The Outcrop: July 2009

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

what i want wednesday - more time!

yes, this week i think i need to wish for more time to do things like check email and blog. so for those of you who wonder where i've been, i've been a mommy to two, a housekeeper, a cook, a wife, etc. and, that leaves no time for selfish things like email and blog (and sometimes not even a shower). and anyway, if i had more time in the day, i could do fun stuff like THIS! (i mean, my kids are fun. i've really enjoyed the past 3 days. i haven't missed the computer at all. but, i mean, with more time in the day, i'd have time to blog - but when they hit the sack, so do i, because with naps that don't coincide, that means that i don't get one unless i'm lucky.) so, ok, that is it! you know where i am and that i'm still alive!

Friday, July 24, 2009

friday five X2 - things that are licked

i've been waiting all week for friday. last week when i posted about pet peeves, my mom requested that i list 5 things that you lick. so, i thought i would do that.

5+ things people lick: 1. ice cream 2. lollipops 3. spoons (like after you make fudge) 4. bowls/plates (like after you make cookie dough OR after you had a good meal and literally lick the plate clean) 5. salt (i.e. lick it, slam it, suck it) 6. stamps 7. envelopes 8. your lips ...i could go on!!!

5 things animals lick: 1. their butts (or any of their body parts) for grooming purposes 2. salt block 3. their babies for soothing purposes (different from the grooming in #1, this can also be so that t they'll poop) 4. water (to drink) 5. the air (to smell?) i've seen dogs do it.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

my small miracle.

about 2 weeks ago, i had a migraine. it was a doozy. i had already emptied the trashcan in the bathroom (in preparation for some major vomiting), and had a cold rag on my head. typically, a migraine to this degree can only be treated with sleep. rarely does my relpax even work with it, mainly because in order to take the relpax i have to drink something, which makes me throw up the pill. can't work if it isn't in my stomach long enough to dissolve. knowing that this was a bad one, i had already called mom for backup, though she and kate were gone to see my grandmother. she was coming, but when was not certain. it would be a few hours. i was trying to get holly to sleep and i was listening to the 700 club on TV. for some reason, i always end up watching this show. i'm not really a fan, but today there was a reason the remote was out of reach. they were praying for people who had called or written in with requests for God to cure their ailments. they even had "testimonials" of how God reached inside of them and took out their pains. anyway, desperate for relief, i prayed to God for him to take away my migraine. let me just add right here that i don't typically pray for myself. i think there are far bigger things to pray for, like for real people who have real problems. so, i really felt as though it was a selfish prayer, but at that point, i needed to cook supper, i was feeling like i had to vomit, etc. so i did it. within a minute of "amen," my migraine WENT AWAY. holly went to sleep, mom and kate came over, and after a few minutes, i shared with them what had happened.. the miracle that i experienced. (i know right here that some of you are rolling your eyes because you probably neither believe in God nor miracles nor the power of prayer. i was once like you. and if you ever are interested in how i came to know God, i will be more than happy to tell you. it may surprise you how and when it happened. it wasn't that many years ago!) ok, so back to my story. the migraine. it went away, i cooked supper, kendal and nathanicl came home, and later, the migraine came back. but, at that point it was a time that i could handle it (sleep plus hours and hours of nathaniel's head massage!) you know how folks say that things happen for a reason. all i keep thinking about today is that moment 2 weeks ago, and how i was literally amazed that prayer worked FOR ME (and wondered why i just didn't pray all my migraines away). but i think God was trying to show me that he is there, to trust in him, and he will take care of me when i need him. and so, now i am facing a new challenge. (and, i realize God doesn't answer all prayers, but he does answer the ones that need answering!) i am so grateful for the job i had, it was truly a blessing for that time in my life so i could stay home with the kids. but now, i think God has a new plan for me and I have to get a move on it for him! i'm kind of excited about how this will turn out! i am so excited about it, i get emotional just thinking about it. i am just overwhelmed with God's presence in me right now. it is WAY better than adrenaline.

