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Archives for July 2011

I’m Torn Between Hate & Love

Not to stray from today’s post before I’ve even begun writing it, but last Sunday my daughter dressed her sock monkey and took her to church.

It’s kinda, sorta funny and yet a little bizzare all at the same time.

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At this moment in my life, I’m hating Fiction Friday and it was my idea.

That’s pathetic, but I cannot help it.  I’ve written about 200 words since the last Fiction Friday, but that’s it.  I should be posting a portion of Chapter 4 today, only I’m not so into it.  I have it written – chapter 4, chapter 5, chapter 6, chapter 7 – all done.  I’m working on chapter 8 now.  I use the term ‘working’ very loosely.

I just don’t know if I want to share anymore of this book.  It’s such a tragic story, I feel like I’m being depressing on my own blog.  I don’t want to be a downer, you know?

In writing this book, I’m drawing from all my experience in dealing with women and their issues.  It’s the worst of everything tumbled from my fingertips into a few characters.  I do hope my main character Lacy will show that she can overcome all the sins committed against her and live a happy life, free from the bind of evil, but yet I hesitate.

Maybe this book should be more meaningful, have a greater purpose and all that noble stuff.  Maybe it’s just a lame first attempt at fiction.  I’m not sure.

So it sits.

Maybe I’m just over thinking things.  I’m a professional at that.

Meanwhile I am in all out overflowing love for a plant.  Her name is Roxanne.

Yes, I named my plant.  Do you find that unusual?

I spent a whopping $20 on this jewel of a plant last summer.  When I brought her home, she was thick with branches and dotted with pink and purple blooms.  Her beauty drew me from the lumber section of Home Depot, all the way outdoors to the Garden center.  I went googly-eyed in love.

So I brought her home where she promptly dropped all of the blossoms on my living room floor.  Shocked by her nerve, I put her outside on the porch; however, her delicate leaves and dainty branches broke and splintered to the ground.

I wept bitter tears.

Not really, but I did regret wasting twenty bucks.

Roxanne lived naked and sickly in my living room this past winter.  Many questioned my choice of dead plant decor, but I told FringeKid to say nice things to her and I hoped.

This spring, little green buds formed on her stick branches, so I set her outside in the sun.

Today I am proud to show off her buds and blooms.  I couldn’t be more pleased with my Roxanne.  She’s slowly returning to her former grandeur, giving myself and the world hope that we can once again bloom beautiful.

We sit on the cusp of this weekend and we have a choice – give up on beauty or sit in the sunshine till we bloom.  I am going to sit in the sun (with sunscreen of course).

Yes, I know that last paragraph made absolutely no sense because we are not plants, but it sounded good in my head.  That shows you the state of my brain.

Happy Friday friends!

If you were more productive than I, please join Fiction Friday and leave your link.  Please, thank you, and you’re welcome.

Now be truthful, have you ever named a plant?  And do your children dress up stuffed animals for church?  Or is my kid the only odd duck?

Summer Camp ~ History in the Making

When I think of summer camp, visions of team sports, horseback riding, swimming, and muddy clothes fill my mind with bad memories, but today there are as many varieties of summer camp as there are flavors of ice-cream.

Last year, my son’s history teacher sent us a letter saying she’d like to pay for my son to attend history camp at a historical site in our town.  How sweet is that?  Of course I said yes with thanks.  That camp impressed me so much that I determined to send both my children this year.

The camp is only one week long, but my kids were able to make woolen pot holders, marble paper and make journals, write with quill pens, basket weave, craft Indian corn dolls, weave rope, and turn flax into long strands of hair.  Well, they used it as hair and I must say, it definitely has the texture and feel of hair, at least my hair hair on humid summer day.

They also learned many valuable lessons about early American history.

General Herkimer's Home

They hauled water from the springhouse, built a fire and cooked a stew for lunch.  From scratch…they actually went to the garden and picked potatoes and vegetables for their soup.  They learned how to weave fabric, how food was grown and preserved, and how the pioneer children lived.  They even marched the kids in military drills.

On Monday morning each of the children were given an outfit to wear for the week.  The girls wore long cotton skirts, an apron, and a bonnet.  The boys had a loose-fitting, very thin, linen shirt and a hat.  All the kids used haversacks to store the items they made.


On Friday night all the parent’s gathered for closing ceremonies.  The little pioneers played a song on a their penny whistles and awards were given for outstanding achievement.

I really appreciate that they singled children out for specific accomplishments.  Today awards and rewards mean so little, because often all children are awarded for participation and not necessarily achievement.  I think awards for achievement help motivate kids to do better.

