Mid-century artist Charley Harper was commissioned to create this wonderful poster for one of our favorite birding sites
You can buy it for a paltry $10 here.
We enjoyed beautiful weather on the Farm. The kids spent tons of time on the Gator with their grandpa, traversing their inheritance/acreage at low rates of speed during our two day stay. All 3 picked up some interesting things, including ticks, sunburns and a touch of poison ivy. Oh, and this guy:
Pretty, ain't he?
I spent a lot of time indoors helping my mom start the once-per-decade clean-out of her fabric/Christmas decor/junk room. My mother is a dear, dear woman, but she really could be the featured guest on one of those daytime programs highlighting packrats who grew up in the Depression and therefore are physically incapable of disposing of ANYTHING that could potentially be useful. Just as an example, we filled a 50-gallon trash bag with used denim. Not just jeans, but pieces of jeans, jean skirts, denim skirts and blouses. Jeans covered with paint, tar and grease. Jeans with holes and frayed knees and broken buttons. Her rationale for keeping such things is that someone, somewhere out there probably still makes braided rugs and would love such a wonderful stash of used denim. Nevermind that we don't know such a person (there was a lovely Amish woman we used to send denim scraps to who did just this, but she has since moved to Ohio). It can't. be. thrown. out. I just sigh and pile things high and keep working. We made it about 3 feet into the room. The next time I go home we'll do some more, hopefully.
I did find some awesome flour sack and 60's print scraps, vintage tees and other things that were stashed away and I'll try to post some photos later, along with some ideas for what I could do with the little bits and pieces, bits 'n bobs.
I didn't do much cooking this time, which is unusual, as my mother abhors cooking at this point in her life (can't say as I blame her - cooking for a family of 9 plus assorted hired hands for 35 years+ gets you a free pass to the fast food joint of your choosing, I say). We did drink a lot of coffee and eat a lot of pie. Which brings me around to this interesting tidbit, which is good news for those of us who imbibe and also love the bean.
Sweet!
Okay, I must be off to sort things and pretend to do laundry while the Artiste cleans up our post-dinner mess.g'night.
We've decided to go to the Farm for the weekend. See ya Monday!
Thank goodness this week is over. I've been hauling the oldest ones on a 45 minute round-trip to VBS every morning, twice each morning, and I am SICK of the EX-URBS. There are no trees, but there are miles of asphalt, concrete, tract homes and strip malls. I'm a raging capitalist but com'on, do we just have to keep moving further and further away from the regular old burbs?
The bank thermometer read 96 as I was driving to pick them up at 11:35a.m.
Sometimes I really dislike Kansas.
In better news, we are hitting the library book sale after naps. .25 books! My son is hoping to add to his Calvin & Hobbes collection, and I am just looking for interesting titles. Should be fun. Must set a spending limit now, though. Can't wait until I'm there, for I'm notoriously free with cash at book sales of any stripe. As you can see:
So many people have asked me about school the past few days. What are we doing, have we finished for summer, are we hitting the used curriculum sales, are we planning for next year, blah blah blah, yada yada yada.
I have hemmed and hawed and excused myself - we have been busy and stressed to capacity (my husband was involved in a fatality traffic accident nearly 2 months ago. He is fine, but it has been a storm of insurance and lawyers and worries about what will happen to us, as it was mainly his fault).
So…since the accident we've done no formal schooling. Not that it was all that formal to begin with. An hour (and that's stretching it) each morning of spelling/phonic instruction or math or reading aloud from The Story of the World for my 1st grader and pre-K girlie girl. Since we stopped the Schedule, we've mostly been
So I'm not really worried. Or feeling guilty. But somehow I'm reluctant to say "well, we're just doing x,y and z and that's it" because it just doesn't seem structured/schoolish/productive enough. Silly, isn't it?
(gasp) I think I might be one of those laid-back homeschoolers.
…for now, anyway. Caulked and primed and painted 2nd coat this morning. Had to work quickly because temps are expected to be 90+ this afternoon!
I love my painting shirt. Super comfy and works nicely for handwiping.
by Thomas E. B., age 7
for submission to the KAC Youth Writing Contest
Sometimes
The moon is like
A silver smile
Turned sideways
I lie in my bed,
I look out the window,
I see the moon
Smiling at me.
