Thursday, August 26, 2010

Mom, This One's For You!

Our Garden

Then...



Now...





This is my oasis in the city.


My Pacific Northwest blend of wildflowers always make me smile.
The tomatoes are what make Steve smile.
And smile he does!
I even tasted one. Steve was so proud.
I don't like raw tomatoes, but these were sweet and juicy! Yum!
The little tender vines with baby tomatoes at the top are my Early Girls. Sorry for the poor exposure. I'm too lazy to edit photos today. =)
They're small, but I'm proud of them because they are the only ones of my seed-starters that survived! Yay!
Our garden decided to share a little sunshine with the rest of the world.
I think these are the yellow pear tomatoes.

Delicious strawberries from Lori on their second batch of the summer!



My favorite little guy, the basil plant.
He's the best smelling plant on the patio!
Do they make basil-scented aftershave? They should!
Ok, maybe not... But it is delicious!

Our BIG blessing of the month:

Steve and I picked over 4.5 lbs of wild blackberries and were able to freeze them for the fall & winter! Thank you, Lord!

At our local grocery, blackberries START at $6.65/lb (all the way up to $10/lb). Not even local or organic! We picked almost $30 (at the lowest price) of fresh blackberries right off the vine in the woods! Crazy!
Thanks for teaching me so much about gardening, mom, even when we didn't think I was paying any attention! haha

Fun Finds

Steve and I like Goodwill. We LIKE it a lot. Were I to say we loved it, I would have to delve into the murky depths of a love-hate relationship scenario, and I'm too excited about my finds to be bogged down by such analytical thinking. With that said, onto the fun stuff!

Who would have thought you could still find great stuff for under $1.00 ?? (That's not made in China...)

Find #1
"Pocket Size Film Lover's Companion" by Ronnie Sellers Productions of Portland, Maine.

This reminds me a lot of novelty books we saw at Powell's in Portland, but it was a ton cheaper!



I LOVE the Old Hollywood graphics!





It is a used book, but I think it just adds to the charm and intrigue.
I feel the same way about really old houses.
I love that they are full of character.




Blogger wouldn't upload this photo in the correct format.
You'll just have to change your perspective.
Sorry!
Check out the fun movie poster!
Isn't it great?

Find #2
"Further Still: a collection of poetry and vignettes" by Beth Moore

"Further Still" is a sequel of sorts to Beth's first book of creative writings "Things Pondered".
I love her insight and sense of humor.
This was one of the big reasons for this purchase:
Watercolor Mister
Beth Moore
Watercolor mister
Are you really real?
Can you guess what I'm thinking?
Do you know how measles feel?
And do you mind me asking, Sir
Just how old are you?
That much older than my teacher?
She says she's sixty-two.
Watercolor mister
Do you always smile?
Or do you stick your tongue out
Every little while?
And do you really know that lady
With the jar upon her head?
And does she have a flat top
When she takes it off for bed?
Watercolor mister
I think you look real nice.
So maybe you could give me
A little good advice.
I'm getting pretty tall,
But my dad says I'm a pup.
What do you think I should be
One day when I grow up?
Mine.

Yes, His...
Isn't that a precious poem? I remember a similar picture from when I was young and having many thoughts along the same line. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for introducing me to the Watercolor Mister so many years ago!



Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Uff Dah!

Elizabeth Barret Browning spoke great words to me today:

"Measure not the work until the day's out and the labor done."

What wisdom!

It's been another long one. Hot outside. Cranky inside. Tears running down. Screams piercing the air.

However, there have been rays of light in the dark of the storm. We had a great conversation over lunch. We took a look at the potty for the first time, and she sat on the lid without any great trepidation. We made primitive animal noises at each other until we both giggled. We repurposed an old carpet bag to put our blocks into. It's working much better. We've made it through a few diaper changes (stinky, awful ones) without any scratching or screaming. That's almost a miracle!

This morning I asked Steve if he needed me to do anything for him today. He simply requested, "Have a good day." What a sweetheart. So, that's been my goal today. No matter how miserable I'm tempted to feel, I want to count every trial a joy. No matter what happens, I don't want to count the burdens I've carried until the Lord shows me at the end of the day how he carried me through it all. Praise God!

Monday, August 23, 2010

Together Time

After a stressful, emotional weekend, Steve took me on a relaxing date to my new favorite spot in Salem: Sweet Papaya Frozen Yogurt! Yum! Then we went to Busch Pasture Park to enjoy the beautiful evening.

Today we spent the day picking blackberries at Steve's old college. Yum! There were so many!
All in all, together time is wonderful and always a big comfort to my soul! Thank you, God, for my amazing husband!

Friday, August 20, 2010

Guest of Honor

I may not fit the "single, independent woman" stereotype, but I'm taking a page out of my 70-year-old neighbor lady's book who does:

"Sometimes you need to be your own guest of honor."

I love being the woman of the house, a wife, and caretaker of children (babysitting). I also enjoy doing things for myself, which I'm learning is an art as you get older and begin taking on more responsibilities.

Tonight I am the guest of honor, and by circumstance, the only guest at my table tonight. Instead of throwing a bag of popcorn in the microwave or eating soup from a can, I decided to treat myself to a beautiful dinner. It feels strange, but exciting. I'm fighting that urge to feel lonely. Why do I fight the silence and stillness around me? Why is such a rare occurrence perceived as anything but a blessing to some, like me? The answers have always eluded me. We'll see how it goes.

The Menu:
Vegetarian Southwestern Layered Bean Dip with Chips
Sweet Corn On-The-Cob
Snicker Salad - cHoCoLaTe! Mmm...

The Plan:
Enjoy Cooking! One of my favorite things to do anyway!

Make my husband jealous by texting delicious food pics! =)
He'll get the leftovers. I'm not that mean.

Watch a Chick Flick.

Maybe go for a walk or take a bath while listening to my favorite tunes.
This is my time. ;)


I already enjoyed a nice walk to the grocery store with my reusable bags. It makes me feel powerful to be able to make a difference with such an easy, simple task! Love it!

What have you done or wanted to do to treat yourself as the guest of honor? I'd love to hear your experiences and ideas! Being a woman is awesome!

Men's input is welcome also. Y'all deserve a little honor too!