MC Daughter and #1 Son at The Lake - Spring Break 2004?

Word of the Day

Checkuary - The thirteenth month of the year that begins New Year's Day and ends when a person stops absentmindedly writing the old year on their checks.

I've just thought of another Murphyism. It's kind of related to the one where if you wash your car it will rain and if you water the lawn it's sure to rain. This one isn't related to rain but....

I didn't make up the beds in the guest rooms. I didn't vacuum or clean the guest rooms. I figured that I'd run down and do it if we were going to have guests. My reasoning was that everything would be clean and fresh for our guests, if we were going to have guests. So, since I wasn't expecting any guests or any of our kids (when do children become guests?) this weekend, I figured that I'd put off getting the guest rooms ready. I was prioritizing. So what happened? #1 Son called at around midnight and told HTP that he'd decided to come home for the weekend. HTP told me. HTP and I went downstairs at midnight and made up the bed in the room that #1 Son calls "his room". I glanced at the sheets that I'd planned to put on the bed in the other guest room but figured that we didn't need to make up that bed. Not at midnight. So...anyway...what happens is that around 5 AM, HTP and I hear #1 Son's car drive up and we hear talking. It seems that #1 Son stopped by at MC Daughter's place to pick up something and then, spur of the moment, MC Daughter and D Buddy decided that it would be fun to all come to visit this weekend. My Murphyism theory is that if I'd made up the bed in the second guest room and vacuumed up the D-Con that littered the floor last night when HTP and I were making the bed in #1 Son's room, MC Daughter and D Buddy would have decided not to come. Actually, if I'd made up both of the beds in the guest rooms and vacuumed on Wednesday when I'd lazily rationalized about not prepping those rooms, none of my children would be here right now.

The Moral of this Murphyism? I'm beginning to think that if I want my children to come for a visit, I should keep those guest rooms unprepped from now on. Oh...and I think I'm going to go and start watering the lawn. We really could use some rain.

Murphyism of the Day

Hey! I just did that. Old Grey's Rule on Guest Room Preparations.
Read above blog.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

The way to final freedom is within thy self. -- The Book of the Golden Precepts

Word of the Day

Charp - The mutant green potato chip at the bottom of the bag.

Oh, my aching back! Sis and I got to the strawberry fields at around 8 AM yesterday morning. We weren't the first to arrive...nor the last. I couldn't believe how many cars were already parked in their "parking lot". Amazing! That's OK. There were plenty of strawberries for everyone. The vendors supplied free baskets for everyone to pick into. Nice. Extra nice? Next time we go picking (probably not this year), we can bring our baskets and they'll discount the berries we pick...fifty cents per basket. At $1.10/lb, the strawberries were fantastic. Huge. My mind starting thinking up sinful desserts like chocolate dipped strawberries. Sis and I ended up deciding to pick 10 baskets of berries...five baskets each. It really didn't take all that long to pick 10 baskets of strawberries. Each basket held approximately 4.7 pounds of fruit....if my calculations are correct Sis kept three baskets for desserts...she's got company coming this weekend. My Mom took another basket. She tells me that they enjoyed some last night on waffles for supper. Yummy. That left me with six baskets of fruit to take care of when I got home. Jam. I made three batches of sugarfree jam. I made one batch of low-sugar strawberry jam. I started eight quarts of strawberry schnapps (three for Sis). In a month, we'll start turning the finished schnapps into strawberry liqueur. Anyway, after turning my fingers to prunes, standing by the sink for hours (hulling, washing, slicing, squishing and measuring strawberries), I still have one basket of strawberries that I plan to use for strawberry shortcake, etc. Only, after making the shortcakes, cleaning up my jam-making mess and cooking and eating supper, I just didn't feel like eating strawberry shortcake last night. I was just too tired. We'll just have to save the strawberry shortcake for tonight, and tomorrow. I may clean up a few to have for breakfast this morning. In the meantime, I need to find room in the fridge for my berries. They're ripening as I blog.

What plans do I have for today? I need to water my vegetable garden. I may hold off on the rest of the sprinkler dance until tomorrow. I think the lawn and flower beds will be OK for another day or two. I hope. I noticed that my own tame raspberries are starting to ripen. I may have to go out and pick today if I don't want the birds to get there first. This is the first year since I've planted tame raspberries (three years ago) that I'll have enough berries to do something with. My blueberries are starting to ripen too and since I covered them with netting, I'm hopeful that I'll have enough blueberries to do something with too. The wild raspberries are forming but haven't started ripening. I'm afraid our lack of rain will again make the wild raspberry picking sparse. I may make a couple of batches of Sugarfree Rhubarb/Strawberry Jam today. I still have rhubarb growing and I think I have enough for two batches of jam. We'll see. My aching back may have other plans for me today.