thankful thursday

i have surrendered, and God will guide me. i will not worry anymore. my one-days pity-party was enough.

this thursday, it seems though i would be hard pressed to have something to be thankful for (besides the usuals like family and health), but... i think this thursday, today, i'd like to be a little reflective and thank God for the job i've had the past nearly-3 years. what a blessing i have had to be with my children as they were born, to be home with them teaching, feeding, and watching them grow into toddler-hood (or almost toddlerhood). i could not have asked for a better job at a better time in my life. and i have learned SO much from it. you guys just have no idea. it really is, hands down, the best job i've ever had. on SO many levels. it is time to move back to reality like most folks! also, thanks to the blessing of [anonomous persons] (well, they aren't anon. to me, but i won't mention who they are or what they have done. if they ever read this blog, they will know who they are. THEY eased OUR worries.) thanks to them. always, thanks to them.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

what i want wednesday - a JOB!

maybe i better update what i want today. after today's happenings, what i really want is a job.

wild deer on the loose

what we woke up to this morning in the back yard:

and when we saw them , they were literally right at the back of our house. by the time we got kendal up, talked about the deer (which he would say deer, then he'd say dog), got his clothes together, THEN got the camera... they had moved into the woods. but, you can still see 4 of them. there were 5 total: 2 young bucks with velvet antlers, 1 young doe, and 2 spotted fawns. the buck in the foreground is the 5 pointer. the two in the mid-ground are the doe and one of the fawns. in the background, you can hardly see him, but there is the other buck. the other fawn is hidden from view in this picture. they hung around for a good 15 minutes munching on our grass! i told nathaniel that was one benefit of NOT having a manicured lawn! :) just this weekend we had a stray fawn in our yard, but it was so far back that kendal didn't see it. s/he also was munching on the grass. ha! i say grass, but what i mean is weeds. cool, huh? nathaniel was excited. he said he hadn't seen a deer with horns except for the one that jumped over our car off of 401 - 2 years ago. i didn't know deer had horns. :P i smell poop. time to change a diaper!

what i want wednesday - DVD

i want the season box set for any past seasons of the big bang theory! this is my new tied-for-first favorite show. good thing it and the office aren't on at the same time. goodness, it'd be a hard choice to pick between the two for which to watch!

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

top ten tuesday - all time favorite trees

in order from most favorite to most most favorite... and, i tried to stick to native species, but unfortunately, two of my most-est favorite trees are ornamentals. so, at least 8 out of the 10 are NC species...

10. longleaf pine

9. sassafras

8. american holly

7. bald cypress

6. eastern red cedar

5. willow oak

4. pecan

3.weeping willow

2.red maple

1. japanese maple

Monday, July 20, 2009

sausage ball recipe

wish i had taken a picture of the meatballs i made on friday (i thawed out this stuff when i thawed out the chicken i have yet to find a recipe for...) these turned out really good, though. i made sausage balls by my own sort of made up recipe. i saw a rachael ray show about a month ago where she stuffed a chicken with a similar recipe, but i don't remember her exacts, just her premise... so, this is what i used: a pack of hot sausage (could use mild if you don't like spice) a pack of frozen turnip greens, thawed about 1/2 cup of pine nuts (toasted or not) about a cup of cheese, shredded about a squeeze of lemon juice now i say "about" because i never measure anything. the sausage was premeasured because it came in a pack. i used bass farms sausage, and i put it in a large bowl. and i like hot sausage. the turnip greens, well after they were thawed, i put them in a kitchen towel and squeezed out all the water. then i dumped it on top of the sausage. next, i put the pine nuts that i had previously toasted in the stove (and when i say previously, i mean like last year sometime. they had been in my pantry for a while, but, toasting would not be necessary here because they will cook in the ball) into the pan, as well as a fistfull of cheddar cheese already shredded by food lion (i had the brand name cheese). naturally, i didn't have a lemon, but i did have some "real lemon" in the fridge, so i just put a squirt in the bowl. i didn't measure, just a squirt. not a lot, maybe it was a tablespoon or something. anyway, then i mixed it all together with my hands. gross. i hate touching ground meat. gloves would have been nice here. then i made large-ish sized meatballs and put them on one of those types of pans that drain (roasting pan?) and put them in the oven on 350 for probably 30 minutes. i didn't time it, i just cooked them until they looked brown and not raw and smelled done. i let them cool somewhat and then i ate one. YUM. even my dad liked them. and don't be turned off by the turnip greens in them. rachael ray used spinach, my dad hates spinach, which gave me the idea for turnips. you can't taste the turnips at all. the lemon and the pinenuts give it a lebanese flavor, kind of like something that needs a little labneh to eat it with. as a matter of a fact, that would have been really good with it. yum. now, if only i knew how to make that!

