Words on a Wednesday!

This is like a bonus feature this week!  Or an encore!  Or maybe a waste of your time.  I have some words rattling around in my head again.

This morning I took this picture.

Two loves of my life.  They are heading off to the salt mines again.  Or to downtown in this fine city.  You see daughter #2 has been hired by the Chairman's boss to organize their massive files that they do.  It is backlogged for nearly a year and so Ms. Organization is moving files into date order and typing up what each file consists of and who it was for and then labels are made and voila!  It goes into the storage freeing up space to walk in the office again.  It all sounds nice and wonderful.  Right?  Sorta.  You see I'm very happy that daughter #2 and the Chairman can ride to work and home together.  They have lunch together.  And she stops to ask him a question once in awhile.  And she's even getting paid!  But.. I miss her.  Guess it is prepping me for school days ahead.

Speaking of which.  I'm ok with the start of school next week.  One of our dear MYP needs activity and guidance and a job to do.  We've cleaned out deep recesses of the basement.  We've raked yards.  We've cut the grass more times than I can count.  We've gathered garden fare.  He needs a job.  And luckily, school fills that void.  And hopefully, next summer, he can join the workforce to keep his smart and active body occupied.  As excited as I am about school starting, I do feel like we are throwing the MYP into the 'middle of the Nile'.  That always makes me slightly queasy.

The orthodontist office called yesterday.  They suddenly needed to reschedule an appointment.  I felt slightly frustrated and was listing off reasons why alternative dates and times weren't very good for us.  Then there was a pause and the receptionist said, "do you know Dr. K. is going through chemo and that is why we are having all these changes?"  I told her I was sorry and that we would work to make the first date/time she suggested.  Then I picked up my fork and ate a bitter piece of humble pie.

I've been trying to 'whittle my middle' as one of our relatives says.  So that means an early morning walk besides the normal one later.  Poor Lisi is baffled and slightly reluctant to join me in the mornings.  She's a terrible creature of habit.  Probably all dogs are.  Today is garbage day and I did notice again that you can learn a lot from people's garbage.  There's the juice box/diaper crowd.  The healthy-granola cruncher couple.  And the couple sending their son off to college.  No, I wasn't dumpster diving.  I was looking at the recycle bins.  Less smelly that way.

Here's daughter #1.  She came to tuck me in last night.  I like how our roles reverse sometimes.

The rattles in my head are now gone.  And so must I be.  There's errands to run and laundry to switch and cinnamon rolls to bake.  Happy mid-week to you!

Monday Musings

Well hello there!  Long time, no chat!  I had every good intention of having some 'Thursday Thoughts' last Thursday (I'm clever like that).  But alas!  Time and responsibility and ambition got away from me. Truthfully, you probably didn't miss much.  Except for some time wasted.

A little stats for you.  In the past 2.5 years, 100,242 have viewed the "Chairman and Co.".  That's kind of fascinating to me... Wow!  I would love to see the all-time number, but I would have to pay for that privilege, so no thanks.

Lets see.  Last week the MYP and I headed to a water park.  It was a bit smaller compared to some of the gigantic ones found here in Dairyland.  However, it exceeded expectations in that there were virtually no wait times for anything and this crazy-silly double racer thing that my slightly older sister urged me to do with her. It looked just plain frightening from the top.

We have a beloved, budding, boy-baker on our hands.  He was bored one afternoon last week and when I returned from my walk there were (from scratch!) chocolate-coffee cupcakes decorated with with peanut butter frosting!  I wonder why my waistbands are tighter these days.

Speaking of food.  Have you ever tried Talenti brand gelato in the sea salt caramel flavor?  If not, don't walk, but run to your nearest grocer that would carry it.

And by the way, have you noticed the price of butter?  We must eat too much of it because we go through a pound frequently.  And it is raising in price by the day.  Even in dairyland!  I wonder why my waistbands are tighter these days.

I spent some time helping the main school secretary last week one morning.  Then I brought home a little project of cutting out 6,000 squares.  I had a little help from the MYP and a not so much from the ones here with golden fur.  I still think they are cute though.

