Spoons not required. You certainly know there are plenty of things I love about summer (see last post)! But last week, as I contemplated standing over the stove, hot steam billowing in my sweaty face, I grumbled, “It’s too hot to cook.” I know some of you love summer cooking. Your basting brush and grill tools beckon you outside. With the grill as your canvas and a side of beef as your medium, you create a fire-roasted masterpiece, which you will photograph and post on facebook. But … [Read more...]
Summer Hair Day
Swimming. Sand. Sunscreen. Sleeping in. Staying up. Fishing. Biking. Boating. Hiking. Summer fun abounds. But perhaps the thing I appreciate most about summer is a little something that makes all those activities even more enjoyable—my hat. In the Midwest the wind rolls across the plains like a freight train and the sun’s rays, unobstructed by foliage or timbers, bear down on fair skin. In that turbulent climate my hat stands as a beacon of steadfastness and sanity. Atop my … [Read more...]
Remote Control Recycling
The fierce snake is leashed. The school year came and went as fast as ever. This was the first year all three boys were in school. Because it was so monumental, I decided to memorialize the last day of school with a little celebration—a gift for a job well done! But as I was thinking and shopping, no good gift ideas came to mind. In fact, I was a little disgusted as they lack nothing! They have a room full of toys that rarely get played with. Why? I asked myself. I looked around the room … [Read more...]
The Evolution of Family Game Time
It all started with Peek-a-boo. I repeatedly covered and uncovered my face with blankets and burp rags until one day, as drool trickled out of our firstborn’s smile, I realized family game time had been established! Peek-a-book gradually gave way to finger plays like Five Little Monkeys and Pat-a-cake. But they definitely loose their charm after 472 sing-songy verses. A caricature of my "game face." When, our toddlers were beyond chewing game pieces … [Read more...]
Rescue the Perishing
Avian Rehab Accommodations We live in a hunting community, where the pheasants are thicker than Alfred Hitchcock’s Birds. Dead, wild animals adorn the walls of nearly every home and commercial establishment within a 250 mile radius. Beasts with four feet, fins, or feathers are all considered “trophies.” And little boys grow up longing for the day they will bag their own beast and hang it on their wall. I have three of those little boys, and as such, no moving creature on our acreage is … [Read more...]