kandas-adventures

Fall Has Come

The house at the end of our street that was vacant after foreclosure last year has new owners now, so we couldn't play in their yard like we did last year.  About half of the houses in our neighborhood have a maple tree in their front yard.  Ours is a Japanese Maple, with probably a million tiny leaves.  Others have giant-leafed maples, with bigger, but fewer leaves.  Most homeowners deal with their leaves by mowing them into bits with their lawn mowers, and dumping them in the yard-waste bins for collection by the waste management service.  Others let their lawn-service people use those annoyingly loud leaf blowers to disperse them off their property -- sometimes into the street, often under the bushes to be left as winter mulch.  Few people seem to own a rake and make a pile for children to jump in anymore.  That leaves me.

Perfecting the peak of one of several piles.

Even after dark, it's fun to go out and play in the leaf pile.

During a quieter moment, after the jumpers had collapsed from exhaustion, we even brought a foster kitten outside to explore the leaves for a few minutes.

When we move from this house, I'm really going to miss this maple tree.  We can't take it with us, because it is huge, and also because the developer was very thoughtful about siting all trees directly over all the underground utilities -- gas lines, water lines, electric lines, sewer lines.  Some of our neighbors have had trouble with root intrusion because of this.  Stupid developers!  They had good taste in trees (sometimes), but poor judgement in placement.

Now that the leaves have all fallen, the kids are anxiously awaiting the first snowfall.

Bedroom Update

With all the up and down I've been doing (check out the 3 alarm clocks, and the outdoor temperature for June 1st!) to feed tiny kittens through the night, our low-to-the ground bed was getting to be a pain in my knees.  My husband has pains of his own, and will have back surgery this summer.  The wincing and yelping the two of us were doing getting in and out of this bed was making us feel really elderly.  Plus I was constantly bruising my shins on the corners of it, which hung out over a toe-kick.  It was time for a new bed.

I'd had my eye on one at IKEA for about a year.  The only catch was that it was a white canopy bed, and my husband is a "woodgrain" kind of guy.   Our existing bed was one he had bought in the 1970's with his first wife, so it was my turn.  Besides, I think I had him at a disadvantage because his back is in so much pain, that the new bed would be better no matter what it looked like.

 So off we went to IKEA, and there on the cart is our new bed, one metal mid-beam and two cartons.  Would there be enough room in our van for it, with our family of 5 (Grammy was with us) already on board?  You bet! Instead of wooden slats, we bought a foundation, which is a cloth covered wood frame similar to a box spring without the springs.  That got to ride on the roof of the car.  My goal was to have a really high bed, one that I could roll out of and find myself standing up, and one that I could lean ever so slightly over and be lying down.  No stress on the joints.  No hoisting or dropping.

The real fun with IKEA furniture is the construction.  Since my husband's back was out, I got to disassemble the old bed, carry each piece downstairs, and return upstairs with each piece of the new bed.  Then up and down the stairs a few more times for assorted things, throw in a kitten feeding and preparing lunch for the girls, and I think I got my stair workout for the day.  My knees sure were complaining!

After a few hours (with interruptions, of course), the bed was finally made!  I love that it has lots of storage space underneath, and of course is really high.  Tired as I was at the end of the day, I didn't drop into bed, I simply leaned toward it and was lying down, just as I planned.  When the first alarm went off at 1:00am to feed the kittens, I just rolled over and stood up.  Brilliant!

Flashback Friday -- Succulents

 
Every February I make a trip to the nurseries and tropical plant stores in search of succulents. When the weather outside is grey, miserable, damp, and dark, my dish gardens of succulents remind me of my time in the desert when I was 19.  During that year I struggled to find my place in the world, didn't always have enough to eat or a roof over my head, but living in the desert the sun always shone and I was surrounded by plants that defied the odds and survived harsh conditions.  Their strength, as well as their intricate beauty and ability to adapt, inspired me.

Although my dish gardens of succulents reside near a window where I don't often see them, I water them on schedule and inspect them carefully, rotating them as they grow toward the light.  One might think they're neglected, but really they thrive on solitude.  The succulents remind me of a time in my life that was dark emotionally, but bright with potential.  It's fitting that in the darkness of winter when I might be feeling blue, when I miss working outside in my garden, that I can turn to my succulent gardens for encouragement.

