So far...

So far I've...

*hit snooze, twice
*made a deal with God
*rolled my eyes
*thought about "one day"
*quickened the pace
*bit my tongue, figuratively
*put on my poker face
*kept order
*lost my train of thought
*asked for help
*counted to 10
*cussed under my breath
*cussed clearly for all to hear
*sneaked a bite of rubbish
*walked right past the mirror
*put it off until tomorrow
*got it done
*needed a good laugh
*refrained from yelling
*summoned patience
*spelled it out
*checked it over
*spoke my mind
*daydreamed
*missed summer
*took a moment
*appreciated the cooler breeze
*left it at the front door
*felt lucky
*loved, a lot

It's not quite 5:30pm.

I'm anxious to see what the rest of this day holds.

Coming home is so very lovely.

My focus...

Or lack thereof.

*I finished the last Harry Potter book a couple days ago.

I've read all seven back to back. I don't know what to read next. I've been lost in a wizard's world for so long...

I've decided I need to read something exceptionally mediocre. Sort of like eating pickled ginger after sushi. I need a book to cleanse my palate.

*We are planning our first family camping trip.

I credit The Boy with prodding us to become one with nature. I applaud his enthusiasm, but have already had to explain to him that we would not be eating grubs, lizards, or snakes while roughing it.

Even The Girl has jumped on board. It's amazing how a new pair of hiking boots (with pink accents, no doubt) can sway one's attitude. However, we had to draw the line at getting Teddy his own pair.

*I'm growing out my hair. Again.

It's at that in-between stage, and it looks like it's growing out. It's driving me mad.

I've resorted to wearing my sunglasses on my head all day to keep it out of my face. Yeah, I'm a fashion plate.

Luckily, my hair grows fast.

*The Offspring have their Halloween costumes.

The Boy's choice was not shocking whatsoever.

The Girl continues to make me scratch my head.

That's all I'm saying about this matter...for now.

*The Mr. will soon be attending his first UT game. In Austin.

He has no idea what's in store.

In addition, we will be going with my Pops and my uncle. I've tried to prepare him for the onslaught of rabid fanfare he will witness.

It doesn't matter that our season is over. Texas fans cheer to the bloody end.

*I want my bathroom to be re-grouted.

Or, I think that's what I want.

My home was built in '53. It still has the original tile, which is awesome, but the grout never looks clean.

And there's a lot of it. Tile is on the floor, around the sink, halfway up the walls, and in the bathtub area.

I've scrubbed, sprayed, bleached. I've tried to tell myself it has "vintage charm".

If you ever see a picture taken in my bathroom, please know that we are clean people. We just have grout with an aged patina.

*Some weeks I have so much to write about that I could post seven days straight.

I'm not having one of those weeks. I didn't have one last week either.

The Offspring need to get busy and give me some "material" to work with. Kids are good for that when it comes to Facebook updates and blog posts.

*Speaking of Facebook updates and child-shenanigans...

The Girl painted her doll house. With nail polish.

Bright pink sparkle nail polish.

She paid extra close attention to the bathroom floor and the toilet. She must be having bathroom angst as well.

My house still smells like a cheap nail salon, but I'm happy to report that the hardwoods and her quilt were unscathed. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been so lucky.

*The Boy has started using "man soap".

He got a new bottle of the liquid variety on Sunday. It's only Thursday and it's 3/4 of the way gone.

When asked, he said that he really stinks so more soap was necessary. I also discovered that he's been washing his hair with the same soap.

This explains the abundance of "purifying grains" left in the tub and the odd texture of his hair.

*I haven't seen Lia in months.

I miss her.

*Halloween. Thanksgiving. Christmas.

'Nuff said.

*I want Mandy to help plan my garden for next season.

I want to do it right. I need someone to hold my hand.

*I have an abundance of creative ideas.

This might sound like a good thing, but for me...not so much. I don't do well with "abundance". I tend to shutdown.

Especially when I'm short on time: The weekends have been busy. The weeknights even busier.

*If you have read this far, then you can see my lack of focus.

Clearly.

What's For Dinner?

I'm mixing it up this week. I've got a bit of new, a few familiar standards, and a couple that have been overlooked for quite some time.

Fall feasting is in full swing here. I mean, the temps have plummeted down into the 80's! Grab a sweater!

Sunday: fish sandwiches, coleslaw, potato wedges, fresh tomatoes

Monday: chicken & dumplings

Tuesday: black skillet beef and greens with red potatoes, fresh tomatoes

Wednesday: creamy potato and sausage soup

Thursday: breakfast burritos, black beans, guacamole, pico de gallo

Friday: hamburgers, oven potatoes

Saturday: the chef is taking the night off

I'm anxious to try Tuesday's meal. It's a new one. It will either be a big hit or a massive miss. We shall see.

Pumpkin muffins have yet to be baked. I'm going to remedy that gaffe tomorrow. It's a new recipe...one that includes the addition of oats. Hopefully, nom, nom, nom.

Things are getting back to normal around these parts. Our evenings of oatmeal and frozen pizza are over because...The Mr. is home!

It's so nice to miss your man.

He returned Wednesday. Not a day too soon.

Hence, the absence here in Blog Land. I'm sure you understand.

Friday was a date night.

The National came to town.

Holy Moses. What.a.show.

I do have one piece of advice for live music lovers: if you are going to sing along at a show, 1) sing at a normal volume, 2) know the lyrics. This is especially important if you happen to ignore rule number one.

The highly intoxicated couple behind us didn't have the 411 on concert etiquette. I really believe that The Mr. and I are magnets for those concert-goers that rhyme with "moosh bags". Seriously.

