Tuesday Talk

If you want to live and thrive, let the spider run alive. ~American Quaker Saying

It rained yesterday. Rained a lot, thankfully (but not for long -- just dumped a few bucketsful and headed out). A little thunder, but nothing too bad. It was overcast most of the day, which is a drag, but did we ever need the rain! If I were in charge, I'd have it rain EVERY night between 3 a.m. - 4 a.m., a good, solid, soaking rain. Then clear and pleasant.

Of course humans are notoriously bad about being grateful (we're happiest, I think, when we have something to complain about), so maybe a day of bad weather now and then would be in order to make folks happy about the sun.

LOL...

Yesterday, Tori asked: Is it nice having your mom back?

Of course! It's been interesting, though, because it both feels as though she never left AND that incredible amounts of things have changed since she left. It's been a rough few weeks getting her all settled in, but I think it's finally happening.

Maria Zannini commented on the Milkweed Tussock Moths: It almost looks like you can use those caterpillars as scrub brushes.

I think they are one of the coolest pillars I've ever seen. I liked the Luna moth pillar we found, too, but mostly because it was SO HUGE. But the tussock moths almost look like something you could keep as a family pet.

As an aside, this is a Luna moth pillar:



And this is a Luna moth:



And they are one of the pillars I discovered that I could raise indoors if I wanted to -- I can even buy babies. It's very tempting, as they are no longer as numerous (and are even considered endangered in some areas).

And Brandy said: Sorry to ask so many questions.

You don't! If I sounded frustrated yesterday, it's because I am frustrated over the lack of pillars. I get very angry sometimes about big agriculture's lack of consideration about the health of our country: people and critters. It's one of my "hot buttons". Pesticides, herbicides, GMOs (like corn that makes its OWN pesticide so bugs that eat it die... what happens when WE eat it?) ... big ag and I are not on good terms. And I really think they are largely to blame for our current honeybee crisis and the declining numbers of so many good bugs.

Okay, end rant again, lol. Told you it was a hot button. On to other stuff...

It's only a month before DD starts school. This whole "back to school" thing is new to me. I have to check her wardrobe and make sure she has enough of the right clothes to wear. I need to get a list of school supplies to buy (on a side note, I went to Staples last week and scored HUGE on their sale: cap erasers for $0.01, ball point pens for $0.01, two reams of paper for my printer for $0.25/each and more).

She's nervous. Excited, too, but fear of the unknown is worse. I think she's going ot enjoy it. She's going to do one sport (I think team sports are awesome for kids). Depending on what they have, she'll do soccer or volleyball (her choice -- *I* think she should do basketball ... that was my sport, and she's so tall she'd be perfect). They have art, drama, and more. I'm excited, too.

For now, though, it's time to wake the house and start my day for real. Have a great Tuesday!

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You Are Plucky and Brave

You enjoy variety and new challenges. You're always looking to shake things up a bit. You are deeply emotional. You are a very soulful person, and at times you're downright fiery. When you want to get your way, you're assertive and gusty. You are a good actor, even when you're not feeling brave. You are easily excited and inspired. You are engaged with the world in many different ways.

The Train Oracle

About 50/50...

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This and That

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?" ~William A. Ward

I opened up the door to take the dog out this morning and walked into a wall of heat and humidity. It was warmer outside than in my house! It's supposed to be in the 80s today ... but don't think that means sun. It means steam! We're still expecting rain today. It *does* look like tomorrow might be nicer -- clouds in the morning, but sunny and warm in the afternoon. DH talked to his folks about fishing, so he just might get his day out (I'm doing everything: crossing fingers, praying, dancing to the sun gods...)

Also, I checked and last year we found our first swallowtail caterpillars on June 29th ... that date is looming, so if we get a little sun over the next day or two (so butterflies can actually ... yanno... FLY) we're going to start checking for eggs and babies. The milkweed is coming up, too. So I expect Pillar Place 2011 to start soon.

RE: the dog who fell off the dog walk on Sunday. I heard from the owner yesterday and she said she was shocked, but that Missy was absolutely fine. Thank goodness. I told DD and she was relieved. I think she'll always feel like it was her fault, but that's something she'll have to figure out on her own, I guess.

Last night, I got this really strong image for a scene in "Now and Forever". That happens to my quite often really. I tend to "see" parts of the book in my head, like a movie. This one will be my ending scene, and I think it has both an "awwwwww" factor, which I strive for, but should also make the reader laugh.

Today, God willing and DH don't fuss (*G*), I'm going to get it written down.

Then ... I think it's ready to submit. Finally!! My goal is to have my query and synopsis done by next week. I hate writing synopses...