I used to keep them in a north facing window (pictured above) with my grandfather's shell and glass float collection, but they didn't do well in the winter, so they now live near a south facing window where the winter sun can induce their growth and blooming.  

The February re-potting ritual is one the girls look forward to almost as much as I do.  We buy a few new specimens to replace those that have passed, trim the ones that are leggy, wash the pots thoroughly, use fresh soil, and create new arrangements.  It's a great way to begin the gardening season, and dream of warmer, sunnier days ahead!

This picture is of Little K at age 3, helping me with the repotting, and dreaming of warmer days ahead.  

THAT time again

  This year I helped unload the semi truck for our service unit. 
  Then it was time to turn around and load trucks, vans, and station wagons for each troop.
  
 
My own 2 troops included.  1400 boxes of cookies this year between the two. 
And "Fort Cookie 2010" takes shape in the playroom. 
Followed by 3 cold and rainy site sales.  I keep telling myself: it's almost over, it's almost over...

Birthday Weekend

So I turned 40 recently.  My cousin sent me an "edible arrangement" which the girls were most enthusiastic about!
My mom stopped by to say "goodbye" to the kittens who are due back at the shelter this week, to be released for adoption.
My little one harvested some Lilacs for me.  Usually they're in bloom for Mother's Day, but this year they opened for my birthday.  Behind Little K is the rhubarb in bloom.
My eternally youthful stepmother baked me a chocolate cake with orange extract and Grand Marnier (sp?).  It was divine!
It took three swift hands and a fire extinguisher at the ready to get all those candles lit.
The previous weekend my mom and sister in law threw me a little surprise party -- just our immediate family.  I was truly surprised!

The evening of my actual birthday we got take out from California Pizza Kitchen (Pear gorgonzola pizza, asparagus soup, BBQ chicken ranch chopped salad, etc!) and had a picnic, then went to the Botanical Garden -- one of my favorite hang-outs.  Sorry, no photos -- we did orienteering also, and I wanted to travel light for the hike so I left the camera at home.
Most of the weekend was spent working in the garden.  Bed #2 is in, and #3 is next.  It was a great weekend, sunny and warm.  I guess turning 40 isn't so bad, when you're surrounded by great family and friends, and of course, adorable kittens.

Welcome to Fort Cookie!

Here's what 888 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies looks like.  My girls didn't sell them all -- this is the order for our whole troop of 13 girls.  Over the last few days the fort has disappeared as cookies have gone out the door to be delivered. 

I'm still sick, but semi-functional.  As usual, for the girls it's a few days of the sniffles, and for me it's a sinus infection that won't quit.  This morning I felt like my eyeballs were going to pop out of their sockets from the pressure.  Pharmaceuticals are seeing me through, but I'm looking forward to the morning when I wake up and feel better.  Maybe tomorrow? 

Fall Harvest

I love this time of year.  Our fruit trees and our garden are overflowing, and neighbors stop by to help us harvest.  There is nothing like fresh fruit ripening to attract neighbors, and wildlife!
The crows and squirrels have been as busy as we have with our Italian prune, which has ripened 3 weeks late this year.
The raccoons were making such a mess of the grape arbor, including knocking out the cross-supports, and fighting loudly at 2 am, that we had to wrap the posts with metal ducting to prevent them from climbing up.  But I understand their hunger, so I pick a few bunches of grapes and toss them on the grass for them to retrieve in the night.  We certainly can't eat all these grapes ourselves!
The grapes are finally sweet, but the skins are very thick this year because they were on the vine so long, and it was such a cool summer.

