Farewell to Summer

O fickle trees
that drop their leaves
on August 31st

I drove through a leaf-shower on my way to church this morning.  It seems (to me) to be a little early for leaf-showers, but perhaps this is just a result of dry weather in the past 6 weeks? 

Tomorrow is September 1st, so I will bring in the summer decorations from my front porch, leaving out sunflowers and adding apples.

Yearbook in retrospect

It’s the latest rage, and a huge time suck, but I couldn’t resist; I jumped on the wagon. 
Susie has done it; CircusKelli and Squirl and Eclectic have all done it. (Sorry, Shari, but blogger hasn’t let me sign in for weeks now, so I couldn’t comment over there.) 

Oh, and this wagon?  I dumped the pics that looked too dorky right off the tailgate. 

 

I look like my mom here...or possibly my mother-in-law

Nice to know I look so good in the year I was born!

1974, and in real life I wished to trade my curls for straight hair just like this

Supposedly 1994, but I tried for this look back in 1984

YOU can do it, too.  Just click here.  It’s good, clean fun.  But don’t say I didn’t warn you about the time suck!

Blue

My friend Reb not only shares her recipe for pretzels, she tells us new things about herself! I figured I had already shared a recipe or two, so I’d better get crackin’. (Oh, no, the pun police are coming!!)

Your Lucky Underwear is Blue

You are caring and extroverted. You’ve made relationships your number one focus, and your lucky blue underwear can bring some balance to them.You thrive in one-on-one situations. You are a good listener and a natural born therapist.Sometimes you let the concerns of others become too important in your life, leading to stress and worry.If you want more balance, put on your blue underpants. They’ll help you take care of yourself first.

What Color Is Your Lucky Underwear?

Wow, I didn’t know they could do all that for me!  Wouldn’t it be nice if life was that easy?

True, much?

The happiest of people don’t necessarily have
the best of everything;
they just make the most of everything.

 

 

 

WWC#49: Sour and Salty

  I could not believe my eyes when I saw Tink‘s choice of words for this week!  It took me all of 2 seconds to come up with my plan, and I am willing to bet that a good number of y’all have the same idea.  With that in mind, I took these pics the following evening (Wednesday of last week) and am actually writing this on Thursday morning.  (Following me here?)  I am only sad I don’t have a light box. 

I’m also sad I don’t have one of Gary’s blueberry muffins, but that’s another story altogether. 

SOUR

 

Salt is SALTY

 

I had to include this one because I think I did a better job on showing the SALTY detail on the rim of the glass.  But I’m still missing the SOUR lime slice, so…

 

SOUR and SALTY goodness:  the perfect margarita 🙂

*sigh*  

 

Margarita Cookbook by W. Park Kerr

 

I’m told I make a really good margarita, whether on the rocks or by the pitcher in my VitaMix.  I credit W. Park Kerr for my recipes (or at least the inspiration for my recipes–I’ve been known to adapt a bit) and my awesome margarita glasses.  

If you’re ever in El Paso, you really must stop by the El Paso Chile Company.   Free samples of salsa and dips, and occasionally even a margarita! 

For more for information about the Weekly Words Challenge, click here.

WWC#48: Bittersweet

This week’s words are BITTER and SWEET.

Bitter medicine

 

I suppose that no child enjoys taking medicine, but H-J especially hates it.  We’ve been known to have to hold him down, screaming in order to get what-the-doctor-ordered into his system.  It’s unpleasant (although I do confess that I have been known to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all). 
While the manufacturers try to make it sound good, that cherry flavoring (or grape, or orange, or bubble gum, or whatever) just can’t quite disguise the BITTER taste of the medicine. 

sweet

 

Now if they ever figure out how to disguise antibiotics in these SWEET morsels*? 
Cha-ching!  (I think someone should pay me for this idea)

*disclaimer to EB:  I did not open these.  I only took their picture!  The package is still intact and in your drawer.  love, Mom

SWEET!! my kitchen wall

 

SWEET is my newly-painted kitchen walls.  Goodbye, ivy wallpaper! 

more sweetness

 

Also SWEET is my newly-painted dining room.  What was once pink is now a sage green (officially?  “Nantucket Gray”).

 

 

 

 

But sadly, I just realized that I was using the word SWEET just like this guy:

 

 

I am having a bittersweet afternoon.  SuperDad and the boys have gone rafting on the river, and I am left here to paint the trim in SnakeMaster’s room.  I am glad to be avoiding the heat outdoors and having some ALONE time (it has been a L-O-N-G summer).  On the other hand, rafting on the river on a hot August afternoon?  Am I crazy to be missing this? 

The Weekly Words Challenge is hosted by the very sweet Tink.  Click here for more details.

WWC#47: Scatter and Collect

For this week’s Weekly Words Challenge, the ever-creative Tink has given us the words SCATTER and COLLECT.