Murphyism of the Day

Marquette's Second Law of Home Repair

The first replacement part you buy will be the wrong size.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Among those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator, but among those whom I love, I can: all of them make me laugh. -- W. H. Auden (1907 - 1973)

Word of the Day

Chaortic - A situation that is both orderly and chaotic.

I forgot to blog yesterday?! Oh well.... I finished up the laundry. Re-organized some drawers and found mouse poison that some poor mouse stowed away in a drawer in my basement. Yucko! I'll have to go down later today with a vacuum cleaner to clean up the mess. I guess we'll have to switch to a different type of mouse poison this winter. All they do with this stuff is drag it and store it here and there. Blech!

I went fishing and caught a really nice smallmouth bass. 16-inches. I also caught about 15 nice bluegill. All this off our dock. HTP is charging up the batteries on the boat. Maybe we'll take it out tonight and see what we can catch. Needless to say...I love fishing. The way things work here at The Lake is you fish when the fishing is good...and then you eat. I fished until they stopped biting and then cleaned the fish, but not for supper. After cleaning and prepping the fish for freezing, I made supper. French Dip. It was 9:30 PM. As I said, time around here when it's just HTP and me, doesn't really make too much difference. We eat when we eat.

I also picked more currants. Enough to start a batch of Currant Wine. I'm at Stage One with it. Stage Two is when I add the sugar and yeast. Stage Three is when I add the gelatin (a clarifier)

Today? As soon as I make up for not blogging yesterday and try to get ahead of the game by blogging early today (two for the price of one today in the blog department), I'm heading out the door to go pick up my sister. We're going to visit a strawberry field/farm to pick strawberries. I need lots of strawberries. My famous Sugarfree Strawberry Jam (HTP's favorite...we're out), strawberry shortcake, strawberry liqueur...but no strawberry wine. I think I need to go get some Vodka for the strawberry liqueur.

Murphyism of the Day

Marquette's First Law of Home Repair

The tool you need is just out of reach.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

All growth is a leap in the dark, a spontaneous unpremeditated act without the benefit of experience. -- Henry Miller (1891 - 1980)

Word of the Day

Chairy - Someone who likes to chair in meetings, to preside, to be a master of ceremonies.

Sometimes there just isn't enough hours in one day to get everything that needs doing done. I started the laundry but didn't finish it. I started doing the sprinkler dance but didn't finish. My excuse/explanation? HTP and I had to take the SideKick into the city because our local repair shop in town didn't have the right computer diagnostic equipment for it. So...we took it to the city and...the shop was closed for lunch. So...HTP and I went shopping. With the price of gas over $3/gal., one tries to get everything done in the city on one trip. We'll probably have to return to the city to pick the SideKick up later this week so I'll have to make a list of what else needs doing in the city for that trip. I'm thinking that we'll go pick strawberries. Anyway, it took a while to get all the shopping done so by the time we got back to The Lake, I ran out of time to finish up the rest of the stuff. Oh well...there's always tomorrow.

Murphyism of the Day

Britt's Green Thumb Postulate

the life expectancy of a houseplant varies inversely with its price and directly with its ugliness.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

A desk is a dangerous place from which to watch the world. -- John le Carre

Our Home at The Lake - 2007

Word of the Day

Cellostatic - The electrical property of product wrappers that causes them to stick to your hand.

Thank goodness for air-conditioning. It isn't really all that hot, temperature-wise, but the heat combined with the humidity makes things feel a bit sticky today. Plus, I'm making a beef roast for supper and the oven heat adds to the whole. Normally I wouldn't cook a roast on a day like this but we've been having cravings. Meat!

Sis and I went to Step Two on our wine-making project. We've got three gallons of dandelion wine and three gallons of rhubarb wine brewing in huge tubs in my living room. I'd bring it down to the basement but our basement tends to stay too cool. If I need to clean house and make pretty, I'll haul the wine buckets down to the basement. They really aren't in the way where I've got them right now. Sis and I picked some of my currants. Two pounds of currants. I need two more pounds to start a batch of currant wine. I've got plenty of currants (still green) on my bushes in the backyard. I'll go out and pick the rest of the currants that I need for the currant wine in a few days.

In the meantime, Sis gave me some netting that she had so I could cover the rest of the blueberry bushes on Blueberry Hill. I did....despite the heat and humidity. Hopefully, the netting will discourage the chipmunks and the squirrels as much as the birds. I have Haveaheart traps but I haven't had the heart of the will to use them as yet. I'd have to deport anything I capture to the city park...twenty miles away...so they wouldn't just come back. Think of all the gas I'm saving by not setting the traps.

Murphyism of the Day

Austin's Law

Anything tastes better in someone else's house.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Obscurity is a good thing. You can fail in obscurity. It removes the fear of failure. -- Jason Fried

One Upon a Time on a Logging Road - Summer 2002

Word of the Day

Cellapse - An elapse of time in which there is no cellphone reception.

