Our weekend -- gadgets, games, give aways, and growing up

Friday evening I went out for drinks with my dear friend Tom, who is a former work colleague and current coffee importer dude.  I had asked if he could get me some used coffee bags that I could repurpose as planters.  He came through big!  

On the topic of repurposing, one of the wine clubs of which we are members always sends out these gifts --  bottle stoppers to blankets, all emblazoned with the star logo of the winery.  Some of these things are useful, others, well, just make me wish the raw materials were still raw.  Friday we got a shipment of 8 bottles and a paper towel holder.  We don't use paper towels.  At all.  I kept looking at the thing and wondering, "What can I do with this?"  The first thought that came to me was we could use it as a drying rack for a ziplock bag -- we don't use many but when we do use one, I wash it and then drape it over a jar or something to dry it.  The thing would work for that.  But, we don't need to dry a zipper bag all that often -- counter space is too precious.   Then it occurred to me, why is the thing a PAPER towel holder?  It could be just a TOWEL holder.  So I stacked a few of the little towels we keep handy on it and voila!  She 'as a raison d'etre!  For the time being...
But counter space is always a competition!  I like to keep lots of fresh herbs handy -- many are just outside the door (thyme, rosemary, sage, lavender, parsley) but I have no dill growing (yet), Gregg cut all the mint back (it'll be a forest again in a week), we use cilantro faster than it's growing (working on that -- lots of new plants), and we just put in new basil plants.  I supplemented all those with some bunches from the market.  When I got them home, in glasses on the counter, I thought, "Wow!  Who needs a bouquet of flowers when these are in the house!"

But I had bought a bouquet anyway -- I couldn't pass up these beauties for $4!  Last bunch I bought stayed nice for two weeks.  (And I turned this picture -- it's upright on my drive...)
The girls went with me to the farmer's market this week.   They ate peas and carrots and strawberries and apples while I loaded my arms to capacity three times.  Neither wanted to carry anything until I bought the flowers!  Then they had an argument about who would carry them.  I decided on a sharing plan -- one could carry them to the car and the other could hold them for the drive home.  They must be growing up because once the plan was in place they stopped arguing.  

Every day I see more and more glimpses of Alex-grown-up.  Yesterday she spilled crayon shavings on the carpet and went and got the cordless mini-vac and cleaned them up herself.
This evening she helped Gregorie color a picture -- AFTER being asked by Gregorie, not her usual "HERE, let me do that for you, Greggie!"

Earlier today they both played the Ladybug game with Gregg, collecting aphids and hiding from the praying mantis.  (The game has the heroes a little mixed up if you ask me.)
My new toy is the pancake pencil.  I make pancakes about 4 mornings per week.  And every time the girls beg for shapes.  So when I saw this gadget on Amazon Prime for less than $10 (with free shipping), I thought, "Hmm...  Yeah, maybe it's just an electric can opener to some people, but for me, there is logic..."  So I bought it.  And I love it!  I'm not a pancake pencil pro yet but I'm working out the aphids, I mean bugs. (I turned these pictures too -- sorry -- my computer doesn't love me tonight.)

Color my frustration orange

Gregorie Ann LOVES orange juice.   Well, Gregorie Ann loves fresh, HOME-SQUEEZED orange juice.  Not even the unpasteurized, fresh-squeezed at the grocery will do.  Her palette is very refined on the point.  We usually buy a 25-lb bag of valencia oranges at the farmer's market and then squeeze them with my mother's antique juicer.  For the last couple weeks, though, there have been no valencia oranges at the market.  A couple weeks back I bought a 25-lb bag of navels.  When I got to home with the goods, Greggie pulled her chair to the counter to watch me coax the golden nectar into her waiting glass.  And she waited and she waited.  Orange after orange to fill that glass!  Finally, I handed the glass to her and turned to wash the juicer.  I had no sooner set the juicer down in the sink when I heard, "schleerrrppp!" and the tinkle of her metal straw against the glass as she said, "More please!"  The oranges were so unyielding, the juicing so frustrating, that I took to telling her, "We don't have any orange juice."  It, frankly, wasn't ALL that untrue.

Last week I bought tangelos and they were far more productive in the juicer.  Alas, she didn't like tangelo juice!  So, today was farmer's market day again.  And I can only tell you of the joy that surged through me when I saw the sign, "VALENCIA ORANGES!  $5 small bag, $10 large bag."

The juicing was easy, so rewarding, I filled her glass and then a whole quart.  Gregg came in from a bike ride as I finished the quart and before I could put the lid on, he filled himself an 8-oz glass.  As he set his glass down he said, "I think we may need to break out the rum!"  Not only are valencias easier to juice/higher yielders, they also make  MUCH better juice!  The quart is chilling in the refrigerator!  CHEERS!

PS:  In case anyone is interested, we pay $10 for a 25-lb bag.  That will make about 8 quarts of juice.  Works out to be cheaper than the "pure premium" crap!

Things that make me happy

My husband cleaning up his tree trimming mess!

My girls' pretty bird houses.
Those glorious oak trees, trimmed and light-filled.

My first lemon!
Strawberry transplants starting to grow.
A freshly planted garden bed with fence and gate.
Art on the playhouse wall.
The walnut floor, even when it is Little People-covered.
The view from my kitchen -- okay, ya gotta look up through the skylight.
Nicaraguan pottery.
The way these Chiapan pillow cases brighten this couch.
This cute bicycle pillow Gam brought.
Happy children playing outside.
My sweet, comfy bed!

Life Under the Oaks

I love the oak canopy that is both natural air conditioning and a green mosaic on a blue-sky canvas.  The trees around our home are grand and gnarled, majestic and magical, broad and bent.  This time of the year they are oak worms, oak leaves, and oak pollen.  And I'm really over that trifecta!  Later in the year, the acorn drop will sound like a hail storm on our sky lights; we'll sit on the deck with caution.  Yesterday Gregg decided it wasn't too late in the season (late Spring this year)to  reduce the load, let in some more light, open up our sky-view.  I'm glad he can (he is an aborist!), and does, do this heavy and hard work.  I just wish he'd clean up after! [Note, the fourth picture above is obviously NOT of an oak -- it's a privet -- Gregg also trimmed it -- just in time to minimize it's amazing pollen drop!]





Gregg is not only the tree guy around here -- he is also Mr. Dough Boy! Tonight he made pita breads to go with the kofte the girls and I made.

Earlier today the girls decoupaged some bird houses that Gam brought them. We cut and tore pictures/colors/patterns from catalogs and used diluted school glue. Gregorie asked how the birds get inside since "The hole is so small, Ma!" Alex decided she didn't want a bird to live in hers; she wants to keep it inside "as a decoration," because otherwise, "The birds will poop on my pretty house!" I'll take pictures of the finished houses and add them tomorrow -- they came out great!

Yesterday we went to the playground and park and the girls ran and ran in the grass.

When we got home Alex decided she hadn't had enough exercise for the day and decided to do some bench (block?) pressing (wink, Lindsey - funny how things seem to echo), after, of course, she changed into appropriate princess attire (yes, Andi, that is the dress she wore to your wedding 4 years ago!).