More Garden...Volume 2

Dinner last night: venison roast, and corn, peppers, and onion. All cooked in the middle of the garden. : )


This was my view across the street last night:


Canteloupe vines, with a rogue tomato growing in the middle of the patch.


Baby canteloupe.


Feverfew.


The start of next year's woodpile.


Spinach, now bolting. We'll be planting Bloomsdale long-standing again.


Sunflowers, about 4 ft. tall ~ due to be 8 to 12 ft fully grown.


Remember this? This is the same vine, after a harsh winter pruning this year, and growth this year only.


Baby grapes.


Spearmint, in its infancy. I planted it along a rocky ridge that happens to hold soil in an attempt to curb its vigor a bit. I didn't dare plant it into one of the "regular" beds.


Raspberry brambles (the black ones) all the way down the line.


The other raspberry patch, complete with weeds and a maple tree in the middle.


Mutant raspberry: most produce on last year's canes. This one is producing on a first year cane. And they are huge.


One of my altheas, taken about 7 this morning. I also have a blush pink one, and a dark mauve-y one with a dark purple center.


Mulberry tree, they ripen a delicious dark purple and are actually SWEET. I'm used to them being a little more tart.


This one also likes to eat the mulberries, but isn't quite tall enough to reach without some assistance.


My nemesis: poison ivy. Not only does it spread with wicked abandon along my woodline (and in between my raspberries), but it also becomes a climbing vine when it meets a tree or fence. Evil stuff.


Tall phlox.


One child prefers to play rather than work in the garden. And that's ok.


Turnips.


Pumpkins, weeds, and a whole lot of volunteer tomatoes from last year's patch.


Peas, some of the last.


Peppers and tomatoes ~ early.


Tomatoes and peppers now.

Garden June/July 2010

Here are some shots from around the garden:

Lazy day!


Clematis. Last year they were solid orchid, this year they have developed the darker bars in the middle of the flowers.


Onions: red, and sweet (granex-type).


Peas ~ in the beginning.


Peas ~ now. They're about done, they prefer cooler weather.


Gypsy peppers.


Bell peppers.


Rainbow mix peppers ~ these are turning dark purple.


Digging for 'taters.


Happy okra ~ it loves the heat!


I have a helper that prefers more to play in the dirt than actually help in the garden...


Cherry tomatoes. We have an affliction at this house: no cherry tomatoes have yet to make it inside the house. My children tend to eat them immediately.


Chicory patch. Eat the young leaves in a salad. You can also dig the root, chop into small pieces, roast it in your oven, and grind it up to add to your coffee. Num, tastes like New Orleans.


Chicory typically has lovely blue flowers, like someone took a daisy and squared off the ends of the petals.


A few early potatoes and young turnips.

Everything in Moderation

Lately I've been noticing comments left in foreign characters. I have learned that a lot of those users are spamming advertisements for sites that I have no wish to promote. I don't want to block them entirely, as I do have some Korean friends, but I also want to avoid the junk.

I am currently moderating all comments left; if it takes a day or two for one of yours to show up, that's why.

Off to do some gardening with what's left of the day.

~ JH

A Quiet Place

Today we are just spending some time as a family and reflecting on our Siberian Husky's antics -- he passed while sleeping last night. Our daughter, who is 4, is starting to "get it"; our son doesn't seem to grasp the concept well. He will still randomly call for the dog, as will our daughter. For that matter, both my husband and I have called both dogs at some point today before catching ourselves.

We buried Meeshie in the back yard before the kids were up this morning, in a quiet corner near the woods he loved so much. Our daughter has made 4 treks out there so far today to "make sure he's ok".

I know that he was "just a dog", but he was also family as far as we're concerned. I've had him longer than I've had kids, and he's always been there as far as the kids know. He will always be the only large dog I know that:

a) was scared of tree frogs
b) while peeing on a bush, was startled by a bird (who was startled by the "shower")
and fell over mid-stream
c) "kissed" you by bumping noses rather than licking, and
d) chased laser pointer lights like a cat

I'm going to miss that stinking dog. He was a good boy.

Cooking Venture -- Pasta Sauce

It's been a while since I posted a recipe. Here's one that I have thrown together that comes out surprisingly well. This pasta sauce starts with a creamy garlic base and then gets the tomato added in. It's not a super thick consistency like a marinara or hearty garden-style pasta sauce, but the flavah is fab-o plain jane, or with chicken or shrimp.

Garlic Cream Tomato Sauce
-----------------------------------------------------
1/2 stick butter
1 to 2 tsp minced garlic (depends on how strong you like it...)
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup parmesan/asiago/romano cheese blend, grated
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup white cooking wine
1 T basil, dried -- use fresh if you've got it!!
1 tsp parsley (or a little more if it's fresh -- chop it coarsely).
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
salt and pepper to taste -- remember that cooking wine already has salt in it
-------
optional additions include:
chopped fresh tomato (canned tomato, drained works OK too)
onion or green onion
bell pepper strips -- I like the red and yellow ones' flavor best in this sauce
chicken -- grilled or sauteed, it's great in this sauce
shrimp -- if you want something more special than chicken
a tiny amount of fresh spinach, just wilted (Do not use canned! Ick.) It doesn't take many leaves to be "enough".

You'll also need a box o' pasta. I have used linguini and penne with this sauce, and either works just fine. Regular spaghetti doesn't have enough "tooth" for my liking to go well with this flavorful sauce.

Here's how you do it:

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the buttah. Add the minced garlic and cook briefly until the color starts to change and you can smell that it's cooked. Garlic burns easily if you're not watching it, it doesn't take long to cook it.

Add the sour cream and cheese blend, stirring until combined and heated through. I generally use a whisk rather than a spoon just to make sure it's good and smooth. Add the milk and white wine; stir until blended. Add the basil, parsley, tomato sauce, and salt and pepper (to taste).

Simmer over lo to med-lo heat (depends on how hot your burner is) for about a half hour, stirring frequently to prevent burning on the bottom. Cook your pasta in a separate pan while the sauce finishes up.

If I am adding bell pepper strips or onion (or both), I generally add them at the beginning of the simmering process and let them enjoy a hot-tub experience for the full half hour. This lets their flavor really penetrate the dish while softening the veggies. Add the spinach at the end, as it does not take long for the leaves to wilt. (You don't want them completely mushy and slimy, they should still have some body to them).

If I add chicken, I use either diced or strips of pre-cooked chicken -- I do not cook the chicken in the sauce. I don't know that it matters, but I want to ensure that it's done all the way through and depending on the temperature of my simmering sauce, it doesn't always get thoroughly cooked. I wait until the end and add the chicken to the sauce just to heat it through.

