B is for Because

B is for because. Because of your encouragement, I shall continue to play the game.

Because we have an abund- ance of zucchini, we have been baking Bethany Ann's Not-So-Famous Zucchini Custard Pies. (Bethany is my daughter.) This pie is really just a fun twist on a regular custard pie. Simply add a cup or so of shredded zucchini to the custard mix and sprinkle with either nutmeg or cinnamon before baking. It is a sweet and mild dessert that actually feels like it might be good for you, and my husband likes it! (Don't let it sit around too long unless you know how to keep the crust from sogging up. Truthfully, this shouldn't be a problem unless you live alone, and maybe not even then...) This is a very moist, but most delicious pie.

PS. The ant traps we set out this past week appear to have worked. No more little crawly things in the cat food. Yes!

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Would You Like Some Fruit?

In my distress, I called upon the LORD... Psalm 18:6

I guess you could say it's been a bit stressful the past couple days. I've been reminded of my need for help on more than one occasion. Funny that last Tuesday's Bible study included a bit that said, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted..." (Ps. 119:71), and then there was the idea that whenever I am going through a trial, God is working a "fruit of the spirit" into my life... Hm... now there's something to think about... Just which fruit is He attempting to knead into my heart and mind? Couldn't be patience again, could it? Maybe some more love or self-control? Kindness maybe? Ah, gentleness perhaps...

Vinegar and I picked a few blueberries this afternoon. It was cool enough to actually be outside in the sun mid afternoon and the two little girls were fast asleep. Hannah was in the house and so Vin and I ventured out to pick a bit of fruit ourselves. It didn't take any real coaching to get Vinnie to pick ripe berries, and it didn't take much encouragement to get him to eat them either. He was quite content to sit and eat his basketful once we returned to the back porch, and he was very happy to share to share a few with one small girl just before she went home with her daddy.

Vin and Little Sis have been here five days and nights now. Yesterday we wore the poor boy out and last night he slept like a rock. (And thankfully, so did I...) He still woke up early, but a little before seven is a far cry from 5:30 am. Now if only we didn't have such a fight each night when the time comes to turn out the light and leave the room. I've never known such a determined little boy, although I witnessed a few on Nanny 911. I am glad this week that I took the time last year to watch several episodes...

Sunday Scripture

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, and without Him I can do nothing. 
(Phil. 4:13 & John 15:5)

I am tired this evening. It's been a long weekend and I am ready for bed and a good night's sleep. I am rediscovering the truth of these verses as I deal with a small and highly determined child who not only fights going to sleep at night, but wakes at the crack of dawn. I have quickly learned that an afternoon nap is not a good idea with this little boy, no matter how nice a quiet hour may seem. We purposed to wear him out today in the hopes that he will sleep long and deep.

Hannah and the group from church returned from their trip to Grenada late last night. Please pray for them as they deal with the adjustment back to everyday life after a week full of children and excitement on a tropical island. Hannah said she wanted to turn the plane around instead of come home. I can't say as I blame her though I have never been away on a missions trip to a foreign country. Coming home from summer camp was hard enough. Shoot, even coming home from Minnesota was a letdown.

It's bound to be an exhausting and emotional week.

Gale Force (A Skywatch Friday)

The heat wave was broken yesterday afternoon when gale force winds whipped across the lake and into town. A cousin, who lives in Toronto, posted a photo on Facebook just an hour or so before the storm arrived here. (This is her photo taken near St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada.) Thanks to Tracy, I had time to put away all the toys, take down my hanging plants, and secure the sandbox cover before any real wind hit us. A little forewarning is always nice, especially with the kind of wind that came with this cold front.

When I heard the wind pick up, I grabbed my camera and stepped out the front door. The clouds were dancing and the wind wrapped my hair around my face. I clicked the shutter... Suddenly the wind picked up speed, whirled the trees into a frenzy, and threw dust into my face. I quickly decided outside wasn't the best place to be, made one last click and ran for the door!

