Best Homemade Brownies Topic: Crickl's Recipes I had a nice relaxing day today. We are finishing up the few subjects of school that are left at the end of a homeschool year. We spent a couple of hours of this 105 degree day in the pool....niiiiiiiice.
I also watched cooking shows while browsing blogs on the internet, particularly this one called Two Many Cooks. It has lots of down home type recipes, so I copied down a lot of them to Stickie Notes. Then I realized I hadn't posted a recipe in a loooooooong time.
So this is your lucky day! Here is a recipe for thick, chewy, chunky brownies....from my sister Julie. I like this recipe because even if you don't have baking chocolate around, you can whip up some excellent brownies with chocolate chips...don't you always have a bag of chocolate chips in the cupboard? =) I buy the huge bags of semi-sweet chips from Sam's Club.
Double Fudge Brownies
In a pan, melt together: One stick of butter 1 cup chocolate chips
Add to pan: 1 1/2 cup sugar 3 eggs 1 tsp vanilla
Mix together, then add to pan: 1 1/4 cup flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt
Stir in: 1 cup chocolate chips 1 cup nuts (optional....opt out, I say)
Bake at 350?. 45 minutes for thick brownies in a 9x9 inch pan. or 30 minutes for thin brownies in a 13x9 inch pan.
What I do is use 1 1/2 a recipe and have semi thick brownies in a 13x9 inch pan......=) Here are the measurements if you need LOTS of semi thick brownies.
Double Fudge Brownies (1 1/2 batch)
In a pan, melt together: 3/4 cup butter 1 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Add to pan: 2 cups sugar 4 eggs 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
Mix together, then add to pan: 1 3/4 cup flour 3/4 tsp baking powder 3/4 tsp salt
Stir in: 1 1/2 cup chocolate chips 1 1/2 cup nuts (again, optional...but don't)
Asking for help...we can't always do it all.... Topic: People/Family stories Well yesterday was a hard day. I arrived at my parents' house at 10:30 and had planned to leave right away and get to looking at our list of nursing homes. (this is our second trip to check them out) My dad was in a bad way though, so we stayed for a while. He kept talking about an 8 story building on a certain street that had the top of it torn off. People with dementia often begin an obsession about something and cannot stop until they are totally distracted by sleep or change in environment or something happens, like mealtime. He insisted that we take him to this building, but we couldn't....it didn't exist. He got billigerent and angry, cried because we wouldn't believe him and told us he knew our tricks in keeping him there and they wouldn't work. Besides having the dibilitating dementia, he also has physical needs that my mom cannot fully meet, as she has her own problems physically.
It's extremely taxing mentally and in every other way to have to deal with this constant talking, quesitons, and demands. But yesterday it was even worse because he was actually strong enough to get up from his chair by himself and walk around the house, following us and demanding we take him to this building. He is usually too weak to get himself out of a chair and sleeps a good part of the day, but he is on some medication and iron pills that are helping him to be stronger. We want him to feel good, but it happens to make him much more difficult to handle. I fixed lunch and he seemed to calm down, so my sister and I left to look at one or two places while we had time.
One of the nursing homes is run by the demonination we've grown up in and everyone who works there is a Christian and is trained to be loving, affectionate, and affirming to the residents there. They have pleasant rooms, it smelled good in there, the staff was friendly and they talked to the patients as they passed by, touching them on the shoulder or giving them a little squeeze. The residents were free to do as they wished during the day, but activities were also encouraged. They were working on an art project while we were there, gluing fun foam shapes to thick paper. My dad would love to have some sort of activity like that each day. They also offer strength training physical therapy and exercise in an exercise room atmosphere. They also have a full time chaplain...a pastor really. He holds weekly Bible study, a mid week service, and on Sunday they have Sunday School class and a worship service....all done by the same pastor. I found out later that he also tries his best to be there, by a resident's bedside as they pass from this world to Heaven. The woman who told me this said it is a very peaceful, wonderful thing. I hope when it is my time, that I can pass like that....
A doctor comes twice a week to do check ups and offer services to the people. There is always a trained nurse on each hall (there are 4 halls) and at night they check on each resident every hour. They had nice outdoor areas for the residents to enjoy, as well as a dog and a cat who live there and are shared by the residents. And there will be a bed opening up shortly. (Which means that one of the residents is ready to pass on, but after I heard what happens there at that time, I don't think that is a sad thing!)
