annie blog

Linky

So, here are some things that I’ve enjoyed and/or have been delighted to find out about lately….

Trampled By Turtles did a live session at HearYa. If you like Bluegrass music — even if you don’t, maybe — you should give them a listen. Awesome. Free mp3s from the excellent folks at Shirk Music and Sound in Chicago. Those folks know what they’re doing.

This here is a recipe for my favorite salsa. It’s a must make! (From the chef of Milagro Modern Mexican.)

We were at this gorgeous garden this past weekend to see my lovely niece Katey get married. What a fun wedding and a what a beautiful garden. You should visit if you’re ever in Louisville. Speaking of Louisville — what a city! I hope to go back for a longer visit sometime.

This is a wonderful article from Femina concerning beliefs about the law of God. I found it really helpful. You might, too…

Finally, this chicken and pasta dish from the Pioneer Woman is really, really good. I made a huge recipe of it for a recent fellowship meal and it was almost entirely eaten. I exclusively used ingredients from Aldi (except for the chicken broth….I must admit that I rarely use canned chicken broth). This might become my go-to meal for new moms. It’s really yummy but kind of special comfort food. Does that make sense?

Speaking of pasta, tomorrow I’ll share a pasta sauce that my C and I made in a slow cooker today. It was good, very good. I asked my youngest son what we should name it and he said, “Pasta la Vista”.

Happy Tuesday!

Linky

So, here are some things that I’ve enjoyed and/or have been delighted to find out about lately….

Trampled By Turtles did a live session at HearYa. If you like Bluegrass music — even if you don’t, maybe — you should give them a listen. Awesome. Free mp3s from the excellent folks at Shirk Music and Sound in Chicago. Those folks know what they’re doing.

This here is a recipe for my favorite salsa. It’s a must make! (From the chef of Milagro Modern Mexican.)

We were at this gorgeous garden this past weekend to see my lovely niece Katey get married. What a fun wedding and a what a beautiful garden. You should visit if you’re ever in Louisville. Speaking of Louisville — what a city! I hope to go back for a longer visit sometime.

This is a wonderful article from Femina concerning beliefs about the law of God. I found it really helpful. You might, too…

Finally, this chicken and pasta dish from the Pioneer Woman is really, really good. I made a huge recipe of it for a recent fellowship meal and it was almost entirely eaten. I exclusively used ingredients from Aldi (except for the chicken broth….I must admit that I rarely use canned chicken broth). This might become my go-to meal for new moms. It’s really yummy but kind of special comfort food. Does that make sense?

Speaking of pasta, tomorrow I’ll share a pasta sauce that my C and I made in a slow cooker today. It was good, very good. I asked my youngest son what we should name it and he said, “Pasta la Vista”.

Happy Tuesday!

What’s Been Going On

with us this summer is that we’ve had visitors.

We love visitors.

Last week, my mom (Mama Suzie) and sister and nephews came to visit and help us celebrate my second son’s 13th birthday.

We went to the zoo, Grant’s Farm, to the Card’s game. We also went to our pool and to the park. The weather was surprisingly wonderful — low humidity and temperatures in the high seventies/low eighties.

Here are some pics of the week…

Mama Suzie and her grandsons in beautiful Forest Park.

Here she is with the birthday boy.

Walking to the zoo.

E and Nephew #1 decided to wear hats. E also sported a neck-kerchief and told us all he was a bandit that day. In this pic they are contemplating how to get the donated money out of this turtle. I guess that goes with the bandit theme.

Here is my nephew #2. Such a precious little darling baby. He’s not in many of the pics because he is at that particular junction of babyhood when he is content to ride in his stroller until he gets out, then he realizes that he would like to never get back in the stroller, but rather, toddle along at full speed. So, we mostly left him in the stroller since he is a baby tank and we didn’t have the strength or energy to let him experience the zoo on his two feet.

Here we are by the penguin habitat.

Here we are waiting in the longest line I’ve ever been in at Grant’s Farm.

Do you know what is a fun way to while away the time waiting in line?

Messing with J. It sure is fun. Here we have Aunt D messing with J.

All in good fun.

More waiting in line…Mama Suzie and my sons, minus J.

