31 Days of May-Day 29

Sometimes you have to do these things.
The funny thing is, the descriptions were pretty accurate.

31 Days of May-Day 28

Made it! 4 1/2 hours to airport, 1 hour in airport, 2 hours on plane and 2 hours in car. I'm tired, but still went shopping at 8:00 at night. It's been a long time.

31 Days of May-Day 27

My bags are packed and I'm ready to go! Today starts my summer vacation. For the next two weeks I will be traveling. I'll start my vacation in Idaho and then to Texas for a few days.
Start wishing for on time air traffic, no stinky neighbors, and short lines.

31 Days of May-Day 26

The updated room. It's organized and dust free, for the moment.

Now for the pictures I moved yesterday. Maybe tomorrow!

31 Days of May-Day 25

This is what happens when I decide to move one picture. A whole room gets rearranged. I should explain that the desk used to be where the book shelf and chair was. And because I didn't feel like finishing the mess on the 25th-look at the 26th for updates.

31 Days of May-Day 24

Welcome to my window herb garden. I found these little containers at Target in the $1 section and immediately needed them. We are growing Mint, Cilantro, Basil, Oregano, and Chives. Some of them are doing really well. Others are not-mint and basil. They each have one little seedling coming up. It's a little pathetic, but cute.

Paul is growing wheat. One wheat. It has grown so fast. The wheat is already six inches tall and grows more every day. After Paul harvests it, he'll sell the grain to himself at the elevator. I think is what you might call "hobby farming."

31 Days of May-Day 23

I am not one to forward emails, so I'm not forwarding any emails to you. But I got this the other day and it is so good that I wanted to share it with you, blog-style.

Never thought about this before but important to know!
I know some of you own GUNS but this is something to think about...--- If you don't have a gun, here's a more humane way to wreck someone's evil plans for you. Did you know this? I didn't. I never really thought of it before. I guess I can get rid of the baseball bat.

Wasp Spray - A friend who is a receptionist in a church in a high risk area was concerned about someone coming into the office on Monday to rob them when they were counting the collection. She asked the local police department about using pepper spray and they recommended to her that she get a can of wasp spray instead.

The wasp spray, they told her, can shoot up to twenty feet away and is a lot more accurate, while with the pepper spray, they have to get too close to you and could overpower you. The wasp spray temporarily blinds an attacker until they get to the hospital for an antidote. She keeps a can on her desk in the office and it doesn't attract attention from people like a can of pepper spray would. She also keeps one nearby at home for home protection. Thought this was interesting and might be of use.

On the heels of a break in and beating that left an elderly woman in Toledo dead, self defense experts have a tip that could save your life. Val Glinka teaches self-defense to students at Sylvania Southview High School . For decades, he's suggested putting a can of wasp and hornet spray near your door or bed. Glinka says, "This is better than anything I can teach them." Glinka considers it inexpensive, easy to find, and more effective than mace or pepper spray. The cans typically shoot 20 to 30 feet; so if someone tries to break into your home, Glinka says "spray the culprit in the eyes". It's a tip he's given to students for decades. It's also one he wants everyone to hear. If you're looking for protection, Glinka says look to the spray. "That's going to give you a chance to call the police; maybe get out." Maybe even save a life.

Did you also know that wasp spray will kill a snake? And a mouse! It will! Good to know, huh? It will also kill a wasp!!!!

I don't know about you, but Wasp Spray is on my shopping list. Not because I really need to use it for self-defense, but it kills mice!

31 Days of May-Day 22

My Mother's Day flowers bloomed this week!

31 Days of May-Day 21

Most Saturdays we have grand plans. Somewhere to go or something to do. Today was different than normal Saturdays-NO PLANS! I am the only one who thinks a Saturday without plans is intimidating? We found enough to keep us busy though.
Early in the morning we went to all four yard sales in Syracuse. It was beautiful outside so we walked to them. I think most of the yard sales here are ongoing, meaning there is just a bunch of junk that the owners decide to sell every Saturday morning. But I did get a good find.Check out this 'vintage' plate shelf I found for $1. It has been sitting in our apartment all day, I even tripped over it and when I went to take a picture of it Paul finally asked me what it is. He thought it was a feeding trough for miniature cows. He's funny.

After some intense shopping at Dollar General, Paul washed the car. Every time he washes the car it rains leaving dust all over it again. We need the rain so...at least was clean today!

The rest of the day was spent grocery shopping, anticipating the opening of the Sno Shack-not until Monday though, and playing Wheelers and Dealers-I won! Then we grilled hot dogs and stuffed jalapenos. After dinner we spent two hours trying to roast marshmallows. The coals had pretty much died, but we succeeded in the end. Now it's time for Saturday night movie.