This is the view from the kitchen window as I do dishes.  Green beans galore!  Usually August is our month to deal with beans, but they were 6 weeks late, so I've been busy putting them up for the winter.  One reason we're able to grow as much as we do on our small city lot is because we grow many things vertically.
My beloved Honeycrisp apple tree bore 7 sweet apples this year, a miracle given that it nearly died this winter.  Something, perhaps a mountain beaver, girdled it (stripped away all the bark on the trunk).  I noticed the damage shortly after it happened and was able to wrap the trunk with old cloth diapers to protect it until spring, when it was dry enough to apply grafting compound to seal the wound.  I now keep an ugly metal hardware-cloth tube around the trunk to prevent a repeat attack.
Our other apple trees bore well, despite the April snow when they were in bloom.  Unfortunately I failed to do enough thinning, so we have about a thousand little apples, so I see gallons of applesauce in my near future.

We planted a 5-way Asian pear, and only then did we realize that we only liked 1 of the 5 varieties.  We harvest all the fruit on one branch, and let the crows and squirrels have at the other 4 branches.  The varieties we don't like are very grainy -- like eating sand -- so the tree has turned out to be mostly an ornamental, and what a beauty it is.
Here is a neighbor boy trying a bite of fresh tomato from our garden after much encouragement from his mom.
And Potatoes!  We have lots of them this year!  I've already made a potato leek soup this week, and it was a welcome taste of fall.
And what's a garden without worms?  Really BIG worms, actually....
Thanks for aerating our soil, slimy guy!
Ooh, that tickles!  This is what you call a foot-long worm.
The cat is not impressed.  She's trying to soak up as much sun as possible, before the dark and gray of a Pacific Northwest winter descends upon us.
Speaking of cats... how about a peek at the cute little kittens?
Tiger is 2 pounds now and will be going back to the Humane Society for his little snip job next week.  This guy will be adopted quickly.  He's such an affectionate little love.   He purrs constantly, loves to snuggle and be held, and doesn't he have the cutest little face?

And little Maxine continues to be a wild thing, full of mischief and naughtiness.   She still likes to nip at your fingers, but not constantly like she was doing.  I know that it will be harder for her to find a home.  There are a lot of people who are superstitious about black cats, especially this time of year.  Although she does purr, she doesn't like to sit with you for long, she is just too curious to stay in one place when there is so much to explore!
Both kittens' eyes have turned from baby blue to yellow green.   They'll only be with us a short time more, so I'm trying to get my fill of their sweetness, much to the disgust of our resident cats!  The old lady cats will be Soooo happy when these guys vacate the premises and return to the Humane Society for adoption.

Portrait of my Monday

Laundry and fallout from husband and the girls going skiing yesterday.  I know you want some.

Sunday and this morning's papers scattered on the kitchen table.  I'll probably toss the pile without even glancing at my favorite sections this time.

We had our first Girl Scout cookie sale where we stood at a table in the cold outside a store and hoped passers-by would stop and buy some.  We sold only half of the nearly 200 boxes of cookies I'd hauled there.  Did I mention that I was in charge and am doing all the paperwork for our troop's sale?  So far our troop has sold about 600 boxes, mostly to friends, family, neighbors, etc.

I took the plunge and bought a crock pot with the weekly coupon at Costco.  I'm making my very first pot roast, based on this inspiration.  I hope it turns out.  It sure is making the house smell good.

A "little" volunteer work.  I'm doing the yearbook for the 600  +/- student school that my daughters attend.  I've put in at least 100 hours so far, and I'm about half way to completion.  I shoot a lot of the photos, but obviously I can't be in all 28 classrooms for each holiday party, nor can I tag along on all the field trips (even though I think that would be fun!), so I'm dependent on teachers and parents giving me photos they take.  Some photos need a lot of "resuscitation" in photoshop to be usable, others are just plain useless, like ones taken from far across the auditorium with a camera phone.  There are certain parents in each class who volunteered to submit photos.  One parent submitted only photos of her own kid and maybe one or two other kids in the class.  Another class parent  submitted 5 photos -- one from each class party -- and thought that was all that was needed, and refuses to take any more photos.  In these cases I have to make arrangements with each teacher and go into the classroom myself and take candids.

My spooky little kitty, with her one green eye and one gold eye, who follows me everywhere offering "assistance" as only feline helpers can.

Here she is "helping" me fold the warm towels before putting them away.

Happy Monday!

There's a scrapbooking room under there somewhere!

Lest you think everything is organized at my house, I present you with "The Junk Room..."

