how to eat an elephant...

I'm just back from a walk with my Katie girl along the canal.

It's a day full of promise with blue skies with a hint of white clouds... still... the mountains are capped in white and the birds are flittering about.

Today I'm back to mudding the boys' bathroom. I've got to move forward every day to make some good progress...

I keep reminding myself...

How do you eat an elephant? ONE BITE AT A TIME!

And so... with one swipe of mud at a time... I inch toward my goal of walls... ready to paint...

Well, I'd just better get to it, right?

My Katie girl is BACK!

Katie (beige) & Fluffy (black)
Charlie (little white fluff ball at 4 weeks old)
Emma (approx 8 weeks old)
My Katie girl... my shadow!
So... off we were heading to Billings this morning when we got down the street near the house we were renting... when a cat looking just like my Katie girl crosses the street and stops in the yard looking at the truck.

I jump out of the truck to see if it was my Katie girl who has been missing for 3 weeks....

She was very timid. Missing her collar... and wasn't so sure about me : (...

We turned right around and brought her home and put away the kittens to give her some space. As soon as she entered our new home... downstairs she went... straight to the food bowl. YUP! That's Katie alright!

She's a little thinner, but in very good health. I think that someone had her all this time. She was lost... went back to the old place... and someone (who??? I don't know!) took her in not knowing how much we were missing her!

So... now we have 4 cats! Yes, I most certainly must be the... Cat Lady....

With our youngest son (almost 12) to watch over all cats... off we went to Billings.

On the Walmart list:

Cat Food

Kitten Food

Cat litter (Feline Pine is my favorite!)

and... an addition litter box!

It'll take a while for all of our cats to get adjusted to one another....

I'm so very very very pleased to have my Katie girl... my shadow... back!!!!

My dear Canon PowerShot S400....

I love taking photos... especially flowers... and landscapes! I fell in love with photography when I was a kid.

I remember the day when it happened...

My uncle Gary was snapping photos with his Nikon SLR 35mm at a family gathering at Meddybemps Lake in beautiful Maine. I remember watching him.

Then he put HIS camera in my hands... and showed me what to do...

That was it for me, the beginning of a passion!!!

I'm so sad to report that my little Canon PowerShot S400 digital elph which has gone everywhere with me... is NOT working correctly anymore...

It's been a fantastic companion for over 6 years! I kept it in the truck... in my bag... it was so small that I could always have it with me!

One time while framing out the house, I left it out on a pile of sheathing. Forgot all about it... till the next day... after it had rained during the night. Well, after it dried out... it was perfect again!

Yes... and it HAS BEEN dropped... I admit it! OK... more than once... But it's got this tough outer case... and NO harm done...

But... I NEED IT!!! I have these adorable kittens that MUST HAVE their photos taken while they are tiny... sigh... look out the window... those snow capped mountains with that delicate morning light breathing life onto the countryside... and what about the vibrant glow of sunset????

And the holidays are coming! And there's family pictures... and pictures of friends to take... and HOW will I share with you the outcome of my last batch of tomatoes??

Can it be fixed? I'll have to find out!

Yes, I admit it... it may be time for an updated version... but this would be such a great camera to pass on to the boys...

UPDATE 11/5/09

Just got off the phone with Canon. He said that what's going on in my camera is a KNOWN PROBLEM called CCD Malfunction with a sensor gone bad.

They will email me a UPS return ticket... and FIX MY BELOVED CAMERA... for FREE!

I'm so thrilled!!!!!!!! Yeah for Canon Customer Service!!!! You have my loyalty!

Made another batch of Salsa today!

We had Nachos for supper tonight... complete with homemade Salsa... and all the fixings... tomatoes, avocado, lettuce, green onions, sour cream, refried beans, seasoned ground beef... forgot the black olives!

May do another version of this dinner in the future, except with taco shells or those taco bowls!

I'm getting ready to can Salsa now! I may have enough tomatoes to make a few more batches! Granny, thank you so much for sharing that awesome Salsa recipe!!!!

little blessings...

Good morning... or good day to you!

Woke up a little early to feed my little hungry white puff ball. He thinks that he should be fed all the time!

We're all enjoying the kittens so much!!!

My family is all off to work and school... the house is very quiet except for the meowing of my little ones!

I'm getting ready to call some of my dear friends and customers! And getting ready for our group leader conference call!

I'm so blessed to be able to work from home! I get to help people have more ooomph in their step... and to be able to breathe deeply without coughing, choking, & crying while they clean!

Thank goodness for the internet that has brought all of us so close together where we can freely communicate... share ideas... knowledge... wisdom... passions... and friendships!!!

Isn't it awesome... and wonderful... and fantastic to live in this technological age? What would we do without computers and the internet... and cell phones?

Eat your veggies!

Everyone's done eating and the food is mostly gone... but wait... didn't anyone have any corn? Why do I have SO MUCH corn left over???

Is it only my family that can't seem to eat 1 can of veggies for dinner? Should I enforce the "No one leaves the table until the vegetables are all eaten"... RULE?

Here's what I'm going to do with all my left over veggies!

