Wild Kingdom

Someone is almost fighting in this house. The only way I can get them to stop fighting is by giving them food, or showing them something interesting. Or, apparently, by opening the door.

Eddy and Finnegan, mortal enemies, have called a brief truce.

A Favorite Spot

I love my house. I spent most of my life in apartments or a small - really small - condo, and while they were always home, there is something to be said for having outdoor space of your own, as well. Even if you do kill most of what you plant.

Anyway, yeah, love my house. It's bigger than anything I've lived in before, big enough so everyone can have their own space (and their own bathroom, which admittedly, isn't so great, as, guess who gets to clean them?) Not so big that it is intimidating to clean. Which just blows that excuse out of the water...

One of my favorite spots in my house is my kitchen table. Specifically, my chair at my kitchen table. (Apparently it is a good spot, since when my mom lived here she adopted my spot as her own. And, well, she was Mom, so she trumped me.) But it's mine again, haha! Gaze upon the peace and loveliness that is my spot:

My spot. Studmuffin and I bought the table right before we got married. I would love something more rustic and interesting (although, how much more rustic can you get than paint stains and gashes and divots from various household projects?) But this table does have a certain nostalgic value.

The Stinky Pear tree outside my window. It's awfully pretty, though.

Daffodils, Hyacinths, and my lilac bush. When the lilac blooms, the fragrance wafts right through that window. Lovely. And my mom gave me solar powered outdoor lights for Mother's Day this year. Aren't they pretty?

Girl + Camera

The Girl Child has been using my camera - often without my permission, may I add - more often. She's not doing too badly, actually. She seems to understand focus, and she's pretty decent at composure - not leaving a lot of white space, getting the subject where she wants it, etc. Her choice of subject, however, is perhaps questionable. Here are some of the photos she took when she swiped my camera the other day.

Self Portrait. Always a lot of pictures of Finn

The Feng Shui bells from my cousin. Why did she feel the need to photograph them? No idea.

There were many pictures of her stuffed animals in different positions.

She has talent, friends.

Thankful Thursday

I've been totally grouching this week, but now I'm over it and feeling all happy and ready to be sappy. And I took a bunch of pictures today. Which is always fun.

This week, I am thankful for:

1. A great weekend. The Girl-child and I visited family in Chicago last weekend. My baby brother will be shipping out to Iraq soon, so we went to see him and his family before he goes. Saturday we hung out with all the Chicago-based family, and had a really nice time. I got to know my nephew a little better, which was lovely. The next day we all had breakfast, and then we went to visit friends I haven't seen in years. A truly excellent weekend.

2. Green. Have I mentioned how much I love the color green? Most of today was rather gray and dreary, and pretty freaking miserable, but check out these sweet baby spring leaves:

3. Things that make me giggle. I was watching 30 Rock tonight, and Jack tells Kenneth he wishes he could see the world through his eyes. Then they show Jack through Kenneth's eyes: as a Muppet, singing about how innocent it must be. Hehee.

hmm

Yesterday my daughter was riding her bike around the driveway in circles and singing Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire". She knew every freaking word. I'm not a huge fan of Cash, so I'm guessing she listens to it with her dad.

So here's my quandary: am I thrilled that my daughter prefers decent and interesting music (while not a fan, I can appreciate the musical talent and brilliant lyrics that were a hallmark of Cash's style) over the High School Musical and Hannah Montana carp that other girls her age love? Or am I concerned that my daughter knows every word to a song about an all-consuming love that leaves the lover a burnt out husk?

At least she's not singing gansta-rap.

Friday Fill-Ins

I've seen this done elsewhere, so I decided to try it for myself.

1. When I look to the left, I see a mess.
2. My kitchen is the room that has the best view in my home. I can sit at the table and look at my flowers, or stare at my neighbors.
3. Let it work. I think this often.
4. Psychological analysis done dirt cheap! (I'll keep my fees down just for you.)
5. Stewardship (of the earth and her inhabitants) is a responsibility that all qualified citizens must share.
6. If you have any money, presents, chocolate, friendly words feel free to share with me.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to finishing the Watchmen, tomorrow my plans include a workshop in Lexington and Sunday, I want to workout, clean, relax and read!

Happy Friday!