Shrimp is a whole other ballgame. If adding (uncooked) shrimp, I add them the last 2 minutes and watch carefully to make sure the shrimp are not over-cooked. Shrimp cooks very quickly; as soon as you see that it is opaque and almost completely pink, remove the pan from heat. The residual heat in the pan will finish the cooking process and leave the shrimp tender without making them rubbery. If the shrimp are completely bright pink, they chance being over done by the time they sit in the pan and are served a few minutes later. If you're using pre-cooked shrimp, add them right at the end to just warm them and try to prevent that unfortunate rubbery texture.

** note -- do make sure the shrimp is fully cooked before consuming it. This is not a fusion recipe of Italian cuisine and Japanese sashimi.**

Other notes:

I'm a basil junkie. I could bathe in it. (I'm sure there's a 12-step program for people like me, but I'm reveling in my addiction at the moment). Accordingly, the amount that I put in the sauce may be too much for the average palate. As always, put in what you like in the amount you like it. I view recipes as a loose framework that give you the opportunity to let your own creativity and personal style shine through.

The sauce thickens as it cools, so don't despair if it seems a little thin initially.

Enjoy!

To Pee or Not To Pee

To Pee, or Not To Pee? THAT is the question. At least, it is in our household.

I have supreme bragging rights on my son, A, who has been in cotton undies for a whole month now. He stays dry 99% of the time during the daytime -- I can count his "#1" accidents during the last month on one hand, and have fingers left over. Even as recently as the New Year, A would/could not do this. We've tried the cotton undies before and had very messy results. We're just so glad that something is finally clicking with him about the toileting, even if it's taken 6 1/2 years to do it.

We are still working on the #2 aspect, though. If he's in briefs, this is not such a big deal (even though it is very messy). We took a gamble and lost when we combined boxer-style undies and a pair of shorts one day. He was at home when we became aware that that combination was not a good one. Nothing some good ol' Chlorox can't handle, both in the laundry and on the floor.

Overall, A has done an outstanding job with keeping himself pretty clean. As frustrating as the streaks of fecal material (and sometimes a little extra) are in his underwear, his daddy and I also realize that A really can't help some of it. Some of it. There are times when he knows he has to go, and will bypass the bathroom to go hide in his closet to do his business. Z and I are still trying to figure out a way to effectively discourage this activity, short of super-gluing our child to the toilet seat. The last option, while effective in one regard, does have its obvious limitations.

We are still having some issues with overnight bed-wetting, which happens 3 or 4 days out of the week. Z and I finally went out and got some nighttime pants, for nocturnal use only, just to save us from washing blankets, sheets, pillows, and mattress covers every single day. Our aging septic pit can't handle large quantities of water, we have to space out showers/baths, dishes, and laundry over the course of the day. Adding two more laundry loads per day was maxing out our system, so it was the better part of valor to suck it up and buy the disposables for overnight use.

As wonderfully as A has been doing, his sister has decided to take a very different course. She has started peeing in her panties again. We're not entirely sure why she is regressing all of a sudden. I'm wondering if my going back to work about a month ago has anything to do with it, since that is about the time we started having these issues. K was totally embarrassed this weekend -- twice -- because she peed herself in public, so we're hoping that will help solve the situation.

The first time she did it, we were working with the youth. I had told her to go to the bathroom as soon as we reached the building and she ignored me; then she peed in her pants about 10 minutes later. I did not have a change of clothes with me, so she had to stay in the (tile floored) bathroom by herself for 3 hours. I couldn't have her sitting on the carpet or upholstered seats in her wet pee clothing, and I wasn't going to let her run around naked in front of a bunch of teenagers.

The second time was during church the next morning; the ladies teaching her class had no choice but to put her in a "baby diaper" (K's words, not mine). K was especially miffed because they were boy pants with Spiderman on them.

Let's hope that did the trick.

The Garden

Things have been so nuts after I started working. My poor flowerbeds are still completely wild. My grand plans to have most of my garden dug up and planted have been thwarted by rain on my available evenings to veg with the veggies.

But I persevere. I'm good like that, yo.

So THIS weekend was nice, because I am very nearly caught up to where I thought I'd be at this time of spring:

My beds are mostly dug. I have one more that I will be putting sweet potatoes and yellow straight-neck squash in that has not been started yet -- the sweet potatoes grow below the ground and the vines on top deter squash beetles. Companion planting at its finest.

I was trying to figure out what to do about peppers and tomatoes, because my neighbor's bad kitties got into our sunporch area and knocked all my pots off of the windowsills. So much for seedlings. God blesses over and abundantly, however, because even though we never said anything to our neighbor, he showed up this afternoon with six pepper and six tomato plants that were leftover out of his garden. He didn't have room for them, so he gave them to us.

As of today, my peas, turnips, onions, potatoes, carrots, spinach, peppers, tomatoes, and early corn have all been planted, along with some mammoth Russian sunflowers. I plan to add some late corn, okra, canteloupe/muskmelons, pumpkins, some bush and pole beans, and some winter acorn squash to the mix, as well as the above-mentioned sweet potatoes and yellow summer squash.

Most of my herbs are also started, although I need to plant the sage, summer savory, and chives in their permanent home. The dill, oregano, and parsley are gaining momentum. But I'm having a dickens of a time getting any rosemary to grow! I must have gotten a bad seed packet or something, because none of the seeds I tried to start early in pots have sprouted, and neither have any of the seeds scattered outside. I might have to break down and buy some rosemary that's already started.

We're supposed to be getting rain for the next three days, then a short break, and rain again next weekend so I think my planting days are over for a little while. All that good rain will just make everything that's already in shoot up.

All I want now are two or three hens, and I'm good. I just need to convince my husband that hens are a good thing. (You don't need a rooster for a hen to lay eggs; you do need a rooster if you want chicks). : ) Maybe if I promise not to give them names like Queen Latifah or FifiTrixieBelle, he'd be more apt to consider it...

Crazy

Crazy.

Anyone who knows me knows that I might have a slight tendency to be a tad on the (hopefully fun) crazy side. Occasionally, of course. I'm not up to the "runs with scissors" level, but still love to be with people and have a good time.

Anyone who knows me also knows I like to coordinate things so they flow together: outfits, my home decor, my (planned, in my head) garden space.

Guess what? Now my schedule matches the rest of me: it's crazy, too!

The good thing is, I'm always super busy at work so my days zip by in what seems like a blink of an eye. In fact, I am rarely even at my desk. I deposit files as I rush by, but have not had time to actually sit and work on any of them until today. My desk chair is so neglected...and my files were forming a manila folder and paperclip jungle in the confines of my office space. No worries about being attacked by a rogue stapler, though, the only wildlife I encounter on a regular basis are some of the clients. No, seriously; I'm glad we have guards -- they've already saved my bacon as recently as last week. Desperate times make for desperate people.

