Julie Tries ...

Baked Pumpkin Steel Cut Oatmeal

2012-01-24T11:23:00.001-06:00

This was breakfast today. It will be breakfast tomorrow. And the day after, too.

Good thing it's delicious.

But really, what's not to like about steel cut oats, pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and vanilla? Oh, and I used almond milk instead of the standard stuff.

It's a recipe from The Kitchn. Try it yourself here: http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-baked-pu-159872.

Ranger Cookies

2012-01-23T09:45:00.001-06:00

In my world, any cookie is a breakfast cookie. If I had to pick only one time of day to eat cookies, it would be in the morning, with coffee. Yum.

For some reason, I feel less guilty when I eat ranger cookies in the morning. I suppose it's because they have oatmeal and whole-wheat cereal flakes in them. Very nutritious. Very breakfast-y. Or so I tell myself.

Sunday Breakfast

2012-01-22T10:03:00.001-06:00

Steel cut oats with fresh strawberries, almonds, shaved coconut, and a touch of brown sugar? Yes, please.

Two Months

2012-01-20T08:02:00.001-06:00

The little guy turned two months old yesterday. We celebrated by giving him a slew of shots.

No, silly, I'm not talking tequila and Jäger and such. I'm talking Polio and Diphtheria and the like. Whee!

He was a trooper though.

It's absolutely amazing to see how much Collin has grown and changed every day of the past two months.

He's bigger and stronger. He looks at the world with bright, inquisitive eyes. He smiles and coos and has ticklish little feet. He holds his head up and even tries to stand up. He is quiet as can be when we take him out to dinner and enjoys watching a good basketball game. He's finally starting to look with curiosity at his friend Butter.

And miracle of all miracles ... He's finally (finally!) starting to sleep.

I can't even imagine what amazing changes we'll see in him in the next two months ...

Lunch with James Farmer

2012-01-19T13:37:00.003-06:00

While we were in Georgia, My Dad took babysitting duty so My Mom, My Sister, and I could attend a ladies' luncheon at their club, Cuscowilla.

Go ahead and roll your eyes at the notion of a ladies' luncheon at the country club. We did a bit, too. But we decided we couldn't resist the menu—and the topic for the luncheon sounded rather interesting.

And so we joined the ladies' club for a discussion, lunch, and book signing with author, landscape designer, and Southern Living editor James Farmer. We learned how James first became interested (from an incredibly early age) in gardening and cooking; how he taught his roommates to cook while getting his degree at Auburn; and how he sees landscapes, interiors, gardens, and food all working together to create truly fine southern living. He told a few entertaining stories ... and also talked about the process of getting his first book published and about the excitement of his book tour.

It's hard to believe, but he's actually the same age as I am. I never would have guessed it, but then again he did say a number of times that he's an "old soul."

After we listened to James speak for a while, we headed to the Waterside Restaurant at the club for lunch. And oh what a lunch it was.

We started with acorn squash soup, which had a pleasant hint of ginger.

And for the main course? Tilapia covered with lobster and blue crab sauce, sitting on a bed of polenta, accompanied by haricot verts (aka green beans).

It was a delightful lunch with my two favorite ladies.

A Day with the Baby

2012-01-18T07:56:00.000-06:00

Since returning from our Lake Oconee trip, the little guy has decided he must. be. held. all. the. time. I blame this on his Mimi and Papa and Auntie Coley.

And so I have spent a good portion of the past couple of days sitting on our couch in the living room, armed with toys and children's books for Collin and a journal and Nook for me.

It's a rather enjoyable existence. I'm trying to savor every moment of it and not stress about all the things I could be doing around the house instead.

It's hard to believe, but I have less than two weeks left to be home with the little guy full-time!

Homemade Pot Pie

2012-01-17T12:04:00.004-06:00

The other day I had the urge to make a homemade pot pie.

So I hopped online and scrounged up a relatively easy recipe (you can find it here). I modified it a bit, using chicken and frozen veggies because I didn't have Thanksgiving leftovers like the recipe suggested.

It turned out pretty well, which is a good thing since we're still eating the leftovers!

A Week at the Lake

2012-01-17T11:38:00.004-06:00

The little guy and I decided to ditch Conservative Hubby and Butter at home last week and headed to Georgia to visit My Parents.

They moved into a new townhome at Lake Oconee when they retired in August and we had yet to see it. Plus My Parents were, of course, dying to spend more time with Collin. And I couldn't pass up a chance to enjoy some nice weather and relax a bit.

It was a wonderful week, particularly because My Sister joined us for quite a few days. Plus Conservative Dad was there at the same time. And Kid Sister visited too. So Collin got to spend quality time with both of his favorite aunties. Plus he met Uncle H, Auntie R, and M.C.

What did we do all week? It was a rather strenuous schedule. We started each morning on the top balcony of the house, where we sipped our coffees and read our books or did crossword puzzles. That shot of the lake above? That was taken on the top balcony.

Then we'd move down to the main floor for breakfast and a bit of lounging on that balcony, or a little warm-up by the fireplace if it was a cool morning.

At some point in the day we'd take a nice walk, with Collin in tow in the Baby Bjorn. My Dad spent some time fishing most days, and sometimes we'd watch him in action.

We'd cook meals at home or hit up our favorite spots (Filet, The Yesterday Cafe, Mellow Mushroom, Silver Moon).

In the evening, we'd enjoy a glass of wine and play games.

Oh, and there was of course lots of time spent playing with Collin, holding Collin, bathing Collin, and generally just watching him be his expressive self. His Mimi and Papa couldn't get enough of him!

A Baby Photo Shoot

2012-01-05T07:54:00.003-06:00

Right about the time Collin turned three weeks old, we made an appointment for a newborn photography session.

It was an anniversary gift from Conservative Hubby (yes, in the midst of baby madness, we celebrated our second anniversary), and just in time for us to have some photos for the holidays.

I guess you're supposed to do these things within the first week or two, when the newborn is still sleepy and pliable and will basically let you do whatever you want because they're not quite alert yet.

We missed that window, so we spent an hour and 20 minutes convincing wide awake Collin not to get too angry at us for stripping him down, putting different hats on, and posing him.

Oh, and catching him when he decided to bail off the football.

Fortunately, she kept the room nice and hot so he didn't mind hanging out sans clothes.

He did pretty well, considering what we asked of him, and we ended up with some terrific, wide-awake photos, plus a few sweet shots that look like he was sleeping (though he definitely wasn't).

I'll let you pick your own favorites. This one may or may not be mine.

All of the snapshots you're seeing here were taken by Roni B Photography here in L-Town, in case you're wondering.

She did a terrific job!

Traditions New and Old

2012-01-04T08:48:00.007-06:00

Yes, I know most of you are well past thinking about Christmas and have moved on to bigger and better things like New Year's resolutions and figuring out how the heck you could have possibly consumed so many sugar cookies in one month. (No? That one's just me?)

But because I'm a new mom whose days are consumed with a delightful yet rather demanding little guy, I operate on a schedule all my own. So you're getting another Christmas post now. Deal with it.

This is the first year since right after I graduated from college that I actually spent Christmas at "home." I use "home" in quotation marks because it isn't the same home in which I spent Christmases past.

I did not return to my hometown in Wyoming or even to the state in general (in part because My Parents don't live there anymore!). And unlike I've done in the past few years, I did not split my time between celebrating the holidays with My Parents wherever My Sister lives (a few years in D.C.; last year in Santa Monica) and then visiting Conservative Grandparents in Florida. Instead, My Parents made the trip to L-Town to join us for new holiday traditions in good ol' L-Town.

With My Parents, Conservative Parents, Kid Sister, and T-Bear, plus a smattering of good friends here and there, we managed to have a wonderful Christmas celebration that stretched over a couple of days. Best of all, we were able to start some new family traditions and integrate some of My Family's favorites, which we seem to maintain no matter where we celebrate Christmas.

The photos scattered throughout this post provide a snapshot of some of those traditions. On Christmas Eve, Conservative Parents joined us for our traditional meal of seafood chowder and rolls, followed by an angel food cake with peppermint ice cream. (It's a birthday cake for Baby Jesus, in case you're wondering. When we were younger, we'd light birthday candles and sing Him happy birthday. Cheesy? Perhaps. But it is a reminder of the reason for the season.)

Then, after we attended a celebration hosted by some good family friends, we got the little guy ready for bed. My Mom (who's known throughout the land for her reading voice) read Collin "The Night Before Christmas," which was given to him by his great aunt and uncle in Kansas City.

We set out cookies and milk and a note for Santa on the tray My Sister and I used for this very purpose throughout our childhoods. This year, Butter wrote the note on behalf of himself and Collin. In future years, Collin will have the pleasure of writing his own note to Santa.

Magically (!), when we awoke on Christmas morning Santa had already come and filled our stockings. After eating a bit of our usual Christmas morning bread, we took a peek at the treasures we received. Then we loaded up and headed over to Conservative Parents' house for gifts over there (along with Kid Sister, T-Bear, and Cubbie) and a delicious brunch that included Conservative Dad's famous sausage gravy and biscuits.

Later that evening, we went back to Conservative Parents' house for a traditional Christmas dinner of turkey and all the fixings. Deeelicious, and the perfect end to Christmas Day.

Displaying the Nativity Set

2011-12-21T18:45:00.003-06:00

Ask me about the Christmases of my childhood and I will most surely mention this little nativity set. When I was a little girl, I used to delight in setting up the nativity set when we decorated for Christmas.

My Sister and I regularly knelt before it and played with the pieces, or we simply crouched in front of it, gazing at Mary and Joseph and the three wise men and baby Jesus and the animals and the angel looking down over all of them.

Years ago, I laid down the law and said that once My Parents no longer wanted or had a place for it, the nativity set was coming with me. My Sister never protested—whether out of kindness or because she knew it was a battle she'd lose, I don't know.

When My Parents retired and moved to Georgia this year, the nativity set was delivered to our house (along with an abundance of random childhood and high school memorabilia).

So now it is on display in our little house in L-Town, and hopefully for many Christmases to come our little guy will gaze at it and play with the animals and enjoy it as much as I have.

Decorating for Christmas

2011-12-20T08:30:00.002-06:00

I wish I could take credit for the lovely Christmas tree in our living room.

And for the stockings hanging in the dining room (because, sadly, we do not have a mantel upon which to place them).

Normally I do all the decorating myself, as Conservative Hubby doesn't really get into that sort of thing. Only this year, the decorations appeared as if by magic while I took a much-needed nap about a week after the little guy was born.

Some very helpful elves (aka My Mom and My Sister) did all the decorating work.

I have had many hours at home in the last couple of weeks to enjoy their festive touches, and for this I am grateful.

