Bad Bag Tuesday

Today we focus on the ultimate Bad Bag... the diaper bag. When I was having babies diaper bags were really ugly. So ugly that I refused to buy one and ended up carrying a mint green vinyl bag with bunnies on it that the hospital gave me as a baby gift after my first baby. After that I didn't have an official diaper bag. I had a permanent diaper box in the back of my van with all the important, non-perishable, baby items in it. I'm really too practical to be fun.

Nowadays there are better choices for your diaper bag needs but they are still bad bags simply because of what they are. After a few weeks even the nicest bags will have spots of milk and baby barf on the outside and the unmistakable odor of forgotten dirty diaper on the inside. However, new parents want to provide the best and apparently there are many designers willing to help them give junior's diapers an appropriate bag.

There is the basic model. They have improved a lot in nineteen years. $36 at Target.

There is the model designed just for Dad. $65 at Psychobabyonline.com.

After that we get a bit more extravagant with a woven seat belt bag. $204 at Seatbeltbags.com.

And, for the Banking Executive's progeny there is this little number.

$4650 at Neiman Marcus. It's made of Python hide so you can't buy it in California but I'm sure you could have it shipped to your summer home in the Hampton's, or the chalet in Vail...

Oh, by the way, the mortgage check is in the mail.

Menu Plan Monday

I have had such a productive weekend! I honestly can't remember a weekend that I have accomplished so much in the last year. I did tons of laundry, sorted clothes and toys to go to Goodwill, and cleaned a bunch of places that don't get cleaned often enough. It feels good to finally be getting on top of some of the things that needed to get done.

We have a busy week with several meetings to plan dinner around so the menu is going to be pretty simple, or as simple as it can be with one kid who doesn't like much of anything, two who are vegetarians, and two parents who are trying to lose weight. Yikes! I haven't planned out WW points but I'll be tracking them. Wish me luck!

Monday - Mini Turkey or Falafel Burgers, Baked French Fries and Sweet Potato Fries
Tuesday- School board meeting- Ravioli Casserole, Garlic Bread
Wednesday- Pork Chops, Tomato Basil Gardenburgers, Scalloped Potatoes, Green Peas
Thursday - High School Open House- White Bean Soup, Chicken Apple Sausage, Smoked Apple Vegan sausage
Friday -Hot Dogs, Veggie Dogs, Baked Beans, Tater Tots
Saturday - Bob cooks something yummy
Sunday - Fajitas and Football

One of the neatest things I did this weekend was finally setting up my office so that I have my own place to write. I've taken over the dining room, which is way too small to be a dining room, because it's never been anything but a place to store stuff that doesn't have a home. In this room is Bob's great-grandmother's round oak table and I will use that for my desk. When I was in college I used to go to Bob's mother's house and use the computer (which was far better than my Commodore 64) to do assignments for my creative writing course. The computer was in his mother's bedroom on top of his great-grandmother's table. It was then, when I was young and anything seemed possible, working at this table, that I decided I wanted to be a writer. I'm really happy that it's in my office now. The room still needs some work but yesterday I banished everything from it that isn't mine. It feels very weird and selfish to have taken a whole room for myself but I'm going to get used to it.

As always.. thanks go to Laura at Orgjunkie.com for hosting Menu Plan Monday! Check out her site for tons of really good ideas.

Have a good week!

Plan for Change

Bad Bag Tuesday

I know I'm going to get myself in trouble with this one...

I'm sure it's no secret to anyone who reads this blog that I am not a fashionista. Not just because I am a size 10 (times two) but because I simply don't get it. I love fabric. I love reading about fashion. I have read Vogue since I was 16! But.. when it comes to buying clothing I just can't figure out what makes one wool skirt worth $78

and another worth $850.

Knowing that I am somehow fashion impaired, I usually keep my mouth shut and just admire those who do understand... and wonder how in the world they can afford it. So, I really debated about this week's bad bag.

There is no denying that plenty of women are willing to pay to carry a bag by this designer. Even I have made the pilgrimage to worship at the Fendi counter in Nordstrom... but after careful consideration I had no choice.

Today's bad bag is the Fendi Paint-Your-Own Baguette. This little bag is a classic Fendi Baguette but instead of embossed leather it's made of coated canvas and comes with ten markers so that you can personalize it. Sort of like a Doodle Bear for grown-ups!

Now my complaint about this bag isn't just that you have to be an artist to create a handbag that you won't be ashamed to leave lying on your chair while you peruse the Sunday buffet brunch at the yacht club. Rather, I am astounded that a "regular" Fendi Baguette, made of leather and available in a multitude of colors, will cost you a mere $995, while the do-it-yourself canvas model costs $1300.

Curious, isn't it? I suppose it's something akin to paying for billboard space. The Fendi bag adds value to your artwork rather than your artwork decorating the Fendi bag? Perhaps it's better that I don't understand fashion...