I had a rare treat today! I did absolutely zero interviews so I could (try to) catch up on my paperwork. Wielding my trusty keyboard and mouse, I powered through all the stacks and have a clean workspace for the first time in over a week. Clear-cutting through my paper forest did take its toll: the files eked out their revenge in the form of nasty papercuts. But the files are taken care of. Well, all but two -- I just couldn't get to them, even staying at work late for the fourth night in a row. Staying late is a cardinal sin at my office. We don't get paid over-time, and the work will still be there when we get back the next day. I know this, but I also know that peoples' lives are directly affected by whether or not I can get everything done or not.

"Normal" caseload is 3 or 4 cases a day, and three or four people (normally) rotate throughout the week so no one gets overloaded. Thanks to the economy (both increasing the clientele and decreasing the workers), things are no longer "normal". I've been doing all of the cases solo for 2 weeks straight -- and have over 70 active clients of my own (again, in just 2 weeks), plus I'm helping another girl with her caseload because she's out. I've been interviewing between 8 and 10 clients every day, some of which have to be denied. The denials help with managing it all, in that I don't have to track their file, make additions or phone calls, etc.; on the other hand, each denial has its own unique paperwork that must be done, so that adds to the workload in a different way.

This job is not for the faint of heart or anyone who wants to be rich monetarily. But if you like helping people, and don't care so much about the money aspect, this is a great job. I personally love it. Yes, it's stressful. Yes, there are some days I want to shake some sense into some of my clients. And yes, my heart absolutely breaks for other clients. But overall, I love what I'm doing.

I am helping a lot of people just make it right now, at a time when their options are few and difficult to choose between. I'm saving the world one weary soul at a time -- at least, that's how I look at it. Others would look at the workload involved, see the pay offered, and think I was crazy. But, of course, we've already established that I fall into that category.

Triumph!!

As of this entry, my son has kept his underwear clean and dry for the fourth day in a row! Mind, these are normal, cotton undies -- not the disposable ones. Earlier attempts to use regular underwear have come to (very) bad ends...and messy ones, at that. At this point, however, we simply can not buy him any more and are doing a lot of finger-crossing and praying.

A made it through Thursday evening at church, through school all day on Friday, and was away from home on Saturday about half the day and home the rest. All dry and clean. He made it through church this morning, and lunch, and it's now mid-afternoon. He has also slept in them overnight, and had no issues. Woo hoo!! I am so unbelievably proud of my kiddo. (I realize that if you're new to this site, you may think that this is not much of a big deal. I assure you, it is to us).

I'm really hoping the diaper bag days are (finally) at a close, albeit about 4 years later than most parents get to do it. The average age for autistic children to be potty trained is actually 5, so we're not doing too badly. A is six and a half.

It's been a rough go up to this point. There were tears on both our parts at various stages in the game, his because we were altering his routine and he simply did NOT want to do it, mine because I was so, so very frustrated to be cleaning the poopy butt of a stubborn 6-yr old kid that ran past the bathroom to go hide in a corner and poop in his pants.

Poop gets much more potent the older you get (why,yes; you may call me Captain Obvious). Two-yr-olds are starting the smelly process, but are also generally potty trained around that time and it's flushed down the toilet. My son has had years to perfect his "aromatic bouquet", and also perfect his bathroom-dodging techniques. It takes a full scrubdown with multiple wipes or a washcloth to get the caked-on poop off his butt after he's sat on it. I can say with absolute certainty that changing an older child's dirty underwear is a much different animal than changing a toddler's dirty underwear -- more mess, more smell.

BUT! Hopefully that is all behind us now!

Yay.

Fun with Preschoolers

My husband is really enjoying getting to be home with the kids right now. He missed most of A's early milestones, and missed a lot of K's too because of long work schedules or being away from home altogether. But now he gets to be a part of all of the guts-and-glory that is parenting.

For example, he got to watch our newly-4-yr-old daughter get her first "wedgie". We normally drive small cars, but we used a van on Thursday and she practically did a split climbing down out of it. K got a mortified expression on her face and her mouth hung open for a second before exclaiming, "My underwear! It's in my butt! Up in there!!!" We had to explain, while laughing, that she just needed to rearrange her foundation garments and she'd be OK. She had the most horrified expression on her little face, though.

Z also gets to "enjoy" K's constant chatter. I recognized the hunted expression on his face when I got home from work on Friday...I've sported that very same look myself on occasion. She also has a way with words. Today, I was explaining that she only needed one stool to sit on, not two or three. She asked why, so I explained that because she only has one bottom, she only needs one chair or stool to sit on at a time so we could share the others.

She looked at me very sweetly, and then proceeded to tell me that she had a little bottom, and A had a little bottom, but I had a "very big, large bottom" and so did her daddy -- and then started to describe how butts help us poop. Fabulous. While I'm glad she has an idea of how certain things work, this was not exactly the best conversation to be having in the church building. And, of course, this was all in front of our preacher. Of course it was. He didn't bat an eye, and I'm really hoping that his conversation he was already having with my husband at that moment somehow distracted the preacher or prevented him from hearing exactly what charming conversations I was having with my youngest.

K has also been taught that to "flex", or "make muscles", they have to be accompanied by sound effects. However, her father did not teach her the usual grunts associated with body building. I don't know why I would think he would; then again, this bit of knowledge(?) is not something I ever really thought about teaching to our daughter. Apparently, when raising your arms up on either side of you and making a large "U" shape, you have to meow like a cat. If you have one arm up and one arm down, like an Egyptian, then you have to squeak with the movements back and forth like a squeaky toy. And, if both arms are flexed downward, then you can grunt. I learn something new every day.

K is also convinced that I have insects in my cranium. I had a cold and told her that I had a bug. Later on, I mentioned that I was feeling "stinky" and rotten. K put two and two together, and now believes that when I'm congested that I have a "stinkbug in [my] head".

Adorable? Yes. Funny? Oh, yeah. Future blackmail material? You'd better believe it.

On the Brink

Things are looking up at the H house!

For starters, our son, A, has finally started completing his work at school. Much to the delight and surprise of his teacher, I might add. I'm not entirely sure she believed me when I told her he could read, spell, and write because A has flat-out refused to do most of his work this year.

In the last month or so, he has started filling out his writing sheets, doing his addition and subtraction, and been generally behaving himself in the classroom. Yay! This is a relief not only for his teacher, but also for me and Z. Knowing your son can do things, but having a stubborn child who refuses to do things for anyone but mom and dad is not a good combination when there are special needs in the mix. The teacher can only assess his abilities on her observations and experiences, not what A does when he's at home.