1-Veggie collection! I'm going collect all the left over veggies into the fridge or freezer.

2-SOUP! Each week, we're going to enjoy a homemade soup... AND use up those leftover Veggies!

Any other ideas... please DO post in comments!

And then there were two...

(This is Emma. She's 8 weeks old)

(This little fluff ball is Snowball. Just 4 weeks old.)

So... yesterday we took home a female grayish striped kitten from the Animal Rescue Shelter... she's so cute.

This afternoon I was out in the backyard (all wilderness on the outskirts of our little western town) calling for my black fluffy cat... FLUFFY... FLUFFY... FLUFFY....

When I hear a little... MEOW...MEOW...MEOW...

So, I go to investigate and there's a little white fluff ball... all alone... I hemmed and I hawed... oh my... should I??? Sigh... Blue eyes.... all white... with a hint of a striped tail... maybe 4 weeks old.... Every time I called for FLUFFY she would come to me.

OK, my heart strings were sufficiently softened... Yes, I'm turning into the "Cat Woman."

I picked him up... knowing that was it! The point of NO return... And... home he went!

So... now there are 2 kittens in the Parker household... and 1 adult black FLUFFY cat.

We ran little white fluff ball to Dr. Jane. She said he looks healthy and bring him back in two weeks for shots. Home we went with kitty formula and a special little bottle.

Got a new little family member...

We rescued a little kitten from the animal shelter yesterday. She's 8 weeks old and absolutely adorable!

As soon as you touch her.... her purring motor turns on!

I went to take a photo this morning but the camera battery went dead on me... so will post one a little later.

Well, it's house building... I mean finishing day here. Hope to have a working vanity in the guest bathroom today! Follow our house progress over on my house building adventure blog!

No one eats the bread ends...

Do you have bread bags with the bread ends in them? No one will eat those bread heals right?

Well, I love them toasted with jam... but as I was making my homemade meatballs yesterday... and NOT having any ready made bread crumbs in the house... I decided to grab those bread ends... toast them... whiz them in the blender... and use them as my bread crumbs!

So don't throw away your bread ends!!!

Toast them.

Blend them into tiny bits.

Store in a jar for your next batch of homemade meatballs... or meatloaf... or breading on chicken... or fish... or????

I'm going Italian today...

We get up in the morning and it's dark out. The kids head off to school... and it's dark out!

Just doesn't seem like we should be getting up... because it's soooo dark out!

Well, the kids are off to school now. The house is quiet. Listen.... Ahhhh....

Yesterday I made a big sauce from some of my ripe garden tomatoes. But I started late... like at supper time, so it hadn't simmered down enough. I put the big stock pot outside to chill. My older son asked if I was taking advantage of the free refrigeration... I said, why YES!

So now my sauce is simmering away again. Going to cook up the manicotti that I made yesterday too! And make some more meatballs...

Oh my house is going to smell yummy today!!!!

If the spirit moves me... I may even make bread sticks... we'll see!

Hey, I'm getting into that tweeting thing... twitter. You can follow me @TipsfromToni.

Well, time to get something done! I'll try to save you a bit of manicotti and a few meatballs... but I'm not promising anything with a hungry teenager and tween!

Out for a walk with Katie

Katie and I went for a walk on the canal road just above our new home. It's a dark, dreary day here today... a good day to work inside!

We passed this beautiful decorative crab apple tree. The red crab apples are so bright against the greenery of the trees!

Here's our walking path this morning... very peaceful! Saw some deer tracks...

This thorny dead tree was once a Russian Olive tree. We own a forest of these thorny buggers... Their one redeeming quality is the incredible fragrance given off in the spring... and for now... they make a good wind break on the north side of the house.

On the way back, picked what's left of my carrots and beets! More about that here...

Getting started is the hardest part!

A beautiful warm summery day here today with bright sun beaming down on my ripening tomatoes!

It's Saturday... house finishing day...

My nephew (senior in HS) stopped by the new house to lend a hand on our house finishing project. He did a little mud work then helped me get started laying tile!

I can't tell you how good it feels to have come this far!!! I've been dreaming about laying tile for months now. I've been looking forward to it... in an optimistic... um... trepidatious kind of way! I was looking forward to it, but had NEVER done it before.

Any, getting started is always the hardest part!

So quiet, so busy!

The boys are back to school. We're getting into a routine of homework and rising early in the mornings. And I think that they're enjoying it, really!

I'm enjoying the quiet of the house... and NOT having to make lunches for everyone! Am I being selfish?

Aaron gets his band instrument today. When he woke up this morning, he started talking about that... Baritone... that's what he wants to play. Can't imagine him lugging it back and forth to school! Whew...

Matthew's excited to get back to doing Grizz Food Den. That's our high school's student business. The kids run it, keep the books, manage inventory, and shop for supplies. It's a wonderful experience for everyone involved!

House notes...

We're so close to getting a bathroom together up the new house! We've decided to move out of our tiny tiny tiny... tiny... rental house and move into our "to be finished" big big big... BIG.. house this month.

We're meeting with a guy from the gas company today to determine where our gas meter is going... then will begin doing the gas plumbing... which translated means... HOT SHOWERS!

