Ordinary Life

Our FaceBook friend Mitch often posts poetic pictures of  the "Old Lady" tree near his home. And, it is a beautiful, old lady tree. See? Mr. Mitch is an interesting fellow and I often want to do and be and think and see in step with him.  So, imagine my delight when I discovered  that we have an Old Lady Tree too... See?  Okay, so she's a bit of a hag.  I surely wouldn't eat any apples from this tree. Mainly because it isn't an apple tree, bu t also because 'she' looks like the witch from Snow White, whose specialty was the Drowsy Apple.  See?  I have friends standing by - ready to call the right folks and administer the right meds for me if the lady in my tree turns out to be from another Disney franchise:  If I hear it speak, I am to repeat: "A tree may speak to me, but only metaphorically."  (...and so help me, if you ever find me running around in a buckskin dress...talking to the trees... wrap me up in my loooong sleeve pajamas please.....

One challenge I often face  is serving everyone's meal at the same time; without having the first half served cold.  Especially meals cooked in batches, like burgers or pancakes. Often times, eating a 'batch style meal' works a lot like singing in rounds... as the first group reaches the mid-point of their meal, the second group begins to eat, as the first group reaches takes their last bite,  the third group is beginning and the second group has reached mid-point... everyone finishes on whatever course they find themselves whenever I run out of ingredients... technically, all together.   By "group" I mean, quite simply, individual . I have a griddle that makes cooking for many a little easier. Thanks to our most recent move (into a furnished place), it was banished to storage almost a year ago... for (what feels like) forever.  When life puts your stuff in storage- Make Lemonade! Yeah, I mixed my metaphors. So, what? Ice that lemonade and sip it as you imp...

DIY Laundry Detergent "It's better, cheaper & smells fantastic...MAYBE"  Basically, one of everything pictured ( below) : Washing Soda Borax Baking Soda Grated Pink Zote Soap (or FelzNaptha) Epsom Salts & Scent (or scented softening crystals) (2 boxes equals proper amount) Oxygenated Stain Remover DIY Laundry Detergent Ingredients I will start by saying that my results may be different than the glowing review of the recipe I followed because I used varied ingredients. I am not convinced that any one substitution made would change my overall experience with the results. The substitutions are as follows:  1 Bar of Zote Soap instead of 2. The package looked like 2 bars in one wrapper, so we didn't bring enough home. I don't believe there would be a major difference even if the second bar was added because it seems that this soap doesn't dissolve very well before the washer has started- there are always chunks of it still floating about.  Epsom Salts &...

She said "I NEED A PARTY HAT!"  We sometimes call our anniversary a "Family Birthday". Especially during seasons where sitters are scarce and we will be celebrating with the entire family. This was one of those celebrations. We have been very busy with baseball & the business and our family's 'birthday' fell during a particularly Extra Busy Weekend. On Wednesday night, as everyone was busy with Duck Dynasty (I tuned in from my dish washing station in the kitchen) I secretly concocted one of Clay's preferred treats: Jello Cake. (He's forever in the debt of his mother in law for the passing down of this recipe :)  One thing about Jell-O cake is that it calls for Whipped topping- an element that always makes for a decorating challenge... a blank, white, slippery canvas to be improved upon.  I began to rifle through Riley's small plastic toys for something quirky when I came to these two finger puppets. I was quickly inspired to dress them up...

Cheesy Potatoes w/Bacon & Red Onion 5-7 Potatoes (we used red) Washed, Peeled, Cut to Fries Cheddar Cheese (the more the better, the more varied the sharpness, also the better) Half & Half/ Heavy Whipping Cream (about a cup and a half) ~Optional: Red Onions, Bacon (about 5 slices cooked & crumbled)  Preheat Oven to 400º ~Wash, Peel & Cut Potatoes~ Fill 9x11 Greased Baking Dish w/sliced potatoes~Season Well Season Potatoes. ~Optional Steps~ Cook Bacon & Crumble.  Sautee' Onion in bacon drippings. Mix with potatoes. ~ If you do not prefer Bacon or Onions, omit & go straight to covering the potatoes in cream & cheese. Pour Heavy Whipping Cream/Half & Half enough to engulf potatoes. Cover with Cheese. (I used a combination of half&half & whipping cream & various degrees of sharp cheddar)  Cover top with greased foil. Bake for apps. 1 hour. When everything looks good enough to eat, remove foil, add more cheese, return to oven for app...

While looking for something celebratory for my nephew's birthday, I came across   this piece  for mothers. In the interest of equality, I share this equally challenging & powerful piece on the calling of fathers. I am grateful for the good fathers I know. If you are a dad, I hope you celebrate the gift that God has given you in the form of your children and take to heart the call to disciple them & ready them to be presented back to their Giver someday. 

As I was looking for something 'sentimental' of sorts, to mark my nephew's 5th birthday and to celebrate his mom and dad's 5th anniversary as parents  (Reagan made them parents for the first ~but not last~ time)  I came across this piece on motherhood. It seems to be an excerpt from a mother's day sermon at a church I've never been too. It is a really good thought.  It made me thankful for all the godly mothers I know. It also made me want to encourage those who may not value the calling God has placed on the life of a mother... especially friends and family who are moms but think that it doesn't count as much. I hope you will be encouraged if you are a mom. I hope you will pass this on if you know any other mothers that need to be reminded... or perhaps told for the very first time. And...if you happen to be a father? Well... there's something in there for you too  :) Big Smiles Until We Meet Again 

 It was a busy weekend in the Brewer Camp~ 2 birthdays (1 carrot cake, 1 jello) , 2 baseball games(1 out of town). Multiple sport practices,  one incident of UpWards Cheer...birthday present shopping and early voting across town.  While I am still uploading and sorting photos for the birthdays, I thought I'd begin chronologically with the Halloween that wasn't --- since there are only two pictures for that occasion. We opted out of Trick Or Treating... because of the aforementioned busy-ness; because the Big Kids are big now; and....because we're not pagans. Relax- I'm only teasing. :) We also opted out of our church carnival (a.k.a. the "Christian Tee Shirt" version of Trick or Treat). (See above reasons.) But, we did have a spot of pumpkin pie: (15= First Date 15 years ago, Halloween Night 1997) We decided to spend our evening inside, hanging out as a family. I started the birthday cakes, we watched a movie together and just relaxed. But then...there came a...

Last night, while everyone else was at the ball-field, Me and Rye rearranged her toys. We made a 'clubhouse' with the new play door that Grummy & Grandpa brought then filled it with pillows, sock monkeys and books. Here's Rye giving it a try before we finished setting everything up...

Fresh Pressed Coffee Clay took me to Starbucks for coffee on Sunday. While I was there, I picked up a French press (finally). I love the coffee that comes from a press. I have given them to others as gifts...but I always held out splurging on myself for some yet to be declared occasion. Spontaneously, Sunday became that day.   I always brew way too much coffee in the mornings and even when I recycle the leftovers into a pitcher of cold coffee in the fridge, I run out of room in the pitcher after a day or two. I have also used leftover coffee to make ice for my iced coffees but again, only so much ice fits in the tray and I'm always sadly pouring out coffee that couldn't find a home...  I used to have a nice Cuisinart KCup & Hot Water Machine (not the official name) to assist in a cup by cup brewing method,  but moving always breaks stuff... usually the good stuff. And this last move was no exception. The Cuisinart was dropped by a well meaning helper-child and le...