Menu Plan Monday

Monday, Monday... la la la lala lala

It's supposed to be hot for the first few days of this week and then the rains will come.. and it will probably rain until June. So I'm going to try and get the last of my outdoor tasks completed (the ones I should have been working on for weeks) and I'll be keeping dinners simple and quick.

Monday - Spaghetti, Salad, Garlic Bread
Tuesday - Enchiladas and Corn and Black Bean Salsa (this was a huge hit last week so I'm doing it again!)
Wednesday - Hamburgers, Veggie Burgers, Potato Salad, Baked Beans
Thursday - Tuscan White Bean Soup, Chicken Sausage, Field Roast Smoked Apple Sausage
Friday - Make your own Pizza
Saturday - Stuffed Baked Potatoes with Steak, Tempeh, Cheese, Broccoli, Mushrooms... and anything else I think of.
Sunday - Chili and Corn Bread

Thanks to Laura at Orgjunkie.com for hosting Menu Plan Monday! Check out her site for hundreds of menus.

A pig of a different color...

"If pigs could vote, the man with the slop bucket would be elected swineherd every time, no matter how much slaughtering he did on the side."
Orson Scott Card



The difference between a pig and a voter is the ability to analyze the issues.

Bad Bag Tuesday

It's time to introduce something new and silly to this overly serious blog. It started two weeks ago with the Penguin Tote and it was as if my eyes were opened. I tried to fight it but I just keep finding bags that need to be featured somewhere. So I will feature them here... On Bad Bag Tuesday..

This week we have another celebrity designer Eco Friendly Bag.



Designed by Stella McCartney this lovely bag is made of recycled polyester and is available at Nordstrom for just $85 dollars. It's unique shape will make you feel as if you are wandering through an endangered forest somewhere with your best deer friends... Just remember to watch out for Governor Palin!

Of course, if you want to spend $85 dollars in a way that will actually help a deer, may I suggest that you make a donation to Friends of the White Deer an organization dedicated to saving the Fallow and Axis deer population in Point Reyes California.

Or if you just want a big dead deer head you should check with your local homeless shelter or food pantry to see if they want the rest of it to feed the hungry.

Menu Plan Monday

I really do love having a menu planned out in advance but today I'm having trouble working up much enthusiasm. I hope I'm feeling a bit more creative when I start cooking!

Monday - Cheese Enchiladas, Chicken Enchiladas, Black Bean Salsa
Tuesday - Teriyaki Steak and Tofu, Rice, Vegetable Stir Fry
Wednesday - Spinach Frittata, Chicken Apple Sausage, Bread
Thursday - Stuffed Shells, Chicken Parmesan, Salad
Friday - Hamburgers, Veggie Burgers, Potato chips
Saturday - TBD
Sunday - Steak, Vegetarian Sausage, Baked Potatoes, Salad

For more interesting menus check out Menu Plan Monday at Orgjunkie.com!

Fall Fabric Swap

I joined the Fall Fabric Swap hosted by Sarah at Marvellous Mouse Designs and it has been a lot of fun. I had a great time shopping for the person who was assigned to me and I really hope she loves the fabric I picked out for her. Today I received a package filled with fabric, way more than the one yard we committed to swapping, from Dawn. Isn't it pretty?



But even prettier are the things that Dawn makes. (That's a photo of one of her dolls sitting on the fabric above) Her website and etsy stores are amazing. I'm just hoping a little bit of her talent rubbed off on the fabrics she sent me!

Back to school

Yesterday was the first day of school and my house is so quiet. No tv or video games, no tennis balls bouncing against the wall, no visiting friends or kids out on the street for the dogs to bark at. It's not just my house either... every house on my street is quiet. Even the toddlers in the house behind us are quieter with their school aged siblings gone. There are a lot of kids in my neighborhood so after the noise and chaos of summer the quiet is a bit unsettling.

I'm trying to make this week a new beginning for me too. I started working through The Artist's Way with a group of people online and I'm setting aside three hours a day to write. Really write, not just blog. I want to continue working on the book I started last year but I'm also going to do some writing for a few local businesses. I think I snagged my first client the other day. A landscape company that my neighbor is starting. He has a very organized business plan, a year to build his business before he retires from the Army, and he has money set aside for advertising. I'm looking forward to working with him.

I want to thank everyone who had such kind and supportive things to say in the last couple of weeks while I was trying to climb out of my depression. I'm feeling better and I'm trying to keep myself focused and busy enough that I don't have time to feel bad. I have also recognized that one of the problems I'm having is that I have been avoiding conflict for a few years and that has gradually changed me. I didn't realize how much I had changed until last week when a fairly good natured political discussion, with a friend who I have always butted heads with over political issues, left me positively shaken and feeling ill. This isn't me. I have always loved a good political debate. But the volatility of having a child with problems can cause you to tiptoe around the small stuff for fear of stepping on a landmine and after a few years of tiptoeing it can become a habit. So I think I need to try to break the habit. This doesn't mean I'm going to start stomping and pontificating but I think I need to push myself to be a bit more open and honest.

