Gathering Sympathy-NOT!

Remember "Mr. I better never miss a meal Max"? If not, let me refresh your memory with this.

He came home from football practice last night and instantly started in on a rant. Apparently, the varsity football team has dinner together before games, Max (well, actually Hubby and I) paid the fee and it is a done deal.

Tonight Max may not play varsity because he is short one practice so Coach Robb tells(or tries to tell him) that he needs to practice with the JV team tonight and so no dinner for him.

Max has a fit! This won't work. I(his chief cook) will not be home tonight, he thought he could eat with the team, now he may not get dinner!

He not only ranted at home but to the football coaches. {Insert embarrassment here}

The kid has no shame.

I think Robb was surprised.

Um, don't mess with Max's meals, man, you have NO idea.

This morning at boot camp Robb told me about it, uhm yea, I knew about it. I actually started hearing about it as Max walked in the door last night.

Robb assured the other coaches that Max won't starve. He told them to read my blog and see that I do cook- A LOT!

So Robb thought Max could grab some leftovers tonight. Yes, that should work as I made a pork roast, red potatoes and gravy, carrots and a banana cream pie for dinner last night.

Max is still ranting this morning as he shovels in leftover tater tot casserole for breakfast.

Inbetween bites he tells me we need bigger plates.


He gained 30 pounds of muscle since the first day of school last year.

Could we have a moment of silence for my grocery budget and sanity?

Thank you-

It's Mine

The last two summers I have not always had a car. I bike to the museum, the library, to get milk. I love my bike but sometimes I want to go to the Bay or the mall and that's a bit far for me.

Last Fall we bought the Element and I thought, "yes, I have wheels!"

Then in May, Max got his driver's license and took over the van.

The '54 is getting some work done by my Dad so it wasn't available this summer.

Hubby has to get to work.

I was once again left to my own two feet or my bike.

Max is going to buy a car and return our van.

Sam has his own car. He leaves soon and is selling his CRX,

Dan lives in MI and uses his bike and the bus.

But I just have a feeling one of the guys will come home next summer or at Christmas and then I will be stranded again.

Today I took matters into my own hands and bought myself a car. She is nothing fancy but so far she runs.

I wrote a check(thanks honey), gave first right of refusal to the previous owner if I decide to sell her and one pie. Blueberry.



See you later-

Local Sting Operation

It began on Sunday as we were getting ready to go to church, we were, of course, all in the bathroom, our only bathroom. Hmmmmm or should I say buzzzzzzzzz, there seemed to be several hornets/wasps/bees/yellow jackets in the bathroom. Suddenly there were more than several, there were a lot of them. More like a swarm. Hubby went to buy spray instead of going to church. We felt we had control of the situation.
Not so.
On Monday we determined that they were coming in from the light/fan. We blocked their entrance from outside. More spray, more killing.
This morning I killed, showered, killed, brushed my teeth, killed, dried my hair, killed, put on mascara, killed...you get the idea.
Today at 4:00 p.m. we admitted defeat and called Biobug. The last two days when I come home from work I kill 100-150 bees (let's just call them bees even though I think they are hornets). That is a lot of bees. We spray, swat and vacuum and they just keep coming.

Not really in the habit of sharing pics of our toilet bowl but I want you to feel like you're here. I want you to feel my pain.

Biobug is very busy and they won't be here until late afternoon on Wednesday.
BEE AfRaId.
Oh, and remember how clean my bathroom was on Saturday? Well now it has bee guts and parts everywhere! Grrrrrr...

Loving Fall and Back to School

Let's celebrate the first day of school and Fall. Love me some Fall!
How do I celebrate Fall? Why, I get out the cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and vanilla, of course.

Fall is back to school, zucchini, football and new shoes! Oh, and new Led Zeppelin and Bob Marley t-shirts.

Today is the first day of school at Lynden Christian School, they are beginning their 100th year, blessed with God's faithfulness over and over. Great start this morning with our mayor, county executive, LHS superintendent and a pastor, all sharing words of best wishes and wisdom for the year.

I have zucchini from Holly,the zucchini fairy and thought of this Zucchini Cake recipe. The recipe is from LC football Coach K. I love getting out the Fall spices. Add the butterscotch chips, cuz they put this cake over the top. It's a winner!

Let's hope the football team is too...


Zucchini Cake
2 beaten eggs
3/4 c. veg. oil
1 c. white sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. baking pwd.
1 tsp. salt
1. tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. grated zucchini- give thanks if you have a food processor, or get out your grater and get busy.

2 1/2 c. flour
1 small pkg. butterscotch chips
Grease 9x13 pan; sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Mix dough in order given(not chips) and pour into pan. Sprinkle top with more sugar and cinnamon and the butterscotch chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

Who wouldn't love to come home on the first day of school to a home filled with the smell of this cake? Yum!
Now I am off to work at Sole Obsession this afternoon. If you don't have your new Fall shoes yet, stop by, I'll find you somethin'.

Summer is Over

I worked at the museum and at the shoe store this past week. Including Friday evening at the museum during the Mark Twain play. I'm trying to get caught up everywhere.

On Friday Max and I went school shopping. Gotta love guys. We left the house at 9:30, drove to Burlington, shopped and by 11:30 a.m. we were walking into Red Robin to have lunch with shopping completed.

On the way home Max suggested we visit Little Bit, so we made a stop at Grandma Honey and saw that he is doing well. Little Bit looks good and has a buddy in the pasture.

Saturday morning I dove in and did laundry until the floor and counter in the laundry room were once again visible. This was ongoing and all day. I just have 5 pieces left to iron.

I rode my bike to a few yard sales in the neighborhood in the morning and found some goodies. I am going to paint this little chair for my kitchen, $2, what a deal! I did have to ride home and then walk back to pick it up, rather than carry it while biking.

A set of six vintage trays, love the pattern and the colors and they fit in the bike basket.

I scrubbed the bathroom, washed the shower curtain, rugs and mopped twice-summer grime is vanished!

Becky stopped by for some help with a dinner party she was hosting. We made a run to one of my favorite places, the dahlia gardens on the BBLyn Road. The owner told me I could come again with a scissors and go into the field. I am so excited and promise to take my camera.



Then back home for a flurry of vacuuming, dusting, more laundry, mopped the main floor and tried to get all the spider webs knocked down.

Got real with myself, Summer is over, school is starting, so I unpacked my beach bag for the year.

Made a plan with the guys to have dinner on the patio at seven sharp. Yum! Grilled flank steak, ranch potatoes, summer vegetables and grilled corn on the cob. We used the heater, there is a definite chill in the air.

School starts for Max on Monday, I've done the big shop to Target and Costco, he has something to wear, the house is clean. Bring it on, I'm ready!

It's A Wrap

This appetizer looks pretty fancy. Impressive for guests and I used my homegrown figs for the homemade jam. That sounds pretty Martha-like too. So while it is impressive for guests, in reality it was easy peasy for me. Love that!

I used one package of puff pastry and two small rounds of Brie cheese.


I used a small amount of flour on the counter and lightly rolled one sheet of pastry, just enough to blur the lines. Set one brie in the center and top with two large scoops of fig jam. If you don't have fig jam, try another fruit jam.

Mix one egg and one tablespoon water to use as your pastry glue. Bring up the sides and corners of the puff pastry, glue and pressing as you work to create a pouch filled with the Brie and jam. I try to artfully arrange the top of the pastry.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, then let set for 40 minutes and serve. I did set out crackers with them but really there is enough pastry that you don't need the crackers. I served the puffs on fig leaves and garnished with fresh figs. Next time I would use more jam.