere. He left from Maine 20 days ago and has traveled via Juneau where he visited his aunt for several days. I don' t know how long he plans on being here .. sounds like they intend to do some touring of Alaska. There is plenty of it to do!

I am feeling a little elated giddy. I have 16 hours of work left before I get a few days off. The list of things to do in that few days is sort of long ... accomplishment will feel wonderful!