While we were out investigating, my mom received the call from the insurance agency, that my dad has been aproved for the insurance help from our state, so his needs and living arrangements will be fully covered. We are so happy that God provided for him. He really needs full time care and so much more help than my family can give. My mom is so relieved. It is hard on her especially...but for all of us to have to come to this point in life, making permanent care decisions for our dad. But now he will get the care he's needed and once he is settled in, he will be happier I think.
In his lucid times....and he does have those in the mornings usually...he knows we are looking for a place for him and he understands. He knows how hard it has been on my mom, whose recovery from hip replacement almost a year ago has been slow due to constant pulling and lifting my dad. He is sad to be moving, but at the same time, he is expectant of the activities and new things to do and of being able to make friends again, not be locked into a small house with nothing to do, day after day.
When we got back yesterday afternoon, my dad was obsessing about a new thing, he had forgotten all about the 8 story building and kept trying to talk us into letting him go for a walk. The temperature was over 100 and he gets easily fixated and delusional when you let him do something out of his routine. So we kept having to tell him no. I told him I would walk with him through the house, but he could not go outside.
So he would walk and see the front door, and he would make a beeline to the door and say, "Now if you'll just stand here and watch me, I'll just walk to the edge of the yard and come back."
"Dad, you promised me that you would not ask me to let you go outside. Your mind is not well and it's dangerous for you." Which brought him back to accusing us of tricking him, making him think he could go outside, then at the last minute telling him no. He would cry...sob...telling us we were breaking our promise. He told my mom, "You promised me we wouldn't do this to each other. You PROMISED I could go for a walk. You swore on the peanut."
The peanut? Oh my....don't feel badly if you're laughing. We have to laugh too, (although not in front of him of course) to get through this, to relieve the extreme stress and tension of these times.
I had to stay until it was almost time for my sister to get there, so that he wouldn't keep trying to get out of the house. Eventually there was a break in the conversation (arguement) and we distracted him, talking about me moving to Phoenix and what each of my children were doing now.
As the blog I mentioned yesterday talks about, no one is really an expert. We can't do it all, we can only fake it for a while. Then we fall apart and have to ask for help.
The ex-expert Topic: Other
I'm off to look at nursing homes for my dear father today, but I wanted to share with you Carol's post for today over at She Lives, because She's An Expert.
Just go...it's a very profitable read!
And I would appreciate prayer today as we look for a loving place for my dad to live, as he needs so much more physical care than my mom or family can provide.
Weekend in review Topic: People/Family stories Today was our first morning walk in the mall. There were about 10 walkers we saw besides ourselves and it was a pleasant atmosphere. Although smelling coffee and cinnamon buns while exercising is a weirdly amusing experience….torturous really. We decided one morning we might finish with a breakfast at the Paradise Bakery. It is a great place to walk in the summer though! It was 7am, so the shops were not open, no mall rats (sorry teenagers) skulking around, and we didn’t have to watch for cars, step on and off curbs or smell trash cans as we walked. Here’s the big plus: AIR CONDITIONING! We were able to walk faster and get the blood pumping too.
Our daughters went with us today too. Jessica-19 and Bethany-16 bopped along in front of us and we laughed as their pony tails swished and they did little dance moves to the muisak that was playing.
Mother’s Day was nice. My family all met at my sister’s house for a relaxing steak cookout. We always fall to laughing hysterically when we’re all together. So all my sister…there are 4 of us….were eating at a large dining table with my parents, while my daughters….the 3 teens….were eating in the kitchen, just around the corner. So when we fell into reminiscing and telling stories on each other, I happened to notice that my girls were doing the same thing around the kitchen corner! It was so cute….and wonderful. I hope they stay good friends as they grown up and get married with families. This was the first Mother’s Day we’ve been able to join in the celebrating with my family in over 20 years. It’s really nice to be back in Phoenix sometimes.
Other times, it’s downright scary to be back in Phoenix. Charles and Maggie were driving the other day in our truck. They pulled up to a stop light and a motorcycle pulled up next to them, then when the light turned green, the motorcycle pulled out first and was immediately hit by an older woman who was running a red light from the right hand side. He was not wearing a helmet and Charles doubted if he would recover from his injuries, as the woman was going very fast to try to make it through the light. It really shook them up.
Then while I was in a superWalmart the next day, I spent an hour and a half looking and shopping all by myself. When I was checking out, I saw a swarm of police officers buzzing around the credit union that is in the front of the store. The cashier said there had been an armed robbery an hour before. WHILE I was in the store blissfully shopping and browsing! You really have to be on your guard in a large city these days…..it’s a scary place out there.