Yesterday, we went to the "Parade of Homes" nearby.  No, they didn't have homes on flatbeds going by throwing out Tootsie Rolls.  We paraded in and out of new models wearing cute little blue booties.  Our MYP love doing it for some reason.  I do too.  Except for the fact it makes our mostly nice home seem so... well... ordinary.  Ultra-traditional.  And missing some super-neat features they design into homes.  Oh well.  It's home.  On a side note, modern is more in than it used to be.  And we saw lots of grays.  And yellows.  And wallpaper!

Today, the Chairman is taking his daughter to work!  Yes we realize it isn't the 'take your daughter to work day' like there used to be.  But this daughter suggested getting paid for printing off labels and organizing files and somehow she schnoodled her father in thinking it was a great idea.  So off she will go for the day helping her dad and his co-workers.  I can't wait to hear about it later.

The other night one of the MYP had a loose tooth.  I LOVE pulling teeth.  It makes my hands twitch just wanting to grab hold of the loose one and just yank.  Well this daughter said I could feel how loose it was but do not pull it out.  I thought in the back of my head I would probably kinda check and mostly yank that puppy out despite her wishes.  Well just as I was about to she says to me, 'if you pull it out I will never-ever again trust you'. Wow.  Never be trusted or pull a tooth.  She won.  I didn't pull it.  But about 5 minutes later after my light was out and I was settling into slumber, the door bursts open and she yells, 'I GOT IT!!!'.  I have a hunch she will like yanking on her future children's teeth.

So!  I have a confession.  Did this seem just a bit off while you read it?  Hmmmm?  Well last night I sipped some coffee with the Chairman about 8:30 at night and lets just say I didn't look at the back of my eyelids until much later than I usually do.  So truthfully, these "Monday Musings" are "Sunday Satire"....  So sorry for misleading the masses.  

Monday Musings

Well hello there Peeps!  I've been a bit preoccupied this Monday.  Hope my later schedule didn't totally ruin your day.  Lets see what happened since last Musings.

Corn.  Lots of it.  Like 20-dozen ears.  It was nice my parents brought the goods and even helped with the work!  It wasn't nice as they wandered away without cleaning my sticky kitchen floor.  Heh.

School registration (X3).  Long lines.  Big numbers to pay out.  And a slight-nervousness in the air as pictures taken and lockers found.  One of the MYP was the big fish in a small pond last year.  This year he's a small fish in a big pond.  I'm not worried.  The MYP nor I are counting the days til it starts.  It's been a great summer.  

We had friends gather around our "company" table yesterday.  As we were sitting there together visiting about life and people and important things beyond this life I was just filled with an inward happy-sigh.  It is so rewarding to share your food and home and life with others.  I guess that would be my happy place.

Cute dogs sometimes stink!  The Chairman kept glaring at the dog as she just was smelling more and more like a stinky dog.  Instead of spending $70 to get her bathed, I did it in the waning light last night.  One of the MYP wanted to take a picture.  Isn't she cute?  The dog I mean... Heh.  

Long-lost cousins!  

I never had a 1st cousin.  But I do have 2nd cousins!  One happened to be in town that I haven't seen in at least six years.  It was nice to get caught up on all our common relatives.  We met this morning with a few others over a 2,867 calorie breakfast.  It is seven hours later and I'm still not hungry.

I often read in different places about how people are the recipients of 'pay it forward' at the local coffee shop or drive-thru.  I'm still waiting for my happy surprise.

Did you know that black beans that have sat in the fridge too long smell just incredibly dreadful?  I'm hesitant to share something that happened this morning, yet it tickled my off-kilter funny bone.  I just dumped some incredibly dreadful beans in the garbage and put the container in the dishwasher and the Chairman just happened to be walking by.  All of the sudden he says, 'was that you????'.  Um.  No.  The beans.  Really!!!

Speaking of smelly things.  I feel I owe you all a PSA (public service announcement)  Do not, I repeat, not buy doggy-do-pickup bags from the dollar store.  I think if you read between the line you will know why.

Well this stooped very low this time.  Sorry this Musing isn't very helpful or encouraging.  Just a bit 'smelly' if you will.  I'll leave you with  this that amused me yesterday.

Happy Monday!

