When Holly and I were in Virginia last month, I was very pleased that I was able to find my way from "our" house to a nearby town, even though I did not have a map showing me those details. I love maps, I like their preciseness and dependability. And the idea of moving someplace totally unfamiliar is a little intimidating to me. I'm a control freak, and I like knowing exactly where I'm going, how to get there, and how to do it perfectly the first time.
It occurred to me that I had extra cash to spend. I often get money gifts from my parents for Christmas and birthdays. I'm very good at saving it, and often a year will go by and I still have money left over.
Sooooo I bought a GPS receiver. It came in the mail yesterday. Typical me, it sat in the box on the table for quite a while before I opened it. Several hours later, I finally popped the CD into my computer. And nothing. Nada. It wouldn't read the disc, wouldn't even recognize that a disc was in the drive. But it's not my computer, because I tried another disc that worked just fine.
I finally called TigerDirect (where I ordered it) this morning. Based on the paperwork they sent me, I knew I should be calling Garmin. I was thrilled that the Tiger rep answered quickly and spoke English VERY clearly. He referred me to the Garmin website, where I found several downloads.
And several hours later, I was able to get part of it set up, but I can't figure out where to load the initial maps. I continue to get error messages when attempting to download different updates. I'm so frustrated. I feel like I must be OLD, why can't I figure this out, and why can't it be EASY? (Why do they even assume I have a computer in the first place?)
Robert makes it seem easy. "Get the disc replaced." Well, yeah. But then I have to call Garmin, at the very least, and their customer service isn't open until Monday morning. I hate feeling so incompetent that I can't get this up and running.
I wonder if I should just try the Photoshop stuff this weekend.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Book Review - The Politically Incorrect Guide to Global Warming and Environmentalism by Christopher Horner
I'm debating even writing a review on this book. I've read another PIG (Politically Incorrect Guide) recently and enjoyed it. Silly me to assume that all the books in this series would be equally good.
The author's style is that of a political pundit. There may very well be some gems hidden inside but the never ending stream of sarcasm is tiresome. This is unfortunate, because I believe global warming is a multi-faceted issue, and I was hoping to read something truly informative.
I didn't waste my time continuing to read. This book is not recommended, but I'd love to hear suggestions. And, dear Lori, sorry, your friend Al's book is not quite what I had in mind **wink**.
:)
The author's style is that of a political pundit. There may very well be some gems hidden inside but the never ending stream of sarcasm is tiresome. This is unfortunate, because I believe global warming is a multi-faceted issue, and I was hoping to read something truly informative.
I didn't waste my time continuing to read. This book is not recommended, but I'd love to hear suggestions. And, dear Lori, sorry, your friend Al's book is not quite what I had in mind **wink**.
:)
Friday, June 29, 2007
Book Review - The Order of Things by Barbara Ann Kipfer
Holly and Trevor usually work on memorization daily, learning a wide range of things, from books of the Bible and the original 13 colonies to the more frivolous 'Twas the Night Before Christmas and other silly poems.
In my quest in keeping their topics both interesting and educational, I noticed this interesting book mentioned on TWTM boards as a possible resource. Consider the title: The Order of Things: How Everything in the World Is Organized into Hierarchies, Structures, & Pecking Orders. The book contains an amazing variety of lists such as artillery ranks, bodies of water, federal tax system, Chinese dynasties, Hebrew calendar, branches of anthropology, motion picture rating system, and the satellites of Uranus.
It was easy to "read"--as fast as I could turn individual pages, I could see if anything on a page interested me. But I'm not sure that was even worth my effort. I noticed the Beatitudes, something I've considered before that would be a good addition. As I flipped through the countries of the world section, I thought that learning the U.S. Presidents might be a good one too--but in a **bizarre** omission, the 43 Presidents of our country are not listed in this book. (But the many dozen British Prime Ministers are.)
Not a book I'd recommend. Although I don't have to choose just one, I would overall much prefer Jack Prelutsky. Hey, he may not be quite as educational, but he makes the morning fun!
In my quest in keeping their topics both interesting and educational, I noticed this interesting book mentioned on TWTM boards as a possible resource. Consider the title: The Order of Things: How Everything in the World Is Organized into Hierarchies, Structures, & Pecking Orders. The book contains an amazing variety of lists such as artillery ranks, bodies of water, federal tax system, Chinese dynasties, Hebrew calendar, branches of anthropology, motion picture rating system, and the satellites of Uranus.
It was easy to "read"--as fast as I could turn individual pages, I could see if anything on a page interested me. But I'm not sure that was even worth my effort. I noticed the Beatitudes, something I've considered before that would be a good addition. As I flipped through the countries of the world section, I thought that learning the U.S. Presidents might be a good one too--but in a **bizarre** omission, the 43 Presidents of our country are not listed in this book. (But the many dozen British Prime Ministers are.)
Not a book I'd recommend. Although I don't have to choose just one, I would overall much prefer Jack Prelutsky. Hey, he may not be quite as educational, but he makes the morning fun!
Book Reviews -- kind of
Through Holly's photography class, she took advantage of the opportunity to buy Adobe Photoshop Elements photo editing software. (You can guess who paid for it.) It's the original version, which is why we got such a deal on it.
I love playing with my pictures. I have the uncontrollable urge to do at least something, anything, to the photos I take. For awhile, it was sharpen, warmify, and glow. More recently, it's been crop, saturate and fiddle with tuning buttons. Must. Change. Every. Photo. The only pictures I don't touch are my Pikes Peak pics from my house. But it's soooo tempting! Just think of what they could look like then. Why did I make that promise to Cindy way back in the beginning?
But I'm rather a computer idiot, and I don't like trying new things. Remember that I had a new camera for a year, and I never opened the box. Robert finally gave up--but just on that camera. He bought me another new one. I'm sure he thought there was something about the earlier new camera that I didn't like. He's right. It was new, and I liked my old one.
But I suffered with the newest camera, sacrificing all for my dh's sake, and managed to use the newest camera. On the first day even. That was 5 months and 2016 pictures ago. Really.
So I have this "new" (old) Photoshop software. I don't know why it really intimidates me. It's still in the plastic wrap. In my quest to overcome my now-phobia, I checked out two books from the library, Scott Kelby's Photoshop Elements 3 and Deke McClelland's Photoshop Elements 2 for Dummies. (Yes, my software is #1, and the books are #2 and #3.)
I skimmed/read through the books. They were very interesting. The software seems great! I read about levels, memory, palettes, dusting, clones, filters, and dithering, and my head begins to slowly spin. I can't bring myself to APPLY what I'm reading. I feel nowhere near competent enough to slip the CD into my computer. I've tried encouraging Holly, even telling her, Wow, we can do this together one afternoon! She's not fooled that easily.
So the books are going back to the library. The software remains in the package. For now. I'm too dumb for the Dummies book. I am pathetic.
I love playing with my pictures. I have the uncontrollable urge to do at least something, anything, to the photos I take. For awhile, it was sharpen, warmify, and glow. More recently, it's been crop, saturate and fiddle with tuning buttons. Must. Change. Every. Photo. The only pictures I don't touch are my Pikes Peak pics from my house. But it's soooo tempting! Just think of what they could look like then. Why did I make that promise to Cindy way back in the beginning?
But I'm rather a computer idiot, and I don't like trying new things. Remember that I had a new camera for a year, and I never opened the box. Robert finally gave up--but just on that camera. He bought me another new one. I'm sure he thought there was something about the earlier new camera that I didn't like. He's right. It was new, and I liked my old one.
But I suffered with the newest camera, sacrificing all for my dh's sake, and managed to use the newest camera. On the first day even. That was 5 months and 2016 pictures ago. Really.
So I have this "new" (old) Photoshop software. I don't know why it really intimidates me. It's still in the plastic wrap. In my quest to overcome my now-phobia, I checked out two books from the library, Scott Kelby's Photoshop Elements 3 and Deke McClelland's Photoshop Elements 2 for Dummies. (Yes, my software is #1, and the books are #2 and #3.)
