A Post About Life

     My toddler is sleeping. I am enjoying the quiet "me" time. He woke up very grouchy and didn't want to eat breakfast. I'm suspecting the large bump at the back of his gum had something to do with it. Sigh. He climbs on everything he possibly can. He can say a few words, "no", "down" and "ouch" being the most recognizable. Other communicating is done by pointing and saying "Uh? uh?". I think that perhaps it would have been a good idea to teach him sign language, an idea that I sort of scoffed at. He had several weeks of horribly restless nights, and I was at my wits end to decide if something was wrong or if he was just being bratty. Finally as I thought about it, I remembered that his nights started being bad about the time I tried introducing milk. I quit trying to give him milk and presto! He started sleeping better at night. Hmm. Perhaps there is a connection there. But now what? Can a toddler grow strong bones on juice?
     I got a gardening catalog in the mail yesterday. Now I am dreaming. My problem is that I'd love to have all kinds of flowerbeds with nice flowers in them, but I have a hard time keeping them clean. Ah well. I want to try doing strawberries in a raised bed, so I'm going to be researching that this winter.
     We are having a very warm and snow-less winter so far. I keep wondering if we are going to get real winter. The lakes aren't really frozen over yet, and the snowmobile trails aren't exactly open. 
     The other day we were driving down the freeway, and we passed an ambulance that was on the way back from a run. There was an EMT sitting in the back smoking. Wasn't that sort of well, dangerous? And stupid?
     People always said that being a parent would teach you humility and unselfishness. And it does I suppose. But I think the biggest thing I have been sort of learning, or seeing I will learn, is patience. A child does not learn his lesson after one or even two times. At least my child doesn't. And so we go over and over it again. Multiple times a day.
     I am hoping to spend the rest of my week cleaning house. And next week I am going to hopefully finish organizing Benny's room and get ready to paint it. But, plans often don't work like you want them to. :)

From Our House to Yours

/

Merry Christmas!

 God Bless Us Everyone!! 

The Grabers 2011

Someday we will take a family picture in which we are dressed up and don't look like we just hiked half a mile up a mountain. 

My Favorite (Christmas) Cookie

(Pretend there is a picture here of a cookie, with strawberry jam in the middle, and a drizzle of frosting across the top)

Strawberry Cream Cookies
1 c. softened butter
1c. white sugar
3 oz. softened cream cheese
1 T. vanilla
1 egg
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. baking powder
2 1/2 c. flour
Jam (I use strawberry preserves, and wonder if that doesn't help prevent overflowing the cookie)

Cream the butter, sugar and cream cheese together, add vanilla and egg, and mix well. Add dry ingredients and chill dough. Shape the dough into small balls, place on cookie sheet and make an indention in the middle. Fill indention with jam. The cookie will grow as it bakes, so you don't really have to worry about the jam overflowing.  Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. And then I make a stiff frosting with powdered sugar and milk and pipe it back and forth over top. These freeze well. And they are yummy!

Yup, We Train 'Em Young...

My men doing dishes for me. :)

Why We Celebrate Christmas

Lu 2:10. And the angel said unto them, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."
13. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14. "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

John 12. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Between secular materialism on one hand, and pious disregarding on the other, these verses help us find a balance in Christmas. Surely the fact that God so loved us that He sent His only begotten Son to earth to save us, should be cause for celebration!

Atmosphere

Cabin atmosphere

      I was sitting in my house Saturday evening after we got home from the cabin when something suddenly occurred to me. I realized I had the same feeling about being home that I had had at the cabin all weekend. Which got me to thinking about atmosphere and what kind we create. And maybe part of my feeling at home in either place has to do with my MIL and I having a similar style at decorating. But anyway...
    The other week Clark and I were on a date and went to eat out at Perkins. Now, the walls were painted a cozy color, and the decorating was nice, and even the lighting was nice. But, the music was jazzy and the two TV's on the wall certainly did not help. Atmosphere? Yes, I suppose. What I want when I'm on a date with my man? Nope.

