tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-143668702024-03-23T14:32:59.224-04:00Reading, Writing, & Stuff That Makes Me CrazyFollow the adventures of a romance author and voracious reader!<br>Marianne Arkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00934613403368823760noreply@blogger.comBlogger2678125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14366870.post-31083207448597359882013-09-16T13:09:00.001-04:002017-10-10T14:22:50.214-04:00Conditioned responses*I was having a discussion on Facebook today. It started out about spiders and morphed into snakes -- two creatures people (especially women) are afraid of. Just a glance, a thought, and they're shuddering.<br />
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Why?<br />
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I understand many spiders and snakes are poisonous, so I imagine we humans have discouraged hanging out with the creatures as a safety issue since Neanderthal days. Still, we have brains don't we? Why can't we reason? "Wolf spiders are harmless and, in fact, are actually beneficial to have around." Or, "Garter snakes are warm, smooth and harmless and are even kind of pretty."<br />
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Why does a photo like this of a Wolf Spider taking good care of her babies make most folks want to run screaming: <br />
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When a photo like this, of a duck mama doing exactly the same thing elicit "Awwww... how sweet" responses?<br />
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Isn't it a shame that we can't break free from this conditioned response? Isn't it too bad that so many folks can't see past the outside of something in order to see that they're really not so bad?<br />
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It goes further than bugs. <br />
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This animal is frequently feared and vilified:<br />
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Whereas we see a dog like my puppy, and everyone assumes she's a sweetheart:<br />
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And it's about people, too. We look and see a kid with a Mohawk and tats and think the worst. We judge based on size, clothes, race... <br />
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For some reason, hearing the folks hating on spiders and snakes really made me sad today. So I felt the need to share.<br />
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Marianne Arkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00934613403368823760noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14366870.post-5539440021665177362013-05-02T18:25:00.001-04:002017-10-10T14:24:02.477-04:00Bees!*This morning, I received a call my SILwith a plea. You see, she's starting a bee hive on her property and had ordered bees which had arrived at our local post office. They were not overly happy to have the bees in their building, especially since 5 - 10 had gotten loose (they were clinging to the side of the screen, but I can understand how that can be disconcerting.<br />
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They know me well there, I'm in a couple times a week either checking mail or mailing out books and prizes for LASR and Goddess Fish, so when I walked in, they greeted me by name. When I said, "I'm here to pick up some bees." the man nearly jumped for joy. "THANK GOD!!!" and he disappeared. I'd expected to have to provide some kind of information, but I suppose the fact I even knew there were bees there was ID enough.<br />
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He was wearing gloves as he brought them to me. I had none, but figured honeybees aren't typically aggressive and grabbed hold of the little wood bars between the two boxes (3 lbs of bees and a queen on one side, 2 lbs of bees on the other). I got a LOT of strange looks as I walked to my car ... that many bees aren't quiet... just listen... <br />
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I'm really fascinated by this whole project of hers ... so as she moves forward, I'll try to keep you updated as well. Marianne Arkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00934613403368823760noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14366870.post-22073107784805386762013-04-15T09:31:00.001-04:002017-10-10T14:28:21.690-04:00This is One Improperly Named Plant!*Yesterday, I dug up a 4x4 plot of my butterfly garden. Last year, I'd let the "<a href="http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/obed_plantx.htm">Obedient Plant</a>" grow (normally I pull it up, you'll understand why shortly) because it's just lovely, and the butterflies and bees really love the flowers.<br />
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However, as I was edging grass, I discovered obedient plant roots. So, thought I'd edge it back from the garden a bit. When I jabbed the shovel in -- I discovered a carpet of roots! The entire garden was now filled with obedient plant, to the exclusion of all else. <br />
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The obedient plant is MASSIVELY invasive and, while lovely, certainly doesn't belong in a garden that is limited in size. I ruthlessly dug and pull out roots and more roots and more roots ... in fact, I filled up my five-gallon bucket THREE times and had piles of roots left over. <br />
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And, worse, I'm sure I've missed some. So, this year, I'll make a point of weeding any and all obedient plant out of my butterfly garden. I'll plant <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liatris">liatris</a> instead.<br />
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Now I just have to pray I didn't destroy any milkweed roots that might have been in there...<br />
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Spring has sprung!Marianne Arkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00934613403368823760noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14366870.post-42779161866520626172012-06-28T06:10:00.001-04:002017-10-10T14:28:50.462-04:00Nature: Behind the Scenes*Stunning!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xHkq1edcbk4" width="400"></iframe>Marianne Arkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00934613403368823760noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14366870.post-75715615116467993892012-06-20T05:30:00.001-04:002017-10-10T14:31:04.339-04:00Tour of Lake Winnipesaukee*<div style="text-align: left;">
This past weekend, we spent at a little camp on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Winnipesaukee">Lake Winnipesaukee</a>. It's a lovely lake, very quiet and peaceful (this time of year -- don't go up on the Fourth of July, and avoid the hot spots like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weirs_Beach,_New_Hampshire">Weirs Beach</a> and <a href="http://www.nhstateparks.org/explore/state-parks/ellacoya-state-park.aspx">Ellacoya State Park</a> if you want quiet).</div>
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It was also <a href="http://www.laconiamcweek.com/">Bike Week</a>, so we didn't leave the lake except to drive home.</div>
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Okay .... the pictorial tour -- these were taken on my phone, so I couldn't zoom as much as I would have liked on some.</div>
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Sunrise -- I was sitting on the dock as the sun peeked over the horizon:</div>
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There are ENORMOUS dock spiders here. Even I, who am not spider phobic, have been taken aback by their size. THIS is actually not the spider, but the skin he just shed. The spider was hiding down below and I couldn't get a good picture. They're about the size of the palm of my hand (including their legs).</div>