It's beginning to look a lot like summer.... Topic: Humor/memes It was bound to happen soon. We knew it was coming. It's inevitable by Mother's Day in Phoenix. It's officially hit 100 degrees....with little probability of cooling off til September. Cheryl and I decided to start taking our morning walks in the local air conditioned mall. We have a stock of popcicles and water toys for the kids, we've closed all the shades to keep the electric bills down (ha) and Charles put new parts in our gas grill for outdoor cooking.
By accident I wrote new lyrics to a Christmas song...I don't know why. I"m thinking I should appologize, but it took me about 45 minutes to write it, so just read it, ok? =)
It's beginning to look a lot like summmmmmmmer..... Everywhere you go From building to building we go Frozen water bottles in tow Away from the sunny glow.
It's beginning to sound a lot like summmmmmmmer... The hum of a/c units is sounding sweet Flip flops flapping down every street On blistery little feet Your heart pounds to a beat.
It's beginning to feel a lot like summmmmmmer…. Parked cars will bake you alive Your skin is starting to burn Your stomach begins to churn We long for the temps to turn….
It’s beginning to smell a lot like summmmmmmer…. Some smells we won’t repeat Sunblock down every isle We smell like it all the while Chlorine water for miles and miles.
And it’s beginning to taste a lot like summmmmmer… Outdoor cooking is now in style. Salads and frosty things On the grill we cook anything Ice creams we sling and fling. (it had to rhyme, sorry)
Ok, so much for that. I'm just enjoying my air conditioning and my ceiling fan after running errands in the heat. Yeah, that's it....that may be why this post is a little goofy.
We're giving it up on ebay now for anyone who wants a terrible, no good, very bad computer. The RAM card only prolonged it's demise and I am back on the little blue powder puff computer.
Surprisingly nice, very good things! Topic: Humor/memes Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit's baaaack! Oh yeah....*happy dance*
Charles was about to sell my laptop for pittance on ebay, when he took out the RAM card to put in my old computer. And it sprang back to life!
*un-blip*
wwwwwwwwwwhiiiiiirrrrrrrrrrrrrr *exclamations of great joy*
From what I understand, the RAM card was bad....and once it was removed, the laptop was revived. And so was my mood. It's been a rough week physically, emotionally and electronically! So I am very thankful to my husband and to God because I was praying it could be fixed!
Terrible, no good, very bad things Topic: People/Family stories
I don't know if I mentioned at Christmastime that my husband gave his old laptop to me. It's one of those sleek, white apple notebooks with a lit up apple logo on the front. It burns cd's, has tons of ram for all my pictures and songs, plays dvd's, surfs the net with speed and grace, and did I mention that cute lighted up apple logo?
It's toast.
Last night it just turned off by itself. I don't know why, it didn't tell me....didn't utter any last words, just *blip*..... Charles got it to come back on again and it worked for a few hours, then it almost posted it's final blog and *blip*.....it won't go back on now. It makes a horrible noise and it's 'asleep' light flashes like a strobe when you try to turn it on. BUM MER!
I hate this.
Why?
*POUT*
It just went out of warrenty a few weeks ago.....as it goes according to Murphy's Law. Man, that Murphy guy is ticking me off!
So I went back to my old laptop....old Blue. It's cute, it's got a handle that makes it look like a purse. Charles thinks it looks like a huge powder compact. It's slow, I can store limited pictures on it if I put my songs on an external harddrive (that I hook up when I want to listen to the songs), it is a wee bit sluggish on loading web pages that have pics, it reads cd's and has an external floppy disk reader....heh. But I am back in the blog business, and though it may take an hour or two longer to work my blogs out and find pics and upload them to my sight, it's worth it to make your day a little brighter. (yes, that was sarcastic)
Oh, the little cute, cuddly doggie in the picture is my dog, Millie. She also went *blip* about a month before we moved to Phoenix. Yep,
She's toast....
I'm getting depressed and I wanted to be funny....drat...
House diaries part 2 Topic: Photo entries When we moved to Phoenix, the housing market was in a slight decline. This meant that we could buy a house, as first time buyers, and also that we didn't have a huge choice, as people were waiting for the market to go up to sell. We are really starting to love our little house though, and we know it is where God put us. It's kind of exciting to put our own personality into it. (with lots of help from family and friends!)