FringeKid won the Historian Award.  One of the two highest achievements.

Every day last week temperatures soared between 97 and 100 degrees.  My children were able to experience true-to-life days of the pioneers.  I’m sure it’s an experience they won’t soon forget.

How about you?  Did you go to camp when you were a child?  Have you sent your kids to camp?

Tell us about your/their experience.

Summer Creativity ~ Be Inspired

Photo courtesy of Sydney, The Charming Tyrants

Summer Series

Summer Creativity ~ Be Inspired

Today I’d like to welcome Jeanne.  She is a super-creative, delightful woman who has accomplished so much in her young life.  She has a lovely family and a thriving business.  Her blog inspires, challenges, and guides women to find their passion and pursue it.  I cannot think of a better person to inspire us this summer.

Is there a passion you’d like to pursue, but you think ‘life’ is holding you back?

Read on and be inspired.  Let your creativity loose this summer.

Thank you Jeanne for being my guest!

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Hello, I am Jeanne Oliver and I am the owner and designer behind Jeanne Oliver Designs.  I have a clothing and bag line that I release twice a year.  I am also a mixed media artist and I am grateful to be able to travel around and teach art classes.

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When I was growing up I could often be seen drawing in the yard, being the director of a neighborhood play, making up stories or painting art for a friend’s birthday present.  As an adult it took me many years to get back the love of creating just for the love of creating.  As a child THAT was what summer was all about.  There is no reason we have to lose that.

I know that summers are busy and for those of you that don’t have children home in the school year…I know you think that you don’t have as much time to be creative in the summer but you need to look again.   I like to think of summer as your time to dip your toes back into your childhood.  I homeschool my children so they are usually with me.  If I had to wait for them to be gone to create I would never get anything accomplished.  Just like the children love to cuddle up at night and listen to me read a book…so do your children love to be led into your creative world.

I think summer lends itself to more relaxed creating.  More sketching, experimenting and more spontaneity.  You can create art anywhere.  When was the last time you sat under a tree, opened a brand new sketchbook, looked around you and just relaxed….and created?  No purpose.  No outcome.  Just for you.  Just to grow and explore.  If you have the freedom to do this without the children I highly recommend it but if the children are with you don’t let that stop you.

You can’t create if you don’t carry the right tools with you.  I carry a  journal with me everywhere.  It fits in my purse and I always have pencils and pens handy.  If I see something that inspires a new idea I write it down.  If I think of a new dress I sketch it out quickly.  If I am talking to a friend and her words make me think of a new piece of art I pull out my journal and record those thoughts.  I would hate to think of all the little things I would miss without carrying my journal around.  All the ideas I would never record and make a reality.

One of my favorite create escapes in the summer is to take a few hours for myself and drive. Just me and my camera.  I don’t do this nearly as much as I would like.  If you are anything like me you have music going, children talking, computer open, making dinner etc.  I have to get out of the house to truly give myself time to think, reflect, hear my heart, ponder new ideas.  Some of those drives have given me some of my favorite photos and time for me that I really needed.

A child doesn’t wait for everything to be perfect to create.  They just do it.  They just pull out their crayons and paper and sit down anywhere and create.  We could learn a lot from them.  Summer is a sweet time to slow down and remember all the things that were wonderful about your creativity when you were younger and to bring those things back into your life.

I hope there a few new sketchbooks purchased this week:-)

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I don’t know about you, but I cannot wait to get busy!  

Thank you so very much Jeanne.

Tomorrow will conclude our Summer Series with a post from me on Summer Camp.

I hope you all enjoyed this series.  I know I have.

A big THANK YOU to all of my guests. 

I so appreciate all the time that went into your articles. 

We feel your passion, your love, and your enthusiasm for life.

We are inspired.

Summer Funnies ~ Jiggling Not Allowed

Photo courtesy of Sydney, The Charming Tyrants

Summer Series


We had two great bloggers post this weekend.  If you missed out on their articles, please take a moment to read –

Summer Prairie ~ Strawberry Rhubarb Recipe & More

&

Summer Simple ~Savor The Days

Summer Funnies

I’m delighted to have Jill with us today.  She’s got a great outlook on life and shares her humor with the world on her blog Jill Boyd’s Place.  I’ve learned a few things about Jill from reading her blog – She doesn’t like to cook, she needs some female moral support, because she lives in a house full of men, and she has a love for life.  Jill doesn’t put on airs and pretend to be something she’s not.  She tells it like it is and makes you chuckle through her stories.  She is also a new mom-in-law, so be sure to leave her congrats and some good advice.  😉

Welcome Jill!