I'm actually amazed at how warm the water is that is collected in the storage tank from the running of the geothermal heat pumps! That could mean WARM SHOWERS until the gas is connected!

I've moved my office up the new house! And cable, phone, and internet have been set up! My little mac wireless router is working fantastic! It's set up in the basement and here I am in the attic receiving a nice strong signal!

Anyway... no more watching TV at the little rental house... should help us get to it up here!

More details on the house progress on my house blog.

Garden notes:

I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE my square foot garden. It has been such a pleasure to garden this year! Garden details can be found on my Square Foot Garden Adventure Blog!

Let me back up a bit... I wanted a garden so that I could can tomato sauce and I wanted it up the new house. Rich couldn't take the time to till the hard ground and make ready a garden for me... of course!!! So, I went to work building square foot garden beds, mixing soil, growing seedlings... etc.

What I love most about my SFG is NO WEEDS! All I've had to do is water and harvest... OK, I have a weed here and there... but with Mel's soil mix... so loose... I just pluck it easily out! Guess you have to know Wyoming Weeds to truly appreciate what I'm saying here.

Next thing to do in the garden after canning season... and tiling... and floor... mudding.. and painting... oh ya... and MOVING... I want to get all the weeds out of the walking paths and all around! So much to do!!!

Registered for school!

Just got both boys registered for school!!!

Our youngest, Aaron, is starting middle school this year... he's a 6th grader. Our older son, Matthew, will be in 10nth grade.

Last week we got Matthew's school shopping all done... next week it's Aaron's turn.

Matthew picked out an "awesome" black and red checkered tie... interesting...

Chicken noodle soup and homemade bread...

It's Sunday... ah.... I love this peaceful sabbath day!

My guys are a bit under the weather... not sure if it's allergies... or what. So today I've got chicken noodle soup simmering on the stove. Wish you could smell it! I love filling the house with yummy aromas!

Went to the garden and pulled a few lovely carrots, plucked off some swiss chard, a few green beans, some basil, and two little onions. Into the soup they went!

Aaron just had two bowlfuls complete with bread! Guess it has his seal of approval.

Soup time!

In a few weeks...

It's only weeks until the beginning of school. How can that be?

The kids are ready... they're getting to the "I'm bored!" stage.

Soon we'll buying new shoes... oh how Aaron's feet have grown! Actually... he has grown so much this year!!!! He's 11. What a big year for growth!!! I'm just maybe... maybe.. 1/2 inch taller than him!

I had to laugh because the other day he was trying to put on a pair of socks (they're way too small now!).... he was pulling and pulling trying to get them to pull up more.

Add to shopping list:

Socks for Aaron

Shoes for Aaron

All new clothes... for Aaron

Next week, we'll have to have a Billings, MT shopping day.

Went to the Bighorn County (Wy) Fair

Totally missed the Park County Fair last week... darn! We were really working diligently on our new home... couldn't take the time.

But did make it to the smaller fair in Greybull. The highlight is ANIMALS and lots of kids there to show their animals!

There were lots of beautiful quilts too! Didn't take any pictures though.

The big fire...

Last Friday, we set fire to a growing pile of debris.

We've been collecting wood scraps from the house for over a year now.

It was an all afternoon job. My husband said that it took 3 hours to extinguish it!

The big celebration

The Pioneer celebration is about to begin in our little town. Cowley Wyoming was settled by pioneers about 100 years ago.

We'll have a parade down Main Street... and lunch in the park. My favorite event is the Saturday evening talent show. Such talented roots, trunks, branches, and leaves in this town... families gather from all over to sing, play instruments... and share their talents in different ways.

There's a rodeo that lasts all afternoon. My niece is doing barrel racing this year. My nephew usually tries to stay on a bull... but generally only lasts a few seconds. Our kids lost interest after riding sheep.

At our house, we're getting ready to burn a huge pile of wood. It'll be a huge bon fire! Complete with marshmellows... maybe some hot dogs too. Pictures to follow.

How can it be?

I just don't know how I can be the mother to a driving teenager!!

Who then got his long hair cut short. I was so overwhelmed with how good his hair looked short... that I forgot to take the after photo!!!

This is Matthew (our 15 year old son) sitting in the hairdresser's chair... getting ready to have it CUT OFF!

Kind of like Christmas....

Our extra stuff from our move to Wyoming has been in storage for 5 1/2 years... in my brother-in-law's garage.

We've been living temporarily... in a tiny rental house all that time while building our new home.

Today with the help of my two sons (ages 11 & 15), we started going thru some of our boxes and bringing them to the basement of the new house.

My older son found a metal slinky. I guess they don't make them that way anymore... I haven't gotten it back yet...

My younger son found my grab-it thingy for reaching into high cabinets. He thought it was great fun until I took it away. Poor kitty was being tortured with it!

I'll tell you... it's like Christmas... except as I went thru each box... I had a flood of wonderful memories of life back home in Massachusetts. I could remember where I kept each item in my big, old turn of the century colonial home.... sigh... : )

Now, if I can just get the mudding done... and painting done!!! Yes, I know... one step at a time!