    I like clean and uncluttered, but still homey (as in perhaps knowing it's clean under the clutter). It helps my state of mind. When the kitchen is piled with dishes, I do not get the feeling of a peaceful atmosphere. Right now, neither the laundry corner, nor the chest of drawers in my bedroom give me the impression of an uncluttered state of mind. And the back room certainly doesn't give anyone the impression of peaceful and uncluttered.
     But I think that atmosphere can also rise above environment. On Sat. eve. the table was piled with odds and ends, and the floor was covered with books and toys. Yet there was still a warm and cozy and peaceful atmosphere. I think that the attitude we show in our homemaking, is a reflection of our internal life. If I am content inside, my home likely will reflect that. If there is turmoil or busyness, my home often reflects that as well.  On the flip side, I can have ever so cozy and homey of an environment, and if there is disagreement and bickering, the atmosphere is decidedly not peaceful.
   What kind of atmosphere are we women creating in our homes? A place of peace and rest at the end of the day? Or constant hustle and bustle and busyness?

And I am Thankful...

     For LIFE...and health. We had a close call with a semi last night.  I don't like to think about it, what could have happened. I think Clark and I would have come out ok, but not sure about Benny. And I'm doubly thankful for my men today.
     For Salvation...and those who are taking the gospel to others. To all of you that are working with the kids on the Reservation, keep going. You are doing a good work.
     For family. We love you all and have great times together. And to our parents for raising us. Clark and I are often amazed the the similarities in our up-bringing. I'm afraid our kids are going to be raised the same way we were. :)
     For church family. We love you dearly.
     For a messy house, it's warm and it's home. For dirty dishes, we have plenty of food to eat. For dirty laundry, we have plenty of warm clothes to wear.
     For a little boy that is wanting attention. It means he has a mommy and they love each other.
    

For My Mom

...And anyone else that cares.

     This is post-hair cut. This was a week or so after, so it had grown out a little. And it's grown out even more now, so I'm happier with it then I was at first. Cutting the hair of a very active one year old is an interesting feat, I knew i had about five or less minutes before he'd be tired of the project. I think I did it in about three minutes, and it looked like it!

     This week was one of those tough mothering weeks. His very stubborn side tooth was bothering him again. I hope that THIS time it comes all the way through. And then he got a head cold as well. So for about four nights I was getting  up every hour or so. And that was with Tylenol. Last night he slept better, as in only getting up every 2-3 hours. And he's happier and eating again this morning. So I'm hopeful that we're over that hump. I had to wonder yesterday, how I ever did it when he was newborn and nights like that were a fact of life. It seemed much harder this time around.

     And I wanted to paint my whole bathroom this week. Ha!

Tidbits From Our House

Fall is slowly giving way to winter. We had frozen precipitation falling from the sky the other day.

Here is a recipe that I've made a time or two this fall.

Pumpkin Spice Cake

 Mix together:

2 c. mashed pumpkin

3/4 c. vegetable oil 

2 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla

Then add:

 2 c. flour

1t. salt

2 t. soda

2 t. baking powder

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. ginger

1/4 t. each of cloves, nutmeg, allspice

Pour into a 9x13 pan and bake for 25-30 minutes at 350.

And then I like to frost with either a sugar crumble, or caramel frosting, which is:

1 stick of butter

1/4 c. milk

1 c. brown sugar 

Mix together and heat until the sugar is dissolved. And DON'T let it boil (learned that the hard way one time). 

Then take it off the heat and add 2 c. of powdered sugar, and beat in well. Let it set until it's cool (don't stir again), and then spread over your cake or cinnamon rolls or whatever.

      So those are my fall recipes. Speaking of cinnamon rolls, I'm going to make myself hungry for some if I think about it too long. I suppose I should make a pan and send them to work with Clark sometime. 