The wind, bent on destruc- tion, tore the top off one of our black walnut trees and scattered leaves and small branches across the road. We watched helplessly as our vegetable garden struggled to survive under dark clouds and fierce wind, but there was little we could do to stop the damage. (This photo was taken by a friend up by Rt 104 toward town, probably about the time our garden was being flattened.)

Our electricity went out with the storm's arrival, and after an hour of having Mom on a reserve oxygen tank, James hauled out the generator. We spent the remainder of the evening without electronic devices while the little ones, excited by the candles on the table, danced around yelling "Happy Birthday!" This storm and subsequent power outage made the purchase of a generator worthwhile. It kept not only Mom's machine going, but the refrigerator and one lamp too. Bonus, James was able to make coffee this morning. Our power came back around 8:30 am.

Linking up to Skywatch Friday this time.

Happy Birthday to Hannah!

I am missing my daughter again on her birthday. She turned 18 early this morning, in Grenada. I hope everyone made her feel special. I hope this was her best birthday yet. I hope she knows I'm thinking about her today. I hope it's cool enough for a birthday celebration when she returns home.

Happy Birthday, Hannah!

Insanity Ensuing

Things can only get easier from here on out, at least that's what I'm hoping. Today I had a total of six sweet flowers, though one was here for just a few hours. It's been the hottest week of the summer and the last two days we've been cooped up inside because, although it's hot in the house, it's hotter outside.

 Vin and Nev arrived yesterday afternoon (they're 4 and2 1/2) and they are keeping me on my toes. Never a dull moment and there won't be for at least another ten days. Their mom and dad are getting a much needed vacation and time away together, and I'm getting a dose of remembrance. I think I may have forgotten what it was like having a houseful of little ones 24/7. My mom is in desperate need of a shower, but I haven't had a chance to get her up there in days. *sigh* I'm not even sure I have time to get me up there...

Next week should be a little easier. Hannah will be home from her missions trip to Grenada and we will have two pairs of eyes and ears. My regular "flowers" will all be gone on vacation and perhaps, perhaps, things will fall into a better routine. Mom might even get her shower! And the weather should be a mite cooler too.

Thankful

Yesterday morning I filled my travel mug with my favorite coffee and headed out to Ladies' Prayer. I had finished my morning brew when around 11 am I began to feel a headache coming on. I took some ibuprofen but even half an hour later, rather than fading, the headache seemed to be intensifying.

Rocky, her sister, and I stopped for a few more bags of sand and a wading pool before heading home. I threw together a lunch and tried desperately to keep my eyes open. I just wanted to sleep. Bethany called looking for a grammy to watch her little ones while she did her Norwex demonstration, and wanting to be a good Mom, I hoped for the best and said okay.

We filled the kid pool and while the girls played, I tried to rest on the back porch but the headache was getting worse. I began to suspect our normal half and half coffee that morning had been totally decaf. My fears were confirmed when James returned home with a headache of his own. I popped an Excederine but it was too late. The headache wasn't leaving.

Bethany arrived with the boys and I made dinner but before my curly lasagna was out of the oven I was laying on the floor trying not to move. My stomach churned and my head throbbed. Josh said he was hungry but I couldn't move. James finally returned from his appointment around the corner and helped the kids with dinner. When Jakie decided to cry, I took him upstairs to the portable crib where he howled and I lay unmoving on the bed. The Benadryl I'd taken finally started to kick in and Jake got tired of howling and lay down to sleep. I thanked God it was Tuesday and not Wednesday. I can't have a headache and watch two small children 24/7.

Boy! It was a hot one today! We played inside.

I don't have any pool pictures, but we did fill up our sandbox and it's fun too. Actually, the sandbox is why I bought the pool.

A is for Again

A is for again. It is time for another round of ABC Wednesday and I am trying to decide whether to continue the game or take a vacation.