I'm just getting impatient because I have all those wonderful kitchen appliances that I want to start using!!!!!

Big day!

(Old Faithful, taken summer 2007)

Matthew is just got back from 5 days at scout camp. He did high adventure... and I haven't heard the whole story just yet... but I did hear that he went CLIFF DIVING....

Our scout camp is located on 40 acres just outside the East Gate of Yellowstone National Park. I hear it is frequented by grizzly bears!!! I found this awesome video overview of Buffalo Bill Scout Camp: See Buffalo Bill Camp!

Worked all day on the house. I'm getting so excited, I can hardly contain myself! It is truly changing from "the house..." to our "home!"

Our kitchen appliances came today. I ordered them back in Nov 2008... so you can imagine how excited I am to finally get to see them! Can't wait to use my new stove!!!!

Getting late... and we've got a big day tomorrow!

The back of my pickup

The back of my pickup has a bunch of buckets and a shovel.

Came in handy this morning when a friend invited me to dig up some of her Shasta Daisies!

It just got me to thinking... how most trucks here in the country have at least one 5 gallon bucket and a shovel in the back... but usually... there's also a dog back there!

(photo of Bighorn Canyon, Wyoming)

Enjoyed a fun family gathering

We had such a nice weekend. Rich's uncle and girlfriend are here from Iowa for a visit.

Dinner outside with family... complete with s'mores and sunset!

And a cool... I mean...totally... rad.... little video involving Cheese Puffs..

Kids say...

Today is work at the house day... until the celebration, BBQ, fireworks...

From the mouth of my 11 year old... in reference to his chores... and the holiday...

Nice try...

"It's Independence Day, a day to celebrate being free... I should be free from working at the house... and doing chores..."

Happy 4th!!!

The sun is shining brightly as I write this post.

I'm so looking forward to this day!

Today, my laundry room will have walls! Yeah!!!

Later this afternoon we'll be celebrating the 4th with friends, food, and fireworks... how awesome is that????!!!!

Wanted to share these pretty flowers with you this morning... Have an awesome day!

Mudding, Gardening, and Yellowstone!

A photo taken at Yellowstone summer 2007. Hope to get back there this summer!!!!

Going to be a busy day..

-got mudding to do up the house...

-and in the garden it's time to dig out the leaf lettuce that has gone by. Hmm... what to plant in it's place???

-veggies to chop up for Clam Chowder for a big July 4th celebration at a friend's house.

Because I've got so much going on today, I threw a beef roast in the crockpot. That'll be yummy for tonight! And there will be lots to share with family that might be arriving today... and with the friends that the boys always have hanging around!

Thought for the day...

Every experience brings wisdom and perspective into our lives.

Mom, would you log off?

So, when Aaron (age 11) reads 5 chapters in his book... he gets 30 minutes on my computer.

Recently he said to me, Mom when you're done on gmail, would you log off?

Hummp.... I was thinking that when he's done... that HE should log off MY COMPUTER!!!

It's the season of Pioneers... what to bring for the pot luck???

Here in the west... where Pioneers settled this land... it's a time of remembrance and celebration!

Our town's celebration isn't for a few more weeks.. .then end of July... but the next town over is having their big time.

It's a tradition that one branch of our family has a gather for lunch after the parade in one of the town parks... it's a pot luck type deal...

Been so busy with our house building activities that I didn't really have time to pre-think my take along dish. So I went into the pantry...

OK... black beans... corn... I have fresh cilantro growing in the garden and some onions... one of my favorite spices is cumin... and let's see... got some mild picante sauce... oh and garlic powder (next year I want garden fresh garlic... love it!!)

Great... a yummy bean salsa!

Chips... none in the pantry (that's because they get sniffed out by the kiddos and last about 2 seconds after they arrive from the store... LOL!)

Yes, have some flour tortillas!!! A local mexican restaurant that we enjoy going to makes their own chips out of tortillas... Hmm... I guess that I can do that too!!!

Found this video on google: How to make tortilla chips!

Almost done baking chips!!! And off we go!

Ever wonder where it's made?

Barcode info

I never knew that you could tell where a product was made by looking at the first few digits of the barcode... how interesting!

My blogger friend, Sue, just shared how you can know... where a product is made... by looking at the barcode! More here....

It's finally summer!

The weather has finally turned here! Been a cool June so far. But the next week will be sunny and in the 80's or above... bring on the summer!!! Time for my cucumber plants to grow!!!!

Maybe now the kids will be able to get some use of the town's swimming pool! I think that it's so awesome that our little town has a swimming pool! I buy the kids a pass so that they can go whenever they want.

Aaron (my 11 year old who broke his leg in Jan... had screws put in his ankle.. and just had the screws removed on 6/11) hopes to get his stitches out today... and hopes to be able to go swimming really soon... at least by July 4th!

Well, got to "git er going!" I want to make the kiddos some waffles this morning!

Zappp... back to real life...

It's Sunday morning...

Why are there NO towels in the bathroom cabinet? None... not a one...

