My blogging history ...

I haven't been around much lately. Obviously.

I've been cheating on my blogspot blog.

You see, I first started blogging, on Xanga, about four years ago. In the beginning, I made to-do lists. I shared recipes and wrote about many of the same things as I do here. As the years progressed, my blog morphed. A lot. After awhile, it became, almost exclusively, a photography/poetry blog.

I have over 800 subscribers there, which is down from nearly 1,000 that I had before I took a break from there.

While Xanga is not a small blogsphere, it can definitely seem too cramped at times. Like everywhere, whether online or offline, there are always personalities that feel the need to hurt other people. It is just so much easier to do it via the internet, where one can insult someone, make fun of them, or just plain lie about others to cause trouble. Drama. Dramadramadrama.

That is one of the main reasons that I took a hiatus from Xanga and began blogging here. I was able to be more open on blogspot because almost no one knew me outside of here and I wasn't concerned about petty gossip.

I'm still not. This is a nice safe place. (As far as I know ... )

While I still plan to post here, when I can, I have decided to share with my few Blogspot readers, my real blogging home. On Xanga, you need an account, which is free, to comment.

Until now, I had a block on that site which didn't allow non-Xangan viewers to view the blog. I have disabled that. I have not enabled my RSS feed though. I choose not to because of a problem that I had with a stalker a year or so back.

(An aside, the blog may look somewhat sparse because, while I post several times a week, I make the more personal writings private after a few days.)

So, if you are interested, please feel free to also read me at THIS SITE. (<--- click)

Estelle turned 14 today ...

Fear and (self) loathing ... has returned to Wisconsin.

Special thanks to fd's Flickr toys.

This is a little late, but a submission for the self portrait challenge.

I took this shot last week as a storm passed over ...

We visited the botanical gardens, today, for a Bonsai exhibit. Estelle and I then toured the conservatory (tropical plants) and some of the outdoor gardens, which included meadows, a Thai pavillion and plants, herb garden, rock garden, creek garden, English garden, and much, much more.

Sunday Family Photo



Grandma & Grandpa ... again

These are my most recent thrifting finds. Nothing too exciting. Please excuse the poor light for photo-taking.



I have been really tired lately, which leads to being sort of down in mood.

I try to spend quite a bit of time outside, getting my garden going, but it hasn't been easy with all of the cruddy (read: rainy, windy, cold) weather. Don't get me wrong: I LOVE the rain, especially storms. It just doesn't make for easy gardening. The weather was pretty nice today, so I planted my heirloom peppers and tomatoes. About all that is left to plant is another crop of lettuce, some cucumbers, foxglove, and basil (which I need a warmer soil temperature for -- 65 degrees).







Plants in jail ... Waiting for their parole.

Self Portrait Tuesday



I had hoped to come up with a visually witty self-portrait, but the fact of the matter is ... I am having a bloody awful day. I don't really want to look at myself, much less have someone else look at me. I think that this picture mirrors those feelings rather well.

To see others who are participating in this, visit Self Portrait Challenge.

Sunday Family Photo

My grandmom, on the right, in her bowling days ... of which there were many. I love her posture.

We will visit her in two hours, and then Estelle and I will be off on our own Mum's Day adventure.

Mum's Day Eve

Estelle and I had a little pre-celebration this evening. We made parmesan croutons as an appetizer (from one of Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa cookbooks). She had a black cherry soda and I had a lemon drop martini. (Yeah, I know. That's not a martini glass; I don't own any.) The martini was right tart, but yummy.

Now, we're going to look for something to watch together on the telly.

Tomorrow, we are going to visit my paternal grandmum in the morning. We have reservations for brunch after that, and then we are heading into the city to see Akeelah and the Bee. Shopping will be squeezed in there somewhere ... probably between brunch and the movie.

There is snow in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow night.

At least my lilacs are done blooming, so they won't be affected. I knew better than to plant sensitive items like rosemary, basil, and tomatoes. I saw other people jumping the gun and planting away. I patiently wait. Every year.

For me, Memorial weekend is sort of a undeclared planting-safe time.

A few weeks ago, before Rob left for Seattle, we painted the laundry room a bright and sunny yellow. I took "before" photos. I was looking forward to posting "after" pictures because I really like the new color. I purchased a nice, solid green fabric to make a simple curtain. Two weeks ago, I started making the panel and was almost done, less than 12 inches left on the final seam, when my top thread on my sewing machine broke. I rethreaded and tried to finish stitching ... about twenty times.

No luck.

For the life of me, I can not figure out what is wrong with the machine. It's making me crazy. Therefore, no "after" photos yet. *sigh*

We have decided on a Japanese theme for Estelle's birthday party. (No major surprise there since everything in her life revolves around Japan, their customs and culture, manga, anime, and related trivia.) I found "sushi cupcakes" in Bust magazine, but I think that we'll pass on those. We are, however, open to suggestions for food, decor, and activities for this event. I'll be Googling for websites this weekend.

