Merry Christmas 2010

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year December 2010

This summer went by fast and after school started it seam to go even faster, already Christmas. I hope this finds you well and healthy.
I started out this year to be “more green” with my life. I want to do more, but I’ll see…
This desire led me to starting a worm compost pile. I found a BIG wooden box by the tractor shop here in town, and asked if I could have it. Yes, pick it up any time. I don’t have a truck,but Chrisy and David do. I asked them to get it for me. After a few weeks went by I thought I would pick up the box myself and put it in the trunk of my car, letting it hang out the end a bit. Just so happened that Chrisy and David picked it up, and came by to let me know. What a laugh I had, I told them I was going to get it myself, oh yea, it took all David and Chrisy could do just to get it in the back of their truck and the box hung out the tailgate by 2 feet! This was just the start of my worm composting adventure.
Now this sounded fine at first, but you have to get “green waste" grass clippings, vegetable scraps and leaves. Ok, the grass clippings are easy, just mow the yard. Leaves no problem just rake the yard. Now the vegetable scraps that is a bit harder to come by when there is only myself eating at home and this is only one…
I work 7:30/8ish to 6:30 Pm at the school. I am the Food Service Manager. We serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack at 6p. So there are a lot of vegetable scraps there. Every day I ask the staff to save the vegetable “scraps” for me. Most of the time they forget, so I have to remind them, by saying something like, "my worms could have eaten that you know." "Put that in the worm bucket." The one that gets the most reaction is - "Save that, I’ve got worms!"
For the most part this has been on the fun side of being green. I have also got the grandkids in on this too. The one thing that is fun for them to do is shred the newspaper and put it in “for the worms to read” – they like small print so that is the reason for the shredding, you know.
I got the right kind of gardening tools and started out. For some reason my worms didn’t seam to be multiplying as they should. It seems as if they were dieing off. I had a teacher at work, which I got the worms from, come over and look at my worm-composting. Sure enough my worms were dieing. I was working the compost too much, only need to turn the compost once a week or so not every day, who knew? Ok a new set of worms was given to me. OK here we go…..by this time it is late in the fall, and you guessed it now it is snowing. So last week I decided to bring my worms into the garage, so they wouldn't get too cold. I looked around and found a nice place to set a new box and move in the worms. The box didn’t fit so I had to find a new location, ah-ha! The water softener does not work so I could take it out and bring in my worms. Ok sounds easier than it was…. I took off the top cover, a little water Was inside the tank but I think I can lift it or slide it out the garage. Now there are pipes and hoses coming and going from this thing, off one hose now the clamp that hold the motor on. WATER every where! My little dog runs to the door, oh did I say it was about 20 degrees out? No? It was. I thought it was the water in the tank, and it would soon be gone and that would be that. OH no it just kept running, now down the driveway. I got a grip, came to some of my scenes and started looking for a turn off valve. I finally found one and started turning like mad! (righty tighty, lefty loosie) Ok, the water is off, And I am wet from top to bottom and water running everywhere. Oh and I had my stereo there that I was going to bring in, yep it got wet too. Inside I go with my little dog, 2-too. Ok what to do?... It is getting late so I decided to take a shower and work on this more tomorrow. NO water! I called Chrisy and asked for David, he is sick at home and she was taking children home from church, sure Enough it was Wednesday. Called David and begged. He said he would be over. Not more than a ½ hour later he shows up, by this time I had to get water out of the toilet tank to wash my hands!
When David asked what had happened, I told him that the clamps popped off when I used this big nail to push them with. As he rolls his eyes, and asked where are the parts? Oh one here and the other? As I start looking around… oh here it is. David clamped it back together and turned the water on. I called Chrisy to let her know David was on this way home. I asked what did David have to say? he said- “We Need to get your mom a boyfriend! That way she will have something to think about besides those worms!"
So going “green” is not as easy as I thought it was going to be. I think I will do more gardening this next year.
I do spend time with the grandkids, Aliva 8, Emmalee 3, and Benny-boy 2. On the weekends I go to Boise and sew quilts with my mom.
Love & Laughter,




PS you might enjoy this:

Ode to the Lunch Lady

Teachers come and teachers go,
It’s the lunch lady who you get to know.
She ladles the gravy, she scoops the peas,
You can get an extra portion if you just say please.
Five days of the week, the lunch lady is there,
Handling you a tray with a pizza square.
Although some of the food might look a bit scary,
You can rest assured it’s sanitary,
Because the lunch lady serves her food with pride,
Even if she’s not sure what’s inside.
Potato nuggets, corn dogs, pudding and pie,
Casseroles, medleys and something that’s fried.
She fills your plate with a smile and a wink,
And reminds you to pick out something to drink.
Lunch lady, lunch lady, you’re the diva of the school,
I don’t care what my friends say, I still think you’re cool.

