Stuff On A Thursday

Hubs and I have been discussing snakes recently because we're building a house in the woods beside water which I'm pretty sure could be like a club med for snakes and also because we spotted a big black rat snake on the trail behind our apartment which is not in the woods or beside the water so apparently snakes are everywhere.

Yes that needed to be one long sentence.

Anyway, hubs knows a lot about snakes and I know very little because I grew up in the land of shopping malls and sidewalks and the green green manicured lawns of home. We have a few rules for the lot and one is don't walk through the construction site en route to the dock wearing flip flops. I've mentioned the nailpalooza happening on site, but we also wear boots in case a snake has made himself at home in the still un-landscaped back yard/mud pit. Hubs likes to tell me if I see a black rat snake don't kill it because they sometimes eat copperheads.

For the record I will not be killing any snakes.
Isn't that why I got married?

I'm something of a snake expert now and here's all you need to know-'red and yellow kill a fellow, nose is black stay back'. You're welcome. Also (in case my mom is reading here) we have not seen a single solitary snake on the lot.

Oh, and I'm not really an expert.

Moving on...I got new glasses today. I ordered them a week ago, and nothing makes you realize how dependent you are on your prescription sunglasses than being without. The roads are safe again. Ha-kidding! Mostly.

This whole tiny house phenomenon. I don't get it. Isn't that another way to say camping? I've never watched the show, but have you seen the ad for the program where the man tries to climb into a bathtub the size of a powder room sink?

I'm not opposed to camping and I'm absolutely in favor of not being house poor, but these houses are soooo tiny. Really really tiny. They're not small houses. They're tiny. Teeny tiny. To each his own, but is that better than living in a small house with normal sized ceilings? And do you buy a lot to put it on or do you move it around? Maybe I need to watch the show.

Google plus. Another thing I still don't get.

For the record I do read those Facebook posts where the poster says they're trying to see who actually reads their posts and to prove it please answer a question, then copy and paste it to your own page. I never copy and paste it to my own page. I'm a rebel like that, but if you're my friend on fb I do read your posts. Promise.

Who watches Ninja Warrior? I'm absolutely amazed at the sheer physical strength of the participants, particularly in their arms. I still sometimes feel like I could break my nose doing my push ups, and a pull up? Forget it. Pull ups remind me of the President's Test on Physical Fitness we had to take back in elementary school. Do kids still have to take that test?

I had to look it up, and apparently in 2012 it was changed to The Universal Youth Fitness Program. A sign of the times I guess that the focus now is more on helping students develop healthy habits. I will say that test we took in the 60's and 70's was 'character building'. And I'm pretty sure successfully completing 2 pull-ups would still be the hardest part for me.

Y'all if you're a pray-er will you please pray in earnest for our nation? I honestly look at the choice we're going to have in November and it makes me want to cry. This is what we've come to? I know some people out there are fully on board one band wagon or another, but I also know so many people like me who don't want to choose between horrible and awful. Please don't rant in the comments about how your candidate is not awful or somehow not as awful as his/her opponent.

When my girls were growing up if they tried to wriggle out of something by telling me someone else had done something worse, well that just never flew with me. Let's not hold ourselves up to the lowest standard out there. I believe that's true for teenagers making questionable decisions and true for each one of us in this very ugly and volatile election season.

It's America and everyone's entitled to their opinion and their private vote via the ballot box (I'm talking to you Miss America judge!), but what do you do when you're a conscientious person who wants to vote but cannot find your way out of the murky messy muddy waters we're all forced to swim in right now?

You pray that's what you do. And you remind yourself there are many months until the election (it only feels like it's been happening for about two years now) and much can happen in a day.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.' Phillipians 4:6-7 

Mid Hodgepodge

Welcome to another week of Hodgepodging smack dab in the middle of May. Answer the questions on your own blog, then add your link at the end of my post. Be sure to leave a comment for the blogger linking before you, because we're all about being neighborly here.

1.  Tell us about a time you found yourself 'in the middle of nowhere'. Was this deliberate? 

Hubs and I enjoy hiking and have landed many times in the middle of nowhere. The first thing that came to mind was a trip we took one April to Dartmoor on the coast of England (to read all about it click here). 