I skimmed/read through the books. They were very interesting. The software seems great! I read about levels, memory, palettes, dusting, clones, filters, and dithering, and my head begins to slowly spin. I can't bring myself to APPLY what I'm reading. I feel nowhere near competent enough to slip the CD into my computer. I've tried encouraging Holly, even telling her, Wow, we can do this together one afternoon! She's not fooled that easily.
So the books are going back to the library. The software remains in the package. For now. I'm too dumb for the Dummies book. I am pathetic.
Belt test
When I signed Trevor up for this karate class, we knew we'd be moving, and we weren't sure how many weeks he'd actually attend. We found out this week that his last class is two days before we move! More perfect timing! I really like this class. All of the kids had this teacher in co-op last semester. Trevor knew several of them already, and I think it's great for the class that the teacher knows them all too. Her three kids help teach the class, and Trevor knows them from co-op too.
Trevor passed his belt test yesterday, earning his High Yellow belt. There will be a belt ceremony at Monday's class. Great job, Trev!!!
Trevor passed his belt test yesterday, earning his High Yellow belt. There will be a belt ceremony at Monday's class. Great job, Trev!!!
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Catching up
Holly's friend was here for a few days. We took a drive out to Melanie's so Mackenzie could see where Holly rides. This is Big Mac, Holly's favorite horse to ride.
Everyone loves to see the new filly, Dbl Shot.
Mom Espresso loves when Robert feeds her grass that she can't usually reach. He'll call her and she'll usually come quickly, even before she knows if he has a treat or not.
We took the newt from our backyard and let him into the bigger pond nearby. We still don't know how he ended up in our yard, but we figure he has a great chance for a good life here. The boys prove, once again, that anything can be a weapon.
We met Mackenzie's mom halfway between our two cities. (Well, we really meet at a town in between, but this is along our drive.)
Robert's birthday celebration was low key. He's not a fan of his birthday. He'll swear he's 32. And I say, for the 15th time. (And I'm exaggerating, poor guy!) This is the BEST time of year, because for six weeks, he's a whole year older than I am!
Holly was out at Melanie's again today.
At the request of the builder of the VA house, we called him today to give input on the kitchen counter and appliance colors. I'm pretty sure I met him when we visited the house last month with our realtor, but we didn't know who he was. (Three men were working on the house at the time.) It was FUN to rush through Lowe's to find some things we liked, as he wanted an answer pretty quickly!
And we had friends over for dinner. So far, it's been a great week!
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Weekly menu
Chinese buffet (Robert's birthday)
steak, Greek salad, French bread, grilled mushrooms, cake (friends for dinner)
shredded beef tacos (if it's cool enough to have the crockpot on all day)
Husband Delight, iceberg lettuce salad
gourmet bleu/pepper burgers (on clearance at grocery), creamed cukes, corn on the cob
some sort of pasta, maybe pasta with fresh basil, tomatoes, garlic, feta, and olive oil
bbq hotdogs, baked beans, ___________
On the back burner:
fried chicken (store bought, IF it's on sale), _______, _________
4th of July
Ginger's pizza, she put artichokes, red pepper, and feta on top too.
tri-tip steak, green salad, _______
Rocky Mountain salad
steak, Greek salad, French bread, grilled mushrooms, cake (friends for dinner)
shredded beef tacos (if it's cool enough to have the crockpot on all day)
Husband Delight, iceberg lettuce salad
gourmet bleu/pepper burgers (on clearance at grocery), creamed cukes, corn on the cob
some sort of pasta, maybe pasta with fresh basil, tomatoes, garlic, feta, and olive oil
bbq hotdogs, baked beans, ___________
On the back burner:
fried chicken (store bought, IF it's on sale), _______, _________
4th of July
Ginger's pizza, she put artichokes, red pepper, and feta on top too.
tri-tip steak, green salad, _______
Rocky Mountain salad
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Quotables by Trevor
Trevor: You know what song we haven't heard in awhile? The King Is Insulted.
Dad: What?!
Mom: Honey, the name of the song is The King Is EXHALTED.
Trevor: Yeah, that one.
Dad: What?!
Mom: Honey, the name of the song is The King Is EXHALTED.
Trevor: Yeah, that one.
House update!!
Our house is under contract!!!
Holly and I were in VA last month to look at the house we've been waiting for. You would think that I would have taken a shot of the front of the house--but it's all on video. The best I can do is the side of the house, still under construction. :)
Here's our timeline. It's been incredible.
March: We find a house online in VA that we really like. The house is currently under construction and has been up for sale since December . In an odd twist/leap of faith, I stumble upon a Christian realtor and just decide to go with her.
April: We put our house up for sale.
May: Holly and I travel to VA specifically to check out this house. Another couple has asked if they will consider a contingent contract, and they're told "the builder never accepts these." We fall in love with the house, and our realtor writes a contingent contract. We negotiate briefly, and our contract is accepted, including a clause that gives us 72 hours to perform IF they accept another offer.
Meanwhile, I can't believe our house hasn't sold. We've had loads of showings, hear mostly fabulous feedback, but we can't clinch the sale. Once our offer on the VA house is accepted, our showings drop to almost nothing (which is more typical of our market).
June:
Friday. Our realtor here has heard we'll be getting an offer. She wouldn't normally tell us this, but she thinks we could use the encouragement.
Saturday. I wake up to an email from our VA realtor, who's been told by the seller's realtor that they are expecting a written contract on the house. This is the same couple who wanted the house back at the beginning of May, and they've sold their own house.
We get the offer on this house later in the morning. It's not what we were expecting, and we have to counter offer on several issues.
Last night, we get a verbal acceptance of our contract.
Sunday. At noon today, we get the signed contract. This allows us to cement our contract on the VA house, removing the possibility of someone else writing another offer on it.
Whenever I've started to worry this past month, I've kept thinking, Be still, be still. What a way for God to show us His perfect timing and awesomeness.
Holly and I were in VA last month to look at the house we've been waiting for. You would think that I would have taken a shot of the front of the house--but it's all on video. The best I can do is the side of the house, still under construction. :)
Here's our timeline. It's been incredible.
March: We find a house online in VA that we really like. The house is currently under construction and has been up for sale since December . In an odd twist/leap of faith, I stumble upon a Christian realtor and just decide to go with her.
April: We put our house up for sale.
May: Holly and I travel to VA specifically to check out this house. Another couple has asked if they will consider a contingent contract, and they're told "the builder never accepts these." We fall in love with the house, and our realtor writes a contingent contract. We negotiate briefly, and our contract is accepted, including a clause that gives us 72 hours to perform IF they accept another offer.
Meanwhile, I can't believe our house hasn't sold. We've had loads of showings, hear mostly fabulous feedback, but we can't clinch the sale. Once our offer on the VA house is accepted, our showings drop to almost nothing (which is more typical of our market).
June:
Friday. Our realtor here has heard we'll be getting an offer. She wouldn't normally tell us this, but she thinks we could use the encouragement.
Saturday. I wake up to an email from our VA realtor, who's been told by the seller's realtor that they are expecting a written contract on the house. This is the same couple who wanted the house back at the beginning of May, and they've sold their own house.
We get the offer on this house later in the morning. It's not what we were expecting, and we have to counter offer on several issues.
Last night, we get a verbal acceptance of our contract.
Sunday. At noon today, we get the signed contract. This allows us to cement our contract on the VA house, removing the possibility of someone else writing another offer on it.
* * *
Whenever I've started to worry this past month, I've kept thinking, Be still, be still. What a way for God to show us His perfect timing and awesomeness.
* * *
"Be still and know that I am God . . . "
Ps. 46:10a
Ps. 46:10a
Saturday
It was a zoo around here today, and I'll likely update tomorrow. In the midst of it all, Holly's oldest and dear best friend came to spend a few days with us. Robert made his famous chile rellanos for dinner, and I went with the kids for a walk. The natives were restless.
Don't let this sweetness deceive you.
It only lasted until he found a sprinkler.
Now soaking wet, and having washed off all the bug spray, he went in search of a stick. Of course, little ones wouldn't do. Crossing over to the dark side, it was time to behead every weed, to smack down every anthill.