    Today I read the book "Safely Home" by Randy Alcorn. And I've also been reading "He Chose The Nails" by Max Lucado. Both are very thought provoking reads.

    I'd post pictures of the little man's new look since his haircut, but I guess we haven't taken any yet. Hmm. Clark is coming home to figure out what and where the funny smell from the dryer is. I'm wondering if something somewhere didn't get a little too hot. Not a good feeling. 

Our Last Week in Pictures

 

     We are having absolutly gorgeous fall weather this week. We're soaking up all the sunshine we can, winter is not far away. It's actully rather unusual to have such nice weather this late in the year.

      It's a good feeling to have our gardening and harvest over and mostly put up for the year. Sometime I think it would be fun to do a Harvest Celebration, and have everyone bring something they've raised.

     Here are a few hooligans enjoying a pile of leaves. :)  They had a big pile raked up, and were jumping off a tree branch into the pile. I'm not actually sure how many peoples are in there; five maybe?

      We've been frantically working on outdoor projects while the weather is nice. Here Benny is trying his hand at planing. 

     We took a flying trip out to NE last weekend. It was soybean harvest time, so we got to see a little bit of that operation. I think I like NE best in the fall. We had a lovely, fun time there. 

 

     And finally a few pictures of my super-cute, way-too-grown up kiddo. He's been loving this weather, and likes nothing better then when I let him play on the deck. I'm not sure what he's going to do when the weather gets cold. I'm afraid we shall both suffer. He's a neat freak; bits of stray papers are promptly thrown in the trash can, as well as the occasional toy and sippy cup. He hates having sticky hands too. Both traits inherited from his father. And he has discovered the joys of books (inherited from his mother), and thinks I have nothing better to do with my time then show him a book. He says a few words, and is discovering animal sounds, his favorites being "rowrr", "moo", and a snorting sound for a pig.  He loved playing with Gabe's cat and dog when we were in NE. 

     Here are a few more pictures.

Real men don't cry?

Really,
       Real men don't cry? Who said? The little red car isn't running right. I am watching a savings account slowly dwindle due to shortened work hours. Things are happening at work that aren't exactly assuring. (I won't detail them here.) It is fall and most of the projects I wanted to do this summer are left undone. A leaking roof, a room that needs cleaned out, some pipes  that need re-plumbing, lots of shelves to  be built, and did I mention a propane tank that needs filled? Now that I sit here and list a few of these it doesn't seem like much to cry about really, but I don't feel any better. Maybe it is because every now and then men have to cry. Then they will dig deep  find out why they are here and what is important. I came home from work today on the verge of tears. I don't why either, I don't think my job is that stressful. Anyway, this too shall pass. I have a wonderful wife, a healthy baby, and a loving church family. Now that is worth crying about, happy tears that is. You know, now that I think about it, there are men I know that I respect very much, and they cry too. Even Jesus cried. So it must be OK.
        Anyway, I think I will be OK in the end. This is life. So I guess I have to square my shoulders and face it like a man. Tears or no tears. (It could be the weather too, who knows.)

 That is all. I will quit complaining now. God is good and so are tears. 

P.S.   There are real reasons to cry though and those reasons have to do with eternal souls. Some one you love throws it away, broken homes, and so on.

Since We've Been Talking Motherhood...

     My baby is a year old. That's hard to believe. He trots all over the house. And investigates everything. I feel like all I do is say "No" all day long. Children definitely do not "get it", after only one or two times. It's line upon line, precept upon precept, for years on end I suppose. The whole parenting thing does not get easier with time, that's for sure.  By the time I get done raising my kids I can give the pat answer to anyone that asks me child training questions, "I don't know how I did it. There but for the Grace of God go I..."  And I am glad for the older women in my life that don't have answers, but they do understand and say, "Yes, I remember that stage." And my MIL told me once," It's good to at least start with ideals, they might not work, but at least you had them to start with." And in lots of ways, I have the easy stage now. No worries about potty training. Nor about schooling. Or running out to the road. Or what they are listening to, or viewing online. Or who their friends are. Or if they are following Christ. I just have to make sure Benny has food, clothing, and plenty of hugs and kisses. But,  every other stage of parenting has it's blessings as well.  In the end, all that matters is that they grow up to love and serve Jesus.
    