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When I think of summer, I think of so many things:  getting three months off of school; celebrating my birthday; ballgames at Wrigley Field; hot, sticky days; warm humid nights with the window open in hopes of catching a breeze; picnics and vacations and girdles in my purse. Hey, everybody has their traditions, and this one was ours.

When I was a teenager, the most popular summer dresses were made of a terrycloth material. They were great for keeping you cool, but the material did have its drawbacks. Mainly, it tended to cling to any suggestion of a curve.

Being a very chaste and proper lady, clinging clothes did not sit well with my mother. No matter how thin you were, she maintained, “things” had a tendency to, well, jiggle. Since public jiggling was not appropriate, my mother insisted that my two sisters and I needed to wear the proper foundational garments under our terrycloth dresses.

Looking back now, I realize that the coolness of the material in the dresses was completely counteracted by the girdles we squeezed ourselves into every Sunday. But at the time we didn’t care. We were foundationally controlled enough so that no improper movement (i.e. jiggling) could occur. Shoot, I was so controlled that it was impossible to tell that there was an actual body located anywhere underneath my dress.

Every year we went on vacation with another family, close friends of ours. They had two daughters right around the ages of me and my two older sisters. And because their mom agreed with everything our mom did, those two girls were also foundationally appropriate.

Misery always loves company.

We did have one problem with our foundational goodness, though. While everything was kept very proper during church, our support garments caused a great deal of trouble with our activities after church. When we were on vacation, we typically followed up a visit to a Sunday service with a visit to an all-you-can-eat buffet. We usually headed directly to the restaurant without stopping to change, meaning all five of us girls were not really going to be able to eat all we could truly eat.

It really seemed so unfair. After all, our brothers—and even our dads—got to shed suit coats and ties before we went to eat. Why should we have to continue to be uncomfortable after the final amens were said? And with that thought in mind, our vacation tradition was born.

When we arrived at the restaurant, we girls would head directly to the bathroom, where we would shed our foundations like the uncomfortable second skins they were. My mom never had a problem with this, so apparently it’s okay to jiggle in a restaurant as long as you don’t jiggle in church. Personally, I try never to jiggle at all, but maybe that’s just a personal preference.

At any rate, here’s where being a slave to fashion would have helped me. My sisters and our friends all carried small clutch purses—the going style of the day. Purses definitely not made for carrying extra things, particularly extra underclothes that we decided to quit wearing halfway through the day.

I, on the other hand, favored a very large purse. Still do, although I rarely carry a girdle around with me anymore. Back then, I pulled myself free of the confines of the girdle, took the first deep breath I’d had in over three hours, and then tucked the silly thing into my purse and was ready to head for the buffet line.

The other four girls couldn’t manage to get their unmentionables all the way in their purses, much less get the purses fastened when they were through. So it quickly became routine for all of them to stuff their garments into my purse. Five girdles in the purse, and I still managed to fasten the snap at the top of the bag.  I considered that a personal triumph.

I did occasionally resent carrying a bulging and much heavier purse out of the bathroom. And I really didn’t like that the rest of the girls, all older than me, seemed to take for granted that I would be their foundational pack mule. There was not a lot of appreciation for all the sacrifice I was making. No one even offered to carry the heavy bag for me.

It never occurred to me to carry a smaller bag or refuse to grant free storage space to the others. But it did occur to me to get even. I always made sure I pulled their girdles back out of my bag and returned them—in public.

The rest of FringeGirl’s summer series has been designed to be a help, so I guess I ought to include whatever takeaway value I gleaned from this growing up experience. Here goes:

1. It’s never appropriate to jiggle in public, unless you are attending an all-you-can-eat buffet.

2. It’s easier to wear something that doesn’t cling to curves than it is to wear things that help to hide the very curves your clothes are outlining.

3. It’s probably never a good thing if you’re the one in the group with the largest handbag.

4. I learned that you’d better not carry anything you need in your purse if you’re going to have to dig past five girdles in order to get to it.

5. It’s a good general rule that, if you left the house wearing it, it probably shouldn’t come off until you get back home.

6. If it does come off, always store it in your own bag.

7. If it won’t fit in your own bag, strongly consider whether or not you really need it at all. And then slip it into the nearest trash bin.