We're still having an issue with how they do the testing, as a good portion of it is verbal and our son is NOT overly verbal. He has made great strides, and can hold mini-conversations with Z and I, and a few other close friends, but on an over-all scale he is nowhere close to his peers. A's mini-conversations tend to be sentence fragments, rather than entire grammatically correct sentences, but we understand what he's trying to convey and are just glad he's making the effort. We can tell that it takes an enormous amount of concentration and energy to do what he is able to do, and as long as he's doing his best (and not being a lazy butt) we're fine with that.

Our son is, by the way, a lazy butt if he thinks he can get away with it -- he'll try to see if he can get out of doing whatever someone requests by ignoring them, or starting to stim while watching them out of the corner of his eye. If you're firm with him, and tell him to do whatever it is again, he'll stop stimming, sigh, and then actually do what he was asked to do. The key is knowing when A is trying to get out of doing something, and when he's genuinely stimming or off in his own world. The people that have figured the differences out, understandably, are the ones who spend the most time with him -- and since A is mainstreamed in a "normal" kindergarten classroom, his teacher's attention is divided between A and the other 17 kids in the class. As the year has progressed, she's figuring out A's cues.

In other news, our son has worn regular cotton undies for two days straight without any incident. We still have to prompt him, as he rarely volunteers to go to the bathroom on his own, but he has done a terrific job keeping his pants clean and dry. Of course, he also hasn't pooped in two days, so the streaking has not been an issue.

Our son, like a lot of autistic children, has some muscular weaknesses throughout his body. In addition to his fine-motor skills in his hands, he also lacks some core strength and bowel strength. In our research and conversations with other parents of autistic children, a lot of auties have issues with constipation and impaction. We have to make sure we feed A lots of foods that "make him go", such as sweet potatoes, spinach, and grapes, and try to avoid foods that stop you up, such as bananas, apples and apple juice, and cheese or yogurt. We also have to periodically give him an oral laxative and insert suppositories. If these don't work, then we have to do an old-fashioned enema.

The upside is, these things do what they're supposed to and things get moved on through. The downside is, if we don't do these things, he gets impacted and that means a trip to the hospital. AND another downside is, the more we have to resort to these measures, the less his bowels will do the work on their own; they become dependent on the laxatives and enemas.

"Poop" is a regular topic of conversation around here. Just keepin' it real, this is some of what we deal with on a daily basis.

On the non-crappy side of things, I started a new job this week! Fate had a conversation with irony and arranged this one for me: I was eligible for all sorts of state and federal assistance programs until I started my new job, and now I help people with their applications for those same programs. I have been blessed with the opportunity to help people who are -- literally -- where I just was, last week.

I know (some of) what they're going through, so I think I'm really going to enjoy parts of this job. Everyone has a unique story, and I know what a blessing and relief it is when your family is taken care of. The parts I won't enjoy are in there, too, as there are some clients who have some....interesting philosophies...regarding entitlement issues and how to improve one's financial position, and I am going to have to tell some people "no" and deal with the fall-out. Luckily for me, I am not making the final decision on the eligibility issues, so I don't have to sweat or fret about making the right or wrong decision, I just have to let them know what the decision is. It won't help me when I have to tell someone I would love to help "no", though.

I'm going to have to learn how to emotionally distance myself from our clients, or I'm going to have a lot of heartbreak and bad days. This is not to say I can't be compassionate or caring, those qualities must be shown to everyone to provide dignity and respect to the client. I just can't cry every time I have to turn someone away who is in desperate need. And I also can't get mad or too frustrated if I get a client who is obviously lying and trying to pull a fast one, like yesterday.

There will be a learning curve, but I'm glad to both have a job, and have a job where I can help people at a time when they need it most.

Cooking Venture -- Greek-Style Spinach Pie

Spinach is one of the first things we harvest in the spring-time here. It is very tolerant of cold weather, and when planted under cloches or in a cold-frame, you can get a very early harvest! It is so refreshing to have fresh greens after a long winter.

One of our favorite things to do with spinach in this house is to incorporate it into a variety of Greek and Mediterranean dishes. Our favorite, hands down, is spanikopita. The traditional version calls for many, many sheets of phyllo pastry and a lot of butter that's brushed between the pastry sheets. While it tastes fabulous (sometimes I swear I hear an angelic chorus when I take my first bite), it is loaded with a lot of fat. And the fat cells in my butt are the friendly sort, always welcoming to newcomers.

Soooo, after some experimentation, I have come up with a lower-fat version using pie crusts. Notice I did not say "fat-free", pie crust has enough lipid storage-inducing action of its own. But the fat content of the pie crust is still much, much lower than the traditional phyllo and butter combination. Without further ado, my perversion of Greek spinach pie:

Non-traditional Greek-style Spinach Pie

2 pounds fresh spinach -- washed, stemmed, and chopped
olive oil
1 medium onion -- finely chopped
1 bunch of green onions, or about 4 to 5 scallions -- finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh snipped dill
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
4 large eggs
8 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 to 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (if you have kefalotiri cheese, use that)
1/4 tsp salt, to taste (optional, depends on how salty your feta is)
freshly ground black pepper -- just a few grinds
pinch of freshly ground nutmeg -- a little goes a long way
crusts for a covered 9-inch pie (two pieces of pastry, one on top and one on bottom)


Preheat oven to 375 deg F.

Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet, over medium heat. Add onion and green onion/scallions, cook until softened (about 6 minutes).

Add chopped spinach a little at a time, cooking until wilted and liquid is released. Once all the spinach has been added to the pan (and this takes a few minutes), turn up the heat to "high" and cook until the liquid is gone and the spinach is fairly dry. Stir often to prevent burning!! The liquid evaporation will take about 10 minutes or so.

Add the dill and parsley, mix well. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Place spinach into colander and press to remove any excess liquid that might be in there.

In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the cooled spinach mixture, the feta, parmesan cheese, salt, a few grinds of black pepper, and the pinch of nutmeg. Mix well, ensuring the egg is completely incorporated (otherwise you'll get weird veins of scrambled egg in the middle of your spinach pie...just speaking from experience here).

Lightly grease a glass/ceramic pie dish with cooking oil. Place one crust on the bottom of the dish, making sure it fits on the bottom and up the sides, and filling in any holes or gaps. Put spinach/egg/cheese mixture into crust, spreading to evenly fill. I tend to make mine a little higher in the center and lower around the sides, but that's just my preference. Top with the other pie crust, sealing around the edges. Cut a few vent slits on the top of the pie with a sharp knife.