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A bald eagle nest on Blueberry Island. We saw the male flying quite a bit as the island is near where we were staying. In this picture, the female is hanging out with the kids.</div>
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Some folks who own property on the lake actually stay all summer without going home. Hence the need for a post office on the island.</div>
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Dakota loved riding on the boat, except when it got choppy -- then she climbed into my lap (and yes, she fits... just barely).</div>
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Where the rich folk live: Governor's Island.</div>
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You could buy your own place there -- this house is for sale. It's only $12 million!</div>
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I love all the little islands -- most with one house on them. </div>
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And thus ends our boat tour of Lake Winnipesaukee. I suspect you'll see more photos from up there, as we'll be spending a good part of our summer in that neck of the woods.</div>
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Have a great day!</div>
Marianne Arkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00934613403368823760noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14366870.post-21478417390189295652012-06-13T05:34:00.002-04:002012-06-13T05:34:46.715-04:00Graduation!Today is a big day for the kidlet... she's advancing out of eighth grade and moving on to high school. She's excited, nervous, sad, stressed.... I must have been hugged fifty times last night.<br />
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It's hard to believe that this is graduating from 8th grade:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY7UapOLZNejiOHGCWSvTnsD53ZvL1MZT_TLxidXNNbBY-6L8hv8lgtL9ncxFG_qNALviT4mvDM7g7pZHlSvG0dkoP-rqkw3fNsb8HTJmkQMUq-U2N1ohmYJjxD8dlV0T8AjeLsg/s1600/Baby_Smiling.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" pca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY7UapOLZNejiOHGCWSvTnsD53ZvL1MZT_TLxidXNNbBY-6L8hv8lgtL9ncxFG_qNALviT4mvDM7g7pZHlSvG0dkoP-rqkw3fNsb8HTJmkQMUq-U2N1ohmYJjxD8dlV0T8AjeLsg/s320/Baby_Smiling.JPG" width="270" /></a></div>Marianne Arkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00934613403368823760noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14366870.post-16861419254245524582012-06-11T04:52:00.002-04:002012-06-11T04:54:06.516-04:00The GardenI decided to try something a little different with my veggie garden this year. You see, my garden never has enough room, and after digging up the area for the strawberries this year I was out of steam and had little desire to expand the veggie garden.<br />
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It's pretty big, but not enough if I want to plant enough to can and freeze:<br />
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So, I took some of the plants that don't grow much in width and planted them elsewhere... in my flower gardens.<br />
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I used this place:<br />
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<br />
To plant six eggplants:<br />
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And here along the front of the house I planted beets (which I forgot to take pictures of -- but which have lovely red/green foliage):<br />
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And here where I have mostly flowering ground cover, I planted six peppers:<br />
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That was a few weeks ago. So far? I've lost two beet plants and three eggplants and I have no idea why. More, the rest of the eggplants and beet plants aren't really growing much. One pepper got smothered by grass clippings when my DH mowed (for thirteen years, I've asked him to NOT mow clippings into my garden... he still doesn't listen) and may not make it, but the others are going strong and most have actually flowered.<br />
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Next year, I'll try something else in the circle garden. I'm not sure if the sprinklers killed the ones that died or if they weren't getting enough sun.<br />
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In my main garden, I keep finding plants "topped". I had two tomatoes that looked like they were broken off. The first time, I figured it for a chipmunk, the second time I was ready to cry. I started digged the plants up to make room for new ones (which I realized was a bad move -- tomatoes will come back from being topped), and as I dug, I found a cut worm. BAD (and now deceased) bug.<br />
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So, a week later, when one of my cucumbers suffered the same fate, I dug around the roots and sure enough, I found a cut worm. I've never really had a problem with them before, so am frustrated. I do NOT want to treat the place with pesticides, but alternatively, I'd sure like to have some plants survive.<br />
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My admiration for the pilgrims grows every year I try to garden out here.<br />
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=======================Marianne Arkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00934613403368823760noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14366870.post-36792512593855357262012-06-05T05:37:00.002-04:002012-06-05T05:38:52.072-04:00Happy Tuesday!Happy Tuesday! <br />
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We had a crazy weekend, made crazier by the fact that I managed to catch a cold last week that knocked me perhaps not flat, but at least sideways.<br />
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Amongst other things, DD and Dakota had a Junior Agility competition on Saturday. It was a very small showing of kids (only three kids and four dogs) so it passed quickly (for which I was grateful). DD did pretty well. though she had her first "NQ" (non-qualifying) round because Dakota got distracted by something and wouldn't come back on course, and Sarah grabbed her. You can't touch your dog in real agility, so was DQ'd (disqualified).<br />
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Their absolute fave run was the Tunnel Game, because it's just running -- though Dakota missed one of the tunnels (it's actually a handler error, but it was minor):<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/omUoiywsTJw" width="400"></iframe><br />
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Her next fave is "Dealer's Choice" because your dog can't make a wrong move -- there is no set course. It's all about points -- each obstacle is worth a certain amount of points, and the person with the most points at the end wins.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/etgkvFv2f6o" width="400"></iframe><br />
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However, between being sick and not at the top of my game, it being the first of the month (which is a nightmare for me), and being gone most of Friday and Saturday, work has backed up terribly, and I'm completely and massively behind.<br />
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I'm beginning to think this will be the usual for me anymore -- something that is very stressful for a Type A person. <br />
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The "good" news for me is that it's raining and will be through Wednesday, so I can work on my computer without feeling guilty for not being outside. It does make the dog a little nuts, but we'll manage.<br />