Giving Birth

2011-12-10T09:00:00.004-06:00

My parents arrived in L-Town on November 18 just in time to meet Conservative Hubby, his parents, and I at one of the Mexican restaurants in town for dinner. It was, I guess you could say, our last dinner out before we became parents.

I had a few fairly strong contractions during dinner—strong enough to give me pause in the middle of eating my steak burrito—but didn't think much of it because I'd been having contractions off and on for more than a week. They had gotten stronger in the last couple of days but still weren't anything to write home (or, perhaps more accurately, rush to the hospital) about, as they weren't at all consistent in their frequency or length.

After an enjoyable meal, we headed home to get My Parents set up with their makeshift basement bedroom where they'd be spending a couple of weeks. Shortly thereafter, Conservative Hubby and I headed to bed, as we had to be at the hospital in Springfield by 6 a.m. to start the process of trying to flip our little breech baby and, hopefully, getting labor started.

At 1 a.m., I went from fast asleep to bolting out of bed with a start. Even in my not-yet-awake state, I knew instantly that my water broke. I'd read that despite what you see in the movies, in many cases labor does not start with a dramatic gush. It may be a trickle or your water may not even break until you're at the hospital and in the throes of serious contractions. But for me, the dramatic gush was real.

In the same moment I jumped out of bed, I was already telling Conservative Hubby to get up, we needed to go, my water broke.

We were both pretty darn calm about the whole thing. Conservative Hubby didn't say much except, "Let me take a shower and then we'll go." And for some reason it seemed totally sane that he would want to bathe before we drove 35 minutes to the hospital, so I set about getting dressed and trying to clean up a bit. I called the hospital to let them know my water broke and to confirm that we should come in right away since the baby was breech (they said yes). Then I headed downstairs to wake up my parents and let them know we were headed to the hospital earlier than planned and that I'd keep them updated.

And then we were off.

At the hospital, things proceeded much as you would expect. We arrived at the emergency room since it was after hours, I was wheeled up to the maternity suites, they got us set up in our room, and then a steady parade of nurses began coming in, hooking me up to monitors and preparing me for surgery.

Conservative Parents arrived in time to stop in and say hello before we were wheeled down to the operating room. Conservative Hubby was particularly excited to don scrubs for the big event—although less so when he discovered they were paper scrubs and not "real" ones.

Only about 10 minutes into the surgery, we heard the cries of our little guy. He was born at 4:15 a.m. One of the nurses brought him around the curtain that was hung over my abdomen to show him to us as soon as they cut the cord, then they whisked him to the corner to clean him up. Conservative Hubby went to watch them work on the baby and then, while the doctor worked to finish the surgery and close me up, Conservative Hubby held the little guy next to me so I could look at them both. It was a surreal moment, to say the least.

And as soon as we made it back to our maternity suite, I got a chance to hold the little fellow. It was an exciting moment, but also very strange to look at the little creature that I'd carried around for the last nine months and to be holding him in my arms and not in my belly anymore.

(For both Conservative Hubby and I, it was also a little bit overwhelming, knowing that we were wholly responsible for the little bundle in our arms. That's a feeling that still hasn't gone away and perhaps never will.)

Delivery Options

2011-12-09T10:49:00.004-06:00

From early on in my pregnancy, I knew I wanted to deliver our little one into this world as naturally as possible. I had no intention of being militant about a natural childbirth—I was not going to adamantly refuse any and all drugs at all costs. But I have a pretty high pain tolerance and, barring any complications or unforeseen issues and armed with deep breathing and relaxation techniques honed from years of yoga practice, I had every intention of undergoing a drug-free delivery.

Conservative Hubby, of course, thought I was nuts—particularly once we attended a day-long Lamaze class and learned in more detail what happens during childbirth and what the drugs can do for you. He questioned why, when given the opportunity to deliver relatively pain-free, I'd ever choose the pain and agony of natural childbirth.

It's a reasonable question. I don't want to go into a drawn-out debate about the topic. I don't think there is anything wrong with a woman having a child with the assistance of the many drugs and medical interventions hospitals regularly use during labor and delivery. It's simply that after careful contemplation and research on the options, I decided without a doubt that I wanted to be fully aware, fully present, and fully feeling every moment of my son's birth—and to avoid the potential complications that not delivering naturally can sometimes lead to. Women have delivered naturally since the beginning of time, so it's really not that strange!

But it's a good thing that I wasn't, as I said before, militant about delivering naturally, because we discovered a few months before my due date that our little guy was breech. At that point, he still had plenty of time to flip around to the correct position—and many babies do, up until right before they're born. But as October gave way to November and the final countdown began, it became pretty evident that despite all the wiggling he was doing in my stomach, the little guy had no intention of budging from his breech position. His head was resting comfortably (well, for him anyway) above my belly button and his legs were curled up under his bottom way down near my pelvis. (Consequently, that is still one of his favorite positions to snooze.)

(On a side note, this position gave Conservative Hubby cause for alarm, because after our initial "its a boy!" sonogram, the bambino's position made it impossible for the "visual confirmation" Conservative Hubby needed that we were, in fact, having a boy. He grew increasingly concerned that we were going to bring home a little girl from the hospital and that she would spend the first year of her life wearing all of the boy's clothes we had been given as gifts.)

That concern never crossed my mind. I was more worried about the possibility of a c-section, which I absolutely, positively had no interest in having. Major surgery? No thanks. I knew enough about the potential complications and the long recovery time to know I'd take a vaginal delivery (with or without drugs) any day over surgery. Conservative Hubby thought I should just go with it. Spending less than an hour in the operating room rather than an unforeseen number of hours or days in labor sounded pretty good to him. To me, not so much.

After I learned the baby was breech I, of course, set about researching what I could do to turn him around on my own. Inversions? Yep, tried them. Elevating my pelvis on a big stack of pillows? Did that too. Putting a cold bag of peas on the top of my stomach so he'd want to flip and get his head where it was warmer? I tried that once and decided it was ridiculous and perhaps a little mean to give my baby a brain freeze before he's even born. Positive thinking and coaxing with phrases like, "Come on, flip buddy"? Did that every day.

Still, nothing worked, so in early November we set a date to try the last best hope for getting the baby to flip: Going to the hospital and having the doctor attempt to turn the baby. It's called a "version." I'd be all hooked up to an IV and given a drug (see! already had to change plans) to help relax my uterus, then the doctor would actually work on turning the baby by placing her hands on my stomach and pushing him around until he moved into the correct position. It wasn't a sure-fire solution, but it had a pretty high success rate. I was willing to try it if it meant I could still deliver naturally.

So we set the date: November 19. We were scheduled to go in very early in the morning for the version. If it worked, the doctor would induce labor right away with the hopes I'd have the baby before he decided to flip back around (which sometimes happens). If the version didn't work, while I was all hooked up and ready they'd whisk me in for a c-section and deliver the baby that way.

As disappointing as it was that I wasn't going to get to leave the birthing process up to nature, it was kind of nice to have a date in mind for when our little guy was arriving. And it was particularly nice that it happened to be the day after my parents were able to arrive in L-Town, a Saturday morning, and long enough before Thanksgiving that I could (hopefully) celebrate the holiday.

I held out hope that the version would work and I'd still be able to deliver, if not completely naturally, as close to it as possible. But I also went back and began reading about c-sections (I'd ignored the part of articles and books that dealt with them because I had no intention of having one), so I knew what to expect during the surgery and recovery.

You know me, gotta be prepared. And it's a good thing I was.

2 Weeks

2011-12-03T14:14:00.003-06:00

It's hard to believe this little guy has been with us for two full weeks now.

It has been exciting and exhausting and definitely an adjustment.

I never knew it was possible to sit and stare at someone for hours but trust me ... it is.

And the adventure is only just beginning!

Introducing Collin

2011-11-30T09:33:00.002-06:00

Meet William Collin. He joined our family at 4:15 a.m. on Nov. 19, 2011. Weight: 7 pounds, 8 ounces. Length: 20.5 inches.

He's healthy and happy and doing well (though still not interested in sleeping much at night). Conservative Hubby and I are doing well too, though I'm moving a bit slowly because the little guy arrived via C-section.

I'll share more details (and photos, of course) soon!

Animals!

2011-11-12T08:45:00.006-06:00

You may have noticed a theme with many of the pieces of art I showed you in my last post.

(In case I need to be Captain Obvious, that theme was animals.)

But the animal fun doesn't end with the walls. In fact, it's kind of scary how many animals already populate the nursery. If this is any indication, our house is going to be overrrun by little furry creatures, like all these little critters with their big googly eyes.

I won't bore you photographing all of the terrific animals hanging out in the baby's room, but I do have to share a few of my faves. There's this colorful pillow pet.

This friendly little fellow.

A handsome gorilla, who also has a couple of friends in the form of a hippo and a lion.

These animals are particularly cool because they are part of a Jane Goodall collection and are made from organic cotton and plant and mineral dyes.

Part of the proceeds from the purchase of each one go toward the Jane Goodall Institute. Pretty cool, eh? (Plus have I mentioned how adorable they are?)

Then there are the two little buddies hanging out on the rocking chair. The giraffe plays a variety of soothing sounds and the monkey is just known for giving really terrific hugs.

Every nursery needs a monkey known for giving really terrific hugs.

Handmade Artwork

2011-11-09T18:39:00.005-06:00

The artwork in the nursery is particularly exciting because it's all in some way or another handmade.

There's the very friendly caterpillar on the bookshelf.

A little cheerful saying above the bookshelf.

And the row of animals above the rocking chair.

All of this artwork I ordered from Etsy. In case you're not familiar with Etsy, it's a website where you can find anything and everything handmade and vintage you could possibly want. It's pretty much my most favorite site for gift-giving or, in this case, decorating.

Then there are the colorful characters above the changing table (a gift from a friend, who found them on Etsy, too.)

Plus a cute little calendar that goes along with the animals.

And then there's this masterpiece, which was a shower gift from a good friend of Conservative Family's.

We had one spot on the wall that My Mom and I could not figure out what to do with, and then magically this gift appeared and went perfectly in that one spot. The coolest part is that under all the fun papers and embellishments, it's magnetic, so we can add to or change out things whenever the mood strikes.

Butternut Squash Soup with Ravioli

2011-11-07T06:49:00.000-06:00

I'd like to interrupt the never-ending stream of baby room posts to bring you a photo of a recent cooking adventure.

Nothing says fall like a bowl of butternut squash soup.

It happens to have a texture slightly reminiscent of baby food, however, so I apologize that perhaps I'm not straying from the dominant topic of the moment as far as I should.

But despite the fact I just told you it has a texture like baby food, it's actually pretty darn good. Really. Even Conservative Hubby ate it.

And it was easy to make, too. The recipe, from Better Homes & Gardens, is available if you click here.