I was reminded how much worse my life could be due to weather problems yesterday, when an author friend who lives in Minneapolis shared her tornado story (she's fine). I have a brother who lives on the Missouri border and who has family only a few miles from Joplin, the town that was completely destroyed by the tornado that hit (they're fine). And then I think about the farmers in Mississippi who've deliberately had their lands flooded in a very Spock-like "the good of the many over the good of the few" decision (though I do wonder how this will impact food prices over the next year). I have to say, I'm SO proud of those farmers. They took the decision to flood their lands stoically, and then took steps to protect what they could. Seeing pictures like this makes me proud:



I can't imagine how awful it was for them to see their land and their livelihood underwater. But good for them for doing what they could to protect what was theirs.

So, although I really hate all the rain ... I remember it could be far, far worse than it is.

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You Are Trustworthy

Of all the types, you are the most responsible and loyal. You take your duties seriously. You thrive when you are able to do something practical and productive. You hate to waste your time. Some people say that you are a bit neurotic or cautious, but you believe it's better to be safe than sorry. You do your best to live a engaging and important life. You want what you do to matter.

The Scribble Circle Test

That's about right...

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I'm Dreaming....

Dreaming permits each and every one of us to be quietly and safely insane every night of our lives. ~William Dement

Last night I dreamed that DD had found a caterpillar. She kept telling me it was a Tiger Swallowtail, and we needed to get maple leaves, but the pillar she held was black and red with knobs and bumps all over it.

I asked her if she was certain it was a Tiger Swallowtail, at which point I got the "Duh, Mom" look.

Funny thing was part of my brain knew it wasn't, but my dream-self totally bought into it. Of course, upon wakening, I had to know what that other pillar was.

Here is a real Tiger Swallowtail caterpillar:



Here is what DD was holding in my dream, a Pipe-Vine Swallowtail:



I'll give YOU a "Duh, Mom" look.

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Hey.... got a cool blog? Have a friend with a cool blog? Check out the contest Maria Zannini is having in her quest to find and highlight cool blogs!

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I wrote another 1000 words on "Now and Forever" yesterday. It was good to sit and write. I need to do a search of horror movies, though, because Cori is going to refer to her soon to be MIL by a variety of names, most recently "The Mom of the Black Lagoon".

Any thoughts?

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You Are a Corn Dog

You are lively and carefree. You are playful, and you enjoy food that is fun! You are easily delighted. The smallest pleasures in life make you quite happy. Whenever there's a party, you're not far from it. You live for the good times. You are an engaging and interesting person. You make an excellent impression and find friends easily.

What Type of Hot Dog Are You?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA... No.

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Things Your Grandmother Knew

A man builds a fine house; and now he has a master, and a task for life: he is to furnish, watch, show it, and keep it in repair, the rest of his days. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I've been trying to read "How to Sew a Button and Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew" by Erin Bried, but have discovered that either I'm far more self-sufficient than most (please tell me you all know how to make pancakes from scratch and roast a chicken?) or she's putting an awful lot of filler in the book. Of course, at the beginning of the book she states that one of the reasons she's opted to write the book is because she bought Swiss Chard from the store to use in a pie instead of rhubarb ... so maybe the fact that I know how to sew a button onto my clothes or how to iron a shirt is unusual.

Yes, there are some things in the book that I didn't know, but for the most part it's all repeat information for me. Darn.

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As expected in Pillar Place, Alpha went on walkabout yesterday. Last evening he was clinging to the side of the box, not moving, which would probably indicate that he was ready to purge and really get serious about becoming a butterfly.

DD found one more pillar to add to the group, so now we have Nu. She really REALLY wants to have one named Xi, so she's diligently hunting for more, despite the fact we really don't have the room for them... and don't get me started about monarchs (although for those, I use individual Gladware containers with air holes poked in them, so can stack them for space).

Butterfly wrangling ain't for the faint of heart. But for those who want to do it, there are lots of sites telling your how like this one: Glorious-Butterfly.com

The most fascinating thing I've seen on these "raise a pillar" sites are how to find swallowtail EGGS. Not as easy as monarch eggs ... but I think we'll give it a try.

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

Yesterday flew by so fast it barely felt like it even happened. Two of my "helpers" at the LASR/WC/Aurora site - my reviews editor and my admin asst - were both gone to the Lori Foster gathering over the weekend, and the editor was flying home yesterday, so I've been doing triple duty the past few days. Between that, and trying to get school wrapped up for DD (she still has a couple more weeks, much to her dismay) things were absolutely crazy.

In the "good news" column, though, we got DD's assessment test results back and she was in the 95th percentile with all of her ratings in the "above average" range. YAY.

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You Are Having an Awesome Day

You feel grounded and stable in your life. There is not a lot of change going on. You are a peaceful person. You have the ability to deal with life's problems as they unfold. You are prioritizing your individuality right now. You have your own stuff to work on. Deep down you crave comfort. You want what's familiar and guaranteed to sooth you.

The Sailboat Test

Pretty much....

