The Simple Life

Thursday with Erma

noreply@blogger.com (Thumperdd) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:18:00 +0000

"No one appreciates how a woman must fight for her life from hour to hour.

The risks involved in preparing a meal alone are mind boggling.

A year ago September, I was taking frozen Mexican dinners out of the freezer.

One slipped out of my hand and I was nearly crippled by a frozen enchilada."

Erma Bombeck

Yet another reason to avoid frozen dinners! ;-)

Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska

noreply@blogger.com (Thumperdd) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:15:00 +0000

Many of you know that I live a disconnected life in some respects. We do not have cable or satellite service, for a long time we had no land line for phone service (I needed to add this for business purposes, otherwise we still wouldn't!), and I refuse to indulge my children with cell phones, personal TV's or computers, and such. (Mind you that my mother and sister drive me nuts with the cell phone thing, but I don't see the need.)

Since we only receive local channels through our antenna reception we've gotten to know our statewide public television station fairly well. What a joy! I never knew what I was missing. So many of the shows pertain to our state, it's history and things to do. They also have other informative shows. This is where I found Wanda Urbanska.

If you haven't heard that name before I wouldn't be surprised. She has a 30 minute program entitled "Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska" and is author of several books on simplifying your life. (I can't give you a link to that page of her website because my security system says that there is a Trojan lurking there... please be careful when visiting her site. I'm sure they have no knowledge of this.)

Ms. Urbanska lives in NC with her husband and son. She strives to live a more simplistic and naturalistic life, while staying mainstream. Over the years I've found many tips and ideas on her shows that I've implemented into my life. I encourage you to discover more on this subject.

Recently, I was invited to attend a meeting at a local church where she was to speak. I couldn't have been more excited! I've admired her show for several years and to hear her speak in person was to be a true treat.

Hmmmm...how can I say this? I was mildly disappointed. Ms. Urbanska gave a PowerPoint presentation and brief talk of about 45 minutes. Her thought patterns lend to rambling tendencies and often she would get off subject and never return back.

She offered a question and answer session. Receiving only one question and answering it poorly, I'm glad it was only one. I'm hoping that she was having an off night, otherwise, I'd definitely stick to watching her show instead of the seminar setups.

What was the question?

"What can I do to reduce and make an impact at home without changing my entire lifestyle?"

My suggestions:

Begin with baby steps. If you attempt to completely change your lifestyle at once you'll often become frustrated and give up before achieving anything.

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth, conditioning your hair, and shaving your legs.

Only wash clothes when you have a full load, or be sure to change your "water level" setting accordingly.

Recycle as much as possible. Set up a recycling station in your kitchen, basement, or garage. Have bins for paper, plastic, and metal. Condition yourself & family to setting these things aside and keep them out of the landfill.

Start a compost bin. Keep a lidded plastic or metal container on your kitchen counter to collect coffee grounds, tea bags, egg shells, banana peels, & other non-bread/non-meat products. Transfer them into a larger compost bin or area in your yard to break down & use this as fertilizer for your plants!

Combine trips in your car. Plan your route before leaving the house. If you have to go downtown - hit the bank, grocery store, and post office that is downtown, versus your "normal" ones. I refuse to journey anywhere for just one thing, unless it's a dire emergency. This drives my dear hubby nuts, but it saves an amazing amount of gas & wear and tear on my car, not to mention putting less pollution into the air.

Use a washable water bottle. Fill it before you leave your home and at regular intervals during the day. Not only will you keep hundreds of plastic bottles out of the landfill, but you'll keep hundreds of extra dollars in your pocket over the year!

These are just a few to get you off to a good start. Experiment & see what works for you!

**********

By the way - Wanda was an inspiration for me to journey further into my efforts at simplifying. I mean no harm in my comments, as I truly enjoy the show!

More summertime activity ideas...

noreply@blogger.com (Thumperdd) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:45:00 +0000

In an earlier post I gave some ideas on things to do with your kids over the summer. I promised to follow that up and today is the day!

Are your kids the out-of-doors types, or would you like for them to be? No time like the summer to turn on the switch for outdoors fun!

Plan a nature hike!

Find a local Audubon Society. Many cities have a branch. The bird-watchers love to take leisurely strolls in search of new finds. This experience can teach patience and an appreciation for quiet to children who believe that they'll perish without being electronically connected! Your local library will have birding guides for the area.

Search for the flora & other fauna of the area you live in. Check out a few books from the local library on the local trees, flowers, and animals or reptiles that can be found in your area.

With this information you can plan a treasure or scavenger hunt. Have the kids see how many specimens or specimen photos they can collect. Remember to leave the areas you search as untouched as possible & collect all of your trash along the way...

Speaking of trash...

Sign up to collect trash in and around your neighborhood for the summer clean-ups. Many cities offer an adopt-a-roadway program, where your group or family adopts a section of road to keep clean. You can gather together for a day of collection once or twice a month. Not only is this family time away from that TV, but you're beautifying the neighborhood as well.

Visit your local recycling center. Find out what happens to all of the recycling that's collected. Discover what your family can do to live a more environmentally friendly lifestyle through recycling!