manic monday - what to do with the chicken

i thawed out some chicken on friday. it still sits in my fridge here on monday. so, today i have to cook it. what to do with it!?!?!?! i used to love to cook. really, i did. but today, lately, recently, since kids, i just haven't the desire! i also have nothing to wear. suppose i'll search the internet for a recipe... that helps at least one aspect of my morning.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

holly discovered herself

i sat holly down in front of the closet mirror yesterday and she looked back at me as if saying "mom, may i play with her?"

and then she proceeded carefully, reaching out to see if she would reach back.

she leaned in to see if she would lean in to taste back.

before i knew it, there was an all out make-out session going on.

turns out that the girl in the mirror was a cool as she was!

workable weekend - REI member checks

several years ago (actually the year nathaniel bought his ASOLO boots), nathaniel joined REI. every year, we've ended up buying something somewhat big there. last year it was our baby back pack. we got a $37 check in January (their member rebate or something) that has since been attached to the fridge. well on another note, kendal's noggin has become a magnet for concrete flooring. we think it is his shoes (the ones that he has to wear with his braces). like my theory with the physical therapy (taking a break may help him - which did...), i/we've decided to take a break with the braces and shoes. this is because of the series of notes and notes we have to sign on a daily basis from school because he has fallen and caused large bumps on his head, cheeks, lips, etc. It doesn't just happen at school either, it happens with us too. just last weekend at pullen park, he tripped over his shoe and hit the ground hard as ever. remember those photos? remember that monster red mark on his forehead? anyway, we decided to buy him some new shoes and although i prefer stride rite, we had this coupon for REI and i know they have kid shoes, so we went there first just to see what they had. well... kendal LOVED these shoes. he literally was trying to put them on his feet. and then he ran me all over the store when them on.

one funny thing, though, is that the salesman had a big red beard (scraggly beard). kendal was scared of him, cried when he saw him. wouldn't let him near. the guy was nice enough about it, i felt bad though. he didn't look scary to me, but aparently to a 22 month old he did! so i'll have to keep you posted on how he does this week standing upright...

friday five: pet peeves

this is a day late, but at the last minute yesterday i tried to get a guest blogger. and he couldn't think of five things. so, anyway, it is late. i was busy busy yesterday. 1. pet ice cream. really. pets aren't people.

2. pet toys in the shape of human luxuries like purses or foods stuffs (ice cream cone...). really. pet toys should be things like ropes and dog bones and feathers and squeakies (mice squeak!). you know, things like pets have in the wild. (though, one of ross's favorite toys was a squeaky ice cream toy. i suppose maybe i am off here with this peeve, but it is just a peeve list...) 3. flavored pet food. really. pet food should be flavored by what it is made of. granted, cats and dogs don't take down cows and chickens and catch salmon with their own mouths... but the food should be of a quality that the taste "speaks" for itself. 4. pet holidays. really. pets don't celebrate holidays. they don't believe in jesus and they don't know when they were born. heck, most mammals never even know who their daddy is!

