We interrupt this program...

Not a stellar photo, but I was in a hurry...I was hungry! Luckily it tasted better than the photo looks. Turkey burger with baked sweet potato 'fries.' If you're interested, you can find the recipe here (along with a somewhat better photo).

As I was enjoying my dinner, it occurred to me that I really needed to thank Simply Joolz, without whom I would never have thought to add beet root (pickled beets) and shredded carrot to my sandwiches. It is the most fabulous way to get another vegetable or so in your day, and I've been enjoying them this way since I first saw some yummy sandwich photos on her blog.

And on the subject of sandwich fixins...I bought the new Kraft olive oil mayonnaise recently. I think it's awesome, and it has half the fat and calories of regular mayo. It has a little more sodium, but I'm willing to overlook that in the small amount I'll be using.

Okay, the commercial is over now, you can un-mute.

Challenging...

I made some brown rice and chicken salad that I have been eating over the weekend. It was pretty good...lovely when I added a side of edamame. I love those little beans. I love their whiskery little pods. I love the way they split open and the beans jump out. Love the texture, and the ease of preparation. I love everything about them.

That's why I decided to Google the nutrition facts...everything I really love always seems to have a drawback. Good source of fiber. Awesome. Good source of protein. Super. Good source of Vitamin K. Crap! Guess I can't binge on these babies. Ah, the joys of food and prescription interaction.

I'm starting a new challenge today...from now to the end of the year. There is money riding on it. There is no going back. Treadmill, here I come!

Happy Father's Day...

We're pretty crazy about Papa around here. He's going to miss Father's Day with the kids this year, so I took these photos and framed them for him. I'm e-mailing a picture of it to him. (I apologize for the quality, this is a picture of the framed pictures taken in very poor light.)

Pretty cute idea, huh? I didn't come up with it on my own, of course, but I can't remember exactly where I first saw it so that I can give credit.

Man I'm glad they call him 'papa' instead of 'granddaddy'! :)

bits & bobs (and bugs)...

I admit it. I have a bit of an insect fixation in the summertime. But we have so MANY of them!

See if you can see the katydid. This is a young one...still green.


These are noisy creatures! And they are everywhere! When the choir starts singing, it can be really annoying.

Here's one that's toward the end of its life cycle...turning reddish.

Zoom in and check out that smile! Yikes.

Okay, that's the end of the bugs for today. Let's talk about books.

At the moment, I'm reading The Time Traveler's Wife. I am enjoying it, but I don't have any problem setting it down. I feel so indifferent toward reading lately. I feel like I'm reading out of habit rather than enjoyment. Such an unsettling feeling. It used to seem like I was always reading a book that I really loved. Is that my memory playing tricks on me? Is that part of getting older? Is it that I've read so much, it's harder to keep me entertained and keep me looking for that next jewel? Or are there just so many other distractions...tv, computer, work?

Oooh, that reminds me. I heard this week that the BBC was making a mini-series of Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth. I'm so excited. I've read it four times since it was first published, and loved it every time. We don't get the channel that I think it's supposed to be broadcast on, so I'm hoping I can get it on dvd.

Well, I am exhausted, so I'd better call it a night. It's been a rough day. I started it out by turning my ankle and falling flat on my face...foot hurts, back hurts, wrist hurts. Nothing is swollen, and everything is still in working condition, but I'm worn out from the effort of getting through the day in pain. I'm on my own at work tomorrow, so I need to recoup pronto.

Monday...

Monday is here again. That man in the picture? My boss. How can you dread Mondays when you have this to look forward to? LOL I took my camera into the office with me last week, and was showing a co-worker some of its features, when I snapped this photo. The Boss Man loved it so much he insisted I use it on the blog. He's a character...and a good sport.

Actually, Tuesdays are my Monday, and I have a million things to do before then. Yet I sit here on the computer.

The weekend was dominated by Carey's painful case of poison ivy. He's such a man. I know it is torturous, because he is actually taking Benedryll and using Calamine like I suggested.

Oh, and then this morning he got a phone call that his job at the current location is ending. They say they will have a place for him...but not knowing where etc. yet is a little worrisome.

I have to leave in a few hours to go spend the night with the kiddoes. I have a meeting tomorrow a couple of hours away, and staying there tonight will put me that much closer in the morning. Now if I could just gather the motivation to pack and finish getting ready.

thirteenth of june...

Happy Birthday, my friend...my old same. You are loved and missed. Still.

Memoir...

I recently received my most recent Amazon order, and in it was Old Friend from Far Away-The Practice of Writing Memoir by Natalie Goldberg. I can't remember where I came across this particular book recommendation, but I was so excited when I started leafing through its pages. It's not that I'm planning to write a memoir, mind you, but I would like to improve my writing overall. And after just glancing through it, I think that it is going to improve my blogging too.

Here's a sample of its suggested exercises:

"Right now, list ten smells you remember. Be specific."

Or this...

"What have you tried to repair? Ten minutes. Go."

Awhile back a friend suggested 750words.com to me. But it's a little intimidating. Writing 750 words daily on...what? But with a topic suggestion, it feels easier for some reason. And I'm thinking that some of the topics might be suitable for blogging posts.

You'll be hearing more about the book as I get into it.

Seven (not so) random thoughts on the 7th...

Not so random, because they all have to do with Caitlyn's birthday today...no, she's not 7...the photo is a little misleading, but it goes with my regular posts on the 7th. Please humor me.



1. What should a girl get to do on her birthday, but her all time favorite thing...getting a mani and pedi! We went to a shop, but a home mani/pedi party would be just as much fun...just need helpers to paint and entertain while the polish dries.



2. How old are you today, Caitlyn?



3. And who better to have at your side on your birthday than your lil sis. Looks like they are practicing their lounge act, doesn't it?

The place we went was a kids hair stylist that had a party room in the back for mani and pedi parties. They had dress up clothes, and a small stage with a karaoke machine and closed-circuit tv so kiddoes could see themselves on screen.

I wish I could share photos of the other party goers, but I don't like to post photos without their parents' permission. Nonetheless, it was a lovely group of girls between the ages of three (almost four) and seven.



4. And for a little comic relief..."I kid you not, Ladies and Gentlemen, my cake is THIS tall and leans like the Tower of Pisa!"



5. Oh, good heavens! I thought that I had seen the last of Chuck, since the boys have kind of outgrown him. Not so fast, Grandma. Girls just wanna have fun!



6. Back home for cake. "Mom! Did you let Grandma help decorate the cake again?"

Note to self (and daughter): regular cake mixes are not appropriate for large theme cake pans. This was supposed to be a super-size cupcake cake. I think it needed to be made out of pound cake or something really dense.

It actually looks like several scoops of ice cream to me. So maybe if we had just set the plate on a large terra cotta flower pot, it would have looked like a super-sized ice cream cone! Ah well, time ran out, and Caitlyn didn't seema a bit upset with the result. :)



7. And as she rides off into the sunset, she begs the gramma-razzi to put away the cameras. "I just want to enjoy a quiet day with my family, people."