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I should be able to make time to visit blogs for a little while today. I won't be able to get to them all, but will do my best!<br />
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Have a great day. :-)Marianne Arkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00934613403368823760noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14366870.post-52190388655969623282012-05-29T09:46:00.004-04:002012-05-29T09:49:10.657-04:00Dress DramaSo ... DD needs a dress for her graduation that's coming up. We hit the Memorial Day sales yesterday in an attempt to find the perfect dress without having to spend an arm and a leg (I'd like to keep all my limbs, thankyouverymuch).<br />
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We spent about four hours shopping and, while we DID buy a dress, she's not entirely happy with it, so there may be more shopping in my near future (oh. joy.).<br />
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This is the dress SHE loved best (and it was my least favorite):<br />
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This was my favorite (she hated the teeny little shoulder pads -- she would have never lived through the 80s):<br />
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This was my next fave:<br />
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This is what we ended up with:<br />
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But now, she's thinking she'd rather have a short dress again, so the tags are staying on the pink dress and we'll hit some of the mall stores over the next week or so to see what we can find.<br />
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Life was so much easier when she was two.<br />
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=================Marianne Arkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00934613403368823760noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14366870.post-74706963382553258682012-05-23T13:26:00.000-04:002012-05-23T17:28:50.941-04:00Style Your GarageLOVE this!!<br />
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Is Your Garage Door Boring? <br />
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Are you fed up with looking daily at your boring garage door? Just stick a new decal on your door! You should see the look on the faces of your neighbors!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGujOoXM227uDTarysf_81cvuYvP8xJSZoguWccAWuikIefzY-KN_3Ankefa1_ghmNrlEAjllu1rSq4CLlNDyh2kqbnb42hcXN34BvZaeBG4ymYxynujCJ67yLQnrSfkU_sSyvw/s1600/1Garage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" qba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGujOoXM227uDTarysf_81cvuYvP8xJSZoguWccAWuikIefzY-KN_3Ankefa1_ghmNrlEAjllu1rSq4CLlNDyh2kqbnb42hcXN34BvZaeBG4ymYxynujCJ67yLQnrSfkU_sSyvw/s400/1Garage.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Make an impression on your neighbors! The German company "Style Your Garage" makes posters for your garage door. Everything included!<br />
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Tell me you wouldn't want one of these.... :-D</div>Marianne Arkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00934613403368823760noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14366870.post-16119839095902219062012-05-18T02:01:00.000-04:002012-05-18T05:32:16.773-04:00Please welcome Allie Pleiter to the blog!I'm sponsoring a giveaway, too ... so make sure you read all the way to the end.<br />
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I had so much fun will Allie last time, I invited her to celebrate another release with me here ("Homefront Hero" from Harlequin Love Inspired Historical). We couldn't do the Dog Dish again (sorry, Bella!), so I asked her to share some things with us (yanno, deep, dark secrets ... stuff we'd never guess) instead.<br />
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Feel free to chime in with your own deep, dark secret. We're all friends here ;-)<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Seven things you’d never guess about Allie Pleiter</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg93yT5nXaHdXYGd-BgTJHhtg3XEpcADG0H4dKDq4kr36JBWH7UEGLCNLwKwMwWmsUQB5XDPmJBfeS0NkK_EBAnprmHAq1zdjerkWLvoxWiRvH7p_fyAjIXmAdr48d3YSfHEl6jHA/s1600/Allie_Color_11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg93yT5nXaHdXYGd-BgTJHhtg3XEpcADG0H4dKDq4kr36JBWH7UEGLCNLwKwMwWmsUQB5XDPmJBfeS0NkK_EBAnprmHAq1zdjerkWLvoxWiRvH7p_fyAjIXmAdr48d3YSfHEl6jHA/s200/Allie_Color_11.JPG" width="133" /></a><b>1. I used to deliver singing telegrams.</b></div>
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Yep, it’s true. I was a theater major in college, and had a car, so it was a natural part-time job for a shameless extrovert with an Ethel Merman voice (I’ll bet half of you don’t even know who Ethel Merman was!). My worst ever telegram was the time a soon-to-be ex-husband sent a singing telegram to his soon-to-be ex-wife as a last ditch attempt to stave off the signing of the divorce papers. To her office cubicle at work. In front of lots of people. It was unbearably sad and awkward, but I was contractually obligated to deliver the message. We were all glad when the episode was over.<br />
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<b>2. I own six translations of Beowulf.</b><br />
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I love, love, love old epic English poetry. I can still recite the opening stanzas of The Cantebury Tales in the original language. “Whan that April...”<br />
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<b>3. I adore James Bond movies.</b><br />
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Okay, this one probably is a bit more well known as I’ve not been shy about my affection for Agent 007. A morally bankrupt guilty pleasure I know, but handsome man in tuxes wielding fancy gadgets and fancier cars...what’s not to love?<br />
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<b>4. I am not allowed to serve lima beans in my house.</b><br />
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I actually love them. Brussels sprouts, too. I am alone in my tastes, however. I used to buy a little can or frozen carton every once in a while and eat them for lunch when everyone one else is out of the house, but even that’s died down. I love escargot, too, but at least my family will let me order that in a restaurant (my son loves the “eww” factor of his mom eating snails).<br />
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<b>5. I wore a Kermit the Frog watch until I was 24 yeas old.</b><br />
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I wanted to work for the Muppets more than anything growing up. I loved them. We own several editions of the original Muppet Show on DVD. When the recent movie came out, I was in absolute heaven!<br />
<b>6. I cannot snap my fingers.</b><br />
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This presents a real challenge as a parent. I’m not sure why I can’t accomplish this simple trick, but even at 49 years-old it completely eludes me. I can, however, do something called “plinking,” which is a painfully effective flick of my index finger upon the forehead of any misbehaving child. That’s very useful. Even when said child is old enough to drive.<br />
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<b>7. I nearly failed history in high school.</b><br />
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My 10th grade history teacher, Mr. Bochinski, would gasp in horror to discover I now write historical novels. I was terrible at high school history. I think it was because that ends up being mostly about facts and dates and political issues, whereas my books are about lives and loves and drama. Drama was something I excelled at in high school!<br />
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<b>And Allie's official bio (which doesn't seem to mention singing telegrams):</b><br />