The other day we went to a landscaping place that was moving locations and selling all their stock. We got 3 mesquite trees, 2 queen palm trees, 2 pygmy palms, and a couple of shrubs for a great price! So this was what we were doing all day Monday! Charles and Emma digging and planting trees, Maggie running little errands, and giving us her running commentary on everything, Bethany looks like she is supervising up on that wall, but was only an observer, as was I. They planted the 3 mesquite trees in the front.
The 2 pygmy palms need a lot of shade, so they are going in the entryway. The 2 queen palms will be put in the back by the pool, as well as the spiked sedge. (which I thought was bamboo when we bought it...heh)
This is the pool fence, which had a small space for some flowers, herbs and tomatoes!
Neither of us knows much about desert plants. So we were pleasantly surprised to see these HUGE flowers blooming on a big cactus in the backyard one morning. There are lots of blooms, but they only open in the evening/morning and close up with the bright sun.
City living is a big change for us. Little trips to the store or to pick up a teen from work become time consuming journeys, always in traffic. But I think we'll do fine.
Just like our surprise, beautiful flowers, brightly blooming on a dry old cactus.....we've got to bloom where we're planted....where God has planted us. (old saying, rich meaning) And not only bloom, but have a bright, beautiful life in a new place.
Christmas in April? Topic: People/Family stories Well it was a long day of working on the house with our friends, Dick and Bev and visiting. It was good to see them and hear about how things are going back up the hill in Williams. And we are the proud new owners of a beautiful white security screen door on the front and a whole security screen on the back. (instead of just half of one....) Winnie was partial to the half door, since she could sneak in more easily and stare at us all day through it.
So when the kids all got back from their various activities, we plunked down on the couches (me in my jammies by 4pm) and watched Christmas movies. What's with Christmas movies in April??? Kinda strange, but that is what was on satellite that sounded good to us. We watched Christmas with the Kranks and Elf.....with the air conditioning running, eating tacos, laughing as loud as we could (Elf is laugh out loud funny!), and singing along with the holiday songs. =)
Now it's bedtime. The chicks are all home (even Hannah home from college this weekend), safe in the nest.
The very bad DOUF Topic: Humor/memes I love clean floors. The whole house feels clean when the floors look nice. But when you have white floors in your home, it’s a never ending BATTLE! We have white tile in most of the house and in the bedrooms, off-white, brand new carpeting. I know you just said ‘ugh’….and you’re right. It’s beautiful when it’s clean, but how do you keep it looking nice with 5 people living here full time, plus a constant stream of guests and stoppers-by?
So today when Maggie walked through the family room and I heard, *crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, etc etc*, I decided it was time to attack. We got out the wide dust mop and made a clean sweep of the entire tile floor, then swept the kitchen particularly well. Maggie spot cleaned the family/living/dining room area with a sponge mop, while I mopped the kitchen. Then we did the same to the ‘back room’. (screened in porch area.... It has white tile.) I went outside to show Maggie the correct procedure for shaking a dustmop, and while I was shaking and banging it on the fence, I noticed the dog of unusual fuzziness (DOUF) sitting as innocently as she could, lying under the trampoline.
Her name is Winnie and she is a very sweet dog most of the time, but today she has caused me fits! This morning I looked out to see her gently chomping up and down on a bird, as if it were a piece of bubblegum, hanging limply out of her mouth on both sides. *Shudder* I didn’t want her to eat it, as bird flu and germs are out there, so Maggie and I decided to get it away from her. I saw the shovel from across the yard and made a dash to it, which only brought Winnie to my side with that gangly thing flopping in her mouth. It was revolting! I screamed and yelled at her to get away, fetched the shovel and followed her around, trying to get her to drop her bounty so that I could shovel it up. We finally got her to drop it by tossing a dog biscuit to her. At first she simply picked them both up into her mouth, so we had to toss 2 or 3. She couldn’t fit the poor bird in her mouth along with 3 biscuits, so I pounced the shovel on it and scooped it up. Then I realized it wasn’t really dead. It was only mostly dead. (‘what’s that line’ from Princess Bride today, do you know the other inference to that movie in this post?) I shuddered and gagged and threw it over the fence near the trash can, screaming in disgust when it landed.