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Revenge of the Pillars

Teaching a child not to step on a caterpillar is as valuable to the child as it is to the caterpillar. - Bradley Millar

So, it rained all day yesterday -- frequently POURING as if someone was dumping buckets down on us. I admit to being a bit worried about the new plants -- that's a lot of heavy water to be beating down on them -- but for the most part, they took it just fine. The petunias lost some flowers, the ageratum was pretty well squashed (but should bounce back), some of my taller tomatoes tipped over a bit. But the rain really helped the stuff I moved around to perk right up (I had some gallardia, echinacea and annual bachelor buttons that looked nearly dead after being moved).

The best part, though? It killed the humidity. Hallelujah. I walked out this morning to cool, CRISP air instead of the oppressiveness of the 90% humidity we've been having. Maybe I can finally take my frizz ball hair out of its pony tail without looking like Diana Ross on a bad hair day.

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We have a few new additions to Pillar Place. On Saturday, my SIL happened to be here when DD found a pillar. Despite telling her we were using the Greek alphabet to name them, she begged us to call it Hercules. So... we have a Hercules, lol. Yesterday, in between cloud bursts, DD went out hunting pillars (she was terrified they'd all be killed in the bad weather .... they weren't).

We now have Kappa, Lambda and Mu to go with the other ten, all of whom are happy, healthy and eating like pigs. In fact, Alpha has been put into The Box -- the one with sticks to make his pupa on.

I was watching a video on raising Black Swallowtail pillars yesterday and the guy makes these little pupa containers out of half a toilet paper roll and a paper towel. When the pillar "purges" which is rather icky, but indicates he is done eating and ready to make his pupa, this guy picks them up and plops them inside.

While I understand his motives (it sure makes life easier to keep them well contained) it seems sort of cruel... the pillars will "walk-about" for a day or more before making their pupa, and I have visions of the poor critter doing a thousand loops around the tiny paper holder.

I know, maybe that shouldn't bother me so much, but it does. So... mine will have The Box to use instead. Also, with The Box, I don't have to move the pupa once it's made.

As an aside, every time I name one of the pillars, I'm reminded of the movie "Revenge of the Nerds". Remember Omega Mu? Or Lambda Lambda Lambda?



LOL...

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You Are Circus Circus

You are fun loving and outrageous. You are always looking for the next good time, and you are easily entertained. You are daring and open minded. You'd run away with the circus if the offer was good enough... You are unpredictable and zany - no wonder people love to be around you so much. You're not just the life of the party. You bring the party with you!

What Las Vegas Casino Are You?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.... no.

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Pillar Place 2010 update

We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty. ~Maya Angelou

So, things in Pillar Place are moving along nicely. No deaths (yay!!) and everyone is growing rapidly. Alpha is getting HUGE and will probably go on his walkabout in the next week or so:


Iota, who was the next largest, shed his black skin and now looks like a grown up, even though he's only about an inch long:



All the rest are still teeny -- here's Gamma, to give you a general idea (their food is kept in votive holders to give you an idea of their size):



Do you see him? That little black line with the white line in the middle? They've about doubled in size -- which is why I was so amazed DD found them in the first place!

The milkweed is growing like crazy, and now has buds. It should be blooming soon, and then assuming the monarchs will be a bit early like the swallowtails were, we should start seeing monarch eggs in the next 2 - 3 weeks.

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You Are Cloudy

Like everyone else, you are human. You have your ups and downs. You try to be resilient and weather the storm. You usually can find a silver lining. You struggle to be happy, and so far you are winning the battle. Make room in your life for a little fun every day. It will do wonders!

Are You Sunny, Cloudy, or Stormy?

Mostly right...

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Pillar Place 2010

Beautiful and graceful, varied and enchanting, small but approachable, butterflies lead you to the sunny side of life. And everyone deserves a little sunshine. ~Jeffrey Glassberg

Busy day yesterday -- finished putting in my veggie garden. I still had more squash, cucumbers and all my broccoli and cabbage to plant. But the time I was done, I was about ready to collapse from heat exhaustion (I'm telling you what... the weather this year is NUTS), so I didn't get the paper and straw down. I have that scheduled for Monday (NOT Sunday, when they are calling for 90 degree weather).

I've already lost one of my summer squash plants, so I guess it's good my SIL gave me a few more, and my eggplant isn't looking too healthy. I have to assume it's the early heat before they've had time to really get their roots set. Very frustrating.

I planted parsley seeds for my black swallowtail friends, too. Decided to plant it near the rue I have behind the garden. When I was done, I glanced over at the rue, not really expecting to see any butterbabies (since the earliest we've ever found them was mid-June), but I guess the heat is making everything a little crazy.

I found one. He's bitty and was still black when I found him, though he shed his skin in the late afternoon and now looks more like an adult (though he's still only about 1/2" in length).

DD was gone for the day, so I got the privilege of naming him. I named him "Al" (short for Alpha because he's the beginning).