We hiked for miles and miles without seeing another single solitary soul. Nothing but wide open gorgeous countryside and a whole lot of sheep. It felt like we might be the only people on the planet.  

2. What's something you're in the middle of today or this week? 

I suppose the home build would be too obvious an answer? How about furniture shopping? I'm meeting a friend today to sit on some couches and hopefully find a few other bits and pieces we need for the house. 

3. At what age do you think 'middle age' begins? What does it mean to be 'middle aged'? 

It used to be 40 was the magic number, but having lived through that decade already I'm going with 48. That was the first year of my life I considered maybe I'm not as young in person as I am in my head. The bookend of 40 used to be 60, but in my mind that's still very much middle age. 70 is the new 60. 

What does it mean to be middle aged?

I can't read the fine print without assistance. I wake up with mysterious aches and pains known in our house as 'sleep injuries'. I don't take good health for granted, and I spend a lot of time managing said health. I notice and feel gratitude for the small things. I enjoy watching my grown up girls make their way in the world. Life is not an emergency, but I do feel a sense of urgency about time, about the people I love, and about doing what matters for eternity. 

4. Ravioli, stuffed peppers, samosas, deviled eggs, steamed dumplings, peirogis, or a jelly donut...your favorite food (from this list!) with something yummy in the middle. Your favorite not on the list? 

Steamed dumplings or as they say in Shanghai-xiaolongbao. So delicious! I wrote a whole post about them (click here) when I recapped our trip to China back in 2012. 

5. Albert Einstein is quoted as saying,"In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." Would you agree? Have you found this to be true in your own life? Feel free to elaborate. 

Oh absolutely I agree. We have a choice to see that opportunity for what it is or to wallow in the hard thing. My daughter and I were talking about this recently, and we decided that in order to know you can do hard things you have to do hard things-ha! I try hard not to wallow...I'm not always successful but I do try. 

6. What's a song you remember loving from your middle school years? Do you love it still? 

Pretty sure I still love most of them because 70's music is the best and you kind of can't help but love it. A few that popped into my head were American Pie by Don McClean, Benny and the Jets by Elton John, Come and Get Your Love by Redbone and this one- Operator by Jim Croce.  He was such a poet. 

I could list a hundred more...

7. May 18th is National Visit Your Relatives Day. Will you celebrate? Which relative would you visit if time, distance, and expense were not considered? 

Now that I know this I'll definitely pop in and see Daughter2, who conveniently is currently my neighbor. We watch a show together on Wednesdays so I guess that's how we'll celebrate. 

If time and distance were not a consideration I'd love to have a cup of tea with my momma and both my girls. East coast, west coast I don't care, as long as we're all around the same table. 

8. Insert your own random thought here. 

Is anyone watching the new TLC show called Outdaughtered ?The Busbys are parents of six girls-a five year old daughter and then the quints who are just over a year old. They are such a cute family, and I hope they stay above the fray that families seem to get swept up in once they get their own show. 

Their program airs on Tuesday nights, but my Daughter2 DVR's it and then we watch together on Wednesdays. 

I Wonder

It's the last day of July, and it's summer, and I got not a lotta deep today, so how about a list? In true Thursday fashion we'll make it a list of thirteen, with a throwback in there for good measure.

Some things I'm wondering about lately....

1.  Do those Direct TV ads featuring an insecure marionette wife make anybody actually want to switch their service to Direct TV? Creepy. Really creepy.

2. Why is swimwear so ding dang expensive?

3. And ridiculously unflattering?

4. Where will I buy cute hostess gifts now that my favorite shop in town is closing its doors?

5. Why is it so hard to figure out which smoke detector in your house is beeping?

6.  And why does it stop beeping when you stand under it, then start up again when you step away?

7. What's for dinner?

8. Will my kitchen floor see the vacuum today?

9. Isn't it time for The Bachelor/Bachelorette series to end?

10. Past time?

11. Will I ever be able to do pushups without feeling like I want to cry?

12. World chaos.

13. Determined little people who grow up to be amazing, who remind me God is good and also great.

It's Raining, It's Pouring...