So when I saw the beast…er DOUF, lying under the trampoline, all hot and panting, I decided to do her a favor. Maggie got the hose while I acted nonchalant and watered a few pots, getting closer and closer to her….then HA!, I sprayed her with it! You’re probably shocked that I would do this, but it’s what we have to do to our dogs in Arizona when it’s over 90 degrees outside. She is afraid of water (which made it somehow more satisfying for me in a sick way) so you have to sneak up on her to douse her. Well she ran and dove under the pop up trailer, so I brought the hose over and squirted her out, just like a bug and did my best to keep that spray of cool water over her while she dashed out from under the trailer, hopped the plastic wading pool, (which is no good when your dog is afraid to get in it) and ran under the trampoline again, quite soaked already. I was in the process of dragging the hose over to the trampoline to get better aim, when she made a run for it….into the HOUSE OF FRESHLY CLEANED, WHITE TILE! See, this is where you are really going, “UUUUUUUUUGH!” and that’s what I did too, except probably louder than you. So annoying….especially after a satisfying time of squirting the dickens out of her. I guess she got the last laugh on me.
No spiritual lesson or point to this story….just a sickening example of Murphy’s Law and how goofy my life is sometimes! (And what a sicko you are for enjoying it! LOL)
Carnival Wednesday--Art Topic: Carnival entries Check out this week's Carnival, The Beauty of Art over at Scribblings by Blair. Thanks to Sallie, at Two Tallent Living for being the instigator of the Carnival of Beauty and to Blair for hosting!
The Art in Me Topic: Carnival entries I was searching google, then allposter.com, then pondering things in my head, but I can't seem to come up with a post about art for the Carnival of Beauty, hosted by Blair....and if I did, it would be too contrived and probably sound goofy. I am not an 'art person'. I don't like to have to think about a painting or picture to 'see' the meaning or to feel the emotion. I just know when a picture moves me and when I like it.....without analyzing.
This is funny, because my Myers-Briggs personality type is in one of the artist catagories....the 'entertainer'. (Scott Joplin's tune wafts through the room) So I guess the art in me comes out in creating something to entertain, not to really make a statement...like this blog? hmmm
I was just telling someone this afternoon that I have not put up one picture on my walls yet in this new house. I have 3 stacks of framed pictures on my floor, but somehow they don't seem to fit this house.....or my mood in this house. I feel as if things are changing, and of course they are, because we moved, but I don't think that is it. I am changing....our lifestyle is changing....the kids are in a new stage of life and did I mention peri-menopause? Yeah, that too....big whoop...
I look at this house and I think, "Who do I want to be here? How is this reflecting who I am in this new place, climate, time of life...." My husband is getting impatient with my procrastination of unpacking the last few boxes. But these are the boxes with the 'art' of my life in them....my decorations, pictures, knick knacks, momentoes. It could be a sign that I really haven't accepted settling down in this place....or it could be that I need a fresh something....or it could be that I'm lazy, I dunno.... Do you see why I don't like to analyze? lol
It feels as if my past and this house are clashing.... and there is nothing worse than that clashing feeling to an aesthetics enthusiast. So, husband, be patient.....I"m trying to make this house an expression of who I am now with all these 'things' of the past. It may take a while...
Things are pretty, graceful, rich, elegant, handsome, but, until they speak to the imagination, not yet beautiful. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Taking a walk Topic: Friendship Having lived here for only 8 weeks now, I haven’t really had the time to invest in very deep friendships yet. I feel close to some people here, but a close, trusting friendship takes time, although some people you can know for a long time and never feel very close to them. Don’t you love it when a new friendship just ‘clicks’? After we had been here only a few weeks, a woman I only slightly knew heard me say that I really needed to start walking every day. She said she lived pretty close to me and she would walk with me. I was excited to have a walking partner all of a sudden and also a bit nervous to make that kind of daily commitment to spending time with someone I barely knew….so we settled on walking 3 days a week.
From the first day, we hit it off well. Cheryl and I walk about 45 minutes and just set off with no route in mind or pace to follow. We just go along and feel in sync, like we’d always been doing it. We talk and talk….about life, about the church, our families, marriage (she and her husband have been teaching in a marriage group for years and years, so I learn a lot from her!), food, places we’ve lived, our families growing up, dogs, about the yards we pass by and good paint colors for houses.
One day we were walking in my neighborhood, which is all winding streets, like a maze, no direct routes. I was getting a little tired and I asked Cheryl how long we’d been walking. It was over an hour! We had totally lost track of time and we were not close to my house either. All of a sudden our legs ached and our heads were hot and we were thirsty! Neither of us had our cell phones or I joked that I was going to call my husband to come pick us up….except we didn’t know how to tell him where we were! Don’t worry, we finally did make it back after deciding to keep heading east and north. =) (I was a girl scout after all) We got back and had a long, tall glass of ice water while we talked some more. Our 3 days a week has turned into every weekday now and when she’s gone out of town, we miss the time together! I had to go up to her on Sunday after not seeing her for 3 days, due to appointments and say, “I miss you!” It was funny, but it is such a blessing to have what I consider a real friend now in such a short time. An encouraging, kindred spirit….and the exercise has been great too! We’re starting to compare how our clothes fit better and better.
