Busy Weekend and a sick day?

DD fought with a cold all weekend (it's just allergies, Mom!) and I'm waiting to see how she's feeling this morning. Typically she'll have one really bad day -- all stuffed up and feeling miserable. I'm hoping that was yesterday. I gave her night time cold meds last night at 7:30 so she could sleep (yes, she wanted to go to bed that early), heard her snuffling around 1 a.m. and gave her one more dose. Hopefully a good night's sleep helped kick the bug.

I don't want her to miss school (not to mention I have NO idea how to handle a sick day for her) but I don't want to send her sick (because THAT is why she's sick ... someone else sent their sick kidlet to school... last week she told me about the girl she was partnered with being sick and DD hoped she wouldn't catch it). Yet another thing that was easier when I was homeschooling...

Maria Zannini asked me "what about the time you used to spend teaching DD?" ... the fact is, there wasn't much. She was on a DVD curriculum where there was an actual classroom and teachers TAUGHT. She'd sit down, watch the class, do the work, etc. My job was to correct papers, make sure she stayed on schedule and answer questions or help when she was confused (much of which, except the correcting papers part, I'm still doing).

Here's the thing -- I KNOW this is a wonderful place for DD to be. She's thriving (aside from the germs!) and completely enjoying school. She's happy and challenged and I wouldn't change that. But homeschooling, as it turns out, was much easier on me. Who'da thunk it?

I spent this weekend being Suzy Homemaker. Our grocery store is selling local apples (from the farm where we would have picked anyway) for only $0.69/lb -- they're smaller ones, but otherwise perfect (and I was making sauce, so didn't care about the size). I bought about 15 - 20 of apples and spent much of Saturday cutting and coring apples. I ended up with eight quarts (seemed like an awful lot of work for only eight quarts ... but there you go) of unsweetened applesauce.

Sunday I baked bread. Lots of bread. It was a challenge since my house was opened up to air out the smell of polyurethane (from the hardwood stairs DH put in all weekend ... another story) and it was VERY cool inside. I had the oven on "warm" and used that to raise the bread, but I think it didn't raise as much as it should have as most of my loaves were a bit doughy and heavy. Will try again when I have more flour (I ran out .... went through about 20 cups) and it's warmer in the house.

DH spent the weekend tearing out the carpet from our stairs, pulling off the treads and then putting down hardwood treads. Thankfully, we have a second way upstairs (through the garage ... so while it's good we could get upstairs, it was a massive ordeal). Yesterday was spent covering them in the poly ... and we still can't use them this morning. We're supposed to wait 72 hours ... but I don't know if I can hold out that long -- never mind how confused the dog is about it all. Yesterday I had to lug two baskets of clothes from the basement where the laundry room is, out the door to the garage, hold them OVER MY HEAD to get behind the car and the truck and past the mower through the door (which barely opens wide enough because the generator and snow blower are in the way) and up those stairs to the bedrooms.

I am glad for the stairs -- our carpet was old and worn (clear through in one spot), but next time DH has to do something like that, I'm getting a motel room for a week.

It also meant that I got none of the deep-cleaning done that I'd planned for upstairs and will need to squeeze it in this week instead.

Next weekend, I'm going to try mega-cooking again to save me having to cook from scratch during the week, and see if that helps me with time.

How was your weekend?

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You Are a Green Apple

You're a pretty traditional person. You believe that if something has lasted, then it's probably good. You think that living the good life is pretty simple. If you behave responsibly and ethically, good things will come to you. You are a loner and prefer to keep to yourself. You love solitude. You are super productive. People are amazed by how much you are able to get done.

What Color Apple Are You?

Um.. yeah, that's pretty much right on!

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Wednesday Rambling

Shipping is a terrible thing to do to vegetables. They probably get jet-lagged, just like people. ~Elizabeth Berry

So ... the hubs went to the doctor yesterday. We had to wait almost 45 mins (this drives me a little crazy -- if they make an appointment, we shouldn't have to wait. They should build in padding around them or something because it's just plain rude and inconsiderate), during which time he nearly got up an left.