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An avid knitter, coffee junkie, and devoted chocoholic, Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and non-fiction. The enthusiastic but slightly untidy mother of two, Allie spends her days writing books, buying yarn, and finding new ways to avoid housework. Allie hails from Connecticut, moved to the midwest to attend Northwestern University, and currently lives outside Chicago, Illinois. The “dare from a friend” to begin writing has produced two parenting books, fourteen novels, and various national speaking engagements on faith, women’s issues, and writing. Visit her website at www.alliepleiter.com or her knitting blog at <a href="http://www.destiknitions.blogspot.com/">http://www.destiknitions.blogspot.com/</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7SB4OakIoYCt957LWHDwF8cXw3QMxSJkBFwTVxTA6a3IAAPpcphjuHv6HtgQgY6IFWgaoRc6VpYJaGH84v8ctvkQGOT4R3tkGJU72pF2BCPXI7-NnmEDRnMui8KX8eEJtBvwt-A/s1600/AllieP_Homefront_Hero_Cover_Low_res.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7SB4OakIoYCt957LWHDwF8cXw3QMxSJkBFwTVxTA6a3IAAPpcphjuHv6HtgQgY6IFWgaoRc6VpYJaGH84v8ctvkQGOT4R3tkGJU72pF2BCPXI7-NnmEDRnMui8KX8eEJtBvwt-A/s320/AllieP_Homefront_Hero_Cover_Low_res.jpg" width="201" /></a> <i>Dashing and valiantly wounded, Captain John Gallows could have stepped straight out of an army recruitment poster. Leanne Sample can't help being impressed—although the lovely Red Cross nurse tries to hide it. She knows better than to get attached to the daring captain who is only home to heal and help rally support for the war's final push. As soon as he's well enough, he'll rush back to Europe, back to war—and far away from South Carolina and Leanne. But when an epidemic strikes close to home, John comes to realize what it truly means to be a hero—Leanne's hero.</i></blockquote>
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This book sounds SO AWESOME, that I'm going to buy a copy for someone who comments here today. You can choose Nook, Kindle or print. Who wants it?? Just raise your hand (in the form of a comment) and let me know. :-)<br />
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Thanks for coming by, Allie. I used to fall asleep to Ethel Merman as a baby and, in fact, named one of my cats after her (the cat used to yowl all the time ... so... Ethel she was). I have to agree on the lima beans, too. :-) <br />
<br />Marianne Arkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00934613403368823760noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14366870.post-30847310047802504502012-05-17T18:03:00.001-04:002012-05-17T18:03:37.541-04:00Accepted!Just a quick note, because I'm bursting ... <br />
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DD got her acceptance letter from the school we wanted her to go to for high school!!<br />
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They said just lovely things like:<br />
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<em>"You have done well with your schooling, and I believe you are well prepared."</em><br />
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We had to provide at least three letters of recommendation, and they mentioned a bit from those (as we didn't see them). They said, in part:<br />
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<em>"(DD) is highly motivated and attempts to excel in all of her assigned work."</em><br />
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And our agility instructor mentioned DD's <em>"...committment to excellence and her joy in working with new handlers."</em><br />
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So we're going to have a new adventure ahead of us come August. We're both excited and a little nervous. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmX_bDDWmZp7hfotQbG7ylZeiuxiLeJSElqu4KiN1E5UcAn5T-Xck4ZmribkMQf39QtJko8NWiJfzhCDNTqzyd5nSSuXUMI9evgStyXuWFsWkD8riZupw1PiViclO6x1x_pWsNA/s1600/confetti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmX_bDDWmZp7hfotQbG7ylZeiuxiLeJSElqu4KiN1E5UcAn5T-Xck4ZmribkMQf39QtJko8NWiJfzhCDNTqzyd5nSSuXUMI9evgStyXuWFsWkD8riZupw1PiViclO6x1x_pWsNA/s320/confetti.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Marianne Arkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00934613403368823760noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14366870.post-22712847133310408212012-05-16T05:20:00.002-04:002012-05-16T05:20:32.018-04:00Here!I'm alive.<br />
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I feel awful for not having blogged in so long, and am going to make a concerted effort to find time to do so regularly again. The biggest thing, I think, is that I simply don't have time to do it in the mornings so I'll need to rearrange my brain patterns, and start doing it in the afternoon or evening.<br />
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Yes, I'm still buried with work, insanely behind and treading water. It's one of those double-edged swords. I'm thrilled to be this busy, on the one hand, but would sure love ten minutes to take a breath.<br />
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I did manage to get my garden in (more detailed post later) because the weather's been gorgeous here. But other than that it's all work, all the time. My house is frighteningly unclean (though I finally broke down and mopped yesterday afternoon because, ugh).<br />
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I haven't blog-hopped, I haven't spent much time on Facebook (though I'm there at least a little bit daily -- I need a small fix of my friends!). I MISS you guys.<br />
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I think summer will help. I lose nearly three hours a day in drive time for the kidlet taking her to and from school. Next year, assuming she's accepted to the new school (we had our final interview last week and the board is meeting to review applications soon -- we were told there were, for the first time, more applicants than there were spots to fill, but that DD's "resume" is pretty impressive, and we shouldn't worry about her chances <em>too</em> much) it's only a 12 minute drive (in non-snow weather) AND I won't have to wait in a line to pick her up (which takes me almost 30 mins every afternoon).<br />
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We'll see. Honestly, I'm not entirely certain what the answer is. I do know I'm losing my mind just a little bit. <br />
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<a href="http://icanhascheezburger.com/2011/08/30/funny-pictures-my-new-home/?utm_source=embed&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=sharewidget"><img alt="funny pictures - *MY NEW HOME*" class="event-item-lol-image" height="500" src="http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/funny-pictures-my-new-home.jpg" title="funny pictures - *MY NEW HOME*" width="490" /></a>Marianne Arkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00934613403368823760noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14366870.post-25875082463044829892012-04-30T04:00:00.000-04:002012-04-30T04:00:07.904-04:00Post-its Post<div style="text-align: left;">
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A few days ago, the kidlet decided to help me clean as a surprise... I was upstairs working and didn't know what had happened until I went downstairs for something and found: </div>
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On the storm door:</div>
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On the dining table near the door out back: </div>
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On the sliding glass door:</div>
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On the kitchen counters:</div>
