Pick a color! Any color, so long as it's a shade of Blue.

Not to long ago I had the opportunity to go blueberry picking with my sister and her kids. The kids are great. They have a never ceasing stream of conversation that is most of the time quite hard to keep up with. I have to listen to two kids at once, and make acceptable conversation with both of them. It is a joy! Big Goof is a computer geek, and proud of it. If given the opportunity he will regale you with the latest game he has played (in great detail), talk until he is interrupted about the game(s) he's designing, and still slip in a few jokes about how silly I look in my sunhat. The smaller Goof is quieter. She'll talk your ear off when given the chance, but she tends to wait her turn, slipping her comments into the conversation with the subtly of a good poker player. Her love is horses. Giving her half a chance to get on her favorite topic and you'll hear about the latest riding lesson, the horse she wants to buy when she has the money, and the last time her friends were over. With an eye for detail, she finds what she looks for. Then there was the Little Bug. She wandered everywhere. Small Goof had to keep running after her and bringing her back. The tall berry bushes made great shade, and hide-outs, both of which Little Bug took advantage of. We picked berries for what seemed like forever. Really it was only about 3 1/2 hours. But in the hot sun...those hours dragged by. At the end of our time there, we totaled up the picked poundage. 50 pounds!! That's a lot of purpley-blueberries! They are especially good in a bowl with a dash of sugar and whipped cream on top. MmmmHmmm!

Why We Do What We Do

There are so many different ways that we can spend our time. There are simple pleasures. For me personally they include (in no particular order); sunrises and sunsets, clean laundry, clean floors, back rubs, swimming, jumping, walking, reading, and many many more. For me, simple pleasures are things that are done pretty much everyday, but are things that bring joy. I love to watch the colors of the sky change as the sun rises, waking the world for a beautiful new day. As the sun sets on the old day my mind nearly always turns towards the farm where I grew up: never ending wheat fields, tractors, and sweat. The labor was needed for our livelihood. We did everything from gardening, cleaning, changing irrigation pipes, driving tractors, and hanging out the laundry to dry on the clothes line. The clothes always smelled so sweet when they were dry and ready to fold. Like a summer breeze forever captured in your t-shirt. The freshness, the youth, and the smell of grass all wrapped up to enjoy. I guess that is why I like clean laundry. I loathe folding it, but the smell of it is something I love. Fresh. Clean. Wholesome. Working with my hands is something I have always done and always loved. On trips, at home, and at school there were many volunteers to receive back rubs. I didn't mind, in fact it's something I really enjoy. I love the feeling that I get when I am able to help someone have a better day. Even if it's just a little thing. I'm a helper. Mr O likes to help too, as does Peaches. They try in their own ways to help me out around the house, and are mostly successful. They keep the floors mostly clean, take care of their laundry, and are great entertainment for us and our neighbors. The little things that they enjoy and share with me have become so important to me. I love smelling the picked dandilions, daisies, and weeds. The sticky little hand in mine as we walk somewhere just makes my day. And the little voices that sing silly songs that they make up at the top of their voices is so sweet to hear (most of the time). The little things are really the things that matter most. Without them, the world would be bleak and rather dark. With them, and the sun shines no matter what the weather.

Out to Set a Record

Our area is out to set the all time high in recorded temperature readings this week. As in: it's freaking HOT!! Thankfully we were gifted a pool, and so the kids have been riding out the worst of it in the water. Mr O has a pretend hurt foot, and Peaches is ferrying him to the dr. They played like this for nearly an hour.