I'm taking the day off. I finished up with my sprinkler dance before breakfast, went fishing for an hour, and then worked on Sudoku puzzles. Aside from that I've just kicked back, napped and did pretty much of nothing. Tomorrow is another day. Sis and I are going to work on our wine-making project. It looks like my currants are just about ready to pick. Tomorrow.

Murphyism of the Day

The Guest Rule

Never mistake endurance for hospitality.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Just because something doesn't do what you planned it to do doesn't mean it's useless. -- Thomas A. Edison

Beware of Hummingbirds! 'Tis the season when you don't dare wear anything red if you don't want to be attacked.


Word of the Day

Caukern - A popcorn kernel that is stuck in one's teeth.

HTP has returned to my folks' place to work on my Mom's new laptop. Me? I'm doing the sprinkler dance. After checking the weather forecast, I finally had to accept the fact that we just aren't going to get any rain the foreseeable future. So...it's sprinkler dance time for me. Having an in-ground sprinkler system here at The Lake just isn't feasible. Rocks and boulders that move around due to the freeze and thaw of the ground and the freezing temperatures during the winter are the main reasons for why we can't put an Arizona-style sprinkler system in here at The Lake. We'd spend most of our time repairing it. So, off I go to move the sprinklers yet again.

HTP and I are going over to a neighbor's house tonight. They're holding a "Meet the Neighbors" party. I couldn't remember what I was supposed to bring with us until after I made that pasta salad. Oh well....we've got pasta salad to eat for lunches next week. What I was supposed to bring over some of my home-made salsa. Thankfully, I had some already made up, so we're good to go for tonight. I'm also bringing over a small bottle of my limoncello as a hostess gift.

Murphyism of the Day

Ballance's Law of Relativity

How long a minute is depends on which side of the bathroom door you're on.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Did you ever walk into a room and forget why you walked in? I think that's how dogs spend their lives. -- Sue Murphy

Mea Culpa. I was going to blog earlier but...I suppose I still am blogging...technically. I've been busy. Catching up on all the things that I've been putting off to take care of the more pressing priorities. I finally got the crabapple tree pruned. I cleaned up after the wine-making. I made a double batch of pesto and froze it in two-serving portions. Then I had to clean up after making pesto. What a messy project! I needed to trim my basil plant. And then...HTP and I went over to my folks' place to set up my Mom's new laptop. Actually, HTP was there to set up my Mom's laptop. I was just along for the ride. We finished off the night at one of the local bars. Mom, Dad, HTP and Me. I couldn't finish my shrimp dinner (25 shrimp) with french fries, cole slaw. I had to leave a few shrimp and french fries for my Mom to enjoy for lunch tomorrow. They were yummy! I was going to make a tuna salad to bring to the neighbor's house tomorrow but...that'll have to wait until tomorrow. I've got all the ingredients, I just have to get the water up to a boil...after breakfast. I'll try and blog better tomorrow too.

Black Bear on Blueberry Hill - Picture taken by #1 Son, June 2003

Word of the Day

Catjam - A situation in which one or more pet cats are blocked from moving to another location because they don't want to pass too closely to another cat.

If we don't get some rain soon, I'll have to start up on the sprinkler dance. I did water my vegetable garden and planned to start the sprinkler dance this morning but...I got side-tracked. There was this bush that my landscaper planted a long time ago. It had totally taken over more than its share of the garden. I decided enough was enough and tackled it with lopping shears and pruning shears. It looks a lot better now since I've pruned it into a small multi-trunked tree. The daylilies that share the same garden space will finally get there share of the sunlight. Before I started, you could hardly notice that there were daylilies in that garden. After madly doing a Edward Scissorhand imitation, I hauled all the debris off to the debris pile which is getting a bit large. Eventually, we'll have think about having a bonfire. Of course, we can't do that sort of thing until we get some rain.

I noted some chipmunks and some robins hovering around Blueberry Hill. I have some netting that I'll have to put around as many blueberry bushes as I have netting or I won't get even enough blueberries for one batch of blueberry muffins. I'll have to wait until tomorrow to start the sprinkler dance. I need to get the blueberry bushes covered first.

Murphyism of the Day

Fiske's Teenage Corollary to Parkinson's Law

The stomach expands to accommodate the amount of junk food available.

Waste Not, Want Not...I'm sure I'll find a use for all that wrapping paper.

Word of the Day

Catastrotree - When a cat or kitten knocks over or pulls down a Christmas tree.

Sis and I started our wine-making project. Dandelion Wine and Rhubarb Wine. In the buckets and waiting until next Monday before we can continue on to the next step.