Take a trip to your local landfill. Seriously! What an eye-opening adventure this was for me. Seeing those tons of trash be moved around really hits home. You both will be amazed at what is thrown away and at the mountainous volumes of trash that are dumped at a time.

Love to Know has some interesting statistics on recycling stateside. This can be incorporated into a math and science learning experience!

Did you miss me?

noreply@blogger.com (Thumperdd) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 13:19:00 +0000

Again, I'm so sorry that I've been away this long. I feel neglectful. Please don't take it personally.

I finally found that job I'd been praying for. Actually, Facebook found it for me (my pastor saw a note that I was searching for a position for the summer)! My church offered a part-time position organizing volunteers for a camp they're doing in conjunction with the YMCA this year. It sounded like a truly wonderful idea.

The camp is geared toward tutoring children that are lacking the skills they need to complete their end-of-grade testing at a proper level. Being the Y, they intersperse fun with the learning. Sounds like a plan to me.

Thankfully, I have a fantastically supportive church family. Most jump at the chance to help out, so we've plenty of volunteers. The idea is to supplement the staff that the YMCA has supplied and get to know the children, many of whom live in the neighborhood or neighboring areas.

This first week held many challenges, but, in the end, all is well. I'm VERY pleased that the weekend is here. I've certainly forgotten what it is like to be on your feet for many hours at a time!

Thursday's with Erma

noreply@blogger.com (Thumperdd) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:16:00 +0000

"A REAL friend is fat when you are fat, depressed when you are depressed,

and overdrawn when you are overdrawn."

Erma Bombeck

Thursday's with Erma

noreply@blogger.com (Thumperdd) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:10:00 +0000

"Once every three years I have sauerkraut for dinner.

Once every three years my husband has sauerkraut for lunch.

It always falls on the same day."

Erma Bombeck

Smile and enjoy your day!

Thursday's with Erma

noreply@blogger.com (Thumperdd) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:01:00 +0000

Continuing with last weeks idea of a scheduled weekly posting... Heeeerrrrrrrreeeee's Erma!

Have a Good Day!

"The mornings are bad for me. During the night everything has wrinkled: my skin, the clothes to be worn that day, the lunch meat. The dog (who has kidneys the size of barleycorn) is impatient to be let out.

The shoes that were left in the middle of the living room have moved on. The bread is frozen. While the kids shower, the mirror fogs up and my husband's beard goes limp. He's a bleeder.

I waste twenty minutes trying to make thirty-five cents out of two quarters and five pennies. My son mistakenly grabs the garbage (which he forgot to take out the night before) for his lunch and yells, "I'll eat it on the bus." My husband removes ice from the car with a pancake turner and scratches the windshield. He yells, "Have a good day!" and I yell back, "You have it! I had it yesterday." "

Erma Bombeck

What are you waiting on?

noreply@blogger.com (Thumperdd) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 11:29:00 +0000

Most of us have motivational issues.

I'm just as guilty as anyone. I've been waiting on motivation to sweep my house for two weeks now, and the week before that I was at the beach. If I don't hurry, the dust bunnies are going to take over my little world. (There's one lurking under the couch that is as big as a baseball - I saw it the other day and jumped!)

What am I waiting on? I'm not sure, but it sure would be great if a maid snuck in one night to do it for me! LOL

What is your issue? What are you waiting on?

Many years ago, I was a Mary Kay consultant. It's true...I carried around those pink bags that you see in "Fried Green Tomatoes". I received a ton of training & attended many motivational seminars while a consultant. Much of it I still use to this day.

One of the things that sticks out in my mind is the saying "You can't wait for all of the stop lights to turn green before going."

How true is that? Can you imagine waiting until all the lights change to proceed each day? But, many of us do.

Take this as notice - It's okay to be stopped at a red light. It happens. Get over it and be ready to go when the light turns green!

Okay, okay! I'm sweeping today...promise! :-)

The Job Hunt

noreply@blogger.com (Thumperdd) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 17:52:00 +0000

If you've been following this blog for a bit, then you know that I've been searching for a part-time job for about a month, with little response.

Last week, I once again sent out 4 resumes to various organizations. I also sent a follow-up note to one of my previous prospects advising them that I was still highly interested in the position, since I'd seen a new ad appear online.

Most of my job hunt has been conducted online, since there have been very few postings in our local daily newspaper. I've avoided Monster and a few of the other "big" name companies due to past horrors I've heard about posting there.

These stories were told from the employers perspective and all were concerning the deluge of resumes they receive when posting on these mega sites. They received so many that they eventually had to hire someone to browse all of the resumes that were coming in, only to eliminate about 95% of them.

I'm 33. I've been working since I was 16, in some capacity or another, and for long stretches of time at 2 and 3 jobs. Needless to say, I've filled out many an application, had many interviews, and have plenty of experience with the entire hiring process.

This said, I want you to know how crazy this process has become. People that put out 100's of resume to various companies waste not only potential employers time, but other applicants time. It appears to be a vicious circle.

Bob puts out 100 resumes (4 of those jobs he is actually qualified for).

The same day 100 other applicants, from all over the world, submit resumes to these same companies. These other people have roughly the same or lesser qualifications than Bob.