He finally went in to the doc and then came out with a smirk. Uh oh...

Yep -- doc says it's only a bad sprain. She advised rest and elevation. She offered an inflatable cast, which he declined and she even said he was cleared for hockey in two weeks. He felt very vindicated and poo-poo'd my overreaction.

I'm glad it's nothing worse, but this will make it THAT much harder to get him to the doctor the next time something happens. Oh well...

He came home, and told his boss who immediately ordered him to work from home all week.

While I agree it's probably best, it really makes things tough around here. We'll see how much hair I pull out before next Monday...

I had a couple comments yesterday about making pickles. Jennifer Shirk mentioned wishing she knew how to make her own pickles and Ceri Hebert (the one to blame for getting me watching the "Extreme Couponing" show) said she might plant cucumbers to do her own.

First: making pickles is ridiculously easy. I used to grow my own dill, etc., but now I'm lazy and buy the seasoning packs. You use that plus salt to make your brine. You put the cucumbers into the jar, pour brine over the top and hot pack them. Poof... done.

Second: I learned from my first year making pickles that the best ones for eating (the long, skinny "burpless" kind, IMHO) are not good for making pickles (they get REALLY mushy). So I'll be planting two kinds of cucs this year: the burpless for eating fresh and the pickling cucumbers for making my pickles.

Sadly, my DH has decided he prefers store bought sweet relish over my homemade and I don't eat the stuff, so I have about ten jars that just sit there ... I'd give it away, but I want my jars! LOL... I'll figure something out some day.

Canned fruit and jam is also super easy to make, especially applesauce which I plan to make in massive quantities this year. I'll try to document it all on the Healthful & Homemade blog later in the summer.

Happy Wednesday!

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You Are Growth Oriented

You maintain your focus on your goals. No matter what, you're not going to let life distract you. You can handle multiple projects and are always ready for another one. You love to multitask. You are amazingly energetic. You don't just get second winds - you get third and fourth winds. You always have a piece of advice or wisdom to share. You've learned a lot during your life.

The Japanese Pattern Test

HAHAHAHAHA... it's actually pretty darn close.

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Yesterday in Pictures

A good snapshot stops a moment from running away. ~ Eudora Welty

Yesterday I stepped out of my shower just as a note was slipped under my door. DD does this quite frequently -- apparently the 23 hours we spend together each day aren't enough... that 30 minutes when I hide in the take a shower always brings something to her mind that must be shared IMMEDIATELY.

Here is the note (which cracked me up! I felt like I should salute and say, "YES, SIR!):



Beta is one of our pillars who grew quite a bit, and his food was a tad wilty so he was dangling precariously over the side. And, yes, I took care of it immediately.

DH took the car around for repair quotes yesterday. Want to see what $2k in damages to a car looks like? Here it is:



*sigh*

Since we no longer have a food budget (or an anything else budget for a while), it's a good thing I just made gallons of strawberry jam (during which time I was so frazzled, I forgot to take pix to put on my Healthful & Homemade blog... sorry):



You can live on strawberry jam, right? *G*

And that was my day.

How was yours?

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You Shine Early and Late

You're the type who's both a morning and an evening person - you just tend to slow down in the middle of the day. You wake up fresh and ready to face the world, and then you get a second wind right before bed. You are calm and steady. You try to pace yourself and find balance in your day. Your do best in the spring when the world is full of hope and possibilities.

When Do You Shine?

Interestingly that's pretty close. Every day around 2:00 I'm ready for a nap, but an hour or so later, I get my second wind. And I do love Spring.

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It Was An Accident...

It takes 8,460 bolts to assemble an automobile, and one nut to scatter it all over the road. ~Author Unknown

Good news on the pillar front ... Alpha FINALLY shed his skin and is now an officially cooking butterfly. He should be fully cooked in a week to ten days. We were terrifically worried about him, but I guess he knew what he was doing!

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So, yesterday I once again proved that I shouldn't have a reverse mode on my vehicle. Consider this: in the past I have backed my Celica into a light pole, my 4Runner into my SIL's truck and then yesterday I backed my car into the garage.