After the show we met up with some friends and fellow National fans. We grabbed a beer across the street and wondered why we don't get together more often. Isn't that the way it always is?

We turned back into pumpkins the next day when The Offspring were returned, along with the noise that accompanies them.

Aaaaaah.

It was lovely while it lasted.

Ten On Ten: October

October 10th.

Ten pictures taken over ten hours.

Sleeping in.

Feeding others.

Making oneself presentable.

Realizing that she needs new shoes.
Bad.

Loving the weather.

Feeling blessed that he helps.

Taking a minute for myself.

Purchasing something for everyone.

Realizing that I need to trim his nails. Bad.

Stockpiling for the week ahead.

A handful of images captured throughout the day...

10-10-10 was supposed to be epic.

Meh. Not so much around these parts.

That isn't necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes the norm is okay.

Our day was spent:
puttering around the homestead
looking at hiking boots and camping equipment
listening to Beulah, M. Ward, and Spoon
eating fish sandwiches and slaw
playing Gran Turismo
and
writing lesson plans for this next week.

It wasn't earth-shattering. But nice all the same.

Another Ten On Ten is in the books.

I can't wait to take a look around Blog Land and see the other blockbuster days from 10³.

But that will have to wait for tomorrow. My non-legendary day has worn me out.

Until November...

Out.

Crocheted Stones

The crocheted coasters I made last year for The Mr.'s gift exchange in Japan were a hit.

The fact that it was a handcrafted gift was a big deal. At least that's what The Mr. told me.

The bar has been raised, so another handmade item was requested for this year's swap.

I flipped through some of my Crochet Today magazines looking for a project that would be fitting for such an occasion.

As soon as I spied these crocheted stones, I knew I had a winner.

There were three versions in all.

How could I choose just one?

I couldn't. So I made all three.

Although, even one would have made a nice paper weight, no?

I used white crochet thread, size 10.

The hook was minuscule: a size 8 steel hook.

Make sure you have some good light at your disposal. Otherwise, you just might go blind.

Seriously.

I didn't find these patterns especially complicated. They are rated "intermediate" or 3 out of 4 on the difficulty scale.

I think this is due to the size of the thread and hook. It's not a beginner project, that's certain. But if you have even tension and you count your stitches accurately, then you should be fine.

I found the hardest part was fitting them over the rock. The covers are basically a mesh that has more give than you think.

But there is a lot of tugging, pulling, and stretching involved.

Of course I put these off to the last minute.

Good thing they work up quick. I made 2 1/2 in one evening. That's a lot of speedy crochet.

But I did it.

They are now in the hands of another.

Hopefully they are adding a little flair to the space in which they now reside...wherever that may be.

Survivalists In Training

Les Stroud.

Bear Grylls.

Mykel and Ruth Hawke.

The Discovery Channel has given us a plethora of survivalist programming.

The Boy has found his calling. He wants to go on adventures into the wild. He wants to build fires, construct shelters, hunt and forage for food, and be an all around outdoors badass.

The Girl plays along. But if you ask her about going into the wilderness, she opts to stay home and go to The Galleria.

Since survival fever hit our home, I've watched many of these shows. Multiple times.

I haven't seen one yet that doesn't have the wilderness expert stuck in the tropics, forced to get their precious fluids from a coconut.

Since then, the need for us to purchase our own coconut has been great. A coconut cost all of 99¢ at HEB. I can spare a dollar for survival prep.

I'd never opened a coconut. Not a problem since the advent of Google and You Tube.

I soon realized that my knife wasn't nearly strong enough, so we gathered the necessary supplies and headed outside...prepared to brave the unknown dangers of the driveway.

We used a nail to make holes in the coconut and drained the water.

There was a surprising amount of water in that little guy.

I'm sure a fresh coconut would have even more.

The Girl shocked me, and was first to take a sip.

After draining the water, it was time to crack the coconut open.

We wrapped it in a towel and used a hammer to smash it open.

It took about 5 good hits.

The Offspring wanted to save this for a cup.

Of course.

We broke it into smaller pieces so we could cut out the meat.

I asked them what it tasted like...

The Girl said it tasted like eggs.

The Boy determined it to taste like an onion-y watermelon.

An onion-y watermelon, huh?

And he ate it. Not all of it, but more than a nibble. He is convinced that eating with his new pocket knife makes food taste better.

I'll remember that the next time I make a dish with mushrooms or kale.

When the coconut feast was over, The Offspring ran off to collect firewood.

It was a lovely day.

In a wilderness-survival sort of way.

Since The Mr. left...

The Mr. left for Japan on Wednesday.

Since he's been gone...

Teddy lost an eye.

It was precarious for a while, but emergency eye reattachment surgery was a success and he is expected to make a full recovery.

The Boy willingly wrote a full page...and a half...about a story he listened to while on the computer.

Dyslexia, be damned.

I am so proud, I can barely contain myself.

The Girl's kindergarten class made applesauce at school.

Her teacher is unbelievably brave. She deserves many gift cards, ahem.

There were apples to spare.

So, applesauce-making continued at home.

The house now smells like fall has finally arrived.

Very little cooking has taken place other than mac & cheese, sloppy joes, and a frozen pizza.

And yes, we had oatmeal one night.

But we have managed to squeeze in some vitamins.

Fruit has balanced the raw cookie dough we had for dessert one night.

It has been less than a week since The Mr. left.

But we are so ready for him to return. Life isn't nearly as fun when he's not around.

Come home, baby. You are missed.

A lot.