Rough Road Ahead

Yes, we drivers have all seen that sign posted on the sides of roads in sigh in resignation. Those words usually mean gravel, dirt, and the off chance that you may get a chip in your windshield from the car in front of you throwing up a rock. But that sign takes on a whole new meaning with one simple adjustment: dirt bikes. We went out for a day of dirt, rides, more dirt, some burgers, more dirt, a couple more rides, and a final cloud of dirt as we were driving away. Having the chance to spend time with some great friends who happen to own several dirt bikes and a quad was great. Driving up to the "Pit" we headed up a very narrow road with lots of sharp turns. Eventually the pavement gave way to gravel. Not your ordinary gravel, no. This gravel was the all natural stuff, not the crushed that we get for our driveways. To navigate without slicing open the transmission casing took every shred of concentration that the driver had. Then there were two creeks to go through as well. Some guy with a interesting sense of humor decided it would be a bright idea to barricade one side of the creek and make it into a pond the stretched over about 10 feet of the roadway. That was fun. Peaches and Mr O saw the water and screeched "faster! Faster!!" So we went in, bouncing and spraying water in all directions. Then we were finally at the destination for the day. A campsite; dusty, well loved, and with only porta potty's for relief. But there were also the bikes. Three of them. One for each boy. This was Handsome's first time on a dirt bike, so M showed him the basics and they were off! Spitting gravel and dust at anyone in their wake. Grinning ear to ear, and opening up the throttle, they were gone in a cloud of dust. The kids soon discovered the dump truck, tractor, and toy bike and began heaping the dirt into piles. They were filthy in less time than you can say the word. Brrrrrrummmmming, BBBBBBBBBBBBBBing, and honking they made a maze of dirt through the camp. I sat with D and talked of nothing and everything, just enjoying the company of a wonderful friend. Finally the boys came back, but there was no rest. Mr O and Peaches wanted to ride too! So Handsome took a crash course of how to work the quad and they peeled away for a joy ride. After they returned (each kid getting a turn) we went down to the creek and put our feet into the icy cold water and the boys left for another ride on the bikes. The kids loved it and were splashing and running through. D took the quad and splashed through, dousing the nearest kid, and grinning from ear to ear. She then took each kid in turn for a ride across the water, splashing and giggling. Soon we heard the boys coming back down the hill and they splashed through, each putting up a nice rooster tail of spray. Then it was break for lunch, and do it all again! Oh for fun in the sun (and dirt)!

The Measuring Cup

What if we were able to measure love? What would we use to hold it? How would we measure it? Is there a weight or liquid amount? Who could we trust to do the measuring? There is an old old song that I sang back in grade school that always comes to mind with questions like these. "The Magic Penny." "Love is like a magic penny, hold it tight and you won't have any. Lend it, spend it, and you'll have so many; they'll roll all over the floor. For, Love is something if you give it away, give it away, give it away. Love is something if you give it away; you'll end up having more!" It is so true. There is no way to measure love. It is something to appriciate, riciprocate, and cherish. It is not something to be counted on, but to be returned if recieved. Love. What does that word mean to you?

Coming down to the Wire

In this day and age, time is a precious commodity. The saying goes that time is money, and most people are driven by the need of more and more. I meet people everyday who seem to be driven by this force and schedule themselves so tight that they are down to mere minutes between appointments; literally coming down to the wire before they are late. When did we begin to get so rushed? When did it become so important to make a few extra dollars that we are unable to visit with those we care for? The children and I had a wonderful experiance last week on our visit to my old home town. Within that visit we went out to the farm where my grandparents reside. To look at their home is nothing spectacular. It isn't a mansion; there is no greenhouse; and if you come with your work clothes on, expect to be put to work. The yard is huge. On a riding lawnmower, mowing that yard probably takes the better part of two hours. There are beautiful flowers, wild and planted, that need watered almost every day. There's the crik that runs through the back yard that gets cleaned out at least once a year (that is a full days work for 2-3 people). For the first time in a long time, the kids could run and run and run and not run out of space. They found all of the secret little hidey-holes and pathways, special rocks, and even the net for frog-catching. Their fascination with the crik and the plants that grew in it was fun to watch. And then there is Grandpa's bird feeders. I've lost track of how many he has. When we went we counted 3 hummingbird feeders, 3 seed feeders, some little glass bowls for some special birds to drink from, and there are suet feeders for in the winter. Grandpa loves his birds. We sat and talked of nothing and everything and watched the birds come and go. Their yard seems to be the hot spot for nearly all types of feathered friends, and Grandpa knows them all by name. Conversation never seemed to lag, though there were long silences when we were listening and watching. The time that we spent there is precious to me. We were able to pause and appriciate the beauty of simple pleasures for a short time. Listening to the birds trill and call to each other, the water running through the yard, and the occational neighbor dog barking, brought back all the memories fresh and vivid. Spending time with them always seems to recharge me. I come back with a greater appriciation of those who are around me, for spending the time, and for loving others without expecting any return. Food for the soul. The time spent is worth every second.