Monday Musings

Do you ever have that feeling after you return home?  The plants look bigger.  The garden looks unruly.  The neighbors made some change to their house.  And even when you walk in the door of your own home, it looks just, well, somehow different.  It smells different.  It all seems just somehow a bit strange.

Well with the exception of the plants and the unruly garden, it is almost always me that has changed.  Not the surroundings.  I really hope that is true this trip.

In dairyland, there's a term they use around here for people from Illinois.  They call them 'flatlanders'.  It is simply because of topography.  We have many rolling hills and ridges and whatnot here.  Down there they have beautiful flat areas to grow amazing corn and soybeans and who knows what.  However, most people driving down I-80 the latter part of last week didn't see something.  They didn't see a mountain.  

I'm so thankful I did.  You see where I was there are those that are wonderful mountain climbers.  They go on ahead and spend lots of time and thought before we even get there.  They show us paths.  They provide rest stops.  They even tell us what tools to use.  And with their help we begin the climb.  They encourage us to learn how to do it ourselves.  And then in those days we are together they help us get to the top.  Oh the view!  There are things we never saw before.  We learn things about ourselves we never knew before.  And we see fertile fields of fruit.  And paths of usefulness.  To be in their presence and to see the view is something you cannot explain with words.  It only can be felt.  I think this year the view was better and grander than ever before.  

Maybe as I get older each year, there will be more and more young people.  But this year there were just amazing amounts of young people between birth to out of college.  I would say nearly half the crowd and I don't think I'm exaggerating.

It was an extra-special bonus to be there with all of my slightly-older sister's family.  They are jewels.  All of them. 

cooking burgers with cousin on Wed. night

one time many of us were together.

Daughter #2 and I slept in a wee, tiny, little tent.  It was small too in case you didn't get my drift.  It held two cots, two duffle bags.  And we could just slip in and out of this eensy-weensy tent.  Did I mention it was small and almost claustrophobic?  It is always interesting needing to get dressed up in your Sunday best while lying on a very narrow cot.  If you saw me and thought I looked a bit frumpy, well there's my excuse.  Since the Chairman couldn't join us for the first days, we would visit nightly.  One night we got crazy and even sent him a picture in the dark. It is apparent I have scowl lines.  

I met many blog readers at this place.  It is slightly strange feeling.  I feel like they know me and what I love much more than I know them.  And I am again amazed that our mundane Monday Musings are worth clicking the mouse on.  But a shout-out to you - glad I met some of you in person!

So now back to life again.  There are appointments all week for school registrations and a volleyball camp and car dent repair and if I'm feeling ambitious, with the sweet corn people.  I need to freeze some sweetness for the long winter ahead.  

Someone missed me more than I missed him.  I call him Mr.  Bojangles and Toddy-toddy- and Snookums and even by his given name Simba if he's in trouble.

Now off to climb another mountain.  This one isn't so beautiful.  This one is full of colors and wrinkles and an occasional whiff of perspiration.  I think it is called Mount. P. U.  

Monday Musings

Yep, one of those days.  You see there's some packing going on here.  Plus granola just finished.  Bread dough rising.  And some MYP to motivate.  Then I get distracted with the dryer buzzing.  And the smelly dog.  I have not had a moment to Muse.  Until this moment.

Meeshka!  It's going to be one of those weeks.  It'll be restful and wonderful and I'll be unable to write what the days meant to me next week.  I may or may not see some of you there.  If I do, well hello to you!  If I don't, wish we could see you!  I'll be in a little green tent if you care to stop by.

We had a nice past weekend.  Always nice to have a warm summer day to enjoy the lake water.  

 There's always time to crash after a back-flip on the trampoline and really bruise your leg and ankle.

 I think our property value went down this morning.  We've had a mountainous view until the digger came.  But I'm guessing new homeowners are glad to look at something besides a pile of dirt in their front yard.

And finally, I need to do some research on expressing glands on the dog's backside.  Let you imagine run wild and yes, that's what I must do.  Thankfully there will be gloves between me and her...  PU

So on that sweet note, have a great rest of the week.  Sorry this isn't much, but I didn't want to ruin my aMusing reputation.