8. Friendships cannot survive the public returning of undergarments.

9. Sisterhood can barely survive the public returning of undergarments.

10. It’s probably not a good idea to say undergarments this much when you’re guest posting on someone else’s blog.

Thanks, FringeGirl, for letting me guest post, (although I’m not sure you ever will again!) and may you all have a fun and jiggle-free summer!

Jill Boyd is a pastor’s wife, mother of six children, secretary, homeschool mom and aspiring writer, although not necessarily in that order. When she’s not blogging or writing, she spends her time trying to teach her five sons some manners and adjusting to her new role as mother-in-law extraordinaire. Jill lives in central Florida, where she pretends to be good at tennis and dreams of going on a 25th anniversary trip with her husband, sometime before their 30th anniversary.  You can visit Jill on her blog and laugh through life with her.

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Wow.  I’m suddenly very thankful for my mom and the fact that she did not make me wear girdles to church.    Thanks mom!

I just know I’m going to be much more aware of my jiggle today.   Perhaps I should shop for Spanx.  Anyone ever wear Spanx?  Come on, fess up.  Are you for Spanx or against it?

Summer Prairie ~ Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Photo courtesy of Sydney, The Charming Tyrants

Summer Series

Summer Prairie

I’m so very excited to introduce you to Melissa from Huckleberry Prairie.  When a blog is named Huckleberry Prairie, I cannot imagine not loving it.  Melissa’s blog is filled with sugar & spice and everything nice.  She has a beautiful baby girl and the most fantastical kitchen ever.  You really need to see this kitchen renovation, because it may be the best one I’ve seen yet.  She pretty much has my dream kitchen.  I only recently stumbled upon Huckleberry Prairie and I’m excited that Melissa agreed to write a guest post for her newest fan.

I’m definitely trying her strawberry pie!

Welcome Melissa.

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The sun is shining bright making the days long and warm, the honey bees are busy buzzing, and the farm fields are brimming with abundance…it must summertime on the prairie!

By mid-summer, the rivers are becoming lazy and the nut trees are ripe for the pickin’.

There are full grown corn fields as far as the eye can see.

Knee high by the 4th of July does not apply to our California corn.

It is ready to be harvested by early to mid summer!

Indeed, the summer season is a bustling time for our farmers.

And, being right in their backyard, we reap the benefits of their hard work.

The Farmer’s Market.

Once a week, the local growers bring their produce to sell directly to our town’s residents.

Every fruit and vegetable of the summer season, picked fresh.

Fresh corn from the stalk.

And sweet watermelon straight from the vine.

Pistachio, Almond and nuts of every kind.

And, if you can’t make it to the Farmer’s Market, there are country stores and local growers selling their crops in stands on every corner. There is no shortage of fresh picked produce.

There is such an abundance of crop that the long days of picking continue by the light of the full moon into the night.

The Farmer’s Almanac has even given the moon a different name each month, according to what is being harvested by it’s light.

The full moon in June is called the Strawberry Moon.

The full moon in July is the Hay Moon.


The full moon in August is the Green Corn Moon.

The September full moon is the Harvest Moon.

The moon rise makes for a spectacular sight.

Dusk makes way for cooler evenings.

A time when you look forward to being outside, enjoying the beauty of the summer night.


And nothing makes a night sweeter on the prairie than sitting on the porch, listening to the symphony of crickets and wind chimes, with a slice of fresh Strawberry Rhubarb Pie.

Click on the recipe card to enlarge and print. 🙂


{recipe adapted from Tasty Kitchen}

Start with a 9 inch, unbaked pie shell.

Chop up rhubarb and slice strawberries.

Mix with sugar and cornstarch and pour into the pie shell.

Set aside.

For the crumb topping:

Mix brown sugar and flour together.

Add cold, chopped butter.

Cut butter into the sugar mixture until it resembles pea like crumbs.

Pour crumb mixture on top of the strawberries and rhubarb.

Add a few extra chunks of butter on top of the crumbs.

Bake at 400* for 25 minutes, then cover edges of crust with foil.

Bake an additional 30 minutes.

Make sure to bake the pie on a four-sided, rimmed cookie sheet as filling tends to bubble over.

Allow pie to cool before serving.

I hope you enjoy your sweet pie and a little taste of summer on the prairie.
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Thank you Melissa!  I will not rest until I’ve made this pie.
Peoples, do not forget to check out Huckleberry Prairie and leave a comment for Melissa.
Happy Sunday!

Summer Simple ~ Savor the Days

Photo courtesy of Sydney, The Charming Tyrants

Summer Series

Summer Simple

Although she probably needs no introductions, I’m so happy to introduce Emily from Remodeling this Life.  Her blog is inspiring and she truly has found the secret to living a simple, filled life and enjoying every moment of it.  I’m so very glad she agreed to be my guest, because I know you’ll love her too.