A is also for ants (again). We have an abundance of ants this year, tiny little ants whose favorite food right now appears to be cat food. First they were eating just the bits that fell to the floor, then they discovered the bowl up on the shelf. This morning they have found the entire stash of food for felines. Thankfully the box is almost empty. I think it is time for drastic ant eradication measures.

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A Cousin Visit

Yesterday was a special kind of day. My cousin Ondra came to meet me in person for the very first time. It's only been a few months since we found each other through an online memorial site to her great grandmother, and since we both love family history, we've found meeting to be a fun adventure.

Family ties, especially distant ones, can be a little confusing and I often look for ways to simplify what otherwise appears difficult to understand. Ondra and I are third cousins and share a set of great, great grandparents. We are the grandchildren of first cousins, and when I look at that in the light of my own grandchildren and my cousin's grandchildren, the connection suddenly becomes pretty simple.

Since I'd had a busy Saturday, I didn't go crazy cleaning or baking special treats ahead of time. Instead Ondra and I shared conversation and iced tea on the back porch, and put together BLT's for lunch. She arrived with gifts (which I was not expecting); a small pot of Forget-Me-Nots, a candle in a jar, and a beautiful doily she made herself. I am blessed. I was able to send her home with the old photograph of her great grandma Hattie in France.

James was kind enough to take some time away from mowing the lawn to take our picture; first with our great, great grandfather, Garrett Shafer, and then just the two of us. It was a very nice visit and I hope there will be more to come. Maybe I can even drive out to Buffalo and meet Lisa, another third cousin who loves family history. Now wouldn't that be fun?

Life's More Fun!

Just couldn't help writing that!

I am tired tonight, almost too tired to think about fun, but I am not going to let that stop me. I highly doubt anyone could eat a bowl of big, sweet, juicy cherries without smiling at least once. I winced when I saw the price at the cash register, but I think I've forgiven them already. The cherries are delicious! Maybe I'll even buy another bag...

My Summer List

I have been checking activities off my summer to-do list and adding new things as well (read a book, go to Canada, fill my sandbox...). Whether or not I'll get to everything on the list is not really as important as setting some goals and seeing that I really did have a great summer, even though I might have normally forgotten  half the things I did had they not been written down. I should have started doing this long ago, although I will say there have been times when I looked back at my blogs just to see what I had done.

I've painted my toenails for the second time. My husband, upon seeing them, asked why I couldn't just be normal. (He was smiling when he asked...) I told him I was normal for the first half of our marriage, but what I'm really thinking is, "Normal? What does anyone in this family know about normal?" Maybe this counting backward thing is really working... (Judi, I am getting loopier every year!)

I'm still "counting" gifts, though I haven't been writing them down like I should. This morning's gift came in the form of tiny mushrooms that had sprouted in the grass overnight. I found them on the way out to fill my finch feeder and returned to capture them with my handy dandy gift recorder, otherwise known as a digital camera. What really amazed me was the dewdrops on the blades of grass. I never knew water droplets could be so very small.

My darling daughter, the youngest of them, should have arrived in Grenada this morning. She will be on my heart and mind for many days to come. For now I am being kept busy and distracted by baby dolls and little girls.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

I could have called this post "Martha's Day Off" because I have no small children to look after... But I didn't.

This morning Hannah and I met a friend (and her sisters) for breakfast here in town. Liz is my one and only "Pinterest Friend". Yes, we met on Pinterest, and yes, we have become friends. (Isn't life fun?) She "liked" or "repinned" my photograph of an area lighthouse and a conversation ensued on Facebook where we became actual "friends". We found that we came from the same hometown, were only a couple years apart in school, and had some mutual friends and acquaintances, and since her sister lives just around the corner from me, it seemed only right that we should meet in person, and so we did.