Tammy, Bill, Becky, and Tommy are all qualified to work at the same 4 jobs plus 10 of the others that Bob applies at.

Because these businesses receive a deluge of applications for each position, it makes the process even harder. Why? With the drastic increase in applications, there is a greater chance that the qualified employees will be skipped over. This is not due to the resume, but human error. How many papers can you look at repetitively before you forget which pile is which? Or, before you eyes start to glaze over and your vision blur?

The companies have to wade through all of those resumes to find about 10 qualified applicants, which takes several days. This gives a hiring delay of about 3 weeks - 1 to weed, 1 to schedule interviews, and 1 to allow for follow-up before issuing an offer. Of course, this is only applicable if the company has a designated person to wade through the resumes! If not, add a week.

Because of Bob, & people like him, Tammy, Bill, Becky, and Tommy are forced to put out resumes in a greater number, as well. (Perhaps, because their resumes were placed in the wrong stack!)

If they put out 10 resumes a week, every week (double what we used to!) and factor in the delay in the hiring process, due to the factors above, I estimate it will take an average person 2 full months to be granted a job of any sort, and another 4 months to gain a job doing something in their field. I would think that the people putting out 100 resumes a week would expect about the same results. So why waste everyone's time & energy...AND all those trees???

A few years ago, you could search for a job one week & be hired the next. No wonder people are staying on Unemployment Compensation so long!

Job Seekers - Just apply for things you really want to do and that fit your desires, rather than EVERY single job posting that comes available!

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Now. I'll come off my soap box to tell you - I FOUND A JOB!

Did I apply for it? NO.

Did I expect it? NO.

Did I have any clue that this job was available? NO.

Last Friday night my home phone rings. It's my pastor. He noticed that I had put a note on my Facebook account about looking for a part-time job. The church is beginning a new program for the summer, a branch off of the local YMCA, which will provide care for about 100 youth from the area.

We'll be splitting the responsibilities with another local church, and need to coordinate between the congregations and organize the volunteers. I was definitely interested. I volunteer constantly at my church, so I presumed that this was to be another volunteer situation.

WRONG! They've offered me an actual part-time, paid position to handle this! Fantastic!

I'm to get started this week, after I pass all of the background & drug checks. (No problem!)

Isn't it amazing how things work??? Word of mouth is still THE BEST way to get a job...

School gatherings...don't you love them???

noreply@blogger.com (Thumperdd) — Sat, 30 May 2009 11:15:00 +0000

Did you sense the sarcasm in my voice in the title?? No. Well, it was there.

When school programs last so long your butt goes to sleep, reawakens, and sends shooting pains through your legs you've been sitting TOO long! We began sitting at 8:55am and were FINALLY released shortly after 12pm Friday. Ugh!

My daughters high school was having their annual Senior Class Day, which is basically awards & scholarship announcements for the graduating Senior class. I've never attended in the past but gladly went today, as my baby girl is scheduled to graduate two weeks from this Saturday!!! Hooray!

Now back to reality. Notice that I said "scheduled to graduate" and not "graduating"? Yeah. Well, we won't know for sure if she'll receive the diploma until NEXT Friday. Am I worried? YES! Why you ask? Short story.

My precious baby girl is sharp as a tack. She's one of those annoying kids that really doesn't even half to crack a book & will still get a "C". When she applies herself, she is one of the smartest kids in the class. When she doesn't, she REALLY doesn't... And since 7th grade she hasn't made very many efforts to apply herself.

I'm not sure exactly what happened to cause this change, but it happened. As a family, we've fought & supported her constantly to achieve her potential. Toward the end of 8th grade she seemed to be buckling down a little. 9th grade, 3rd quarter had us back in the same spot. She'd do just enough to get by, but just barely.

That tactic has finally come to bite her in the butt. She's had supplemental classes twice this year for failed classes and there is a possibility that she'll have summer school. Not according to her, mind you, but I'm fairly certain according to the input I've witnessed.

What did she really want to do at school? Play & socialize. I tell you, if she could've majored in socialization and being a class clown she would've been the class Valedictorian. I'm not kidding. They even voted her "Most likely to be recognized" in the Yearbook!

If she graduates with her class I'll be surprised, to say the least. Extremely happy, but surprised!

When I heard "Pomp and Circumstance" and witnessed her walking toward me in her cap & gown, I just cried. Now if we get positive news next Friday, I can cry a river of tears of joy & relief!

I pray that she'll go to college. Realistically, I know that unless she chooses to buckle down & take school seriously, it will be a waste of her time, the school's time, and everyone's money. (She received two small scholarships based on her participation in a community program.)

As my mom says - "One day at a time. Let her get out of high school first. Then, we can worry about the rest."

How will you keep those kids occupied this summer?

noreply@blogger.com (Thumperdd) — Fri, 29 May 2009 11:14:00 +0000

This is a big question to tackle for most new to raising children (and some of us old hats!) If you're a stay-at-home, the endless days of summer can be a daunting time. You rise to meet each day filled with endless hours of how to entertain the kids.

That being said, let me remind you that it is NOT your job to entertain your children! Oooops, did I offend someone? Well, it's true. You are not a paid entertainer, nor should you be. That's what Disney World gets the big bucks for!