This is one of my favorite SCATTER shots from the archives:

SnakeMaster throwing leaves at Grandma

 

collecting hair

 

When the infamous summer haircuts were completed, someone (that would be me) had to COLLECT the mess.

 

modes of air transportation

 

a collection of airplanes

 

If you go to the National Air and Space Museum (or any other museum of flight, for that matter) you can view a vast collection of flying machines.

 

a place to collect library books

Just yesterday, I gathered up the SCATTERed library books and put them in the COLLECTion box.

 

 

 

 

Collect

 

scatter

My boys have each gone through a stage of childhood where they like to COLLECT rocks.  

rocks & shells

Who am I kidding, *I* still COLLECT rocks (and shells)!   

 

 

 

And here is one especially for Gary: 

purple house with scattered flowers

In my little town (population 600) there is a purple house!  While the owners may actually carefully plant all of these flowers, it looks to me like they SCATTER wildflower seeds to make an English garden.  It makes me smile whenever I drive past this house. 🙂

A moment in time

I can point to this moment as the turning point from boy to man, from indifference to “maybe beer isn’t such a bad thing.” 

MusicMan on tour

And all because of a really good-looking tour guide at the brewery.

WWC#46: HIGH and low

I think I’ve got summer malaise.  I’m having trouble getting into the Weekly Words Challenge.  Trust me, Tink gives us good words to work with!  It’s just… I dunno.  Maybe it’s the heat, or the humidity, or the fact that it’s August and the kids are on the computer all the time.  I’m also feeling pretty homesick for my home state.  While SnakeMaster & I were blessed to see many extended family members at the wedding 2 weeks ago, I haven’t seen one of my closest friends in over a year now.  ::sniff::  And whenever SuperDad & I look at pictures of the West (particularly the PacNW) we sigh and mentally climb into those pictures.  SnakeMaster keeps asking when we are going camping again. 
Yep, definitely a bit of summer malaise going on, coupled with homesickness. 

So today, I give you my lame submission –from the archives, no less!– for HIGH and low: 
{Click on any picture for a full-screen view} 

Chandelier in the WA Capitol Rotunda

 

This chandelier hangs HIGH in the Washington State Capitol Rotunda.  Isn’t it beautiful?

state seal

This is the WA state seal found down low on the Rotunda floor.  The floor is marble, the seal is done in gold leaf. 

 

The Space Needle

This picture has both HIGH and low:  Look up HIGH to the “head” of the Needle and you see the famous rotating restaurant and observation deck.  Look low on the Needle and see the newer restaurant level.  (OK, not all that new anymore, but to me?  It’s new.)  And look really low, at the bottom of the pic, and you can see my 4 boys standing there looking bored. 

turtle down low on the path

Even this picture is from the archives.  SuperDad and I saw this turtle when we were talking through a park.  He was well camoflauged!  

Yes, he is the same guy I put on my new header.  

As more proof of summer malaise, I tried to change things up a bit here and went for a new look.  I’m not sure I like it.  What do you think?  This one, the old one, or maybe something different?

Looking back at July

I finally figured out how to look at my stats (who’da-thunk-it?) and boy, are they WEIRD!!

July’s top searches (the ones that brought people to my blog)?  “Summer haircuts” and “horseshoe pits”

H-J's summer haircut, front view

back view of H-J's summer cut

SnakeMaster's modified version

When it comes to summer haircuts… Uh, folks?  Are you sure you want your kids to look like this???  In the varied wording of the searches altogether, there were 88 of ’em.   I wonder what SuperDad will think when I tell him that!?!

 

the INternet-FAMOUS horseshoe pit

 
I  do admit that SuperDad did a good job on the horseshoe pits.  He is kind and doesn’t make fun of my unpredictable games.  For me, it’s a lot like bowling; I’m either having a terrific string of luck, or I’m the worst player ever — hot or cold, but never lukewarm. 

BTW, 2 of the hits were for “horshoe pit” so apparently you don’t have to be good at spelling to find my blog!  I’m now thinking, it could have been MUCH, MUCH worse!!

 

And the weirdest search, IMHO? 
“crack computer” and “computer on crack”   
I have NO IDEA how that came up!!  
I do have some cartoons that crack me up, on a page of their own (look on sidebar, just above my flickr pics).  Good gravy, the things people search for! 

My Hh key is sticking something awful, so I’ve got to get that taken care of before it gets any worse.  I think someone dropped crumbs into the keyboard or something like that.   Update:  H-J’s popsicle drippings have been cleaned out of the keyboard.  He isn’t allowed back on until Tuesday. 

I’ll be back on Tuesday with the WWC for “high” and “low” — that ought to garner interesting searches!

Happy August everyone!  (Using peridot-colored wording, since that is the August birthstone — you’re welcome)