31 Days of May-Day 20

Paul's sister had their fourth little boy a while ago (like a month, I am not on time!). I found this cute fabric in Colby, Kansas at a quilt store. Obviously I had to get it because they named the little guy Joseph Gehrig. You know Lou Gehrig? Baseball player also an all around good guy. And because I'm on a baseball roll, I had to show you this cute blanket today. The panel is based on a few 30s fabrics and more current prints like this:
How fun! I used it for the back.

For those interested, this is how I make quick blankets.
I take 1 yard each of two matching fabrics and cut them the same size with right sides together. I sew around the edges leaving an opening at least 6 inches in the center of one of the sides. Then I take batting and cut it to the same size of fabric. I pin the batting to the fabric and sew around it again with the batting on the bottom so I can follow the stitches that I already made. Next, trim the corners. Then fold right side out and get your corners square by using a pin to pull the fabric out-without ripping a hole in the fabric. Finally, I hand stitch the opening closed. I don't know what kind of stitch I use-just make it invisible. To finish it off, tie with yarn or embroidery floss every 5 or so inches depending on your batting. Sew easy and they always turn out cute. You can't tell on the blanket I made, but I used blue floss and tied in the triangles, in the center of the baseballs, and on the top of the caps.

Just a quick note-You can sew all three pieces together at the same time, but it doesn't end up as tight and square. Maybe you could, but I am not that good.

31 Days of May-Day 19

Who's your hero?

Paul's is Harmon Killebrew. Harmon Killebrew was a baseball player for the Washington Senators, Minnesota Twins, and Kansas City Royals during the 1960s. He could hit a baseball farther than anyone else in the world and was second to Babe Ruth in career home runs. He was the first person to ever hit a baseball over the left field bleachers in Tiger Stadium. Harmon Killebrew is Paul's hero because he could hit a baseball really far and he's from Idaho.

I don't know who my hero is. I told Paul it takes more than being good at baseball and being from Idaho to be a hero. But at least he has one. I am going to find a hero.

Any suggestions?

31 Days of May-Day 18

It's the top of the 15th. Yankees-1 Orioles-1. We're cheering for the Yankees and won't go to bed until the game ends.

31 Days of May-Days 15,16 and 17

Paul and I went to Canon (pronounced canyon, there is a tilda on the middle 'n') City, Colorado for a bridge and the mountains. There is a suspension bridge that spans across the Royal Gorge. It was built in 1929 and people can still cross it. We didn't cross the bridge because it's a tourist trap. That's why they built it. And even though we were playing tourist for the day, we weren't willing to fork over the money to cross a bridge.

We did go on a train ride under the bridge. The Royal Gorge Route Railroad is sandwiched between the Arkansas River and a canyon wall. This was a ton of fun and if you ever go to Canon City, do this. You can sit inside an air conditioned car or go out in the open car to see all around you.

It was wonderful to enjoy nature in the mountains for a while. The smell of the pine trees was fantastic!

31 Days of May-Day 14 meets Scratch n'Sniff

I have been in a major cooking funk lately. I can't think of anything to make for dinner and when I do it is a salad. It must be the time of year. Doesn't salad just go with spring? The big problem with salad is it usually doesn't satisfy the belly for long and then I am in the kitchen finding something else to eat about an hour later. Don't get me wrong-ice cream cones also go with spring. So here is the debut of BBQ Chicken Salad-a salad that will make your tummy and husband happy. This salad is loosely based off one I had at The Cheesecake Factory so I guess I can't take full credit for being awesome.

Here's how to make it. In the crock pot place frozen chicken tenderloins and smother in Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce. Cook on high for 2.5 hours. Shred chicken and turn crock pot to low. Put more Sweet Baby Ray's on if chicken looks like it might dry out. While the shredded chicken simmers in the sweetness, cut romaine lettuce, dice tomatoes, cut up an avocado, slice some cucumber, drain and rinse a can of black beans and corn (fresh would have been better, but I use what I have). Layer salad and vegetables on a plate and top with BBQ Chicken. You don't even need salad dressing (it would only add calories anyway)! Eat! Maybe this doesn't sound good to you, but it was delicious and took about 30 minutes of actually doing anything in the kitchen. Now you have a spring inspired salad to make for dinner.

31 Days of May-Day 12 and Day 13

I didn't forget to post yesterday, I got on to take care of business and things were shut down. I am working really hard at sticking to the 31 Days of May. Since I have two days to make up, I thought this would be an appropriately long post.


For Mother's Day, my siblings and I each contributed these to a frame that my mom can hang on the wall (she already has it displayed!).

It spells FAMILY!

31 Days of May-Day 10 and Day 11

On Tuesdays I work at our local quilt store, Quilter's Stash. It is so much fun looking at fabric all day and helping people find things that match. For the block of the month this year we are doing blocks similar to this beauty, except the original pattern has each month on it. Just imagine this with May in cutesy letters. After doing March and April, I decided not to put the month on each block or think of another word that goes with the picture. I couldn't think of a three or four letter word to replace May so I left it off. April has an egg and I realized, "What happens when Easter is in March?" Hence the change.
One of the perks of working at Quilter's Stash is when it's slow, I can sew! This is what I worked on yesterday and finished today (also at Quilter's Stash because they have the AC on-it's been really hot!). I have been learning how to applique on my sewing machine-I'm not very good, but I should be a pro by December!