Your "job" is to give your kids a healthy environment in which to flourish. I believe it actually hinders a childs mental and, possibly, physical growth when we, as parents, interfere too much with the natural process.

No, I am not saying it's okay to plop your kids down in front of the TV or Wii for hours a day. What I'm recommending is time to allow them to explore their world on their own, in their own time with healthy, safe guidance. Children are fully capable of entertaining themselves with their own learning processes, without too much interference on the parents part.

Have you ever handed a one-year-old a piece of newspaper? a two-year-old some pots & pans? a three-year old an empty box? If so, you've surely witnessed them spending large blocks of time amusing themselves while exploring the possibilities of this "new" introduction. This process doesn't stop as they mature; it matures with them!

Okay, I'm off that soap box...

Now on to some tips on how to spend quality time together, as a family.

1. A few years back I ran upon this neat site called Kids off the Couch. You may have guessed - they encourage just what the name implies, getting those kids up of the couch to explore their world.

How do they tackle this feat? Through the back door, of course! They give you a family movie idea and then tie it into tangible events or activities that your family can do after the movie. Fantastic way to learn!

If your family is couch/TV oriented, this is a great place to start. It's almost like a sneak attack on their senses! They'll be learning and won't even realize it...shoot, you could even sneak this one in on your significant other...and take all of the credit for the ideas. Aren't you sneaky???

Kids off the Couch offers a weekly newsletter, delivered right to your e-mail for FREE. (And they're on Twitter, too!)

2. Check out your local PBS station for tips and ideas. Sometimes there are local gatherings or shows that tell about upcoming "things to do".

My local station has a showing each Thursday night for weekend day trips. Many can be done during the week, as well!

3. Now is a great time to try out your local YMCA or city pools. Many offer summer discounts. What better way can you think of to occupy all of that free time than to get healthy?

4. What about a week at summer camp? Many facilities offer sleep-away or day camps. This will give your children a vacation from you, which often strengthens your relationship! Also a great option for those of you planning on a "stay-cation" this year...

Check with your local museums for science, arts, and history for some amazing learning opportunities that the kids will remember for a lifetime! My son took a cooking class 4 years ago that he still talks about.

5. Check with your local and state visitors centers for FREE ideas, hints, and tips on things to do in your area. I've got a Historical Marker quest on schedule for this summer!

6. Most importantly - don't be afraid to explore and discover with your kids. Many of us get so involved in being an adult, we forget that it is okay to relax and laugh with them. I missed out on many fun times by remaining stressed and rigid while my kids were small!

Stay tuned for more hints & tips for summer activities...

Thursday's with Erma

noreply@blogger.com (Thumperdd) — Thu, 28 May 2009 11:48:00 +0000

So this week I've decided to begin a regular, weekly posting of snippets from one of my favorite author's from the 70's. No confusion now - I'm a child of the late 70's, and the only reason I know of this funny lady's work is due purely to thrift shop finds... Ya'll know that I LOVE the thrift shop!

Her writings are generally short & to the point. Although a few are more wordy. All I find humorous, mostly because I know the feeling!

When you're reading these notions, try to read through the eyes of someone that lived in the 60's & 70's as an adult; that will add even more humor to the subjects!

Take it away, Erma!

"I have always said if the Good Lord had meant for me to speak in the mornings,

He'd have put a recording in my chest & a string in the back of my neck."

Erma Bombeck

Fascinating things you see on TV...

noreply@blogger.com (Thumperdd) — Wed, 27 May 2009 11:47:00 +0000

So I was listening to the TV the other day and heard all of this miraculous chit chat going on. Finally tearing myself away from Twitter to give my full attention to the TV, I realize that it's an Infomercial about learning to read. No big deal right?

WRONG! This commercial showed babies under 3 learning how to read with their program. Uh-huh, under 3!

The program is called Your Baby Can Read. It appears to combine repetition of song videos that have words written on the bottom of the screen with flash cards. I suppose the idea is to repeat the songs and words enough that the child recognizes the word shape along with the picture, eventually learning to read the word.

Does it work? I don't know. I haven't tried it and don't know any children under that age to try it with. Would it be worth a try? Certainly, especially if you are a stay-at-home mom or dad with time to engage the child in a routine. Even if you don't have a baby, this commercial is amazing.

Do I believe everything I see on TV? NO, but I do know from experience that my dear son learned Spanish numbers and letters before English because he heard me studying out loud. He was 6 months into Spanish before he learned the same in English.

Children are amazing creatures and capable of feats unknown!

Strawberries for everyone!

noreply@blogger.com (Thumperdd) — Tue, 26 May 2009 11:16:00 +0000

Upon my return home I retrieved a message from a sweet lady that we go to church with. She called early Friday morning with an offer I couldn't refuse...tons of fresh, free strawberries! Yippee!

A neighbor was going to be out of town and had asked her family if they'd like some berries. The stipulation - they could have whatever they wanted so long as they picked two rows. Julia ended up with 7 GALLONS! She generously gifted us with 2.

