Wordless Wednesday

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Catching Up

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May?  And now, it's almost September?  Really??  Yep.  That's what happens when this happens.

Add a lot of

, ~ a little and, unfortunately, a fair dose of

and wow, yep, it IS almost September!  I'm getting healthy and ready for fall - hope you are, too!  It will be a new season in many ways!

Wordless Wednesday

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Wordless Wednesday

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Almost Wordless Wednesday

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"29 days 'til spring. But who's counting?"

Almost Wordless Wednesday

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"Yes, Virginia, there is a summer."

Wordless Wednesday

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One for the Birds

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I have seen a lot of winters {insert age jokes here} and in many places (Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Indiana - yep, moved a lot).  And while I'm not saying this is the worst winter I've seen, I'm definitely ranking it towards the top -- I think it's an age thing.  Yeah, I'll say it.  It's an age thing.  Cold, ice, snow, wind....repeat....cold, ice, snow, wind.  Not doing it for me anymore.

So, yes, for me, this winter is for the birds.  But, it really is for the birds.  This picture, taken from two storms ago (and I've lost count on our total number of snowfalls this year), is at the end of our driveway where the wintry trees and shrubs are home to several families of cardinals.  They will even stay put if we drive toward the garage slowly.

We have had our bird feeders out since the summer, but the winter activity has been fun to watch.  This feeder is just outside our family room window, allowing us a close-up view, and to the right is a miniature evergreen where the birds often "hang out" between eating. 

The two biggest challenges are keeping the feeders filled in the middle of or in between storms - here's hubby trying his best - and an ongoing battle with a family of black squirrels from our neighbors' tree.  The squirrels seem to think we are feeding them, and at any given time, we may look out and see one of them clinging to the feeder and chomping away, spilling seed to the ground.  Hubby will bang on the window - doing his best Clark Griswold or The Old Man Parker ("The Christmas Story") imitation - to chase them away...one defiant squirrel found itself the target of a tennis ball this weekend when it didn't respond to the banging window. :)

Of course, the birds still enjoy the feed either way - from the feeder or on the ground.  But with this winter weather and greedy squirrels, birdseed is becoming a weekly staple on the grocery list.

If anyone has any suggestions for dealing with the squirrels, please let me know! We've tried WD40 on the pole and no, please, no guns. ;)  Meanwhile, we'll keep feeding everyone, I suppose and wait for spring!

Wordless Wednesday

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(photo by "soccer girl" several years ago - great shot and today, a promise of spring!)

Wordless Wednesday

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Wordless Wednesday

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Wordless Wednesday - Did Someone Say Futbol?

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If It's Monday, I Must Be in...

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I literally have been living out of a suitcase the last few weeks...well, ok, my Land's End totes.  It's soccer season; we have three adorable grandchildren; and our oldest daughter had to be hospitalized with an overlooked kidney infection.  From one day to the next, I have been swapping out hats - soccer Mom, Mimi, and Mom....hence, no time for this.  But here's a glimpse of what life has been like :)

One special little girl had her first day of Preschool Pre-K (I stand corrected - there is a big difference!). 

This little one melts my heart whenever she looks at me - as do her brother and sister, of course :)

Ladies, listen to your bodies and allow your bodies to override what doctors may try to tell you (my daughter was told for two days - and then into a weekend - that she had an ovarian cyst...and then a "very large" ovarian cyst when she tried to explain she was getting worse....real diagnosis ended up being a kidney infection which of course, was raging by the time it was caught so she ended up being hospitalized).  And moms, follow up on your gut instincts when you're in the ER with your daughter and son-in-law with a "breeze in and breeze out" ER doc and speak up if the diagnosis doesn't jive with the symptoms....believe me, it will save you a lot of mommy-guilt later on :/  Yes, mommy-guilt follows you no matter the age.

Ah, and take a look at this yummy dish.

And seems so easy-peasy, too.  And, I tried it out for hubby and myself - so, yes, it is pretty easy-peasy...I do recommend increasing the ricotta mixture a bit as even with measuring the 1/4 cup per noodle, there was not enough to do 8 roll-ups.  

HOWEVER, I do NOT recommend selecting this recipe to prepare for 36 college soccer players and their coach unless you are better at time management than I am....long story short:  one pan of roll-ups, 3 pans of caprese lasagna, dinner arrives 30 minutes late, team still delightfully happy and gracious.  Whew!

Soccer season is in full swing...

Making jewelry?  Must find time...must find time...

On the road again...