Projects

I always have a handful or ten of projects in various stages of finished. This is the beginning of two Halloween costumes. I had a bizarre idea and my mouth opened with out checking with my brain first and my kids fell head over heels in love with it. I now get to creatively turn this pile into two costumes (with out a pattern) that most people over the age of ten aren't even going to get, even if I nail it. If you are under the age of ten the color should give it away. Any guesses what it is? Hint: "P"

The Art of Racing in the Rain

A few months ago a friend loaned me this book. I wasn't sure I'd like it. It is written from a dogs point a view - markedly a little different. I was worried more because it isn't my usual genre which is serial murder mysteries. It was so profound it was the first book ever that about four chapters from the end I was so afraid it wouldn't end the way I wanted, that I considered not finishing it so that in my mind I could end it the way I wanted. I finished it and was so glad I did. I recently mentioned to a different guy friend that it was a good cry. I went through most of a box of tissue in the last four chapters. He said that's not how you sell a book to a guy. Did I mention the friend that loaned it to me was a guy.... and it's written by a guy. I got to meet him tonight - the author that is. He did a reading at Kings English tonight. Wow! He was witty and charming and very funny and down to earth. He might disagree with me that he comes though in the writing at all, but I think I can see where Enzo's personality comes from (Enzo is the dog). I could have listened to him all night. If I hadn't read his book already I would now. Come to think of it, I might read it again.

Nesting

I LOVE this time of year. It's cool enough to sleep with the windows open again and back to school. Back to a normal routine. Especially this fresh into the new school year. I haven't messed the kids homework routine up yet and in fact we have it down pretty good. Andrew has had 100% on his spelling tests the last two weeks as well as both math tests. Nathan rocked his volcabulary test and also did really good on his spelling.

I also like that all the yummies in the garden are ripening. I've been taking advantage of them and cooking them up and trying new things. In the last two weeks I've made a peach and blue berry cobbler, a plum and cinnamon baked crumble, peach crepes, a pear tart, gazpacho and zucchini bread. I also tried a couple new main dish recipes but they didn't require any fresh garden veggies. My neighbor might be nesting too, she brought us over cookie bars.

If you are wondering what to do with all that zucchini. Here's the recipe for zucchini bread and the recipe for lemon zucchini cookies I made earlier in summer.

Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup cooking oil
2 cups grated zucchini (peeled and seeded, if you wish ~ I seed my but don't peel it)
3 cups flour
2-3 t. cinnamon
1 t. salt
1 t. soda
1 t. baking powder
½ cup nuts, optional

Beat eggs until frothy. Stir in sugar, oil and vanilla. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup – level off. Stir in remaining ingredients until well mixed. Pour into 2 8 x 4 or 9 x 5 loaf pans that are generously greased and lightly floured. Bake at 350 for 50 – 60 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in pan. Turn out onto wire rack to cool thoroughly before slicing. I've also made these into muffins and then put then in the freezer so I can take a couple out for breakfast here and there.

Market Street Lemon-Zucchini Cookies

1 1/2 C (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 C. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. salt
2 t. baking soda
2 C. zucchini, grated, drained and squeezed dry (really really dry)
2 t. grated lemon rind
3 1/2 C. flour
1 1/2 c. chopped pecans

Glaze:
1 C. powdered sugar
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. light corn syrup
pecan halves for garnish

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet. Place all cookie ingredients into large bowl. Mix until ingredients are well combined and a soft dough forms. Scoop the dough into balls the size of a golf ball. Place on prepared sheet and bake 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes. In a bowl, combine powdered sugar, lemon juice and corn syrup. When cookies have cooled slightly, spread glaze on top of each cookie. Top with pecan half. Makes 3 dozen.

Hope

My post yesterday was about children brining hope. My cousin Angie gave birth to a little boy yesterday morning ~ Wyatt Leo.

9/11

These have always been some of my favorite pictures. I remember the day like it was yesterday, just as clearly as I remember where I was the morning of 9/11. I took these on a beach at a near by lake on a camping trip we took that weekend. It was September 9th 2001. I loved watching Paul and Coty play on the beach without a care in the world. They were so free, so full of energy. I was pregnant with Nathan at the time. We had my ultrasound scheduled for the next afternoon. I used to wonder before I was a parent if it was really fair to bring a child into the world with all the turmoil going on. Poverty and hunger and diseases. That day the world seemed so full of hope. A few days later made me wonder again. I remember reading every word of the paper on September 12th and when I got to the obituary section looking at my husband and saying "all these people, they don't know what happened yesterday". I can only assume that the feeling was similar to ones felt by our grandparents when Pearl Harbor was bombed or what our parents felt when President Kennedy was shot. My children will never know what the world was like prior to that day. I wonder what events will shape their lives. When hurricane Katrina hit Nathan was only three. He couldn't figure out why my husband and I watched the news constantly. He himself caught the news last week of hurricane Irene and was glued to it asking us if all the people were okay and if they needed food and homes and where they would go. I've realized the world is a good place to bring children. And it's better just because of them. They bring hope to it and make me want to be a better person. I hope I don't leave them too many mistakes to fix. For the families more directly affected by 9/11, I hope time has brought them some peace. For the rest of us God Bless America.

Coty

I ran Coty to the vet last Friday. He had a bump on his hip that we noticed earlier in the week with a little scab. We weren't sure if he snagged it on something or got bit by something, or what, but he needed his senior wellness visit anyway so I made him an appointment. I'm glad I did and I wish I hadn't waited. The vet thought he might have an abscess and was was going to make an incision and try to drain it and turns out the poor little guy had a botfly larva burrowed into his skin. I'll save you the details. It's disgusting. If you like disgusting you can google it. The kids were with me and they were enthralled by the whole thing. We have said insect in a jar for show and tell. Also found out the poor little guy has degenerative trachea collapse, which makes it hard for him to breath and he starts to cough. I know he's getting older and there is nothing you can do about that but it's different to *know* it. He is often my shadow and as much as I don't always like him right under me, I can't imagine him not there. Anytime I go out the back door he follows so Sunday night as I headed out to the deck he came with me. I read a little, but I watched him more. Sadden to know he is getting older every day but I really enjoyed just sitting and watching him enjoy the evening. He was SO content. He would twitch his nose every once in a while and he would hold close his eyes and hold his head up with when the breezes picked up a bit and let the wind ruffle the fur around his face. He looked so peaceful and full of joy. He was truly enjoying just sitting there.

not afraid of heights...

My kids didn't inherit my fear of heights, for which I'm grateful ~ I think. Nathan has spent most of summer pushing himself a little more each time we go to the pool. I like that he goes out side his comfort zone. I try and do that, but I couldn't do this. He started on the diving boards last year and was quite confident jumping from the first platform earlier this summer. As summer progressed he made it to the second platform and last week he jumped from the highest one. He flailed his arms and legs like his life was depending on it, but he didn't scream (I would have, not that I would have ever made it up the ladder). What made it even cooler is three of the kids he goes to school with saw him jump and were super impressed.


Why is that while Monday was the last day the pool was open it was barely made 80 degrees and now that the pool is closed it's back up in the low 90's?

lost tooth

Andrew lost his third tooth! Actually more like he made it come out. He was eating nimonnims (M & M's for those of you who don't speak Andrewese) and must have felt a pop. He checked and there was a little blood around his tooth. I'm pretty sure it wasn't ready to come out yet, but he spent the next two hours pushing it back and forth with his finger until he made it come out. He really wanted the tooth fairy to come.