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On the throw rug by the back door:</div>
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On the kitchen floor:</div>
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The cat checking out the post-its:</div>
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The Tupperware cabinet:</div>
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On the fridge:</div>
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And the stove:</div>
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The basement steps:</div>
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It was adorable. I guess I'll keep her.</div>
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=============================</div>Marianne Arkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00934613403368823760noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14366870.post-73065040329438528722012-04-25T06:37:00.001-04:002012-04-25T06:37:55.037-04:00Spring BreakSorry ... a little late posting. But it's the kidlet's spring break AND the week of her thirteenth birthday. I'm taking the week off everything that isn't mandatory in order to spend more time with her.
Back on Monday!Marianne Arkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00934613403368823760noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14366870.post-8617858078695442882012-04-18T04:00:00.000-04:002012-04-18T04:00:04.749-04:00Public Service Announcement: Beware the Spawn of SatanWhat spawn of Satan you ask?<br /><br />These:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZdjYcOu7YlNH8wLuVtoBp1xQHKbs5NY47F6-NlE_iC3WZORn4RSyXoctak5ZKgvbok3K0Cb1z-RIMKIBLuGplplYue6pMCrs3YuyEf3Ty8FkDjLOuWsJLYSfJhQWW17oVYL2SXw/s1600/BlueTabs.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 253px; height: 124px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZdjYcOu7YlNH8wLuVtoBp1xQHKbs5NY47F6-NlE_iC3WZORn4RSyXoctak5ZKgvbok3K0Cb1z-RIMKIBLuGplplYue6pMCrs3YuyEf3Ty8FkDjLOuWsJLYSfJhQWW17oVYL2SXw/s400/BlueTabs.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732539760997085090" /></a><br /><br />I know, I know ... the little blue toilet tablet cleaners LOOK innocent enough. I was lulled into a false sense of security when I bought mine a couple weeks ago.<br /><br />Then it happened...<br /><br />Three of our four toilets (yes, I really have that many -- bet YOU wish you got to scrub four toilets) started flushing weird. Slowly. Not clogged, exactly, but not always getting everything down and acting like they were sort of clogged.<br /><br />At first we thought it might be our septic tank -- but why would ONE toilet still be working okay?<br /><br />Today, I googled it to see if there was anything I could do. And I found <a href="http://www.essortment.com/plumbing-tips-fixing-slow-flush-12781.html">this information</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote>1. If you use blue toilet cleaning tablets that create a blue coating on your toilet bowl, you may be unpleasantly surprised to find that these little guys are the cause of many toilet problems. When placed in your tank, they dissolve and settle on the bottom, changing the density of the water and preventing its normal flow. While it may seem impossible for such a small thing to create such a big problem, there is no end to the number of people who have found their toilet bowl cleaner to be the culprit! The way to fix this is to empty all the water out of your toilet's tank, using a sponge to soak up the remaining residue on the bottom. After this, let it fill back up and flush several times. This should get your toilet back to normal. Also, if your cleaning tablet attaches inside the bowl itself, chunks and large! particles of it may break off and clog inside the angled water inlet holes under the rim. The solution to this can be found in the next cause.<br /><br />2. The toilet bowl is filled with water after flushing by means of small angled inlet holes under the rim. These holes commonly become clogged by the buildup of calcite and other mineral deposits over time. ... Fixing this problem is as simple as cleaning out the holes. Often, prodding them with something hard or sharp will do the trick. For more serious clogs, it might help to use white vinegar to dissolve the buildup. </blockquote><br />And I started thinking about when our problems started ... a few days after I put those tablets in the tank.<br /><br />So, this afternoon I put on my yellow latex gloves and, armed with a Brillo pad, white vinegar, a small mirror and an opened, heavy paperclip I attacked the potties. I turned off the water and emptied the tanks. I scrubbed all the yellow iron buildup and blue crap off the inside. The first three potties had no sign of the table left: the "public" potty, mine and DD's. But when I prodded the little holes under the rim of my toilet with my paperclip, it came back dark blue. And those holes didn't let any water out.<br /><br />Yep. They were completely blocked by blue goo from the tablets.<br /><br />I poked. I prodded. I flushed. I scrubbed. I COULD NOT GET THOSE HOLES UNPLUGGED. <br /><br />I dumped a pile of vinegar and baking soda into the tank and moved on to the one toilet that was still functioning properly.<br /><br />When I opened the tank, I discovered that most of the table was still in there. This is the potty least used by us, and clearly it was a blessing. I scooped out the blue goo (got it all over the freaking place) and scrubbed the tank. Flushed. Flushed. Flushed. Flushed ... until it ran clear and there was no more blue.<br /><br />Went back and dumped vinegar and baking soda into the other two potties. <br /><br />My hope is that if I keep treating them and poking with my paperclip and flushing, flushing, flushing (because, yeah, I love wasting water and power) they will clear out the blue goo that clogs them.<br /><br />And I will never, never EVER use those blue toilet tablets again. You shouldn't either. You've been warned.Marianne Arkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00934613403368823760noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14366870.post-33622589090637348272012-04-16T06:54:00.008-04:002012-04-16T07:12:15.306-04:00I Really Dug My Weekend!Honestly, the weather was lovely, so I spent most of it on outdoor chores. Take a walk with me...<br /><br />This is going to be our strawberry patch (this picture was taken on Saturday morning): <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPpB_g0xU8_e3wWhqBE2i7l3uTlnqaPY4EKEvt2O85Qyhtxr5wY8ZRM-W9Zqq3yVn7o1k_i5XvB6lWUuLTKo9uIv8bEHfNxJDFErQYwZaK3UYCatZnvoXPFE49yB36pUWSthZLiA/s1600/S00strawberry1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 196px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPpB_g0xU8_e3wWhqBE2i7l3uTlnqaPY4EKEvt2O85Qyhtxr5wY8ZRM-W9Zqq3yVn7o1k_i5XvB6lWUuLTKo9uIv8bEHfNxJDFErQYwZaK3UYCatZnvoXPFE49yB36pUWSthZLiA/s400/S00strawberry1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731952061104861906" /></a><br /><br />This one is as far as I managed to go before I ran out of steam (I don't use a tiller for many reasons too numerous to list -- plus I wanted some of the grass):<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXlZk84Y6MAh6LwTK_jcSw_0xT7U2RRhG5rxFy7dwWnLyZ0D1zTa8aqUpiTuSbjIe6rZbmiPtIgUajYiAtDghHW1tB2N6hjjqYUQKIB3Ck2AMB0pO4etdQGA49R3xNLBq1ImsIvw/s1600/0strawberry2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXlZk84Y6MAh6LwTK_jcSw_0xT7U2RRhG5rxFy7dwWnLyZ0D1zTa8aqUpiTuSbjIe6rZbmiPtIgUajYiAtDghHW1tB2N6hjjqYUQKIB3Ck2AMB0pO4etdQGA49R3xNLBq1ImsIvw/s400/0strawberry2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731952499583696962" /></a><br /><br />Here's what I wanted the grass for -- to plug some spots where the Japanese Beetle grubs attacked last year (we're investing in milky spore this year -- it's been ten years since we applied it last time, and it's clearly run its course):<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoK8iMxEkPL2fVLbL7LBITo23_iuZhw3OCwExtkJEZU8-zHmRKbXn9wiMnVWdsWURDEv85VRCQsTpr7Jkj4NfGO_rKJ3UWoRWMx5ted-QX4oPe4gXjEgqT3UpTYZG9HoJe8DJefg/s1600/0GrassPlug.