In Need of a Vacation

This past week has flown by as I suspected it would. Having three kids at camp made for a quieter house, but certainly didn't lessen any busyness in my life. Kirsten had three softball games this week and various overnites both at friends' homes and here. I was able to do some work in the garden, getting three new roses bushes planted.

Thursday morning was the gem in my week. My long-time friend, Cindy, came over to my house for a garden tour where I regaled her with the story of the triumphs and travails of developing the garden on this plot of land. Cindy has been an inspiration for me in many ways over the years, but especially in her love of gardening and roses in particular. It was great fun showing her my own little rose garden, asking her a few questions, and getting some ideas as I continue developing my gardens.

We soon hopped into Cindy's car, made a stop at Starbucks for coffee, then continued on to her latest home and a tour of her garden which is in its third year and beginning to flourish beautifully. She took many cuttings of roses from her previous garden, stuck them into the ground, covered them with a mason jar, and next spring had a new little rose growing - amazing! Artistic expression fairly drips from her fingertips, and graces her garden, home, family, and friends. Thank you, Cindy, for a most enjoyable morning!

Today I drove up to the camp to bring my boys home. Since then I've been processing mounds of laundry, helping DH get the boys to and from their jobs, and running more errands - so we can get out of here in the morning! A road trip vacation with the four youngest is actually happening - I hope the kids enjoy it as much as I know I will. We're heading off to enjoy a variety of pleasures in the state of California. Thank the Lord we have grown children here who will be taking care of the house for us while we're gone, so we don't really have to worry about closing up the house! I have enough to think of! :D

So I need to get back to the laundry room to get some more clothes out of the dryer and perhaps actually get some of it into suitcases! Till I have a chance to post again - take care and enjoy!

Double Duty

Today we celebrate our fathers as they do indeed deserve to be celebrated! For my family the celebration is expanded as it is also the anniversary of my 39th birthday!! So the kids get a twofer today. Happy Father's Day to all the dads and Happy Birthday to me. :)

It's pretty quiet around here today with the three boys away at camp. On Friday I drove an SUV full of boys to the camp which is on the east side of White Pass, which is near Mt. Rainier - beautiful country!
Saturday I get to go pick them up. We'll be stopping for lunch in Yakima at the famous Miner's which serves humongous hamburgers - always a huge hit with the boys.

Yesterday DH and I drove over to Kendrick, Idaho, for a memorial service for my uncle. It seems that funerals are the only time I see my mom's family any more, so I do make an extra effort to get over to represent my mom who was the first of her eight siblings to pass on four years ago. It's always nice to catch up with my cousins and remaining aunt and uncles.

As much as I enjoy visiting with family, I love reconnecting with the land where my mom was raised. The soil on the ridges of the Kendrick/Juliaetta area is rich and deep, excellent farm land. We took a jaunt up to Cameron and I was stunned at the 360^ view of verdant fields as far as the eye could see topped off by a sky filled with puffy white and dark rain clouds which spilled their shadows over the fields. I can so understand why Mom needed, really needed, to get up to the ranch to visit not only her folks, but her land. The drive up the Clearwater River from Lewiston is always beautiful and it seemed even more so as many months have gone by since I had seen those rock studded hills. I gotta get back there more often to soak it all in.





With the boys gone this week, I hope to get caught up with some housework and laundry, and get started packing for our Cali. vacation coming up a week from today! Woohoo!

The Comedy of Errors

Last Friday and Saturday my kids were part of a local production of Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors. Since 2000 my good friends Crystal Eberle and Mary Leenheer have taught a short class in the spring to local homeschoolers concentrating on one of the Bard's plays, except for the two years they ventured into Gilbert and Sullivan. DD Melanie made artistic renderings for the first scene of the play where the old man delivers a speech detailing the events of his life. DS Brendan was that old man, DD Kirsten was one of the officers, and DSs Kevin and Kyle played the twins Antipholus of Ephesus and of Syracuse.

Kyle & Kevin center
Kirsten's face between them
Brendan in the back

I must say that everyone from directors on down to the young kids did an outstanding job. I think one of my favorite scenes was when Antipholus E. comes home to entertain his friends and finds the door locked against him, is refused entry, while his twin brother is inside eating his dinner with his wife. Hilarious!

Here is a link to a short clip of Antipholus S. (Kyle) arguing with his supposed man, Dromio (K.D. Casbon), one of the many mix-ups in the play. And here is a link to more pix of the play.

Mary and Crystal said that this year's class was one of their favorites as most of these kids have been involved in the plays from a young age, watched the older siblings in the plays before that, and so "get" Shakespeare. I'm so grateful for these two friends and all the efforts they put into teaching my kids so much that I could never teach them!

An added bonus to the play is that my sister and her family come up to attend the play each year and we do so enjoy having them here for the weekend!

A Small Dilemma

Friday I bought this beautiful clematis at Costco. Goodness, I love the wine colored petals and the contrasting centers! But now where to plant this beauty. This must not be a hasty decision to pop it in the ground any ol' place, as does happen sometimes. No, I must find a place to show it off and where it complements the other plants around it. Hmmm. . .

This is just one of a myriad of dilemmas I face as I'm trying to improve the yard around my house. Awhile back I promised to show you some of the uglier spots in my yard. Oh yes, they are ugly.

You have been warned.

Above is the northwest corner of the property. It needs a section of fence, a gate, and a plan. Should I plant a tree to provide more shade for the back yard? Then I face the possibility of too much shade in years to come and the roots that choke out other plants. I've already taken out two pines so I could have flowers. Sometimes I miss the shade, but I love how the flower beds are shaping up! Argh!

Now we're facing the southwest corner. At one time there were four trees in this area, and where the fence is was a row of arborvitae. One tree remains as well as what is left of the dirt I dug out of my rose garden, some of the rocks that I dug out of said garden, weeds, and a pile of chippings. At least I have a plan of action for this area: clear it, level it, gravel it and park the trailer here. My boys and I will be busy this week! hehehe . . .

Preoccupied

My friends I feel I must apologize for ignoring you this week. I'm sure you're all doing some fun things at the end of the school year, going on vacations, and starting all kinds of wonderful new stitching projects. And what am I doing?

Playing with my new cell phone. :D


Yes, the iphone has come into my life and I'm trying to get my contacts and calendar all switched over. And then there are those apps - thousands of choices! I haven't downloaded too many yet, but I am trying out Twitterfon, the Facebook app, a flashlight app, Pandora Internet radio, the Bible, solitaire, Google Earth, and Bejeweled 2. Oh my, Bejeweled, I'll never catch up with the laundry now!

Also happening in this very auspicious week, the last day of public school - today! Very happy boys in the house. Lunchtime was quite celebratory as we also had our kids and grandkids over to have a quick visit with my niece and nephew, Ben and Ali, who were coming through town from the Seattle area, on their way to Boise. Ben is about to start his residency in medicine at UW very soon, and Ali will be off to Mali with the Peace Corps! What grand adventures they will have!

Dress rehearsals have started for the homeschool performances of Shakespeare's A Comedy of Errors, which all five of my homebound kids have a part in, particularly the twins - of course! The last couple of evenings I've enjoyed a quiet house with no kids and a husband who doesn't come home until late. Kinda nice. The play will be performed on Friday and Saturday. My sister and her family always come up for the plays, so we're looking forward to a really fun weekend. I think a family bbq is in order for Saturday lunch! :D

Well, enough of my rambling for now. Be well everyone!!