Grand kids

Had the two younger grand kids over this afternoon. E ran to the back door, "I want to plant flowers", and B right behind saying the same thing, out the door and to the last of the summer flowers.

This summer when the flowers had faded off they drop their seeds. So when all three of the grand kids came over we planted flowers seeds in my "flower bed" area. That was fun, we all planted some seeds here and there.

So today we had to plant more flowers. So off to the "flower bed" area. B was making a "castle", something we did this summer on the beach, as E picked the seeds off the stems and watched them fall to the dirt and saying "its snowing, its snowing". Then whip the dirt with the palm of her hand, as B picked up dirt and threw it every where, on the chair, on the rocks, in the flower bed, and in the air. OK with that done on to the house to watch Elmo. This next summer we will see where the flowers will be growing.

Elmo started... we want cottage cheese, we want cottage cheese, OK, OK, off to the kitchen. E and B set down on the dinning room floor. Get the spoon and bowls, and here you go, more, more. Now that the cottage cheese is gone, back to Elmo.

B needs a clean diaper,that done with, back to the Elmo and toys. Soon something smells, the way only a diaper can,"B do you have stinky diaper?" "No" is what he always says. Out to the living room get a clean diapper. I call out to E "get meme the wet wipes from the bathroom", E "I can't turn on the water" meme "bring the blue box by the tub" Thank you.

Poor B, poop everywhere and stink! Meme cleaning things up, E says "I have stinky diaper too", meme "No you don't, you have Big Girl pants on". E "No I have stink dipper, do you want to to smell?" as she turns her back side to me. That was too funny, I just burst out -laughing as E and B join in too.

As B stands up he looks at my "moo moo maw maw" he says, "flashlight" and feels the beads on the top of my moo moo maw maw. I tell him "no, beads" He fills one of the beads again and "says flashlight". OK, they do sparkle and light shines off them.

Back to Elmo and the toys. B pulls out the walker and sets it up and climes in sits down and looks at me and says "food meme, food'. Back to the kitchen for crackers and grapes.

B and E have a good time playing/fussing with each other, and before long daddy is here and time to go home.

Good-by, love ya,

Reminising and Ruminating

Cleaning out the car.
Once a week we would clean out the car. Friday was the"clean out the car day". Mostly because it was a day were there wasn't any other thing that had to be done, like school work. taking out the trash, there is always trash that gets left in the car no mater how much you try to keep it clean there is always something that gets left in the car. Cleaning the car also means washing the out side and the windows in and out, washing the dash, the doors, on and on... So here is Chrisy doing her part of cleaning, in the trunk? Yes in the trunk. The trunk gets a lot of "stuff" left in it because it is so easy to hide "stuff" there.


The car wash had a gas station along with it. So to keep an eye on Chrisy I put her in the trunk as I was vacuuming. It worked out pretty good she was happy enough to be in the trunk and I didn't have to worry about her.

As time goes by

Time, has come to this, 29 years have come and now gone. Yes my baby is now 29 years old.
I spent the day babysitting the 2 younger ones, the oldest got to go to Church. E wasn't doing good on Friday, so better stay home. Chrisy and David both had to work, So meme got too babysit.
Time, only just a few years ago, I was bring Chrisy home from the hospital. Now, 29 years later. So the big day 10-10-10, yep that's the date.
When Chrisy turned 10, we had 10 friends and had to do everything in 10's, that was fun.
So as I am babysitting, I cleaned up a little, Chrisy has invited all her "face-book" friends and all and any one that she knows to her house for a her 10-10-10 party.
I did some laundry, sweep, and did get to take a nap with the kids.
Chrisy wants a BBQ and baked potatoes, some veggies on the side, should be a fun afternoon, open house 3p-7p.
going to post pix later can't wait :)

Reminising & Ruminating

Shall we go for a walk today?

here we are walking from our house down to grandma's on park st in Eagle.

Chrisy is not big enough to walk by herself so mommy and daddy are holding her hands.

Can you believe it has been 30 years?

and i still like holding her hand, even though she can walk by herself...

come into my parlor...

i was headed into the house from the garage,there is no interior door. as i got onto the porch i noticed a HUGE-mongous spider web abound the porch light. there was a moth trying to escape the sticky web and the spider was chasing the moth around the web. i stood there shocked as i witnessed the "nature" program unfolding before me. of course in true predator fashion, the spider caught the the moth and then i went into the house with a renewed sense of awe for the "wild life" that is around me every day...