31 Days of May-Day 9

At church yesterday the Young Men passed out Geraniums for the ladies. In his awkward way, the poor little boy brought one to me and before handing it over said, "Are you going to be a mother or something?" It was funny. I just said, "Someday." Let me tell you though, I am the only adult woman in our Branch that does not have children. I can see how he might be confused.

31 Days of May-Day 8

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

We love our moms!Paul and his family.

Paul loves his mom because she

• 
  
  knows where to buy the best Oreos


• 
  
  tried her hardest to teach him how to be a gentleman


• 
  
  wouldn't let the other kids beat him up in Elementary school

Emily and her mom.

Emily loves her mom because she

• 
  
  makes the best cinamon rolls


• 
  
  is a super example and graduated from college last December


• 
  
  cares about me-I know because she calls

Have a good day, mothers!

31 Days of May-Day 7

Our Saturday adventure! You saw the weather forecast for our weekend. What do you do with such nice weather? (We would have gone to Denver but Paul loaded a train Friday, which means he worked late, sorry Christopher and Savannah.) Instead we decided to go kayaking at Two Buttes Reservoir in Southeast Colorado. See the Two Buttes?
You can't imagine our surprise when this is what we found!
I think the Colorado Parks and Rec needs to update their website. This park no longer offers boating or fishing. In fact, they lack all water activities. And because Paul is much more optimistic than I am, he called it a detour (an hour and a half detour) to another reservoir.

This reservior worked much better. Water included. We even saw pelicans. A few hours later, we were burnt to a crisp and went home. It was a great day!

Just a question-Have you used the spray sun screen? I tried it, but obviously don't know how to properly apply it. Any suggestions?

31 Days of May-Day 6

It's May 6th folks and look at this weather! Even more surprising-no WIND!!! I went out to sun bake, eat lunch and read, just to enjoy the beauty of it. Then I got swack (sweaty back). Obviously it is too warm to wear two layers. So here's to the start of a really warm weekend.
Also, have you ever checked your weather at Weather Underground? Go there, it is way better than all other sites. It was really windy the other night, like 40-50 mph, and we sat and watched the wind speed on the computer. Every time there was a gust, the speed would change-so cool.

31 Days of May-Day 5 meets Scratch n'Sniff

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

Something you should know about Paul and I-we like to celebrate holidays, country of origin does not matter!

We celebrate Cinco de Mayo the same way each year. Grilled carne asade with pico de gallo. So yummy and maybe authentic. This tradition started back in college.

A sidenote: You might look at this picture of Paul and think "are you in a developing nation?" No, that is just our shared patio. We live in a classy place.

Here's the Pico. So easy to make too. (I don't know what's going on with the spacing, sorry.)

diced tomato

diced onion

cilantro

lemon

garlic

salt

Mix it all together and refrigerate until ready to use.

Hope your Cinco de Mayo was just as exciting as ours!

31 Days of May-Day 4

The Krusty Krab vs. The Chum Bucket

How do you choose which one to go to? In our little town, there is not a single restaurant/fast food that specializes in hamburgers and fries. This creates a dilemma because when we are needing a good hamburger, there isn't a place for 25 miles. And that is when we have to choose The Krusty Krab to the East or The Chum Bucket to the West. I would just like a hamburger from Arctic Circle, but it probably wouldn't be as good when it got here-oh the white sauce! Tonight we decided on The Krusty Krab. I am happy with our choice. So tasty and way better than The Chum Bucket. Where do you go for a good hamburger?

31 Days of May-Day 3

I've been growing my hair out for a few months (that was when I decided to actually grow it out, the last time I cut it was the end of January). Look how long it's getting! I tried to take a picture of the back so you could see, but taking a picture of the back of your head is surprisingly difficult. Try it sometime.

31 Days of May-Day 2

Monday equals laundry day. It is not a favorite part of my week, but I'd rather do it all in one day instead of a load every day. That way I'm not doing laundry all week. Even though I finally have a washer and dryer in my apartment, I miss the days of laundry mats. All it takes is two hours and you are done. Washed, dryed and folded. Maybe I need six washers and dryers. When do you do your laundry?

31 Days of May-Day 1

This is my goal for May: Blog about something each day using words or pictures. Get ready for it.


Day 1-Don't be jealous, but Sheri Dew is speaking at our Stake Relief Society Meeting. I guess living an hour from where she grew up pays off. Just so you know, it's even in the same stake, gasp! So on May 14th, that's where I'll be.

On another note, aren't these beautiful? It's my baby.