Food

Ok, so based on my last post, I may not be a fan of a bunch of photographs of flowers, but food, I can do.

This is a close up of the large batch we picked last week.  I didn’t make jam like I usually do because of time and energy needed (and the open house) but we ate a good portion of these as well as froze the rest to make smoothies. I think that will be a summer staple and I am afraid they won’t last through the summer.  Oh well, next up is blueberry picking next week.

This was a past dish I threw together with the vegetables I received in our organic box.  I really like seeing what I can come up with that comes in the box.  We are on break for the summer but will be getting it again in the fall. I have a small garden planted and will get lots of tomatoes. If I get enough I will can some.

I think I realized something about myself, in regards to photos of flowers verses photos of food. I love flowers, wish I had some more around my yard, but I don’t really like to garden, and I don’t much care for bugs or dirt.  However, I love food. I love to eat food and make food.  Photos of food inspire me. I always wish a cook book has a photo to accompany the recipe.  Funny huh?

Oh, and if you are interested in how I made this I will tell you as best as I can remember. I cooked the penne, because that is the kind of pasta I had on hand.  I boiled the green vegetables very slightly and then threw them into a pan with hot oil and sauted the rest of the way. I used small red and yellow peppers and toasted them in the toaster oven and chopped them up and threw them in the pan.  I added salt and black pepper, probably some garlic powder and basil.  Finally I tossed it together with grated Parmesan cheese.  Yummy!

Susan

Photography impaired

Some of my favorite blogs to read are ones that provide lots of photos.  It is so fun to see what people are writing about.  Unfortunately taking photos is a very weak area for me. I don’t carry my camera around with me.  I get somewhere and slap my forehead because I didn’t have the camera to document the experience.  But having my camera doesn’t necessarily solve my problem. You see, I can have my camera and still not think of taking photos.  I don’t really know why except maybe because growing up my Stepdad always took the photos in the family.  Maybe in the back of my mind I have some idea that it should be hubby’s responsibility to take the photos.  Maybe it’s because there is some deep rooted resentment that I am never in the photos and there is hardly a photo of me in thirteen years of marriage and 11 years of motherhood.

Then there is the problem of what to do with those photos once I take them.  I don’t seem to print them out. I don’t put them in albums to look through. I don’t scrapbook and really have no desire to start.  I also have this weird conversation to myself of, do I really want to photograph this?  Is this something I would enjoy having a copy of once I’ve taken the photo?  How many photos of flowers does one need (unless one is making something of a photo, which is frankly the only reason I could take photos of flowers).  I prefer photos that tell a story, but I am not very clever about taking them.

I don’t seem to have that creative eye when it comes to taking a picture and I certainly haven’t figured out how to use all the functions of my camera.  I can only manage to take a photo and turn the flash on and off. I have no idea what all the other buttons and settings do. By the way, I had to have a friend show me how to turn the flash off. I was at the Huntington Library in LA and saw these beautiful Gutenberg Bibles. I desperately wanted to take photos of them, but couldn’t figure out how to turn the flash off, a requirement by the Museum.  I was so disappointed by my lameness when I realized how simple it was to turn the flash off.

Despite taking a photography class in High School, I seem to not have retained anything from that class. (Never mind that it was 26 years ago).

I think one more thing that prohibits me posting photos is that it is such a pain to get them uploaded.  First I have to take them off my camera. Then once they are on my computer I upload them to my flickr account. Then with each one I choose the size and them copy and paste the code into my text box on my blog post page.  Is this how you all do it too?  Is there a shorter way?  It takes time to go through all this and most of the time I don’t want to bother.

All this to say that I am going to make a better effort to take more photos and to post them on my blogs.  I really desire to take better photos.   I’m just not sure how to go about it.  I guess the first step is to keep my camera on my person at all times.  Will practice make perfect?