Murphyism of the Day

H. Fish's Law of Animal Behavior

The probablility of a cat eating dinner has absolutely nothing to do with the price of the food placed before it.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, It's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, And that enables you to laugh at life's realities. -- Dr. Seuss

Two of the First Daughters

Word of the Day

Cashamed - Feeling guilty or embarrassed about the amount of money one has.

Shopping always seems to wear me out these days. My sister and I went out shopping for wine-making supplies. We're going to start our summer wine-making project. We're starting a bit late this year but things have been kinda busy. It'll get done. We were going to start our wine making this afternoon but the shopping took more time than we'd expected. Probably because we bought more than just the wine-making supplies. Oh well.... Tomorrow. We'll start on our project tomorrow...after breakfast.

It's been a really nice day. MC Daughter called to say that she got THE job that she'd been dreaming about. It may not pay as much as the other jobs that she'd been offered but it's the very thing that she'd been praying to find. The weather has improved. No more hot and sticky...wait...that'll change. We got a half-inch of rain yesterday. We needed it and maybe we'll get some more rain tomorrow. Hopefully I can avoid the sprinkler dance for a while...maybe next week.

Murphyism of the Day

The Reja-Jansen Law

On the first pull of the cord, the drapes will move the wrong way.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

The men who really believe in themselves are all in lunatic asylums.

-- G. K. Chesterton (1874 - 1936)

A Posed Kodak Moment at The Baby Shower--Picture taken by MC Daughter...that's why she's not in it.



Sis, Miss M., Miss A., and Willie's Bride at The Baby Shower...Look close and you can see the diaper cake I made.



Our Cupcake Tree for the Baby Shower


Word of the Day

Carperpetuation - The act, when vacuuming, of running over a string or a piece of lint at least a dozen times, reaching over and picking it up, examining it, then putting it back down to give the vacuum one more chance.

Saturday was the baby shower. Everything went just fine. MC Daughter decorated the cupcakes and arranged them on a cupcake tree. I rearranged the furniture so we could all sit in the living room. We had cold-cuts and munchies for our lunch and cold punch to drink. Hawaiian Punch. DD Daughter was craving it. We played a few games. Had prizes. And we all visited and tried our best to scare DD Daughter. Only kidding. She didn't look all that concerned.

Sunday was Father's Day. We celebrated it over at my sister's place across the lake. We had left-over veggies from the shower and left-over cupcakes from the shower. They went well with the salads that my sister made and the bratwurst. Delicious. Oh....and we had mimosas. Of course. DD Daughter and GI Joe had to return to Nebraska so they left after lunch. #1 Son had to get back to The Big City to do homework for his summer school class, so he left next..with a cooler full of left-overs and a pan of cupcakes. And then, MC Daughter and D Buddy left. So, it's just me and HTP here at The Lake again.

Today was my day of rest....well...kinda. I've got everything all picked up and clean. Laundry is tomorrow. This morning I went out and weeded the garden and fertilized. I knew that we were supposed to get some rain and we are. I also trampled down the vegetation around the outside of the vegetable garden. Woodtick City, I'm sure but it had to be done. The vegetation was causing too much shade to fall on my poor garden. Maybe I'll have HTP go out there with the weed-whacker. Later this week...as soon as things cool off and dry up a bit. So far? We've had 1/2" of rain. We need more than that but I'll take it. And, before the rain came, I got out there and put up trellis' for my lilies and tied them up. They haven't started blooming yet but when they do, the flowers are so heavy, the stems can't support their weight. Lilies face down in the dirt. Lovely. Thus...I put up trellis' so I can actually enjoy seeing my lilies. I also added a couple of trellis' to my raspberry beds so that maybe...just maybe...the chipmunks won't be able to climb up and eat all my raspberries before I get a chance to harvest them. See? Today was indeed my day of rest...kinda.

Murphyism of the Day

Law of Opportunity

The only time the world beats a path to your door is when you're in the bathroom.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

I used to wake up at 4 A.M. and start sneezing, sometimes for five hours. I tried to find out what sort of allergy I had but finally came to the conclusion that it must be an allergy to consciousness. -- James Thurber (1894 - 1961)

Happy


Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to my Dad, HTP, HTP's Dad, HTP's Bro, HTP's Sis' Hubby, D Buddy, Willie, Sis' Hubby, and GI Joe. I know...GI Joe isn't technically a Daddy as yet since Miss N. hasn't actually made her grand entrance as yet but since she's making herself felt (Kicking and running inside DD Daughter) I figured I'd include him in the bunch.

Happy


Father's Day!

T Square Holding DD Daughter Bundled Up for the Cold

Word of the Day

Carpal Thumal Syndrome - A condition of the thumbs that is brought on by the excessive use of a Blackberry or other similar device.

Busy. Everything is under control but I may not have time to blog tomorrow...or the next day. We'll see. Busy. I'll take pictures.