And thus Pillar Place 2010 begins ... a little weakly (last year we had something like 15 the first day!), and I'm wondering what happened to Al's siblings, though we did have a pretty massive thunderstorm on Wednesday, which would have been the day they hatched based on his size, so they may have gotten washed away (which makes me sad).

Behold Al:



Not that he looks like that anymore... They grow up so fast.

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You Are Engaged

You feel completely absorbed and intrigued right now. You're cheerfully busy. You're alert and completely involved with everything you do. You don't walk through life half-asleep. If you're interested and engrossed, then you feel incredibly happy. You are constantly curious and never bored. There's too much to be fascinated with!

What Kind of Happy Are You?

That's mostly right on!

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Pillar Place Pictures!

We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty. ~Maya Angelou

We had a busy day at Pillar Place yesterday. Those of you on Twitter and Facebook got to watch me exclaim my surprise that three of our 'pillars went on walkabout to make their pupae.

I checked them this a.m. and Diana, Ichabod and Abigail are all little "J" bugs -- two on sticks and one on the wall of the box. It takes about 10 days for them to become butterflies, so the clock starts ticking now.

Here's a picture of one pillar eating -- I love how they bend almost all the way over, grab the food with their little hands and chow down, clinging to the stem with their suction cup feet:



And this is Diana on walkabout...



she walked the circumference of the box at least four times before realizing that her options for her pupa-home were limited. She then cruised up and down all the sticks a number of times before settling for one.

The other pictures I took yesterday were horrible and blurry... sorry. But, to make up for it, here is a picture of one of my pots:


And the ever patient Dakota (who lets us do pretty much anything we want to her):



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It's sunny here today! YAY! It was sunny most of yesterday, with a break in the middle of about two hours when it thundered and poured rain. I'm so excited to get outside today, though my DH asked me to mow the lawn. He's helping a friend from work build his deck, and if we don't mow the lawn soon, we'll need a hay-baler instead. All that rain really made things grown like crazy. And, after I mow, I'll need to weed. The joys of home-ownership.

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Your Handwriting Says You Are Somewhat Traditional

You are a fairly energetic person. You know how do pace yourself, and you deal well with stress. You are somewhat outgoing, but you're not a natural extrovert. You think first before you act. You tend to be independent, rational, and logical. You are balanced and grounded. You know how to get along well with others. You need a bit of space in your life, but you're not a recluse. You expect people to give you a small amount of privacy, and you respect their privacy as well. You are somewhat traditional, but you are also open to change. You listen to your head and your heart. You are a decent communicator. You eventually get your point across, but sometimes you leave things a bit ambiguous.

What Does Your Handwriting Say About You?

Um... that's pretty much all correct. Weird.

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Pillar Place 2009

And what's a butterfly? At best,
He's but a caterpillar, at rest. ~ John Grey

So... after our massive rainstorm, it finally cleared up after lunch (and actually got hot and ridiculously humid -- apparently there is no in between). I decided to take a turn around the yard to check things out.

Between swatting at VERY hungry mosquitoes, and admiring how much my veggie garden has grown (we won't talk about how much the WEEDS have grown... *sigh*), I decided to check out the rue -- the only plant we have that black swallowtail will eat since my parsley and dill didn't come back this year.

And after a close inspection I found ONE pillar. It was teeny and I'm still amazed I even saw it. I fetched DD and showed her and she all but came out of her skin. We went back inside and pulled out all the pillar supplies from the basement, grabbed a pair of scissors and went to get our fella.

But... as always, DD has far sharped eyes than I do, and we came in with more than one "fella".

So, welcome to Pillar Place 2009:



We have NINE pillars currently, though I'm sure that number will grow as it always does. I'm thrilled to have them on rue, however, as it's the sturdiest of all the plants the pillars will eat, and easiest to handle.

I suggested naming them alphabetically this year, so we have: Abigail, Bugsy, Carole, Diana, Ethel, Fiona, Greg, Hannah, Ichabod and Jane (for my mom). We put masking tape behind each container in the box:



I'm telling you what, though... these critters are itty bitty. If they didn't hatch yesterday, then they are only a day or two old and I'm amazed they made it through that violent storm. Nature constantly amazes me.

Check it out:



What? You can't see him? Here's DD pointing to him -- see how big her fingertip looks next to him? Click on the pictures to make them MUCH bigger, and you'll see them.



And here is another:



Is it any wonder I didn't see all nine? LOL...

Funny thing was, DH saw us cutting the branches with the pillars and asked what we were doing.

We said, "There are swallowtail babies."

He said, "Why don't you leave them outside?"

We said, "We raise them every year -- it's fun, and they have a better chance of survival."

He said, "You do?"

Um... yeah... it's not like we've kept it hidden!! Observant much? Cracked me up.

DD is determined to look for more today. I need another Avon box... too bad I don't sell Avon anymore!

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You Are Medium Maintenance

Like everyone else, you have some things you are particular about. You're not too annoying about it, and you're able to go with the flow most of the time. You've learned to stand your ground on what matters but also make compromises from time to time. You have good taste. Too bad not everyone shares it.