Today Hannah and twelve others are headed out on a grand adventure. Tomorrow morning, if all goes according to plan, they will arrive on the island of Grenada. At the moment they are instead delayed at the Rochester airport, but that is okay because their layover at JFK was scheduled to be seven hours long. A good adventure always begins with something unexpected, yes?

This evening I start my pottery class (and therefore shall miss the Webster Firemen's Parade...). It has been close to ten years since I took a wheel-thrown pottery class here in town, and I am rather excited to begin the adventure anew. Eight weeks of getting my hands dirty! When I first started blogging they gave us a question to answer, so for seven years this bit has been in my profile, 

"If mud is dirt plus water, what is clay?"

"An endless possibility! I can't wait to get started."

I don't know why I've waited so long. I wonder where this adventure will take me?

It's Raining, It's Pouring...

... the old man is snoring.

We had a wonder- fully sunny day. It was hot and steamy and summer- like. And, at the close of our hot and steamy and summer-like day, the rain came pouring down. And me, well, now that I've gotten started, I'm finding the rain even more enticing.

I haven't gone on a "real" rain walk, real as in walking down the street, around the corner, and through the puddles, umbrella in hand, but I did manage to wander out into the back yard again, down to the garden, and came back in dripping wet. It's a wonderful feeling, the rain falling on one's face and soaking through your clothing.

I opted not to stand under the "outdoor shower" this time, it was a little colder than I wanted to endure, but I did get a pretty good soaking just being out in the yard, good enough to convince me I needed dry clothing when I returned to the house. (Okay, so I did stand in the run-off from the porch roof...)

Z is for Zweigle's

Z is for Zweigle's and if you have ever lived in or near Rochester, NY, you will know that Zweigle's means hotdogs, the best red and white hotdogs you've ever chanced to meet.

The Zweigle company, according to Wikipedia, was founded in Rochester, NY in 1880 by C. Wilhelm Zweigle. Aside from saying they employ about 50 people and manufacture hotdogs, sausages, and deli meats, Wiki has very little to report on Rochester's favorite food. Wiki has clearly never had a Zweigle's Pop-Open Hotdog, and has certainly never tried a white hot either or he might have a little more information.

I can testify to the fact that locals who have moved away from the area often pack coolers full of white hots (and presumably red hots too) to get them through the long Zweigle-less months until the next hometown visit. A summer picnic in this corner of western NY is hardly complete without a few few packages of Zweigle's Hotdogs on the grill. (Hey, pass that Zweigle's Hot Sauce, will you?)

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This Week

Bits and Pieces...

1. Aubrey turned two today. Yesterday was her party. What a special little girl. I took my camera along yesterday, only to discover the camera card was home. (Oh, phooey!)

2. Last night and today I suffered with another one of those nasty hormone induced headaches that leave me wanting to do nothing but sleep. I've been popping Ibuprofen at regular intervals in an effort to keep it in check. I'm feeling much better this evening. (Phew!)

3. Hannah will be leaving for Grenada on Thursday. The church is sending a group of twelve to do Vacation Bible School in one of the churches. They'll be gone for ten days.

4. On Thursday evening I start my pottery class. Eight weeks of spinning pots and dirty hands. (Yeah!)

5. Mom will be spending this coming weekend with Rachel, so James and I will have a relaxed weekend (mostly) to ourselves. This is good because next week I will acquire two small friends for ten days while their mommy and daddy go on vacation. Vinegar is going to wonder where his friend Hannah is...

Rain Walk Two

It's quite possible that summer is here, complete with the warm, pouring bursts of rain I remember so well from my teenaged years. Those were the days when we hopped on our bicycles, rode to town, stopped at Burger King for lunch, and got caught in several downpours in the process. There is nothing quite so wonderful as a warm summer rain, even if we don't need anymore precipitation.