Murphyism of the Day

Mrs. Fergus's Observation

The lost sock reappears only after its match has been discarded.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

If you wish in this world to advance, your merits you're bound to enhance; You must stir it and stump it, and blow your own trumpet, or trust me, you haven't a chance.

-- W. S. Gilbert (1836 - 1911)

Old Grey Froggy at the Hospital AFTER DD Daughter was Born

Word of the Day

Carbitrary - Determined by chance, whim, or impulse of giving in to eating carbohydrates during a diet.

All my shopping is done and (shock! gasp!) I was actually able to fit all the groceries that needed to be inside my refrigerator, inside my refrigerator. Thank goodness for all the time I spent playing Tetris when I was younger. My training in Tetris comes in handy whenever I need to pack to come to The Lake and back to Arizona, and when I need to put LOTS of groceries into one side by side refrigerator.

HTP is heading off to The Big City tomorrow on his own. It was decided that there was no way that I could actually do all the things that need doing and head off to The Big City with HTP to see his folks. I did help pick out a Father's Day gift for HTP's Dad and I did wrap it and get it all ready for HTP to take with him tomorrow. So...what I'm I going to be doing? I'm going to bake cupcakes, clean the house, rearrange the furniture in our living room, hike out to the spring with my sister to see if there is any watercress, and I'm going to make sure everything is ready for the baby shower on Saturday afternoon. Oh...and when MC Daughter gets here, help her decorate cupcakes. And wrap the Father's Day gift that my sister and I are giving T-Square. Am I forgetting anything? Probably. It'll get done. I've got a list.

Murphyism of the Day

The Spare Button Principle

Shirts that come with extra buttons never lose buttons.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

It is often merely for an excuse that we say things are impossible. -- Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613 - 1680)

DD Daughter Giving Her Cousin the Finger...well...almost.

Word of the Day

Capapult - The act of flinging ones hat or cap into the air. Usually at the end of a graduation or when a large crowd is cheering.

I finally decided to dig out my shorts today. It feels more like July than June outside. Normally, I don't like to wear shorts here at The Lake. Jeans tend to provide protection against biting insects like mosquitoes and deerflies. There isn't much one can do about woodticks. The woodticks are still pretty nasty. Yesterday I found three...crawling...I caught them before they found a likely spot to dig in and munch on down. I only found one today. That doesn't mean much. I was only hauling around sprinklers. Yup. I did the sprinkler dance. Last night and this morning. Aside from that, all I did was go fishing off the dock and clean fish. The bluegill are starting to bite off the dock. I may go on back to fishing after supper. Hopefully it will have cooled off a bit by then.

Murphyism of the Day

Cliff's Law

Never stand between a dog and a hydrant.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

You can't change what you've done, so you might as well just take pride in it.

-- Takayuki Ikkaku, Arisa Hosaka and Toshihiro Kawabata, Animal Crossing: Wild World, 2005

DD Daughter and her Cousin

Word of the Day

Camouflush - The unnecessary flushing of a public restroom toilet to mask embarrassing bodily sounds.

It's a warm day today. Still no rain in sight. I'm afraid that I'm going to have to start Ye Old Sprinkler Dance. We have one sprinkler system here at The Lake. It's called The Sprinkler Dance. The Sprinkler Dance is where a person (that would be me) drags the hose out, attaches a sprinkler to the end of the hose and then set the sprinkler out to do it's thing. After a half hour, a person (that would be me), moves the sprinkler to a new location and we start the process all over again. Over and over until the entire lawn gets watered. Lovely. This is a process that takes an entire day...maybe two. And then....if we don't get rain...we do it again next week.

Murphyism of the Day

Pulliam's Postulate

Never step in anything soft.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

I do not want people to be agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them.
-- Jane Austen (1775 - 1817)

HTP and Old Grey Froggy at The Little Cabin - September 1978

Word of the Day

Calorosity - A desire while dieting and eating out to see the dessert menu and still possessing the willpower to not order dessert.

I've been working on the baby shower planning and I think I'm making progress. I'm doing what I can do right now and I'll have to wait until Friday to work on the rest of the stuff. Thursday? Shopping. I need to get any last minute perishable food items on Thursday. I've got all the games set and ready to go. I've got all the gifts bought and wrapped. I have all the prizes bought and wrapped. Now...I wonder when I should expect DD Daughter and GI Joe? Friday night?

Murphyism of the Day

Davis's Dictum

We can childproof our homes, but they still get in.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

A fashion is nothing but an induced epidemic. -- George Bernard Shaw

Me and HTP, Willie, and T-Square - September 1978

Word of the Day

Caffiend - One who is obsessed with consuming caffeine. Often surpasses caffeinatics in quantities of caffeine in the blood stream and in level of addiction.