Are You High Maintenance?

Okay.... I'm good with that.

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Tagged and Submitted

"Take chances. You will succeed if you are fearless of failure."
- Natalie Goldberg

First: I sent in my query and synopsis for "Return to Stiller Creek" to my editor at Samhain. We'll see what she has to say (((fingers crossed))).

Second: Jennifer Shirk tagged me on this meme (don't worry, I'll get her back someday when she least expects it). I'm pretty sure I've done it, but it's been a while, and I most likely have more than six quirky things to write about. I know. Shocking... but true!

Here are the rules:

Link to the person who tagged you.
Post the rules on your blog.
List 6 unspectacular quirks you have.
Tag 6 bloggers by linking them.
Leave a comment on each person’s blog to let them know they’ve been tagged.

Here are my quirks:

1. I hate being breathed on. I bring this up first, because I'm wearing a V-necked shirt and the way I've been sitting at the computer (and breathing through my nose), I've been BREATHING ON MYSELF. ACK! I can't stand being breathed on... ever, by anyone. I finally buttoned up my sweater all the way to my throat. And, yes, changing was just too much work. I will probably never wear this shirt without a turtleneck again, however.

2. I don't like fruit in my chocolate (or chocolate with my fruit). Chocolate-covered cherries? Yuck. Strawberries dipped in chocolate? Never. I love fruit, and I love chocolate... just not together. Ever.

3. I'm a nut about order. I alphabetize my CDs, my books and pretty much anything else I can put in alpha order. My DD cleaned and rearranged my spice cabinet and I can't STAND it. Eventually, it will have to go back to the way it was. She also did the silverware drawer, and now all the big, loose stuff that doesn't fit in the organizer is on the RIGHT hand side, and it's always, ALWAYS (!!!) been on the left. Dear heavens, I may lose my mind right this minute. You should see what I do when DH puts the salad dressing on the shelf in the refrigerator. Does he not remember that HE GOT IT FROM THE DOOR????

4. I am a compulsive weeder. Even today, as I sat on my neighbor's front steps while our dogs played, I had to pull up the small tufts of grass that had the audacity to grow between the bricks of her walkway. It's a disease. I can't help myself.

5. I won't answer the phone if I don't know who it is. Period. So, if you call me and you have a private phone number, you'd better leave a message if you want me to pick up. Just saying.

6. I'm very nearly always cold. I think I've been well and truly warm six days this year. I've never slept on top of the covers ... not even once, though I will be honest and say that may be partly because I don't like being breathed on and the covers keep that from happening. But also, because I'm cold. Always.

Who to tag? Who's bored? If you're bored, and you need something to blog, choose this! And then tell me, so I can come see....

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I believe I have Linden Loopers on my Bailey's red dogwood...



I probably should kill them... but I just can't. And, hey, the leaves are going to die soon anyway, right?

We had a mass monarch migration today, too... bunches and bunches of them stopping at these yellow wildflowers that aren't goldenrod, but look an awful lot LIKE goldenrod (except the flowers aren't droopy). DD stood amongst them and held really still in the hopes one would alight upon her. Alas, none did. But I don't think I've ever seen her hold still that long!

It'll be sad when all the critters are dead, gone or sleeping...

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Woe is Me

Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end; then stop. ~Lewis Carrol, Alice in Wonderland

Or should that be "Woe is I"? LOL...

Yesterday was a bust. I couldn't write a word. **sigh**

Why is it when I set aside all kinds of time for writing, I end up blocked? Oh well, writing day comes again soon *G*.

DD found the COOLEST caterpillar yesterday!! The thing was HUGE -- easily 4 - 5" long and thick as my finger. He was just cruising across the road and she nearly ran him over with her bike. Of course, we had to stop, examine, and realize we didn't know what kind it was... so we brought it home. What else would any normal person do? Check it out:



So, after a great deal of research with decided it was the Hummingbird "sphinx" moth larvae. Those are my absolute FAVORITE moths -- they diurnal (active during the day) and look like little hummingbirds because of how their wings work. Check out this page for some really neat pictures of the critter.

And, no, we're not raising it inside... We put it out in our backyard because, odds are, it was looking for a place to make its pupae and we are very bug friendly.

We also found this weird looking creature:



My camera doesn't do close-ups well, sorry... but it was some sort of beetle on our green bean leaves. The leaves weren't nibbled on, so I don't think it was eating them. And it looks like a tiny turtle sprawled over a white spot -- and when it moved, it moved FAST!

Anyone have any ideas?

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It's been so cold at night that I pulled up my garden and put the flannel sheets on the bed. That can only mean one thing, right? Yep... it warmed up immediately!! LOL...

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What Your Handbag Says About You

You are a low maintenance person. You can adapt to a variety of situations. You are an organized and together person. You are competent and successful. You are practical and down to earth. You tend to be a rather reserved and quiet person.