Today's rain was the on-again, off-again kind; sun shining one minute, rain pouring down the next. It was the inviting type of rain, the kind that beckons you into it's shower. I was enticed by its goodness and wandered out into the backyard, soaking up the sweetness of another summer rain. Unlike the rain of my last venture, this rain was warm and I did not seek out the shelter of an umbrella, in fact the run-off from the barn roof was more than I could resist. The water ran through the hole at the end of the gutter pipe in a torrent. The thought of neighbors watching was only a brief and passing thought as I stepped, fully clothed, into the outdoor shower and felt myself smile...

A light rain was still falling when the sun peeked out from behind the clouds. Rather than soak my freshly washed kitchen floor, I opened the front door and asked Hannah for my camera. She raised both her eyebrows and my camera before handing it over. I was drenched from head to toe, mascara running down my face, rain spattered reading glasses atop my head, and a smile on my face.

Since I was already wet but not at all chilled, I said "yes" to the rocking chair swing that was calling my name. I refuse to complain about the rain that I can't keep from falling anyway. Might as well enjoy its beauty instead, besides it was a wonderful way to wrap up the afternoon.

PS. Please forgive the word verification I've enabled. I'm hoping it keeps my blog from being tagged as spam in the future.

Vanishing Act

My blog disappeared! It was disabled. It was scary.
From now on I will have comment verification enabled, even though I hate it.
:(

Prickly Pear

Summer is just getting under way and I am beginning to panic. Although I am fairly certain my anxiety is hormonally induced, that knowledge does little to alleviate the agitation of the moment. I am hoping the next few days find me feeling calmer and more loving, much more loving, because, to be honest, today I am finding people in general nothing short of annoying. *sigh*

Yesterday morning I found the gift of dew drops scattered like miniature diamonds across the grass in the front lawn. I was on my way back from collecting the morning newspaper when the tiny water droplets caught my eye. After depositing the paper in the house I returned to the front yard with my camera in order to capture the moment.

Today my daughters and I went to an Independence Day picnic hosted by my uncle. We packed six of us, including two children in car seats, two dishes to pass, several oxygen tanks, and umbrella stroller into my Mazda 5. There was no room left over for chairs, so we went without them and hoped someone would have an extra or two. I think Mazda 5's should come equipped with a roof rack and several bungee cords.

The park where we met is an hour from my house and just around the corner from my uncle's. It consists of a large picnic pavilion, a small play- ground, and large open soccer field. The restroom is a handicap accessible portable john on the far side of the parking lot. Mom didn't do so well getting there and back, even with my help, and I felt rather negligent when her oxygen tank actually appeared to be empty. Once we got her back to her seat and connected to a full tank, she made a good recovery, but when we got home again this evening, she put herself right to bed.

Y is for Yellow

Y is for yellow.

I think yellow makes a pretty good color for my rocking chair swing. At first it seemed rather strange to be painting my former rocking chair such a bright color, but I really like it when it's hanging out there on my tree.

The idea wasn't quite original (I found it on Pinterest), but I had the perfect chair just waiting in the barn attic. One of the rockers was broken off at the back leg, but it was otherwise in great condition. All it needed was a bit of disassembling, a coat or two of paint, and a little reassembling. And then of course someone to engineer a base and hang it in the tree for me.

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Too Funny

I had to laugh this afternoon when my brother in law's friend posted this picture on Facebook along with a comment on my Frisbee post from yesterday. "Amazing story. Fortunately a photo of this Frisbee Felon was taken a split second before impact. A BOLO has been issued for him. If you know the whereabouts of this man, call authorities. He may be armed with additional missiles of disaster." Of course, had the Frisbee been been coming at me like that I would have ducked.

Dave, watching from further back on the deck, made this observation which I found to be totally accurate. "LOL Well written, Martha. From my vantage point it almost looked like you took a look at the Frisbee heading in your direction, judged that you were safe, then proceeded to drink. Just then, the Frisbee took a turn only seen in cartoons, and headed directly for the target on your forehead. Sorry about the laughter. The timing was just so perfectly impossible." I never saw it coming.