So... here's an opinion. I watched the Republican Party convention last night and I think that Mitt Romney is a hateful and scary man who needs to get his facts straight. "Is government spending - excluding inflation - liberal or conservative if it doubles since 1980? It's liberal! " Um... yeah.. Mitt, considering the fact that Republicans have been in office for all but 8 years of this 28 year time line maybe what we really need to do is stop calling things liberal or conservative and vote for something different. Oh.. and John McCain has been in Washington voting for these "liberal" increases for 26 of those years.

And here's another opinion. It took me days to figure out who Sarah Palin reminded me of... and then I watched her speech last night.

Who wants to eat chiminy changas next year?

I admire a woman who can give a speech that will compare and contrast her views with that of her opponent without giggling and ridicule. Sarah Palin didn't do that. Mean girls don't get my vote.

But she does have adorable children.

Menu Plan Monday

The Back to School Edition

My least favorite thing about the kids going back to school is the ritualistic hunting and gathering of school supplies. When I was in school, back in the dark ages, it seemed like school supplies were available whenever you needed them but now they seem to have a very limited shelf life. It's my job, as the school supply provider for my family, to make sure I purchase every last little thing the kids might need for the next nine months. If I miss something it's going to cost three times as much to buy it later. So I buy it all now. A years worth of school supplies for three kids, plus two boxes of tissues and Clorox wipes for the classrooms, adds up to a virtual mountain of junk. I think if you totalled how many trees gave their lives for the reams of paper, boxes of pencils, and tower of tissue on my dining room table we would know why the globe is warming up!

We tend to eat very late during the summer. Partly because the sun doesn't set until after 9pm and partly because I'm a lazy bum... So I'm trying to keep the menu for the coming week relatively simple to make it easier to get dinner on the table early. Back to the grind...

Monday - Rotisserie Pork Butt, Macaroni and Cheese, Green Beans and Tomatoes
Tuesday - Stewed Chicken and Veggie Stew with Dumplings
Wednesday - Baked Masa Boats with Cheese and Roasted Poblanos, Pinto Beans, Shredded Chicken, Lettuce and Tomatoes
Thursday - Lasagna, Salad, Garlic Bread
Friday - Make your own Pizza
Saturday - Hamburgers and Veggie Burgers
Sunday - Leftovers

For more great menus check out Orgjunkie.com. Have a good week everyone!

Fritters anyone?

Photo by Slice

Never again clutter your days or nights with so many menial and unimportant things that you have no time to accept a real challenge when it comes along. This applies to play as well as work. A day merely survived is no cause for celebration. You are not here to fritter away your precious hours when you have the ability to accomplish so much by making a slight change in your routine. No more busy work. No more hiding from success. Leave time, leave space, to grow. Now. Now! Not tomorrow!

Og Mandino -

Brilliant isn't it?! You know where I found it? Right here on this blog, hiding in the September 2007 archives. Apparently I didn't follow Og's advice because I find myself here a year later still making the same lists of things to do, merely surviving the days. Frittering.

If life is a journey shouldn't the landscape be changing?

I did do one new and unexpected thing recently, although it's not cause for celebration. I called my mother and told her that I didn't feel well enough to make the 14 hour drive to California. I've been telling her all summer that I would get down there before school started.
I promised.

Last Friday I broke that promise.
She understands.

I don't.

Toke Bag?

I was tired last night and couldn't work up a proper rant so I posted the picture and left the commenting for today.





When I first saw this Marc Jacobs tote I thought there must be more to the story. Perhaps the proceeds were going to a charity? Maybe it was produced with reclaimed hemp and screen printed by displaced penguins? But I can't find any evidence that the bag is anything more than an expensive billboard for a vague cause. I was not impressed but apparently I'm missing the big picture.

Shannon at The Purse Blog writes "At first glance I just thought about the practical implications of the bag, but as I began to think about it a bit more, I couldn’t help but find myself reminded about the environment and how each small action a person takes can actually help."

Yes indeed! Each small action we take will help the environment. So, in that spirit, here is my list of ten other ways that Shannon's $158 can actually help...

1. If you must be a walking billboard try the "Stop Global Warming" bracelet from Roots. It comes in eleven colors, is made from scrap leather, and all proceeds go to The Global Warming Fund.

2. If what you really want is a cool tote bag try one of these from Tote le Monde.

It's cute, it's made of recyclable plastic, and you can get three of them for less than $158.

3. Or you can get ten of these innuendo laden totes..

4. Or you can think up your own cool logo and paint 20 of these!

5. Join the Sierra Club Foundation and get this totally awesome rucksack.

it's just like the one that some old dude named John Muir used to use way back before global conservation was important... You can use the money you have left over to sign up five of your friends and they'll get rucksacks too!

