Slow Rising

I love Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. This video is brilliant. A real favorite of mine...it seems fitting to end the week with Low Rising from the album Strict Joy.



Have a great weekend friends.
Thanks for all the wonderful e-mails.
See you next week.

AAAh friends...too much going on around here...I will be back...


Google Image

WHO TOOK MY...

As a child I can remember my father bellowing my name because his tape, scissors, or some other miscellaneous office supply had gone MISSING from his desk. He ALWAYS had the right name, as it was most certainly ME that had "borrowed"' said item. I always had a fascination/love for the wonderful office supplies he had in and on his desk. I could create all kinds of good stuff from rubber cement, staples, paper clips and his hole punch.

Fast forward to 2011. I still love my office supplies. Having the appropriate item readily available in my desk. Here is the part where my Dad can start to chuckle and I will insert an apology for the frustration I caused him. I can NEVER find my ruler, my white out, my pink highlighter, the neon colored post-it notes the wonderfully sharpened colored pencils I use when I read research articles. I find myself bellowing out a nine year old girl's name on a regular basis....

"MADELEINE!!!!!!!! Where are my red scissors???????!!!"

God certainly KNEW what he was doing when he gifted me with that darling little girl! AND, he is chuckling.

Rain! Rain! GO AWAY!

We have had record amounts of rain in a short time span in our area. Flooding is happening all around. There are lakes where there are NOT lakes. Roads are impassable in many areas due to standing water. I for one, am DONE with the rain.

Below is the bridge to our house completely covered with the drainage from farmland adjacent to The Glen.

THIS is what I spent the afternoon doing yesterday to keep our basement from flooding. Actually, my Uncle Gary came in with his SUPER POWERS (and cape) to save the day by installing another sump pump JUST in the nick of time!!!! I was SO grateful as Hubbie is out of state!

We have not had this severe of weather since Hurricane Ike. I am looking forward to some DRYING sun...maybe in a few days! In the meantime the kids LOVE mucking around in all that water. Our little creek is quite the RIVER right now!

Easter Treats

I post this with a level of embarrassment...maybe a touch of humiliation too.

You see, I have to admit that I have given these A LOT of thought lately.

This confection of chocolate marshmallow with milk chocolate is scrumptious.

This Easter Candy.

I always buy these eggs at Easter.

These lovely little eggs are NOT in my local market this year.
TRUST ME, I have looked! ((SIGH))



I think it is A SIGN.
Think I will stick to my healthy eating habits.

Do you have a favorite Easter treat?

Sweet Annabelle

When my Mamaw died in 1990 one of her treasured personal items that I received was her antique SINGER sewing machine. With my "new" sewing machine in my possession I set about using it to make curtains and throw pillows for our new home. One of the items I used in my sewing frenzy was one of Mamaw's "house dresses." These were her every day work dresses made out of practical material. I made a bunny out of muslin and made a dress for the bunny with one of these house dresses. The bunny's name is Annabelle.

Annabelle sat on a shelf for ten years until a little girl named Emma Boo was born. Little did I know that when I stitched up Annabelle I was creating a treasured friend for my first born daughter. When Emma was eight years old I found a book at a tag sale called Emma Bean. Emma Bean is the story of a little girl and her stuffed bunny crafted from scraps of old dresses. Oh! I was in love with this book and cry every time I read it to this day.

Once there was a rabbit and she had a girl.
The girl's name was Emma.
The rabbit was Annabelle.



Annabelle is a little "worse for wear" these days...but she is WELL LOVED.

Texting

I have to admit that I get annoyed with kids that constantly walk around or INTO things while texting, completely oblivious to everything around them.

But, then...I am a hypocrite. This texting thing is really kinda nice. I love it that my teen son, after being out of the house for awhile texts, "So what are you all doing?" which is code for, "I kinda miss my family." I can send a text to my friend in San Fransisco and say, "I found that Haribo Happy Cola Candy you were telling me about." Or, I can avoid time consuming conversations by simply texting, "I plan to be at the meeting on the 15th."