What Does Your Handbag Say About You?

Yep.

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Monday Morning Meme

“If I want to be alone, some place I can write, I can read, I can pray, I can cry, I can do whatever I want - I go to the bathroom.” -- Alicia Keys



1. What’s the last thing you grab before you run out of the door in the morning? Are you pretty good at being on time? Or do you constantly run behind? If/when you’re late, what is usually the reason(s)?

The last thing I grab depends on what I'm doing. I wear a fanny pack, so that's strapped on long before I walk out the door. If I'm taking the dog, it's her leash. If I'm going to the library, it's a bag of books. If I'm headed to the post office, it's whatever I'm mailing. If... well, you get the idea.

And, I'm totally beyond anal about being on time somewhere, so 99% of the time I'm early. I hate being late. HATE IT.

2. What is the last thing you bought from a vending machine? Where were you? How much did you spend? Do you use vending machines very often?

Does it mean anything that I can't remember? The last place I worked in Denver had vending machines, and I know I bought stuff from them... but that was, oh, ten years ago. So, uh... I guess the answer is -- NO, I don't use them often.

OH... wait!! I bought a soda from in front of Walmart since I've lived here!! It was a Sam's Choice diet cola, and it cost $.25! Phew...

3. What does the hand-soap in your bathroom smell of? What color are your bathroom walls? What color are your guest towels? What sort of decor, or theme, do you have in your bathroom? (Post a picture if you dare!)

MY bathroom? I used Method grapefruit. In the downstairs bath, I have Method unscented. DH only uses bar soap, and his is Irish Spring or Coast. DD uses some fruity, foamy stuff she bought for herself.

My bathroom is Desert Rose... or, yanno... PINK. The shower curtain has flowers. My towels and mats are just solid pink. My accessories are brushed nickel.

See?



Sorry... these are old photos from when we redid the upstairs, and I'm too lazy to take more so you can see the curtain. You'll just have to imagine.

4. What three words do you think of when someone says ‘body’?

Some, any, and every... OH.... everybody ought to have a body! A body is the only way to go...

Sorry, flashed back to a song I used to know.

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So, hey... it rained all day yesterday. And more expected today. And tomorrow. I sure wish I could send it to my mom in California...

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DD found five new swallowtail pillars on her carrots. I said, no we can't bring them in -- there is NO WAY to keep carrot greens fresh. NO, NO, NO...

But, GAH, I feel like the wicked witch of the west.

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Did some writing on a short story I've been working on for a while... I'm at the climax and I want to finish it, I KNOW how I want it to end, but the *&%$ characters are fighting me. THEY want to do something different, and I don't wanna... ::kicks feet::

Still reading "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver. Man, oh man... now I want to make my own cheese. Seriously. So, yanno, I'm going to look into it some more. I know there are a few farms here in NH that sell raw milk. Cuz, after all, I don't have nearly enough to keep me busy.

Seriously, though... loving the book!

Finished my fiction book for review. It was STUPENDOUS... which is good, because the last book I ended up mailing to another reviewer cuz I just couldn't get into it, despite it having all the earmarks of a book I'd love.

Next up? Another book for review... I've been looking forward to this one for a while -- it's the follow up to another book I read a few months ago. Yay!

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You Are a Chocolate Shake

You are a total hedonist. You are drawn to pleasure. You are an expressive, over the top person. You're naturally dramatic. You're the type of person who always chooses quality over quantity. Life's too short to not have optimal experiences. You're proud of being picky.

What Flavor Shake Are You?

Huh... well... okay...

Putting the "pill" in Caterpillar

We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty. ~Maya Angelou

I mentioned, yesterday, that I had two pillars ready to take a walkabout for pupa-hood. Black swallowtail are very good about staying on their food until they are ready to go through the change, and I knew two (Bubba and Bubs) were about there. If you don't contain them, they'll wander the house... OTOH, I really didn't want them to make their pupae in the community box, either.

I made Bubba a box of his own on Weds (they grow up and move out so quickly), and decided to wait until yesterday for Bubs. And then promptly forgot.

Last night, as the sun was setting, I checked on them. Bubs was on the floor of the dill pillar box, unable to climb the slick walls (it's plastic)... poor critter. So, quick like a bunny, I grabbed a nearby tissue box, pulled out the tissues and plopped him inside and then taped netting over the hole.

Poof! A pillar home. We are so scientific here.

Phew... got them covered. I decide to double check the (covered) parsley pillar box to make sure everyone has food, and that they're all still alive. Imagine my surprise when I opened it and found a pillar on the roof. And another on the wall.

Walkabout-ing.

Ack! They're too young! Too little! I'm not ready! I make the executive decision to use the Gladware-type boxes I was saving for the monarchs. It's not optimal, but I didn't have another tissue box handy.