An eating lunch shot. Would you just look at the precious cheeks and chin on my little nephew. If he was here today I’d plant a hundred kisses on that sweet face — and neck. Never forget the neck sugar.

Here we have an image that supports my theory that lighting candles on a birthday cake is the single most attention getting activity among children everywhere.

Blowing them out.

Happy times at the Card’s game. We won 12 to 2! Which, if you will believe it, is less than the score that we won by the last time Mama Suzie attended a game. N thinks that she is a good luck charm for the Card’s. I guess that we’ll have to test that theory the next time she’s in town.

So, that’s part of what we’ve been up to.

I hope that these days of summer are going great for all of you!

What’s Been Going On

with us this summer is that we’ve had visitors.

We love visitors.

Last week, my mom (Mama Suzie) and sister and nephews came to visit and help us celebrate my second son’s 13th birthday.

We went to the zoo, Grant’s Farm, to the Card’s game. We also went to our pool and to the park. The weather was surprisingly wonderful — low humidity and temperatures in the high seventies/low eighties.

Here are some pics of the week…

Mama Suzie and her grandsons in beautiful Forest Park.

Here she is with the birthday boy.

Walking to the zoo.

E and Nephew #1 decided to wear hats. E also sported a neck-kerchief and told us all he was a bandit that day. In this pic they are contemplating how to get the donated money out of this turtle. I guess that goes with the bandit theme.

Here is my nephew #2. Such a precious little darling baby. He’s not in many of the pics because he is at that particular junction of babyhood when he is content to ride in his stroller until he gets out, then he realizes that he would like to never get back in the stroller, but rather, toddle along at full speed. So, we mostly left him in the stroller since he is a baby tank and we didn’t have the strength or energy to let him experience the zoo on his two feet.

Here we are by the penguin habitat.

Here we are waiting in the longest line I’ve ever been in at Grant’s Farm.

Do you know what is a fun way to while away the time waiting in line?

Messing with J. It sure is fun. Here we have Aunt D messing with J.

All in good fun.

More waiting in line…Mama Suzie and my sons, minus J.

An eating lunch shot. Would you just look at the precious cheeks and chin on my little nephew. If he was here today I’d plant a hundred kisses on that sweet face — and neck. Never forget the neck sugar.

Here we have an image that supports my theory that lighting candles on a birthday cake is the single most attention getting activity among children everywhere.

Blowing them out.

Happy times at the Card’s game. We won 12 to 2! Which, if you will believe it, is less than the score that we won by the last time Mama Suzie attended a game. N thinks that she is a good luck charm for the Card’s. I guess that we’ll have to test that theory the next time she’s in town.

So, that’s part of what we’ve been up to.

I hope that these days of summer are going great for all of you!

What’s Been Going On

with us this summer is that we’ve had visitors.

We love visitors.

Last week, my mom (Mama Suzie) and sister and nephews came to visit and help us celebrate my second son’s 13th birthday.

We went to the zoo, Grant’s Farm, to the Card’s game. We also went to our pool and to the park. The weather was surprisingly wonderful — low humidity and temperatures in the high seventies/low eighties.

Here are some pics of the week…

Mama Suzie and her grandsons in beautiful Forest Park.

Here she is with the birthday boy.

Walking to the zoo.

E and Nephew #1 decided to wear hats. E also sported a neck-kerchief and told us all he was a bandit that day. In this pic they are contemplating how to get the donated money out of this turtle. I guess that goes with the bandit theme.

Here is my nephew #2. Such a precious little darling baby. He’s not in many of the pics because he is at that particular junction of babyhood when he is content to ride in his stroller until he gets out, then he realizes that he would like to never get back in the stroller, but rather, toddle along at full speed. So, we mostly left him in the stroller since he is a baby tank and we didn’t have the strength or energy to let him experience the zoo on his two feet.

Here we are by the penguin habitat.

Here we are waiting in the longest line I’ve ever been in at Grant’s Farm.

Do you know what is a fun way to while away the time waiting in line?

Messing with J. It sure is fun. Here we have Aunt D messing with J.

All in good fun.

More waiting in line…Mama Suzie and my sons, minus J.

An eating lunch shot. Would you just look at the precious cheeks and chin on my little nephew. If he was here today I’d plant a hundred kisses on that sweet face — and neck. Never forget the neck sugar.

