A Day at the Lake

We can do that, you know.  Homeschooling has so many advantages, one of them being when the need/opportunity arises to go to the lake, you do.  We actually planned this a couple of weeks ago and the day was perfect....if you count hot and humid as perfect. 

I am so very tired from the day and from trying to choke down a Cabbage Soup Diet (could not do it!!!)  so I will just post pics. 

So I leave you with a picture of a hiney.  This is what they kids did the whole day...look for muscles.  They found over 150.   Twelve kids,  5 adults,  a very happy day.   The Lord was so Good to us.

thanks for reading,

Reb

It's going to be a great week!!

I guess with the cool weather I am inclined to cook more often.  I am bringing out some favorites, not yet enough energy to try new things.  First I will show you what we ate Sunday.  I have a cook book from premarriage days, (I didn't know how to cook, but I was prepared in the event I had to learn!!) and love trying the recipes.  Most are no fail.

I decided to cook roast, new potatoes, and spring peas.  I wish this had all come from my garden but only the peas are home grown.  It was delicious.  Look and smell.....  oh wait....I guess just look and wish. 

Did I say it was delicious?   Only a sliver of meat and half a pie remained.  (No, no picture of the famous Key Lime Pie).  We gave the rest of the pie to Kevin cause he's leaving in 4 days for college.  Waaaaaaa!!  Glad it's not one of my kids.  I don't know what I would do.


Here is the rest of the weeks line up.

Mon.   Cowboy Pockets from Pioneer Woman (You'll have to buy the cook book)----Mr. Jim likes these.  I also made Lemonade Cupcakes.  I must stop getting  emails from Hoosier Homemade.  I don't think walking in the gym and doing Pilates is gonna help if I keep eating 3 cupcakes a day. 

Tues.  Chicken Enchiladas and homemade salsa, salad

Wed.  Grilled Salmon Salad from the Sam's cookbook.  We got it free one day as we walked in the door.  Pretty decent. 

Thur.  Spinach Lasagna with more salad and french bread

Fri.  Broccoli Quiche with muffins and orange Julius\

Sat.  Pizza dip with homemade bread sticks

I may switch Fri and Sat cause I have a women's night at church and the pizza dip would be easier on the hubby.


Hope your week is as cool and beautiful as ours has been, thank you Lord, after 115 degree weather.
!!!! 

thanks for reading,

Reb

Snippets

I don't know if it is the heat,  the back to school crazies, the rain (thank you Lord!) or the hormonal imbalances of the kids  me, but I can't seem to write a post to save my life.  I have begun 3, couldn't get them finished,  read them the next day and deleted them thinking they were very, very unimportant.   So this post will be short blurbs, snippets really..about nothing...or something....or a little of both.

1.  I really miss going to the gym 4 days a week.  I liked it that I had free babysitting with the kids swimming and I sweated and ran/walked (or should that be walked/ran?).   I have only been once this week and I am feeling the need.  Is it a sin to work out on Sunday? Can I just say I am going to  "glorify God in (my) body" and " I discipline my body"?

2.  The one day I did go to the gym, we met my husband up at the library to exchange children.  He decided to check out a book but had fines on his card to pay.  When he asked what books had been overdue,  it seemed he had kept Mrs. Tiggy Winkle and The Enchanted School  House out to long.  Guess those were a hard read for him.

3.  I have watched all 6 episodes of Sarah's Cottage in 2 days.  I LOVE that show.  I want to be Sarah!!  NO, WAIT!  Even better,  I want Sarah to come fix my house up for one of her shows.  I would cook for her and go shopping at antique stores, and probably let her have her say in any room in the house,  except my bedroom.  I like that room.

This is fuzzy but just click on this link and drool along with me. 

4.  My chickens began laying eggs 2 weeks ago.  We found one in the middle of a tree (little hollow space they like to sit in),  4 behind a board on the OUTSIDE of the fence,  and a couple on the ground of the coop.  They are little, brown and oh so tasty.  We went through 15 of them last night for dinner.  My bil was eating also, but still...

5.  Today we got 8 eggs.  I think we are in business.

6.  These little snippets are not snippets.  They are more like really long strings that make no connections.  Welcome!

7.  I have learned so much reading through the One Year Bible.  I HIGHLY encourage you to begin, even now,  not waiting for January.  Just open up the blog and begin.  The songs at the end of the blog are wonderful.  My thoughts from this week....PRAY!   That seems to be the best things to do.

9.  My garden is the PITS!!!  That three sisters thing and organic thing didn't work this year.  My corn has worms,  my melons got rot and animals eating them, and my beans have some kind of brown bug.  My sweet potato vines are everywhere so I PRAY that that is a good sign.  I have gotten 6 tomatoes out of 12 bushes, 3 of which has a worm in them, and my pepper are going nowhere.  Maybe I boasted to much about the spring garden.  SORRY!!!  I am not even posting a pic. 