*sigh*

Just scraped the side about 18" long (though how I managed that long a scrape I have no idea ... I was barely rolling and slammed on the brakes the moment I heard/felt anything), but it dented it and scraped off the paint.

DH was remarkably accepting over the entire thing, while I swear I was inconsolable.

In any case, I've decided that our next house needs a drive through garage.

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Today, we go strawberry picking. I bought my low sugar pectin yesterday and am ready to make jam. I'm planning on making half strawberry and half strawberry-rhubarb.

The beginning of canning season has arrived! YAY! I'm looking forward to seeing if I'm able to can and freeze enough to see us through the winter. I feel very Little House on the Prairie-ish.

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You Are an Emotional Artist

You're the type of artist who creates because you are moved. It's like it's not even a choice. Your art is all about expressing yourself, and to be honest, you don't really care about what others think of it. You are in love with the things that you create. Every piece of art you've made has great meaning to you. You don't beat yourself up if your art isn't perfect. If you're happy with what it says, then that's all you could ask for.

What Type of Artist Are You?

Mostly right...

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Rain, Rain Go Away...

Weather is a great metaphor for life - sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad, and there's nothing much you can do about it but carry an umbrella. ~Terri Guillemets

They're expecting rain today and tomorrow... lots and lots of rain. Somewhere between 3" - 6" which probably means some flooding again since the ground isn't completely thawed yet.

I'm just praying for light winds, thought they're already gusting pretty heavily this morning.

My SIL brought me over a bunch of quart and pint canning jars yesterday. She's single and doesn't use the bigger jars when she cans, but had gotten a bunch free from the lady she bought her pressure canner and has been holding on to them because she couldn't bear to just get rid of them. Then I mentioned I was going to be canning a LOT this year, and she happily shared.

I'm excited.

Now I wait. First thing to harvest? Strawberries... in a month or so. I'll make strawberry jam and loads of frozen strawberries that I'll vacuum seal to save for a whole year :-)

Mmmmmmmm....

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You Are a Doer

You are energetic, active, and a total go-getter. You don't procrastinate or back down. You just do it! You think that most people are paralyzed by fear and inaction. They would just feel better if they did something. You make a good leader and a good motivator. You believe that everyone is happier when they are being productive. You love to take on new tasks. You enjoy learning, and you see every day as a growing experience. You're always changing... and changing for the better!

What Kind of 'Er' Are You?

Yep.. pretty much!

======================

My Little Entrepreneur

"Big thinking precedes great achievement." — Wilferd Peterson

So, DD is really enjoying beading stuff. She has the book thongs down and made four yesterday (for an order she already got *G*). They're gorgeous -- see? Here are two I took pictures of (the other two are on colored ribbon with colored beads):




I'll be honest and say that I had no idea beading was so complicated. I took her to AC Moore and Michaels and got pretty much the bare minimum in supplies. I spent ... a lot (and that with coupons, sales AND my 10% off teacher discount at AC Moore) and we came home with: 6 different pliers, wire, hemp, ribbon, leather, and twine, crimping beads and tubes, three kinds of needles, a book on beading and beads. And what I got isn't even for regular jewelry making or using those itty-bitty beads.

In any case, she's excited and really applying herself (and taking her time) which is good to see. She's not the most patient kid in the world.

After she does several more thongs, we'll move on to bracelets, I think. I hope I don't need more supplies for them!

I told her once she'd made at least 6 more thongs, I'd open her Etsy shop for her. She's already planning on how she'll spend her millions...

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We picked all our apples yesterday. They were the UGLIEST looking things you've ever seen, but boy did they taste good! We all ate some, and then I made a pile of applesauce. My SIL called and said our other SIL had dropped off a bushel of peaches from their tree and SIL had spent the morning pureeing them and did I want some? YOU BET.

I didn't have time to can the sauce yesterday, so today I'm going to make half regular applesauce and half peach-applesauce and can it all up. I think I might make some peach jam, too, if I have enough puree.

I'm also going to experiment with making my own refried beans (we use them a lot and they're so ridiculously expensive to buy) and canning them in pint jars. I don't know if I have to pressure can them or not, so will have to investigate.