Why must teen boy... and preteen boy use a fresh, clean towel EVERY TIME they bathe?

A longing for the country...

It's another beautiful day here in Wyoming. Blue skies with a slight breeze. The weather man had forecasted thunderstorms... rain... possibly and it still might happen later... but until then I delight in the beautiful sunshine!

--*--

I grew up in Massachusetts just north of Boston. We lived in a city with lots of people from all over the world. My neighbors on one side were Italian and on the other side, they were from Israel.

What a great experience to live in that place with all it's culture and diversity. I loved going into Boston... to the Museum of Science... the Aquarium... and into Fanueil Hall. Wonderful restaurants with delicious food were taken for granted...

My folks came from the country... eastern Maine and just over the Canadian boarder. We got to visit there. I have memories of traveling by car across route 9 known locally as the Airline to visit my grandparents for Thanksgiving.

I remember my grandfather's huge garden... eating beat greens is what I most remember!

This is where my dream of country life began... a longing deep within my soul.

Another beautiful Wyoming Day... and I love it!

Sunset at the Horse Shoe Bend campground in Bighorn Canyon

Bighorn Canyon

Another beautiful day here in northern Wyoming.

I was thinking yesterday how blessed I feel to live here. I am surrounded by sooo much beauty! It really contributes to my well-being!!!

The sunsets are incredible...

the mountains ever changing...

the animals grazing are ever so peaceful...

the bright sun makes me feel happy...

my growing garden helps me feel connected to nature that surrounds me...

the singing birds provide wonderful music that makes me smile...

I am so incredibly blessed to live here...

and I truly love it!

Sunlight Basin. As I toured this area with my son's 5th grade class... I was filled with awe and brought to tears by its beauty!

Got too much Rhubarb?

Rhubarb seems to grow really well here in northern Wyoming. I don't have a plant yet... waiting to get into our new home.. then I'll pick a spot for it.

Recently, I attended a church pot luck... and there... was Ann's Rhubarb Crunch. I took a bite... and my taste buds sang.... sweet... sour... crunchy... ooooo. I ate each bite slowly... and just enjoyed it!

If you've got too much Rhubarb... I learned from Frankie that you can cut it in small chunks, then store it in the freezer.

Comments welcome! How do you use up your Rhubarb?

I've come to love the mountains...

Over the past 5 years since I've moved here from Massachusetts, I've come to love the mountains.

Driving the mountain... well... that's another story! I was very proud of myself last year... when I drove up the Bighorn Mountain for a day of Girl's camp. But now... I can say that I've driven up the Bighorn (Lovell, Wy side)... and it wasn't too bad... coming down that steep slope to go home... well... didn't like that very much!

Here's a fantastic photo of the Bighorn Mountain at sunset on a blogger friends post: Bighorn Mountains at sunset

I have dreams of buying an inflatable kayak and using it on Sibley lake.

Today I'm making pancakes for breakfast!

It's a lovely morning here in Wyoming. Usually it's quiet... but this morning I hear a propeller plane buzzing around.

We have a little airport nearby that seems to be getting some good use this summer.

I promised the boys that I'd make pancakes this morning... the homemade variety! They are sooo good!

Just recently I opened up my bucket of Prairie Gold wheat. It's the very first time that I've used it... and I love it!!! It has a beautiful golden color and a mellow taste.

I'm going to put a couple scoops of Prairie Gold wheat berries in my Vita Mix dry container... and zip it into fresh ground whole wheat to add to my pancakes!

Well, better get going... the boys will be chomping at the bit soon!

Birthday Dinner...

My birthday dinner

In honor of my 40... something... birthday, my Mom invited the whole clan over... and made my favorite dish... Quiche (ham, swiss cheese...) and other yummy stuff!

Everything was delish!

Thanks Mom!

Monday...

Today is house cleaning day! Among many other things...

It's Friday...

Happy Friday!!! It's house building day!

We have a sore boy today. All his medication has worn off... and it just hurts.... Time for some more medicine... but first to get the boy to eat something!

It's a beautiful sunny day here. I just love the sun!

All around town irises are in full bloom. They are absolutely gorgeous this year! The purple irises are absolutely stunning! YES, I'll take some photos to post! My neighbor offered to share some of his when we're ready!

I'll be heading up the house shortly... got to take a peek at my garden! Should be able to pick some more radishes today! And plant some more.

Rich will be home shortly and we'll be working on the house today. Will install the shower on the first floor.

But now... time for quick breakfast... and to get going!

We're back from the hospital... all is well!

These are the 2 screws that were removed.
Here he is... all wrapped up!

Thanks Liz & Mary... and everyone who said prayers... and thought about us this morning!

Aaron's surgery to remove the two screws in his ankle was a success! He's all wrapped up and resting now.

He'll need to have stitches removed in a little while... and NO... Aaron... You CAN'T go to the pool for at least 10 days!

The sun did shine this afternoon!

It was so good to see sunshine this afternoon! Makes me smile! Been overcast and rainy the past several or so days... which has been awesome for my garden!

Spent a good chunk of my day chasing down supplies for my "Adventure in Tiling..." to no avail...