Here we have an image that supports my theory that lighting candles on a birthday cake is the single most attention getting activity among children everywhere.

Blowing them out.

Happy times at the Card’s game. We won 12 to 2! Which, if you will believe it, is less than the score that we won by the last time Mama Suzie attended a game. N thinks that she is a good luck charm for the Card’s. I guess that we’ll have to test that theory the next time she’s in town.

So, that’s part of what we’ve been up to.

I hope that these days of summer are going great for all of you!

Put It On the List

This is yet another item on the “I Can’t Believe That He Just Did That” list.

My list — it’s extensive.

On Saturday, my boys and I went to the pool. There weren’t too many folks there so N and I started a game of catch in the middle of the pool. After awhile, it dawned on me that I hadn’t laid eyes on any of my other sons for several minutes. So, I told N that I was going to do a head count and then we’d resume our game.

I first went to look for E, my youngest. I quickly found him at the snack bar (of course) but not mooching food (thank goodness for that). He was sitting at a table with C. E had procured his special dip — the dip that consists of equal parts mustard and ketchup — and was sucking it into his mouth using a coffee stirrer. I asked him to sit on our lounge chair so that I would know where he was while he finished his “seekret special dip” as he calls it.

So, I was 2 down and 1 to go before I could be relaxed an play some more catch with N. Then I realized that J was probably in the bathroom and I resolved to have 10 more throws with N before I would leave the pool to go get him.

Turns out that I didn’t have to go get him because, along about throw number 8, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a boy J’s size with identical swim trunks coming from the direction of the bathroom. I turned to check that it really was J and saw him, half-running, into the shallow end of the pool. He had his snorkel in one hand and his goggles in the other. I was visually assuring myself that he also had his trunks pulled up enough when something on his face distracted me.

I looked closer and saw that J was sporting the biggest, most majestic, Santa-like soap bubble beard that I had ever seen. Really, he probably had used the majority of one of those liquid soap dispensers to concoct his beard.

That thing defied the laws of physics, I tell you.

Anyway, he continued to run until he was at the center of the pool where he dunked himself and came up with a flourish equal to any circus performer. It was his big ta-da moment.

N and I laughed, of course. We kept on playing catch and J went back to swimming.

Just another day in my never boring life.

I hope y’all are having a good Monday.

Put It On the List

This is yet another item on the “I Can’t Believe That He Just Did That” list.

My list — it’s extensive.

On Saturday, my boys and I went to the pool. There weren’t too many folks there so N and I started a game of catch in the middle of the pool. After awhile, it dawned on me that I hadn’t laid eyes on any of my other sons for several minutes. So, I told N that I was going to do a head count and then we’d resume our game.

I first went to look for E, my youngest. I quickly found him at the snack bar (of course) but not mooching food (thank goodness for that). He was sitting at a table with C. E had procured his special dip — the dip that consists of equal parts mustard and ketchup — and was sucking it into his mouth using a coffee stirrer. I asked him to sit on our lounge chair so that I would know where he was while he finished his “seekret special dip” as he calls it.

So, I was 2 down and 1 to go before I could be relaxed an play some more catch with N. Then I realized that J was probably in the bathroom and I resolved to have 10 more throws with N before I would leave the pool to go get him.

Turns out that I didn’t have to go get him because, along about throw number 8, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a boy J’s size with identical swim trunks coming from the direction of the bathroom. I turned to check that it really was J and saw him, half-running, into the shallow end of the pool. He had his snorkel in one hand and his goggles in the other. I was visually assuring myself that he also had his trunks pulled up enough when something on his face distracted me.

I looked closer and saw that J was sporting the biggest, most majestic, Santa-like soap bubble beard that I had ever seen. Really, he probably had used the majority of one of those liquid soap dispensers to concoct his beard.

That thing defied the laws of physics, I tell you.

Anyway, he continued to run until he was at the center of the pool where he dunked himself and came up with a flourish equal to any circus performer. It was his big ta-da moment.

N and I laughed, of course. We kept on playing catch and J went back to swimming.

Just another day in my never boring life.

I hope y’all are having a good Monday.

Put It On the List

This is yet another item on the “I Can’t Believe That He Just Did That” list.

My list — it’s extensive.