I can do it! I did it! I made a diaper cake and it turned out cuter than the one in the picture. Well...I think it looks cuter. Ouch! I just broke my arm, patting myself on the back. Kidding. My arm if fine. The diaper cake I made looks fine too and far more personal than something you might be able to order on the internet. Once I figured out the instructions I'd printed off the internet, the instructions that were written in ENGLISH; and once I translated the measurements from metric to AMERICAN and nappies into diapers, I was good to go this morning. I didn't even need that third hand they recommended.

We shopped until HTP and I dropped yesterday. HTP decided that our car needed an oil change too so we all went into the city. Two cars. No gas saving. However, the price of gas has gone down to $3.19.9/gallon so let's all celebrate and buy gas guzzlers. (That's sarcasm...don'tcha know) I had no idea when we headed off that I'd end up taking part in a huge scavenger hunt. Rubberbands. Ribbon. Do you have any idea how many different types of disposable diapers there are these days?! And they come all different sizes too. And then all that other stuff that I needed for the cake and the games.... #1 Son gave us pitying looks as HTP and I limped stiffly back into the house after we got home. When did that happen? I think it's really a combination of things. Age has a bit to do with it but combine that with all our other outdoor activities, it's small wonder that a marathon shopping event might take whatever stuffing we had out of us. As I've said before, I feel so much better now that I've gone into denial.

Murphyism of the Day

F. P. Jones's Observation

Children are unpredictable. You never know what inconsistency they're going to catch you in next.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one? -- Abraham Lincoln

DD Daughter Taking a Nap


Word of the Day

Caffeinatic - Someone who is a fanatic regarding their caffeine consumption.

Out here at The Lake you miss a lot if you sleep late. I don't sleep late. This morning a herd (what do you call a bunch of deer?) frolicked across my yard. Momma deer and her newborn fawn and three yearling deer. I got such a chuckle out of the three yearlings (triplets from last year?) cavorting and playing tag with each other and then Momma losing all patience with the youngsters and nipping at them. "Cut that foolishness out...you're going to hurt the baby with your rough-housing!" I could almost hear her saying it. Then, after she chased the yearlings off, I watched as her fawn got a chance to take a little nourishment from Momma. And all this happened before 7 AM. You snooze...you lose.

Plans for the day? Shopping. I need to go to the city to get supplies. I'll have to go again next week but #1 Son is going into the city to get the oil changed in his car and I thought I'd tag along. With gas prices at $3.29.9/gallon, HTP and I try to keep our driving down to a minimum. I'll have to drive out again on Thursday and then HTP and I will be driving to The City and back on Friday so....I'll just fit my weekend's shopping trip into #1 Son's schedule.

Murphyism of the Day

The Three Ways to Get Something Done

1. Do it yourself.
2. Hire someone to do it for you.
3. Forbid your kids to do it.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Illegal aliens have always been a problem in the United States. Ask any Indian.

-- Robert Orben

DD Daughter in Captivity

Word of the Day

Cafetorium - The room in an underfunded school which is a combination of a cafeteria and auditorium.

Went fishing. Caught a three nice bass (all smallmouth) that weren't quite nice enough (one inch under the legal limit)so I had to release them...but they were really fun catching. And I caught one really nice bass (smallmouth) that was big enough. I cleaned the really nice bass and it's waiting for me to cook it up for supper...tonight or tomorrow or maybe Sunday. #1 Son just called to say that he's coming home for the weekend and although my one bass was a really nice bass, there's not enough of it to feed three people unless I actively go out and catch lots more fish to add to the pot. HTP and I have been eating whatever we catch as soon as I get them cleaned up so I haven't got any in the freezer. Oh well...there's this neat place called the Sportman's Bar that has an All-You-Can-Eat fish fry on Friday nights.

Murphyism of the Day

Mom's Law

A show-off is any child who is more talented than yours.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

People who have what they want are fond of telling people who haven't what they want that they really don't want it. -- Ogden Nash

DD Daughter with her foot in her mouth...bet she can't do that anymore.

Word of the Day

Cabnicreep - The structural condition in which the closing of one kitchen cabinet causes another to open.

Now both my knees are complaining. The one that wasn't complaining before is now complaining louder than the other. I suppose I really shouldn't be surprised. HTP fell in with my "Make hay while the sun shines." philosophy decided that yesterday would be a good day to finish up clearing brush from our "viewing corridor". As a result, we can now see both the dock and the boat (and...of course, the lake) from our house....and I won't be hiking anywhere any time soon. Give me a couple of days. Good thing I got the laundry done since running up and down stairs to the basement just isn't going to happen right now.

My sugarless rhubarb pie turned out tasting fantastic last night. Here's the recipe for those who are web searching and stumble across my blog.