What to do with 2 gallons of ripe berries? Did I tell you that Mom and I made preserves the Saturday before Mother's Day? If not, I should've. Here's the story -

Saturday night about 9:30pm - I'm ready to leave Mom's house (where I've been for the better portion of the day, hanging out). Mom jumps up and says

"Hey, do you want to make some Strawberry Jam with me?"

"Mom, it's 9:30."

"Yuh-huh. I know. So, do you want to?"

"Sure." I say looking wistfully at the clock, mentally dreaming of my comfy bed.

At 12:30am I made it home with a jar of Strawberry preserves (just in case my dear hubby didn't believe my story!)

*******

While on the phone with Julia, my mind was racing with possibilities...jam, fruit leather, freeze a few, a few handfuls of fresh, etc... Strawberries were literally dancing in my head!

Keep in mind, I'd never put up anything by myself before outside of basic freezing. Mom made it look so simple a few weeks ago, I was sure I could handle it.

The recipe:

Quick & Easy Freezer Jam w/ Strawberries

Courtesy of Sure Jell (comes inside each box!)

2 qt of ripe, whole, cleaned strawberries

4 cups of refined sugar

1 package of Sure Jell (found in canning supplies or near Jell-o)

3/4 cup water

Wash and ready the canning jars. (I used jelly or half-pint sized glass jelly jars, but you can use plastic storage containers with a good seal.) Crush the berries in a large bowl with a potato masher - it's jam so you want some chunks. Mix in the 4 cups of sugar. Set aside to stand for 10 minutes.

In a saucepan, empty the contents of one package of Sure Jell. Add the water and stir to dissolve. Bring this mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil one full minute. Remove this mixture from the heat and add it quickly to the berry/sugar mix.

Stir this new mixture until all or most of the sugar crystals have dissolved (about 3 minutes). Then begin pouring the mixture into your containers. Leave about 1/4 to 1/2" space at the top of the container to avoid the container bursting in the freezer. Be sure to wipe the rims of the containers before attempting to seal, otherwise freezer burn is a risk. Leave the containers to sit on the counter for 24 hours before storing in the freezer for up to one year or refrigerator for 3 weeks.

I averaged about 6 jars per batch.

**DON'T make more than one batch at a time, otherwise the jam will begin to gel before you can get it into the proper container! **

I put up 23 jars of preserves (for the freezer), two bags of 4 cups each, whole berries for later in the season, and attempted a recipe for fruit leather. The preserves turned out perfect, the fruit leather - UUUGGGG! It's a hot mess... (as my girlfriend says!)

I pureed about 8 cups of whole berries, then added 1/4 cup of sugar, and 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce (to help with the sweetness & consistency.) The directions I'd read online two weeks ago said to line some pans with wax paper and pour the mixture over top to dry.

The directions also mentioned drying the "fruit leather" (also known as Fruit Roll-Ups, in the store) in the oven on low. I placed them in the oven on 170 degrees overnight. That's the lowest temperature that my oven offers. This morning they looked great...

until I tried to remove them from the pan...

They were stuck to the wax paper and the wax paper had allowed the juices from the berries to stick to the pan. I now have a mixture of sticky, fruit juice glue adhering this wax paper glob to my good baking sheets! This is a BIG OLE mess...

See the little part I was able to get up? If I smooshed it hard enough in two places it would roll up on itself into a gooey paste. This is NOT what I was attempting!

The worst part - I wasted 8 cups of perfectly good berries...DARN IT!

*************************************************************************************

UPDATE on the Fruit Leather -

After another 24 hours of drying (because I had to let it go otherwise I was going to cuss...) the wax paper released from the pans AND the fruit leather released from the wax paper!

HOORAY! Almost all of it was usable. I threw away the center of each pan, due to the fact that it wasn't setting up. It was about 4 inches square...not bad considering nothing was coming off of that pan a day earlier!

Continued concern - I couldn't pull it off in sheets to relocate it to new, non-sticky wax paper, so I chopped up the sticky stuff and rolled it up individually...serves the purpose, but I think it's too sticky to eat anywhere but home. (Boy, the bees would love this on a picnic!)

The Beach Trip

noreply@blogger.com (Thumperdd) — Mon, 25 May 2009 12:12:00 +0000

I'm back from vacation, well-rested, and ready to take on the world! Don't ya just love vacation???

We went to Myrtle Beach, SC, which is about 4 hours from home. When I booked the room a few weeks ago there was nothing available on the beach so we stayed about 5 miles back on the Intercoastal Waterway. (What can I say? When you have a timeshare & time about to expire you take what you can get.)

My favorite thing about the beach is to lie in bed listening to the waves roll in, followed by a long stroll on the beach. Can you believe that we barely saw the ocean while we were there? It's true. We didn't even go to the ocean! But, we had a view of a lovely little pond from our room. (It had a screened in porch. Isn't that nice?)

We hung out in the room reading, playing cards and board games, made a few day trips and went shopping one day. (Mom and my son shopped...I watched.) This is the table that saw so much action while I we were in SC.

And, this is my son - running from the camera! I take so many photos now, my family threatens me when I get it out of the case... ;-)

The days trips were to........Tony's Pizza, of course! Tony's was about an hour ride from where we were, and is in NC. My mother cannot go anywhere near the beach without hitting Tony's - for more details on another Tony's visit click here!