And Now There Are Four...

While on our trip we connected with some old friends of mine. One who is expecting her first baby (a girl) and is so beautiful!, and another who had children a little earlier (like me). We went to the park with Libbie and her Birds. Big Bird immediatly letting Mr O and Peaches know how things were done; they took her advice with a grain of salt. And Little Bird who befriended Mr O and Peaches, never showing the slightest hesitation. It was as if our children had known each other for years rather than minutes. Within five minutes they were all off and running. Exploring the world around them. Seeing the Birds so readily accept Mr O and Peaches was beautiful. As the children played and ate and did all the things that children do at a park, Libbie and I talked. And talked. And talked. We never ran out of subjects and were still gabbing on the way to the cars 4 hours later when the kids had finally had enough sunshine. Thinking back, the last time we really talked in person was in third grade. Let that sink in. We (thankfully) have reconnected online, and chat quite often. I feel as if I've been best friends with her for years! Libbie is one of those wonderful people with whom time does not seem to bother. Sure there are things that have happened (like us both having two kids in tow now), but you can strike up a conversation with her and feel like you have known her for years. She's that kind of gal. It was wonderful! There was none of the uncomfortable lapses in conversation, should I hug you or not, or should I talk to her kid or let her handle it moments. It was real; she was real. And time seemed to freeze as we enjoyed each other's company there on that mostly shaded picnic table. Libbie is one of those people that I would love to have next door. When the kids came around for food or hugs, I was still there, but she is a mother first, and didn't hesitate to be that in front of me. It was refreshing to see her interact with her Birds and with mine. She has a way of living in the moment, not letting it slip away. Because with children, each moment is so precious.

Green is a Smell

Visiting with my parents was wonderful. Not only were my beautiful children able to get some much needed one on one with their grandparents, but we were also able to see the inner workings of a garden first hand. Not just the one or two little plots, no. My wonderful mother and father go all out in their gardening. There are several beds of beans (three different kinds), strawberries, zuchinni, pumpkins, tomatoes (three kinds), beets, lettuce, cucumbers, potatoes, grapes, and lots of flowers. From early spring to late fall they get yeilds from their garden. Much of it is for canning; cucumbers for pickles, tomatoes for sauce, beans and zuchinni for freezing, etc. It is so beautiful. Every morning, seemingly before sunup (though in reality it was only about 7) my mother would go out and water all the plants. Watering them early lets them soak up the water before the heat sets in and starts to evaporate said water. After watering comes the harvesting. The kids took a particular intirest in this part. A basket was kept handy for the fruits of the labor, and away they would go. First check the heavier things: zuchinni, cukes, and tomatoes. Then off to the beans: purple, yellow and green all blending together for a wonderful look. After checking each plant, we would head inside to wash and prepare the individual harvests for eating or storage. And oh my goodness did that fresh produce taste good!

And Life is BACK!!