Needless to say, we stayed several yards behind.
Then it was back to sweetness and light again.
Back home, it was time to dig into the ice cream. Lucky me, this is typical of the amount of ice cream in my freezer at any given time. This is where my dream life and my reality truly meet.
:)
Don't let this sweetness deceive you.
It only lasted until he found a sprinkler.
Now soaking wet, and having washed off all the bug spray, he went in search of a stick. Of course, little ones wouldn't do. Crossing over to the dark side, it was time to behead every weed, to smack down every anthill.
Needless to say, we stayed several yards behind.Then it was back to sweetness and light again.
* * * *
Back home, it was time to dig into the ice cream. Lucky me, this is typical of the amount of ice cream in my freezer at any given time. This is where my dream life and my reality truly meet.
:)
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Miscellany from the week
Trevor's having a blast in karate. Last weekend, we went to watch a friend of his compete in a karate tournament. It wasn't crowded at all, so we had great seats. I had a chance to finally meet Trev's friend's mom. The boys have known each other through co-op for a year? two? I love how close our large hs community is--the mom and I immediately discovered several friends and acquaintances we have in common.
We've had baby birds galore in our yard, and Trevor literally saved one from the claws of death. How's that for drama? A neighborhood cat was about to pounce on it. Robert put the baby under some bushes until mom returned a few minutes later. I don't know birds very well, but I like these flickers. From the woodpecker family, they go a little crazy in the spring and we will often wake in the morning to their rat-a-tat-tat-ting on the siding.
It's been really warm, and our afternoon clouds finally made their appearance Thursday and Friday.
They provide welcome relief from the heat. Sometimes the afternoon showers include violent thunderstorms, hail and other bad weather, but usually I am grateful for the coolness.
Because we live close to the Air Force Academy, Peterson Air Force Base (home of the oh-so-coll NORAD), Schriever Air Force Base, AND Fort Carson Army Post, we see a lot of thrilling things in our skies. I would never tire of it! Thursday we had four helicopters overhead. Trevor noticed them in time for me to grab my camera.
Holly spent two days at Melanie's this week, one working around the barn, and one for a lesson. I'm not sure how much she really worked that second day, but there were a few other girls there to hang out with. When I got there, they were taking turns spray painting a bench and wheelbarrow, not sweating it out too much!
That same day, Robert took Trevor to see Rise of the Silver Surfer. Rob said it was a great movie, and while he would have liked a little more action, it was well suited for children. Trevor loved it, although he commented on the language, including the word "a$$" and "crap" (a word I particularly discourage). Apparently, Fantastic Four was big when we were kids. Who knew? I guess I was too busy being a Brady.
Nothing of note on the house. As our realtor says, we continue to be the bridesmaid but never the bride. Am I supposed to be glad about this or aggravated?!
We've had baby birds galore in our yard, and Trevor literally saved one from the claws of death. How's that for drama? A neighborhood cat was about to pounce on it. Robert put the baby under some bushes until mom returned a few minutes later. I don't know birds very well, but I like these flickers. From the woodpecker family, they go a little crazy in the spring and we will often wake in the morning to their rat-a-tat-tat-ting on the siding.
It's been really warm, and our afternoon clouds finally made their appearance Thursday and Friday.
They provide welcome relief from the heat. Sometimes the afternoon showers include violent thunderstorms, hail and other bad weather, but usually I am grateful for the coolness.
Because we live close to the Air Force Academy, Peterson Air Force Base (home of the oh-so-coll NORAD), Schriever Air Force Base, AND Fort Carson Army Post, we see a lot of thrilling things in our skies. I would never tire of it! Thursday we had four helicopters overhead. Trevor noticed them in time for me to grab my camera.
Holly spent two days at Melanie's this week, one working around the barn, and one for a lesson. I'm not sure how much she really worked that second day, but there were a few other girls there to hang out with. When I got there, they were taking turns spray painting a bench and wheelbarrow, not sweating it out too much!
That same day, Robert took Trevor to see Rise of the Silver Surfer. Rob said it was a great movie, and while he would have liked a little more action, it was well suited for children. Trevor loved it, although he commented on the language, including the word "a$$" and "crap" (a word I particularly discourage). Apparently, Fantastic Four was big when we were kids. Who knew? I guess I was too busy being a Brady.
Nothing of note on the house. As our realtor says, we continue to be the bridesmaid but never the bride. Am I supposed to be glad about this or aggravated?!
Strawberry Soup and Quesadillas
Lee posted her Strawberry Soup recipe to SHS last summer, and I've finally gotten around to making it. Soooo simple to make, the ingredients are similar to a smoothie.
Lee's Strawberry Soup
20 oz. bag frozen strawberries
1/2 cup milk (I used skim)
1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used skim vanilla)
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp. vanilla
Puree all ingredients in a blender. Pour into a serving bowl, cover and chill for 2 or more hours. Garnish with fresh mint leaves. Serve chilled in small custard cups.
I didn't read this closely ahead of time, so I made it right before dinner. Next time, I'll try chilling it for two hours. I don't think it would taste any different, but it may thin out a little. I used twice as much milk, so mine was a little thinner anyway. Fresh mint leaves? LOL. I do have dried though and crumbled some on top. I'd say it made 8 servings, about 4-5 oz. each?
The kids LOVED this, both asking for seconds. Robert began drinking it until I commented that I'd already asked Trevor not to do that! It was a great summer recipe that I can imagine will become a staple. It would be easy to cut the sugar at least in half, and I plan to try different fruits too . . . peach or mango come to mind.
* * * * *
We've always eaten some variation of quesadillas. This current version is from my mom. I bake them in the oven, because I'd have to watch the stove too closely and my food would surely burn.
Quesadillas
2 tortillas per person
choice of cheeses, we like cheddar, monterey jack or mozzarella, and Mexican blend
choice of toppings such as sliced olives, jalapenos, chopped onion (red, yellow or green), roasted red peppers, cilantro, and any handy leftover grilled meat
Place tortilla on baking sheet. Neatly spread cheese, and then other toppings over cheese. Bake at 375 until cheese is bubbly. Top with second tortilla, turn off heat, and let sit in oven 5 minutes. Remove from oven, and slice into 6 pieces with pizza cutter.
Okay, one of these is quite a bit for one person, but it's a meal for us!
Friday, June 22, 2007
Is this the new blog challenge?
Now that Liz has made me feel really bad for staging my oh-so-perfect-and-clearly-fake life, maybe neighborhood police presence can be the week's challenge?
To put it mildly, Liz has undesirable neighbors. In a recent installment of Liz's ever-so-exciting life, she posted a photo of her lovely street. The five police cars were a nice touch, although not something you want to see on your block, even on a good day.
(Note: Apparently there ARE trees in Oklahoma! Really nice and big treeS, meaning more than one!)
So I've succeeded in giving the impression that I live in a house where we drink champagne and air-dry, thereby not using our fancy corded and tasseled towels. (Um, Cynthia lives like this really, at least the towels part, and I'm not kidding. Well, maybe about the air-dry part. I hope.)
* * * *
But many years ago, I lived with married friends in south San Jose. It wasn't a fancy neighborhood, but the neighbors were nicely friendly, and I felt pretty safe. One Friday afternoon, we noticed that a four door sedan continued to circle our block. Two men with suits were inside, and that was totally out of place on our street. It didn't take a rocket scientist to realize they were undercover policemen. (And in reality, one of my friends WAS a military tank scientist, kinda close to a rocket scientist.) We got together with several of the neighbors that evening to discuss who and what the police were possibly looking for, and I'm quite sure we waved at the car as it drove by yet again. The weekend passed uneventfully.
Early Monday morning, I woke to find two men circling my car with flashlights. I had parked on the street, and they were clearly looking inside my car. I ran to tell my friends, but when we looked again, the men were gone. I went off to work, while my friends stayed to find out what was going on.