I had a yummy, baby House Special pizza. Delicious!

Mom still wouldn't agree to a photo of her infamous Steak & Cheese sub. Oh well, I tried!

And, we also went to Charleston. It was our first time and a two hour ride down the coast from Myrtle Beach. What a lovely town! We will definitely go back. We even found my timeshare hotel while there...

This is the bridge leading into Charleston. Beautiful, even for a bridge!

The houses were amazing! There were so many of these old structures littering the downtown area. You could almost envision what life was like 300 years ago...well, without the electric lines and cars...

This is the museum of the Daughters of the Confederacy, which also serves as the entrance to the city market. I must confess that I was hoping for a farmer's market set-up, and found something more like an upscale flea market.

Of course, there were MANY opportunities to buy sweetgrass baskets and creations. Too many, I think. Eventually I didn't look at the wares anymore. They seemed very repetitious and overpriced to be so plentiful. (My opinion, I know.)

I'll leave you with a cozy, tree-lined street. It was breezy and in the 70's that day. Perfect weather for a stroll...

Life's too short, Live like a Greek!

noreply@blogger.com (Thumperdd) — Sun, 24 May 2009 23:37:00 +0000

Okay. Sorry it's been so long since my last post. I snuck off to the beach with my mom for a week. I took the computer but my ISP didn't pick up at the hotel, "so there you go!" (One of my favorite quotes from "My Big, Fat Greek Wedding" - if you haven't watched it, you should and if you did and didn't enjoy it, expand your horizons! It's dead on for almost every Greek family I've ever known. What a hoot!)

Two weeks ago I reported on the recent Celtic Festival here in Winston. Last weekend was the Greek Festival! Opa!

Both have become an annual event for our family. (We had an Indian (the country) Festival, too, but I can't find a schedule...too bad. The Hispanic Festival is too big and loud. Even my Latino hubby doesn't enjoy it!) I guess we're just one big culture loving family!

My hubby chowed down on a Souvlaki plate while I indulged in Moussaka. It's the Greek National dish, traditionally made with eggplant and cinnamon spiced meat. It's similar to lasagna except there are no noodles or heavy tomato sauce. The plates came with Spanakopita, tomato seasoned Italian Green Beans, and a small Greek salad with Feta Cheese chunks and a light vinaigrette dressing. Can you say foodie heaven????

While you're eating you can watch the Greek schools dancing troupes. They have a Kindergarten and 1st Grade class, then 2nd & 3rd Grades, 4th & 5th Grades, Middle School, and High School. Each troupe has a variety of dances they've learned, each being progressively harder than the last. In 4th grade, they begin adding flips in various parts of the show - highly entertaining!

Each troupe has a costume set. These photos show the K-1, and 2-3 grade costumes. Aren't they precious?

Along with the outdoor activities, the Greek School is turned into a Marketplace. You can find books, ethnic food stores, jewelry, clothing, and other Middle Eastern & Mediterranean merchandise there. (Along with narrow hallways, teaming with people...so, no photos from the main area, only the book shop.)

Their church sanctuary is also open for tours. It's breathtaking!

If you've never experienced the inside of a Greek Orthodox church, GO. The details and thought that is put into each and every trinket is astounding. My favorite in this church is the large chandelier suspended from the fresco of Jesus. Notice that the light dangles from the neck of Jesus representing that Jesus is the light of the world and reminding each parishioner to carry this light out into the world...

Makes me tear up each time I see it...

Thought for the day...

noreply@blogger.com (Thumperdd) — Fri, 15 May 2009 12:03:00 +0000

"Why is the word 'abbreviation' so long?"

- Jerry Seinfeld

Don't ya miss Seinfeld on TV?? Sniffle...sniffle... It always made me smile in that simplistic way.

Hmmmm...wonder why it is so long? The world may never know...

Job Search update

noreply@blogger.com (Thumperdd) — Thu, 14 May 2009 12:16:00 +0000

So, the interview last week has turned up nothing, thus far. Unofficially, I've been told that it was offered to the lady that came just before me. I'm still hoping that she refuses...

She's a pastor's wife, of the same denomination, searching for something part-time. They live in a small village about 30-45 min. from our neighborhood (depending on traffic). She has one child in a "Mother's Morning Out" program and another that she'd have to find daycare for.

Being realistic, I've weighed this out for her, along with my "inside" source...

She'd be accepting a job working 9am-12pm, 3 days a week. This is roughly 9 hours, not including any overage that may occasionally occur...
She'll be using 1 tank of gas a week, due to distance.
She'll have to find and pay for daycare for another child with this salary. On average, in this area that'll cost about $150 a week, whether you show up or not.
Her "Mother's Morning Out" program runs from 9am-12pm...she's either going to be late arriving and early leaving work each day or irritating the programs staff by causing them to do the reverse.

Will this be worth her time? No.

It's a small congregation that is not rich by any means. I find it hard to believe that she'd be paid enough to cover her child care costs, much less wear & tear on the car or gas.

Her selling point -

She's going to help them grow the church... Not sure how. The pastor doesn't keep regular hours, so she'll have little contact with her and little with members of the congregation... However, the pastor jumped on this offer!

