red slide, pink feet

No real story today. It's G-tot climbing the wrong way up his slide. I just liked this shot when I saw it. The large expanse of red plastic. The wrinkled feet and tiny toes. Baby feet—even when they get too big to fit in the palm of my hand—get me every time. Who am I kidding, I love every part of this child.

the birds are going to be mad

I picked these little gems this morning before the downpour hit. It's 3 quarts, a pint, and an empty mushroom container full. That's pretty much the last of them. I left behind the partials that the birds had already gotten to and a few that were out of reach even with the ladder. I have the batch I picked last weekend in the freezer. I'll probably try a tart with some of those. With this fresh picked batch I'm going to make "spirited cherries". I'm not sure which spirit I'll use quite yet—vodka, rum, or brandy. This venture also requires a canning process—which I have never done before. But it's on my list!

I want to can them this weekend or by Tuesday at the lastest. They're really ripe and I don't want to lose any to procrastination. Especially after I worked so hard to pick all of them. The family went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond today and they didn't have any canning supplies. Sucky. I have a couple of stores in mind that I'll run to tomorrow. If all goes well, the drunken cherry fest will commence shortly.

577 Foundation

Yesterday, G-tot and I took an imprompteau trip to The 577 Foundation. I discovered 577 over a decade ago when my Mom & I attended pottery workshops there. It was there that I first used a potter's wheel. I still have that piece. Actually, we both still have pieces that we made that summer. I saw one of my Mom's pieces in her bathroom a couple of weeks ago.

chasing butterflies in the community gardens

the shade gardens

The 577 Foundation is so much more than just a place to take pottery classes. As there website states, it's "an ecologically sensitive place that encourages diversity and seeks to foster exploration, experimentation, personal enjoyment and creativity in education."

checking out the fish in the biodome pond

my favorite shot—in the honeybee exhibit

The area is full of community gardens, a biodome, an interactive children's garden, an indoor honey bee hive, and an area to dig up real fossils. And that's just a few of the things you can find on the grounds. I had no idea some of those things were there when I decided to take the trip. G-tot wanted to go outside and I wanted him to have a chance to explore something other than the pot of dirt in our backyard. It turned out better than I expected. G-tot got a huge kick out of it and we had a blast. JQ missed out because of work but the three of us will go back soon.

painting with water

playing outdoor instruments—check out the rain wheel on the tree & the giant xylophone in the background

Of course I took a bunch of pictures. 133 do be exact. I'll probably upload the majority of them to flickr at some point, the ones in this post are just a handful of my favorites.

looking at "crystal cave" in the fairy garden

crossing the bridge—vintage style

If you're ever in Perrysburg, Ohio and have a free afternoon I highly recommend it. Not only is it a fun, educational experience for everyone—it's free!

ice cream in a bag

A couple of Saturday's ago JQ, G-tot, and I made some homemade ice cream. Which really translates to, I made the ice cream and all three of us ate it. Making ice cream—without an ice cream maker—is one of the items on my 101 in 1001 list. I found a few recipes online, picked the one that suited my needs, and gathered up the necessary ingredients (including rock salt). Not having any idea how the recipe would turn out, I opted to make a single serving size.

I can't get much easier than this. The ingredients are put in small ziploc bag, then placed in larger ziploc with ice & rock salt. Shake, shake, shake. The salt/ice combo brings the temperature down to make the freezing conditions necessary. It was pretty cold so I wrapped it in a towel for the majority of the shaking.

After just 5 minutes we had ice cream.

It turned out yummy and was fun to make. It would be a perfect activity for a sleep over or any summer event with a bunch of kids. G-tot is a bit young to really understand what was going on but he liked eating the outcome.

I bought more half & half today to make it again this weekend.

Looks pretty good doesn't it? I mixed in some fresh strawberries after I took this shot and gobbled it up. If we make individual servings again I might throw in some different fruit. Or nuts. Or bacon... (I'm kidding. Just seeing if you're still paying attention.)