A few hours later, our next door neighbor's roommate was arrested. By the Feds. For bank robbery. The roommate had moved in recently and been borrowing the neighbor's car, robbing several banks up and down the Bay Area.
* * * *
After reading Liz's post, I am more appreciative of my current neighbors. They may be occasionally aggravating, but at least I don't have reason to fear for my family's safety. I am grateful that I don't have to wonder about the next round of police activity on my street. Yikes, Liz, that really is some scary stuff.
To put it mildly, Liz has undesirable neighbors. In a recent installment of Liz's ever-so-exciting life, she posted a photo of her lovely street. The five police cars were a nice touch, although not something you want to see on your block, even on a good day.
(Note: Apparently there ARE trees in Oklahoma! Really nice and big treeS, meaning more than one!)
So I've succeeded in giving the impression that I live in a house where we drink champagne and air-dry, thereby not using our fancy corded and tasseled towels. (Um, Cynthia lives like this really, at least the towels part, and I'm not kidding. Well, maybe about the air-dry part. I hope.)
* * * *
But many years ago, I lived with married friends in south San Jose. It wasn't a fancy neighborhood, but the neighbors were nicely friendly, and I felt pretty safe. One Friday afternoon, we noticed that a four door sedan continued to circle our block. Two men with suits were inside, and that was totally out of place on our street. It didn't take a rocket scientist to realize they were undercover policemen. (And in reality, one of my friends WAS a military tank scientist, kinda close to a rocket scientist.) We got together with several of the neighbors that evening to discuss who and what the police were possibly looking for, and I'm quite sure we waved at the car as it drove by yet again. The weekend passed uneventfully.
Early Monday morning, I woke to find two men circling my car with flashlights. I had parked on the street, and they were clearly looking inside my car. I ran to tell my friends, but when we looked again, the men were gone. I went off to work, while my friends stayed to find out what was going on.
A few hours later, our next door neighbor's roommate was arrested. By the Feds. For bank robbery. The roommate had moved in recently and been borrowing the neighbor's car, robbing several banks up and down the Bay Area.
* * * *
After reading Liz's post, I am more appreciative of my current neighbors. They may be occasionally aggravating, but at least I don't have reason to fear for my family's safety. I am grateful that I don't have to wonder about the next round of police activity on my street. Yikes, Liz, that really is some scary stuff.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Dilled Chicken Pasta Salad
I've been making this summer favorite for over ten years (yikes!). It's an easy recipe to halve, and it should be made several hours ahead of time for the flavors to blend.
Dilled Chicken Salad
16 oz. package spiral pasta, cooked
2 c. cubed cooked chicken
1 c. chopped celery
1/4. c. chopped onion (I usually use dried minced onion)
1 big can of peas, drained (16 oz.?)
In a large bowl, combine salad ingredients and mix well. Add dressing. Cover and chill before serving. Serves 10-12.
Dressing:
1 oz. package of ranch dressing mix
16 oz. sour cream (I use light)
1 c. mayonnaise (I use light)
1 c. milk (I use skim)
1 T. dried dill weed
1/2 t. garlic
Whisk dressing ingredients until smooth.
Dilled Chicken Salad
16 oz. package spiral pasta, cooked
2 c. cubed cooked chicken
1 c. chopped celery
1/4. c. chopped onion (I usually use dried minced onion)
1 big can of peas, drained (16 oz.?)
In a large bowl, combine salad ingredients and mix well. Add dressing. Cover and chill before serving. Serves 10-12.
Dressing:
1 oz. package of ranch dressing mix
16 oz. sour cream (I use light)
1 c. mayonnaise (I use light)
1 c. milk (I use skim)
1 T. dried dill weed
1/2 t. garlic
Whisk dressing ingredients until smooth.
Check out the Space Station
Thanks to Marcia on the SHS list for this info.
To track the International Space Station and watch it pass overhead in your sky, see Heavens Above.
I was able to sign on easily as a guest. If you don't know your coordinates (okay, does anyone know their coordinates?), I found mine easily at Wunderground. Just plug in your zip code at the top, and your coordinates will be on the upper right hand side of your screen.
We saw the Space Station go by once several years ago, and it was AMAZING! It's going by a little too late tonight, but I hope to catch it tomorrow. Right now, there is also info on Atlantis, and the two are traveling pretty close to each other. (I don't know if that will be the same tomorrow night.)
To track the International Space Station and watch it pass overhead in your sky, see Heavens Above.
I was able to sign on easily as a guest. If you don't know your coordinates (okay, does anyone know their coordinates?), I found mine easily at Wunderground. Just plug in your zip code at the top, and your coordinates will be on the upper right hand side of your screen.
We saw the Space Station go by once several years ago, and it was AMAZING! It's going by a little too late tonight, but I hope to catch it tomorrow. Right now, there is also info on Atlantis, and the two are traveling pretty close to each other. (I don't know if that will be the same tomorrow night.)
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Weekly menu
Qdoba (Mom was sick)
bbq cheeseburgers, corn on the cob, tomatoes, potato salad (Chef Robert)
pasta salad, fruit
BLTs, cottage cheese, tortilla chips & salsa
quesadillas, strawberry soup (Lee's recipe)
Robert's famous chile rellanos, tortilla chips and guacamole
cheeseburgers (YES, twice in one week), Caesar salad, peach soup (take off on strawberry soup)
On the back burner:
(Ooh, Robert's birthday dinner. Hmmmm.)
Ginger's pizza, she put artichokes, red pepper, and feta on top too.
fried chicken (store bought), creamed cucumbers, _______, _________
shredded beef tacos when it's cool enough to have the crockpot on all day
Pasta with fresh basil, tomatoes, garlic, feta, and olive oil
tri-tip steak, green salad, _______
Rocky Mountain salad
bbq cheeseburgers, corn on the cob, tomatoes, potato salad (Chef Robert)
pasta salad, fruit
BLTs, cottage cheese, tortilla chips & salsa
quesadillas, strawberry soup (Lee's recipe)
Robert's famous chile rellanos, tortilla chips and guacamole
cheeseburgers (YES, twice in one week), Caesar salad, peach soup (take off on strawberry soup)
On the back burner:
(Ooh, Robert's birthday dinner. Hmmmm.)
Ginger's pizza, she put artichokes, red pepper, and feta on top too.
fried chicken (store bought), creamed cucumbers, _______, _________
shredded beef tacos when it's cool enough to have the crockpot on all day
Pasta with fresh basil, tomatoes, garlic, feta, and olive oil
tri-tip steak, green salad, _______
Rocky Mountain salad
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Back on my feet
Ugh, I've spent the last two days in bed, but I've rejoined the living. Yay! I'll update when I have a chance.
:)
:)
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Meet Olive Cheese Bread, my new favorite food
Olive Cheese Bread is the new recipe on Pioneer Woman's new cooking blog. It reminded me of something similar that my mom used to make: mayo, cheddar cheese, black olives and green chiles, spread on cocktail rye bread slices, and baked until bubbly. But there's green olives in this new fabulously delish, mouthwatering, heavenly, divine, luscious, savory, incredible . . . well, you get the picture. I halved it for my family and was very glad to be reminded that Trevor doesn't like olives this week. His loss is my gain (in more ways than one, I'm sure). Robert ate this up too. He commented that I didn't eat any salad. But hey, I'm sure all the olives made up for that!
Olive Cheese Bread (whole recipe)
1 can black olives
6-oz jar pimiento-stuffed olives
2 green onions
¾ pound Monterey Jack cheese, grated (I used mozzarella)
½ cup mayonnaise
1 stick butter, softened
1 loaf French bread
Roughly chop black and green olives. Combine green onions and olives with the softened butter, mayo, and cheese. Mix thoroughly. Slice French bread in half lengthwise, then spread mixture evenly over the halves.
Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes, or until thoroughly melted and starting to turn light brown and bubbly. Cut into diagonal slices and feast.
Olive Cheese Bread (whole recipe)
1 can black olives
6-oz jar pimiento-stuffed olives
2 green onions
¾ pound Monterey Jack cheese, grated (I used mozzarella)
½ cup mayonnaise
1 stick butter, softened
1 loaf French bread
Roughly chop black and green olives. Combine green onions and olives with the softened butter, mayo, and cheese. Mix thoroughly. Slice French bread in half lengthwise, then spread mixture evenly over the halves.
Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes, or until thoroughly melted and starting to turn light brown and bubbly. Cut into diagonal slices and feast.
Creating a life
After reading those home staging books last week, we see that our goal is to create an image for potential buyers in our house. We want them to be able to picture themselves here. They don't want to see our life, our house. They want to see theirs. In our effort to create their "dream" life, we're wiping out our own. We've removed a lot of personal things, photos, books, etc. We've even put kleenex boxes in cabinets, instead of on counters. (After all, who blows their nose in a dream life?)
This is what my poor kids are being subjected to. I guess it's not enough that they have most of their possessions removed from their rooms, have to clean, clean, CLEAN at the drop of a hat, have to endure strangers continually coming to our house. This is Holly and Trevor's bathroom. Does it look like a kid (or two) lives here?
I thought our bedroom needed romance. How about champagne? In our real life, we don't drink champagne. Ever. We certainly don't drink in our bedroom. The craziest drink you'll find is a plastic bottle of Arrowhead water. But this is a dream life.
How about flowers across the bed? Not in my house! But this isn't really my house anymore.
I replaced all those pesky wire hangers last week. White plastic. That's what the books told me to do. (Robert's plastic hangers are black; go figure. **wink**) I space them evenly every single day. Twice. My clothes are arranged by color too, but I've always done that, I'm a little obsessive that way.
We looked at model homes yesterday, priced $100-150K more than our house. I'm not sure why, they aren't exactly competition. Robert liked how the bath towels were displayed. I'm glad he can do this stuff on his own. The cords and tassels at Bed Bath & Beyond were $12 each, and we needed four. He went to Hobby Lobby instead and spent $12 total.
Flowers on my bed, champagne on my dresser. Right. But imagine this. Do you think we can USE these towels? No way. So our towels are now off limits and we have to hide the ones we really use. But this is part of a dream life, and I guess you don't get dirty.
The scariest thing of all is that Robert likes this surreal life. In trying to create an image for someone else, he's finding it all rather dreamy. And I'm rather terrified!
This is what my poor kids are being subjected to. I guess it's not enough that they have most of their possessions removed from their rooms, have to clean, clean, CLEAN at the drop of a hat, have to endure strangers continually coming to our house. This is Holly and Trevor's bathroom. Does it look like a kid (or two) lives here?
I thought our bedroom needed romance. How about champagne? In our real life, we don't drink champagne. Ever. We certainly don't drink in our bedroom. The craziest drink you'll find is a plastic bottle of Arrowhead water. But this is a dream life.
How about flowers across the bed? Not in my house! But this isn't really my house anymore.
I replaced all those pesky wire hangers last week. White plastic. That's what the books told me to do. (Robert's plastic hangers are black; go figure. **wink**) I space them evenly every single day. Twice. My clothes are arranged by color too, but I've always done that, I'm a little obsessive that way.
We looked at model homes yesterday, priced $100-150K more than our house. I'm not sure why, they aren't exactly competition. Robert liked how the bath towels were displayed. I'm glad he can do this stuff on his own. The cords and tassels at Bed Bath & Beyond were $12 each, and we needed four. He went to Hobby Lobby instead and spent $12 total.
Flowers on my bed, champagne on my dresser. Right. But imagine this. Do you think we can USE these towels? No way. So our towels are now off limits and we have to hide the ones we really use. But this is part of a dream life, and I guess you don't get dirty.
The scariest thing of all is that Robert likes this surreal life. In trying to create an image for someone else, he's finding it all rather dreamy. And I'm rather terrified!
Friday, June 15, 2007
Thursday Thirteen - Local Ministries
Colorado Springs is home to more than 100 nonprofit Christian organizations. While there are dozens of smaller ones, here are a few you might recognize.
1. Compassion International. This Christian ministry began 55 years ago to help Korean war orphans. Today, Compassion reaches 800,000 children in 24 countries. We toured the facility two years ago with our local hs group, which prompted us to sponsor a child. Compassion is also a top scorer on Charity Navigator, a well known charity watchdog group.
2. Focus on the Family. One of the top tourist attractions in Colorado Springs, this 49 acre campus includes three large buildings, and the Welcome Center houses a 10,000 sf bookstore that's open to the public. When the kids were younger, we'd often visit Whit's End, an indoor children's playland.
4. Young Life. Active in all 50 states and 53 countries, last year, YL reached over 120,000 middle school, high school, and college aged kids through its weekly club meetings.
5. International Bible Society. IBS has translated and published Bibles in more than 600 languages. It ships an average of 150 tons of material from this warehouse each month. It has a great little store too, with a wonderful selection of NIV Bibles. We even bought a Spanish New Testament here a few years ago!
6. Cook Communications. While best known for Sunday School Curriculum, I often read books published by this group.
7. Christian Booksellers Association. CBA exists to support, encourage and unite retailers of Christian merchandise.
8. Every Home for Christ has presented more than 2 billion booklets in 192 countries since its inception 50 years ago. Its goal is to share the gospel to every home in the world. I thought it was really cool that employees, during construction of this new building, placed scripture in the unfinished walls, writing on the beams. The construction workers were held to strict behavior standards at the jobsite. The business worked diligently with the neighborhood to create a building that caused as little interruption as possible, including lowering the height of the building and moving a planned driveway to a busier street.
9. Association of Christian Schools International. Headquartered here, ACSI supports 5500 evangelical Christian schools in 105 countries, representing 1,180,000 students.
10. Christian and Missionary Alliance. The headquarters of this denomination, which emphasizes foreign missions. C&MA has 500,000 members with involvement in 81 countries.
11. The World Prayer Center. Built in 1998 by Pastor Ted Haggard, The World Prayer Center exists to pray for the nations of the world 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.12. BASE Institute. Founder Bob Cornuke has authored several books detailing his many expeditions around the world searching for lost locations in the Bible. I've read a couple of his books and really liked them.
13. Andrew Wommack Ministries. Television. Radio. Seminars. Bible College. Andrew Wommack potentially reaches 380 million people around the world.
Nestled at the foot of Pikes Peak, with gorgeous scenery, fabulous weather, and great neighbors (like me!), it's easy to see the appeal. This is the view from Compassion.* * * *
And I can say that this post took me forever to write! The time stamp is when I started . . . Yawn.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Are you a nerd?
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Every child's nightmare
Poor Holly. Robert bought a pair of flip flops recently, and Holly was quite mortified, begging him to NEVER wear them in public. Something about men's feet, I think. He was torturing her already the other day in Albertson's when he whispered to me that she hadn't yet noticed his shoes. He pointed it out to her, and I think her terrified scream was heard throughout the store.
While I checked out, she chased him around trying to get a good shot.
Now he's threatening all sorts of horrid outfits to embarrass her even more: shorts, flip flops or slippers with black socks, reading glasses, baseball caps that make his head look weird, jean jacket. (Don't ask me about the jean jacket, but she says he MUST NEVER WEAR IT in public. She lets me wear mine. Maybe I'm embarrassing enough, lol.)
The fun of parenting has taken on a whole new dimension!
While I checked out, she chased him around trying to get a good shot.
Now he's threatening all sorts of horrid outfits to embarrass her even more: shorts, flip flops or slippers with black socks, reading glasses, baseball caps that make his head look weird, jean jacket. (Don't ask me about the jean jacket, but she says he MUST NEVER WEAR IT in public. She lets me wear mine. Maybe I'm embarrassing enough, lol.)
The fun of parenting has taken on a whole new dimension!
Book Review - In Mortal Danger by Tom Tancredo
Congressman Tancredo is from Littleton, where we lived for many years before moving here. He's also currently one of the Republicans in the running for President, although it's safe to say he's not a viable contender. I occasionally have the privilege of listening to Mr. Tancredo on the radio talk show I listen to each morning.
