Happy Mother's Day

When I think about my mother and what she taught me, my head spins because the list seems endless. She taught me how to measure a cup of flour with the straight edge of a butter knife and the dying art of ironing a shirt. I know how to treat a fever and plan a menu thanks to her tutoring.

A table I helped lash at Girl Scout camp.

And when she didn't know how to do something herself, she made sure that I learned in other ways. She took me to swimming lessons and clarinet lessons. That says a lot for someone who was afraid of the water and wanted to wear earplugs during my early music instruction. Thanks to her, I know how to lash a table out of branches and I don't think that's something she learned in nursing school. I think the 23 years she dedicated to being a Girl Scout leader had something to do with that.

However if I have to pick one thing that she taught me, I think the most important is respect for others and especially the elderly. When I was growing up, we had several older people in our neighborhood.

Mrs. Craft, one of the neighbors I visited growing up.

We regularly took food to them and just visited—sitting on the couch and talking. It wasn't always easy for me, but I learned how important it was over time. I hope that I have taught this respect to my children as well.

So, Mother, when I can't be there to take you some food and just sit on the couch and visit, I want you to know that you've got one* grateful daughter wishing you a Happy Mother's Day.

*Actually, I've got three sisters, so my mother has four grateful daughters this Mother's Day.

A Day in the Life of...

A Day in the Life of..
or The Good, Bad, and the Mundane.


I'd like to say that my blog readers have been asking me what a typical day in my life is like, but they haven't. I'd like to say that I had a very interesting day yesterday that I'd like to share, but I didn't. What I will say, here is an experiment I did. I documented a day of mine, so when someone asks me what I've been up to, I might have an answer instead of a blank.

Did the experiment help me understand how I spend my time on a typical day? Well, sort of.  Did I learn anything else? Yes, I learned that I don't need an exciting day to go to bed happy.

With no further ado, here is a day in the life of me.

Dawn broke and the cats' stomach alarms went off.  And the only way to turn them off was to feed them. So I fed them.

Next, I fed myself. I had my usual bowl of cereal (and some cookies.) But you won't see those. I like to present the illusion that I eat well.

After breakfast, Wally and I chased down Annie to give her her medicine. And after we caught her, we had to catch Leo for the same thing. The whole process was exhausting.

I was cutting it a little close, but on the way to work, but I stopped at the post office to mail a letter. Everything worked out just right and I made it to work on time. Hurray!

Work was fairly routine. Book, book, everywhere a book. I won't mention the piece of birthday cake I had because as you know I eat well.

After work, I went home for a healthful lunch of salad and cottage cheese. Fortunately, you can't see the three cookies I also had. And if you ask me about them, I will deny I know anything about them. I usually always have a good diet.

Then I was off to see the eye doctor. (Get the pun. "See" the eye doctor. I amuse myself sometimes.) All was well and I got some free samples of eye drops.

I decided that I should pick up a few groceries on the way home. Can't live without skim milk and Cheerios. Part of a good diet you know.

After I got home, I did a little weeding. The rain we've had made the weeds fairly easy to dig and pull.

While I was out, I thought I had better take the recycling down to the curb for tomorrow's pickup. It seems like we only remember to do this about half of the time, so I was pleased with myself.

Then for some work on my blog. Joining me, with a little lap time, were the cats. All of them took a turn but Annie. She was still a little leery of me because the this morning's medicine chase.

It was soon time to start supper. We had baked potatoes, green beans, and pork. And no cookies. (Ward got to them before I had a chance.)

After supper we had a little relaxing time in front of the TV watching the Big Bang. We all love that show (except Wally).

Soon it was time for bed.

And a little reading. (And a few cookies that Ward didn't get to. Darn, they were good, but I had to brush my teeth again.)

The End.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Food Waste Friday--May 11, 2012

It's time for Food Waste Friday, when the Frugalgirl encourages us to post pictures from the previous week of wasted food from our household. This accountability hopefully will help us to be more careful with our food and maybe save some money. 

Here it goes for this week.

Apparently, we have gnomes that visited us in the middle of the night this week for a snack. They picked out what they thought was tasty, and left the rest on the counter overnight. That sent rice, green beans, and vegetable soup to the trash. Boo. Hiss. The gnomes better be more careful the next time they think they want a midnight snack. The food waste police are waiting for them.

Second Look--May 9, 2012

The irises are starting to bloom. They are a favorite of mine and not a favorite of the deer, so we actually get to enjoy them. According to what I saw last year, we still have a couple of colors that have yet to bloom; but take a look at what we have seen so far in this week's Second Look.

School Days--Bear

 School Days is a reoccurring feature in which I ask people about their early memories of school. Everyone has a story to tell about this and I hope to give them a voice here. (Note: School Days will be a bit different today. We are interviewing Aunt Martha who will tell us about her dog's school days.)

Here is Today's Story

Bear went to puppy school when he was six months old in 2004. His school was held in a vet's office after hours.

Tell me about Bear's experiences at puppy school.

The purpose of classes were to work on basic obedience and socialization. They were once a week for a couple of hours and lasted for several weeks.

Did Bear like going to class?

Well, not exactly. The classes were about 25 miles away and he got carsick, so it was hard to get him into the car. We tired various remedies for car sickness with only limited results. I didn't like this part.

How about when he got there, were things better?

Well, sort of. Bear is a flat-coated retriever--a big dog with high energy and a happy enthusiasm for most dogs and people he meets.  So, he was excited by everything that he saw and barked every time that something happened in class. One class, we had to go into one of the exam rooms for a timeout because of his barking and they forgot to come get us.

Also, since he was big and excitable, we had to go behind the counter when it was free time. They were afraid that he might hurt some of the small dogs in the class with his enthusiasm. So much for learning socialization.

As time went on, did things get better?

Well let's just say at the end of class, he didn't get the award for "Most Improved." He got the award for "Most Talkative"  Today, Bear is a happy, well behaved dog. Thank goodness.