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Lavender and Cedar Are Enough For the Moths
A flurry of little moths was fluttering around my closet as I tried to pack up and stall before finally leaving for the lake. Were cedar chips enough? I did a quick, actually an extensive, search on the Internet to find out for sure. In addition to cedar, lavender was also recommended. One recipe described how to make your own mothballs, by simply putting a few drops of lavender oil on cotton balls. My lavender was ready for cutting, so I scooped out the harvest from the garden. Then, I bought a bunch of those little cedar chip muslin bags from the grocery store, and tied the stems around the…
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You know you’re in lake county when…
the doctor starts talking about duct tape and freezer bags. Let me explain. My son did need stitches after all. We realized this the next morning, after a good night’s sleep, after all the excitement from our lake adventure. On the drive to the Urgent Care, and during the two-hour wait, I told my son in no uncertain terms that “he could not go into the lake whether he got stitches or not, until his leg healed. “You can get all kinds of nasty infections — like gangrene. So, don’t even bother to bring it up,” I said. “The doctor will just smile, and pat your head if you do.”…
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Then, we were stranded on the lake
The weather was a bit ominous. The 92-degree heat that sweltered the last four days was starting to swirl around, and kick up a storm. Under the over cast sky, the clock read 5:10, still plenty of time to go tubing before the lake’s 6:30 cut off time. The boys were game, and dragged me away from the garden to drive the boat. The lake was deserted, save for a few swimmers along the bank, leaving clear waterways for me to cut the boat through the water. I actually relaxed; no, I was enjoying the ride. This was a nice change. The window blowing, the hood from my baby blue…
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Something to Write Home About
After slaving away on homework for the last ten months, I have a difficult time settling the boys down in the summertime to practice writing. Although I know that keeping those writing muscles in the hands working makes the transition so much easier come August. The boys aren’t the type to keep journals, so the writing is always a struggle. So, I came up with this idea. I pasted each one of the boy’s favorite photo into a Microsoft Publisher document to create a postcard. Four postcards fit an 8.5 x 11 page. I added lines to help them keep their words straight, an address section and a place for…
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Letter to Hubby About The Fish
To My Hubby, We have been very busy these last few days. It feels like we’ve been gone for a month. Our wifi hot spots have all but disappeared around here, along with the Starbucks that closed. Must be the economy. It’s very hot, and after the 3 inches of rain that came down last weekend, we’ll need to water the garden again today. The boys caught a few fish today, and they’re trying to save them for you to see. But I told them they couldn’t keep them. They couldn’t understand why. Oh, and by the way, add a cup of red wine in place of the water to…
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No Bake Cookies Teach Kids Cooking Basics
The boys wanted to pack these cookies before we left for the lake today, as the lunches from Tuesday have been devoured by now. These no-bake cookies are a great last-minute snacks. Karen asked if I have posted this recipe, and I haven’t until now because it’s so common — yet this recipe is often missing from all but one cookbook in our house. Once you know it, you know it. So, I’m posting the no-bake cookie recipe for all of you searchers trying to find that same recipe from you elementary school cafeteria. This is it — warm peanut buttery, chocolate goodness. If you’re looking for a way to…
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So, When A Reporter Is Coming To Your House
at noon sharp to take your photo, your only priority is to make sure your hair, your makeup and everything else looks good. While I was busy slapping lipstick on my face, somebody else was busy too. Paintining his legs, his arms, and his face. Of course, when the photographer arrives, he says something like, “Hey, aren’t you a mommy blogger or something? We need to get your kids in this photo.” Yeah, right. I do something like that. So, I had no choice. I had to pull out the big guns — my Lancome Bi-Facil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover. Worked like a charm. At least his face was…
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I’ll be fine once I get there…
I’ve been to the lake for a few trips so far this summer, but I haven’t officially packed up and left for our annual summer lake migration. A few writing deadlines and my oldest son’s trip to Chicago have prevented that official summer migration. It’s Tuesday night, and I should have left Tuesday morning — but I’m not done packing. I’m still doing laundry, the kitchen needs cleaned, and I haven’t returned all the library books yet. To that list, I could add, “I haven’t filled the boy’s scrapbooks with all of their year-end mementos,” but I finished that yesterday — for all four boys. Could I be stalling? Not…
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Jack’s Magic Beans
My gardener’s heart has been broken many times, and that is exactly why I love to garden. To clear a space in the dirt, and wash away the losses from failed fruits from years before, is a way to heal. This Jack in the Beanstalk fort is actually my 10th attempt. In the past, my failure has always been due to a lack of sunlight. My sons, even though I keep them actively involved in the planting, watering and the measuring, do not carry the same sense of elation I feel when we measure the vines and watch the fort flourish. They lack a gardener’s broken heart. They have not…
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