best shot
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The Christmas Swans
My, my this world can look dreary once the trees show their branches and the grass turns as gray as the sky. When the sun is obscured by the clouds, our blue clear lake reflects nothing but gray right back at us. But just when all is gloomy and dreary, these swans fly in. Last year there were two; this year there are four swans. Their arrival puts them just in time for Christmas, and in the way that we deck the dreary world with holly and evergreens, the swans deck the lake in pure, pristine white. You can get an idea of the size of these swans are by…
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Exactly how I do not look when I ski
Developments in my slalom trials were prudently delayed because of that Boa Constrictor that squeezed my back. With the pain now only a slight memory, I was ready to think about the possibility of meeting my slalom goal. All morning, I watched once-a-year-skiers do it all wrong – leaning forward, rather than back. My coaches took one look at that and said, “That person is going to have a hard time walking tomorrow.†Suddenly, the fine art of skiing seemed to fall into place. Just pull on the rope, lean back, keep your knees bent, and you’re good to go. And that is exactly what I did, time and time…
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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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Making Pastilles, or scented stones
I’m always looking for a way to add the scent of essential oils to the air. I found this recipe for Pastilles, or scented stones, and discovered how these little flour balls hold the scent, and are able to scent a room for extended time. So, if I can’t find my home made air freshener, or forget to use it, my little scented pastilles will be doing the work for me. The ingredients are probably sitting in your pantry (maybe you’ll have to run out for powdered alum), so you can whip these up today in about five minutes. If you do not have essential oils sitting in your cabinet,…
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Organic Seating
We needed something to sit on around our campfire at the lake. For too long, we carried those folding chairs up and down the steps, that were never there when you really need them. The most practical solution was always right in front of us. Trees. Tree stumps from trees damaged by high winds and storms. Once we had the seats all in place, after we adjusted them quite a bit for correct spacing, I became enamored with the way the tree stumps look so natural… as if they were rising straight out of the ground, and had been there forever. BSM By the way, I didn’t watch the game…
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We’ll give you a deal if you buy two
(Is it just me, or is that kid on the right starting to look like Johnny Depp?) The market just wasn’t right for a lemonade stand. So, they did the next best thing. Their first customer took 20 frogs. (You can get a good look at that ear drum… the one that tells you whether the frog is female or male.) Of course, it wasn’t like mini-mall. But still, I think their college fund is secured. Best Shot Monday
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I’m thinking of entering the county fair
with my prized beans. You know you’ve reached success when you’re skeptical Father says, “I’m amazed at how well your fort does look after all.” Despite the junkyard trellises, the discarded branches and posts full of Irish Spring Soap. Not only can I say that the fort a success, but the beans are so mighty, Jack-In-The-Beanstalk BIG. I think I should win a prize or something. The 20 foot vines on the fort have wrapped themselves so beautifully around those junkyard trellis, so that all you see are those big, beautiful draping leaves. If you’re thinking about building a similar fort, I encourage you to get these Jack-In-The Beanstalk Seed…
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In that instant, I knew he was ready for first grade
It was a quiet, intimate, although rushed lunch. What do you serve a child for his last lunch as a kindergartner? Over the last 9.5 months, I have quietly savored these lunches with him, knowing these were my last. Rather than buck tradition, I served him his favorite; chicken noodle soup — hold the noodles and chicken, I’ll-just-have-the-broth soup. I warned him that I would cry at his graduation today. “Why?” he asked. “Because I’m so happy for you,” I said. “Well, you are going to miss me when I am gone in first grade. So you might cry because you’re sad.” Now that the cat was out of the…
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I may have gone too far with my de-cluttering
It became evident this past weekend that perhaps I might have been too zealous in my attempt to clear the clutter, ditch the junky plastic toys and strive for a more peaceful, Zen life. This light bulb moment came when my son pilfered a box of Irish Spring soap from our gardening supplies, and named it “Slipy.†He faltered between carrying the box with the soap inside, to sometimes just carrying it au naturel, without the box. When he shook the bar of soap in the box, he asked everyone of us, “Doesn’t this sound like a horse?†Try it. It does. You know what I thought? Guilt about not…