The topic of illegals get my head swirling, and it's difficult for me to think about calmly. For my own sanity, I'll try to keep my personal opinions to a minimum, instead restating some points in the book.
Congressman Tancredo is a concise, to the point author. He successfully intermixes egregious examples within his written narrative. This book is not specific to Colorado by any stretch, although one chapter details the efforts of the Denver Public Library to incorporate large amounts of Spanish materials into its collection while removing English holdings.
Our broken borders and current immigration "system" (oxymoron) are symptomatic of bigger cultural issues. Under the guise of "multiculturalism" and "tolerance," political correctness has once again gone overboard, and "tolerance" is once again redefined.
America is NOT the bad guy.
Giving illegals the same "rights" as those who came here legally--CITIZENS--devalues our system. Citizenship is NOT an entitlement.
One only has to look at Europe's demographic changes over the past few decades to realize that the U.S. will soon stand alone in defending Christianity and ultimately western civilization.
A 2004 Time Magazine investigation projected that 3 MILLION illegals would enter the U.S. in 2006. That's 60--SIXTY--Boeing 737 plane loads of illegals per day for a year. And that's just in 2006.
Despite our growing awareness, we continue to see proposals touting amnesty, K-12 and higher education at taxpayer expense, along with drivers licenses and voting rights for illegals.
There are current immigration bills both in Colorado and the U.S. Although President Bush's "reform" tanked badly last week, he immediately called for Republicans to unite with him and revive this bill. The American public has made its collective voice heard, and yet the President refuses to listen.
Possible solutions:
What we do now will determine the fate of our nation. Our country is indeed in mortal danger.
The simple truth is that we've lost control of our own borders, and no nation can do that and survive.
Ronald Reagan
This wasn't the best written book ever but it was very informative, pretty comprehensive. I highly recommend it. Maybe Tancredo has a chance in 2012.
The topic of illegals get my head swirling, and it's difficult for me to think about calmly. For my own sanity, I'll try to keep my personal opinions to a minimum, instead restating some points in the book.
Congressman Tancredo is a concise, to the point author. He successfully intermixes egregious examples within his written narrative. This book is not specific to Colorado by any stretch, although one chapter details the efforts of the Denver Public Library to incorporate large amounts of Spanish materials into its collection while removing English holdings.
Our broken borders and current immigration "system" (oxymoron) are symptomatic of bigger cultural issues. Under the guise of "multiculturalism" and "tolerance," political correctness has once again gone overboard, and "tolerance" is once again redefined.
America is NOT the bad guy.
Giving illegals the same "rights" as those who came here legally--CITIZENS--devalues our system. Citizenship is NOT an entitlement.
One only has to look at Europe's demographic changes over the past few decades to realize that the U.S. will soon stand alone in defending Christianity and ultimately western civilization.
A 2004 Time Magazine investigation projected that 3 MILLION illegals would enter the U.S. in 2006. That's 60--SIXTY--Boeing 737 plane loads of illegals per day for a year. And that's just in 2006.
Despite our growing awareness, we continue to see proposals touting amnesty, K-12 and higher education at taxpayer expense, along with drivers licenses and voting rights for illegals.
There are current immigration bills both in Colorado and the U.S. Although President Bush's "reform" tanked badly last week, he immediately called for Republicans to unite with him and revive this bill. The American public has made its collective voice heard, and yet the President refuses to listen.
Possible solutions:
- Deportation. It's costly and ineffective, since we are not protecting our borders. (Laws exist but are not enforced at the federal level.)
- Amnesty. Rewards unlawful behavior (and why do you think so many are coming, because this is what they are banking on).
- Do nothing.
- CUT SERVICES. No more free medical care. No more free public education (currently more than $12 billion annually). No more "anchor babies" (which law was written in the 1800s to prevent states from denying freed slaves citizenship. No more food assistance and no more housing subsidiaries. If the incentive to stay is lowered, they will leave, or not come in the first place. No new amnesties. Stop people from crossing our borders illegally.
What we do now will determine the fate of our nation. Our country is indeed in mortal danger.
The simple truth is that we've lost control of our own borders, and no nation can do that and survive.
Ronald Reagan
This wasn't the best written book ever but it was very informative, pretty comprehensive. I highly recommend it. Maybe Tancredo has a chance in 2012.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Weekly menu
California shrimp salad, asiago pesto french bread
bbq pork chops, cheesey mashed potatoes, peas, fruit cocktail
bratwurst, pasta salad
Pasta with fresh basil, tomatoes, garlic, feta, and olive oil
BLTs, cottage cheese
Marlboro Man sandwich
something with chicken breasts
Recipe update:
I made Dorothy's Roasted Peppers with Feta Cheese recipe that she posted at SHS. I've never roasted my own peppers. It was a piece of cake! After baking them in the oven, they're topped with feta cheese, pine nuts and black pepper. They were very good. Robert was dubious, but he had seconds! He commented later about the "California" food, and I had to laugh. Dorothy lives in England.
Thanks, Dorothy!
On the back burner:
Ginger's pizza, she put artichokes, red pepper, and feta on top too.
shredded beef tacos when it's cool enough to have the crockpot on all day
Italian sub sandwiches, chips, fruit
pasta salad, fruit
Rocky Mountain salad
bbq pork chops, cheesey mashed potatoes, peas, fruit cocktail
bratwurst, pasta salad
Pasta with fresh basil, tomatoes, garlic, feta, and olive oil
BLTs, cottage cheese
Marlboro Man sandwich
something with chicken breasts
Recipe update:
I made Dorothy's Roasted Peppers with Feta Cheese recipe that she posted at SHS. I've never roasted my own peppers. It was a piece of cake! After baking them in the oven, they're topped with feta cheese, pine nuts and black pepper. They were very good. Robert was dubious, but he had seconds! He commented later about the "California" food, and I had to laugh. Dorothy lives in England.
Thanks, Dorothy!
On the back burner:
Ginger's pizza, she put artichokes, red pepper, and feta on top too.
shredded beef tacos when it's cool enough to have the crockpot on all day
Italian sub sandwiches, chips, fruit
pasta salad, fruit
Rocky Mountain salad
Pet pics
Poor Pumpkin! The baby robins have been out of the nest, waiting in the yard, in the trees, in the bushes for mom to bring food. We watched them for awhile around the backyard, and they later made their way to the front. This baby sat on the bench on our front porch for at least half an hour, watching her mom fly around looking for food. The cat was going bonkers right behind her, but she never noticed. Unfortunately, we later found out that baby birds, like baby humans, excel at doing two things, and this little baby left us five presents on the bench and on the concrete beneath. Blech!
After living with us for a year, Patty the Hermit took her first big vacation. Quite some time ago, there were a few days when the kids had their hermies out of their cages. Since then, she's been stuck at home, and Trevor's Pagoo died over the winter. Robert put Patty in our stream today for a while. It was obvious that she had a GREAT time. I've NEVER seen her move so fast, over the water and up the rocks. She's usually so still that we think she's dead. If you click on the picture below, you'll see her body and claws. Why is her left claw bigger? I've seen that on fiddler crabs. Can a hermit crab be a fiddler crab?
Trevor's been working with Lucky. They are a great combination. This wasn't the sharpest picture I took, but I loved how it showed them together. And sitting. Quietly. Once in a lifetime shot, I'm sure. LOL.
After living with us for a year, Patty the Hermit took her first big vacation. Quite some time ago, there were a few days when the kids had their hermies out of their cages. Since then, she's been stuck at home, and Trevor's Pagoo died over the winter. Robert put Patty in our stream today for a while. It was obvious that she had a GREAT time. I've NEVER seen her move so fast, over the water and up the rocks. She's usually so still that we think she's dead. If you click on the picture below, you'll see her body and claws. Why is her left claw bigger? I've seen that on fiddler crabs. Can a hermit crab be a fiddler crab?
Trevor's been working with Lucky. They are a great combination. This wasn't the sharpest picture I took, but I loved how it showed them together. And sitting. Quietly. Once in a lifetime shot, I'm sure. LOL.