Something Old

2011-11-06T09:35:00.003-06:00

Among the new items in the nursery, like the crib and the bedding and way too many clothes for a fellow who isn't even born yet, I scattered a few old touches.

Of course there's Teddy and Red Bear. And a piggy bank and a pair of cowboy boots from when I was bambino. Some of my favorite childhood books that My Mom saved all these years. And a lovely little sweater and hat knitted for Conservative Hubby when he was a baby by some very special family friends.

Then there are a few vintage touches that came from other sources.

Like these blocks, an Etsy find.

And this abacus, which I also found on Etsy, along with a set of The Wonderful Worlds of Walt Disney books, which was a shower gift from a friend.

And this old octopus, which My Sister found in California and sent to us recently.

Kind of fun, yes?

The Growth Chart

2011-11-01T19:13:00.004-05:00

At last Thursday's appointment with the doctor, we learned that although I haven't gained a ton of weight during the pregnancy, the little bambino is actually a little ahead of the game in that department.

He was already weighing in at about 6 pounds and 5 ounces at that point, which means if he decides to keep us all waiting until the actual due date he may tip the scales at a solid 8 pounds.

(Any guesses who's voting the loudest that he makes a safe, healthy, slightly early appearance? And any guesses who's hoping this is an indication that he'll be a professional football or basketball player?)

The little guy may weigh in over 6 pounds at this point, but I'm doubting he's going to exceed the height of this growth chart in the nursery anytime soon. In fact, I'm doubting he'll get even close to the height of the giraffe's nose while we still live in this house.

Still, it's a pretty darn cute addition to the nursery, don't you think?

Making the Mobile

2011-10-31T08:02:00.005-05:00

This is the mobile My Mom and I hung in the baby's room this weekend.

Early on, when we were still brainstorming colors and themes and things of that nature for the nursery, I spent plenty of time looking at the many mobiles you could buy online. But none of them really appealed to me.

And then I found a nursery that I loved on ohdeedoh, and in that nursery there was a handmade mobile that I thought would be perfect with the few things we'd already found for our little one's room.

So I set about cutting out cardstock circles to make the mobile. Then I let the cardstock circles sit for a couple of months gathering dust, until this weekend when My Mom and I finally put the mobile together and got it hung.

It turned out as well as I had hoped. Hopefully the little guy likes it, too!

Turning 29

2011-10-23T10:35:00.004-05:00

A week ago Friday, I celebrated a birthday. My 29th birthday, to be exact. The last birthday of my twenties.

It wasn't all that long ago when 30 seemed so old. But now it seems young. Really young.

Maybe I'll be singing a different tune a year from now when I'm actually turning 30, but I'm not at all concerned about leaving the twenties behind. Sure, it's a bit sad, because being a 20-something is pretty awesome. It's college and your first job and so much freedom to travel and do fun things but still be a "grown up" (without having to be too grown up all the time).

But it's not like I'm expecting to wake up in a year and feel drastically different than I do right now (although I'm guessing I'll be considerably more sleep-deprived, and hopefully I'll weigh considerably less—neither of which have to do with my age so much as the little fellow that's going to join our family soon).

Now if I were turning 35, that would be a different story. That's old. Really really old. (Just kidding, certain brothers-in-law that may or may not be around that age. That's really young, too! Conservative Hubby is wearing off on me. I apologize.)

Anyhow.

This year's birthday really snuck up on me. Normally October is all about birthdays (a few of my best friends also have theirs this month, plus My Mom's is the day after mine and My Dad's happens to be TODAY).

But this year October has been all about work, work, work and, more importantly, preparing for another birth day that could be coming up anytime in the next month or so. So it didn't even really hit me that it was my birthday until October 14 rolled around.

I've never been one for big birthday bashes to celebrate, anyway. To me a great birthday involves a good meal and (except for this year) maybe a few cocktails with friends or family. Of course, I've had my share of exciting birthdays. Like the year Conservative Hubby and my friends threw me a surprise party in Des Moines. (It was a big surprise!) Or the year I flew to Boston on my birthday to meet up with my family and surprise My Mom on her birthday. Oh yeah, and then there was that year that Conservative Hubby popped the question. (That was an even bigger surprise!)

But most of them have been pretty low-key, and that's OK with me.

This birthday was no different. In fact, it was even lower-key than usual. Conservative Hubby took me out to dinner at one of my favorite local restaurants, the Harvest Cafe, which is located in a little town outside of L-Town. It was delicious, although there's so little room in my stomach for extraneous items at the moment we didn't even get a birthday dessert. Then we came home, put on sweats, and watched television. I proceeded to fall asleep on the couch before 10 p.m.

Don't tell me I'm lame. That's an awesome birthday for this tired pregnant lady.

Homemade Minestrone

2011-10-11T19:48:00.003-05:00

There's nothing quite like a big pot of homemade minestrone—loaded with fresh vegetables from our weekly CSA delivery—to make for a cozy October evening.

In case you're interested in trying it out yourself, I'll be serving leftovers all week.

Red Bear

2011-10-02T18:33:00.003-05:00

Remember Teddy, my first bear from childhood?

Recently, he was joined in the nursery by another friendly little bear.

Meet Red Bear, Conservative Hubby's oldest and most loved stuffed animal.

Both of us had really original names for our little stuffed friends.

As you can see, Red Bear is not in quite as good of shape as Teddy. Apparently Conservative Hubby was very devoted to Red Bear as a child.

When I told C.B. I was going to post about his childhood friend, I asked if he wanted to tell all of you anything about his pal.

"Red Bear is awesome," was his response.

So there you have it.

Balloons!

2011-09-24T17:30:00.001-05:00

It was almost a month ago now when the annual art and balloon festival took over L-Town. Should you ever need an excuse to come visit us in the summer, this weekend just may be it.

Besides the fact that you can watch the balloons take off, fly across fields, land, and glow in the dark once night rolls around, there are plenty of other activities to keep you busy too.

Like wandering the farmer's market, art festival, and flea market at the two parks downtown. And tasting some of the amazing barbecue at the Kansas City BBQ competition, which was held for the first time downtown on the square. (Conservative Dad was even one of the official judges--lucky guy!) Or, if it's more your style, you can taste a great selection of Illinois wines at the Art of Wine tent (also on the square).

At night, there are bands playing out at the airport where the balloons go off. You can get your fill of fried food and less-than-safe-looking carnival rides, too.

Really, what more could you ask for in small-town Illinois on a summer weekend?

Letting Butter Talk

2011-09-13T20:55:00.003-05:00

Hi guys.

Just wanted to let you know I'm still around and happy as can be.

My family has been pretty darn busy lately, but I know even when I'm stuck at home or in the pet motel that they still love me.

All in all, life is good. ... Even though I still can't figure out what the heck is going on in the place formerly known as the office. ...

But I sure do like to sniff all those treasures that keep appearing in there. I'm sure they're all for me, even though I don't know why the heck I'd need so much stuff when all I really want in life is a belly rub, a walk, and a treat.

Electric Lemonade

2011-09-06T07:29:00.001-05:00

This weekend, while Conservative Hubby and his best friend Twigs worked on mastering the fine art of making ribs (they did a fantastic job), I whipped up a little cocktail for Mrs. Twigs and I. It's an electric lemonade recipe from the June issue of Better Homes & Gardens, and it was the perfect concoction for a summer Saturday night.

The key ingredients: fresh-squeezed lemon juice, sugar, sparkling mineral water, a dash of ginger ale, fresh-picked mint, and ice. Once everything was blended, I poured the lemonade into two frosted glasses--one with vodka for Mrs. Twigs and one with more sparkling mineral water for me.

The verdict? Yummy.

An Ice Cream Treat

2011-09-05T09:28:00.001-05:00

Happy Labor Day! In case you're looking for something rather delicious to labor over on your day off, I wanted to share a pic of the easy mocha chip ice cream cake I made while we were in North Carolina.

I was inspired by all of Kid Sister's Southern Living magazines I read while lounging by the pool (it was a very difficult vacation for me, people), so on our last night there decided I had to make the ice cream cake.

And boy am I ever glad I did, even though Conservative Hubby complained that dessert cost a million dollars by the time we bought all the ingredients. (It didn't.)

I highly recommend that you try it yourself. Just be sure to make it well in advance of when you want to eat it, since it needs some freezer time.

And you can go ahead and lick your plate when you're finished, like Kid Sister told me she did after we headed home and she was stuck with the incredibly difficult job of eating the leftovers. It's totally acceptable.

A Tennis Tournament

2011-09-04T09:26:00.003-05:00

While in North Carolina visiting Kid Sister, T-Bear, and Frog Dog, Conservative Hubby and I took in some professional tennis action. It was the Winston-Salem Open, a U.S. Open qualifying tournament, held at Wake Forest University.

Kid Sister was busy working at the tournament, so Conservative Hubby and I stopped by to say hello and watch a bit of the action.

It was a Monday afternoon so it was pretty quiet. I asked Conservative Hubby about a million questions, because up until that sunny Monday I knew very little about how tennis scoring worked. He filled me in on the important stuff, and I found myself enjoying the action.

(And then we got scolded over the loud speaker and glared at by one of the tennis players because we got up to walk out right when one of the players was about to serve. Yes, we were those people. Oops. But seriously, are two people walking clear up in the stands really going to distract you that much? I don't think so.)

It actually made me want to play tennis (watching the tournament, not the scolding), but I suppose that will have to wait. I'm guessing your seventh month of pregnancy is not a good time to take up a new sport that involves swinging a racket and running all over a court.

A Nautical-Theme Baby Shower

2011-08-21T09:06:00.002-05:00

A couple of weekends ago, Conservative Mom, Kid Sister, and I teamed up to throw a baby shower for lovely Miss Alicia (that's Q and M.B.'s daughter-in-law).

Miss Alicia was expecting her first son around September 1, so we thought a shower the first weekend in August was perfect timing.

Because little Jack's nursery is decorated in a nautical theme, we decided it was only appropriate to go with a similar theme for the shower, hence the shells and light houses.

And the nautical-theme napkins.

We started with mimosas for the ladies who could indulge in such beverages and a tasty blue punch for those of us who couldn't. (It really was nonalcoholic, despite the fact that all the ducks floating in the punch looked drunk.)

After the ladies played a couple of silly games, like guessing how many candies were in the baby bottle ...

and sniffing baby food jars to figure out their flavor ...

we sat down to a meal featuring Not-So-Conservative Grandmom's famous chicken tetrazinni, which was a huge hit.

Then, before we moved on to showering the mamma-to-be with gifts, we stopped for a very important part of the party.

The cupcakes.

These weren't just any cupcakes, mind you. They were gourmet cupcakes, with flavors like snickerdoodle and red velvet and chocolate-peanut butter, and raspberry. It was difficult not to try one of all of them, but at the same time they were so darn cute it almost seemed a shame to eat them! (Almost ...)