So, as you all know, I was out of town and away from the computor for a whole week. It did seem like forever, but I had much better things to be doing. We got to travel across the state, visit some very special people, and come home. While visiting my old home-town I ran into a few people that I hadn't seen in years (no really, since third grade kinda time). A dear friend, with whom I chat with on-line tons and we've become quite close in the intervening years, and I were able to picnic at the park with her Birds. I was able to dine with another dear old friend who is expecting her first child (and very very excited) and visit with her as well. While at the park with L, I ran into my old piano teacher which resulted in a nice conversation, ending with Peaches needing to go. My wonderful older sister had a bunch of cherries that needed pitting, and so she came to hang, chat, and pit cherries for a morning. Oh it had been a while! While getting very sticky with the cherries, our Aunt just happened to stop in, so we go tto hear the latest from their house as well. Heading out to the farm, we chatted with my grandparents for several hours, enjoying the peace that only country life seems to hold (I miss it!). After getting back to my mother's house, we put up 24 pints of strawberry jam, talked so much my voice got hoarse, and sang. I miss singing. It was just one of those things that brought us together, even though we all had differing opinions, we could join together in song. As the visit there wound to a close, we prepared to crash in on my husband's parents. As luck would have it, we got to see great-grandma into the bargan, and had a wonderful time being goofy with the cousins and showing off. Leaving on the homeward journey was hard. We were leaving people who loved us dearly, and who we love dearly, behind. Probably not seeing them for another 6 months. But, looking forward to our own beds and a loving dog and daddy to see the next day. Upon our arrival home, my sister called. I had completely forgotten that I had promised to go blueberry picking with her. So, we left at 8 am and returned 4 hours later with 50 pounds of blueberries to freeze for later use. Then, as the afternoon was winding to a close, I looked at the calender. We were going rock hunting with some friends up north of us for our garden. We scored some huge fossil rocks, and a bunch of smaller ones. And had a TON of fun! Looking back though, we've been on the go for 7 days in a row. Oh it will be nice to sit for a day...or maybe just catch up on the laundry...yeah right. I know the likelyhood of that (insert Mr O's evil laugh here). I love life! What I post in the next week (or so) will probably be musings from our trip, since I was unable to write at the time.

Loud Greasy Music

What is it about the carnival that makes everyone so excited? Is it the music, the greasy food, the vendors, the rides? Or is it the combination of having them all in one place? For the last couple days we've had people parading past our house. Small children in base-ball caps. Teens in little more than bathing suits. Adults in sunhats, tank tops, and pushing strollers. From our house we can hear the rides going, kids screaming in fear/excitement, and the music. The thump thump of the bass guitar has been pumped through our house for two days now. At least they shut down at midnight. Mr O and Peaches of course needed to go, especially since we live in such close proximity and can see the rides from our house. It would have seemed a little unfair to not take them on a few rides. So we made the trek, the whole block of hot sidewalk, to go to the carnival. For a four and a five year old there was an overwhelming lot of rides to choose from. We made it to the far side of the park for the tickets, and now for the decision. Would it be the spinning dragons or the dragon mini-roller coaster? The giant slide or the bouncy castle? Mr O and Peaches immediately homed in on the dragon-coaster. And away we went. They got into a car, got the bumper placed on their laps, and WHEEEEEE!! Big grins and laughter, and wind rushing by. Then of course there was the cotton candy, walking through all the vendors' stalls, and then "just one more ride?!" So there we were, right next to the giant slide. It was a llllloooooonnnnnnngggggg way to the top, but Peaches finally got there. And Whoosh! Wow! Can I go again? A big smile from mommy and it's time to head home. We're not having carnival food for dinner.

Some Time Off

To you all who read my ramblings way more often than you probably should...I'm taking a week off. I'm going down to the town where I grew up to visit some family and old friends. I'll post when we return. Have a great week!!

The Audience is Watching

When you become a parent, you have an audience. Constantly. They are always there, listening and watching, whether you think they are or not. Learning to be on stage was something totally foreign to me. In school I didn't like it at all. I loved helping those who were on stage, but it just wasn't for me. I liked being an unknown. I was a rather shy person and with some very good friends was able to take that fear head on. Since the shyness for years was painful, learning to let my personality show was hard work for me. I have a sunshiny disposition, that I can now open up to share without the fear that plagued my school years. Getting married was a huge leap for me. I now had to share my life with someone all the time, everyday. He sees me at my worst and best and everything that falls in between. Becoming a parent threw me into the limelight even more. As scary as it is, I am the star of the show right now. Mr O and Peaches think that mom knows everything. And it is as scary as staring an alligator in the eye. I'm so scared of making a mistake that later will come back to haunt me. I know that I probably already have, but the fear is still there. Living every moment of every day in front of an audience is hard, wonderful, exhilarating, and exhausting. My love for these two children that have been placed into my arms is unmeasurable. Trying not to disappoint them is a constant curtain call. I'm human and so make mistakes. But having them watch me make those mistakes is tough. Thankfully the audience listening and watching here have so far enjoyed the show. They laugh at all the right places, hug and kiss the hurt away, and love without malice.