On Saturday, my boys and I went to the pool. There weren’t too many folks there so N and I started a game of catch in the middle of the pool. After awhile, it dawned on me that I hadn’t laid eyes on any of my other sons for several minutes. So, I told N that I was going to do a head count and then we’d resume our game.

I first went to look for E, my youngest. I quickly found him at the snack bar (of course) but not mooching food (thank goodness for that). He was sitting at a table with C. E had procured his special dip — the dip that consists of equal parts mustard and ketchup — and was sucking it into his mouth using a coffee stirrer. I asked him to sit on our lounge chair so that I would know where he was while he finished his “seekret special dip” as he calls it.

So, I was 2 down and 1 to go before I could be relaxed an play some more catch with N. Then I realized that J was probably in the bathroom and I resolved to have 10 more throws with N before I would leave the pool to go get him.

Turns out that I didn’t have to go get him because, along about throw number 8, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a boy J’s size with identical swim trunks coming from the direction of the bathroom. I turned to check that it really was J and saw him, half-running, into the shallow end of the pool. He had his snorkel in one hand and his goggles in the other. I was visually assuring myself that he also had his trunks pulled up enough when something on his face distracted me.

I looked closer and saw that J was sporting the biggest, most majestic, Santa-like soap bubble beard that I had ever seen. Really, he probably had used the majority of one of those liquid soap dispensers to concoct his beard.

That thing defied the laws of physics, I tell you.

Anyway, he continued to run until he was at the center of the pool where he dunked himself and came up with a flourish equal to any circus performer. It was his big ta-da moment.

N and I laughed, of course. We kept on playing catch and J went back to swimming.

Just another day in my never boring life.

I hope y’all are having a good Monday.

The Definition of Perfunctory

Tonight, we went for our weekly dinner at the church’s parish hall. We ate grilled meats and chips and summery foods. After the meal and a little singing, we split into groups. The young kids break in to classes and the older youth and adults remain together for a lecture and discussion session.

I really like getting together with folks from church in the middle of the week. In the church of my girlhood, we had a Wednesday night fellowship supper. I remember really liking that, too.

So, back to tonight.

My two oldest boys stay with me for the adult/youth session. We watch a video and then have a question and answer session with all of the people who stay for the lesson.

Usually this is when my oldest son, J, zones out. He doesn’t listen to the video. He doesn’t listen to the discussion. He goes to J world inside his head and he stays put there until I reel him back to reality.

So, today, I told him that I wanted him to pay attention and have one relevant thing to write down after the video and discussion were over.

The pens and paper were passed around.
J busily wrote for a minute and then put the cap on his pen.
Though the class was not over he decided to visit the bathroom. He handed his piece of paper to me as he passed.

Just so you know, the message of the video and discussion had been about Resurrection and Hope.

J had written, God, you’re the greatest.

My son N and I read it as J ambled away. We tried not to laugh too hard.

What a way to cover it all. He found a way to not listen and still write something to get him off the hook.

J is such a buster.

The Definition of Perfunctory

Tonight, we went for our weekly dinner at the church’s parish hall. We ate grilled meats and chips and summery foods. After the meal and a little singing, we split into groups. The young kids break in to classes and the older youth and adults remain together for a lecture and discussion session.

I really like getting together with folks from church in the middle of the week. In the church of my girlhood, we had a Wednesday night fellowship supper. I remember really liking that, too.

So, back to tonight.

My two oldest boys stay with me for the adult/youth session. We watch a video and then have a question and answer session with all of the people who stay for the lesson.

Usually this is when my oldest son, J, zones out. He doesn’t listen to the video. He doesn’t listen to the discussion. He goes to J world inside his head and he stays put there until I reel him back to reality.

So, today, I told him that I wanted him to pay attention and have one relevant thing to write down after the video and discussion were over.

The pens and paper were passed around.
J busily wrote for a minute and then put the cap on his pen.
Though the class was not over he decided to visit the bathroom. He handed his piece of paper to me as he passed.

Just so you know, the message of the video and discussion had been about Resurrection and Hope.

J had written, God, you’re the greatest.

My son N and I read it as J ambled away. We tried not to laugh too hard.

What a way to cover it all. He found a way to not listen and still write something to get him off the hook.

J is such a buster.