We had a fabulous time throwing the shower for Miss Alicia. And it turns out it's a good thing we scheduled it when we did, for she started having contractions the day before the shower. And just less than a week later, handsome little Jack was born.

Mom and Baby Jack are healthy and happy and doing well. Congrats to the whole family!

Introducing You To Teddy

2011-08-20T08:15:00.001-05:00

Meet my very first teddy bear. Grandpa Charlie gave him to me when I was born, and he's been around ever since.

When I opened up some of the tubs full of my childhood belongings that My Parents brought to L-Town this summer, I discovered Teddy tucked among all sorts of other treasures.

He's a sweet little guy that has been well-loved over the years. Despite being a bit worn, he still retains all the character he had when I first received him. And he even plays music still, too.

Now he's hanging out in the nursery, waiting for the arrival of little W.C. in November. I have no doubt that W.C. will love him just as much as I have over the years. How can you not love a face that looks that sweet?

A Farm-Fresh Dinner

2011-08-17T20:48:00.010-05:00

Last month, Conservative Hubby was a real trooper. He devoted an entire Saturday to doing activities that he probably wouldn't have otherwise had any interest in doing.

The first: a daylong Lamaze class. (On the bright side, by taking the one-day class, Conservative Hubby got out of taking four evening classes.)

More on that later. Or maybe not, because odds are you've been there yourself or don't care to learn that many details about childbirth. (Conservative Hubby certainly didn't want to know some of what he learned, and he has to be there in person in a few short months!)

So maybe we'll leave that one well enough alone.

The second: a Farm to Fork Dinner at Oak Tree Organic Farm in Ashland, which was put on by the Community Learning department at Lincoln Land and sponsored by a local food grant I manage.

With the second activity of the day, it wasn't so much that Conservative Hubby wasn't interested in going as it might not have been something he would have picked to do. But he decided he was game and, after the event, said he'd love to go back to another Farm to Fork Dinner given the opportunity. You probably will want to come along too once you see what it was like.

The evening began at the tent under which we would dine, which was located near a lovely pond on the farm. Nearby stood another tent where Chef Denise and her culinary team from Lincoln Land whipped up our dinner--sans electricity, mind you. This is what a gourmet might call "roughing it."

I should just say it now so I don't have to keep repeating it with everything I mention: Pretty much all the ingredients, aside from the olive oil and a few things of that nature, were sourced from local farms and producers. That began with the first course, which involved some amazing sausage on little toasts. The wines served with each course were local, too.

Conservative Hubby tried them all. I, however, did not get to indulge. Maybe next time.

After enjoying an appetizer and chatting for a few minutes, we took a quick tour of the nearby fields where Farmer Chad and his family are raising their organic produce, which is sold at local farmer's markets and through a CSA and an online market they've set up.

Farmer Chad is a great, down-to-earth guy, filled with passion for the plants he grows and the animals he raises. His parents (who were there too) are long-time farmers, and he decided to move part of their farm in a different direction a few years ago, hence the emphasis on organic produce rather than the fields of corn otherwise surrounding us.

After we got the scoop on what they grow, production methods, challenges, and such, we headed back to the tent to sit down for dinner.

The culinary team took care all of the details, from the menus tucked under the plates to the Mason jars from which we enjoyed our beverages.

For the first course, we started out with a lovely salad featuring heirloom tomatoes and burrata (little balls of mozzarella) over crusty bread from Incredibly Delicious, a local bakery that makes to-die-for loaves.

Then we moved on to a salad featuring green beans, squash, grains, greens, and an anchovy sauce. I'm missing a few ingredients, I'm sure. But just take my word for it: It was delicious. Even Conservative Hubby thought so.

Then came the main course: grilled chicken with a tomatillo-cilantro cream, accompanied by fresh-picked potatoes, carrots, and squash from the farm. The tomatillo sauce was a recipe one of the chefs from Lincoln Land picked up while training with Rick Bayless. Talk about a fellow that knows what he's doing ...

You might think that the dinner couldn't possibly get any better at this point but, alas, you'd be wrong. Because, of course, we had dessert.

For those who could indulge, it started with a little jar of sweet dessert wine.

And it ended with a taste of heaven: homemade sweet corn ice cream on a (still-warm) waffle, drizzled with fresh honey and topped with a piece of honeycomb.

All I can say is: Wow. I never in a million years would have thought to try sweet corn ice cream, but I sure am glad I did. And fresh honeycomb? And a waffle? It doesn't get any better.

So there you have it. A day that filled Conservative Hubby with dread ended up being pretty darn good. We drove home to L-Town totally satisfied and happy and agreed that if our schedules allow we will be at the next Farm to Fork dinner.

Who's with us?

Walks in the Park

2011-08-06T08:22:00.005-05:00

When Butter and I have time, we enjoy heading over to Kickapoo Creek Park for a nice, long walk.

It's a lovely little park with a big paved path that loops around it as well as some other, smaller trails that branch off into the woods and the fields. (Yes, it's big enough the terrain even changes a bit here and there.)

Butter is ecstatic the moment the car turns into the entrance to the park because he knows what's coming. So much to sniff! So much to see! So far to go!

It's a lovely park with a lot of big, old trees. When I was taking an ecology class a few years ago, Butter had the tortuous job of accompanying me on many trips to the park so I could practice tree identification. There are a lot of massive, established native trees and shrubs in the park for me to identify--plus, of course, a few non-native species here and there. (The one below is native--it's a sycamore. There are a lot of sycamores in the park, in case you're wondering.)

Because of these trees, even in the heat of the summer much of the path is shaded, which is nice for a pregnant lady and a very hairy dog.

And if you need a break, you can always step off the path and rest on one of the picnic benches.

Or in the hollow of this old tree, if you're tiny enough.

Sometimes, when we're feeling brave, Butter and I will even go off-roading and venture across the creek and into the woods.

But most of the time we just stick to the path and mosey along, him sniffing and peeing every chance he gets and me just enjoying the fresh air and the scenery and the exercise.

And then when we get done, we plop down on the ground, drink some water, and ...

relax before it's time to head home.

Zinnias

2011-08-05T08:16:00.003-05:00

I threw some seeds in the ground where the tulips and daffodils sprout each spring, hoping we might be greeted by a cheerful row of zinnias later in the summer.

The only problem was, I did a rather lazy job of planting the seeds. (Blame it on the fact I was tired. Or the ground was hard. Or whatever you want.) Only one zinnia plant made an appearance.

But it's here and it's lovely, so I'm happy.

Honey-Rosemary Shortbread Cookies

2011-08-03T20:11:00.004-05:00

I realized tonight that I have more than 10 things I want to share with you--furniture moving and farm dinners and flower photos and recipes and little nursery tidbits and other such nonsense.

So why the heck am I posting so infrequently?

I promise to get back to you more often.

No, really. Seriously.

Come on guys, listen.

I mean it this time.

I digressed before I even began, didn't I? Anyway. Back at the ranch.

A few weeks ago, when the urge to bake finally returned, I decided to make the honey-rosemary shortbread cookies I stumbled upon in a recent issue of Midwest Living.

Good choice, because: They were relatively easy to make. They required some of the rosemary that has been growing unchecked in our front yard all summer. And they're a rather light, summery cookie. What's not to love about all that?

Oh, and did I mention that as good as they are plain, they're pretty darn delicious with a little lemon sorbet too?

You can check out the recipe by clicking here.

Husk Cherries

2011-07-29T08:45:00.004-05:00

At our CSA pickup on Monday, I was given a little box of these strange-looking things.

I had no idea what they were until our friendly farmer Hans told me they were husk cherries.

OK, if I'm being honest, I still had no idea what they were even after he told me they were husk cherries.

But I dutifully took them home (along with a copy of this blog post about one woman's love affair with the husk cherry) ... curious, of course, to try them.

In order to actually get to the cherry, you have to peel off the papery little husk they're dressed in. After I removed my first husk, I was surprised to discover the cherries weren't cherry-like at all. They were more of a translucent green hue, shaped like a tiny grape, and very firm.

I popped the little cherry in my mouth and was surprised again. I'd been expecting something sweet. These weren't sweet. But they weren't tart. They weren't ... well, pardon my inability to describe them, but they weren't really comparable to anything I'd tasted before.

In the blog post I mentioned above, the writer described the taste as vanilla pineapple. My verdict is still out on whether that's the case.

Hans says they're better than regular tomatoes, but I don't know that anything can be better than the bright red, juicy tomatoes sitting next to the husk cherries on our counter right now.

Still, the husk cherries are pretty darn interesting. And it turns out you can do more than just eat them plain like I've been doing. Like throw them in a green salad or even make a jam. Or dip them in chocolate (sounds good to me!) or bake them into pies, tarts, or cobblers. If I get a chance to bake this weekend, I might have to try one of those latter options.

Then again, I might just eat one or two here and there. They make a pretty handy snack.

If you haven't ever seen husk cherries before, don't be surprised. I learned (again, from that blog post I mentioned) that they're on the Slow Food USA "endangered" list.

I guess that makes me all the more excited that they were included in our CSA loot!

(Conservative Hubby, though, isn't all that excited. I expect he'll be sticking to the regular tomatoes.)

Getting Back Into Baking

2011-07-22T18:56:00.004-05:00

A couple of weekends ago, while Conservative Hubby was away at a bachelor party, I took advantage of a quiet weekend to finally--finally!--start baking again. I made cookies one night and cake the next.

The cookies I will share with you later.

This is the cake.

It's a whipped cream cake, the recipe for which was sent to me recently by Grandma P. I decided to top it with a no-cook fudge frosting, even though I think I was supposed to use a 7-minute icing.

My Mom and I had been talking cakes one day and she said the whipped cream cake was absolutely amazing. (So amazing, I learned later, that my Grandpa Charlie used to eat it for breakfast. But then again, if you knew Grandpa Charlie and his sweet tooth, that wouldn't surprise you. What sweets didn't he eat for breakfast?)

I decided that I had to try the recipe. Not because I expected to each much of it myself, given my general disinterest in cake, but because I knew Conservative Hubby would probably love it.

The only problem is, our oven is darn finicky. I have it down for cookie baking, but forgot that it would cause problems with cake, too.

So, sadly, because I did not adjust the baking time as I should have, the cake was a bit too dry. That didn't stop Conservative Hubby from eating it, mind you, but it did stop him from swooning over it like I expected he would.

I guess I'll just have to try again one of these days, eh?

Hummingbird Watching

2011-07-14T18:24:00.004-05:00

On my recent visit to Georgia, I started each morning at My Parents' condo on the lanai (as they have taken to calling the balcony). It was the perfect spot to sit with a decaf mocha and my book--on a few mornings, for hours at a time.

