Slowing down

We can only be said to be alive in those moments

when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.

~Thornton Wilder

Green

With all the crap in the world today it could certainly be hard to find much good. Our airways, our newspapers our televisions our magazines and even our bookshelves seem to be cluttered with a slacking economy, high gas prices, the battle of politics, who is going to win American Idol and whether or not Brittany is back in rehab. I however, am a die hard optimist. If you know me, I am rarely in a bad mood and pretty much always trying to "look on the bright side". I don't have bad days and you would be hard pressed to find me without a smile on my face. Don't know why, just born that way I guess. Which is maybe why I seem to be noticing a lot of good lately. Because we hope to build a house some day on that nice lot of land that we own...the focus in our life has definitely been on houses, building, decoration, energy, building materials etc. John reads Fine Home building and I browse House magazine. We tune into Home and Garden TV and we now peruse the isles of Lowe's for entertainment. With this being the focus in our home it would be almost impossible to miss the global movement to try and be a bit "greener". John and I have had lengthy conversations about how we see "green" everywhere. John said his magazines are packed with green information. HG TV is now giving away a totally "green" home in their Great Home Giveaway for the first time ever. The weather channel is constantly doing segments on being greener. Car manufacturers are exchanging the once massive market of SUV's into the more economical Hybrid. Can I just say - I love this. Don't get me wrong, I am certainly far from being a tree hugging radical activist. But I love that the county (world) is starting this conversation. It's movement, and I believe it's good movement in a good direction. I believe it's necessary. It gets me excited and makes me want to participate and I believe that is all it takes is one person, and one more and so on. I remember my mother once said (of raising us kids in the 70's), "back then it was cool to be poor". I believe it is actually becoming cool to be green - and how awesome is that? So in our little home, in very little ways, we have started the conversation and have made some little steps in a greener direction. We have planted some seeds, bought some vegetable plants and hope to actually harvest some of our own food this summer. This has been awesome for Coop and Dunc too. They have just loved the process of planting, watering and well...take a look above. In a child's eyes, that is magic.

Mom

Can I just skip May? No I have not been on vacation. Nope, not in the hospital. Yes my internet connection is just fine. No computer problems, everything works. I won't bore you with what has kept me away. It's very simple really, it's called life. It's been too busy, that I will admit. When whole months go by and I haven't taken a picture or stopped to write a few words I know it's time to slow down. I do see light at the end of the tunnel and I am patiently awaiting it. Summer looks to be grand - I can't wait. I missed Mother's Day on the blog and wanted to at least mention it. The sandals above were my gift along with the picture below. I also got a coupe homemade gifts from the boys that were wonderful. They are getting to that fantastic "homemade" age. Cards especially - love it.

A few things I have learned from my mother:

1.) You only cut one end of the green bean

2.) There is no substitute for real butter

3.) Sheets come with a % not a /

4.) It okay to let a baby cry

5.) Luxury is a stack of unread books

6.) Quality toilet paper is a must

7.) How to sew

8.) How to cook (pretty damn good)

9.) How to take a chance

10.) How to be a wonderful mom

Mine is the mother who was eating brown bread, brown rice and brown eggs before it was cool. She was green before anyone knew what green meant. She talks to god in her garden, not in a church. Most of her education has come from books, travel and an open mind, but I dare you to challenge her to a game of Trivial Pursuit. She is a grammy, a mommy and a friend - but let that not be the only things that define her. She is Chanel #5, kasha, Beechnut Gum, sun, Rolling Rock and clean teeth. She is tall, she is Noxzema, James Taylor and a black Cadillac. She is Sunshine Farms, she is the Caribbean. She is all these things and hundreds more. She is these things + the thread that makes them a quilt. She is my mom and I love her.

Fountain of Youth?

**News Flash**

Cucumbers not the only answer to dark puffy eyes...

Jelly Sting Ray's have now been found to reduce the signs of aging...

**Fine print...this information was obtained by a local 4 year old.

This experiment was performed after sharing a bottle of very good wine with my mother.

Results may vary.

Day 2

After the Aquarium we were off to the Children's Museum

where Dunc pumped gas...

Cooper surfed the high seas,

and they both served us all dinner at the 50's Diner.

But do you know...I don't think anything was as much fun as all the escalators they got to ride!

Memories

Volkswagen gassed up? Check.

Aquarium tickets? Check.

Perfect weather? Check.

Shark shirt? Check.

Shark socks? Check.

Shark tooth necklace? Check.

Shark underwear? Check! What, you don't have them too?

What an absolutely wonderful time! The boys were great, the weather divine, the city enchanting. So so thrilled that these memories are the ones that will shape my children's lives. Reminds me also to do more of this. It was one day off work and simple 3 hour drive, but the photo above which was captured at an outdoor restaurant overlooking the harbor would never have be taken had we not gone.

Looking up

"Looking up" to Sam in the tree...

and looking up to him in life.

Cousins are the best.

Good Yontif

Passover on Saturday night...

It's all about the wine...lots of wine...lots of toasting.

Little boys getting board...

and getting tired...

but always lots of fun.

Time for a bit of Soccer

With the hand injury, we have resorted to soccer lately. Coop is now officially on a team too. Balls Mills Soccer Club Team. Don't worry...you will not be asked to come to games. No games until they are at least 7 :-)

Weekend treat

Okay, so being the Martha that I am...I have been dying to try these. Homemade donuts. You make them with refrigerator biscuits. They were totally easy, looked beautiful...tasted like crap. I made them last weekend because we usually splurge on weekends and have something yummy...and I LOVE donuts. I have to admit, I'm not sure how they could have been so bad...I mean, it's deep fried dough coated in sugar? They didn't cook all the way through, and they were seriously greasy...even the boys turned up their noses. Some things are just better left to the experts.

Tuesday

Scrapbooked a bit today...

and practicing with the scanner... you get the idea.

Late

My father mentioned to me that the flowers were late this year and I didn't really take note until I was looking through some of last years photos... This was taken on April 1 of last year...this years daffodils are not anywhere near this yet. Why exactly does this happen? It seems like it's been so mild this year? Even in March? Do we just need a couple of really warm days? Or is it the nights? Or the rain or lack there of? Food for (flowers) thought.

As promised

Okay, are you ready? It took me all weekend to snap this photo. When I change his bandage (nightly), he's been making me do it at lighting speed (so it won't hurt). Last night he was so proud because he didn't cry. He sat on the bed, turned his head away and whispered to himself..."don't cry, don't cry, don't cry"...it was so sweet I thought I was going to cry. So tonight while he was chanting his "don't cry"...I had the camera ready. It's a bit blurry (I was in a hurry) and it only shows 6 of the 10...but you get the picture.

No April Fools joke

To those of you that don't yet know of Coop's accident...we had a trip to the ER Tuesday afternoon. Coop cut his hand pretty bad at my office and had to get 10 stitches in his hand. It was pretty scary and Cooper said it was the "baddest hurt he ever had". But let me just tell you...he was amazing. He was very scared and the shots in his hand were pretty painful but he was so brave. He is doing much better now...learning how to do most everything one handed. Well everything except pulling down "pants with buttons". Tonight we have to remove the bandages and checks the wound...I'm hoping he'll let me take pictures. So I'm warning you now...next blog entry might be PG13!