Here are two videos of dinner-time at our home: Here and here. (They may take a bit to load ... especially the second one.)

[Disclaimer: Videos requested by my out-of-town husband, who misses things at home, and they are not intended for the faint of heart.]

Sunday Family Photo



Grandpa and Grandma Anderson

Garden Report:

This last week the apple tree bloomed and filled the backyard with its delightful aroma. Today, the petals are falling and covering the ground like snow. Sitting in my office now, and typing this, I can smell the lilac blossoms which are beginning to open. I cut two bouquets today ... one for the diningroom table and another for one of the nightstands.

Wild violets dot the yet unmown lawn.

The hollyhocks are about one foot high. I need to pick rhubarb soon. I think that I'll make a crisp or, perhaps, a cobbler. My lavender plants survived the winter and I rub their leaves every time that I walk by so that I can inhale the aroma by holding my fingers near my nose. Other herbs, which include chives, thyme, sage, and catnip, are all doing well.

The chives should be moved as they are crowding one of the lavender plants.

Nearly all of the hostas are fully open. The peonies have buds and stand about two feet high. I planted ferns last Spring, and some of those are beginning to sprout and unfurl themselves. No sign of the lilies-of-the-valley, much to my disappointment. A variety of perennials, euchinacea and other flowers whose names I do not recall, are growing green and healthy and filling in the raised beds.

In the next few weeks, I will begin to plant the rest of my vegetables and flowers. My list will definitely include sweet peppers, a variety of tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and other, yet undecided, yummy things.

I won't grow radishes this summer as my husband, Rob, the only person who eats them, is working in Seattle for most of the Spring and Summer. It seems like onehundredmillionmiles away.

I miss him.

Self Portrait Tuesday






























View other participants HERE.

Sunday Family Photo -- My parent's wedding

















I have been missing in action for awhile, but only because I have been quite busy.

The quick update:

• Rob was home for nine days. We did a lot of chores around the house and we also painted the laundry room (photos to come soon).
• I have been prioritizing and, thus, I have given up most of my volunteering duties, which include delivering mail at the nursing home and helping an elderly enviromentalist with his third book. The book is mostly finished anyhow; He just needs to acquire funding and have a professional do the last of the formatting.
• Spring!! (gardening, yard work, getting outside with Estelle or the pets or by myself)
• Rob and Estelle went to a cosplay (anime/manga) convention. There are photos on Estelle's site, but you must have a (free) Xanga account to view them. Her blog is HERE.
• It is tag sale season again. I'll try to report some of my finds soon.
• I have also been catching up on past issues of BUST magazine and a few novels (Julie & Julia, Housekeeping, My Adventures with Bonnie & Clyde).
• More soon.

I have been so busy, but delightfully so ...

• Estelle's bedroom has been 92%, give or take, Spring-cleaned. All that is really left is ironing the curtains, sorting through a small pile of miscellaneous items, finding homes for some decor, and, in a month or two, cleaning the carpet. (We're getting a king-size bed and giving her our double, so I'll do the carpets and paint then.)
  
• I ordered a tote for Estelle from Nico and it arrived yesterday. We are SO pleased. The bag is glorious and there were a few goodies, including a faux pastry, a pin, and a tanuki coin purse. Thank you so much, Nico!!! (photo below)
  
• Rob should be home within a week or so. I am looking VERY forward to it. He has been working in Tennessee for about a month.
  
• Spring is finally coming to Wisconsin. The hostas, peonies, catnip, thyme, hollyhocks, chives, bleeding hearts, and several other perennials are coming up. I am anxiously watching for the ferns and lilies of the valley that I planted last year. The grass is finally green too.
  
• In general, just a lot of Spring activities here ... cleaning, gardening, planning, et cetera.

Sunday Family Photo



My uncle, grandmum, and dad

More later, I hope. It has been a busy, busy, very good week, so I haven't been online much. I will provide an update this afternoon if I can pull myself away from the many projects going on ... not the least of which is the brilliant Spring day that is pulling me outside.

Oh, evil thrift store ... How you torment my retro soul!




Today's finds include:

Better Homes and Gardens Creative Decorating (.50)
Singer Sewing Series for Home and Fashion ($1.50)
Better Homes and Gardens Sewing Book ($1.50)
Four placemats from 1972 ($1)
1951 Simplicity Pattern (.25)

I picked up several other things, such as a skirt, a piece of Corningware to add to the collection that my grandmom gave me, and some lovely material. The store was having a 20% off sale, so everything came to less than ten bucks.

Self Portrait Tuesday ...



(Photo from two years ago -- No time to take a shot today.)

Like many people, I go through food addictions ... where I can eat the same thing for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Behold ...



Wasa rye crackers, fresh mozzarella, and sliced grape tomatoes.