But I didn't spend all my time reading. I also did more than a little bit of hummingbird watching.

The hummingbird feeder is apparently a hotspot for the little flittering creatures.

Except, we learned, when a wasp or hornet (I didn't get close enough to tell which) decided to feed. For some strange reason, that little pest managed to scare away the hummingbirds time and again. (That's him ... the little speck in the photo below. Come on now, use your imagination.)

Finally one of the hummingbirds got brave and said, "Listen, mister. I'm hungry and you're annoying. Now go away."

It didn't work.

But eventually the wasornet, as I will call it, went away and let the hummingbirds feed in peace.

The Crib

2011-07-12T20:24:00.002-05:00

This is the crib we bought for the baby's room, which we put together this weekend. (I use the term "we" loosely, as some friends actually did most of the work while Conservative Hubby and I watched!)

And that is the sheet that goes on the crib. I picked it because it is bright and cheerful and gender neutral.

Not because we didn't plan on finding out the gender of our little one, but because I wanted something colorful and playful but not too boyish or girlish.

Speaking of boy or girl, we had our 20-week doctor's appointment today. And at that appointment, we spent quite a bit of time getting a peek at our little one's face and brain matter and hands and feet and femur and heart and all sorts of other parts.

The bambino wasn't too cooperative in giving away its gender, however. In other words, there's already signs of a stubborn streak there, so look out world.

But finally--finally!--we got a little peek.

And learned that we are, in fact, having ...

... wait for it ...

... just a moment longer ...

... OK, now ...

... A BOY!

Sunset on the Lake

2011-07-09T12:23:00.004-05:00

I don't think there is such a thing as a bad or boring or in any way disappointing sunset on Lake Oconee. Every sunset I've seen from P-Diddy and Lovely Miss L's deck has been spectacular.

Last weekend's was no exception.

I snapped a photo soon after the sun began making its descent, then headed inside to continue drinking my delicious tonic and tonic (my cocktail of choice on the lake trip--I'm a wild woman, aren't it?).

But then I realized the sunset was just getting going, so I headed back outside to snap a few more photos.

By a few more, I mean about 30. But I won't bother sharing all of them with you. I'll just make you look at a few of the highlights. Enough to have you itching to see a sunset over the lake in person.

I highly recommend it.

Living the Retired Life

2011-07-08T20:21:00.002-05:00

Last weekend I spent a few blissful days pretending I was retired with this couple.

Looking at this picture probably leads you to a number of incredibly important questions, such as:

1. Who are they?
2. What are they doing?
3. Are they really old enough to be retired?
4. Why aren't they wearing any clothes?
5. Whose hair is longer?

These questions are all very important and so I will answer them immediately.

1. My Parents.

2. Enjoying an evening boat ride on Lake Oconee with Uncle H, P-Diddy, the Lovely L, and me.

3. Many people would argue they're definitely not old enough to retire but, alas, they did just that not long ago. Go ahead, be envious.

4. Trust me, they are. It may not look like it, but they are both fully (or almost fully) clothed here. My Mom just happens to be wearing a strapless dress and My Dad, although still wearing shorts, decided it was too hot to wear his shirt on the boat. It was not a nude boat ride. I promise.

5. That's a tough one. It may be My Dad. But it's close. This is the first time in the history of life as I remember it that both of My Parents have hair long enough to fit in a ponytail--although it's possible they had matching ponytails sometime in the '70s. But I wasn't around to witness it.

M.C.'s Guac

2011-07-07T17:22:00.001-05:00

At Uncle H and Auntie R's, our 4th of July dinner started off with a big bowl of M.C.'s guacamole and some tortilla chips. It was delicious.

Few things say summer quite like fresh guac, right?

Wishing You a (Belated) Happy 4th

2011-07-06T13:17:00.003-05:00

I hope you had a fabulous 4th of July filled with friends, family, and fireworks.

I returned yesterday from a long, relaxing weekend in Georgia with My Parents and Conservative Family (except for Conservative Hubby, who stayed behind to golf and take care of sweet Butter).

It was terrific weekend, capped off on my last night by a delicious dinner at Uncle H and Auntie R's.

We made this little festive treat for dessert. Yum.

Summer Pie

2011-07-01T08:18:00.005-05:00

I realized last weekend that summer isn't officially summer without a strawberry rhubarb pie. So I did what any sane person would do in such a situation. I made one.

Answering Your Questions

2011-06-26T08:31:00.007-05:00

In my new role as a pregnant lady I've discovered that there is an inevitable list of questions that people ask once they find out you're pregnant.

Such as (in order of popularity) ...

When are you due?
November 26. Yes, this is one day before Conservative Hubby and I celebrate our second anniversary. He is hoping for a November 27 birth, thinking it will get him out of anniversary celebrations forever because the baby's birthday will take precedence. Every woman who knows him has quickly assured him this is not nor ever will be the case, but he may still be in denial about this fact.

The due date means, sadly, that our families have to put a hold on our annual tradition of spending Thanksgiving in Georgia. (Conservative Hubby pouted about this and didn't understand at first why we couldn't just go anyway. Um ... hello? I'd rather not give birth en route to the lake, thankyouverymuch.)

How far along are you?
If they don't ask the question above, people usually ask this one. As of yesterday, I am at 18 weeks. That means I just entered month 5. It's hard to believe it has already been that long. We're almost halfway there!

(Conservative Hubby is excited to reach the halfway point if for no other reason than he's annoyed he has to do all the lifting and mowing around the house now ... Little does he know that when the bambino comes his honey-do list is only going to get longer.)

How are you feeling?
It's so kind how many people ask right away how I am doing. I am grateful to say that I am feeling really well and have for the entire pregnancy. Due to some terrific genes (thanks, Mom!), I made it through the entire first trimester without a hint of morning sickness. As long as I ate a bit right away when I got up and munched on a little snack frequently throughout each day, I was fine.

Of course, I've had the general weird feelings that come when your body undergoes such massive changes, and I'd had my share of days when I felt foggy and beset by pregnancy brain. But I escaped without morning sickness or the major mood swings that I've heard others have to deal with, so hooray for that.

My biggest challenge has been a lack of energy and being incredibly tired. For someone who is on the go as much as I am and who isn't very good at just sitting down and relaxing, this has taken some getting used to. I've had to take it easy as much as I can while still working, commuting, doing a bit of freelancing, doing all this darn Elks work I got suckered into, keeping the house clean, and so on.

That's meant that the things that have gotten neglected are cooking, blogging, responding to personal emails, and other leisurely pursuits. (Conservative Hubby would undoubtedly add himself to the list of things that have been neglected, but I would argue with that--he's been even busier than I have been lately!)

Are you showing?
Of course I get this one from people who aren't standing in front of me, although the people who are standing in front of me to date have usually said something to the effect of, "Wow, I can't even tell you're pregnant!

And it's true, that baby has been darn slow to let the world know he/she is in there. People who have known our news have probably seen a hint of a belly in the past couple of weeks, and the really astute even a few weeks before that. But the average person who didn't already know our news would not have been the wiser until the past week or so. In fact, most of the people I work with besides the women right in my office do not yet know we're expecting (or at least have been keeping their suspicions to themselves if they have wondered anything).

It is going to be a bit harder not to notice now though, because in the past week or so the bump, small as it may be, has made itself known.

Still, it's just a little one.

Are you going to find out if you're having a boy or girl?
Yep! I would've been OK knowing or not knowing, but Conservative Hubby is dying to find out. He has gotten into the habit of saying "he" when referring to the baby, although one night he did slip up and say "she," which his friends took to be a sign that we are having a girl.

Some people have asked if I have an inkling what we're having, as I guess some women get a feeling one way or the other. The answer there is: I don't have a clue. No premonitions. No strong sense that it's one or the other. I even took some of those wacky quizzes based on old wive's tales about what signs or symptoms might predict what you're having. The result: It's too close to tell. See? Not even the old wive's tales can help on this one.

We've both said we'll be happy either way, but let's be honest. Conservative Hubby wants a boy. (And knows if we have a girl he's doomed because she'll have him wrapped around her little fingers.)

Our sonogram appointment is July 12, so hopefully after that we'll have some exciting news to share with you. I'll probably make you guess first though.

Have you had any weird cravings or food aversions?
Nope, not really. No wacky food combinations or strange dinner choices.

Right when I got pregnant (before I even knew for sure), I was eating spinach like a fiend. My body's way of telling me I needed more folic acid, I guess. Lately I've been eating more beef than ever (big juicy burgers and steaks, which aren't something I usually eat much of). I guess now I'm needing more protein.

I have been eating more salty things than usual (think an occasional bite of potato chips, but nothing excessive) and I certainly haven't shunned fried foods when an occasional opportunity arises to have a bit (French fries, fried pickles, fried cheese? don't mind if I do).

Still, I haven't gone overboard with anything or done anything as crazy as consume an entire pint of ice cream or a whole bag of chips in one sitting.

Probably the craziest thing is that for the first couple of months I completely lost my sweet tooth.

I know you don't believe me, but I'm serious. I didn't have any interest in pies or cookies or any sweets (even dark chocolate). The only thing I would enjoy would be a bite or two of ice cream on occasion.

That's slowly coming back, but even now I haven't been into baking at all because sweet treats just haven't sounded all that appealing. Strange, isn't it?

Do you have names picked out yet?
Yes on that one, too, but I'm going to go ahead and not share them with you here. Once we know what we're having, I might fill you in on the final name choice. Maybe. Or maybe not.

But I will tell you the name Conservative Hubby picked out if we have a girl: Brontosaurus Viper.

Yes, you read that right. If we have a girl he picked the name Brontosaurus Viper. Bronto or BV for short. Don't ask me where it came from. He says it would ensure that his little girl was never messed with. I actually think that would ensure she would be messed with. Forever. Needless to say, we will NOT be naming our child Brontosaurus Viper. No way, no how.

What does Butter think?
Absolutely nothing. As far as I know, Butter is oblivious to the little creature growing in my belly, that is undoubtedly going to turn his world upside down.

He's looked at me with boredom when I've moved more slowly getting ready for work in the morning. He has capitalized on the extra time I've spend sitting or lying down in recent months (more belly rubbing for Butter!). He's appreciated the extra walks he's gotten on the weekend, which have become one my preferred forms of exercise.

And he's looked on with curiosity as I've tackled the rather daunting task of cleaning out the office so it can become the baby's room.

But other than that, he doesn't have a clue.

So there you have it ... the most popular questions I've gotten recently about the little one. What questions do you still have that I didn't answer?

Working in the Garden (Part 2)

2011-06-24T12:04:00.004-05:00

Remember the garden I told you about?

I have a little secret: It's not the only garden I'm in charge of this summer. I'm also taking care of a little raised-bed garden at an elementary school, which is part of a grant-funded school garden project I started last fall.