Feeling a little like pioneer woman, lol.

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The Nip is in the Air

The foliage has been losing its freshness through the month of August, and here and there a yellow leaf shows itself like the first gray hair amidst the locks of a beauty who has seen one season too many. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

Fall is definitely here. The days have been warm and sunny, but the moment the sun goes down ... it's COLD. It gets into the 40s at night. My tomatoes are pretty much done -- the cold is causing them to split the moment they are ripe. The few cucumbers I have are growing FAT bottoms (full of seeds). The crabgrass has gone to seed (my neighbors "lawn" is a lovely shade of red).

DH is off for the next five days and this weekend will be the last one in which he takes the boat out. We have a HUGE pile of wood to split that we took down last year, and then we need to go to our across the street neighbor and chop up the trees he had taken down this summer, then haul it over here and stack it up to season for next year. I'll probably pull up my tomatoes and start to get the garden ready for winter, cut down all the perennials that are done blooming. I want to go apple picking soon, and can applesauce this year, but after typing everything else, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed!

I'm going to miss summer, especially since they're predicting near record snowfall again this year. DH is thrilled, since he loves to go snowmobiling, but me? Not so much. I'll be counting the days to April (147 days, in case you were wondering).

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You Are a Powerful Black Car

You are a strong and dominant person. You enjoy showcasing your power. You are competent and in control. There's no one more suited to be in charge. You are very competitive. You like to win, and it even feels a bit humiliating to lose. You are always up for a challenge. You are a natural daredevil, and you're always looking to conquer a new feat.

The Car Oracle

The First Rule of Blogthings Is: You Don't Talk About Blogthings

I only chose it cuz I prefer a truck, and it was the only option, lol... but all things considered, much of it is pretty close.

==========================

Fun, Fun, Fun!

A true friend is one who thinks you are a good egg even if you are half-cracked. ~Author Unknown

Yesterday, I met with a friend of mine -- multi-published author, Allie Boniface. She's up in my neck of the woods doing some author appearances and having a grand old time.



We met for lunch and talked for ... oh, 2 1/2 hours... pretty much non-stop. Her DH was there, too, and patiently let us gab. We talked about our beginnings (we "met" at WVU -- Allie was one of the first people I "met" in a romance writing class), and how far we've come since then. That was... oh... six years ago, maybe?

We talked about the future (she kept asking, "What are you working on NOW?" because she knows I'm busy, but wants to encourage me... thanks, A). We talked about her coming up here again to join me for appearances up here after "One Love for Liv" comes out in print.

We talked about LASR. We talked about her cats, my cat and dog. We talked about gardening. And the time flew by.

It pretty much made missing the RWA conference in SF worth it.

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Some randomness...

So, the older I get, the more I look like my sister. Isn't that funny? She's blonde and blue-eyed, but I think the resemblance is uncanny.

*

DD played a Wii yesterday. My neighbors watched her for me while I met with Allie, and they have one. DD had a blast, though she says her muscles are sore! LOL... And now, she has a Wii on her Christmas list.

I told her not to hold her breath.

*

I realized yesterday that the summer is nearly over! I have to get DD's letter of intent to homeschool in to the school district TODAY. How did the time go by so quickly?

*

I canned ten quarts of pickles on Tuesday. Ten. Quarts. And I still have more cucumbers than I know what to do with. That's okay -- I'd rather have too many, than not enough!

*

I've decided the voles are definitely gone. It's been quite some time, and still no holes. Now, I just need to redo the dirt pile that was my garden.

*

Why do weeds grow faster than the stuff I plant?

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You Are a Chocolate Flavored Popsicle

You are hedonistic. For you, summer is all about indulging your five senses. Some people may call you spoiled, but your simply the type of person who knows what they want. You have sophisticated tastes. You like sweet things as much as the next person, but you don't like cheap treats. You're much more drawn to the dramatic in all aspects of life - including dramatic desserts.

What Flavor Popsicle Are You?

Hedonistic? ME? And, since when is a chocolate Popsicle "dramatic"? LOL...

What About Love?