My favorite texts are from a dark haired, blue eyed guy I have a real crush on. It makes my day when I see a text like this:



Absolutely.
That twenty-first century technology has its perks.

I have always loved to read.

B.K. (Before Kids) I would visit the library often grabbing books and inhaling them every spare moment I had. Even after becoming a MOM TO MANY I find myself carrying a book with me at all times. I squeak out ten minutes to read here and FOUR minutes there while stirring a pot, taking a break from work, waiting to pick up kids from ball practice or late at night when the house is FINALLY quiet. Over the last ten years or so the books I have read have been mostly about work related research, child rearing, healthy meals and kids, techniques/strategies to help my son with disabilities, etc. But now that the kids are getting older I am gleefully picking up books because they just sound good.

So! Nothing thrilled me MORE on Friday than to receive this e-mail:

YOUR REQUEST IS IN!
The material you have been waiting for is now available.
Pick it up as soon as possible at your local library.

I ran into the village and picked up my copy of Black Heels and Tractor Wheels. This book is written by one of my favorite bloggers Ree Drummond. She writes simply and without pretense, has four kiddos, knows how to make me laugh and has THE BEST recipes ever! (Ree's French Breakfast Puffs are THE BOMB not to mention her meatballs.)


Her new book is simple. A true love story. It is predictable. It is funny. It is SAPPY and ROMANTIC.

PURE mindless entertainment...it is MIND CANDY.

Guess what I did this weekend????

RANDOM at The Glen

This handsome guy just turned 14. We are still trying to figure out HOW that happened. We sure love that kid! He is an amazing young man!

Sam brought home this AUTHENTIC Mr. Potato Head. Now we wait for the grass seeds to grow from his bald little head. Interesting fellow yes?

Seeing all the Forsythia in bloom reminds me I want to plant a couple of bushes at The Glen.

Some unique art that I pass by frequently. For those that read my post yesterday this simply AFFIRMS talking with one's hands!

The FIRST bloom at The Glen!!!! Blooming Daffodils and their sunshiny beauty brings joy.

This photo makes me laugh. This is Gizzie Lizzie. She perches on the livestock fence looking VERY serious. She is such a sweet cat.


Have a wonderful weekend friends.

Communication techniques?

Do you talk with your hands? I do at almost ALL levels--including when I am on the phone. This gives my husband much material in which to mock me! I find it places emphasis and makes the discussion more meaningful. That's a crock! Realistically, I do it without KNOWING I am doing it.

I teach classes. Just recently on one of my evaluations an attendee indicated they appreciate the way I kept my audience's attention by moving around the room and TALKING WITH MY HANDS! SAH-WEET AFFIRMATION! When someone mimics my dramatic yet emphatic motions I am then made aware of my body in full movement. What does it say about someone who must use their hands while speaking? I believe it is a learned habit/skill. Although neither one of my parents talk with their hands I have observed MANY of my extended family members talk with their hands...do you?

Bottom line for me: The constant movement HAS to be BURNING calories right???

Come get your lollipop!

Treacle Tart and Ice Cream: ALL FREE TODAY!

We had an enjoyable staycation for our Spring Break...part of our fun is watching movies...there are SO MANY old movies that Sam has NOT seen and the older kids love to re-visit them too. We took in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang...how I adore Dick Van Dyke!

Remember this freaky villain? Even without modern makeup and special effects they managed to make him pretty sinister.




Treacle tart is a traditional English dessert. It is made using shortcrust pastry, with a filling made out of golden syrup, lemon butter, and breadcrumbs. I have never had Treacle Tart but because of this movie I have always had a fascination with this sweet dessert just as I have with trying Turkish Delight after my first reading of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in the 70's.

WARNING: Never take candy from a stranger!!

What is your favorite classic kids movie?