The problem is, school isn't in session over the summer. So I don't have any elementary students to help me keep things going. Instead, I just bop on over to the elementary school once or twice a week to weed and water and (hopefully soon) to harvest, too.Things are going along pretty well so far.

As long as I remember to bring my gardening clothes to work, that is. I learned the hard way gardening in dress clothes in the heat of the summer is not fun. Just sayin'.

Working in the Garden (Part 1)

2011-06-23T15:34:00.005-05:00

You're probably thinking that I must not be gardening at all this summer.

You're probably wondering if pregnancy has slowed me down so much that I haven't even done any planting, and that's why you haven't seen the frequent garden updates that undoubtedly sustained you through the past couple of summers. (You did spend every waking minute waiting for my next post about plants, didn't you?)

But if you're thinking this sort of thing, I must correct you.

The truth of the matter is, I'm gardening more than I ever have before. It's just that most of my gardening isn't happening in L-Town and it isn't happening on evenings and weekends.

Yep, now it's part of my job.

The giant garden you're seeing here is 20-plus plots that are roughly 2ox20 feet. (They're roughly that because guess who divided them up? Yep, me. So they're rough.)

No, I'm not gardening this entire giant garden. It's our LLCC community garden, which is located right behind the Workforce Development building I work in (that's the building with blue you see here).

But I do have a plot in the garden and am in charge of overseeing the whole darn thing. So the person who divided up all the plots and assigned them to willing gardeners and purchased all the plants? That's me. And the person who sets up the sprinklers and keeps the walkways relatively weed-free and sprays the (nontoxic but frightfully smelly) Liquid Fence that keeps the deer and rabbits away? That's me, too.

And when I have a bit of time, I try to keep an eye on my own plot, which you see here. That's been a bit tough lately, with the rain and the other garden to-dos. But I did manage to put down a layer of wet cardboard and some straw in my plot recently in the hopes it might keep the insane weeds and grass that have overtaken our garden at bay.

And though things are progressing much more slowly than in my fertile little front-yard garden at home has in past summers, there are finally some tomatoes making an appearance. There are flowers on the (tiny) zucchini and cucumber plants.

Things are growing. Yahoo!

CSA Loot

2011-06-07T19:27:00.003-05:00

In this edition of CSA Loot, the counter is completely overtaken by fresh greens and other treats of the vegetable variety. ... And Julie realizes that perhaps having an entire CSA share for a family of 2.3 isn't a good idea, particularly when 1 of the 2.3 refuses to eat most of the loot and when the other 1.3 still isn't quite up to her/their usual appetite.

(Butter was not counted in the 2.3 because he refuses to touch vegetables, too. Sometimes he's so much like his father it's scary.)

Key Lime Pie

2011-05-31T18:17:00.000-05:00

Key limes are hard to come by in this part of the country.

So when a little bag of them showed up at Kroger, I couldn't resist snagging it. I had to make Conservative Hubby a key lime pie, of course. It's one of his favorites.

This pie was the first thing I'd baked in months ... possibly since I made those "we're pregnant cookies" to announce the big news to Conservative Family.

And it was also one of the first sweet things (aside from the occasional bite of ice cream) I ate in months, because for some strange reason when I got pregnant I lost my sweet tooth.

Who would've thought that could happen to me, of all people?

CSA Loot

2011-05-30T16:07:00.003-05:00

Last fall I signed up for a CSA membership for PrairiErth Farm, an organic family farm located near L-Town.

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Basically, members pay upfront to "invest" in the farm for a year. Then, in return for their investment, members receive a weekly "share" of in-season vegetables. If the farm has a rough harvest of something, you might not get much. But if the farm has a particularly good season, you'll be eating organic vegetables a-plenty. It's a great way to support local family farms, to get exceptionally fresh produce, and to ensure you know exactly where your food is coming from.

I was incredibly excited to snag the last spot in the CSA for L-Town, because memberships like that are hard to come by in central Illinois.

After months of updates from the farm and (somewhat) patient waiting, the deliveries started at the beginning of May and will run through October. Our first couple of weeks, not surprisingly, have been all about the greens--lettuce mix, kale, chard, spinach, that sort of thing. And a lot of it.

We had more great greens this week--all of the above, plus some tarragon and chives.

And, better yet, the big bouquet of incredibly fragrant, incredibly lovely flowers you saw above.

Can't beat that!

Just Some News

2011-05-17T19:29:00.003-05:00

I have something I've been meaning to tell you for a couple of weeks now. But I've been waiting for just the right moment to mention it, for just the right way to share the news with you.

Only I've grown tired of waiting for that perfect opportunity, so I'm going to go ahead and tell you the way I know best.

Through photos of things I have baked.

It worked when we broke the news to Conservative Family, so I imagine it will work for you too, right?

A Front-Yard Addition

2011-05-09T16:45:00.001-05:00

No, I did not purchase a dog statue to liven up the front-yard garden beds.

This is our goofy pooch. I did not tell him to sit here or stay for an extended period of time. He did that all on his own. I swear he knows when I have my camera out and does everything he can to make it on the blog.

And it usually works.

Wishing You a Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T16:27:00.004-05:00

As you probably know, today is Mother's Day. (If you didn't know this already, hurry! It's not too late to call your mother and let her know you're thinking of her.)

Although I think many holidays are manufactured by the greeting card industry in order to increase their profits, I think Mother's Day and Father's Day are particularly important. Parents deserve our love and appreciation every day, but sometimes life gets busy and we forget to show and tell them just how much they mean to us.

And so today is the perfect day to tell your mother (or favorite aunt or grandmother or friend who is a mother) how important they are to you.

I hope that my mother knows already just how wonderful she is and how much I admire her and how I hope that I can be even half as good of a mother as she has been to me.

But, Mom, because those words went unsaid when we spoke on the phone a few minutes ago, now you have them in writing, accompanied by some photos of the flowers I planted this afternoon. Consider this an extra Mother's Day gift to you, along with the one we already sent.

And these well wishes and admiration also apply to Conservative Mom. And to all of you grandmothers out there (Grandma Phyllis and Grandma Barb, plus Conservative Hubby's lovely grandmothers ... and Grandma Collins, who's celebrating Mother's Day in heaven this year with her honey).

Happy Mother's Day!

A Cheerful Little Pot

2011-05-04T17:08:00.000-05:00

Come on, look at this precious little pot. Doesn't it make you smile? How can it not?

This pot resides on the bookshelves in the living room where the little yellow dog used to sit.

I love this single succulent. Particularly its shape and its color. But even more so, I love the birds perched on the pot.

Butter isn't nearly as interested in them as he was in yellow dog, though.

A New Centerpiece

2011-05-03T17:07:00.000-05:00

I needed something new for our table. I just wasn't sure what.

Then I found this pretty pot and decided to fill it with a couple of varieties of succulents. Now our table makes me smile every time I look at it.

Succulents are an instant mood booster, I think. And no, there isn't some succulent industry association paying me to say these things. I'm just a plant lover.

A Spring Update

2011-05-02T17:59:00.000-05:00

Lately I've been a bit disillusioned with the decor in our house. It's fine, it's just tired. I blame my sudden interest in changing things up on the fact that it's spring. A time of fresh blooms and new things.

The thing is, I'm on a budget and a bit strapped for time, so I didn't want to make any major overhauls right now.

Instead I wanted a simple, cheerful change. I found it while wandering around Lowe's yesterday: Succulents.

(Yes, those precious little plants I was so obsessed with when visiting My Sister in California.)

This is the first of them, which I carefully placed in the little yellow dog that had previously been sitting on the bookshelf in the living room. Now it's on the windowsill above the kitchen sink.

So, sadly, Butter can't bark at it and lick its nose (which he really did do on occasion). But now I can enjoy it every time I'm at the sink.

Easter, Revisited

2011-05-01T16:40:00.005-05:00

A week later, I'm finally getting around to an annual Easter tradition: Sharing photos of our fabulous dinner at Q and MB's farmhouse.

First, it's necessary to set the mood with the decor.

Because it's Easter, naturally the setting involves tulips and bunny rabbits.

Egg-shaped dishes and carrot napkin rings.

Lovely centerpieces.

Even the food itself looked like decorative objects. From the butter mold.

To the stunning cauliflower. (I normally don't even eat cauliflower, but isn't this beautiful? It was tasty, too.)

I wish I could tell you I took photos of all the fabulous food--including what may have been the most gorgeous ham ever, sweet potatoes and cheesy mashed potatoes, delicious side dishes galore, I could go on ... But I didn't. I got too distracted eating all that food. Really, can you blame me?

I did, however, remember my camera once the desserts came out.

They were, as usual, stunning and decadent and over the top.

So much so that we wondered yet again why we ate so much of the main course.

(Oh yes, I remember why: Because it was fabulous too.)

The one thing my photos fail to convey is that we had wonderful company to go along with the fine food and drink. This, you will just have to take my word on. Because, as usual, it was wonderful.

And, like two years ago when we celebrated Kid Sister and T-Bear's engagement, this year we also had some good things to celebrate. These good things I will share with you later. Just because I can.

Decorating Eggs

2011-04-24T11:29:00.004-05:00

We may not be kids anymore, but Kid Sister and I decided we weren't too old to decorate Easter eggs.

And so last night, while the boys watched the NBA playoffs and stood around the bar in the basement, we commandeered half of the bar for egg decorating.

I have to admit, we were a bit rusty, as neither of us had decorated eggs in years.

But we decided to get a bit creative anyway.

Our finished eggs weren't masterpieces, by any means. But they're festive enough. And it was fun.

I hope your Easter is full of fun and faith and time with friends and family. And perhaps an Easter egg hunt, too.

Tiptoeing Through the Tulips

2011-04-23T11:19:00.005-05:00

Unlike their friends the daffodils, the tulips in the front yard don't think it's absolutely necessary to be among the first flowers to bloom each spring.

Sure, they're excited to make an appearance and to open toward the warm April sun. But they're going to wait until they're good and ready to do so.

Good and ready happened to be, for the most part, last week.

This also happened to be when the rain showers and thunderstorms and tornado warnings settled in. So today was my first opportunity to snap some photos of the trembling tulips as they danced in the breeze.

Most of the tulips in our front yard were planted long before we arrived in our house. They were a pleasant surprise our first spring.

This year, however, I supplemented those tulips with a few bulbs of my own.

Once they bloomed, I realized just how different these bulbs are from the ones that came before.

A little variety is kind of nice, isn't it?

Butter thinks so too.

Happy Spring (From Butter)

2011-04-11T18:18:00.004-05:00

Hey guys. Now that it's spring, I figure you're probably going to want to stop by soon and check out our flowers (and pet me).

So I wanted to let you know that whenever you arrive, I'll be ready and waiting to welcome you at the front door.