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoK8iMxEkPL2fVLbL7LBITo23_iuZhw3OCwExtkJEZU8-zHmRKbXn9wiMnVWdsWURDEv85VRCQsTpr7Jkj4NfGO_rKJ3UWoRWMx5ted-QX4oPe4gXjEgqT3UpTYZG9HoJe8DJefg/s400/0GrassPlug.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731952810945498674" /></a><br /><br />I found a mama spider when I was digging ... I felt just awful messing with her "house". She's guarding her egg sac here. They actually carry the egg sac around with them and I didn't want her to get so freaked out that she left it behind, so we built her a little "house with rocks where she could hide while we finished. I think she appreciated it :-)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNqGT-tJ7sjNmGV0kvEzIkVtcjH_W1KHMa5vSWgWs0HVX9ApHmTsvWV1zP_zQKXQdBAyL-WELDcgsWPYH1zsXnCr9GusDFDfHEInL_SKKxksjBXym9myajmwknUbz_kup_v9VtEg/s1600/00mamaspider2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNqGT-tJ7sjNmGV0kvEzIkVtcjH_W1KHMa5vSWgWs0HVX9ApHmTsvWV1zP_zQKXQdBAyL-WELDcgsWPYH1zsXnCr9GusDFDfHEInL_SKKxksjBXym9myajmwknUbz_kup_v9VtEg/s400/00mamaspider2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731953290319238002" /></a><br /><br />The daffodils around my well pump are blooming and look lovely:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMpO8lUdfG37fvK2huqIvi0teWT-XX0rTV2Pj7p0tDISS19jkQOHtmXNYEfLMtiMHsDVrW7ixZ9NcStltcdqzwRV6v8SLlH7xyUHBV8E7I8P8E8FnfFHISttY47tK_QupfSy5ICA/s1600/0Daffs.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMpO8lUdfG37fvK2huqIvi0teWT-XX0rTV2Pj7p0tDISS19jkQOHtmXNYEfLMtiMHsDVrW7ixZ9NcStltcdqzwRV6v8SLlH7xyUHBV8E7I8P8E8FnfFHISttY47tK_QupfSy5ICA/s400/0Daffs.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731953774184207234" /></a><br /><br />But we're already having visitors (that's a deer print for you city folk):<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkHlYAmS5MXUFOChQLHvvvtFCKP_C1u4X9TyYYXt0FgcYezSvxZ-2ytBhjajhksr2WfOEiqgrZPSUjBRHeNv7frp3H66SsTyVYUAM24s_5qrT5nhd-KbGrDkx31tY6geOn_qYKhA/s1600/0deer.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkHlYAmS5MXUFOChQLHvvvtFCKP_C1u4X9TyYYXt0FgcYezSvxZ-2ytBhjajhksr2WfOEiqgrZPSUjBRHeNv7frp3H66SsTyVYUAM24s_5qrT5nhd-KbGrDkx31tY6geOn_qYKhA/s400/0deer.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731953768772874962" /></a><br /><br />I found these odd holes in some of the spots the grubs killed -- I think they're from the robins (who are eating the grubs -- GO ROBINS!):<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDmzr-HgpZJdVozsgfofpfgRPyBKeMX1AEA4m8NyDwIecmyKmzXrfpS8LasEky5ZWA974EAr4FFN815hWrg8XF3VWZo79GXx947ITVnhCTVQwh4Z3hbIXFUzm3TjYrHQ02HYRCA/s1600/0HOLES.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDmzr-HgpZJdVozsgfofpfgRPyBKeMX1AEA4m8NyDwIecmyKmzXrfpS8LasEky5ZWA974EAr4FFN815hWrg8XF3VWZo79GXx947ITVnhCTVQwh4Z3hbIXFUzm3TjYrHQ02HYRCA/s400/0HOLES.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731954176008940898" /></a><br /><br />We still have a LOT of work to do, but DD got her garden cleared:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKNOS-HvVOQjiLoNF-IYD2GhPAF1tfbWoiqZ78eB7KAGwFy32itQoxYLZkQuTHWc3m1aH4iTAjs6VsMbcO6z9ulAiawHWwM_qsLGqTs4HUYc2DayJ4ogjrV-3mH7D-UyiPhidASQ/s1600/0DDgarden.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKNOS-HvVOQjiLoNF-IYD2GhPAF1tfbWoiqZ78eB7KAGwFy32itQoxYLZkQuTHWc3m1aH4iTAjs6VsMbcO6z9ulAiawHWwM_qsLGqTs4HUYc2DayJ4ogjrV-3mH7D-UyiPhidASQ/s400/0DDgarden.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731954377537162130" /></a><br /><br />And we'll get peas and spinach and chard seed planted this week. <br /><br />All in all a pretty good weekend.<br /><br />How was yours?<br /><br />===================Marianne Arkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00934613403368823760noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14366870.post-67809736848276671562012-04-13T04:33:00.004-04:002012-04-13T04:45:16.703-04:00This and ThatLast night I dreamed someone stole Dakota out of my car at the gas station. I was looking at the security video, holding her leash and hoping she'd just jumped out. Then I saw this guy grab her, crying and struggling, from the back seat of my car. It upset me enough I woke up, heart pounding. <br /><br />I'm still upset and keep looking to make sure she's right here with me.<br /><br />In other news, I thought I'd share some pictures from my street from my latest walk.<br /><br />My neighbor has an old bird's nest in his tree -- I know it's from last year, because the year before it was there but got ruined over the winter, so the birds must have rebuilt it. I hope they move in again this year. I'm going to try to remember to check it again in a few weeks...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgft1P_58Cbzz6HvxmoNxPSABxd9pwAwEgnEBspNv_ldDFlVL-y9j6t58C16GqEUZz78BDiyvuKNUDU3u6PMoGQeghUBDyoXfoH4Ozxe_HiEQuI6OHkx71-9hKQnIFV9pE1-ZN0Tw/s1600/0Birdsnest.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 287px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgft1P_58Cbzz6HvxmoNxPSABxd9pwAwEgnEBspNv_ldDFlVL-y9j6t58C16GqEUZz78BDiyvuKNUDU3u6PMoGQeghUBDyoXfoH4Ozxe_HiEQuI6OHkx71-9hKQnIFV9pE1-ZN0Tw/s400/0Birdsnest.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730801859624049730" /></a><br /><br />We have this strange phenomena that happens every now and then -- this ant swarm thing. On the edges of the road, there are cracks and sometimes, from these cracks we get ants.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5cnXLu9FYY1Zit1iBkpEnMyGnddlXX1e1RUbh31s6N0_oj7X9B0vlAN73YYkI2IN9NIy89GSIJK8JbgsBqLAFOE1mGjEAUg2I93ig9g0xuaXdMvr1NaXtW29NcOLinNK03sk-WA/s1600/Ants1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5cnXLu9FYY1Zit1iBkpEnMyGnddlXX1e1RUbh31s6N0_oj7X9B0vlAN73YYkI2IN9NIy89GSIJK8JbgsBqLAFOE1mGjEAUg2I93ig9g0xuaXdMvr1NaXtW29NcOLinNK03sk-WA/s400/Ants1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730802282411185058" /></a><br /><br />Lots and lots of ants...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdqyPSQM5dpfZcO32Tu_YetOO9PTT21nn7sySTt6qNZVz9IZiK7G0LOZh6tyqOi8d4N36YKt7hrjcjqCpllRbvWeS2TbB4_TMFFmXf1PJ4W594Vr8_FzJYhyphenhyphena_9Wb3IwZqs08Cw/s1600/Ants2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdqyPSQM5dpfZcO32Tu_YetOO9PTT21nn7sySTt6qNZVz9IZiK7G0LOZh6tyqOi8d4N36YKt7hrjcjqCpllRbvWeS2TbB4_TMFFmXf1PJ4W594Vr8_FzJYhyphenhyphena_9Wb3IwZqs08Cw/s400/Ants2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730802293085567938" /></a><br /><br />I don't know why. It's the strangest thing. I suppose I could Google it. <br /><br />DH has a co-worker who has a bazillion strawberry plants that he's going to share with us. I said to DH, "Didn't you tell me growing strawberries out here was hard because the birds and beasts get them?" and he responded, "What plants of yours DON'T the birds and beasts get to?"<br /><br />Uh. Yeah. There is that.<br /><br />So we're going to grow strawberries.<br /><br />And lastly, if you haven't already, go congratulate <a href="http://www.mariazannini.blogspot.com/2012/04/sold.html">Maria Zannini on her latest contract</a>. She's had a rough time of it lately (parvo, tornadoes, computers) so the good news was a welcome change.<br /><br />Have an awesome weekend!<br /><br />==============Marianne Arkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00934613403368823760noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14366870.post-72095327674190803712012-04-09T04:00:00.000-04:002012-04-09T04:00:00.184-04:00The Cunning Voles of Doom -- STRIKE AGAIN!So ... just when you think it's safe to plant again, guess what moved in? See the tracks?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt7ezTveUbXRnBtNCD3jQJxH7nBZBJGVsu5CyqaMi3_VbmJ0PFIGsR4-GjY514AEIuUqEc3Jm6jaRS9UqF-umQ6bZTKkcdPfwpG9Mih-vAK2bDVC2Kp3HCA_o9136wv3Vqom9g1w/s1600/VoleTracks.