Susan

Don’t have much to say

Other than the house hasn’t sold yet. It seems we are in a holding pattern until this darn holiday (4th of July) passes and the Olympic Track Trials leave town. There have been a total of 8 people who have walked through this house since we have had it listed. 8—3 of which are curious onlookers of whom I know. That means only 5 potentials. After next week if things don’t pick up, as in Realtors don’t start bringing people in then we will have to do something different. Not sure what yet. I’ll keep you posted.

On a happier note–Hubby and I had a nice dinner at my favorite chain, PF Chang’s and a movie. We saw Get Smart with Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway. It was good and it was funny and I was so glad that the humor wasn’t stupid raunchy humor.

I took the girls to see Kit Kittredge yesterday and it was really good. A great movie for you American Girl fans. I was not disappointed.

It’s 8:30 am and I have one daughter up and dressed with rain boots (no, it’s not raining) on and she has been outside riding her horse bike and she has mucked the stalls swept the patio. See Classic Academy for an explanation on that.

Susan

13 years of wedded bliss

It was the beginning of a companionship that I never expected. I didn’t realize that although we would have times of struggle, that I would love this man more and more each day and look forward to when he walked in the front door each evening.

I am truly blessed to be married to someone who would tell me daily that I was the best thing that ever happened to him.

Susan

I never thought I’d see the day

that I would actually enjoy getting up at 6am. Well, the getting up part I still don’t like so much. But when I’m up, I take advantage of my time.  Hubby and I started going for walks first thing. The girls are in bed, and able to stay home alone for short periods of time. They don’t even know we are gone. When we return, I make my coffee, breakfast for hubby and his lunch (usually).  Then I kiss him out the door, sit at the table, open my bible and read. Then I check my emails, and blogs. When that is done I start the morning pick up, empty dishwasher, wake the kids and get them going.  I feel like I have done so much, and hey I have right?  Oh, and somewhere in that time a shower happens. I get the water started on the lawn, plants on porch watered, litter box cleaned and laundry started.  Man, that is productive, the most I think I have been ever this early in the morning. I am a night owl. I love to stay up late. I love to sleep in. I don’t take naps so I have justified sleeping in to get all the sleep I need.  But it isn’t productive and I alway felt behind and frankly, I was.  The warmer and dryer mornings have helped.  Having to get so much done earlier due to the house listing has helped also. It was the only way I could see surviving this time of my life.  God is blessing it.  I am thankful.

Susan

Post open house results and I am beat!

Yesterday was a busy morning as we finished up last minute details for the open house. It was hot and we were exhausted by the time the house opened. I friend watched the kids for most of the day and Jeep and I went out for a cool lunch.  We had about five people show up. Not so good. Three of the five we knew.  But I guess that was to be expected when it was upwards of 90 degrees outside and our city is hosting the Olympic track trials.

It appears that I am catching a cold.  My throat hurts, my nose is running, I am sneezing and my body is worn out.  We will not be doing anything but relaxing today. It is hot again. We don’t have air conditioning.  Boo hoo, waaaah.  OK-enough sob story. There are many other with far greater needs.  (Like baby Joe and his family).

Oh, funny story from yesterday. It started last weekend.  There are three other houses for sale on our block. Two were open last weekend. We ran into a couple I know from Awana at church.  We said hi briefly and went on.  Then yesterday when we were driving around during the open house we decided to go into a few open homes in our neighborhood to see what the competition is. We ran into the same couple.  We talked briefly, and they asked if we had seen the house on *****Street.  They said it was really cute.  The other realtor was right there so all we said was thanks. Then walked out the door and laughed. They were talking about our house. It was so fun to hear an unsolicited comment on our house. We ran into them at the next open house but outside and we told them about our house. It turns out that they are doing the exact same thing, looking at competition, and investment opportunities. They live near us and are selling their home with lot too.

Susan

Baby Joe needs your prayers

Please go to Preschoolers and Peace to learn more about the prayer needs of little baby Joe.  He has the enterovirus and is in serious condition.

