{pretty, funny, happy, real}: July 4th, 2013

I am joining Rosie at Like Mother, Like Daughter for the first time in, oh, maybe a year or so?  Seems like forever!

{Pretty}

We've enjoyed some pretty weather this week.  It has been nice, on a couple of occasions, to be able to keep the windows open and the air conditioner off throughout most of the day.  It's been nice to send the kids outside, too, without having them come in 15 minutes later panting that it's too hot outside, and why can't we just watch a video instead? I wish we could have some of that glorious weather today.  

It's raining.  A lot.

{funny}

Gemma sporting her brother's fake mustache is funny.

And Gemma falling asleep upside-down is pretty funny, too.  I hate flash photography, but my camera--no cheapie, by the way--takes really lousy indoor shots in low-light conditions.  Only the schoolroom has anything other than low-light conditions.

{happy}

Oh, yeah...this is happy to the extreme for the boys.  For me--not so much!  Uncle Cliff gathered up not only his 40 year-old Legos, but also those of a cousin who is now in college, and my boys are the happy beneficiaries of this beneficence.  So, what's another 8 lbs of Legos added to the 20 lbs of Legos we already have?  It means the Legos my need their own room soon.

{real}

Real as in real food.  We already are blessed to have our own milk, butter, yogurt, eggs, pork and we'll have beef, too, when our bull calves are up to weight, and I order my organic bulk goods from a food co-op.  Getting decent produce is still a problem. In our area, if you don't maintain a garden and don't belong to a CSA, you have little access to organic produce, and what there is is expensive.  We have 8 in our family, and produce is one of our main grocery expenditures.  Mainly we end up eating commercial produce, which I soak and/or wash the heck out of with a fruit and vegetable wash.  I found this handy little chart on Facebook, and I think I will print it out for my wallet:

And you may or may not already be familiar with this information, but here is a tip on reading produce labels to find out whether you produce is conventional, organic or genetically engineered (GMO):

Labels on fruits and vegetables have a 4 or 5 digit code.

If the label has 4 digits, it means that it was "conventionally grown, but not organic". If it has 5 digits, and begins with a 9, it means that the produce was organically grown.
A 5 digit code that begins with an 8 indicates that the produce was genetically modified.

My kids are all becoming active label-readers, and to me, that's a great accomplishment.  When kids will pass on a box of candy because it has Yellow 5 and Red 40, I feel like I've actually taught them something!

Hope you have a wonderful July 4th wherever you may be.  It's still raining here!

{pretty, happy, funny, real}: 31 May 2012

I am joining Leila over at Like Mother, Like Daughter, for this week's {pretty, happy, funny, real} for the first time in a few weeks.

{pretty}

We had a particularly foggy morning yesterday and so I went out early to look for spider webs.  They are so lovely beaded with dew.  

{happy}

The roof is finally on the new house.  Deo Gratias.

{funny}

Whoa!  What's going on here?!  I can tell you that it involves paper strips, paste, and one very brave if not overly-eager victim.  If you want to know more, you'll have to go to my daughter's post...

Gemma decided that Adrian's gnome doll, Thorwald Oakenheart, needed breakfast.  I'll bet the sippy cup helps keep the milk out of his beard...

{real}

Real food.  My sister and I have been doing a lot of talking about it.  We like muesli for breakfast.  And sometimes for dinner.  Typically it is a combination of old-fashioned oats, a Grape Nuts-type cereal, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, slivered almonds, raisins, cranberries, dates and dried apples.  

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{pretty, happy, funny, real}: 3 May 2012

I'm joining Leila at Like Mother, Like Daughter today for {pretty, happy, funny, real}.  Just moments from this week thus far, which has been a pretty busy one.  It seems that there are dozens of things that need tending to, and not enough hours in a day to tend to them!

{pretty}

Gemma...in a summer dress Una wore 10 years ago.

{happy}

I can't begin to describe the {happy} of a new Lego magazine arriving in the mail!  And this issue has the new Lord of the Rings Lego sets!

{funny}

Thank goodness the waiting rooms at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital are big!  We tend to take up the entire waiting room at our local clinic!

{real}

My apologies to those of you who have a terror of spiders!  Although I am none too fond of black widows, brown recluses and giant spiders ala The Hobbit, I confess an affection for these little jumping spiders.  This little guy resides in my workroom.  It took me three attempts to get this photo, as the friendly little fellow kept jumping onto the camera lens!  Again, I apologize if spiders give you the heebie-jeebies!

For more {pretty, happy, funny, real}, go and visit Like Mother, Like Daughter!

{pretty, happy, funny, real}--23 February 2012

It's been a long while since my last, but I am joining in for {pretty, happy, funny, real} over at Like Mother, Like Daughter today.

{pretty}

My quiet, thoughtful, bookish daughter is pretty (although she doesn't think so).

