Neighbors

Stone wall
Originally uploaded by dynamosquito

I have excellent neighbors. To my right, a widow who stops by to chat nearly everyday asking if my home is "growing children." To my left, a lovely couple with a teen-age son. The husband mows my front lawn--- every week. He even runs the edger along the sidewalk. Every time he does, I am reminded of the Mending Wall by Robert Frost:

Here's a brief excerpt.

There where it is we do not need the wall:
He is all pine and I am apple orchard.
My apple trees will never get across
And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.
He only says, 'Good fences make good neighbors'.
Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder
If I could put a notion in his head:
'Why do they make good neighbors? Isn't it
Where there are cows?
But here there are no cows.
Before I built a wall I'd ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out,
And to whom I was like to give offence.

My little man- Elias Paul

Happy 3rd Birthday Little Eli!!!

You are so much fun- everyday is an adventure.

Master of the grill

After my unsightly experience last week with the grill, I thought I would provide an update to inform everyone that I have successfully mastered the unmasterable skill of grilling on a piece of junk.

With all the kids home, I was determined to have a lovely dinner outside. We had grilled chicken, corn on the cob and yes, hotdogs! The best part was, I didn't burn, drop, mutilate or otherwise desecrate any of our dinner!

I just wanted a grilled hotdog!

Hot dog, anyone?
Originally uploaded by jehwriter

My plight began when I returned from the store with my purchase in hand...

A $15 grill (on sale) a bag of charcoal (the cheap kind) a can of lighter fluid (the small one) and a bag of hotdogs.

Tonight, Eli and I were going to cook dinner on the grill.

So I opened the box, pulled out a manual of instructions and looked at the box of screws, nut and bolts that came with it. Grabbing the manual, I turned to the english version and saw illustrations... oh, good! I can follow pictures~ they even included a screwdriver so I didn't have to go grab a butter knife to assemble it. How thoughtful!

What the pictures didn't tell me is that I needed at least 4 hands to assemble the grill. Between pinched fingers and Eli helping... we finished with two extra pieces and the wheels on backwards. (The wheels stay! I don't plan on wheeling it around all over the yard!)

Alas, it was too late for dinner (9:30) but I lined the coals in the grill according to the instructions anyways.

Tonight- Ready to go. I've got my lighter fluid and my spatula! I lit the charcoal on fire... they lit right up.... and then went out. Spray more lighter fluid, light coals, fire, and gone. 5 times I repeated this process... I have 1/4 of a bottle of lighter fluid left and its almost dinner time. Sigh... one more time... and wahoo! I have a flame the nearly singed off my eyebrows... and it stayed long enough for the coals to get hot. Close lid, walk away.... prepare hotdogs, cut up strawberries and peaches... check coals. Good to go.

I place the hotdogs on the grill and come back a bit later. Looking good... I think they are done... hey, where's my spatula?? How about my tongs?? ughhhh.... in the sand box. So I use my most natural quickest resource... because the hotdogs, they are burning! I reach out and grab a dog with my fingers....OUCH! HOT! HOT! but I got it on the plate... now for the next one... wait... its rolling away.... Down the back of the grill and onto the ground. Sigh....next dog... and it falls through the grill onto the charcoals. Oh, I've got it figured out now! I roll the dogs off the edge of the grill and onto the plate! Whoo hoo! I mastered the dog. Never mind that the dogs were a bit burnt by this point.

I calmly close the lid to my $15 grill just as the handle melts off! Perfect!

Hot dogs anyone??

Kids are funny...

Today at lunch I was helping Eli bless the food. I would say a sentence and he would repeat my words. Today it went like this...
bless this food... (bless this food)
that is will make us healthy and strong... (healthy and strong)
we say these things... (cuz we have too)

Eli's words are in the parenthesis and I am NOT making this up!! I barely made it through the rest of the prayer... good thing we were at the end!

High fashion... big hat

fashion hat
Originally uploaded by heatherbuckley

Back in the day, hats were all the rage. You could tell a ladies status in society by the type of hat she wore.

I wish that hats were fashionable again. It would be so fun to get all gussied up and put on a fancy hat to finish it off. Not to be misunderstood, I enjoy the relaxed feel of today's fashion. I enjoy not having to wear a dress everywhere I go but I enjoy a nice dress and even an apron... and especially a hat!

My kids are my life

I had a horrible nightmare last night. It was one of those nightmares that is so real that you wake up trying to figure out what happened. I woke up in tears. It was awful. In my dream I lost one of my children and was preparing for the funeral. I blame this on watching Michael Jackson's ceremony yesterday, but the effects of this dream are still lingering with me today.

I love all of my children. They are each special to me in their own individual ways. I love watching them grow and learn. I love each of their quirky habits, like how Isaac loves food and how everytime I am cooking in the kitchen he pokes his head so close to the mixing bowl that I end up hitting him with my elbows (every time) and he still keeps coming back to see. I love how Eli is always biting his fingers and telling me "No, my fingers". I love how Sophie has a smile that lights up a room. I love how Seth is completely in his own little world and I love when he lets me in!

I try to savor every moment of my time with them. Even when they are being naughty. EVERY MOMENT!!

Chocolate Day

As my readers (all three of you) know. I love chocolate. I am practically obsessed with it. Perhaps more so than an average person.

This is why...
I have been raised by chocolatiers. I know what you are thinking, and no, I was not raised in a dark corner of Mr. Wonka's chocolate factory! It's just that as long as I can remember, I've been raiding my Grandma's freezer downstairs in her basement (she kept the key under the canning jars) and stealing chocolates. Mmmmm! She would give us a box for Christmas and one for our birthday and we would all try to make them last as long as possible, except for me. I would eat them all within 3 days! I couldn't help it!

My Grandma dipped chocolates for McDonald's chocolate company out of Salt Lake City when she was in her 20's. From that time forth, she has been dipping chocolates every Christmas season. I watched her stick her hands in the warm, brown substance and hand dip thousands of chocolates.

For the last 10 years, I have been attempting to learn the trade. I really am not that good at it. It is an expensive talent to learn and a fattening one at that!! This week a friend of mine asked if I could dip her some chocolates to take with her to Minnesota when she goes to visit her family. I never pass up an opportunity to practice so I took her up on her offer.

I thought you all would appreciate some pictures of what it is I love to do!