Forget love - I'd rather fall in chocolate! ~Sandra J. Dykes

I've been missing my dog, Bailey, quite a bit lately. It's been nearly a year since she crossed the rainbow bridge, and I still think about her pretty much every day. I imagine that will change with more time, but it's still pretty raw and I'm easily brought to tears by her memory.



I love my new dog, Dakota. I do... but I find myself comparing my feelings. Do I love her as much as I loved Bailey as a puppy? How much would it hurt if I lost her now? Will I ever love her as much as I loved Bailey? Will it be the same kind of love?



All this led me to think about feelings of love in general. For instance, I have a family member I love very much, but there are times I don't like her. She's difficult to be around, though I understand that has changed a bit. She can be very negative and judgemental, and for someone like me -- who already struggles with feeling low -- it makes life difficult. But I love her.

OTOH, there are other family members I love AND like. Does that mean I love them more? Or just differently?

What about romantic love? If I loved someone before my DH, but didn't marry him, does that mean I loved him less than my DH? Or just differently? Does love go away or do you always love someone?

How do you quantify or categorize love?

I'm feeling terribly philosophical today. Or maybe I just need another cup of coffee.

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I'm going to make pickles today. I have... well, a LOT of cucumbers. Lots, and lots, and lots. I gave away several, but I really like pickles and wanted to try my hand at it. We'll see how it goes. I hope it doesn't flop like my strawberry jam.

======================

DD gets to see a sugar glider today for her Summer Reading Program! She's so excited. We have to be there early, and we have a lot to do today, but that's okay. After all, how often do you get to see a sugar glider up close?

Exactly.

=======================

You Would Make an Okay 1930's Wife

You have some of the attributes of an ideal 1930's wife... but you probably didn't intend it to be that way. You don't buy into retro gender roles, though you do embrace your femininity at times. A 1930's man may find you passable, but you probably wouldn't want anything to do with him.

Would You Have Been a Good Wife in the 1930s?

Guess What I Grew?

In gardens, beauty is a by-product. The main business is sex and death. ~Sam Llewelyn

Watching this guy never ceases to make me feel better, LOL. (Um, warning, graphic animated cartoon).

I made strawberry jam a couple of days ago and it didn't set. I emailed my mom, and she told me why AND how to fix it. So, I may tackle that this weekend. Or I may not. But, I will do it before blueberry season, which is SOON considering DD, DH and I all went out back and picked and ate blueberries to our hearts content yesterday. MMMMM....

Hey, guess what I grew in my garden?? A YELLOW-JACKETS NEST! Oh. Yay.

Yep, yesterday I was weeding on the edge of the garden and where the lawn ends, there's a drop of about 3-4" that's a dirt wall of sorts. I was yanking weeds when I saw a bee-type creature buzz between my hands and into the wall. Peculiar... but I kept weeding until another did it, and another.

I went and got my pitchfork, came back and jabbed it into the ground about six inches back from where I saw them fly in and then wiggled it. It buzzed. Loudly.

I backed away, then found DH and gave HIM the pitchfork and a bottle of wasp killer. Understand, I could have done this, just like I can change my own tire. But, why should I went I have a big, strong, capable man around? *G*

He jabbed the pitchfork in where I showed him, peeled back the lawn to expose an big, honking nest and then emptied the can into it and flopped the grass back into place. I may have him go check it this morning before he leaves to go boating... yanno, just in case.

Blech. And, yeah, I should have taken pictures (It would have made the telling much more interesting), but I didn't think about it until later.

DD took a picture of our latest butterfly, though (we released two yesterday -- she named them Lucy and Dew... this is Lucy):



She is clinging to the last pupa in the dill box. The pupa was NOT happy about it and wiggled until poor Lucy fell off and DD had to rescue her.

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You Are a One Piece Swimsuit

You are a bit conservative and traditional. And you are not at the beach to put your body on display! You are a low maintenance person. You like to look good, but you're not vain. Your taste tends to be sophisticated. You always opt for classy over trashy.

What Kind of Swimsuit Are You?

Yep. That's me: classy, not trashy.

I think I'll have that tattooed on my derriere.