In it are 2 solid oak and teak desks which I do not like because they are too short (28" tall, barely high enough for me to shove my long legs under, and then I always hunch to work at them -- when they're clean, that is!).  Since the desks are too low for me to comfortably sit at, I just use them as storage.

The room has become a repository of things my kids have outgrown, but are too nice to just donate or throw away.  I could sell them on ebay, craigslist, or at a garage sale... someday.  Then there are the things I want to save for eventual grandchildren, like that Norwegian baby carriage.  We don't have an attic or basement, so it lives here.  There's also a whole pile of clothes over there on the desk that need mending.  If I wait long enough they'll be outgrown before I get to them.  This room is also where the toys "disappear to" when they are not cleaned up -- it's the toy time-out room.  It's also where we hide the breakable toys or favorite toys that my girls don't want wrecked  when their more rambunctious friends come over to play. 

Oh, and that lamp with 2 shades?  I like the new shade better, but I need to get an adapter to fit the existing lamp, or just start over and get a new base.  Haven't gotten around to that one yet.

All on the floor, under the card table set up in the foreground, are boxes of stuff from my mom's house that I need to sort through.  Things like old albums filled with photos of my grandmothers' world travels:

Of course very few of the photos are labeled, the people are little pin-heads off in the distance, and there's no clue as to when, where, what, why, or who.  I finally spent an afternoon removing all these photos from the albums which were terribly inefficient space-wise, and then sorted the photos, only saving ones that were in focus (most weren't) and featured something interesting.  After several hours I'd reduced a box of thousands of photos to a neat little stack an inch high.  My mom would kill me, don't tell.  Somehow my mom expects me to absorb all the stuff from her gigantic house (with full basement and stand-up attic) into my little house with no basement or attic.

Oh, and I'm still plugging away at this project, but it is harder to make progress on because his photos are actually really good quality and many do capture family history.  So I haven't done well in compressing those boxes of memorabilia.

Then there are the boxes of knick knacks that my mom thinks are valuable.  Well, they probably would be if they'd been cared for, but most of the pieces are chipped and poorly glued back together, stained, scratched, or otherwise abused.

There are also a lot of pieces she thinks are original but are really cheap fakes that she or my grandmother didn't realize when they were buying them years ago.  Going through all these boxes, checking on ebay, verifying authenticity (or not, as is mostly the case), and then breaking the news to my mom that there's no market for most of her stuff... it's exhausting.

I'm going under the assumption that when my mom finally consents to leaving her big house, either for the nursing home or the cemetery, I'll have to just call in an Estate Sale company.  But I've heard horror stories.  Just this past weekend my mom helped one of her friends with an estate sale at the house of an elderly relative.  My mom described an absolute frenzy of buyers tossing things here and there, and the estate sale employees letting stuff go for pennies on the dollar, if not for free.  After two days the woman made less than $2,000. on a house that had been filled with antiques.  Mom and her friend suspect that the estate sale company took in a lot more money than they claimed, or that the employees were just reckless in letting stuff go for free that should have been sold.

If ever there is an incentive for me to sort through and get rid of stuff, this is it.  Now to just find the time.

Putting it back together

This weekend we finally FINISHED the floor and were able to put furniture back into place, as opposed to having it crammed into every corner of the house.  Note the two cats perching by (and on) the organ which we'd upended to inspect the casters.  The cat on the organ is the one who is responsible for us having to undertake this whole project in the first place.

This is the first photo I took of the girls moving back into the playroom.  Note how I failed to focus the lens on them and somehow was drawn to that gleaming new floor.

First thing to be unpacked was the Playmobil.  They really love that stuff and will play for HOURS creating all kinds of dramas and adventures and landscapes in miniature.

The new floor means no more little bits and pieces lost in the carpet.  It also gives a smooth surface for all the vehicles to speed along on.  Next out will be the matchbox cars.

I was really glad to get the IKEA shoe benches set back up.  These are A's shoes, above, and below are K's:

Several of K's shoes were just recently handed down from A.  The girls are just one size apart right now as K is in a growth spurt and A is overdue for one.

It feels so good to get the house put back together before school starts, so we can spend this remaining week relaxing and enjoying just being HOME.