6. If it's the hemp you care about there are cute bags and a bunch of other stuff at Hemp Sisters as well as links to all things hemp. By the way.. don't smoke your bag.

7. If the penguins are your concern then Adopt 3 King Penguins. Adoption is in! Imagine how impressed your friends will be when you show them photos of your adorable penguin children. As an added bonus the penguins will stay in the Falkland Islands so you don't have to worry about raw fish or finding a good daycare provider.

8. If you really just want to spend your money why not spend it on something made in the place you want to save. Buy products from people who live in the Arctic. The Uqqurmiut Center for Arts & Crafts represents artists who live in the Arctic Circumpolar Region. They like their native wildlife almost as much as you do.

9. Are you worried about Global Warming? Plant 150 trees. No, you don't have to actually plant them. Just send your money and Trees for Life International will find someone to plant them for you. Planting a tree is like putting a big green umbrella on the global warming beach. Every little leaf helps.

10. And finally Shannon, if you really want to put that $158 to good use, go to your local library and get a few books on Conservation, Global Warming, Recycling, Endangered Species, Simple Living, Hemp, and Economics. READ THEM. Then invest your money in a cause you actually understand.

Shopbop.com says...
This Marc tote makes plastic bags feel positively passé.
Woven hemp tote with 'Save My Pole' lettering and penguin graphic at front.
Screen print created using eco-friendly printing techniques.
Tonal banding throughout. Interior features patch pocket.
$158.00

I say...
Someone must be smoking something...

Just another day

So, Monday I was sitting in my doctor's office trying to explain how I'm feeling.

Everything is ok. (Except I'm scared to death that it's not.) Life is peaceful. (And it's freaking me out.)
We are recovering from the last few years. (And will be in debt for the rest of our lives.) Ian seems to be doing well. (But what do I know when I only hear from him once every four weeks or so.) I don't hear from him much. (I dread the beginning of each month as I know he will probably be calling to ask for money soon.) The other kids are doing well. (But I know how many ways I've screwed up as a parent and I'm afraid that eventually they are going to hate me.) I hate taking antidepressants. (I had panic attacks when my prescription insurance denied my last prescription.) But I know I still need to. (Because I stopped taking them when the insurance was denied and promptly descended into a pit of darkness) I've been really busy... (this is a complete lie. I have been hiding in my house eating ice cream and reading children's books) it took some time to figure out our new insurance.. (because they made me feel like a drug dependant freak when I tried to talk to them) but if you fax the prescription directly to them they will fill it (and if they have questions they will contact you directly rather than denying the claim) and mail it directly to me (thereby taking the responsibility for communication away from me and greatly improving the chance that I will finally get the medication). I am rather anxious but I think it's just because I don't deal well with change. Even good things like Bob taking a new job and me not working anymore. It takes me a while to feel like everything is stable. (maybe by 2020 I'll start to feel better). I know that compared to what others are going through I have very little to complain about. I'm not going to sit here and cry "poor me". It's disingenuous and self-absorbed. (that's what my blog is for) But I do have to figure out a better way to deal with stress.

She suggested exercise and laughingly said that maybe I just need to buy a carton of eggs and go throw them at a fence. She really doesn't know me at all... and that is completely my fault. The truth is I will never feel comfortable talking about what is really going on in my head. I just can't do it. I smile and laugh and make light of it all because that's what I have always done. Sometimes I will write about it but that's rare too. Mostly, in real life and writing, I blow off steam with a little ranting about inconsequential things and then move on. I'm a mess but I try keep that mess contained and private.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about blogging. I truly admire people who are open, who do more than just illuminate their day to day living but shine a searchlight into the depths of their lives. Some of the best bloggers are those who are able to open the doors and show the world their messes. I wanted to write that kind of blog but I'm beginning to think I lack the guts or the depth.

However, I have noticed a disturbing trend while ruminating about this. Some of my favorite bloggers, the brave ones and the vulnerable ones, only last for so long. Eventually they succumb to the pressures involved with being so open and they fold. Sometimes without any warning. No explanation. No goodbyes. No closure. One day they are there and the next "Poof". Gone.

Perhaps someone told them to go buy a carton of eggs.

Wordle hurdle

Kate at Kate5kiwis posted a link to this totally cool "word cloud" generator on her blog today and I swiped it right quick! I have spent the better part of the evening playing with it instead of doing something more productive. Fun times!

Wordle takes the words from your blog, or any other source, and arranges them by size according to how often they are used. I was worried that I would end up with some nasty word that that illustrates poor writing... like "like"... as the biggest word in my cloud but it wasn't as bad as I feared. Go try it out!

The Dog Days of Summer have got me down.