Two Crust Rhubarb Pie

3 cups rhubarb
1 1/2 cups Maltitol sweetener (Maltitol can be ordered on the internet...don't use Splenda. The texture just isn't the same.)
3 Tbsp. flour
pinch of salt
2 eggs well beaten
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Clean and chop rhubarb. Place in uncooked pie shell. In separate bowl, beat eggs. Beat in salt, cinnamon, flour and sugar. Beat well. Pour over rhubarb. Add lattice crust top or cookie cutter cut-outs. Cover edges of crust with foil. Bake at 400°F for 50-60 minutes.

Best Ever Pie Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 cup shortening
1/2 cup water

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water until mixture forms a ball. Divide dough in half, and shape into balls. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Roll out dough on a floured counter. Don't overwork it. Use as directed in pie recipe.

Keep in mind, just because my sugarfree rhubarb pie is sugarfree...it isn't calorie free. Plus...Maltitol can cause digestive problems in some people if you eat too much of it. I use Maltitol in everything that calls for sugar...even jam...and HTP and I have never experienced any problems. Maltitol sweetener is used in most sugarfree chocolates.

As you may have figured out by now, I've started sorting through old baby pictures of DD Daughter so I can have them for the baby shower. I wasn't thinking ahead when HTP and I left Arizona. DD Daughter's baby book and the photo album that I have of all her baby pictures is in Arizona...not here at The Lake. *sigh* It's a good thing that HTP has scanned most of our old pictures and we have them on the computer. Also, my folks are here at The Lake and my Dad has all sorts of DD Daughter pictures that he took with his camera. Slides. So, HTP will scan them into our computer and I'll have those along with the ones that I've found. Good grief! My Dad actually has a picture of me and HTP sitting on the steps of The Little Cabin (this is the cabin that Willie now owns) while I was eight+ months along with DD Daughter. I think we were all there on a weekend in September to take out the dock and winterize the place. It looks like we were having a picnic.

Murphyism of the Day

Van Roy's Law

An unbreakable toy is useful for breaking other toys.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.

Mark Twain

DD Daughter

Word of the Day

Blivett - To turn one's pillow over and over, looking for the cool spot.

I pulled (harvested) some of my rhubarb. After that...I cleaned the fish that I caught the other day. I have a fish basket which allows me a bit of leeway when it comes to having to race to get the fish cleaned. We'll have fish for supper. And...rhubarb pie. I made two sugarless rhubarb pies with some of the rhubarb that I pulled and chopped. I froze the rest of the chopped rhubarb. Eight pounds. That's about half of what we'll need to make the rhubarb wine. I'll have to let my rhubarb plants recover and grow a bit more before I harvest again. Cleaning and chopping ten pounds of rhubarb wore me out.

Why all the frantic activity? We're supposed to be getting some stormy weather later tonight and tomorrow. I figured it was best to "make hay while the sun shines." Besides, I mixed up the pie crust yesterday afternoon. I had to wait four hours..or overnight..before I could roll it out so I couldn't make the rhubarb pies yesterday. I suppose I could have waited another day but it's a lot easier to pull rhubarb if it isn't all wet from rain. So, it had to be today. They smell wonderful!

Murphyism of the Day

Skoff's Law

A child will never spill on a dirty floor.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Our constitution protects aliens, drunks and U.S. Senators. -- Will Rogers

Cute! I can do that!

Word of the Day

Blithwapping - Using anything but a hammer to hammer a nail into the wall, such as shoes, lamp bases, doorstops, etc.

Fairy Ring Mushrooms. Yes, there is such a thing and yes, they are edible. Careful! They have to be genuine fairy ring mushrooms growing in a ring or semi-ring...in your lawn. After our last bits of rain, the fairy ring mushrooms have decided to appear yet again. I harvested some to fry up with garlic today to go with the steaks that I grilled for lunch. Wonderful! I've done this before and yet, HTP is still waiting to see if I and my parents go into a psychedelic drug craze...or drop dead. Not happening. I tried to reassure him but he refused even a taste. His only comment was, "I won't be able to load all of you into the SUV if I have to take you all to the hospital." Actually, there weren't all that many this year. Not enough rain. Good thing HTP decided not to risk a taste.

My folks came over for lunch. (Steak on the grill and "poison" mushrooms) They've got a new phone number to remember now. Cell phone. They lost the use of their last cell phone due to...attrition from out-dated technology? Actually, so did we. All that AT&T to Cingular and back to AT&T digital vs. analog technology stuff. Anyway, they'll get their new phone next week sometime. Alltel, U-Pay...pay as you go. Love it. I haven't even used half of the initial minutes that I purchased and have had my phone since Christmas...granted that I don't use my cell phone all that much. I use it for emergencies. Emergencies...with a capital "E". OK...I use it for convenience too but I don't stay parked on the thing, chatting away for hours on end. I use my land-line for that sort of verbal rambling. If I wasn't paying for two land-lines, I wouldn't mind getting a regular cell phone with a monthly (two-three year contract) payment plan. Unfortunately, I can't ditch the land-lines. So...U-Pay is, so far, the way to go for HTP and me.