...said the spider to the fly


good thing halloween decorations are already out in walmart, because i still have "my" spider web up on the porch

Last night around 11:30 I went out side. It was so peaceful and quite. I live in town, a mile from the freeway, across from a school, and if you go one mile into town is the hospital. I can hear the traffic and the big trucks pulling out of the gas station, and when the ambulance goes by boy you know I hear that. But tonight it was peaceful. as I looked up in the sky I can see the big dipper, and other stars too, the moon is almost full, so there is a lot of night light. When looking at the big dipper I see a flashing light, red-white-red, it is a aircraft of some sort. Where are they going? and can they see the big dipper too? Soon it is gone. just the trees swaying in the wind.

I've got WORMS!

"I've got worms!! save that for me!" and all the kitchen staff turn and look with alarmed faces, "that's right, you heard me I've got worms."

Now before you tell what to use to get rid of them let me explain. A teacher at school had worms first. I wanted to have worms too, so he gave me some of his. well the first time I had worms I think they froze or died from no water and they were in the garage, that could have had something to do with it??? any way the teacher had more worms, and gave me another "start". This time I was NOT going to let them die!

I got a wooden box from a tractor dealer. I asked my son-in-law to pick it up for me, he said he would and that was that. time passed and my son-in-law some how never got around to picking up the box. So on my way to work one day, I looked, the box still there,so I would pick it up my self and put it in the trunk of my car and bring it home. Just so happens my son-in-law came by that very day to my work. "Hey," I said "will you pick up the box today?" "oh yea, I ready did" he said. My daughter said "it was a good thing I was with him because it took all we had to pick it up". My turn to laugh, I told them how I was going to pick it on my way home that very day. We all had a good laugh. We walked out to the truck and the box hung out from the tailgate by 2 feet! "and I was going to pick this up! and put it in my car" I said laughing, oh my. We got home with the box and it was all I could do to "help" with the end that I was carrying. We put it down by the shed and said we will move it later. Later hasn't come yet.

Oh yeah back to the worms. I got my next set of "starter" worms and in the box they go. Now I need to feed them. So the best thing is, you guessed it, left over food from the salad bar and other kitchen waste of course. Carrot peelings, cucumber ends, onion skins, you know things like that. and when I mow the lawn the grass clippings will go in there too. The other thing that is good to use is shredded newspaper. so I found good use for the adds that I get in the driveway every Thursday.

I have been feeding(composting) my worms all summer now. After mowing the yard this week I put the grass clippings in the box and give it a mix. By this time I am using a "small" garden fork not to be confused with a "pitch fork". After turning and moving the feed around, I look desperately for my worms!, Slowly moving the feed again, no..., move the feed around again. There!, there is one! right there! Yes I have worm... one worm.

The other day when I added some feed for my "worms", I saw a small crack in the side of the box. Thinking If I was a worm, would I worm out that hole? No say I, because of all this feed in here I would stay in this lovely box!

Now, I don't know if I should ask the teacher for any more worms or not. oh and the teacher? he has them in his class to teach the students about composting.

Someday, I will transplant the strawberry plants to this box and have the biggest and fattest and juiciest strawberries around. That's the plan. In the mean time, save that kitchen waste, because I Got WORMS!

sewing

sewing with my mom on Sundays for the past a 2 years. this last week, 7/4/10, we are working on a scrappy- using up all the small pieces form all the other quilts that we have made. this one is using up the longest pieces, 2in wide, or smaller. you need the longest ones for the middle of the block. you sew them from corner to corner diagonally, using dark colors on one side and lighter colors on the other side of the square, the name "sun shine shadow" you can put it together with the dark colors together to the light ones, ether way it look nice and fun to make because there is no real pattern to follow and or to mess up.
Mom said that her mom use to sew all the center pieces 1st before the children could cut them in to small pieces, so then mom and her brother, and other children of the family would sew the rest of the pieces on. so making this is fun in two ways, mom and i working together and hearing what mom did as a kid, the more things change the more they stay the same...

make sure it's good for you

one thing I use to do... pick up donuts for breakfast on sabbath morning. I would let Chrisy pick out hers and I always got a "jelly=filled" :) I can almost taste it now. Chrisy would get a maple-bar.
Chrisy always sat on one side of the table, me on the other. This one sabbath morning, I come into the kitchen to find a bite out of my donut, so I ask, are we trading donuts today?, oh no Chrisy said I just wanted to make sure it was going to be good for you.

From time to time we would get drinks from the Micky D's drive-in, this one day Chrisy said "my drink doesn't taste good", I tasted it. It was only carbonation, no flavoring. I had to go back and get a "new drink" for her. From that day on I always tasted her drink to... "make sure it's good for you".