Want to try it yourself? Here's the recipe I used.

Ice cream in a bag

What you'll need:

* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 1/2 cup milk or half & half
* 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
* 6 tablespoons rock salt
* 1 pint-size Ziploc plastic bag
* 1 gallon-size Ziploc plastic bag
* Ice cubes

How to make it:
1. Fill the large bag half full of ice, and add the rock salt. Seal the bag.
2. Put milk, vanilla, and sugar into the small bag, and seal it.
3. Place the small bag inside the large one and seal again carefully.
4. Shake until mixture is ice cream, about 5 minutes.
5. Wipe off top of small bag, then open carefully and enjoy!

it reminds me of the word "ninnies"

The copy from the Daily Candy email today cracked me up.

Bagina. That makes me laugh. It's almost as funny as the way Yvonne's daughter calls it a "pachina".

Good stuff.

at arm's length

I've gotten really good at taking pictures (that include me in the composition) with an outstretched arm. Apparently, I have just the right amount of arm length to get a decent shot. I took the three photos below on Saturday. Each shot was only taken once. After the snap of the shutter I checked out my handy work on the LCD screen and was happy with that one frame. No repeats necessary. Who needs a tripod/cable release/self-timer anyway?

hand picked

I picked these cherries this morning while G-tot napped and JQ sprayed the weeds in the front bed. The tree in our backyard is full of ripe cherries and I wanted to get to some of them before the birds descended upon the fruit & took off with it all.


I needed the ladder to reach the majority of the little red cherries and even with the 6 foot ladder there are huge sections of the tree that I just cannot reach. My take was two full quarts and I barely scratched the surface of the tree. I could easily get another six quarts—but hand picking them is tedious. What I need is one of those scoop type things they use to harvest cranberries.

These are really tart cherries and I'm not sure what to do with them. I may try my hand at canning some. I may make a cherry bumble (with vodka and rock candy) or soak them in brandy. I may even try a cherry tart (although I'm not crazy about baked fruit). Any other suggestions are welcome.

My Mom stopped by while I was on the ladder, head up in the branches of the tree. Her first words as she stepped out of the car were, "You look like a farmer!". And you know what? I sort of felt like a farmer. Tending to the gardens and the fruit tree makes me feel very earthy and domestic. It's a labor of love and I really do enjoy it. When we eat the food we've grown on our property I get that earth-mother feeling all over again.

3rd place isn't so bad

Whoo-hoo! I won third place in Dutchy's "Rinse. Lather. Repeat." photo contest. I'm now the proud recipient of a $20 Amazon gift card. Oh what, oh what will I buy? Any suggestions?

The winning image? This cutie.

How could I not win? You can check out the rest of the entries (some not so innocent) here. Next time you should play along.

animal, vegetable, mineral

I have so many things that I want to write about but it takes forever to compose a post anymore and right now I don't have forever. The gardens beckon—which I will be writing about soon (I know you've missed those posts) and I'm running out of alone time. G-tot (the baby formerly know as G-man—Do you like it? I thought I'd try it out. He is just a wee one after all.) is napping but I can hear him rustling around so I don't know if he is actually sleeping still. I must hurry.

So...here's where you come in.

Favorite fruit?
Favorite vegetable?
Are you growing anything—fruits, veggies, herbs, flowers?
Did you know Coriander is seed of a Cilantro plant? Double the value.
Have you ever raised animals for consumption?
Can you share a gardening tip with us? No? How about a question then?

And of course, a photo. Because, if I'm going to shoot them everyday, I'm going to share them.

Gam & G-tot. taken by JQ

forget about mowing the lawn...

…just relax. It's your day.

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers in our lives—near & far.

growing up—14 months

Dear Gideon,

You turned 14 months old a couple of weeks ago, which apparently is the point where your brain explodes and is replaced with a giant super-absorbant sponge. Just sucking up the world around it. I know I say this every month—but it is so true that it bears repeating—you are amazing.