Of course, then I'm in a panic. Clearly these pillars haven't read the Pillar Place 2008 Handbook on when to pupate. NOW I need to make certain everyone, regardless of size, lives in a box with a cover.

Luckily, I am a box packrat (you never know when you'll need just a certain sized box to mail something, after all). And thus, at about 8:30 last evening, all pillars were contained.

Cuz, yanno, I didn't have anything better to do. I must be out of my mind.

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No vole holes this morning... I'm whispering because I don't want to jinx myself. Shhh...

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I get to see Allie in July. Yep...excited!! WOOT! More on that later.

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What I'm reading: I've pulled out, but haven't cracked the cover of, "Exit Strategy" by Kelley Armstrong for my next read and will start it today.

What I'm writing: Between voles and pillars and puppies, I didn't touch my writing. I did, however, moodle. Thinking counts. *G*

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I'll check Blogthings regularly for new quizzes. If they have one, I'll do it here. That's my final answer. *G*

Welcome to Pillar Place 2008

What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly. ~Richard Bach

It's begun... and not in a small way.

DD's parsley plant was beginning to bolt, so I asked her to go out and cut it down. We'd dry the leaves and restock our own parsley, and she'd gain a bit of control over her garden again.

She came in with parsley all right.

And three swallowtail caterpillars.

Okay, I'm good with that. I pull out the containers, the napkins, the netted box. I'm ready.

Ha. Famous last words. As I'm getting those three put away... she comes back with another. And another. Now she's on a mission.

She finds nine on her parsley. Then decides to check the rue, dill and carrots. One on the rue. Phew ... I was worried. We have bushes and bushes of rue and the odds were good there would be a ton. None on the carrots. Phew again. Two on the dill. Well crud, that's not good. My dill plants are only just starting to come back and are about 2 inches tall -- nowhere near enough food for even ONE bug. Oh no... FOUR on the parsley plant next to the dill. We're up to eleven that will be eating parsley, and despite DDs fairly large plant, we're not going to have enough for them either.

What to do? Worse, they are on curly-leaf parsley. Last year, I discovered that they will not only eat the food they're hatched on, but the very specific type of food. I tried feeding flat leaf parsley bugs my curly parsley, and they'd have nothing to do with it.

We left the new bugs on their respective plants and went to the store. Not only did I need more food, but I needed more glass holders (I'm telling you what, I've decided monarchs are WAY easier than swallowtail). Go to Walmart and buy every last votive holder they have, as well as a dill plant. Go to Agway, and find (PHEW!) three curly leaf parsley plants of decent size. Still need more dill, so go to SILs house because she mentioned she had a bunch of dill coming up.

She did. LOTS. Unfortunately, she also had a BUNCH of swallowtail babies to go with the dill... and they were on the only plants that were small, sickly and far from the main group of healthy plants. They were also at the base of steps and would assuredly either starve or get stepped on. DD insisted we take them home.

So now, all told, inside the house we have TWENTY-FIVE (it was 26... don't ask) pillars. And there are still at least four more outside (DD begged to bring them in because it was going to rain... I stood firm -- guilty, but firm).

No, we didn't name them. We started but... get real. You think I can tell them all apart? With the possible exception of the only moderately large one we're calling "Bubba", they all look the same.

Welcome to Pillar Place 2008:





Here's Bubba:



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I woke up today at 3 a.m. and wondered if I set my vole trap correctly. I laid there and thought, "Did I flip over the little metal whoosies that hold the trap shut?"

It's pouring down rain outside. It's dark. It's buggy. It's THREE-FREAKING-A.M. and I don't want to go check.

But I couldn't stop thinking about it... and never did get back to sleep well.

Does that happen to you? If you think of something in the middle of the night, will it bug you to the point you have to check ... or lay awake and wonder? Or, are you a worry-free kinda person, and can set it aside and nod right back off?

On a side note, it turns out I did set it correctly. All that worry for nothing!

Note: I also posted this at the LASR Yahoo group as part of the ongoing party (four prizes have been awarded so far) ...so if you're over there, you're not seeing things, lol.

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What I'm reading: I'm still reading "The Hollow" by Nora Roberts. Mary, I've only just started... I'm not sure what I think yet. I'm about 50 pages in. I didn't love "Blood Brothers" the first time I read it, but I really enjoyed it the second time. I wonder why?

What I'm writing: Well, I would be working on a short story written jointly with Judy for next week's LASR page. But, *ahem*, my writing partner hasn't gotten it to me yet. Hint. Hint.

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discover your dog breed @ quiz meme

Of Weeds and Watering

When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant. ~Author Unknown

Gardening is a disease, I swear. As if it isn't enough to worry about my own gardens (One of which is under attack from all sides -- moles, chipmunks and deer have all but decimated my front flower garden to the point I'm tempted to dig it all up and plant grass), I worry about everyone else's.

My neighbor spent hours on Saturday planting flowers around her mailbox. She watered them in on that day, and then promptly forgot about them. Yesterday, I couldn't stand it any more...I'd ride by on my bike or walk past and see these nearly dead plants and want to cry.