Ephesians 4:10 ….pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!
……or the woman who exercises and has no one to laugh with!
I had a nice relaxing day today. We are finishing up the few subjects of school that are left at the end of a homeschool year. We spent a couple of hours of this 105 degree day in the pool....niiiiiiiice. 
Well yesterday was a hard day. I arrived at my parents' house at 10:30 and had planned to leave right away and get to looking at our list of nursing homes. (this is our second trip to check them out) My dad was in a bad way though, so we stayed for a while. He kept talking about an 8 story building on a certain street that had the top of it torn off. People with dementia often begin an obsession about something and cannot stop until they are totally distracted by sleep or change in environment or something happens, like mealtime. He insisted that we take him to this building, but we couldn't....it didn't exist. He got billigerent and angry, cried because we wouldn't believe him and told us he knew our tricks in keeping him there and they wouldn't work. Besides having the dibilitating dementia, he also has physical needs that my mom cannot fully meet, as she has her own problems physically.
Today was our first morning walk in the mall. There were about 10 walkers we saw besides ourselves and it was a pleasant atmosphere. Although smelling coffee and cinnamon buns while exercising is a weirdly amusing experience….torturous really. We decided one morning we might finish with a breakfast at the Paradise Bakery. It is a great place to walk in the summer though! It was 7am, so the shops were not open, no mall rats (sorry teenagers) skulking around, and we didn’t have to watch for cars, step on and off curbs or smell trash cans as we walked. Here’s the big plus: AIR CONDITIONING! We were able to walk faster and get the blood pumping too. 
It was bound to happen soon. We knew it was coming. It's inevitable by Mother's Day in Phoenix. It's officially hit 100 degrees....with little probability of cooling off til September. Cheryl and I decided to start taking our morning walks in the local air conditioned mall. We have a stock of popcicles and water toys for the kids, we've closed all the shades to keep the electric bills down (ha) and Charles put new parts in our gas grill for outdoor cooking. 
Well, it's toast again.
Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit's baaaack! Oh yeah....*happy dance*
It's too bad my dog didn't have a RAM card.
When we moved to Phoenix, the housing market was in a slight decline. This meant that we could buy a house, as first time buyers, and also that we didn't have a huge choice, as people were waiting for the market to go up to sell. We are really starting to love our little house though, and we know it is where God put us. It's kind of exciting to put our own personality into it. (with lots of help from family and friends!) 
The 2 pygmy palms need a lot of shade, so they are going in the entryway. The 2 queen palms will be put in the back by the pool, as well as the spiked sedge. (which I thought was bamboo when we bought it...heh) 
This is the pool fence, which had a small space for some flowers, herbs and tomatoes! 
Neither of us knows much about desert plants. So we were pleasantly surprised to see these HUGE flowers blooming on a big cactus in the backyard one morning. There are lots of blooms, but they only open in the evening/morning and close up with the bright sun. 
Well it was a long day of working on the house with our friends, Dick and Bev and visiting. It was good to see them and hear about how things are going back up the hill in Williams. And we are the proud new owners of a beautiful white security screen door on the front and a whole security screen on the back. (instead of just half of one....) Winnie was partial to the half door, since she could sneak in more easily and stare at us all day through it.
I love clean floors. The whole house feels clean when the floors look nice. But when you have white floors in your home, it’s a never ending BATTLE! We have white tile in most of the house and in the bedrooms, off-white, brand new carpeting. I know you just said ‘ugh’….and you’re right. It’s beautiful when it’s clean, but how do you keep it looking nice with 5 people living here full time, plus a constant stream of guests and stoppers-by? 
Check out this week's Carnival, 
Having lived here for only 8 weeks now, I haven’t really had the time to invest in very deep friendships yet. I feel close to some people here, but a close, trusting friendship takes time, although some people you can know for a long time and never feel very close to them. Don’t you love it when a new friendship just ‘clicks’? After we had been here only a few weeks, a woman I only slightly knew heard me say that I really needed to start walking every day. She said she lived pretty close to me and she would walk with me. I was excited to have a walking partner all of a sudden and also a bit nervous to make that kind of daily commitment to spending time with someone I barely knew….so we settled on walking 3 days a week.