13 months—April 26, 2008

14 months—May 24, 2008

Gone is my helpless little baby. You are a full-on active toddler with an insatiable curiosity. And the cool thing? You dig it all and you get it. You understand so many words we say and act upon them accordingly. When I tell you something is garbage you promptly pick it up and carry it over to the cabinet under the sink where the trash is. When I get out the vacuum cleaner you make a "vroommm" noise to let me know that you know what's next. If you poop and I say, "Come on, let's go to your room and change your diaper.", you march right in there. I don't blame you, I wouldn't want to sit in a pile of my own waste either.

crazy face

You're so affectionate and will come over to us and give kisses & squeezies (hugs). My favorite ones are the ones that aren't requested. You'll be playing, then suddenly decide you need to spread the love and come over for a hug or kiss. You like to share and are very giving with your toys and snacks (even the soggy ones).


Your love of books continues to increase and there are usually no fewer than 5 books strewn around the living room at some point each day. We keep your library books out there (in an effort to keep them separate from the ones on the shelf in your room) and you are always grabbing one to flip through or give to us to read. You also love going to the library. The branch by our house has a big goldfish at the counter who is the "branch greeter". Stopping to say hello is the first thing we do. Saying goodbye is the last. Every time. He seems to like us.


You've added another tooth and now have 4 on top and 4 on the bottom. None in the back yet, but that doesn't stop you from chowing down on just about everything. You have mastered the fine art of stabbing things with a fork—including Cheerios—and prefer a normal metal fork to one of those crappy plastic toddler forks. That's fine with me, just don't poke your eye out.

Just waking up from a nap.
Your hair was cracking me up so I had to take pictures.
You were not amused.

Another trick you've picked up it shutting doors. Once you've got the door shut—you don't know how to get back out yet—you'll knock on it. I like to pretend I don't know who it is. "Hello?" "Who is it?" "Dave's not here."

checking out an earthworm

You've probably noticed that you're missing a 13th month post. Time got away from me and I ended up just not doing one. At one point late in that 13th month I thought about just sticking up a few pictures and maybe a video—but I felt like that was a bit of a cop out so I opted to do nothing. But hey, at least I got this one done in time. Right?

Love,
Momma

look-alike meter (let's all play along)

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Family reunion - Roots

Make sure you go see Leezer's hilarious comparisons. My favorite? Frankenstein.

soft & sweet

I shot this picture of G-man last week and while I liked the straight-out-of-the-camera shot, the slightly enhanced image above really does it for me. The lighting in the SOOC shot was a little low but the information was there. I shot it with a low aperature and a quicker shutter speed than I needed to capture my quick moving monkey. When I was looking at the shot yesterday I upped the levels a bit in Photoshop and ended up with this shot above. The curtains are true to life, so this is much better. I love the sweet look on his face and the softness of the image. I don't even mind that totally blown out highlight framing his face. It's my Best Shot Monday image this week.

my new toy

See that beauty up there? No...not me. But, really? Why, thank you. It must be the no makeup, just out of the shower, wet head look. Actually, I'm talking about the camera. My new toy. A Canon EOS Rebel XSi.

It's fantastic. I have wanted a Digital SLR for so long. I studied photography in college and shot with a Canon (film) SLR. Awesomely enough, my telephoto lens and cable release are compatible with the new camera. This camera makes me so excited. Even JQ cannot stop playing with it. I got it the May 24 and we've already taken 834 pictures with it. Here are just a few of my favorites so far. Click on the image for a bigger view.

At the park. (taken by JQ)

My brother & his buddy after graduation. Digging the purple.

Checking out the amphibian exhibit at the zoo.

Monkey tree frog. I love the water dripping off the leaf to the left of the frog.

Flower in the zoo gardens. See the bee head poking out?

Pasta night. You must see this bigger for the full effect—the hair, the eyes, the mess.