So I watered them. Twice.

I also weeded another neighbors gardens while our dogs were playing.

I'm telling you, I just can't stop myself.

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I got, and completed, my FLE's (Final Line Edits) for "Kitchen Matches". There wasn't much to fix, except one issue where Cori arrives in a truck and leaves in a car (whoops).

I still need to finish the short story for next week's LASR story. Judy and I have decided we're not running a short story contest again unless we have a backlog of stories! The only good thing is that next week, it's her turn!

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I think it will finally be calm and warm enough today to hatch our Black Swallowtail caterpillars! Yay!! I'll be glad to get them out of the basement. I only hope they all three made it through the winter, or DD will be devastated.

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Your Expression Number is 6

You have an outstanding sense of responsibility, love, and balance. You are helpful and inclined to comfort those in need. You have many artistic and creative talents, but you only use them to better others. You are loving, friendly, and appreciative of others. You have a depth of understanding that produces much kindness and generosity. Openness and honesty are apparent in your approach to all relationships. Sometimes, you can be too demanding of yourself. At times, you tend to sacrifice yourself for the welfare of others. At other times, you have trouble distinguishing between helping and interfering.

What's Your Expression Number?

I'm okay with most of that... I'm not so sure I use my "talents" for the betterment of others. And I'm certainly not the most open person in "all" relationships. You have to get to know me before you get to know me. You know? *G*

Rhubarb Cake Recipe & Misc.

A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken. ~James Dent

Okay... for those inquiring minds who asked, here is the rhubarb cake recipe I made the other day. I'll put the recipe down as it was originally written, and then tell you all the changes I made (I'm fairly certain I have never made a recipe exactly as it was written in my entire life).

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RHUBARB CAKE

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups rhubarb, chopped
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup packed brown sugar

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, cream together butter or margarine and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla.

In another bowl, sift together 2 cups flour, soda, and salt. Add sifted ingredients alternately with buttermilk to creamed mixture.

Toss rhubarb with 1 tablespoon flour, and stir into batter. Spoon batter into buttered 9 x 13 inch pan, and smooth the surface.

Blend together 1/4 cup butter or margarine, cinnamon, and brown sugar; sprinkle evenly over batter.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes.

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Okay, now... the changes I made.

First, and most importantly: I used FOUR cups of rhubarb. And I all but pureed it because I don't like chunks.

I also cut back on the sugar slightly -- I used about 1 1/4 cups. I typically cut back on the sugar in any recipe, because I think they all over do it.

I added quick oats to the "crumble" as well -- about 1/2 cup.

I also ended up baking it for an additional 15 minutes -- that may be due to the extra rhubarb.

This was AWESOME served warm with a scoop of ice cream. I'm also going to try this with different fruits -- blueberries, strawberries, peaches. Yum. If you add other fruits, though, you can probably cut back even more on the sugar.

Oh... and I used half whole wheat flour and added a little wheat germ and ground flax seed to make believe I was being healthy. *G*

Enjoy!

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No writing. Did do some thinking about my stories, though, which I think counts as writing even though words didn't go down on the page. I do want to edit Stiller Creek soon, but something ... um... a little nuts has come up with the Long and the Short of It site, so I may not have time for much else over the next ten days or so.

Can you believe that June 9th is the official one year anniversary of the reviews blog? And August 27th is one year for the website. Amazing. It's flown by.

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We're still waiting for a day that doesn't have 25 mph winds to let the swallowtails hatch. It's been warm enough, and their pillar food is plenty big for them to lay eggs on, but the wind!!! Holy cow! It's insane. I want to give them a good start and not have them break their new little wings.

The milkweed is growing like mad, and we're excited to begin our monarch ranching again this year, though I don't believe that started until July (?) last year. I'll have to check my blog posts from last year.

The garden suffered no further fatalities thus far and I added 18 marigold plants around the outside as a general pest deterrent. I'm also going to liberally spread milorganite, which is officially a fertilizer (made from human waste... yes, really. No grosser than using cow poop, is it?) but also helps keep the deer away.

I planted annuals today, too. I did impatiens and portulaca. I just didn't have the brain power to be any more creative than that, though I did go so far as to buy striped impatiens this year, so that's something.

And that is my exciting life *G*. You?

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What Your Latte Says About You

You are interested in only pure and simple pleasures. You don't like to pollute your body or mind. You can be quite silly at times, but you know when to buckle down and be serious. Intense and energetic, you aren't completely happy unless you are bouncing off the walls. You're addicted to caffeine. There's no denying it. You are responsible, mature, and truly an adult. You're occasionally playful, but you find it hard to be carefree. You are deep and thoughtful, but you are never withdrawn.

What Does Your Latte Say About You?

That's fairly close... except for the "never withdrawn" part. Been there, done that, have the bumper sticker.

You?