You know how, if you eat too much junk food over a period of time, you crave something healthy? Like, eat McDonalds and dessert, and then all you want is an apple? I feel that way about books. If I read too much chicklit or romance, I start to need a more thoughtful book. A plotline to sink my teeth into.

A few years ago, I knew a guy who was the son of literature professors. Comic books and graphic novels were his own special brand of rebellion. (of course he didn't let his parents know he actually read books, too, that would have lessened the effect.) I teased him a bit about his reading choices...that is, until he dared me to read a graphic novel he chose for me. I can't remember the name of the one he chose now, but I remember enjoying it, much to my own surprise. I read a few more my friend recommended, but it's been years since picked up another.

Until this week. The trailers for the movie "The Watchmen" have intrigued me. I wanted to see what it was about, so I picked up the graphic novel. It is really quite unlike most other things I've read. I can't say I'm really enjoying the story - it's dark, the characters are broody, and it takes a bit for a person unaccustomed to this genre to get used to reading a book this way - but it's definitely a "sink your teeth into it" kinda story. I do still want to see the movie, though - the effects look fantastic. Anyway, Alan Moore was on an episode of the Simpsons, and pretty much anyone who has enough of a sense of humor about themselves that they appear on the Simpsons is ok with me.

And I MISSED It...

Several blogs I read participate in "challenges" of sorts; posting a photo that displays a particular color of the week and whatnot. A few weeks ago was yellow week, which I felt no real desire to participate in, only because yellow just doesn't look good on me. I kept thinking, "green. I'd do a green week." I even considered doing one of my own, because I'm all about being a self-starter, people. But then I skip over to Shining Egg today, and darn it if this week wasn't green week. And I missed it. That's me all over, a day late, a dollar short.

Oh well. I'll just have to do my own green week, darn it. Maybe next week.

I've been slowly but surely tackling small hurdles in the very large project of cleaning out my garage. Or at least getting it to the point where I can see what I need to organize. The other day I (finally) cleaned out the bin I defrosted my turkey in. From Thanksgiving. Scrubbed and Lysoled and stored it in my basement. Yesterday I decided to tackle the box of pictures from my grandparents' house that sis#2 gave me (ahem, 3 years ago) to put in some order so she could scan them all. I had all my picture sorting supplies gathered - photo safe boxes, pen, note cards...and I found one layer of half-full brag books, mostly pretty new pictures, just from the few years before they died. So I dig down further, find a box full of letters and cards - again from the last few years. One box within the box left - and this one held 2 very old Arliss cameras, 2 photo albums (one of my grandmother's childhood in Sweden, one of her aunt's young adult years), Grandma's high school diploma, report cards, yearbook, and my father's baby book. What treasures! My son was fascinated ("what's 'shorthand'?") to look at the report cards, and when he questioned a few of the grades, I had to explain that she had only just come over from Sweden right before high school. English was a second language for her. I had to pack a lot of it up for my dad, but I feel very lucky just to have been able to look through it all.

Speaking of Sweden, and more specifically, Swedish words, in perusing more blogs (I swear, they are my crack), I came across a particularly charming and useful word I plan to incorporate into my life and lingo: the word is "fika," pronounced "feeka," and it means to go out for coffee, or have coffee (or some other beverage, and perhaps a treat), and chat, with friends. What a lovely place, to have one word to describe that particular happy occupation so simply.

Random bits and giggles...

Both cars are sick right now. Luckily, one is less so than the other, so I took the Saturn to the shop yesterday. The water pump needs to be replaced, and the shop we generally use does not have the "tool" to "hold back the cams", so we had to bring it elsewhere. Today, elsewhere called to tell me there is a second, much worse leak under the manifold, which will cost an additional buttload of cash. Sigh. Hopefully car #1 will be back tomorrow, so I can bring car #2 to the shop to sort out the bizarre clunky, groany noise it's been making...

Girl Child and I went to a women's basketball game at NKU on Saturday. We had a great time, and she informed me that basketball is her favorite sport. NKU won, hoorah!

I feel cold, constantly lately, which kind of sucks.

I haven't had any photos developed lately, so I haven't scrapped in weeks. How very sad.

I have a cup of hot cocoa with marshmallow fluff waiting for me upstairs. I must go wrap myself in a blanket and savor. G'nite.