For All You Homemakers Out There...

I found this website the other day. There are lots of neat interior decorating ideas, they won't break the bank, and they aren't hard to do.  I've found about half a dozen different ideas I'm going to try sometime.


Someday soon I'll write a real post, I promise....

PS to the last post....

The trial is off, meaning no jury duty for me. Praise the Lord!! And there are 13 pints of salsa in my kitchen. Benny still has a slight fever, but I can deal with that I think.

Why I Haven't Posted In Awhile; Or My Complicated Life.

   See this was the month of August. The month I ran so fast I could hardly catch my breath. This week seems to be the capstone of living in a whirlwind.
  So, I got a jury summons in the mail two weeks ago. I need to appear this week. They wouldn't excuse me for being a SAHM and nursing a baby. I guess they figured an 11 month-old can survive without mommy for a day. Which I suppose is a reasonable expectation, but not for an 11 month-old that views big people food as an experiment. So, the complications of who to take care of him, and how and where. At this point it looks like it's going to have to be his Daddy. Because last Friday morning when Clark went to leave for work, his car refused to start. Which after some digging and testing and talking to others, he decided is a fuel pump problem. So, no car for me. Which means I have no way to get to the courthouse. And I refuse to go on public transportation. But, Clark needs to take off work so I can do my stupid jury thing. Which feels ridiculous to me, because I know that when I get in there, they'll likely kick me off anyway for religious conviction, and hopefully personal responsibilities. Which means I blow half a day for them to tell me what they could have just told me in the first place, without me having to go in there.
    Then last night Benny woke up with a fever. Today was the day I had slated to make salsa. I cannot make salsa and take care of a sick baby. And somehow sick babies and Daddy taking care of him while Mommy is in the courthouse don't seem to mix in my mind. The logistics of making everything work look impossible. Unless he wakes up from his nap and feels better; then I can go ahead with the salsa plan.
    Now, several weeks ago, before all this happened, Mom asked me to teach ladies SS. We're starting the book of James. So I had that added to my pile, but I really wanted to do it. Of course, the first four verses deal with having a calm cheerfulness while surrounded by trials. So we can become patient which makes us perfect. Why do we always get to put our learning into practice? And the next four verses deal with asking God for wisdom and being double minded. And I get to practice that too, because I have been praying really really hard that the trial gets settled out of court, so I don't have to mess up my life and someone else's and appear at the court house. Though the question I want to have answered is are those verses dealing just with asking for wisdom? Or is it for all of prayer life? And see I'm posting this before I know whether or not I have to go in tomorrow. I find out this eve. But I thought perhaps it would have more punch if I do it while I'm still in wondering and waiting mode. Because if I don't have to go in, then I can have this nice, pat story to put in here. And if I have to go in, well, then I have lots of questions, and disappointment, and likely I wouldn't put those on here. Though in the end I'm sure it would work out for the good anyway, and maybe there would still be a nice, pat story.
    So those are my thoughts for the day. Sometime soon hopefully, if and when life lets us breath again, we can do a post on our camping and Andrea's wedding.

Link to Video In Last Post.

Here is the link to the video that was posted in the last post. For some reason Blogger kept breaking the link to the one I had posted on my last post.