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt7ezTveUbXRnBtNCD3jQJxH7nBZBJGVsu5CyqaMi3_VbmJ0PFIGsR4-GjY514AEIuUqEc3Jm6jaRS9UqF-umQ6bZTKkcdPfwpG9Mih-vAK2bDVC2Kp3HCA_o9136wv3Vqom9g1w/s400/VoleTracks.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729191075347952850" /></a><br /><br />Yep ... they've moved into my flower garden over the culvert -- where I've had creeping phlox cascading over the bricks every spring for years:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02OCq4YVf0fhPHKdIgVxXNHTPpW9nWoACRrlO128tUPAYsoBMrBgTupXf5aiVwrIJ0A9bkEU5BeQ0KcoX8IbLDu_q8Al6PSac_XT89mLGe6A2MnLM5oONIgHMWEdn9pa3Ih1sgg/s1600/PhloxOld.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02OCq4YVf0fhPHKdIgVxXNHTPpW9nWoACRrlO128tUPAYsoBMrBgTupXf5aiVwrIJ0A9bkEU5BeQ0KcoX8IbLDu_q8Al6PSac_XT89mLGe6A2MnLM5oONIgHMWEdn9pa3Ih1sgg/s400/PhloxOld.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729191395688656690" /></a><br /><br />Wanna see what it lookes like THIS year?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRNTYvVbGokrmc53okIc5JcK4ubpZVHhVPuSvsBwsdhywiVHgPDBjOG7HC_2PAxZ1Nzduyrn69L8K0uke-PRmMLC1E6dFj6HaveGeXuHICsaQh724rihOfbIKoX_aeTTHW94_9cA/s1600/Phlox4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRNTYvVbGokrmc53okIc5JcK4ubpZVHhVPuSvsBwsdhywiVHgPDBjOG7HC_2PAxZ1Nzduyrn69L8K0uke-PRmMLC1E6dFj6HaveGeXuHICsaQh724rihOfbIKoX_aeTTHW94_9cA/s400/Phlox4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729191684035067330" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ibmEoo95kVIoupHHF47BQHYeOo62snYh5Z_VuLdx2tgOOLII5Ima8-MS2MIeULcHIF9ILGFccCIVJ-kZn8DPFRxIio8SscUxzOw_K4lisOofoZh-9AMBWAmoN64__Dq9JrS6Cg/s1600/Phlox3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ibmEoo95kVIoupHHF47BQHYeOo62snYh5Z_VuLdx2tgOOLII5Ima8-MS2MIeULcHIF9ILGFccCIVJ-kZn8DPFRxIio8SscUxzOw_K4lisOofoZh-9AMBWAmoN64__Dq9JrS6Cg/s400/Phlox3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729191676015723394" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHEQBs65Wtxqx2G8d5wLE_MDcZqIWxBbX2CPfJRNq0U6Faz3rMS6L44ba9bUm0gc2rBKi0CEQwUQ5Ac9Qb3sg1icqrSFV2w8csfuUc1dYGMMar0mje4BhVmXDcdFXov3fpi0WtFg/s1600/Phlox2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHEQBs65Wtxqx2G8d5wLE_MDcZqIWxBbX2CPfJRNq0U6Faz3rMS6L44ba9bUm0gc2rBKi0CEQwUQ5Ac9Qb3sg1icqrSFV2w8csfuUc1dYGMMar0mje4BhVmXDcdFXov3fpi0WtFg/s400/Phlox2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729191672167908546" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fsgtR43FPv2NJWWTCRHswD5oYgQxVpYKC2eIydVwuSyc0uDCC3_-UUU0dSPY9tMDHmIbvh6WKkcDe_iOt_w4c7IVQh0DnfXhYeUFh9q9atuchFj3CWNDqi-t-hQsVxqQOqPmSA/s1600/Phlox1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fsgtR43FPv2NJWWTCRHswD5oYgQxVpYKC2eIydVwuSyc0uDCC3_-UUU0dSPY9tMDHmIbvh6WKkcDe_iOt_w4c7IVQh0DnfXhYeUFh9q9atuchFj3CWNDqi-t-hQsVxqQOqPmSA/s400/Phlox1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729191667901011458" /></a><br /><br />They may LOOK cute, but they are PURE EVIL.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidL7H0Jx3cJNpSCGrhU5Dlb-FRkZsksaLkwjArjr3NprTvkSoKZD0txmF4yWgBAIeSh94JCdnWpSCzSs0eTkqUyNH93C-bogywecv0_xvy9l06MFkqWJK0kSbYOgNVy1AVljI9hw/s1600/Voles.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 275px; height: 183px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidL7H0Jx3cJNpSCGrhU5Dlb-FRkZsksaLkwjArjr3NprTvkSoKZD0txmF4yWgBAIeSh94JCdnWpSCzSs0eTkqUyNH93C-bogywecv0_xvy9l06MFkqWJK0kSbYOgNVy1AVljI9hw/s400/Voles.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729192145689046866" /></a><br /><br />================Marianne Arkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00934613403368823760noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14366870.post-40292273463021168532012-04-08T05:42:00.002-04:002012-04-08T05:46:44.866-04:00Happy Easter!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaBxfzRPLlSGn3RtXxGs_x1FlLfxK3_TTJdcoPjdksu_qOzpOg3wDkSiXFlMGjYbgeph_B6YG9e6mCFMDNT2hjnEHrkM0y1rPkmnlP0aAU4ZKXG4OJi6ibUZug05uqq-97eHFyGQ/s1600/images.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 284px; height: 177px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaBxfzRPLlSGn3RtXxGs_x1FlLfxK3_TTJdcoPjdksu_qOzpOg3wDkSiXFlMGjYbgeph_B6YG9e6mCFMDNT2hjnEHrkM0y1rPkmnlP0aAU4ZKXG4OJi6ibUZug05uqq-97eHFyGQ/s400/images.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5728964068486178514" /></a>Marianne Arkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00934613403368823760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14366870.post-84911325453102920692012-04-02T04:37:00.003-04:002012-04-02T04:55:05.867-04:00Accentuate the PositiveSpent a good part of the weekend filling out DD's application for the new school. It's not just a matter of "name, address, phone number". They ask those tough questions (like the ones we hear in job interviews, ala "Why should I hire you?").<br /><br />DD fell to pieces yesterday trying to write a one page essay on "What do you have to offer our school?"<br /><br />She has a tough time seeing the small bites it takes to eat an entire meal (and, no Michele, once again it's not about food *G*) and only a huge plate of lima beans and beef liver that she doesn't want.<br /><br />Yeah, essays about your good points are like that.<br /><br />You ever realize how hard it is to talk about yourself in a positive way? To say, "I'm smart." or "I'm creative." or "I'm capable." or the absolute hardest thing to say about yourself, "I'm pretty."<br /><br />It's very sad.<br /><br />Worse, when my DH and I had to sit down and fill out questions on her strengths and weaknesses HE had a hard time coming up with any. About broke my heart.<br /><br />I have a laundry list. <br /><br />Is she perfect? No, she's far from it. She's not a self-starter. She's not very good at problem-solving. She's stubborn and has a quick temper. She tends to be a little lazy and has no problem walking right past something that needs doing without even seeing it.<br /><br />BUT... she's also amazingly intelligent. She loves to learn. She's creative and clever and loves to work with her hands. She's funny and nurturing and has a heart as big as Alaska. She's my wonderful daughter, and she's beautiful.<br /><br />After her big meltdown about the report, I asked her what her strengths were. After she stared off into space and finally answered, "I don't know." I prompted her a bit. And then told her to make an outline for the report with her strengths and how the manifest in her life.<br /><br />Small bites.<br /><br />She got that done, thankfully. Her job tonight and tomorrow is to make that outline into an essay. <br /><br />The fun never ends.<br /><br />How was your weekend?<br /><br />========================Marianne Arkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00934613403368823760noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14366870.post-14973858106860991962012-03-28T06:08:00.004-04:002012-03-28T06:20:22.262-04:00Warning: Spider StoryNo spiders were harmed in the writing of this tale, though two humans and a dog nearly were.<br /><br />Yesterday, DD, Dd and I were driving home from school when I saw a movement on the frame of my door. I jumped and grabbed at my heart, giving a little yelp. Understandable, right, when something is moving where it shouldn't be. <br /><br />It was a spider. Not a very big one, and I'm not really spider phobic, but I didn't want the thing dropping on my head, so I kept blowing on it to make it freeze in place until I could pull over and put him outside.<br /><br />Apparently, he decided he'd deal with the wind, though, and started making his way up the frame and close to where my head was. This was unacceptable and I picked up a pack of cough drops I had nearby and put it up where he was to block him.