Bake for 45 minutes or so, or until your crust is golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

************************************
NOTES: If you don't grow your own spinach, you can buy 2 of the 16-oz bags of fresh spinach at the market, or 3 of the 10-oz bags will get you close enough. I've also used 3 10-oz boxes of the frozen chopped spinach and it turns out just fine. DO NOT USE CANNED SPINACH, I can tell you from experience that it just does not work out well.

Also, you really do want to drain the cooked spinach mixture in a colander. This is important, because if there is extra liquid it makes the finished dish soggy and limp, and the crust is slimy. This goes for making it the traditional way with the phyllo, too. Removing all that liquid makes the dish have more body and a pleasing texture. You don't have to let it cool before doing this step, I just don't like to burn my hands. Allowing it to cool slightly also prevents the hot spinach from immediately cooking the eggs in the next step.

I have found that it is generally cheaper to buy a solid 8-oz block of feta and crumble it myself, than to purchase it already crumbled.

You can use dried herbs in place of the fresh ones, just use way less since dried herbs are so much stronger in flavor.

You can make your own pie crusts, or buy a box of 2 at the market.

My kids scarf this recipe, even my anti-vegetable son. He loves it!

Enjoy!

Sew What?

WARNING: This post has been rated "D" by the DGAU (Domestic Goddess Association of the Universe), for showing graphic detail of the Domestically Disabled.



If you're a crafty person with a modicum of skill with a needle, read this at your own peril. The author is not responsible for any twitches, eyebrows arched in disbelief, or gobsmacked expressions that may occur while reading this post.

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If you're still reading this, let it be known once again that as talented as I am at some artistic media (including music and paint), sewing eludes me. It seems so simple, a child could do it. In fact, children do do it, every day in various countries of the world. (I almost edited that last sentence, but then decided, what the heck? I'll leave it in there for my own base amusement).

Having been unemployed for two months now, my husband and I are trying to find things to do around the house to keep ourselves busy, make things better, and stay out of each other's hair. We rounded up all the partial cans of paint under the stairs and mixed a few together to paint the kitchen a nice, mediterranean-type of yellow -- like a sun-washed, aged stucco found on an old Italian farmhouse. At least, that was the goal; we actually came pretty close.

I think the lingering paint fumes may have had something to do with my next move: "Hey!" I thought to myself. "I have all this material from these old red-and- gold striped curtains, so I'll just use it to make some valances for the kitchen windows."

For those that don't know, I'll repeat again that I am a sewing dunce. I was actually banned from touching the sewing machines in 7th grade Home Ec because I broke two of them. The teacher wasn't sure how I'd managed it, either, but I had to hand-sew my final project, which was an apron. Perhaps that is why I really don't enjoy this particular craft to this day...I didn't own a thimble and got pricked quite a lot. I even used to be pretty upset at the Biblical Eve. I figured that if she hadn't have goofed up in the Garden, then I wouldn't be having to suffer through sewing class in Junior High School because there wouldn't be a need for it.

Fast-forward twentyish years, and here I am attempting this activity once again. I told myself it wasn't that difficult, and to quit being so put off by the idea of sewing. I know lots of people that sew lots of cute things. I should be able to do this, right? Right? So, I get out my little basic sewing machine that I was given a number of years ago...it's cute, yellow, and only makes one straight stitch, in the forward direction only. It would appear to be idiot-proof, and yet somehow it was not the case.

After fumbling with the darned thing for about an hour, I got it to actually sew. Yes, I read the directions. Then it took me another hour and a half to cut and pin the fabric I was trying to sew, to make it all even so my valances matched in length. I had three windows to do, so a total of six hems were required. I stabbed myself a few times, but I shook it off because I was sooooo determined to do this, and do it right. I sat down at the little sewing machine, and put my first piece of material in place...and stared at it for a moment. I started sewing...did you know it is very easy to sew a crooked line? I can apparently do those very easily.

I ripped out the first seam, and tried it again. Three hours later, I have one valance completed because I wasn't going to do it over yet again, half of another valance done, and think I'm starting to get the hang of this stuff. The last seam I had completed was moderately straight, and I only had to do it once. Foolish mortal. It was at that point that I broke the sewing machine needle. And lots of thread. (Did you know that it is a very important thing to make sure the "foot" is all the way down before you start to sew? Now I do, too.)

So, after another couple of hours, all three curtain panels are done and I got them hung. It only took me six hours to get these done (an average of one hour per seam). I have two short, straight panels on the side windows, and a bunched version the same depth that is over the larger sink window. Now that I look at them, I can see that they are in desperate need of an iron, but at this point I am too tired to care. I'm gonna have to claim the "domestically disabled" status for this, too. I generally only iron when I'm angry.

Here's a couple of examples of what I finally produced. They're not perfect, but they'll work. It's the principle of the thing, y'know? I made 'em and bled for 'em, so they're staying up there for a while. You'll notice that even though both of these windows are in the same room, the yellow looks different in the two pictures. This is because I have a naked fluorescent bulb perched over the sink that bathes everything in a garish light. Incidentally, the bunched curtain's hem is actually even (I know; will wonders never cease?), it just looks wonky in the picture due to the angle.





I'm thinking those paint fumes must have been pretty darned strong, because a few days later, I decide that the descent into sewing hell hadn't really been all that bad, and decide to attempt a new project. Please select from the following:

Does this look like:

A) a hand puppet that conveniently doubles as a voodoo doll,

B) Gumby had a run-in with an incinerator,

C) a maxi-pad on steroids, or

D) a cloth representation of a 3-yr-old's drawing of an airplane?



I can tell you that it's none of the above, although the maxi-pad is the closest. Because we are unemployed, keeping my son in disposable butt covers is becoming a challenge. I am trying to figure out ways to make a washable, reusable liner for his undies that is both comfortable, but also really absorbent so we don't have accidents in public. Something tells me this first attempt is just a bit off the mark, but it's my first try.

I used old fleece sweatpants as the outer layer, for both his bum's comfort and the "gripping action" of the fleece, similar to how a flannel-board works. I figured it would help the liner to stay in place in his undies. The "wings" are supposed to have snaps set in place, and will lock under his briefs much the same way "wings" do on a feminine product. I lined the bottom with a vinyl fabric, and put the interior of an old pair of training pants and two layers of super-absorbent chamois cloth in the middle.

Next try, I'm going to use part of an old fabric-covered travel baby-changing pad as the water-proof element and fiddle with my proportions a bit. The current prototype hangs out the top and bottom of my son's briefs...my measurements were a little too generous. I knew you had to allow some extra room for seam-allowances, but didn't know how much. To my credit, though, I stitched the whole mess together inside out, and flipped it right-side out, so all the seams are on the interior of this...thing. What you see is the unfinished bottom where I haven't sewn it all shut yet. You can also see that I am having to repair one of the "wings" which was pulled loose during the flipping portion of the project. A few unflattering terms may have come loose, too, while I was trying to turn it inside out.