My younger son, Aaron has surgery tomorrow. The doctor said that no one can say that he has a "screw loose" because the screws in his ankle are coming out!

Back in January he broke his ankle clear into the growth plate... playing during recess... of all things! Ok... he was "spinning on a rock... ???"

Hummingbirds

I love Hummingbirds! They are the most magnificent little creatures!

Last year at lilac time, we were having a family BBQ. It was dusk and we were all congregated in a circle not too far from a big lilac bush. I looked up to see bunches of humming birds enjoying the sweet nectar of the lilac bush.

Together we counted about 16 hummingbirds! It was quite a sight! I didn't even know that there were hummingbirds in Wyoming!

I was just poking around Susan's blog. She has a great post on Hummingbirds including pictures that she took of her little visitors!

So if you've ever want to attract them... or wanted to be able to make DIY nector... check out her post: Susan shares about Humming birds.

Cold here...

Welcome to Mary, our blog's very first follower!

It's in the 40's this morning! Burrr... It's June 8th... what's the deal with this cold weather?

And I think that we've gotten all of our 6" of moisture for the year in the past few days!

The cold makes me feel like baking... Hmmm... some good bread... like Mary's Buttermilk poppy seed clusters! I think that we should have homemade pizza for supper tonight!

I've had my square foot garden covered up the past few nights. It was cold most of the day yesterday... so just left the covers on all day.

Today on my mind...

-We're at the point of tiling in the guest bath and boy's bath in our new DIY home... the tiler... ME... is pondering just exactly how to do it... since this will be my first time ever working with ceramic tile. I bought a new tiling book at Lowes on Friday.

I love an adventure... let the tiling fun... begin!!!

Need a Sauce Recipe?

I was just over to Susan's blog. I've been following her garden posts... then looked at some previous posts... and found this great post from the winter loaded with awesome sauce recipes!

So, if you ever need a recipe for a sauce... check out Susan's recipes!

4 white 55 gallon drums...

We're pretty lucky to have a Pepsi bottling plant not too far away.

Did you know that you're able to buy their used 55 gallon drums for $10? Awesome!!!

Well, I got on the waiting list about a month ago... and today I got the call. I rushed over and purchased 4 white drums.

For what... you ask???

1. To make a DIY rainbarrel... or two....

2. To store my 50 pound bags of wheat berries

3. To store my bulk rice

4. To store my bulk oats

Hmm... I may need some more of those drums... for EXTRA rain barrels!!! ; )

Out playing in the rain...

I'm on a mission... a gardening mission...

My mission is to get my remaining 4 boxes filled with Mel's Mix this week!!!

So... with that in mind... I was out playing in the light rainfall and filled what will be my carrot box! Yeah!!!

You should see my shoes! All caked with mud!

Those of you who have traversed this journey... know that... it is NO small feat to accomplish this goal...

For local readers of my blog, who may still be filling their boxes or looking for Mel's Mix ingredients...

Try here:

Peat: The Lumber yard on Main St in Lovell has 4cu' bales of peat for under $7!!!!

Vermiculite: The coop in Powell has it for under $27/bag for 4cu'!

It's raining here

In honor of this glorious rain here in the high desert of northern Wyoming... I'm making meatballs and sauce!

Can you smell it simmering in my crockpot?

Gotta love crockpots!!! They sure are a life saver.

Now to put some bread together... then I'm off (while it rises) to visit my garden.

Sometimes I blog about good deals that I find!

I'm on Staple's email list. Often times they give out $30 online coupons.. which is awesome for me when I need to order shipping boxes for my nursing pillow business.

Here's another thing that caught my eye... and I'm mad... because when I bought my Quickbooks a few months ago... I paid over $100.

So... if you've been thinking that you want to get Quickbooks! Staples has it for $59.99. So... NOT FAIR!

Happy June!

Happy June! Let the summer vacation begin!

My pre-teen boy starts art camp today. It'll run m-th 2-4pm.

He's very creative. I think that he'll enjoy it!

Got to run and pick up ice cream for hubby's birthday party celebration at work.

Friday...it's work at the house day

It's another beautiful sunshine filled Wyoming almost summer day!

I was thinking that it would be so cool to setup the tent this weekend... and have a fire at the fire pit... maybe...

My garden is doing so well! There's something very special about planting a seed and watching it mature into a healthy plant... bearing something yummy!

It's another build your own house adventure day!!!! Water lines...

Oh to have a flushing toilet....

I'm am so enjoying this weather!

The kids are out of school now... so summer has officially started!

My teen set up his tent at grandma's... and seems to have taken up residence there... sometimes with a buddy... sometimes with his pre-teen brother...

The weather has been so absolutely perfect! Yes, I'm loving it!!!

Spent a good part of the day working on my garden. Can't wait to get all my raised beds filled with soil... and get my 30 some Roma Tomatoes planted! Visit my garden blog for more details on that!

Happy almost Friday!!! We'll be continuing our work on the waterlines up the new house. How much longer before we have a flushing toilet????

Says the teenager to his mother...

Yes Mom, I wore this T-Shirt yesterday. It's got 3 days left!!!