Silvery white
It shines in the night.
It lights up the town,
And peeks into my room.
Just so ya know, we made these last winter while longing for spring. And they were delicious. Wish I could remember where I found the instructions. I know we used shredded wheat biscuits (the large unfrosted ones), brown sugar and butter, and baked them in a cupcake tin. The brown speckled eggs are marshmallow fluff JellyBellies®
Nests abound in the large trees of our backyard now that it's June in Kansas. Sparrows, robins, cardinals and a small, noisy pair of wrens are in residence.
The robins are funny to watch as they busily search for anything to include in their real estate development. A nest knocked out in last week's storm revealed blonde hair (!), a tattered receipt from the home store down the street, bits of iridescent streamer from my daughter's bicycle handles and, of course, pieces of that most ubiquitous of items - the plastic shopping bag.
Yes, I realize I’m always about a decade behind, but I just finished this small masterpiece by Jill Ker Conway. It’s not often I wish a book would never end. Beautiful, elegant, authentic and searching. Thoroughly wonderful (and it doesn’t hurt that I have a minor obsession with Australian culture and history). A little digging finds it is a Masterpiece Theater production (!) starring the always perfect Juliet Stevenson. Netflix, how do I love thee?
Other books on my nightstand:
by Molly Stevens
This cookbook makes me long for fall, even as summer is yet to begin. I love all things braised, and can’t wait for the chance to utilize my Le Creuset beauty. There are even wine pairings! An excellent 16 page thread discussing the recipes and techniques can be found at the eGullet forums.
I’ve got my eye on the Caribbean Pork Shoulder for a 2-pack of great picnic roasts from Costco, but Bittman’s Braised and Grilled Pork Shoulder
tempts me, too. Perhaps one of each? I think a trip to my new local Penzey’s is in order. Ah, fresh spice.
Yoga for People Who Can’t Be Bothered to Do It
by Geoff Dyer
He’s witty, quirky and brainy, but I just don’t get Geoff Dyer. He seems a bit pathetic, or perhaps I was in a mood to feel sorry for him while reading this. He may be an acquired taste - I shall look into his other work and possibly reform my opinion.
_______________________________________________
Hey! I’ve read 5 on the list! I remember talking about The Awakening with anyone who would listen when I read it in high school. The Botany of Desire is another of my favorites. Thanks, *M-mv! More titles to add to my pool bag…oh, what am I saying, I have a 22 month-old; all my summer reading will be done after his fair little head hits the pillow.
*In case you follow this, I discovered you on the WTM boards and stalk you still from my new web address :)~ estea
See the pretty drink. See the pretty drink the Artiste makes wonderfully well. See mama robot drink more than her share of the pretty drink. See grumpy mama robot need 2 extra strong, extra large cups of the coffee this morning to recover.
Incidentally, I play Bejeweled much better when slightly tipsy. This can't be a good thing.
Anyway, he had his follow up appointment with therapist today to talk about the accident and some other things. She had an interesting couple of acronyms for factors contributing to and relieving the effects of depression: CATS and HENS.
The bad guys:
The good guys:
Interesting. I engaged in every one of the CATS yesterday except tobacco, and of the HENS, daily exercise has faltered, nutrition needs improvement and sleep? sigh. Not enough hours, to be sure.
The exterior of our 1952 ranch home is receiving a new coat (technically 2 coats) of paint today. Martha Stewart's line at Sherwin-Williams had the perfect greenish-gold called "Corduroy" - it really sets off our beautiful terra cotta brick. Creamy white trim and black shutters (purchased brand new at Habitat ReStore for $12/ea) will complete the endeavor.
Now to muster the courage for the tall ladder. gulp.
it's a beautiful day in our neighborhood!
the Artiste finished the baby gift for my brother and his wife last night. Their nursery will be all done up in black and white gingham with butter yellow and touches of lime green ~ for the new baby boy they're expecting very soon. Tres chic! Anyway, we thought a little bee would be a sweet addition to the wall decor. Isn't it lovely? I love the script - and the Latin.
Now to the fabric store for ribbon for hanging and some special gift wrap.