Due to all the time I'm spending getting to know my sewing machine (and my seam ripper), I am starting to re-think my original classification of the act of sewing. I no longer think it deserves a place in Dante's Inferno, in a Canto reserved especially for the craftily inept. Although I am far from being competent with a needle and thread, this sewing stuff does show some promise...not including the incinerated Gumby, of course.

Fancy Feast -- Pumpkin Muffins

My daughter requested a tea party breakfast a couple of nights ago, to which I absently replied, "Sure! No problem!" before I really thought about it.

I completely forgot about her request until I'd put her brother on the bus yesterday morning. I was cruising around the kitchen trying to figure out if I wanted to make something or just do cereal for breakfast when her request ricocheted from somewhere in the depths of my brain.

Luckily, at this age she's also pretty easy to please. I found a can of pumpkin hiding in the pantry (you have to watch those rogue cans, you know) and decided I would make these delectable "nuffins". They are great for sneaking in some beta carotene and fiber in your kids' (or your) diet.

Pumpkin Muffins
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2 1/2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 T cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
3 eggs
1 3/4 cup plain unspiced pumpkin (1 regular-sized can)
3/4 cups veg oil
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease 18 muffin cups.

In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients well. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, add pumpkin and oil, stirring to combine. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients until everything is just moistened and incorporated. Do not over mix!! Add raisins, stirring just to combine.

Fill 18 muffin cups 3/4 full (you can also do 12 muffins and 2 mini loaf pans with this recipe). Sprinkle tops with cinnamon and sugar. I keep some on hand in a shaker and use it on toast, but in case you don't, here's a nice ratio:

2 T sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until done.

Here's something that I do that helps when filling muffin cups: I use the small gravy ladle that comes with your "serving" set from your flatware. Note that this is NOT a standard ladle, generally used for soups or drinks. Using the (small) gravy ladle means less drips and mess than using a straight spoon, and one ladle-full is generally just right per muffin cup.
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Be sure to note the obnoxious rings around my burners. I have not found a cleaner yet that will take them completely off, and I can't use abrasives on my ceramic cooktop. So here they are, for your viewing pleasure. Hey, just keepin' it real.

Miss K loved her fancy "tea" party for breakfast. She opted for the royal hot chocolate with marshmallows instead of tea but that's OK. Aren't princesses allowed some concessions every now and then? We noshed with a tiara (of course), blanket spread on the floor like a "picnic", and an artful display of toy food from K's play kitchen, lovingly arranged by K herself.

I did question the plastic food replicas, but was informed in no uncertain terms that they needed to be there. Apparently I'm too gauche to know that play food is a required presence for all fancy tea party breakfasts. I really need to learn current hostessing etiquette...

Promises...

The weather has all of a sudden turned fabulous, we should have highs in the 50's here tomorrow. On a sunny morning a few days ago I was walking our two dogs and reveling in the way the day felt. It was still cool, but the smell of the damp earth, combined with the angle of the sun and seeing the buds start to form on the trees, hinted and promised spring's doorstep.

I also have tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils just starting to poke their sleepy heads up above the surface in my front beds. That's a relief! I wasn't sure what my tenants left and didn't leave. So I'm at least guaranteed some spring flowers this year. If I can get some seeds I was given last fall to germinate, I'll have some nice beds this year (cross your fingers).

I was also laughed at when I was running errands today; I know it's only the 6th of March, but I picked up a handful of vegetable and herb seed packets. Some things, like tomatos and peppers, need to be started here in the next couple of weeks to be ready to set out in May. I scored several heirloom varieties of tomatos, carrots, and beans, so I'm excited to grow them this year! Not only can I save the seeds and not have to buy more next year, but this is also some of the same things my grandparents grew up with. There is a neat historical context to the whole thing.

We'll see how it all goes; I spent less than $13 on 22 seed packets. At least I know we'll be eating well come June/July timeframe...we just have to make it until then! (I'll be setting out spinach and lettuce in rigged cloches to get a jump start, since they're cool-growers anyway).

Promises of springtime, and promises of a bountiful harvest beckon.

Cooking Venture -- Blueberry Scones

So, an idea I've been batting around for a while is incorporating some recipes into the ol' blog. I make up quite a lot of my own recipes, and tweak out other ones that I come across. I ain't no Pioneer Woman, but I do like to cook. And eat. And eat what I cook.

I have no idea what to call this project, or whether or not I want to devote a second blog or page to it. We'll just see how it goes!

This is what I made for breakfast this morning. My husband said that this is the right combination, and to keep this one, and that these are "the best ones [I've] ever made" -- so I figured I'd share it:

Blueberry Scones

2 1/4 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 Tablespoons cold stick butter or margarine
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1 egg
3/4 cup buttermilk plus a little extra
1/4 tsp lemon extract
1 tsp almond extract

Preheat oven to 425 deg F.

Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter (2 knives works OK too). Mix in lemon zest and nutmeg.

Add blueberries, stir to coat with flour mixture, then add white chocolate chips. Add egg, 3/4 cup buttermilk, lemon extract, and almond extract. Mix well, making sure all the dry ingredients are incorporated. Mixture will be sticky and very moist.

Drop dough by spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet -- I got twelve scones on a half-sheet. Brush tops with a little buttermilk, taking care not to get milk all over your pan. (Trust me, it's a pain in the butt to get off once it's baked on there, and makes the scones stick like crazy). Sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 425 for 15 to 17 minutes, more or less depending on your oven. My oven cooks a little slow, so you may want to back it off below 15 minutes. The end product should have browned peaks on top and be tender and fluffy in the middle. The other scones I make are a little more cakey, but these are a little lighter in texture.

Here's a picture of what's left; my husband took some to a staff meeting, and the kids helped me with the rest. Please excuse the photo quality!

Getting An Education

A couple of...interesting... things have happened in the last couple of days:

First, my daughter has been learning about money. She has been consistently keeping her room neat and clean, puts away any toys in the living room when she's done with them, has kept her pants dry and clean pretty much all the time, and has started feeding the dogs unprompted. If she notices an empty dog food bowl, she refills it, all on her own. The black lab loves this little arrangement perhaps a bit too much...we had to switch to diet dog food.

Because K has been such a big girl, she has been earning a quarter here and there for extra special good jobs (we don't pay her for her normal every day responsibilities). K had accrued $4 by the time we went to the store, and wanted to take it to get something. She was so excited, she kept pulling her money out of her pocket to show to everyone we passed. This prompted a lot of gentle laughter from most, and I earned a few of those, "been there, done that" glances along with the smiles.