{happy}

It is not easy dealing with a hyperactive five-year old.  He hardly ever stops moving or talking.  Here I set a three-minute timer and ordered him to be still and quiet for the duration. Happiness is having a  loyal little sister to wait out your sentence with you.

{funny}

All I was trying to do was get a shot of Adrian in the sweater I knit for him.  Just as we began the shoot, he got some funny thought in his head.  Try as he might, he just couldn't get rid of it.  Although none of the below made my Ravelry page, I finally did get my shot.

{real}

{real} is the terror I feel at planning for the next school year--with Una starting high school.  With all my leaning towards unschooling, Una is going to need scholarships to go to the college of her heart's desire, and she will have to have a fairly impressive transcript and portfolio to to that (words like "transcript" and "portfolio" give me a feeling of vertigo, by the way).  

{real} is the annual search for some decent thing for Una to wear for Easter.  And shoes to go with it. 

{real} is the desire to de-clutter my home this Lent.  And the dust-bunnies and sticky spots on the floor are pretty {real}, too.  "Ora et labora" is my motto for Lent.  Thank you, St. Benedict...

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{pretty, happy, funny, real}: 1 December 2011

I am joining Rosie this week on Like Mother, Like Daughter, for this week's edition of {pretty, happy, funny, real}.  It's been a pretty crazy week, but not without some highlights.

{pretty)
This frosty morning was certainly pretty!

{happy}

This guy turned 9 yesterday.  He was quite happy about it. (the birthday post will come later today, if I can find a few minutes).  Incidentally, my Goddaughter turned 1 yesterday as well!

{funny}
Una was up burning the midnight oil last night, trying to finish her novel for National Novel Writing Month.  She had a last-minute technical glitch that deleted the letter "i" from her story--27,468 words long!  When I woke up this morning I found this note by the computer:

I think she's {happy}, too!  I know I am...

{real}

With all the craziness of preparing for the holidays and trying to keep a decent stock in the Etsy shop, I am also dealing with Dominic having a case of ringworm (a fungal infection, not a parasite) on his scalp.  He has a scabby bald spot and is on a toxic medicine--oh, it's driving me nuts to even think about it--and I also have an anti-fungal cream and colloidal silver to put on topically.  I hate to admit it, but I am totally grossed out by the very thought!  My thoughts are constantly on it, and I feel obsessed.  I am also itchy.  It is all in my head (not on it), but I check my scalp--and anyone I see scratching--incessantly.  I am certain the good Lord is sick of hearing me whine to Him about it, after all, it isn't leprosy, right?  Still...ick!


Aren't you glad I didn't photograph it?  A bit too real, I think!

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{pretty, happy, funny, real}: 22 September 2011

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

I am a bit late today in joining Rosie at Like Mother, Like Daughter for this week's edition of {pretty, happy, funny, real}, but here I am, waiting for the pizza dough to rise, with a few minutes to spare.

{pretty}

The view from my kitchen window


{happy}

Gemma has discovered scissors, and gets to use them when mama supervises.

Everyone is thrilled with the fresh batch of homemade play-dough.





{funny}

Gabriel love to ham for me...and yes, he does indeed need a haircut.

"BeBe" really needed a wash, but it is really hard to get her away from Gemma.  So at nap time today, she and her other doll, Abbie Rose, had to say "'Night-night" to BeBe out the window.  NB:  the stain on BeBe's right foot, which was dipped in Bret's coffee one morning, did not come out.


{real}

Number 2,467 in a series of photos of Dominic crashed out in various places.


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{pretty, happy, funny, real}: 15 September 2001

I am  joining Leila at Like Mother, Like Daughter today for another {pretty, happy, funny, real}:

{pretty}

I really ought to say "handsome" instead.  This is Bertram, one of our two roosters.  He is the Chanticleer Extraordinaire, having a marvelous, classic crowing, unlike Daryl, our other rooster, who always sounds like he has laryngitis.  

I can't get enough of how the sun looks shining through the decorative glass on the front door.  Gemma likes it, too.

 Eggs in a bowl that belonged to my Bavarian great-grandmother.  

A Blue Heron down by the pond.  I really wish I had a decent telephoto lens.

{happy}

 Everyone is loving art lessons, and it has been the best thing for Dominic, who is hyper-active and has difficulty with things like being quiet, following directions and fine motor skills.  In fact it is about 75% of his schooling this year.

 A freezer full of quick breads for quick breakfasts (paired with yogurt or applesauce) or snacks makes me very {happy}.

 {funny}

Gemma actually tried to get out of the house to play like this.  I caught her as she was headed out the door to join her siblings.  Since beginning the potty training, it has become increasingly difficult to keep her from stripping at every opportunity.  I hope this changes as the weather begins to cool...

{real}

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows.  This is an image of her which I have on my little devotional "altar" in my bedroom.  

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