Actually it's the dog hair of summer that's really bugging me but I've decided to blame it all on Ancient Cultures because it's more interesting that way.

Did you know that July and August are called the dog days of summer because of Sirius the Dog Star? Way back in Roman times the hottest weeks of summer coincided with Sirius rising just before dawn. Back then they also used to sacrifice a brown dog to assuage the rage of Sirius and keep the miserable days to a minimum. I'm not quite sure how killing a dog would make the weather change but I'm beginning to think it is time for drastic action. Not that I don't love my dogs but I am seriously ready to lose my mind over the amount of hair they leave lying around the house. I've been thinking of shaving them and knitting little dog hair sweaters to keep them warm.

Sweaters don't shed, they just pill and I don't mind pulling out the sweater shaver every few days and neatening them up. It's got to be easier than dealing with the perfect storm of golden doggy clouds that rise every time I turn on a fan.... and I turned on all the fans today.

Two days of record temperatures and too many snacks from the freezer have left me lethargic and strangely sentimental for 1980. It was the summer before my Junior year of high school, it was hot, and I had strep throat. I spent day after day sitting in my darkened living room, eating frozen treats to keep cool, and watching the Olympics in Moscow on TV. Speaking of popsicles... did you know that today is National Creamsicle Day?

We didn't get Creamsicles back in 1980 because they didn't last long enough in a house without air conditioning and three kids home alone all summer. We got Otter Pops. And we were happy to have them (oh yes we were Mom) they were so much better than ice cubes on toothpicks! But every now and then the ice cream truck would come by, while my brothers were busy climbing on the roof or melting plastic army men, and I would rush out and get myself a real Creamsicle. Ahh.. the sticky orange shell covering the luscious vanilla-ish inside. It was truly a Quintessentially Frozen Treat. I haven't had one in years. I considered getting the kids a box in honor of the holiday but it was just too hot to go out. So I stayed in and made my own.

Happy Creamsicle Day!

Menu Plan Monday

I'm having a lot of fun cooking lately and I think it's directly related to the planning I've been doing. We have had some very interesting meals. I'm still not sticking to the plan 100% but just knowing that there is a plan has helped me to be more creative. For instance, when we decided that it really was a great weekend to smoke salmon, rather than have the heavy roast that I had planned, it was no problem at all. The other positive change has been that I'm getting a lot better at making sure that my two vegetarians are eating meals that are fairly well balanced and hopefully interesting. This coming week is supposed to be very warm so I'm planning lots of grilled or no-cook meals.

Monday - Sopes with Shredded Chicken, Shrimp, or Beans
Tuesday - Rotisserie Chicken, Field Roast Apple Smoked Sausage, Grilled Potatoes, Corn on the Cob
Wednesday - Caponata or Steak Sandwiches on Ciabatta, Baked Potato Chips
Thursday - Salad Bar
Friday - Pork or Tofu, Pineapple and Pepper Kabobs, Couscous, Salad
Saturday - Make your own Pizza
Sunday - Waffles, Sausage, Fruit Salad

Thanks to Laura at Orgjunkie.com for hosting Menu Plan Monday! Have a good week everyone.

An Award for Little Old Me?

Jason from The Jason Show is one of my blogging heros. He has a wicked sense of humor, knows how to tell a great story, and, most important, he is able to tell the truth with remarkably little self censoring. I admire his writing and his courage. When he drops by my blog and leaves comments I have to fight the urge to dance around my computer. I can't even begin to describe how excited I was when I read his latest post and found that he had actually given ME an award.

Thank you so much Jason.


This award is especially neat because it comes with an A to Z quiz. So here are my answers...

A. Attached or single? Attached to the same guy for 24 years.
B. Best friend? Bob (see question A)
C. Cake or pie? Oh.. tough one.. how about cake with fruit but not fruit cake. A nice fruit tart with lots of fresh berries and pastry cream on sponge cake. Oh goodness I just took myself back to my Great Aunt's kitchen in Melrose Park... except no one is yelling at me in Italian.
D. Day of choice? Sunday
E. Essential item? Shampoo
F. Favorite color? Red
G. Gummy bears or worms? Ick!
H. Hometown? Jerome, Arizona
I. Favorite indulgence? ice cream
J. January or July? July
K. Kids? 2 boys 19 and 15, two girls 13 and 9
L. Life isn't complete without? Church
M. Marriage date? November 21, 1987
N. Number of brothers & sisters? 2 younger brothers, one much younger half sister
O. Oranges or apples? oranges
P. Phobias? The Post Office
Q. Quotes? I like using them.
R. Reasons to smile? Bob, Dogs, Kids
S. Season of choice? Autumn
T. Tag seven peeps! (see below)
U. Unknown fact about me? I have one elf ear
V. Vegetable? avocado
W. Worst habits? Complaining
X. X-ray or ultrasound? Ultrasound
Y. Your favorite food? Mexican food
Z. Zodiac sign? Capricorn.