We walked by some hair bands that were pink, purple, and blue, and that was IT for K, she had to have them. Plus, she had just enough money to get them including tax. We milled around the store picking up the other items I needed to get, passing toys, coloring books, art supplies, all her usual likes. I asked her if she'd rather have [insert object here] instead, because she could only get one thing that day. Nope, she wanted the hair bands. All was good in K's world until we reached the check-out line. She kept trying to open the hair bands, and I kept telling her that we had to buy them first. K very proudly pulled out her dollars and gave them over so she could have her pretties.

That's when there was trouble in paradise.

You see, K did not understand why she couldn't have her money back from the cashier so she could ALSO go get a toy, and then some candy. By this point, the hair bands were already opened and K was approaching hysterics, with huge tears running down her face. She wanted her money back. She wanted a toy. She wanted her daddy. She did not want the hair bands any more.

I wavered for a second, wondering if I should return the hair bands and go get her something else. Then I realized that this lesson had to come any way, and it was never going to be an easy one at any time. K turns four in a month, so it was time. So, sobbing daughter and all, we stumbled noisily out of the Walmart and back to the car.

A note for all you ninjas out there: do not shop with a small child who just got their first financial lesson; you will instantly get every eye in the vicinity aimed in your direction and your cover will be blown. Good thing I'm not a ninja.

K howled all the way to the car. She howled in the car while I put the groceries in the back. She howled while I buckled her up. She howled while I put the key into the ignition and started the car. (Are we noticing a theme here?) K howled until I put her daddy on the phone, and he explained the same things that I had. Being a daddy's girl, she did stop and listen, big tears rolling down her little cheeks as she held the phone to her ear. She informed her daddy that, and I quote, she was "NOT HAPPY" in her tearful little voice. All of this affected her more than I would have thought. K even had bad dreams about it that night, Z and I were in there every hour or so listening to her yell, "I want a toyyyyyyyyyy!!!!" in her sleep.

It has taken us a couple of days to explain how this works to K. Z and I have come up with a cookie analogy to try to put it on her level. When you eat a cookie, it's gone. Then you have to go out and do something to get some dough, so you can do it again another time. Somewhat mollified, K has worn a couple of her headbands and gotten that proud/bashful at the same time look on her face when she preened in front of her daddy. I think we're going to be fine. Education can be a hard thing sometimes.

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The second interesting thing to happen to us in the last couple of days comes from our son, A. Due to Snopocalypse 2010 (45" of snow!), my son's class Valentine's Day party was postponed to this past Friday. I made A fill out each valentine; I simply told him which letter to write and put my finger down where he needed to make it. He can sign his name on his own. After he was done, I had him read the names to me. School has really helped him fine-tune his writing skills. It's still pretty messy, but it is (mostly) legible at this point, and what kindergartner has impeccable handwriting skills anyway? My own handwriting was messy on into my high school years.

So, here's where it gets interesting: I left A in the living room after we were finished with the valentines. I had cookies baking in the oven for his party and went to pull a pan out. A went back into the box of unused valentines and pulled out two more. He addressed one to "mom" and one to "dady" [sic] and signed his name.

So, so awesome...he's still largely non-verbal -- although he improves daily with verbal communication. This is a first, though!

And yes, I cried. Big ol' fat tears.



Look! A picture! Before March!

Making Up For Lost Time

Daddy is home all day long right now.

The kids are eating it up.

I have seen more smiles on both of my kids' faces than I've seen collectively for a long time. They usually got to see him a total of 5 hours a week -- if work didn't call late after he got home.

A has been trying to play more, tickle more, and laugh more. He sang the entire song, "I Like To Move It, Move It" from Madagascar for us. Granted, it was garbled in his unique way, but we knew what he was doing. And it was precious.

He is also getting closer to hugging us. We can put our arms around A, but he very rarely reciprocates. His version of hugging is leaning on you for a second. Kisses are also making some progress: instead of keeping his mouth open and sliming our cheeks, he now actually closes his mouth and makes the "mwah" sound.

Potty training is still an ongoing challenge, although he will stay dry most of the time for us now. A is being made to clean up his own butt now, so we're hoping that will speed the need for clean underpants. He hates having anything on his hands, so we're hoping that is additional incentive to do his business in the toilet and not get it all over his bum.

Miss K has been shrieking with joy and laughter as she chases her daddy around, draws pictures for him, and sings him songs. She is a Daddy's Girl, through and through. She is also emulating the "Fancy Nancy" books. She has her own pen with a plume, has played dress-up all day long for the last 2 days, and I had to address her properly at lunch today: "Princess Artist K and her Royal Peanut Butter Sandwich". She corrected me when I told her mommy had to go back in the kitchen. "No, mommy, you're The Queen Mommy." I suspect some Britons might have an issue with that one, but we'll let it slide.

The dogs are also eating up all the extra attention; both of them are following my husband around from room to room and try to lay on his feet if he stops or sits down somewhere. He's forever tripping over them and the kids right now.

The good part is, even though we're not getting paid for anything at this point, Z is able to do a lot more with the youth ministry and worship. He's also designing websites and job hunting. (He used to own his own web design business about 9 years ago; 9/11 and the subsequent economic turn deep-sixed it.)

So we're grooving right along and just enjoying our time together.

Left Field

We've had a bunch of things come out of left field over the last couple of weeks, rendering my blogging time nil.

The first dog, our Siberian Husky, had a nasty reaction to some medication and nearly died. We were discussing humane ways to put him down, it came to that. But he's fine now and stopped sending blood out both ends. He felt well enough to romp through the snow that's been falling.

Speaking of snow, that's the second thing we hadn't counted on. In a week's time, we received 3 inches shy of 4 FEET of snow! Our yard looks awesome, the kids are loving it (all the more so for being out of school for nearly 2 weeks), and my arms and legs are sore from shoveling our driveway. We don't own a snow blower, unless you count me huffing and puffing while I dig out with the shovel. Our driveway is 3 cars wide (which we did NOT clear all the way across), and goes past and behind our house to the garage. We also have sadistic snowplow drivers who come down the highway just when I'm finishing up the last bits, and leave me with another furrow to shovel out.

And it started snowing again today. We're not supposed to get much this time, though, and school is supposed to be back in session tomorrow. I hope so; I don't imagine anyone (teachers included) want to be in school in July.

The third thing that happened is that we are no longer employed. Anywhere, as of a week ago. So the hunting for a job begins, for both of us. The good thing is, we're pretty much taken care of through March -- we had finally gotten caught up from getting behind due to tenants, moving, and life, and paid some things in advance for some strange reason.

Ah, yes, and I finally caved and tried out that Facebook thingie. Just in time for them to make the format "new and improved" once I'd figured a few things out -- so finding 5 minutes here and there for that has made me neglect this blog, in between job hunting.