So, here I am, still hoping that she says "No" and leaves it to me, since I was the congregations choice.

P.S.

The day before the interview another opening in the same denomination came up for a church about 15 minutes from her home. It offered 20-30 hours a week, immediately. It's double the time and probably double the money...

I'm sure she would apply. I did! I'm praying she'll take that one and leave this neighborhood one to me...

P.P.S

Don't ya just love having an insider when you're applying for a job... ;-)

Weekend Family Time...

noreply@blogger.com (Thumperdd) — Mon, 11 May 2009 18:12:00 +0000

Guiltily, I admit that I have spent very little dedicated family time with my family over the past few weeks. I've allowed my free time to be eaten up the "advertising and social connections" monster. Yes...Twitter, Facebook, Etsy forums, and my blogs (sorry, but it's true) have been given the reins...terrible, I know.

One of my sons favorite events was happening this past Saturday, outdoors. It was a given that we would go. Thank goodness we had good weather. The past several weeks have been rainy and nasty here in NC.

Welcome to the Celtic Festival -

It's held annually here in Winston-Salem at a local historic park, Bethabara. Bethabara was established in 1753 as the first Moravian settlement in NC. The park is home to several restored buildings, an old Palisade Fort (pre-French and Indian war), and beautiful grounds. It is also home to some more "modern" houses.

This festival is fairly small in comparison to the Highland games in Grandfather Mountain, but we like that. Smaller crowds = ease of movement for us, fewer lines, and better views of activities.

This year we attended the Men's Highland games activities, which included a Clachneart (small boulder toss), 22lb Hammer Throw, 28 & 56 lb weight throw, Caber toss (limbless tree), and Sheaf tossing. My son didn't find this as entertaining as I did, so we didn't stay for the entire display. What can I say?? Men playing games in skirts is entertaining!

Additionally, they had Highland games for Children and Lassies (Women)! I briefly debated in joining in on the Haggis toss, but didn't want to take away from the family time... (I'll do this one for you... Yeah, right!)

The palisade is home to the music for the day. Lilting harps, fiddles, and haunting voices floated across the valley. There were also tents for various clans where you could trace your ancestral name, herding demonstrations, clogging and country dance demonstrations, food, and other vendors.

My favorite vendors are the sweet lady that demonstrates tatting and bobbin weaving. I found out that she has a series of classes at two local libraries that I fully intend to join...hmmm, something else to put on my list of things to learn! (When we walked up she was giving a teen girl a hands-on demonstration. How nice!)

The second is a vendor of handmade iron works. They have hanging baskets, hooks, ornamental fencing, etc... Lovely items, with lovely price tags!

Of course, there was a drum and bagpipe corp...

There was plenty of warm sunshine that day. It was hot and humid. After a few hours we searched for a shady spot to take a break. Shaved Ice in hand, we found one under a grand old tree, close to the action.

It was the perfect spot to wiggle my toes...

After a few minutes, we were treated to a sighting of the costumed park staff on there way to an event behind us. This form of dress was traditional in the 17 & 1800's and the park uses them for large events to add to the ambiance. Aren't they cute??

Cost for the day -

$4.00, spent on the two Shaved Ice treats

(the event and parking were FREE!)

Time spent with family - Priceless...

Next weekend - the Greek Festival. Opa!

Thought for the day...

noreply@blogger.com (Thumperdd) — Sat, 09 May 2009 11:43:00 +0000

It's been WAY too long since I provided one of these. So sorry. I promise I'll do better in the future - bare with me!

"True wisdom lies in gathering the precious things of each day as it goes by. "

Now, scurry off and gather your precious things for the day...

Oh! And have a wonderfully peaceful, joyful weekend!

The LAST day of school!

noreply@blogger.com (Thumperdd) — Fri, 08 May 2009 13:11:00 +0000

Yes! It's true...as of this afternoon, our homeschool year will be complete! HOORAY!

We'd planned on finishing last week, but we're a week behind due to our recent illnesses. I love my son dearly, but I'm so very glad that the year is at an end.

It was our first year, full of learning curves on both our parts. Sometimes I rushed, sometimes I moved too slow. I noticed halfway through the year that several things were very repetitive and could be combined. This surprised me since I'd been through all of the books we were going to use before beginning. Of course, I was using a traditional school class system and textbooks, which could have a lot to do with that. I've noticed that systems designed for homeschool contain less volume, page wise, but cover the same content... Something to consider for next year's curriculum!

I think I should've made more time to complete a few more projects. I know I need to be better about designating (and following through on) PE time.

Toward the end of the year I became less stringent about the start time. Definitely a big NO, NO. When I became more relaxed about it, so did he. Before I knew it the day was over and I had accomplished little of the things I needed to do, due to school starting so late.

Things I loved about this year:

Spending time with my son. This was good, quality time. Our relationship was good before, now it's great. We smile more, laugh more, and cut up more...lots of stress relief from the past few years!
Getting to know his learning style on a deeper level. When you only have time to rush with homework, you miss a lot of enjoyable learning with your children. I don't think that I considered that much before.
Developing a more respectful relationship with one another. I think he sees me in a different light now. He's more respectful and lends more consideration to things that I say. He doesn't bristle up when I correct him or encourage him. This is certainly mutual!
It's like watching your baby develop all over again. No, he's no longer a baby and I realize that. It's the developmental phases that are so similar. Babies creep, crawl, walk, talk, etc... We never stop learning in that way. Everything begins with baby steps and watching him complete educational milestones is just as amazing as watching his first steps!
Learning alongside him. When we learn we pick up on certain things and skim over the rest. I've enjoyed recalling and relearning "the rest".