Now I get to pass this award on to seven great bloggers. My seven award winners are:
JCK @ Motherscribe
Laura @ CenterDownHome
Debbie @ Etc., Etc., Etc.
Bellezza @ Dolce Bellezza
MS Teacher @ MS Teacher
Julie @ Absolutely Fabulous
Taylor @ My Blog of My World

I love your blogs and you all deserve recognition. Keep writing!

Missing my bloggy buddies

It looks like almost 80% of my favorite bloggers have been hit by a nasty Internet Explorer problem that is shutting down blogs as soon as they open. I had the same problem when I signed on tonight. After trying it about a million times I saw that everything was loading until it got to the site meter counter, which is the very last thing on my front page. I tried to go to sitemeter.com and it wouldn't open either... So I deleted my sitemeter html and bingo, my blog popped right up! So.. if you are having problems you might want to try it.

Coconuts

NatalieDee.com

While following me through the produce section yesterday, Zane found three types of coconuts, Young, White, and Easy-open, and was intrigued. Now I know absolutely nothing about coconuts but we do have a new semi-commitment to exploring new foods... and I've watched Alton Brown open a few. So I let him buy a coconut. He decided on the Easy-open because it had directions attached.

Zane was in charge of the coconut project and recruited Taylor to help. Delaney provided running commentary and constructive criticism. It turns out that easy-open is actually an oxymoron and it took more than a hammer to pry the sucker open. The kids started banging on it with my meat tenderizer but it only took a few minutes to see that wimpy kitchen tools just weren't up to the challenge. Out to the garage they went to raid Dad's tool box. In the end they used a hammer, an awl, a chisel and it took about thirty minutes to crack the thing. Then they had to extract the meat and peel it. Oh the horror! There were bits of coconut all over the kitchen.

Final verdict - Coconuts are cool but a lot of work and, after the work is done, no one wants to eat it! The shells however will probably provide years of Monty Pythonesque entertainment.

Does anyone have a good coconut recipe?

St. Martha

Yesterday was the feast day of St. Martha, patron saint of homemakers, laundresses, and servants and, despite my lapsed Catholic upbringing, one of my favorite saints. I completely identify with Martha's dueling personality traits. She was the epitome of an overworked housewife. Being a good hostess was important to her... but not important enough to keep her from complaining to her guest that she was working too hard!

When Jesus came to visit she worked her tail off to make sure everything was perfect. Yeah, yeah, Jesus could feed 5000 but when he was in her house she was going to make sure he didn't have to lift a finger... and she was getting more and more annoyed that no one was helping her. So she did what most of us do when we are feeling put upon. She started bitching about her sister.

"Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?

Tell her to help me!"

But Jesus told her to stop freaking out about the darned house and pay attention to what's really important. Now Martha was a good girl and I'm sure she tried hard to do what Jesus wanted. Maybe she relaxed a bit, didn't worry so much about her brother's dirty tunics, or only swept the scorpions out of the house twice a day... I don't know, and the Bible doesn't really detail her life story, but the next time we see her she is grieving the death of her brother. When she heard that Jesus was coming she jumped up and left her guests to rush to Jesus... And immediately started bitching again.

"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

But I'll bet that deep down inside she was really beating herself up for letting Lazarus get sick. Because that's the kind of girl she was... a control freak... and I get that. It does my heart good to know that a woman who had the audacity to scold God would end up a saint instead of a pillar of salt or something.

It's rumored that later in life Martha went to France, I don't know if she had retired there or was just vacationing but true to her nature, probably between the Boeuf Bourguignon and the Profiteroles, she waded into the swamp and tamed a dragon that had been terrorizing the village. After charming the beasty with hymns and holy water she led him back to town, where the locals rushed up and killed it. And I'll bet Martha responded just like I would.

"Goddammit! I just finished cleaning this floor!"

Yesterday, in honor of St. Martha, I didn't do a darn thing because I know that what every overworked homemaker really wants is a day where no one messes up the kitchen.

Now somebody really needs to come help me fold this laundry. Or am I just here to do all the work? Oh, that's it, right? I'm just the maid around here. No, no, don't get up! I'll just vacuum around you...

A decade ago I lived north of Seattle in a town called Edmonds. It's a smallish town, sitting right on the Puget Sound, with a beautiful marina, a busy Ferry terminal, and an incredible view of the islands in the Sound, the ships headed for the sea, and the mountains of the Olympic Peninsula, which some mornings look as if they too are sailing away. The Edmonds waterfront was a balm to my troubled soul on days when the rain wouldn't stop, the toddler was grumpy, or the baby wouldn't nap. While Taylor slept in her carseat Zane would stand on the front seat, naming ships and talking about where they were going to. It didn't matter what the weather was like or how irritable we were, a half an hour there, sitting in the car, watching the ships go by, always made life seem better.