5. pet spots. indoor animals don't need spots. they don't need chairs. and they don't need to sit on the couch. they don't need a spot. (they can have a spot if you want them there, but they aren't entitled to it, you see what i'm saying? some folks just think that they are entitled to a spot just like you and me.) (this blog is brought to you by an incident yesterday where maggie circled my mom, my dad, katelyn, and finally {gasp} me looking for her spot. katelyn finally told her to lay down on the floor and she did with the most pitiful face because SHE thought she deserved a spot up on the chairs with us! it was hilarious!)

Thursday, July 16, 2009

thankful thursday

i am thankful for my kids.

i am really just not in a thankful spirit. so i have to use something generic. sorry.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

top ten tuesday - things i could talk for hours about

1. my kids 2. rocks and/or places to find them 3. why you should feed your pets premium pet food 4. migraines 5. field camp 6. pregnancy 7. crafts involving paper paint or tulle 8. recipes involving sugar 9. toys 10. wastewater disposal (the modeling of...)

Monday, July 13, 2009

reminder list to myself

manic monday - summer go away.

about the only thing i like about summer are summer colors.

i hate the sun, i hate the hot, i hate the humidity... i do like the flowers, but there are flowers in spring when it isn't so hot. i do like tomatoes, and you can't really get fresh tomatoes except when it is hot. same for other garden veggies that pretty much the only time of the year that i eat them is when they are fresh out of my dad's garden. its true, the remaining part of the year i mostly do without veggies. (i'm not really a fan unless they are less than 24 hours picked...) i can't wait for fall. i can't wait for long pants and long sleeves. anything to cover my skin, i guess. i can't wait for any weather that provides an atmosphere for my hair to not wrap itself into the grooves of my neck and get stuck.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

workable weekend - pullen park!

yesterday, we took advantage of the cooler (though humid) weather and spent the middle of the day (planned on the morning but we didn't get out of the house until 10:30) at pullen park in raleigh. i used to love going there as a child and have been back several times as an adult... kendal and i just visited there a month or two ago, but holly hasn't been yet. next summer, they are closing to remodel everything (it is showing its age... heck, the carousel was there when my mom was a child!) so we need to take advantage of it while we can this summer! anyway, it is a free park. there are a few rides that cost $1, such as a train, a carousel, and kiddie boats, but kendal isn't big enough for the kiddie boats yet. probably by the time they open back up he will be for the kiddie... they also have concessions, but we always take our own food. yesterday, we decided to eat out rather than pack our own picnic. first things first, we had to find a place to buy our lunch! we bought lunch at char-grill on hillsborough street, which by far was our most expensive purchase of the day. we spent a whopping $17 on 2 large large burgers, 3 fries, and 2 extra large drinks. oh, and a hot dog that kendal wouldn't eat because it was red.

you can enlarge any of these pictures by just clicking on it!

we found a spot to eat our lunch next to the pond underneath a huge cyprus tree. pullen park has a pond with paddle boats (which are $6 to rent and can hold 4 people), ducks, geese, fish, turtles, and who knows what else in it. holly and kendal particularly liked watching the birds. kendal even shared his hotdog bun and french fries with them. on another note, we overheard a lady telling her kid that the big birds (the canada geese) were the mama birds and the little birds (the female mallards) were the baby birds. we also saw a couple get towed back into the dock because they couldn't figure out how to "drive" the paddle boat. clearly you don't have to be smart to visit pullen park.

kendal loves to swing, holly does not. though these pictures appear to indicate otherwise, her smiles are really frowns turned upside down! she was putting on a happy face just for me (thanks to kate's hard work of playing with her). kendal, though, he stayed in the swing for probably 30 minutes and was almost asleep by the time we got him out.

kendal loves the carousel - to watch and listen and wave to the riders. he, however, does not like to ride on it. it costs $1 per person to ride. we tried it last time we went to pullen park. he turned green.

no trip to pullen park is complete without an open air diaper change! yes, there are changing tables in the bathroom, but... its hot in there PLUS sometimes outside is "cleaner!"

pullen park has an old train car on the premises that you can walk through. kendal hadn't been through it before but he did love going through it yesterday!