Fun in the sun

June 11, 2020June 11, 20204 Comments

That’s right – sun! June is nearly half over, but it doesn’t feel like it. We’ve had so much rain the past couple of weeks that I was beginning to think bright, bright sunshiny days were a thing of the past.

But today…

Day 6: Hands

April 6, 2020April 9, 2020Leave a comment

My hands are not adept at drawing or painting, although I wish they were. My hands are fairly adept at writing, though, or at least they were. I find that lately, I’ve been doing less writing. I don’t mean to imply that I haven’t been writing poems and stories (although I haven’t actually been writing much fiction), because I have, but I’ve been doing a lot more typing than normal lately and a lot less actual picking-up-a-pencil-and-writing-something-down.

I take a lot of pride in my handwriting. It’s small and neat, and my cursive is pretty. I get a lot of complaints from my husband that it’s too small to read, but that’s a matter of opinion. 😉😄

I have the time for writing at the moment, though, so I really should be doing more of it. But there are so many other projects that need attention…If I could afford to retire tomorrow, I would definitely not be bored. I have more than enough projects and story ideas to keep me busy for a very long time. But retirement is a dream, and a far, far away one at that (especially with the market in the shape that it’s in – I just got my quarterly IRA statement and I’ve put off opening it for a week because I don’t think I can handle that much negativity).

Besides, right now my hands are needed for cooking and playing games with the kids and so many other things. Writing will still be there when they’re all grown. Writing will always be there.

Adventures in the kitchen, part 2

March 22, 2020March 21, 20201 Comment

In addition to French onion soup, I spent a little time in the kitchen last weekend trying to make a strawberry rhubarb pie, which is a family favorite. But I depleted my stash of frozen rhubarb a couple summers ago and I’m not sure I’ll be able to harvest any this year, since we transplanted our rhubarb over the summer and I’m just hoping it’ll come back.

But then one day as I was wandering the aisles of my local grocery store, I happened upon a can of strawberry rhubarb pie filling. I’d never seen such a thing before! Naturally, I had to buy a can to find out what it was like.

I dug a box of pie crust out of my deep freeze and set it on the counter to thaw while I got dinner going. Once the dinner dishes were done, I set out to make my pie, with a little help from Bubbles.

Apparently, though, I should have…

What a beautiful morning

January 2, 2020March 9, 20202 Comments

I got today’s video knocked out a bit earlier than yesterday’s. There was a beautiful sunrise this morning, and I couldn’t help shooting it:

Mornings are so pretty in Iowa. But it would be even more peaceful if the boys didn’t argue about every little thing.

Of course, since I’m me, I decided to add to the challenge by writing a poem to go with each day’s video. Yesterday I wrote a haiku about two of my kitties; today I wrote another one about how nice it would be if my kids did’t spend each morning’s wait for the bus in an argument over something. They argue about everything lately.

I’m excited about the poem aspect of this challenge. I’ve gotten back to work on The Lokana Chronicles, but I don’t want my poetry to fall to the wayside, and this will be a great opportunity to keep those poetic muscles in shape.

Well, that and the two poetry groups I’ve joined in the last six months. 😄

What about you – have you set any new year’s resolutions?

Tea

September 28, 2019October 6, 2019Leave a comment

Tea and kluntje isn’t the same without milk, but it’s still pretty good.

We always drank tea with milk and kluntje growing up, usually at family get-togethers. Tea is comfort. Tea is family. Tea is home.

I’m drinking my tea with kluntje this afternoon and wishing I had some milk to go with it. It’s strong tea. German tea. It has a robust flavor when brewed properly, but I let mine steep too long today. It tastes almost…bitter.

Twenty-five years ago today, my mom passed away. I miss her every day. I wish that I could call her for advice. I wish that I could call her to ask about her day. I wish that I could remember her. I wish I had some milk for my tea.

It would be easy to become like my tea – dark and bitter. And for a while, I was. But as I sit here drinking my tea, wishing things were different, I’m reminded that even in the depths of darkness, there is still sweetness to be found. The cracked and broken shards of kluntje fill my mouth with sweetness. They’re strong, those remnants – they withstood the boiling tea.

The survived – and so did I.

I still miss my mom – I always will. But, like my tea, I am strong; I am robust. Like my tea, I can still bring comfort and joy. Like my kluntje, life has changed me – it has bent me, but it has not broken me. The hot water has worn me down, smoothed my rough edges, but it hasn’t melted me completely.

And I refuse to let it.

Goals!

August 22, 2019August 22, 20192 Comments

Goals – I has ’em! One of my goals is to get back to a regular blogging habit. To do that, I’m thinking a post per week is gonna be doable.

The only trouble is that I’m already behind schedule. *sigh*

To make up for that, please enjoy this pretty, pretty picture:

We spent last Sunday out on a lake with the kids and the in-laws. We had a picnic at the scenic fish-cleaning station before setting out for an afternoon of tubing. The sun was bright, the temperature was perfect – we couldn’t have asked for better weather. Thank goodness for that, because we ended up rowing back to shore after some engine trouble left us stranded a good half-mile from the dock. Luckily, a passing boater towed us the last fifty yards in. It was a day full of adventures, and a great way to say goodbye to summer.

I can’t believe the kids are heading back to school tomorrow. Where has the time gone?

What about all of you – what have you been up to? What adventures did summer have in store for you?

Conversations I never thought I’d have

July 7, 20184 Comments

“You found what? Where?” Photo by Darrell Gough on Pexels.com

As any mom of boys can tell you, you occasionally have some very strange conversations with them. Here’s a recent one I had with my son, Cricket, about something he found in the yard.

Cricket: “Mom! We found a black and white glob of something while we were creature adventuring. You should come and see it.”

My boys love the show Wild Kratts. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s an excellent show all about animals and their habitats. You can learn more about the Kratt brothers here.

Me: “Okay, I’ll be there in a minute.”

*thirty seconds later*

Cricket: “Mom, come on! It’s been five minutes already!”

Me: “I’ll. Be. There. In. A. Minute.”

Cricket: *sigh* “Okay.”

*sixty seconds later*

I venture across the yard to where Cricket is sitting, staring intently at a clump of grass. “Okay, Cricket, what’d you find?”

He looks up from the grass. “Well, we found a black and white glob of something while we were creature adventuring, and I don’t even know what the glob is.”

“Where is it?”

Cricket points. “Right here.”

I stoop to inspect the glob. “That’s dry bird poop, honey. At least, I think it’s dry. Don’t touch it.”

Cricket sighs. “I know, I know, don’t touch nature’s stuff.”

I smile. “No, don’t touch poop. Don’t touch bird poop, cat poop, dog poop, bear poop, elephant poop, your poop…any poop. Don’t touch poop!”

What is it with boys and poop? And why is Don’t touch poop a thing that needs saying?