I'm hoping we're done with left field now, and can move to a place with a little more regular, normal action.

I Did It!

Look! A post made this week! This resolution stuff is easy-peasy.

I should probably wait and reflect on this, say, in a couple of months and see if I'm still on target, but Hey! I'm revelling in my triumph at the moment.

My daughter is apparently one tough cookie; she started getting a runny nose on Saturday, was pretty miserable on Sunday, but woke up seemingly fine (read: bouncy and loud) Monday morning. At around 5 p.m. Monday evening, K sounded like she was breathing through mud, and I slept in the recliner with her all night so she could breathe without coughing up her spleen. I think I read somewhere that we need that organ for something. (Note: K actually slept; I dozed fitfully. K is extremely active in her sleep and I was elbowed, headbutted, and kicked all night long while I tried to keep her from pitching over the arm of the chair.) She wasn't running a fever, but she did mention that her right ear hurt.

Took her to the doc on Tues a.m. and she has a double ear infection: really bad nastiness on the right ear, and more moderate on the left. Her doc couldn't believe she wasn't running a fever with an infection like that, let alone not screaming her head off. K also sat quietly and watched the nurse give her a finger-stick, her only comment was after the nurse left when she said, "Mommy, my finger is sore now."

What a trooper! Childbirth and paying taxes should be easy for this one....

The Experiment

Well. It's the 19th of January.

Don't ya just love it when some of your New Year's Resolutions have already dried up like the Sahara, mocking you as the vapors rise? Maybe it's just me.

So, updating the blog more regularly is one of those things that has already taken a hit. Heh. I'm going to shoot for writing something once a week and that might be more manageable with everything I've got going on. If I update it more frequently, then it's a bonus. I really enjoy recording life's little idiosyncrasies, but I just have to find the time. So, Deb? Prod me if I need it, I see you several times a week. But be gentle!

As far as my list of goals for December, I met nearly every one! The holidays were pretty relaxed for us. Christmas Dinner food? We did the pear and cherry crumble, but I still made the pumpkin pie per my husband's request. Request, complete with puppy dog eyes. (I get his puppy dog eyes so infrequently that they work every time he pulls out that particular weapon. A weakness of mine, I know).

The house fluctuates between perfectly straight, and absolute chaos with ankle-high toys and dog hair -- and it flip-flops several times a week. At least it changes! I've had to adjust daily goals based on the weather -- after getting five snows so far this year, if we get a nice, warm, sunny day then that is when I'm going outside to do the outdoor stuff. Hauling wood takes a while, especially if we have rain in the forecast -- I want to pull enough in under the porch roof to last a few days (sometimes up to a week), and give the rest some time to dry out before I need to use it. I'd also rather be out doing that on, say, a 40 degree day when it's sunny instead of a 26 degree day with 40 mph winds -- so I might do a little extra on those warmer days. I like the snow, but my screwed up hip doesn't.

It's on those outdoor work days that the interior quickly deteriorates. I haven't quite found that rhythm yet, which is kind of sad because I've been doing this housekeeping thing for several years now. You'd figure I'd be nearly done with my domestic goddess status, but it is so, so very not the case. So the whole house thing is still a resolution. I'm tempted to just make one list in January, laminate it, and bring it out every year as a part of the decoration for after Christmas because it seems like I have similar goals every year. I'll finally master a part of something, but the rest is still sitting there, waiting to be...resolved.

Another goal was that December Daily project, which I finally had to cave on because my camera just wasn't cooperating any more. The door had broken off and split into pieces over the battery compartment, and I had to mash it down after carefully fitting it back together so the metal contacts would connect correctly if I had a prayer of the camera working at all. This worked for all of about a week, and then it laid down and officially died. It might have even tried to send up a white flag, but I was too busy giving it a proper burial to notice. It's hard to do a project that requires daily photos when you can't take the photos.

But! My dear husband, who is observant, realized this and tada! I got a new little red camera for Christmas. What a good man, he knows I like to take pictures, and he also knows what my favorite color is. The new, functioning camera is tiny enough to slip into a pocket or a purse without any problems, so I can snap pics to my little heart's desire. I honestly don't know if I'll ever get back into the kind of photography that needs the variety of lenses, flash bars, and more than one aperture speed setting. I enjoyed using a camera like that through high school, college, and up until about ten years ago, but life is not so allowing for anything more than point-and-shoot right now. And that's OK -- I can capture lots of little moments on the fly this way.

So, in my OTHER part of the blog resolution, I am actually going to be posting some pictures. At some point. I'm not committing to anything, so I won't be quite so frustrated if it's, say, March when the first ones find their way into cyberspace.

Maybe that needs to be the over-arching resolution for this year: Don't set goals so specifically -- have a general goal and however it happens, it happens. I think that's backwards from most people I know, who have to have very specific steps to complete things. I set up the steps and when it doesn't happen in the order or the timeline that I want and then my internal freak setting starts hitting "ludicrous speed". ("They've gone to plaid!" Name that movie!) Maybe I just need to turn the internal stress ball down a notch (or forty-seven) and adopt a more laid-back approach.

Hmmm....so, does being laid-back have steps and a timeline?

Is less structure, more? That is this year's experiment. I'm already pretty unorganized, so this could get interesting as I'm not sure how much less structured I can be. It could also drive my husband nuts, because he's an interesting, enigmatic combination of relaxed and strict order.

Z is a very minimalist, sterile working environment kind of guy. (Seriously, his desk at work is completely devoid of anything -- whatever project he's working on gets put away before he pulls something else out, and it's all cleared before he leaves. He has a computer, a phone, and a single picture of the kids on a shelf somewhere. That's it. My work space, on the other hand...is a riot of color, art materials, and gardening magazines. I know where everything is and can find whatever you need, but YOU might not be able to find it -- and I have to move a stack of periodicals before I can paint.) He is very regimented in his approach to things -- but he is also over-all more laid-back than I am with life's curve balls. He just kind of takes things as they come, and then karate chops them into submission in a few short steps.

I see the steps to take, and then stuff happens that doesn't coincide with that particular timeline, and I stress because the ducks aren't walking in their straight line. No! The ducks are supposed to go this way! I'm flexible, mind; the ducks have the ability to bend to the correct path. : )

The fact that I realize this about myself lends a sort of irony to this whole experiment. I also realize that, for better or worse, this is just how I am, so this is at least beneficial in analyzing my reactions to things -- and actually does help temper my interactions with other people. Most of the time. (Keeping it real -- I might be known to overreact on occasion...but I do try to rein it in as soon as I realize what I'm doing -- but if the other party blames hormones, all bets are off).

As a side note, my daughter is such a drama queen. I have no idea where she gets it from.