Murphyism of the Day

Clive's Rebuttal to Walker's Law

If it's clean, it isn't laundry.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

I have found the paradox that if I love until it hurts, then there is no hurt, but only more love. -- Mother Teresa

We Get Painted Turtles too. (Picture taken by GI Joe on Memorial Day Weekend at The Lake)

Word of the Day

Blinknesia - A case when someone leaves their blinker on for a while after they have turned or used it already.

It's been one of those days where I know I did a lot but I can't remember exactly what all I've accomplished. I did run into town to the post office because I had to mail out a package. I also picked up a punch bowl (two of them) that my Mom is lending me. One is really huge. Pretty...but huge. I think the smaller punch bowl will work out much better. But, mainly, I've been sitting in front of my computer researching my next craft project. I saw something cute on the internet and...have you ever seen something and just knew that you could do that yourself?

Murphyism of the Day

Walker's Law of the Household

There is always more dirty laundry than clean laundry.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

During [these] periods of relaxation after concentrated intellectual activity, the intuitive mind seems to take over and can produce the sudden clarifying insights which give so much joy and delight. -- Fritjof Capra, physicist

Word of the Day

Blimpliments - High-calorie or high-fat toppings one adds to a low-calorie or low-fat food that effectively cancels out all the benefits of eating the healthy food in the first place.

Beware of Turtles! Every year about this time, female snapping turtles come on shore here at The Lake to lay their eggs. Snapping turtles tend to be a bit testy. They don't care of nosey dogs. A nosey dog is any dog who has to check things out...leading with their nose. Fortunately, my dogs both still have noses. I keep a wary eye out this time of year. I have two chihuahuas. The snapping turtles have a size and weight advantage. Yesterday, we had our first snapping turtle sighting. She was in our driveway. The dogs had to stay on leash. I'd rather let the dogs run around loose here at The Lake but...I'd just as soon not have to figure out how to get a dog with its nose stuck in a snapping turtles jaws...along with the snapping turtle...to a vet in the city. There is no vet here in town. Ergo...the dogs are sentenced to leash walks unless I make sure the surrounds of our home are free from snapping turtles. *sigh*

Murphyism of the Day

Yeager's Law

Washing machines only break down during the wash cycle.

Corollaries

1. All breakdowns occur on the plumber's day off.

2. cost of repair can be determined by multiplying the cost of your new coat by 1.75, or by multiplying the cost of a new washer by .75.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Never order food in excess of your body weight. -- Erma Bombeck

DD Daughter on a Boat Ride (taken by GI Joe at The Lake over Memorial Day Weekend)

Word of the Day

Blellow - The color produced when mixing blue and yellow, used when green is just too mundane a word.

I went fishing this morning and got enough fish (should I find the energy to clean them) to fix for supper tonight. Give me a minute. I just helped the guy who stained our deck move the BBQ grill back upstairs to the deck. He moved the rest of the furniture. That stuff is heavy! After helping him with the grill, I decided to let him do all the rest. I should have helped him. Guilt. Oh well...the heaviest piece was the grill.

I've got furniture on my deck (which smells like paint fumes...and it's giving me a bit of a headache). I may go out and sit and rock. Hmmmm. Burgers on the grill tonight sounds a lot better than fish. Maybe I wait to clean the fish until tomorrow.

Murphyism of the Day

Hamilton's Rule for Cleaning Glassware

The spot you are scrubbing is always on the other side.

Corollary

If the spot is on the inside, you won't be able to reach it.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save. -- Will Rogers

Word of the Day

Bleemus - The disgusting film on the top of soups, puddings, and cocoa that sit out for too long.

We're having our deck stained today along with some of our deck furniture. Actually, we had our deck stained along with some of our deck furniture...only...they ran out of stain so, they're going to have to come back another day to finish up the stairs from our deck. Now...if it'll only hold off and not rain for a few hours, all their work won't be for naught. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. In the meantime, we've been told that we can't step on the deck for at least five hours. It's not easy to remember not to go out on the deck. Good thing HTP reminded me to bring in the bird-feeders or we'd end up with raccoon footprints all over the deck. We still might...but hopefully, the raccoons won't come to check things out until after the five hours are up.

I've finished all my baby blankets and little socks for our first grandchild, Miss N. I'm working on another project for the baby shower that's taking a bit more effort than I was expecting but... It'll get done. I have faith. If I rag at people enough...it'll get done. I hate being a nag. That's the hardest part of this project. Being a nag and yet, not offending anyone.

Murphyism of the Day

Fausner's Rule of the Household

A knife too dull to cut anything else can always cut your finger.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

We can do no great things; only small things with great love. -- Mother Teresa