Says the Mom to her pre-teen son... Would you drink out of this glass? Smell it?

Re-wash the dishes!!!!

The house is very quiet this Memorial Day. The kids spent the night at Grandma's....

It's overcast and windy. The sky is heavily laden with thick dark clouds, a promise of s rain... maybe???

I covered my garden last night just in case the wind got to be too gusty for my tender plants.

The summer has just begun here in my little town... no more pencils... no more books... no more teachers.... Our kids are out of school for the summer!

Rich and I will be pulling more water lines today for the new house. I'm sooooo anxious to move in! Shoot... we even have central air going... while I'm sweltering in this little rental.

It's truly a lesson in patience.... and hard work... and creativity!!! Well better 'git er' going!

True Value Hardware store $5 dollars off coupon

Thought that I'd share this coupon with you!

http://www.startrightstarthere.com/?utm_source=GOOG&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=TV09

I've got to buy some tomato cages... and other stuff. Just printed out my $5 coupon!

chicken fingers

This recipe sounds really good! Homemade Chicken fingers...

Mini Quiche... yummy!

I found this recipe for Mini Quiche.

Made them for supper tonight. Yummy!

Can't we just skip it?

OK... can't we just skip the whole pre-teen... teen thing? URgggGGGG....

Great Coupons

Some how I stumbled upon Coupons.com. Wow, do they have great coupons!

And I get to print them off on my printer! Today, I'm printing off:

$1 off Miracle Whip

$1 off Triscuits

$1 off Tombstone pizza

$1 off Philadelpia cream cheese

$1 off Kraft singles

And my most important coupon... or at least my teenager would say is...

$1 off A1 sauce (this is his most favorite condiment... and the most expensive!)

...and more!

Got to run!

We love quiche!

My family enjoys quiche. I found this easy mini quiche recipe this morning... Would be great for brunch. I bet that it would freeze well for storage!

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easy-Mini-Quiche/Detail.aspx

Scatter sunshine... all along the way...

Love the sunshine!!! Most days are bright & sunny here...

The raw water was just turned on! The countryside will be turning green now... which is good... because I'm soooo tired of beige!

I did some work on my SFG yesterday. More on that here. Can't wait to get my boxes loaded with soil... and get some planting done!!!

Friday... date night!

Rich and I went to the movies tonight. One of our favorite things to do on Friday nights!

Went to see the new X-Men movie. I did NOT like it! Way too much violence for me.

Where did the mountains go?

Somehow, spring has become winter... temporarily!

Walked Aaron to school today, but came home wishing that I had worn a hat, gloves... and regular pants... not cropped pants!

I've been spending a lot of time learning about Square Foot Gardening. I'm so excited to enjoy fresh salad fixing from my garden in a little while! And look forward to canning lots of veggies this fall.

Rich and I continue to work on our new home. We're plumbing waste lines now! More on that... HERE.

The boys will be out of school soon! Can you believe that school ends May 22?

I love this time with the boys!!! Love to take them to the zoo... out for day events... and camping.

Well... the morning is fast turning into afternoon! Better run!

This is where I live...

Just watched a great video about this beautiful area of Wyoming. Want to see it? Watch Video of Cody & Yellowstone

The views can be breathe-taking... and sometimes have brought me to tears of admiration... and awe.

What a grand day!

We're wrapping it up down here at the new house (for details about that... go here) and it's just about dusk.

We roasted hotdogs over a fire for supper! That was fun!

We worked a bit more on our fire pit after... digging down about 8 inches or so... and making it a bit larger... and adding more river rocks.

I'm going to try to do some dutch oven cooking. But first... I need to buy a dutch oven!

It was a beautiful day here with bright sun and warm enough to be out in a t-shirt.

Nice afternoon with the family!

How to Survive Lowes...

Mom and I were walking to the post office this morning... talking about our Lowes adventures... and how long we spend at Lowes with our hubbies...

Rich and I are building a house. Have you been to my house building adventure blog? NO??? OK... here's the link: How's the House

Well, when you're building a new home... you spend LOTS and LOTS of time at Lowes! I mean... hours... 3, 4 hours... maybe more. And you spend LOTS and LOTS of money there!

I have to share this with you...

Last week I was to Lowes with my older son who is now 15! He said, "Mom, where is your parking spot?" So, I'm like... "what do you mean?" So he proceeds to tell me that we should have a special parking spot there at Lowes because we spend so much time & money there.

On one of our recent trips to Lowes... this would be ONE of the "we're there till closing... or they're waiting for all of our stuff to be rung up... so that they can CLOSE!" kind... The assistant manager calls over to us from the customer service booth thingy and says, "Don't you guys ever see daylight?"

Oh and YES... we do know all the department heads in the crutial departments... like mill works, flooring, and electrical. Great guys actually! Very helpful!!!

OK... so... How to Survive your 3-5 or more hours at Lowes... when you're the support person...

Step 1... (Mom and I agreed on this one! Actually this was her suggestion.)

Dress in layers. It is so hot in that place. Be sure to wear a t-shirt.

Step 2...