Welcome Emily!

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Summer Simple ~ Savor the Days

Hi! I’m Emily.

I blog at remodeling this life.

Thank you so much to Tricia for having me here today. I’m here today
to share some ideas about having a simple summer. I feel a little
intimidated in such company of host blogger and guest bloggers for
this series, so please bear with me and my simple ways.

I’m one of those mamas that cannot wait for my kids to get out of
school. Don’t get me wrong, I love when they go too, but I really look
forward to the slow lazy days of summer, days that are full of
possibility and opportunity. Days that can be spent any which way we
want them to be.

To me, summer is all about embracing the moments for what they are,
going with the flow and being flexible – all things we can’t quite do
as much as I’d like during the school year. I can call off activities
for an afternoon if it seems like my kids need nothing but quiet time
coloring and I can swap out plans for naps if they really just seem to
want to swim all afternoon. And at the end of each day, I can feel
like we did the best we could with what we had. To me, that’s the
center of simplicity.

I feel spoiled beyond belief that my family has a cottage on a lake
away from the humid south where we can spend weeks on end playing and
exploring and living the good life. I know that’s not how it is for
everyone, but the fact is we all have to make the most of what we
have, explore whatever is around us and savor the days of laughter and
fun while we have them.

Some days are spent doing nothing but jumping in the water.

Other days it’s nothing but legomania.

There is nothing quite like waking up and feeling like the
opportunities are endless, yet at the same time there is no pressure
to be, do or go anything or anywhere more than what we truly want to.
Simple summer days are those that are embraced fully, savored the
most, and what memories are made of. They are wonderfully fabulously
imperfect, peppered with the realities of arguing and stress that come
with living but they are truly the most wonderful days.

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Thanks for visiting, even on a Saturday.  Hope your weekend is simply wonderful.

Picnic for Two – Summer Faith

Photo courtesy of Sydney, The Charming Tyrants

Summer Series – Day Five

Summer Faith

Wow.  This has been a really excellent Summer Series, hasn’t it?  I’ll kinda feel bad when it’s all over and you’re stuck with me again.  I hope you’ve been as encouraged, inspired, challenged, and motivated as I have been.  I really appreciate each of my guests.  They’ve gone the extra mile for us and that makes me want to pass it on.

Today I’d like to welcome Megan from Faith Like Mustard.  I’m generally not a fan of Mustard, but I love Megan’s blog.  I haven’t known her long in blog time, but I feel a kindred spirit with her.  She’s also a pastor’s wife and she talks a lot about faith on her blog.  While my blog is a different kind of crazy every day, hers is more focused.  She knows what she wants to say and it’s always a blessing.  Today is no exception.

Read on and be encouraged on this hazy, HOT, and humid summer day.

Photo Credit

Summer is the perfect time for picnics. The thought of spreading an old quilt over a patch of soft, green grass, and gorging on the finest summertime delicacies while tiny birds serenade from the treetops makes me squeal with glee. Throw in a cute little old-fashioned picnic basket and I may faint with giddiness.

The funny thing about picnics is, they don’t always match the ideal picture in our minds: the grass is dry and crunchy, there are ants in the potato salad and you’re too busy sopping up armpit sweat to eat anyway.

Similarly, we often conjure up an image of what the Christian life will be like—all smiles and potluck fellowships—only to find that we have our fair share of heartbreaks, disappointments, and times when we feel so alone, that we can only wonder if God has abandoned us.

He hasn’t.

C.S. Lewis, a much smarter guy than I will ever be, nailed it with this quote:

“God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” ~from “The Problem of Pain”

So, be encouraged. Your ice cream may be melted, but you can always stick a straw in it and call it a milkshake! Even if your picnicking conditions aren’t ideal, at least take comfort in knowing that you’re not dining alone. God will never leave you nor forsake you. That’s a pinkie-promise.

Megan blogs at Faith Like Mustard. When she’s not watering her mustard seed-sized faith, she is busy being a mama to two girls, loving on The Husband (who happens to be a Preacher Man), teaching teens how to love literature, eating chocolate, avoiding the laundry and reading a pile of good books….but not usually at the same time.

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What a great promise to bring into this weekend!

Fiction Friday will return next week at its normally scheduled time, but really, is anything normally scheduled on this blog?

Be back tomorrow for Summer Simple!

Happy Friday.