Come on in (and pet me).

Little Pretties

2011-04-10T07:13:00.003-05:00

A steady stream of little pretties appeared this week ...

in the palest of pale yellow

and purple

and more purple.

And there's more on the way too ... for months to come. Hooray!

More Spring Blooms

2011-04-09T07:55:00.001-05:00

Not wanting to feel left out, the daffodils by the old mailbox began blooming long before their companions elsewhere in the yard were ready. Can you blame them for being in a hurry?

Spring Flowers

2011-04-08T17:49:00.004-05:00

Rejoice! Spring has sprung in our front yard.

It actually began a couple of weeks ago, with some new buds never before seen on our property.

That's when the first of the smattering of bulbs I planted last fall made an appearance,

starting with the anemones.

Followed closely behind by the giant hyacinth.

And then the crocuses.

Pretty little buds signaling a pretty wonderful start to a new season, wouldn't you say?

Bringing You Bentley

2011-04-07T16:43:00.004-05:00

Booker, the sweet little pooch I introduced you to the other day, wasn't the only four-legged fellow I hung out with on my Idaho-Wyoming adventures.

Bentley was there too--and he wants you to know it.

He's older. And wiser. And exceptionally slobberier. (Yes, I know that's not a word. But if you've ever seen this bulldog drool, you'll understand that he deserves his own word.)

Bentley doesn't move as quickly as Booker, so he couldn't accompany us on our snowshoes like the little guy did. But it didn't stop Bentley from joining us outside on occasion.

Of course, everywhere he goes, he shakes his head and says, mournfully, "Don't hate me because I'm beautiful."

It's a terrible burden, isn't it, Bent?

A Question

2011-03-31T20:16:00.004-05:00

Look at this face.

Now tell me: What would you do if you spent the weekend with this little fellow?

If you answered, "try to steal him," I wouldn't blame you. That's what I tried to do when I finally got to meet Cousin BH's little buddy, Booker, for the first time.

How could you not love this little angel?

I mean really. Look at that tongue.

Don't you just want to scoop him up and take him home with you right now? I sure did.

Returning to You (And the West, In Spirit)

2011-03-27T20:10:00.005-05:00

Pardon the interruption. Things got a bit crazy over here. But what's new?

I realized today how long it's been since I said hello. I also realized I still haven't finished sharing snapshots from my Idaho/Wyoming adventures. That's just not right.

So here are a few from our trip up to Grand Targhee on my last full day out west. It was a snowy one, that's for certain.

Which reminds me of something I've been meaning to tell you Midwesterners. Next winter when a decent snowstorm hits and paralyzes your town/city, just remember this: It snows more than that on a regular ol' winter day up here.

And people rejoice and get out in the snow when it happens rather than buckling down for Snowmageddan. I'm just sayin'.

Backyard Snowshoeing

2011-03-14T19:56:00.003-05:00

After everyone else headed for home or went back to work, Auntie L and I donned our snowshoes in the backyard and headed toward the Tetons. We didn't make it that far, of course. But we made it all the way to Ski Hill Road, and that was quite a trek. It was the most beautiful day yet.

Sunrise Photo

2011-03-13T12:26:00.003-05:00

My first two mornings in Driggs dawned beautiful but overcast, such that the sunrise and the Tetons were obscured by low clouds. On my third morning there, just as My Parents and cousin and uncle prepared to leave, the clouds broke. This is the first thing I saw when I woke and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. It meant, I decided, only one thing: It was going to be a beautiful Idaho-Wyoming day. And it was.

A Week Ago Today Photo II

2011-03-12T12:00:00.001-06:00

The boys headed up Grand Targhee to hit the slopes. The girls snowshoed at the Nordic track along the base of the ski mountain. That's My Mom and Auntie L. It was Auntie L's birthday--and a big one, at that. I doubt you'd believe me if I told you either of their ages, though. So I'm not gonna do it.

A Week Ago Today Photo

2011-03-12T06:30:00.002-06:00

A week ago today, I woke up to this view. I was in a little pocket of Idaho (in a town called Driggs), gazing up toward Wyoming's Tetons and Grand Targhee. I was at Auntie L and Uncle B's cabin in the mountains. It was an absolutely dreadful way to start my Spring Break, don't you think?

Friday Afternoon Photo

2011-03-11T15:00:00.005-06:00

The curtains dance on the almost-spring breeze sneaking in through the open window. The first buds of the season peek out from the damp soil where the sidewalk meets the front yard. Butter stands at his window, surveying his domain. He looks especially handsome in his new collar, a souvenir from the islands.

Saying Goodbye to Maui

2011-03-09T18:24:00.003-06:00

It's hard to believe, but at this time last month Conservative Hubby and I were still in the middle of our honeymoon adventures in Hawaii.

Now, after weeks of sharing the highlights of our time in Waikiki and Maui with you, it's time to close out the Hawaii portion of the blog.

And so I leave you with a few shots of the sunset on our last evening in Maui, when we sat on our balcony and watched the sun sink behind the islands for the last time.

If you're devastated that the scenes of sun and shore are coming to an end, never fear. An entirely new set of posts--this time, focused on scenes of sun and snow--are coming up next.

I live a rough life, don't I?

A Food Update

2011-03-08T11:25:00.003-06:00

You may have noticed that a lot of my blog posts focus on food--food I make at home, food I eat when we go out, food, food, food.

Yet you may also have noticed that my blog posts about Hawaii have not focused very much, if at all, on food.

It's not that we didn't have good food. We had some great food, actually. Fresh fish for almost every meal. The most amazing, mouth-watering pineapple. Great local brews.

But the thing is, with such amazing scenery, I didn't bother focusing on my usual food photos. I was too distracted by the blue skies and the ocean and the green foliage that surrounded us everywhere we went.

However, I will share with you the few photos I did snap.

Of my first delicious mai tai in Waikiki. (I had at least one tasty yet very overpriced cocktail each day before switching to not much more affordable wine or beer.)

Of the Elvis Fudge (think peanut butter, milk chocolate fudge, and guava jelly) we had at Rum Fire at Sheraton Waikiki, which made us swoon.

Of our exceptionally expensive room-service breakfast on our last morning in Waikiki.

Of the wonderful treats--an incredibly pleasant surprise!--we found waiting for us at each hotel we stayed at on our trip.

Of the fare at the luau.

And, though it's not a food photo, a snapshot of Tropica, the restaurant at our hotel (directly below our room) where we had a fabulous meal on our last night in Maui.

As for the rest of our dining escapades while in Hawaii? I'm leaving that up to your imagination.

Surfing, Hawaii-Style

2011-03-07T11:16:00.004-06:00

On our last full day in Maui, Conservative Hubby only had one goal: To surf.

Fortunately, that was easy to do just down the beach from our hotel. So that morning he started out with a refresher lesson on the land.

Then, once he had the basics down again, it was time to hit the waves.

I don't know whether it was the fact that it was his second time out or that the waves were easier to surf, but for whatever reason Conservative Hubby did considerably better this time than he did on his first surfing outing in California.

He was able to get up on his board quickly and stay on it much longer than he did last time he surfed.

In fact, he looked like he knew what he was doing. (Especially compared to the two people he took a lesson with who were ... um ... struggling a bit to say the least.)

It was fun to sit and watch Conservative Hubby on the beach, but I have to admit after seeing him surf this time I even got a bit of an itch to try it myself.

So maybe next time I'll be out there too. We'll just have to see.

(Oh, one downfall to Maui surfing: Coral. This spill resulted in some massive bruises. But it looked good!)

Whale Watching

2011-03-06T10:46:00.004-06:00

We visited Maui in the middle of humpback whale-watching season.

This meant we could sit at the beach or on our balcony and spot their tails and fins and the water shooting out of their blowholes. (If you look really hard in the photo above, you can even see a whale jumping.)

But we decided we wanted to get a bit closer to the whales, so we decided to take a sunset whale-watching dinner cruise.

Based on a recommendation, I booked a reservation with the Pacific Whale Foundation, because they not only do fun things like whale-watching tours to educate people about the marine environment, but they also use the funds they raise from the tours to conduct marine research and address marine conservation issues.

Plus the tours themselves are more environmentally friendly than others you'll find in the area, because they use whale protection devices, low-emissions engines, bio-compostable products for food and beverages, and more.

So Conservative Hubby and I headed down to the dock in Lahaina for our sunset cruise. It was a small crowd that day and we got a great spot on a bench right in front of the cockpit, with unobstructed views of the ocean all around us.

A musician sat in the cockpit serenading us with traditional island music. The food we had actually turned out to be quite delicious. But the highlight of the cruise was, of course, the whales.

And boy did we hit the jackpot. Near dusk, we came upon a mother, her baby, and their escort frolicking in the water. The stayed very close to our boat for quite some time. I was amazing to watch them up close, to see their tails and fins and their backs rise out of the water.

We even got to see the mother of all whale-watching sights, something so impressive (and not that common, particularly on sunset cruises) that even the captain was excited: One of the whales did a full breach, so her entire body came out of the water and we had an up-close view of her underside.

It was amazing.

I wish I could say I got photos of the whale activities, but it was too close to dark and the whales were moving too quickly for me to catch everything on camera. I'm not well-versed with my camera enough yet to know what I should have done.

So after a few futile attempts, I just put it away and enjoyed the show with my eyes instead.

And a wonderful show it was. Conservative Hubby and I agreed that we would definitely do a whale-watching cruise again--and with the Pacific Whale Foundation too, no less.

The Banyan Tree

2011-03-01T21:04:00.005-06:00

On our trip to Hawaii, I fell in love with the banyan trees.

(Yeah, go ahead and say it. I'm a tree hugger. Or a treehugger. Or maybe both. I'll admit it.)

I didn't think it got much better than the big, beautiful tree in the courtyard of our hotel in Waikiki.

And then we moseyed around in quaint little downtown Lahaina on Maui and came across this monster of a banyan. (Or "magical Avatar tree," as Conservative Hubby prefers to call it.)

Yes, this is one tree. (Sort of.)

After we gazed in wonder at this monstrosity, Conservative Hubby hopped on his magic phone he carries with him that has the answers to all the world's questions to find out what the deal was with the banyan.

That's how we learned it's a fig. Its seeds germinate in the cracks of a host tree and then send down roots toward the ground, which can end up taking over the host tree (hence the moniker it sometimes has, "stranger fig").

This particular banyan happens to be a rather greedy fellow that has taken over all the other trees around it in the park.

And it's pretty darn cool.

Driving to the Blowhole

2011-02-27T16:20:00.007-06:00

You won't believe me when I tell you this, but the day after we attempted traveling the Road to Hana, Conservative Hubby was ready to get back in the car for another morning cruise.

I kid you not.

I think it was the convertible that did it. And the fact we were still waking up so darn early we had plenty of time to kill each day before we were ready to don our bathing suits.