The old man went to work anyway. Ha! He's definitely not old, but the rhyme seemed to fit on this gray and rainy Monday morning.  

We had gorgeous weather over the weekend as we trekked to Philly for my nephew's birthday party.  He turned 7 and had a big day beginning with a baseball game, and then a trip to the Aquarium with friends.

I am slightly obsessed with roses this spring. They seem especially beautiful this year everywhere you go. My sister had these blooming in her backyard-

I told hubs we need to plant some, but our yard is tricky. We have fewer blooming plants in this yard than in other places we've lived. We're set against the woods, with lots of natural rock and tall trees so natural feels better. Plus we have serious granite in the ground and an abundance of creatures who think anything that blooms is dessert. Still, I am determined to plant some roses.

Back to Saturday...we sat outside and my brother in law grilled hamburgers and hotdogs, and of course there were presents to be unwrapped...

Lots of running and playing and fun with friends ...

Then there was this-

...tuxedo cheesecake for dessert.

Daughter2 will say her trip home was worth it for this reason alone.
Cheesecake is her love language.

His too. Everybody knows Ninjas need cheesecake, right? Sorry it's a little blurry, but ninjas don't stay still for long.

My sister has a brand new puppy which has once more stirred up the 'we need a puppy' conversation at our house.  

She is so sweet, but when my sister starts talking about taking her outside at 11 PM, and the baby gates, and the need to always know where your puppy is and what she's into I falter. They also have an older dog who seems to have been given a new lease on life with a puppy in the house, so there's that to consider. Our pup is a party girl, and I know she'd love a playmate, but...but...but...sigh. This is one of those things I'll think about another day.

We spent the night at my mom's and she and I got up Sunday morning and sat on the bench beside her front porch to chat and sip coffee.  Hubs joined us and then eventually my girl came out too.  I had to take a picture because she and her dad were in the same shirt and it was too cute.

They look happy to have their picture taken upon awakening, don't they?
I think they're used to me.

We got back home late afternoon and grilled out and then Daughter2 and I talked hubs into watching Les Mis with us which I think he kinda liked.  Better than what we're going to have him watching tonite anyway. teehee.

You want random on Wednesdays? I got Random on Wednesdays...

Normally on Wednesdays I participate in the Weekly Random Dozen but our hostess Linda is taking the month of June off so I'm on my own with random stuff today. Fortunately random is more or less the theme of my blog so I'm not too worried.

Here's my own 'random dozen' thoughts this morning-

1. In a funny coincidence it turns out the restaurant where we had dinner last night is the very same restaurant where Danielle and Dina held their tete-a-tete on Monday night's episode of Real Housewives of NJ. I learned this piece of trivia from a guy my hubs works with which just goes to show you that you never know who is watching Real Housewives.

2. Our dog is a bird dog. We've never hunted with her but the instinct is there and every once in a while we're reminded of that fact. Like Monday night. She was out in the yard when hubs arrived home and he could tell she had something in her mouth so he called her over but naturally she ran the other way. He finally managed to get a look only to discover it was a baby bird. Ewww! We're pretty sure it fell from a nest and was already dead when she got hold of it because she is much more of a super model than a successful hunter. She loves to stalk birds, squirrels, rabbits, groundhogs, and chipmunks but the only animals she has ever actually caught were injured, thus unable to escape.

3. I had a birthday cake delivered to daughter1 on Monday and I had to smile a little. When I placed the order the lady asked what I wanted on the cake and I said 'Happy Birthday Daughter1' (except I inserted her name). She then asked me if I wanted an enclosure card delivered with the cake and if so what should it say. I told her the card should say, " Happy Birthday Daughter1 (insert name of course). Love, Mom and Dad". So daughter1 sent me a pic of the cake and right there on the top it says 'Happy Birthday Daughter1's name, Love Mom and Dad'.

Ha-have you been to the website Cake Wrecks?

4. One year ago this month we moved back to the US from across the pond. I have a few thoughts about this (shocking I know!) which I think I'll save for another post.