Tidbits

     This is going to be a random post. I'm sitting on the couch eating chips and taco dip. My house is clean. I gave it a lick and a promise too many times during the last month, and Monday morning a poor frog went hopping across the living room floor, covered in lint and wound about with hair. We rescued him, and released him to the outside world, and he hopped away so I assume he survived. I have absolutely no clue how he got inside. But I decided it was high time to do a deep clean.
     We've had two camp outs and one wedding so far this summer, and one campout and one wedding to go before the end of August. I told Clark today that I want to pack to go somewhere and all I have to take is my clothing. No food, no bedding, no towels, no camping gear, no fishing gear, etc. But it will all be fun and we've always survived so far.
     We attended a really sweet wedding last Sat. The bride has been suffering from Chronic Lyme disease for almost a year I think. Or maybe longer. But the groom stuck with her through it, and they are very happy. It was good to be reminded about love and commitment, and to see it in real life. Just because everything is fine and good and happy when you get married, doesn't mean that something bad won't happen after you are married. 
     The small man of the house is doing well. He still doesn't have very much interest in eating real food. I guess someday he will get hungry. This week he decided that he'd rather try to feed himself. Which consists of pushing food around his tray with a spoon. Or dropping it on the floor. But definitely not more then a few pieces in the mouth. Clark accidentally captured him doing this last night, and I'm uploading it for my mom to see. Oh and Clark wants you to know that he's not swearing on the end, he's saying, "I got that on video! I can't believe I got that on video!". Clark was playing with the video setting, and Benny decided randomly to practice his walking.Edit: Here is a link for the video.
      Well that's a small update on our lives. I hope you all are having a good summer as well.

Recent Happenings.

Hello,

          Last weekend we had a very rich and enjoyable time "camping". It wasn't really camping because we had a roof over our heads and electric lights. The whole idea of it is that it starts off as a father and son thing on Friday and then Saturday afternoon the wives and sisters show up and make it a family event. It is a time of fishing, campfires, swimming, games, and so on and so forth. There isn't any agenda really because that would just spoil it. There are good things that happen in this sort of setting. You can look HERE to see what has been happening in our lives this month. You will get to the camp out pictures toward the end of the album. Enjoy!!

Quote of the Week

Clark, holding a newly emptied ice cream bucket: "Hey make sure you save this, I need it for when I change oil."
Me: "Honey, there's already three buckets out in the mini-storage for those jobs."
Slight pause then Clark with a smirk: "But it flows better if I have a new bucket."

Maybe you won't find it funny but I did.

A Wedged Benny Bear In Great Tightness

I was washing dishes when he started fussing. I turned around and this is what I found.

Weekend in Pictures

This came rolling in Friday evening.  Thankfully only the edge caught us, it was much worse north-west of us.

Saturday we took the youth to Potato River Falls.

Then Sunday we headed for the North Shore. The lupines are blooming there right now. Brag alert ahead, I took this picture. :)

At the cabin. It was quiet and lovely. We needed the get away.

Grandma came up with us.

Benny and Grammy

Grandma telling Emily stories of when she was a girl.

It takes the whole family to build an outhouse.

Dad and Mom enjoying the fruit of their labors. I'll let mom show the pictures of the projects they did.

Mother and son  at the cook stove.

Mudding anyone? Unintentional that is.

Lots of wildflowers.

It was hot, so we went down to the shore for an hour to play. The water was COLD.

Mother & Son

Watched fireworks in Silver Bay. I was impressed with how nice a display it was for a small community.

On the way home, all tired out. He loved the cabin.

     Well, that was easier then writing a 12,000 word essay.  More pictures here and here. 
     Oh and know what happens when the Minnesota Government shuts down the state parks because of a lack of budget? Everyone just parks along the road and walks in to enjoy the park anyway. How does that help a budget crisis I wonder?
--Charlotte

A Few Pictures And Notes

Current summer table-scape.