Edmonds is also where I became a "real writer" who was actually paid to put words on paper. It wasn't a lot but it was real money and it made me feel wonderful. When we moved I lost my momentum and didn't write for several years. The other day I was trolling around the internet and stumbled on a notice about Write on the Sound, a writer's conference in Edmonds. The conference is an annual event that I never had the time or money to attend when I lived there. Years later, when I had the time, I was living in California and couldn't justify a plane ticket and hotel for an event I had never made an effort to go to when I lived six blocks from it. Now I live sixty miles away; close enough to make a weekend conference seem a little less like an indulgence and more like a good investment in the career that has been languishing since I moved away. Honestly I'm a little frightened. The first weekend of October I am driving north and for a few days I'm going to be a writer again...

But during the breaks it's possible you might find me parked on the waterfront remembering my babies.

Blueberry Daze

Today we went to Linbo Blueberry Farm and sifted through acres of bushes to find ripe blueberries. It's been a very cool summer so far, and Mr. Linbo told us that the berries still need a bit more time, but I couldn't resist going out to take a look. Some of my favorite childhood memories are of picking raspberries at my Uncle Ozzie's farm in Michigan. I've been craving the peace that comes with wandering through rows of bushes focusing my whole attention on finding sweet tiny jewels hiding in the leaves. Linbo Farm is my new favorite berry picking patch because they play classical music out in the field to enhance the experience. It's a good thing I took the kids with me or I might still be there, meditating with the berries. We brought home almost three pounds of berries... but since Zane can eat a pound in one sitting, we will definitely need to go back and pick some more!

Menu Plan Monday

Week two of my new, more organized life, (hahahahahahahahahahahah!) and I'm happy to report that we did a pretty good job of staying with the plan last week. Although we had some major shuffling of menus the last minute trips to the grocery store or burger shack were almost non-existent. So I guess I can call week one a success.

Monday - Vegetarian Paella (this is one we didn't get to last week)
Tuesday - Grilled Chicken, Veggie Hot Dogs, Potato Salad

Wednesday - Fish Tacos, Mexican Coleslaw
Thursday - Cobb Salad
Friday - Make Your Own Pizza
Saturday - Leftovers

Sunday - Prime Rib, Mashed Potatoes, Salad (I'm not sure what the vegetarians will eat besides side dishes)

Thanks to Laura at Orgjunkie.com for hosting Menu Plan Monday.

A room of one's own...

I'm a sucker for a written argument but, until recently, this is a weakness that my children haven't exploited. I have often told them if they dispute a rule or decision in writing I will seriously consider what they have to say. I didn't say this because I didn't want to listen to them complain, although I don't want to listen to them complain, but to protect myself against being bullied. Wow, that sounds terrible.. but you see, Ian is a master debater and could argue me in circles when he was about three years old. I simply couldn't withstand the barrage so I put a stop to it. I made it my personal policy to always say "no" to a verbal argument. I've probably never even articulated this to the younger kids. They were just victims of "this is how it is". My standard answer to just about any request is "I'll have to think about it." and if I'm pushed the answer is always "No."

Taylor and Delaney share a bedroom. They have always shared a bedroom. I think it's really special for sisters to share rooms, and clothes, and make-up, and whispered conversations in the middle of the night. Can you tell that I didn't grow up with a sister? Taylor, however, doesn't seem to think it's all that special and has been trying to secure a room of her own for a while now... I think it started about the time that Delaney came home from the hospital... but we simply haven't had the space until recently.

When Ian moved out last summer we finally did have an extra bedroom and the lobbying for separate rooms began. However, room allocation was difficult since we have two normal sized rooms and the room the girls share, which is 18' x 14', so we made the extra bedroom a guest room instead. This also helped a bit with the issue of parental guilt that comes with having an 18yr old out on his own. Completely giving his bedroom away was not something I was ready to do just yet. For the last year the "guest room" has primarily been a laundry folding (hahahahahaha) room, a storage junkyard, and a constant topic of conversation.

Well... someone finally took me up on my offer to consider arguments presented in writing and yesterday I was given the following:


Reasons to let everyone have their own room

1. Delaney & Taylor have own space.
2. More storage for Delaney.
3. Less arguments.
4. Less decoration problems.
5. Delaney & Taylor help clean up guest room.
6. Delaney stops waking Taylor up earlier.
7. Delaney has more room for sleepovers.
8. Taylor can have sleepovers in her room.
9. During school Delaney can get up without bothering Taylor.
10. Taylor and Delaney can have quiet to do their homework.
11. Delaney can sing.
12. Taylor can play her music.
13. Taylor can be in her room when Delaney has a friend over.
14. Delaney faces her fear.
15. Both girls have more privacy.