Book Reviews - home staging books
I read two books this weekend about home staging. I don't know that I can or would "stage" my home, but I'm interested in any tips to give us an advantage over other houses that are for sale. We've had many people come through who say we're in the top one, two, three, or five of the houses they've looked at--but we're still waiting. (We've had three people say we were their first choice, but they haven't sold their own homes yet.)
Home Staging: The Winning Way to Sell Your House for More Money by Barb Schwarz
While this book was published in 2006, the photographs are very dated, giving the impression that they were taken in the 1980s. The author is "the creator of the Home Staging concept," and the book often seems to be one giant ad--for her website, for her courses, to hire her graduates, or to use an associated Home Staging realtor. That, along with her often too casual style of writing, often made the book difficult to read. While she gave many specific recommendations to "stage" a home, most included basics such as cleaning up your front yard and how to sort through your belongings to minimize clutter. Her method included a lot of furniture rearranging and use of fabric to cover tables, chairs and windows; furniture arranging is beyond my ability and using fabric like this is not my style (and beyond my ability anyway!).
However, I found several suggestions that we followed this weekend. We did a second decluttering, removing more family photos, and leaving the remaining ones grouped in 1s, 3s or 5s. We took out several of our silk plants and boxed up the pillows from the couch and loveseat. We pulled a bunch of books out of our bookcase and took down a picture or two that we didn't like. We rearranged our china cabinet, keeping out our favorite pieces and putting away the extra knickknacks. (Isn't the bubble glass on the cabinet unusual? Robert's mom gave this to us a few years ago, along with the table and chairs that Robert recovered last week.)
We went through Trevor's room, putting all the toys IN his closet and thinning out his bookshelf (which normally holds a lot of toys). We took the few last decorative items out of the kids' bathroom, since the wallpaper and artwork looks busy enough. I pulled a bunch of decorative stuff out of my closet to make it look more open and we took out the laundry hamper. I replaced all my wire (read "cheap") hangers in my closet with plastic ones. Robert's been after me for some time to do this, but I'd resisted spending the $30. My closet looks great and so does everything else! I still need to tackle Holly's closet, and if I find my way out of there, then I can fix up the corner of the basement where we've stored more things.
Home Staging with Design Psychology: Sell Your Home for Top-Dollar--FAST! by Jeanette Fisher
I was more intrigued by this second book with its promises of "design psychology." While the author describes different techniques, she never TELLS the reader how to pull them off. I need specifics--if I could do this myself, I wouldn't be reading a book about it. This book differs from the first in that it encourages the creation of an "image," the lifestyle that your buyer would like to have, often through the use of color, lighting and visual cues. I was disappointed with this book. It rarely gave detailed information and did not follow through with its claims.
Obviously, they are specialized books, unlikely to be of interest unless you are selling (or buying) a home. I'd possibly recommend checking the first one out from the library but not actually spending money for it. :)
Home Staging: The Winning Way to Sell Your House for More Money by Barb Schwarz
While this book was published in 2006, the photographs are very dated, giving the impression that they were taken in the 1980s. The author is "the creator of the Home Staging concept," and the book often seems to be one giant ad--for her website, for her courses, to hire her graduates, or to use an associated Home Staging realtor. That, along with her often too casual style of writing, often made the book difficult to read. While she gave many specific recommendations to "stage" a home, most included basics such as cleaning up your front yard and how to sort through your belongings to minimize clutter. Her method included a lot of furniture rearranging and use of fabric to cover tables, chairs and windows; furniture arranging is beyond my ability and using fabric like this is not my style (and beyond my ability anyway!).
However, I found several suggestions that we followed this weekend. We did a second decluttering, removing more family photos, and leaving the remaining ones grouped in 1s, 3s or 5s. We took out several of our silk plants and boxed up the pillows from the couch and loveseat. We pulled a bunch of books out of our bookcase and took down a picture or two that we didn't like. We rearranged our china cabinet, keeping out our favorite pieces and putting away the extra knickknacks. (Isn't the bubble glass on the cabinet unusual? Robert's mom gave this to us a few years ago, along with the table and chairs that Robert recovered last week.)
We went through Trevor's room, putting all the toys IN his closet and thinning out his bookshelf (which normally holds a lot of toys). We took the few last decorative items out of the kids' bathroom, since the wallpaper and artwork looks busy enough. I pulled a bunch of decorative stuff out of my closet to make it look more open and we took out the laundry hamper. I replaced all my wire (read "cheap") hangers in my closet with plastic ones. Robert's been after me for some time to do this, but I'd resisted spending the $30. My closet looks great and so does everything else! I still need to tackle Holly's closet, and if I find my way out of there, then I can fix up the corner of the basement where we've stored more things.
Home Staging with Design Psychology: Sell Your Home for Top-Dollar--FAST! by Jeanette Fisher
I was more intrigued by this second book with its promises of "design psychology." While the author describes different techniques, she never TELLS the reader how to pull them off. I need specifics--if I could do this myself, I wouldn't be reading a book about it. This book differs from the first in that it encourages the creation of an "image," the lifestyle that your buyer would like to have, often through the use of color, lighting and visual cues. I was disappointed with this book. It rarely gave detailed information and did not follow through with its claims.
Obviously, they are specialized books, unlikely to be of interest unless you are selling (or buying) a home. I'd possibly recommend checking the first one out from the library but not actually spending money for it. :)
Sunday, June 10, 2007
View from my window
Liz put out a blog challenge to post a picture of what you see out your window. Emily's pictures of the space shuttle are incredible!! My view is not nearly as exciting, but it is pretty. Most of my Pikes Peak pictures are taken with the sun coming up in the east and hitting on the Peak. It's too early for clouds, and I stand on my porch and zoom in pretty close to take my shot. But this is what I see from my living room window without the zoom.
We live on a great street, houses from the '80s with big lots (compared to new houses anyway). The trees are all leafed out and we don't see much, but this is the view I prefer. It's too stark in the winter.
It's too hard for me to pick one view. This is from my bedroom. Garden of the Gods is in the center of the picture, just above the roofline of the neighbor's house. Pikes Peak is barely peeking (ha!) through the tree to the right of their truck.
When we bought this house, we didn't really pay attention to the views. It wasn't until after we'd lived here for a few weeks that we realized we could also see city lights at night.
I have several posts with views, and this one shows the moon going down over the mountains in the morning.
I never get tired of looking out my windows!
We live on a great street, houses from the '80s with big lots (compared to new houses anyway). The trees are all leafed out and we don't see much, but this is the view I prefer. It's too stark in the winter.It's too hard for me to pick one view. This is from my bedroom. Garden of the Gods is in the center of the picture, just above the roofline of the neighbor's house. Pikes Peak is barely peeking (ha!) through the tree to the right of their truck.
When we bought this house, we didn't really pay attention to the views. It wasn't until after we'd lived here for a few weeks that we realized we could also see city lights at night. I have several posts with views, and this one shows the moon going down over the mountains in the morning.
I never get tired of looking out my windows!
Saturday, June 09, 2007
All things Trevor
Trevor's been finding it easier to keep himself busy as we begin the summer. He's always enjoyed drawing, and he spends a few hours a week doing it. He "sees" things differently. He can remember details that define a character, and he can replicate that on paper without looking at the original.
At the library this week, he chose seven different How to Draw books by Lee Ames. For the most part, I would say they are for older kids, but we have one at home that Trev does well with. He's been lugging them around the house, the kitchen, bringing a tray into the family room, and carrying the books outside when it's nice.
Using the lines demonstrated in the book, he drew this for his karate teacher.
He's good, don't you think?
I found Mona Brookes' Drawing With Children today on Chris's book list, and I'm hoping I was fast enough to buy it. I've checked it out from the library in the past and was impressed with how it taught.
Trevor's off to a great start with his reading this summer. He's to read 30 minutes a day, but there are a few days that he's read longer than that. Where I used to select a handful of books and let him choose, he's been more in charge of his reading selections too. He has less than an hour to finish the library summer reading challenge. (It only requires eight hours. I know reading can be overwhelming for some, but eight hours of reading over the course of three months seems terribly inadequate.) They allow children to count time that someone else reads to them too, but I don't allow him to do that! To complete the Barnes & Noble summer reading program, children must read eight books, and he's halfway there already.