5. Twenty six years ago this month I married my honey. Go us!

6. Tomorrow night we're going to a concert and I'm super excited. We'll see Keith Urban, The Dixie Chicks and my favorite band ever, The Eagles. Kind of an interesting combo of musicians but whatever. It will be at the brand new Giants stadium and yay! for corporate boxes.

7. I'm rooting for the Flyers in the Stanley Cup playoffs. I know they're the underdog but don't count them out yet. There's a reason their nickname is The Broad Street Bullies. And in keeping with my random theme, here's a piece of useless information for you...I spent four years of high school sitting beside the son of the Flyer's then coach, Fred Shero. The Flyers won two Stanley Cups when he was boss. It ain't over til its over!

8. I had a pedicure yesterday. I heart pedicures. To the nth degree. One of my favorite ways to spend an hour. When I eventually get to China with my hubs I will be having a foot massage for sure. They come highly recommended.

9. Speaking of China...here is a picture of a squirrel fish prepared for my hubs on his recent trip to Shanghai-

It looks a little bit like a blooming onion but tastes nothing like a blooming onion. Because its a fish. According to my hubs, it is also delicious. The part sticking up is actually pieces of the fish that have been breaded and deep fried. And hey, this post may be random but you can't say it isn't educational too.

10. I am in love with a plant called trailing verbena...

It is beautiful in a pot or basket and comes in many gorgeous colors. My mom had some purple and white trailing verbena in pots at her house and they were just jammed with blossoms. Of course my mom can look at a plant and it will grow. I have two hanging baskets filled with shades of pink and so far so good.

11. I'm getting my hair cut tomorrow and that makes me happy. As long as my hairdresser doesn't do anything crazy I mean.

12. We also have house guests arriving tomorrow and then more arriving on Friday and as a result I have a zillion things to do today errand -wise. Which means I best get off the computer and on to my to do list. Ciao!

A Real Housewife from NJ

Yesterday I was cleaning out my refrigerator because that is what real housewives from NJ do and as I was cleaning I saw a couple of episodes of the show by the same name and it got me to thinking about something. Do people who read my blog watch that program? Do people who read my blog think all NJ housewives are like the women on that show? Does anybody think I sit around with my friends every day and every night and talk about other 'friends' who aren't there? Excessively. To the point that you want to cover your ears and sing lalalalala when they start talking? Does anybody think I would spend over $1900 in one fell swoop in a children's boutique? Does anybody think my hubs would be okay with it if I did? Uh...he wouldn't, just so we're clear.

Speaking of reality programming (and I think 'reality' is now a misnomer because seriously, editing is not part of 'reality'), are you watching The Bachelorette this season? Last night was something. Not sure what word to use but let's just say the new bachelorette is definitely the touchy feely type. Can we say awkward? I can't help myself...I always think of their mamas watching and cringe. Alot.

And my poor hubs.

I saw the first two episodes when he was out of town but when we were channel surfing over the weekend (yeah, the life of a NJ housewife really is pretty exciting) I told him that they were replaying last week's episode if he wanted to catch up and he said, "I am NOT watching that!" Last night he had a business dinner and I was secretly happy because it meant I could watch the new episode and text my daughter back and forth with commentary throughout the show because that's what we like to do.

Except hub's dinner ended early and he came in while the show was still on.

Oh dear.

So he sat down on the couch and began telling me about some stuff at work and before you know it he is commenting on the wrestler's hair and all the tears and whoa, she's friendly isn't she? Again, it's like a train wreck... you just can't help but get sucked into the drama that is reality television. And fyi, boy drama on The Bachelorette is different than girl drama on The Bachelor. And I know it sounds sexist but it feels different watching a Bachelorette audition potential husbands than it does watching a Bachelor audition potential wives. Different in a sleazy icky sort of way.

Okay, back to the real housewife from NJ...today I'm headed to the gym and then will finish up some cleaning in preparation for house guests arriving Thursday, plan menus, indulge in a pedicure, vote in the primary (yes, real housewives from NJ vote), and meet hubs and some friends for dinner later. There will be no swearing, no table turning, and no excessive bling in case you are wondering. Just another glamorous day in paradise NJ.

I really don't understand why I don't have my own show?