All three children are in agreement with Delaney getting the big room, Taylor getting the guest room, and Zane staying in his room. Letting Taylor have the guest room will help bring peace to her and Delaney. There will not be arguments about things like "your music's too loud" or "stop looking at my side!"

All three of them worked on the list (which could probably be shortened to 8 points but I won't quibble). So we agreed. The only change we made is that Zane will take the big bedroom, since he is the oldest and his room is where they all congregate to play computer games anyway. Right now it looks like a bomb exploded upstairs but they are all happily working together to move stuff around. It's nice to see them excited to clean their rooms!

Now I'm going to have to go fold the laundry because it's been evicted from Taylor's new bedroom and is lounging on MY bed. Why is it that eventually everything comes back to laundry?

Menu Plan Monday

Ever wonder why the title of the blog is Ginaagain, and again, and again? Back in the old days of newsgroups and chat rooms I was occasionally hit on by guys who thought my screen name was an invitation of sorts. But it wasn't. And I'm mean to guys who hit on me. Ginaagain is actually a reference to my mobius strip sort of life. Round and round I go, thinking I'm actually getting somewhere, but, far too often, I end up back where I started. Gina... do it again and again. Until I get it right. So, knowing this about me it shouldn't be any surprise to see me doing Menu Plan Monday again. I know that menu planning is a good idea but I'm not very good at planning anything. Oh well. Now you know something new about me.

Here's the menu for the coming week.



Monday - Summer Rolls- shrimp and veggie, Chilled Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Dressing

Tuesday - Spaghetti with Red Sauce, Meatballs, Salad

Wednesday - Pork, Pineapple, and Pepper Skewers with Rice and Grilled Zucchini

Thursday - Vegetarian Paella, Grilled Chicken Legs and Corn on the Cob

Friday - Make Your Own Pizza

Saturday - Finnish Summer Soup- Kësakeitto, Sandwiches

Sunday - Fajita Salad

Thanks to Laura at Orgjunkie.com for hosting Menu Plan Monday. Go check out her site lots of great menus.

A few days with the mouse...

I know, I know... it's taking me longer to post about my vacation than it did to actually experience it.

The last stop for our crazy train was Disneyland. On the day we arrived we had spent eight hours travelling but still managed to close down the park at midnight. A feat which we repeated four days in a row.

Strange things happen at Disneyland in the wee hours of the morning. As we were crawling towards the gate at about 12:15am on our third night there we saw a group of people in bathrobes, lead by a Disney "cast member" strolling through the park. I can't shake the idea that they were on their way to a secret spa hidden on Pirate Island. Captain Jack's Ayurvedic massage and herbal wraps perhaps? Natural sea salt scrub anyone?


I believe the secret entrance to the night spa may be somewhere behind the black sails but I wasn't allowed to look for it. Notice how my husband made sure I didn't get too close to the Jack Sparrow look alike... soon after this picture was taken he dragged from the island and forced me to ride the psychedelic Winnie the Pooh ride in an attempt to distract me.


Of course, I forgave him and we went on to enjoy more wholesome, non-pirate attractions.


Until the accident in Toon Town....


And the unfortunate incarceration of my three precious children.

Since we had spent all of our money on food I thought I would be forced to sell my body lanyard to the pirates for bail money but I was rescued by...

The Mouse... King of All Pirates!

Tales from Oklahoma...

After four days of wedding festivities we were definitely ready for some downtime. Our next stop was Oklahoma and the Grand Lake O' the Cherokees where my inlaws have a home on the water. We spent the week resting, floating, and sometimes speeding in circles until we were dizzy.

Well, some of us sped in circles... What you don't see in these pictures is me standing on the dock and biting my nails while my family hurtles through the water at 50 mph, but that's where I was. I'm just no fun at all. But then again I will never forget the 4th of July I spent in the hospital waiting room while a surgeon reconnected three of the tendons in my husband's hand after a jetski accident. Funny, isn't it, that he still rides?

When they weren't on the water having fun the kids were riding around the complex on golf carts, learning first aid (it turns out that golf carts are more dangerous than jetskis when teenagers are driving), and hanging out with their cousins.

Cousins can be a great combination of friends and family but Zane and Taylor are extra fortunate to have cousins that are their age... Zach is two weeks younger than Zane and Emily is two weeks older than Taylor.

On the 4th of July we drove to Tulsa to see a matinee performance of The Phantom of the Opera and then returned for a night of fireworks on the lake.

And then there was the night we went to the yacht club.... Apparently I ordered the bottomless Cosmopolitan but I don't remember much after the fourth refill. At one point I was giggling uncontrollably over the fact that the yacht club keeps complimentary deodorant spray in the ladies room. Yes, I am a classy drunk. At least I didn't dance on the tables... I think.

One beautiful day...

...in San Diego.

Two fantastic people became husband and wife.

And they invited some crazy people to participate in the ceremony!

It was a very special day.