Ok,  so I posted one of the spring garden just to remind me that I am NOT a total black thumb,  just a summer black thumb.
10.  Finally,  I really didn't think I had 10 things to say.  My last is for YOU!!  If you read this blog,  thank you.  If you don't,  thank you. 


Reb

ps.  I KNOW I skipped 8,  I really didn't have 10 things to say and I hoped you didn't catch it, but who am I kidding.  You are very smart,   people!!   Why don't you write ME a number 8 and tell me something you are thinking or doing!!

8.  I did think of an 8.  I have a very good friend, an old neighbor, well, a neighbor of old, who is coming to visit from Quito, Equator next week.  I. CAN. NOT. WAIT. 

11.  Have you all seen Swamp People?  We are addicted. 

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

I think it's not really summer until we have been to ONE Arkansas Travelors game.  There is just something about a ball park,  the organ,  the peanuts and popcorn,  the sweat,  the kids with gloves that fight everyone over the fly balls.  Here are a few pics of our night out at the ball game.

"Take me out to the ball game,

Take me out with the crowd.

Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack,

 

I don't care if I never get back,

Let me root, root, root for the home team, (that's supposed to be a mule!)

If they don't win it's a shame.

For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,

At the old ball game."

Here's a little info on the song and ALL the words that went with it.  Never knew it had other words.  Always learning aren't we?

This song was written in 1908 by a man named Jack Norworth. One day when he was riding a New York City subway train, he spotted a sign that said "Ballgame Today at the Polo Grounds." Some baseball-related lyrics popped into his head, that were later set to some music by Albert Von Tilzer, to become the well known baseball song, "Take Me Out To The Ballgame." Despite the fact that neither Norworth or Tilzer had ever been to a baseball game at the time the song was written, it is one of the most widely sung songs in America.

(1927 version)



Nelly Kelly loved baseball games,

Knew the players, knew all their names,

You could see her there ev'ry day,

Shout "Hurray" when they'd play.

Her boy friend by the name of Joe

Said, "To Coney Isle, dear, let's go,"

Then Nelly started to fret and pout,

And to him I heard her shout.



"Take me out to the ball game,

Take me out with the crowd.

Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack,

I don't care if I never get back,

Let me root, root, root for the home team,

If they don't win it's a shame.

For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,

At the old ball game."



Nelly Kelly was sure some fan,

She would root just like any man,

Told the umpire he was wrong,

All along, good and strong.

When the score was just two to two,

Nelly Kelly knew what to do,

Just to cheer up the boys she knew,

She made the game sing this song.



"Take me out to the ball game,

Take me out with the crowd.

Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack,

I don't care if I never get back,

Let me root, root, root for the home team,

If they don't win it's a shame.

For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,

At the old ball game."

info from this web site.

Why don't you get to a ball game sometime this summer? 

thanks for reading,

Reb



What's for dinner?

Here's what we're having this week.  I am getting low on motivation to cook.  Anyone else just want ice cream and watermelon? 

Mon.  Chipotle BBQ with cilantro lime rice and home made salsa (ok,  home made with canned tomatoes.  I have 12 tomato bushes and have eaten 2 tomatoes and now have 5 little green ones.  I didn't know you had to water them EVERYDAY!!!)

Tues.  Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad with green salad.  Yes,  EVERYTHING Pioneer Woman cooks looks good right now.  I just wish she would come to my house and cook it,  and clean it up, and tell me stories while I eat.

Wed.  Homemade Pizza using fresh veggies from....the market.  Oh,  my basil is fresh from the garden.  We finally found the perfect crust recipe in one of this summers magazines.  NO,  I can't go downstairs and look it up right now. 

Thur.  Broccoli quiche with a green salad and some kind of muffin.  (On a side note,  one August my husband and I were in New Orleans and we ate at La Madeline restaurant.   SOOO good,  it sealed the deal for me on quiches, muffins, fruit and of course,  pastries.  I used to have a cook book.  Might need to find another one on eBay.)

Fri.  Celebrating my dear daughter's 10th b'day and with ALL our family coming over plus a couple,  think we will stick to hot dogs,  chips, and she requested root beer or cream soda floats.  YUMMM!!

Sat.  Mama Nell's Macaroni--also a b'day request.  Yes,  these celebrations go on and on around here.

Sun.  Potluck at church.  Since we have so much basil I have made batches of pesto, so I will be bringing a Pesto Salad and taking rolls. 


That was a little  difficult to figure out this week.  I may end up scratching it and eating watermelon and ice cream.  I think that's kind of like eating a candy bar and drinking diet coke.


I have to finish with this.   I think I showed you a picture of some cupcakes I made last week.  Here is another one that shows off my piping skills (that is SOO much fun!!)

 and let's you drool a little.

My 7 year old piped these.  Not bad...could we be looking at a mom and daughter business?   HMMM!

  I have another recipe for Lemonade cupcakes.   I get these emails from Hoosier Homemade and they just look so good and easy.   Oh, My.  Guess I will be giving these out to neighbors.

thanks for reading,

Reb