<br /><br />That didn't work, so I decided it was time for him to take his chances with the great outdoors and rolled down my window, then tried to brush him out (yes, I was driving the entire time... ::hangs head in shame:::).<br /><br />That was when he dropped ... dangling above me from a silken thread.<br /><br />I screamed like a little girl and whapped at him. He landed on the door frame and scurried into a crack. <br /><br />Finally, I was able to pull off the road and get him the h-e-double toothpicks OUT OF MY CAR. But even that was a trial. First I had to find him. Then I had to make him understand that he would be much better outside. He disagreed. Finally, though, he fell on the floor mat and I picked it up and shook it off outside, then leaped into the car and took off before he could hitch a ride again.<br /><br />I know, I know -- I could have squished him, but honestly that never occurred to me until after all the drama. I'm a catch and release kinda gal, so it didn't enter my thought stream at all.<br /><br />I do wonder what all the cars that passed me on the side of the road thought, though.<br /><br />So that was my excitement yesterday. Anything exciting happen with you that you'd like to share?<br /><br />==============Marianne Arkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00934613403368823760noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14366870.post-23061184223475272922012-03-27T05:01:00.003-04:002012-03-27T05:14:58.219-04:00Cool school!What an amazing and very different school we visited yesterday. They actually own the entire little residential street they're on and the classes are held in different houses. Two of the houses are HUGE because of additions they students built (not the current students -- though, they're doing building as well, an addition for another private school in a different town). There are a few outbuildings they built, too, all post and beam and stained glass (beautiful pieces also created by the students, who apparently also make it for various other schools, churches and other buildings).<br /><br />Everything is very casual, possibly due to the "home" feel of the place and the fact they have to walk outside from place to place (it's quite rural). There's a dress code, but it's not strict. Jeans are allowed and T-shirts, but nothing too short, too tight or too skimpy which works for me. The "feel" is sort of a cross between regular school and homeschool. Class size will be bigger there, but not a lot. Her current school's high school classes run 3 - 5 students. This place averages 10 - 12, a good size.<br /><br />DD is excited about much of it. Nervous, too, but she's not really super happy where she is, has struggled to make friends (most of the kids there have gone to school together for years) and is pretty sold on the new school. I told her SHE needed to decide what was going to work best for her.<br /><br />Dru had asked yesterday if she has to test, etc. to be enrolled or if they'll automatically take her. We have to fill out the application, get copies of her report card and references from teachers and mentors and she'll have to shadow a day there (thankfully they're in sessions when DD is off on spring break in a few weeks, so we'll do it then). Her current school required her to test to make sure she could do the work for the grade we wanted her enrolled in. I imagine this one will, too. <br /><br />=============<br /><br />In other news, I swear winter has returned. We had 30 - 50 MPH all day yesterday, so bad it grabbed my storm door last evening and flung it open, hard. Didn't break the glass, or the door itself, but yanked the bottom whoosie-whatsit (the thing that controls how fast it closes) right out of the frame and bent it neatly in half, breaking the plastic cover and twisting the metal.<br /><br />We had to chase down our lawn chairs and garbage can (why is it always windy on garbage day?) as well as my pooper scooper and some other things that stay outside. It's bitterly cold, impossible to walk in or even stay out in for more than a couple minutes. And it's just as cold and windy today. It's supposed to rain tomorrow, so I'm guessing this wind is blowing in that front. Hopefully then it will stop. But my dog is bouncing off the walls.<br /><br />The joy of New Hampshire.<br /><br />================Marianne Arkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00934613403368823760noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14366870.post-46839981057312394912012-03-26T04:53:00.002-04:002012-03-26T05:00:00.130-04:00School ChoicesThis morning we're checking out a new high school as a potential landing place for DD. Yes, her current school has a high school and, yes, we've been invited to return next year but I'm not sure it's a perfect fit for her. It's a very, very small school with few extracurricular opportunities. We found that out in spades this year as the canceled middle school basketball because enough people weren't participating -- and the high school is even smaller.<br /><br />The school we're looking at is closer, very rural and rustic (it's held in a huge old house/barn) and has about 50 students in the high school. DD's current school has about 15.<br /><br />They really celebrate what it is to live in NH -- with lots of outdoor activities like hiking, canoeing, mountain biking, etc. plus their girl's basketball team won their division this year, so clearly there are enough students. They offer project-based learning (last year the kids built a post and beam house and held a miniture victorian faire, for instance).<br /><br />We'll see how the meeting goes, but it feels right so far and DD is sort of excited, too. It helps that her BFF is probably going to be going back into homeschooling next year, so she isn't a factor as to where DD goes.<br /><br />Other than that, our weather is back to normal for this time of year... COLD. Highs in the low 50s, lows in the 20s with light frost. *sigh* Those 80 degree temps spoiled me rotten.<br /><br />Hope you had a good weekend! Trying to get to blogs ... visited a few this morning and will try to hit a few more this afternoon.<br /><br />====================Marianne Arkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00934613403368823760noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14366870.post-55169434738156953532012-03-23T04:00:00.001-04:002012-03-23T04:00:06.608-04:00Theme SongWhen "Now and Forever" was rejected by Samhain, the editor mentioned that she found my hero a bit rude and rough around the edges (though she loved some secondary characters AND the storyline ... which is why I'm still gobsmacked she didn't invite a resubmit, but that's neither her nor there). She was right, to a certain extent. He's a man's man (I actually modeled him a bit after my DH). He doesn't "go to the bathroom" he "takes a leak" or "hits the head". He's rough and tumble, wears jeans, works on cars and doesn't mince words. <br /><br />Today, I was listening to the radio, and his theme song came on. I had to share it with you.<br /><br /><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9pn3zxwTUWA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />Of course, that got me thinking about Mena, my heroine ... what would HER theme song be? She's such a romantic. She's sweet, (mostly) mild-mannered and a believer in forever. <br /><br />This is the song that popped into my head:<br /><br /><iframe width="420" height="243" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XoZC0Lkji2A" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />I can't wait until I'm able to share these two with you. The cover is being worked on as we speak. I have two scenes to add to the story and then I'll send it to a friend for a look-see for typos and gross errors.<br /><br />Then it'll be ready. I hope.<br /><br />====================Marianne Arkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00934613403368823760noreply@blogger.com2