They are my audience. And the curtain is rising.

If I had to Carry my House on my Back

I find snails fascinating.




They are gross, slimy, eat my plants, and some are poisonous.




But they are really quite cool.




For something that resembles a slug so much, snails have a bit more to them.
They have the same icky looking skin, 4 eyes (or whatever those things are called), and leave a trail of slime behind them. But snails have a house. A built in house. A house that they carry everywhere with them. They don't seem to mind the added weight. They are also quite adept at not getting hung up on stuff that they pass underneath. On any given day, we find several snails. It is so moist here that they are just always around. Finding one in our yard is like finding a gold nugget. There is a shout and a holler. Then we move onto the watching faze. Where is is going? What will it do? Does it have a family? Trying to answer these kinds of questions is impossible, so I let Peaches and Mr O think and try to answer them for themselves. Snails really are fascinating.

Total Destruction!

What is it about destruction that just pulls children and adults alike? We got to see something that doesn't happen very often: the demolition of a house. Just around the corner. Over breakfast we heard some clunking and crashing noises and decided to investigate.

Upon opening our door, we could see the backhoe hard at work.

We walked quite close, directly across the street, and sat down to watch the entertainment for the day.

BOOM! CRASH! SMASH! The sounds every child gets excited over.

The sounds that make us adults listen hard with both ears to make sure it's not our house being demolished.

Splintering wood. Squeaking timbers as the nails were pulled from their home of 30 years. Shattering glass.

The Bbbbrrrrroommm bbbbbbbrrrrrroommm of the diesel engine.

Absolutely fascinating!

The Newest Addition

So...I have a new camara!!

I don't know all the fun stuff that I can do yet...

But It's fun to play with!

Here's a comparison shot between the old digital I was using and the new one (old on left):

This is the same flower, only one day separates these photos

3 1/2 frames per second...

Hi-def movies with sound (that I don't know how to take yet)...

And TONS of other features that I will learn to use, but haven't yet...


I LOVE it!

One of Those Days...

The day started out normal enough. David got up, got Lucy up, and they played for a while downstairs. They then trooped upstairs to make sure we were awake (we had been for a while) and proceeded on to the sewing/school room to do some "school work." Upon them becoming quite, an investigation by daddy occurred...An audible gasp followed with "that is NOT ok!" made me jump and start getting up. Mr O came crying into the room followed by daddy and a pouting Peaches. They had started by cutting paper, but got bored with that and moved on to Peaches hair. Needless to say they no longer have scissors for a very long time. Luckily they were only trimming the bottom of it when aprehended by daddy, and so no damage control was needed. But since this was the second offence, there were rather harsh punishments that followed. Mr O no longer has hair, and as he is rather vain and likes to look in the mirror, this is actually a punishment for him. Peaches had to sweep and mop the floor under the unforgiving eye of mommy (she had to redo it twice before she did it right and I let her off).

So on that rather unhappy beginning to the day, we decided to make a trip to Costco. Specifically for a new camara for me. We had shopped around a bit and really liked the Canon. Spent 5 minutes at the camara counter there and had a new camara, the T1i (Canon Rebel). It is wonderful!! It can take 3 1/2 pictures per second, does hi-def video with sound, and I can blow up the pictures to huge sizes and not lose any quality. WooHoo! With 35 mm (my true love) on the endangered list (I could only find it at Fred Meyers), a good digital is very very welcome. Yay!

I LOVE MY HUSBAND!! Just in case ya'll didn't know that.