Trevor's quote of the day: "Why is Dad watering the lawn so much tonight? Does he want it to rain?"
At the library this week, he chose seven different How to Draw books by Lee Ames. For the most part, I would say they are for older kids, but we have one at home that Trev does well with. He's been lugging them around the house, the kitchen, bringing a tray into the family room, and carrying the books outside when it's nice.
Using the lines demonstrated in the book, he drew this for his karate teacher.
He's good, don't you think?I found Mona Brookes' Drawing With Children today on Chris's book list, and I'm hoping I was fast enough to buy it. I've checked it out from the library in the past and was impressed with how it taught.
Trevor's off to a great start with his reading this summer. He's to read 30 minutes a day, but there are a few days that he's read longer than that. Where I used to select a handful of books and let him choose, he's been more in charge of his reading selections too. He has less than an hour to finish the library summer reading challenge. (It only requires eight hours. I know reading can be overwhelming for some, but eight hours of reading over the course of three months seems terribly inadequate.) They allow children to count time that someone else reads to them too, but I don't allow him to do that! To complete the Barnes & Noble summer reading program, children must read eight books, and he's halfway there already.
Trevor's quote of the day: "Why is Dad watering the lawn so much tonight? Does he want it to rain?"
Friday, June 08, 2007
What a day!
I dropped Holly off at her riding lesson this morning. She's going to be spending time out there after her lessons to clean stalls, groom horses, and do whatever else Melanie asks her to do. I raced back home to help Robert get the house together for a showing, and we headed out the door with Trevor to McDonald's for breakfast. (BLECH!) We ran a few errands and went a little early to pick up Holly.
Melanie's horse Espresso gave birth on Monday. Double Shot is the new filly, and OH is she beautiful! Three days old, Double Shot was running around the ring with Espresso chasing after her like any good mom. Look at her little tail!
I took a lot of pictures. She's such a cutie!
Meanwhile, the girls were in another field working with a two rescue horses that are staying at Melanie's. We've been reading in the paper about horses rescued from a slaughterhouse. These aren't the horses saved from slaughter, but they were moved from the rescue center to make room for the horses in the news.
Should I watch Holly, or should I watch Double Shot?
(Uh, sorry, Holl!)
The other horses were very interested in the baby, and Espresso wasn't having any of that. But she let Robert and Trevor feed her grass and allowed her baby to meet them at the fence.
Trevor got bored and went to wait in the van.
Trevor joined us, and we got ready to leave--only to find that he'd locked the van doors--along with my keys inside. For several years, I've carried a spare in my wallet, knowing that I'd never accidentally lock both my keys AND my purse in the car. Bad assumption. I have my very own Superhero who will always rescue me. But he was with us and we were stuck.
Melanie's place is 13 miles from our house, not a quick drive. I was able to get a ride home with the other girls' moms, one of whom lives just a few blocks from us.
I used the keyless entry to get into my garage. We never lock the door between the house and garage. BUT the realtor who showed the house today did. I was locked out, without my phone (which is locked in my car). I KNEW we had a key hidden somewhere, but I couldn't find it. Meanwhile, I knew that my dog was locked in my van and probably dying of heatstroke. (Okay, slight exaggeration.)
I used a neighbor's phone to call Robert to find out where the key was. I got into my house, grabbed his car key AND a spare key for my van and headed back to my family. I flew down the country highway that I hate driving, and sure enough, there was yet another accident on the road and I was stuck waiting with the rest of the traffic.
It crossed my mind that this is perhaps why I was stuck at home unable to find the key. If I'd left my house quickly, I could have been IN this accident, instead of behind it. Like any good blogger, I pulled out my camera to admire the view.
When I finally got back to the barn, Holly was building fences.
Trevor's dream has come true and he's driving an ATV to grade the ring. (Is "grade" the right word?) He'd had a lot of instruction from Robert before this, and we can't discount his extensive driving experience on PS2 (lol).
Everyone was working and I, of course, was worthless. I can type and do wimpy things indoors, but that's about it. It's 2:30 by now, everyone was starving, so we head off for a nutritious meal at Wendy's. This is a small town and the choices are few and far between. Trevor had gotten into something that nailed his allergies, poor kid, and his face was all puffy, nose all stuffy, eyes swollen and half shut. By the time I took this, he was looking a whole lot better.
But he didn't care. Along with mucking out stables and feeding horses, he got to drive an ATV by himself.
Holly had a great lesson, was able to stick around and work, and spent time with the "new" horses. She's going back for two mornings next week.
Even Robert enjoyed it a lot.
I had a panicky, nightmarish time. But it doesn't seem nearly as bad, since everyone else had such a blast. It wasn't a day I care to repeat anytime soon though, and you can bet I will NOT be leaving my keys and purse together in my car EVER again.
Melanie's horse Espresso gave birth on Monday. Double Shot is the new filly, and OH is she beautiful! Three days old, Double Shot was running around the ring with Espresso chasing after her like any good mom. Look at her little tail!
I took a lot of pictures. She's such a cutie!
Meanwhile, the girls were in another field working with a two rescue horses that are staying at Melanie's. We've been reading in the paper about horses rescued from a slaughterhouse. These aren't the horses saved from slaughter, but they were moved from the rescue center to make room for the horses in the news.
Should I watch Holly, or should I watch Double Shot?
(Uh, sorry, Holl!)
The other horses were very interested in the baby, and Espresso wasn't having any of that. But she let Robert and Trevor feed her grass and allowed her baby to meet them at the fence.
Trevor got bored and went to wait in the van.
Trevor joined us, and we got ready to leave--only to find that he'd locked the van doors--along with my keys inside. For several years, I've carried a spare in my wallet, knowing that I'd never accidentally lock both my keys AND my purse in the car. Bad assumption. I have my very own Superhero who will always rescue me. But he was with us and we were stuck.Melanie's place is 13 miles from our house, not a quick drive. I was able to get a ride home with the other girls' moms, one of whom lives just a few blocks from us.
I used the keyless entry to get into my garage. We never lock the door between the house and garage. BUT the realtor who showed the house today did. I was locked out, without my phone (which is locked in my car). I KNEW we had a key hidden somewhere, but I couldn't find it. Meanwhile, I knew that my dog was locked in my van and probably dying of heatstroke. (Okay, slight exaggeration.)
I used a neighbor's phone to call Robert to find out where the key was. I got into my house, grabbed his car key AND a spare key for my van and headed back to my family. I flew down the country highway that I hate driving, and sure enough, there was yet another accident on the road and I was stuck waiting with the rest of the traffic.
It crossed my mind that this is perhaps why I was stuck at home unable to find the key. If I'd left my house quickly, I could have been IN this accident, instead of behind it. Like any good blogger, I pulled out my camera to admire the view.
When I finally got back to the barn, Holly was building fences.
Trevor's dream has come true and he's driving an ATV to grade the ring. (Is "grade" the right word?) He'd had a lot of instruction from Robert before this, and we can't discount his extensive driving experience on PS2 (lol).
Everyone was working and I, of course, was worthless. I can type and do wimpy things indoors, but that's about it. It's 2:30 by now, everyone was starving, so we head off for a nutritious meal at Wendy's. This is a small town and the choices are few and far between. Trevor had gotten into something that nailed his allergies, poor kid, and his face was all puffy, nose all stuffy, eyes swollen and half shut. By the time I took this, he was looking a whole lot better.
But he didn't care. Along with mucking out stables and feeding horses, he got to drive an ATV by himself.Holly had a great lesson, was able to stick around and work, and spent time with the "new" horses. She's going back for two mornings next week.
Even Robert enjoyed it a lot.
I had a panicky, nightmarish time. But it doesn't seem nearly as bad, since everyone else had such a blast. It wasn't a day I care to repeat anytime soon though, and you can bet I will NOT be leaving my keys and purse together in my car EVER again.
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