My list of things to improve on next year:

Be definite about the start time and stick with it the entire year.
Be more consistent with time with lessons. As I mentioned, some I rushed and others I went too slow. I think I've discovered the happy medium and need to stick with that plan.
PE time. This is a deep-seated personal thing... I'm inflicting this on to my son. BAD!!
Spend more time with hands-on and life relationship correlations. This worked so well for him (and ME). As I was going over some of the lessons, things would click and I would suddenly realize how I'd used these skills in my life. AMAZING discoveries! I should've paid much more attention in school...

Here's an earlier homeschool post with some project photos... Gosh! Those were fun!

What are your homeschool goals for next year?

Job search update...

noreply@blogger.com (Thumperdd) — Thu, 07 May 2009 11:44:00 +0000

A few weeks ago I posted about being on the lookout for a part-time job. I mentioned 4 places that I'd applied to and promised to keep you all updated on the progress. This is what I've heard thus far -

Job 1 e-mailed me 2 days later to request more information and that I resend my resume and cover letter, even though I'd already sent it...a little odd, but off it went with the new info. I haven't heard back since then and only have a generic "jobs" e-mail address with no further info. for contacts.

Job 2 hasn't responded in any form.

Job 3 e-mailed me Monday to say that they'd hired someone and appreciated the application.

Job 4 called yesterday afternoon to schedule an interview for today at 7:50pm (odd time, but it's an interview during a church meeting...)

I submitted another resume Monday for another church secretary position that would require 20-30 hours a week and would include a 15-20 minute commute. We'll call this one Job 5. Hehehe, I didn't want to ruin the pattern! :-)

I'm sooooo very excited about the prospect of number 4. It was the opening that I rated with 4 stars and would probably fit my schedule and needs the best, while fulfilling all of monetary and self-inflicted servitude requirements. I'd be appreciative of any and all thoughts and prayers you could spare!

I'll let you know how it works out...

This one's for you, Thomas...

noreply@blogger.com (Thumperdd) — Wed, 06 May 2009 12:28:00 +0000

My blogging buddy, Thomas, has asked to see photos of all of the horrible weeds that I've allowed to take over my garden this spring. Not only does he wish to see those unsightly creatures - he LIKES them!

His favorite is the Dandelion...so today we will pay homage to Thomas' favorite flower/weed. I only wish I hadn't waited so long to photograph them. Most had already gone to seed.

Hard to see, but these are the few with remaining heads. I blew them for you, Thomas!

This big 'ol monster has been itching to be pulled for weeks!

It had many sisters in this bed...

I don't know what this thing is, but it's prickly and HUGE! It also reminds me of Dandelion, but it gives them a bad name...

Surprise, Thomas! Hope you got your Dandelion fix!!

Now for some other stuff:

The squirrels in my yard have to be some of the happiest in the world. I have 5, grand, old, pecan trees that drop into my yard. Fantastic for me AND the squirrels.

Each spring I have an abundance of baby peacan trees that the dear squirrels have "hidden". These are a few!

And, lastly.....

I thought to share the miniature "crop circle" that my dear little dog has left in my cat mint plant. Don't worry the big dog leaves his mark, too... His is just on the outside and involves a foul smell! Lovely doggies of mine!

**There were MANY more weed terrors in my yard, but they were just too embarassing to share, even among friends! **

By the way, Thomas and I already discussed that all flowers are weeds. Truly, I don't mind them all that much. I love spending time in the garden and weeding gives me an excellent reason to do that.

NOTE: All weeding in my yard is done by hand or weedeater (much to my dear hubby's delight!)

Actually, every time we go to the home improvement store he tries to get me to buy weed killer. That's a big "no, no" for me. It takes away from my fun and harms things that I don't want to kill.

The sweetest thing...

noreply@blogger.com (Thumperdd) — Wed, 06 May 2009 00:12:00 +0000

Two posts in one day! I know, I know...I've never had anything that great to share.

Just wanted to toot my own horn a moment! I was given a Kreativ Blogger Award by a sweetheart that goes by WarPony. It is for my alternate blog, Knitting in the Real World. Hop over and see when you have a moment.

I give in!

noreply@blogger.com (Thumperdd) — Tue, 05 May 2009 11:28:00 +0000

I'm twittering! Never thought I'd say those words but, it's true...AND I LOVE it! It's addictive!

It's so much better than Facebook to me, as far as instant contact with people. You can chat with anyone, anywhere, without waiting for them to "Friend" you. Last night I chatted while watching Hell's Kitchen. How neat to guess who would be eliminated and follow along "real time" with others doing the same thing.

Now I know why I hear about Twitter everywhere...

If you're on Twitter be sure to follow me and I'll follow you back. I'm La_Vida_Dulce !