Susan

Open House

This Saturday is our first open house. And wouldn’t you know it, after the very slow start of summer weather, we are supposed to have heat in the 90’s. We do not have air conditioning, so it is going to be hot and very apparent that we don’t have air conditioning. We really only need it about 2 maybe 3 weeks out of the year, but when you are trying to show and sell a house, it is not a good thing.  There are still some last minute things we have to do, like paint more molding and hang doors back up. I really don’t want to paint molding ever again.  So beside cleaning and painting, I will be cleaning and painting.  It’s my life right now.

Oh, and please pray for my kids. They are so tired of trying to play on their own, without playing with anything.  They want to swim, have friends over and have a grand time.  They have been so patient but I fear the patience is wearing thin.  I was hoping to take them on a day trip to a camping area where some other local homeschoolers are, but I can’t take the time away right now.  I was planning on picking strawberries tomorrow, but now I am wondering the wisdom in having pounds strawberries to process right before an open house. Maybe I better wait until Monday.

Susan

A new blogger

Hello –

A long time ago there was this family that lived in my town. A husband, wife, and three beautiful blond (ish) children. They lived here for several years, and then moved very far away-to the other coast. While they lived here we were mere acquaintances. Since they have moved we have kept in touch sporadically through emails. I have always enjoyed our email conversations and am thrilled to share that she has finally started a blog of her own. Please take a minute to go say hi. She is a very good writer with lots of wisdom and I am sure we will all be blessed as she journals her life and walk.

Susan

What a great conference!

Hello- we are back from the conference and it was so worth the trip.  The speakers were great.  My favorite quote from Voddie Baucham was “If you can’t say Amen, you better say Ouch!”  Well, another was when he would share a stupid question that someone would ask him and he would say, “I’ll let bad Voddie answer that”.  It was funny.  I guess you had to have been there. You should have been there.

Another favorite talk was by Carol Barnier.  Her talk was about being a distracted mother. I laughed so hard I had constant tears running down my face. I ended up buying her book, “How to Get Your Child Off the Refrigerator and on to Learning.”  It has a bunch of tips on how to teach a kinesthetic or ADHD child.

I bought several books, including two from Lamplighter Publishing.  Oh, and I did something very unusual. I splurged and bought a very expensive math curriculum for my 6 yr old who is completely kinesthetic.  I know, it seems ridiculous but, I haven’t done well in teaching math to my kids and this child is so completely different than her sisters that I needed some more assistance.  Anyways, I have high hopes for Right Start math.  It uses a lot of math card games, manipulative’s, and very little worksheets, which this child doesn’t like anyways.  I also bought the same program for my oldest girl who also doesn’t like math. It utilizes a geometric hands on approach to math and I think she will do well in it. Mostly because while drills and computation she doesn’t like, she loves geometry.  It is also a very creative approach to math and I think she will like this a lot.

OCEAnetwork has all the sessions on CD”s and sells them on their website. I would suggest having a look to see if any of the topics interest you. Any of Voddie’s talks would be worth it.  The conference had the largest turnout of any other, of about 1600 people.  But it was at a convention center and there was so much room and it never felt crowded. There were a lot of vendors and a great used sale also. You gals that live in Southern WA, I would recommend you hope over the border and hit the convention next June.  Wouldn’t it be fun to meet up?

Oh, I want to mention the hotel we stayed at. It is owned by a Four Square church and it has a coffee shop and the church actually meets at the hotel. They use the hotel as a ministry also. They house homeless families and have a training center on sight.  Breakfast came with the room. They have a great little coffee shop in which they serve lunches also. It was so cool to see and witness such a creative way to have a church. We were so impressed.

Well, while nothing is really on the calendar this week, I will need to do some more painting and cleaning, as well and make sure school gets done. I have slacked off on that and I need to get back on it since we are not busy.  Besides that, I am really excited to get started.  Somehow going to a convention does that to a person.

Susan