Farmer's Market

My friend Dolly's very health-minded daughter has a booth at the local farmer's market making detoxifying drinks.  So I got up this Saturday morning and checked it out!

Brought Ronan along.  He loves retail therapy especially when he get to pick out his own flavors of jam.

For all of the lemongrass, spinach and many other things that were thrown in this green shake, if the 11 year old finished it, she's doing a very good job!

Yup.  Bought some of these.

Just inspired by all of this to eat better this summer.  It smells fresh and delicious.  When we got back we had the jam on fresh wheat bread that we bought and for lunch I had a lettuce, tomato and cucumber sandwich.  Now I am off to work where my usual cravings would typically blow my efforts all to heck, but I have my detoxifying brew working it's magic today!

Master Bedroom - and so it begins

5 years ago we remodeled our kitchen and that turned into needing a new roof and well, yeah, please add two more feet to our side deck so we can put a nice table and chairs out there...and before you knew it we were plum out of cash to make the large room above the kitchen a proper master bedroom.

Enter my brother, Andy, to help us remedy the problem.  This dark wood was the former outer layer of the house, although it had been covered with siding.  Ever heard of "horsehair plaster"?  It really has hair in it.  Yuck.  It's also very crumbly.  But our house was built in 1900 so there you go.  Along with the pretty lines and high ceilings you get crumbly walls that you can't hang anything on without getting a floor to ceiling crack in the paint. 

But this soon to be little haven of mine is all brand spanking new.  New wallboard, closets, paint, windows.  This will be my view from the bed and as I've said to everyone, when this is done I may not emerge for a month. 

For now this is the reality.  And it's hard.  See, we kind of made this former unfinished space a catch-all.  We had rolling racks of clothes, winter coats, snowboots, etc. in there.  We had lamps and craft supplies.  It all had to be emptied out and not all of it has been gone through yet as I am the General Contractor for the project and have been back and forth to Home Depot more times than I can count.  I see a yard sale in my future.  I'll tell the 11 year old if he works it, I'll split the profits with him ; )

A Day Like No Other

That's just how I feel, Ronan.  Let's hold on to this kid and not let him go.  Let's lock him in his room and make him watch funny movies with us.  I mean he's done fine in our house.  He doesn't really need to leave, does he?

I had read stories from mothers with broken hearts who are sad when the kids leave for college.  I dreaded when it would be my turn.  I've always tried to look on the bright side of things and of course, in my mind I know it's all good news...good college, smart boy, bright future.  But anticipating September and not needing to order a cheese pizza every day at 4pm for a "snack" or running back and forth to the high school, not having to be in the parent-volunteer mode and never being asked if he can go to the movies again...because he doesn't need my permission - the truth is I just want to rewind.

It is a day like no other.  Graduation Day.  I still remember mine.  It's almost so fragile that you can feel their outer shell breaking.  Promising to see each other this summer, don't forget to stay in touch, what party are you going to?  The years and months and days and hours of memories.  The familiarity of each other's faces. 

I can't say this is a fun day for me.  Proud for sure.  Seeing my life's work before me, reflected back at me is amazing.  It just hurts like heck.  He's going away to college, far enough away that you need a plane to get there.  And I will really, REALLY miss him. 

Dancing Away

What a joyful passage, a beautiful night, such happy smiles.  Senior Prom.  I can still remember how giddy it makes you feel (as a girl anyway!) being all dressed up, having your date look nothing like he typically does in the school hallway with his Converse sneakers and plaid shorts. 

You feel grown-up, like you are on the brink of something.  You feel it ahead of you but can't quite see it yet.  But the late Spring night is gorgeous, you are with all of your friends and the night is ahead of you.

Can't say what will happen to these two high school sweethearts next year, with what they don't know yet, how much things will change and all of the new people they will meet at college.   Will others turn their head?  Interest them?  That's for another day.  Right now they've got all summer. 

The Ugly Door

 
So this is a story about an ugly door.  But moreover it is about how many people came in touch with this door and thought it would be ok to put on MY house.  Here are a few background photos of my asthetic.

You know, cottagey, flowery, trying as we all do to make the most of what we've got and where we live.

Tried to follow the architectural charm of the house when making any changes or additions.  Added a pretty summer stripey awning in blues because I thought it went great with the white house/black shutters.  In other words, I took a minute to think about these things!

 

And then came this horror.  We had been living with the original garage door since we moved in 7 years ago and even then it probably should have been replaced.  It was worn out and finally stopped working altogether.  We spent a few weeks with just a plastic sheet over it to protect from the rain.

So I left this project to my husband and he found a place and ordered a door.  He asked if I wanted windows as the old door had them and I said yes.  When I came home from shopping on installation day and saw this well, many choice words came out of my mouth. 

"How many "men" thought this looked ok?" 
"Who thought this asthetically matched my house?" 
"Don't you think it looks like the face of a robot?"
"There is no way this is staying like this!!!"

And so I have had to look at this for one week already and a new plain top panel is being ordered with some black carriage-house detail trim to be added to match the black shutters.  I don't know why this has thrown me into such a twist.  I am sure that all of the angst about graduation and Prom and 5th grade graduation and the anxiety I feel over all of that manifested itself in this horrible door.  So maybe it served some purpose after all ; )

On Mother's Day

I had a super-duper waffle and fruit salad breakfast on the deck. 

Got my mother exactly what she wanted...because I asked!  Her favorite plant and a hand-painted trellis.

And finished with a soccer game.  Carter is on the left.  It is very hard to take pictures at a soccer game, even with the "action" setting on the camera.  Those boys move FAST.

Teacher Appreciation Week (from the night kitchen)

I wanted to take advantage of all of my new baking recipes and donate some goodies to Teacher Appreciation Week at my son's schools.  There were two late nights (into the wee hours if I am being honest) of making maple pecan sticky buns and another night (where at least I was in bed before midnight) of cupcakes and dipped pretzels.

So what I learned is that no one deserves this more than the teachers and it was my pleasure to make stuff from scratch.  However, it is no small achievement.  By its very nature, making things from scratch is truly a labor of love.  Unless you do it professionally, it is done after work, dinner and laundry.  When the house is quiet you pull out the recipe folder and independently get to work.  Luckily for me there was a "Housewives of Orange County" marathon that provided company and required me to pay attention once every 10 minutes, fitting together perfectly with the KitchenAid mixer's schedule.