Bring some water.

I get so parched there... this is crucial! A snack might be nice too!

Step 3...

Wear comfortable shoes.

For me... it's my Brooks sneakers or my Keen sandals.

Step 4...

Bring a book along.

I have scouted out all the places where you can find seating.... like in plumbing... or flooring... or the kitchen cabinet area. That cement floor gets to me after a while!

Step 5...

Bring your cell phone.

Well, you want to connect with your Lowes enthusiast when it's time to go on your next adventure... like maybe to Costco!

If I missed anything that you've found helpful, let me know!

Why did I wait so long?

Cold today... we even snow... enough to cover the ground. How can it be? It was 65 yesterday!!!

After spending a few weeks with an aching back and not sleeping well because of this knot in my lower back... I decided to go visit the chiropractor.

It was my first time and to be honest... I was nervous about it.

Well, I was poked, twisted, and thumped. Wow....

Oh my goodness!

I felt sooo great when he was done! That was Thursday. Went back today (Monday) for another adjustment. Can you see the smile on my face?

I only wonder... WHY... WHY??? Why did I wait so long to go?

My whole body feels sooo much better!!!

Every Friday & Saturday... until it's done... or

Just back from "the House." We work there every Friday & Saturday. Sheetrock & Plumbing going on right now....

The guys helped me build some boxes for my square foot garden. And we picked out a place to put them.

Beautiful day today... sunshine and warm enough to be out in a t-shirt... still lots of snow on the mountains though.

Tax Time...

It's that time of the year...

April 15nth is coming fast...

I'll be working on taxes today.

I'm dreaming of...

Greetings! As I sit here in my itty bitty office... in my itty bitty rental home... I'm dreaming of the not so distant future of moving into our new home...

I'm dreaming about....

Gazing out the Family Room windows at the snow-capped mountains... and watching for deer to pass...

Cooking bread in my new 60" RNB BlueStar double oven range.

Working in my new... big... office...

Grilling deep dish pizza

I watched Emeril make deep dish pizza in a cast iron pan... and decided to give it a try.

Oh my goodness... talk about yummy! Here's a photo of the one that I cooked on the grill.

I find that if I set my pizza pan on a brick that it's up high away from the heat so that the bottom doesn't burn.

Last year I learned how to cook lots of things on our outside grill. I made a lot of bread... pizza... meatloaf... yes... regular stuff too. Our stove in this little rental just wouldn't hold the heat in the oven... so I got creative!

-4... but bright sunshine!

Oh my... everything looks so pretty in a new blanket of snow. In our little town we have a dusting... about 1".

As I got Aaron in the truck this morning and turned on the ignition... the truck groaned... what??? -4 degrees F this morning! Wow.. what a change from the warmth of last week.

Looks like tomorrow it'll warm up to 29... then the rest of the week will be in the 40's.

Sure is nice & sunny this morning. Sure doesn't feel like -4...

Pink Panther 2

Rich and I took Aaron with us to see Pink Panther 2.

It was cute... had some good laughs...

I still don't know if Detective Cluseau said "Hamburger" or "Hambereghaa" LOL!

Went for a walk... came back with a chill...

Wow, the weather really changes fast here in Wyoming.

Mom & I were out for a walk a bit ago. I just happened to grab my hat... thankfully... because about half way through... I was wishing that I had worn gloves!

We stopped at the Post Office to warm up and get our mail. My mother-in-law was there working today.

Well... I'm looking around my cluttered office. Time to do some organizing... maybe box some things up that I'm not using. (Can't wait to move into our new home...)

Spring is in the air...

I really do love the weather here in the Big Horn Basin in northern Wyoming.... well... except when the wind blows!

I'm just back from a walk with my mom around town... then to the Post Office. Beautiful sunshine... warming up temperature... so great not to have to defrost the truck in the morning!

My dear friends in New England had quite a storm. Sure don't miss shoveling all that snow... but... I do miss taking the kids sledding!

Hi there! It's a beautiful sunny day here in northern Wyoming!

Being a city girl gone country... I'm always struck by the wonders of my surroundings...

We live in the beautiful Big Horn basin, surround by mountains... mountains everywhere you look!

This morning as I was heading outside, getting ready to take my little guy to school. I heard... the rooster singing... the birds churping... I saw the horses in the pasture next to us all waiting patiently by the hay bales.. all bathed in the gentle morning sun!

Time for my walk! Goal... 10,000 steps/day. I'm heading out to the post office... and around town.

I'm back!

It's a beautiful sunny day here in northern Wyoming. We got some snow yesterday, but it's going away pretty fast!

We've had some really nice weather lately... I'm thinking about gardening! I'm going to give square foot gardening (SFG) a try this year. Got a bunch of seeds ready to go...

Not quite ready yet... still learning about SFG. Have to figure out when to start my tomato plants... and got to buy Mel's soil mixture... but don't know how much I need yet... or where I'm going to set up the frames!

I set up a new site to blog about my Square Foot Gardening adventure! If you're interested, come on by and become a "follower". Here's the link: My Gardening Adventure

Sure is fun to think about all this stuff though...