    It is summer. Only 58 degrees doesn't qualify today as a summer day though. I did the calculations this morning, and figured out that from now through the end of August we only have three free Saturdays. Busyness!! But we are glad to have friends and busy summer schedules. I asked Clark when we are going fishing....he sighed and said he didn't know. On our "free" Saturdays perhaps?
    The peonies in the above picture are from my flower garden. I planted them two years ago, and have lots of big beautiful blossoms this year. I didn't know peonies smelled so fragrant. Makes me happy to begin reaping some rewards for the time I've put into that bed.

Cutest kid in the world, of course!

     Benny is more little boy then baby. Sigh! I was one of these good moms and plugged off my electrical outlets so he couldn't hurt himself. Well, he's figured out how to dig the plugs out. Hmm. Wonder what the experts would say about that! The other day I walked into the kitchen and discovered he had somehow managed to take the lid off of the large, new jug of olive oil. Fortunately  I hadn't opened it yet, so the foil seal was preventing disaster. But, yeah, we still love him to bits. We have also discovered he has a talent for "singing" on key with whatever music happens to be playing at the moment. We're looking forward to when he's older and we can cultivate that.
     Recently heard the song "Holy Art Thou, Lord God Almighty", from Handel's Largo.  I'd love to sing that with a choir. One of my dreams is to sing in a choir someday. I have good memories of chorus at SMBI.
     And now I must finish supper preparations. Chuck roast, oven fries, and sauteed broccoli (I get the broccoli to myself). Yummy!

"Roman Soldier" or a "Simon"

Hello All,

        I have this thought rolling around in my head and I want to put it out there to see if I am taking something out of context.
        I think we know how roughly Jesus was handled by the Soldiers at His crucifixion. They beat, mocked, and whipped him. There is another detail that we often overlook and I can't help but think there is a reason it is noted.
         
          (Mark 15:21)  And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.
      
          Now my question is this: Is there a modern day application for this? Think about it, each one of us has a cross to bear and occasionally we catch glimpses of the crosses of others around us.
           
        (Luke 9:23)  And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

          Are you following my train of thought? How often do we mistake some ones cross for a fault? I am not talking about sin, but a perceived fault. We see this "problem" that this other brother or sister is having and we have some choices to make. Do we pick up a whip and go to work or do we get in beside him and help him out? Reverse the situation. Do we make it more accommodating for the whip to be used on us or do we make it easy for another to step in beside us and help? Do you get a vision of a mass of people headed up the road with arms linked and a cross over every shoulder?
What do you think, is this a legitimate comparison?

Just thinking!!

Summer and Stuff

Jalon R. and Benny after church Sunday.

    It's a classic Wisconsin summer day out there. One of those days that makes you want to just live out of doors. I planted garden while Benny napped. It's supposed to be nice the rest of the week. I read on AccuWeather today that those of us that live in the Great Lakes region might not have summer. Meaning that our temperatures won't top 90 very often. Sounds good to me!!
    Yesterday the family was here and helped us get our yard work done. It's amazing how much work you can accomplish with more then just two people. Maybe we need to hire some servants or something.
     Here is a picture for your enjoyment. It was taken several weeks ago; I found it the other day and remembered I threatened to post it.  Can't you just see the ego?

HOW REAL MEN SHOOT CROW

Don't worry, no crows were harmed in the filming of this picture. After all, pellet guns aren't noted for being able to hit their target at 100+ feet. Especially not crows.  

The Best Blueberry Muffins

We had these for breakfast this morning. I think this is the best recipe I've ever found.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons baking powder (yes, really, use that much)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup granulated brown sugar or white sugar (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and sugar. In another bowl, combine butter, egg, and milk and mix well. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and with a spatula, stir until just combined. Do not beat or over mix; it's okay if there are lumps in the batter. Gently fold the blueberries into the batter.
Spoon the batter into the muffin tray, filling each cup about 2/3 full. (It's more like fill the cups 3/4 to all the way full. The batter will be VERY stiff.) Bake for 10 minutes and remove from the oven. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with the granulated brown or white sugar and return the muffins to the oven to bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes (again, optional, I bake for 20-25 minutes and skip this step), until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool for about 10 minutes in the pan before turning the muffins out.


