Sunday, October 23, 2011

It's Not Easy To Be Easy

It took
2 Towns, 3 Stores and 67 minutes
to make this
from this
And it was good, very good
Gratuitous duck standing on one foot photo because Bea is the cutest duck in the universe


Friday, October 21, 2011

Kindergarten Conversations


Since Olivia has started school, her communication skills are really changing. She's always been a good conversationalist but is becoming more curious about almost everything. I love listening to her monologue from the back seat as she assumes many roles--complete with accents--that totally crack me up. She really could be her own sitcom.

This morning Amber dropped her off to spend the day with me. As I was getting ready, we had this conversation:

Olivia:  Omee, where do you think Swiper (the sly fox character on the Dora cartoon series) lives?
Me:   I don't know--he's just pretend,you know. He's a cartoon character.
Olivia:  Do you think he lives in the forest? That's right. He lives in the forest.
Me: A pretend forest.
Olivia: Where do you think Dora lives?
Me:  You know Dora's not real either, she's just pretend.
Olivia: **shocked expression** DORA'S NOT REAL???
Me: Well, it depends on what you mean by real.....

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Fall Decorating

is minimal this year...at least outdoors. After the wedding last year, there will be no cornstalks and only 4 pumpkins gracing the grounds this year. Inside I have quite a bit of fall stuff out. I've always thought our home is a "Fall Home" as the views are so beautiful from every window and deck.
The impatiens are still pretty so I'm not buying any mums. After last year, this could have a considerable impact on the local economy.

Monday, October 10, 2011

I fall in love

with fall every year.
Especially when I buy my first bag of candy corn

Thursday, October 6, 2011

You've got to

Ac-cent-tchu-ate the positive
E-lim-in-nate the negative

 Latch on
to the Af-fur-ma-tive
And don't mess with Mister In-Between


Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Love in a Jar

I canned tomato soup last night using my mom's recipe
with my own special ingredient:
A generous splash of profanity

Because getting it from here:

Into here
is a b**tch

It's a steamy, hot, messy, process, but really worth the effort.
Much like a lot of other good things.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Caption courtesy of Zac

"Why so serious? Let's put a smile on that face!"  
(Name that movie)

We celebrated GG Patten's birthday a week late and Olivia picked out a school bus cake. Upon closer inspection, the entire cake (from Fareway) was made up of cupcakes complete with black frosting on the "tires"

Addie and the boys spent a few days with us--so will include a bonus photo today of Addie and Leo Alvin\

Monday, October 3, 2011

One-A- Day October

In an effort to catch up, make up and shape up, I hereby make the following declaration:
For the month of October, I will post a photo each day. No promises for captions or explanations, just a photo.

"Umm, Maddie, you do realize you are eating 'game bird formula' and not dog kibble, don't you?"

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Duck Talk

I know, it's been way too long since I've blogged. So much has happened, it will take awhile to catch up. My computer is not being cooperative so I have to make this quick
September has been a roller coaster of emotions--fun vacation, frustration at our business, fabulous grandchildren and.....

Flirtations with fertility

In the dim light of early morning, I found an unexpected surprise in Bea's pen.
And, well, here's where we are now

Wow...so here is what I found out:

Indian Runners are an unusual breed of domestic duck. They stand erect like penguins and, rather than waddling, they run. The females usually lay about 150 – 200 eggs a year or more, depending whether they are from exhibition or utility strains. They were found on the Indonesian Islands of Lombok, Java and Bali where they were 'walked' to market and sold as egg-layers or for meat. These ducks do not fly and only rarely form nests and incubate their own eggs. They run or walk, often dropping their eggs wherever they happen to be.

Our Bea has been such a source of joy this summer. All this, and eggs too.

Another unexpected sight in the garage has been this

An African violet plant from Mom's funeral. Blooming. Under my care.
A miracle.

Blossoms and eggs.

In the midst of harvest.