I'd like to try these with whole wheat sometime and see how well that works and if Clark would like them. 

Busy Morning at the Bird Feeder

Hello,

          We had a busy morning at the bird feeder and it wasn't because of the cowbirds, Hooray!! I think we found a bird feed they don't like.  Yes, these were all taken today and I think a majority of them this morning in about one hours time.

There is room for a few more.....

Baltimore Oriole (Adult Male I believe.)

Another Baltimore Oriole (Immature Male I believe.)

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Female)

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Male)

Indigo Bunting

Cyanocitta cristata

        I think this was a record for variety for bird kind at our bird feeder. There was also a cowbird, a grackle, a goldfinch, and a nuthatch that happened by. My wife says she saw at least a half a dozen different orioles and about that many grosbeaks.

That's all for now!!

Normal Bits of Life.

   I'll ramble and blather along and see if if I get something worth posting.

• We finally have real spring and summer weather. The bird feeder was busy all day. I think Clark is going to post pictures he took earlier today. I think we figured out how to get rid of those stupid cowbirds. We found seed they don't like and the song birds do. 
• My stupid computer mouse is acting up and keeps changing the fonts on my page. I do not appreciate it, especially as I can't figure out how to get it to revert to original size. 
• I detail painted a part of my kitchen that I've wanted to for quite sometime. I sponge painted for the first time, and I love it. I think I'll do more of that. I don't have a picture to show you though. It's amazing how good a little thing like paint makes you feel.
• I figured out today that I had a crocheting stitch wrong. Duh!!
• My flower bed is planted in seeds. Morning glory, marigolds, four o'clock, cosmos, hollyhocks, butterfly weed, zinnias. We'll see what comes up. I need to get a few pansies to add color for right away. 
• Next up, the garden. I am going to have a garden after all. And I am looking forward to it. 
• I decided to paint the interior of my kitchen cupboards. After house cleaning and garden.
• Benny has a severe case of Apron String Attachment Syndrome today. I think teeth are the culprit. It looks like he might get a bunch all at once, poor kid. Oh well, as mom says, he won't do it when he's 18. 
• Chicken and potatoes for supper.
• My font zoomed again. Whatever. 
• We went to Duluth  on Saturday for our anniversary. Fun. We went to the Aquarium, drove across the Lift Bridge, and then went to Barnes & Noble. And I went to Hancock Fabric as well. There were two ore ships that went through while we were at the Aquarium, and we were always on the other side of the building and couldn't watch. There is way too much stuff to do in Duluth. You would have to spend a week there.  We came home with a few books and a game. Benny did super. Only he slept the whole way home and wanted to play until 11:30.
• Consequently, we did not get out of bed until 8:20 Sunday morning.
•  Stupid mouse.
• Singing at church was wonderful. 
• We hung out with the youth for Lance's birthday party. 
• It stormed and the electricity was off for quite a few hours. 
• You are likely getting tired of this. So I shall close.
•  My washer emitted a greasy, hot rubber smell this morning. The Internet was off. The car did not want to start. Clark's comment: "You  can tell I have to teach Sunday School this week."
• Goodbye  :)
• Stupid font.

Signs of Spring

Hello,

          Some one told me I had not posted in awhile so I guess I will remedy that. Spring is here and I believe that winter has puffed its last icy breath. Anyway, it is nice to go out and see green now instead of just mud, sticks, and remnants of snow.

Some green in my Mom's flower garden.

A flower is a pleasant sight to the eyes after a long winter.

It is warm enough to eat out side and the Grabers are enjoying that.

Pussy willows.

Leaves!! Little tiny green leaves.  (I know some one is going comment that they have had leaves on the trees for the last month.)

That is all for now!! Hope you enjoyed it.
 
Oh, and I updated Photo of the Week.