Whatever the reason, I was glad he was game for another cruise, and I promised to find a drive that would be relatively brief and easier, yet equally scenic.

Not surprisingly, the scenic requirement is an easy one on Maui.

We decided to head north past our resort, which is in an area called Ka'anapali, past the resorts and golf courses of Kapalua, and along the coast around the northwestern tip of the island.

Conservative Hubby wanted to stop at the Plantation golf course, which is where the Hyundai Tournament of Champions was played about a month before our arrival.

I wanted to check out the Blowhole, a scenic spot past the golf courses where, when the tide is right, water is pushed up through a hole in the rocks to spectacular heights (hence the name Blowhole).

And so we set out, oohing and aahing at lovely scenery as we did on every day of our trip. (OK, so I oohed and aahed while Conservative Hubby took a more stoic approach.)

Although this drive was curvy and the road did narrow considerably once we got past the resorts, it was still an improvement over the Road to Hana. Plus there was minimal traffic, so as he drove Conservative Hubby was able to enjoy the scenery a bit more than the previous day.

It didn't take us all that long to reach the spot where we parked and hiked down to see the Blowhole.

It was a neat spot but, unfortunately, the tide wasn't right, so the Blowhole's blowing was rather lackluster.

I would've stayed a while to watch the water start shooting higher, but Conservative Hubby needed his breakfast, so after a few minutes we headed back to the car and back down the road the way we came.

We were so hungry by this point that we stopped at a roadside stand for banana bread.

One would think buying banana bread from a place like this would be a bit questionable. And it is. But the guidebook we read recommended banana bread places all along this drive and the Road to Hana, so we figured it couldn't be that dangerous.

(Needless to say, the banana bread was tasty and did not make us sick. It also helped tide us over until we could get back to the hotel for an early lunch, so it was worth it.)

We made one more stop after banana bread to check out the views and discovered a wonderful area for snorkeling. I made note of this fact for the next time we're in Maui (yes, there will be a next time, I'm quite sure of it).

I plan to put snorkeling at the top of my list then since we ran out of time to do so on this trip.

On our way back, we made a stop at the Plantation golf course for Conservative Hubby, as promised. It was beautiful, and the houses we could see were ridiculously large. This made Conservative Hubby happy and led him to visions of being rich and famous and actually being able to live in a place like this.

And then he came back to reality (well, sort of) and we hopped in the car and headed back to the hotel, just in time for lunch and some pool time.

The Luau at Black Rock

2011-02-23T18:01:00.000-06:00

After our morning spent driving a small piece of the Road to Hana, Conservative Hubby and I were ready to relax. So we spent the afternoon hanging out at the many resort pools, soaking up the sun.

And then it was time for a "must" on your first visit to Hawaii: a luau.

Based on a recommendation, we decided to check out the one at the Sheraton. It was an easy walk down the path along the beach from our hotel, which was a plus since we weren't interested in getting in the car again.

When we arrived, we had plenty of time for photo ops.

And watching the roasted pig as it was pulled out of the ground. (Sort of reminded me of the Collins pig roasts of my childhood, except I don't think My Dad and uncles ever dressed like this ...)

Then it was time to eat.

Here are the friendly folks we dined with. The ones with their backs to the camera are from Great Falls, Montana. This isn't all that far from where My Mom grew up and where My Grandma still lives. Small world, eh? Later in the week, we also ran into some people from Sheridan, Wyoming, who visit my home town each year for the motorcycle rally. Again, small world.

Anyhow. Then the sun started to set.

And the show began.

It was fun.

Colorful and energetic ... and full of the history of the islands.

Of course, when it came to the last performance of the evening, it was spectacular. I won't bother interrupting the show with words ...

(The next day, Conservative Hubby asked our favorite tiki bartender, Jerome, how authentic the show was. Jerome said it was pretty darn authentic. And so we believed him, because we believed everything Jerome said. I'm pretty sure Conservative Hubby had a man crush on him ... probably because he decided Jerome has the best job ever.)

The Road to Hana

2011-02-22T20:09:00.005-06:00

After Conservative Hubby and I donned our Maui Jims and finished our breakfast at Cheeseburger, there was only one thing left to do: explore.

The only problem was deciding where to go.

Conservative Hubby isn't one for scenic drives. He's one for driving to a destination. And getting there in a hurry. But because we were in Hawaii (also known as paradise) and because we had a convertible to cruise around in, he said he was game for a morning drive.

As long as it wasn't the Road to Hana.

We'd heard and read great things about this curving, narrow road that winds its way along the coast, past rainforest and waterfalls and magnificent beaches galore. But we'd also heard plenty of reasons not to make the drive--it takes all day, for one. And it's exhausting. And slow. And did I mention it takes all day?

So we agreed we wouldn't do the entire drive. But I really really really wanted to see a bit of the road, particularly a waterfall or two.

No way, Conservative Hubby said. Not a chance.

And then he found out Jaws was on Hana Road. Jaws is the big, famous surf area where the really serious surfers go and catch waves you can't even imagine ... the type of waves that either land them on the cover of a surfing magazine or in intensive care at the hospital.

Fortunately, Conservative Hubby didn't want to do surf Jaws. But he did want to see it. And so once he found out we'd be halfway to the first waterfall on the Road to Hana once we reached Jaws, he was ready to compromise. And we had a plan.

The problem is, getting to Jaws isn't for everyone--and certainly not for every vehicle. It's hidden back off the main road, accessible only by an exceptionally bumpy dirt track. We tried to make it down there but let me tell you: a Mustang convertible does not ride high enough off the ground for the terrain en route to Jaws. After a few minutes of bouncing along and cringing every time we were sure we lost half the car, we gave up and turned around. No Jaws on this trip.

The drive to that point was scenic itself, and that was even before the real scenery began. Past Jaws, the road got narrower and the views more spectacular.

And the drive got slower--much slower. In fact, what started out as a quick cruise took hours to get round-trip--and we only made it the first 11 miles on the Road to Hana.

But oh, the scenery. It was spectacular. I tried to snap as many photos as I could from the car, but I knew better than to ask Conservative Hubby to pull over at the many scenic outlooks along the way so I could snap pictures. He would've left me on the side of the road or thrown me over said scenic outlooks had I done that.

And so I was content with snapping photos as we crept along in the convertible, oohing and aahing as quietly as possible since a certain someone didn't really get to enjoy the view. He was too busy paying attention to the traffic in front of us and the parts of the road where only one car fit at a time.

Oh, and the construction. Because of course we had construction on our drive.

And then--finally!--we made it to the first waterfall. It was lovely. It made me want to go to the three more waterfalls within a mile and a half of this one.

(And later, when I looked at this photo, it made me realize that one should never head straight from a 2-hour drive in the convertible to a photo op. Just so you know.)

Driving to those next couple of waterfalls would've added another hour to the trip. And I knew better than to press my luck. Conservative Hubby was about at the end of his scenic driving rope.

And so once we got back to the car after the first waterfall, we very carefully turned around and headed back toward the waterfalls Conservative Hubby prefers--the manufactured kind at the resort pool.

Maui Jims and Cheeseburgers

2011-02-19T08:17:00.004-06:00

On our first full day in Maui, Conservative Hubby and I took a little trip down the road into Lahaina. We had a specific mission in mind: To visit the Maui Jim headquarters. And to find breakfast.

We stopped at Maui Jim's first. If you haven't heard of the company, they're known for making terrific sunglasses. We're talking really really nice. And it just so happens that Conservative Dad went to college with the owner of the company, so that gave us a little extra interest in checking the place out.

Unfortunately, the owner of the company wasn't in Maui when we visited. This was particularly disappointing to Conservative Hubby because they're members of the same fraternity and he has always wanted to meet this fellow.

But, on the bright side, we did get to meet the owner's delightful assistant who was very kind and, we learned, has a real talent for judging a person's character upon first meeting them AND picking out the perfect sunglasses for them.

Needless to say, we went away from our visit with some amazing sunglasses, which came in handy about five minutes later when we were seated in the open-air upstairs area of Cheeseburger in Paradise eating breakfast. (Which was, for Conservative Hubby, actually a cheeseburger.) Boy, it was bright up there!

Conservative Hubby did not want to take his sunglasses off all week, by the way, because he said having them on was like "seeing the world in HD."

(A big thank you to the Diamond King for hooking us up with the Maui Jim's visit! And thanks to the Maui Jim's folks who were so kind and generous to us when we stopped by.)

Westin, Maui-Style

2011-02-17T19:23:00.007-06:00

We loved the Westin hotel we stayed at in Honolulu (which, Conservative Hubby reminded me, is actually called the Moana Surfrider).

It had fabulous views, great architectural character in the main areas, that beautiful banyan tree filling the courtyard. The rooms were spacious and very nice and everyone we met, whether at work or on vacation, was so darn friendly.

Sounds like a lot to beat, doesn't it?

And then we arrived at the Westin Maui Resort & Spa, and we realized that if this place didn't beat the Moana Surfrider, it at least came in tied for first with it. (Although, for the record, Conservative Hubby will say it won hands-down, I'm pretty sure.)

There were ponds--with real, live flamingos!

And waterfalls.

There were pools and pools and more pools (five to be exact) ...

spilling over into one another and overlooking fabulous ocean views.

Of course, we even found a few island touches here and there.

Oh, yeah. And the views from our room?

They weren't half bad either.

An Inter-Island Flight

2011-02-16T18:13:00.004-06:00

On day three of our Hawaiian honeymoon, we packed our bags and said goodbye to Honolulu. It was time to head for Maui.

The exceptionally short inter-island flight barely had us up above the clouds before we were making our descent into the Kahului Airport.

We had time to wave goodbye to Diamond Head Crater

to glimpse a couple of the other islands as we flew past

and then to catch sight of Maui, beginning with the row of wind turbines perched atop the mountain.

(Bet you can't guess which airline we flew!)

Within half an hour we were out of the airport complex and cruising to our hotel.

In our convertible. With the top down. Oohing and aahing all the way.

Pearl Harbor

2011-02-15T20:28:00.006-06:00

On our second full day on Oahu, which also happened to be our last, Conservative Hubby and I were up before the sun once again.

Figuring this would be the case, we had booked an early-morning excursion to visit Pearl Harbor.

At first we thought we'd just hitch a ride on the local bus, but then we discovered that although it would only cost a couple of dollars, it would take quite some time to reach the part of the island where the harbor was located. Then we (very briefly) contemplated a cab ride to the site, but that would've been unnecessarily expensive. In the end, we decided to fork over $24 each to go with an official tour company booked through the concierge.

One reason we did this: It ensured we reached Pearl Harbor early in the morning, before the crowds. Otherwise it might have been tempting to take our sweet time eating breakfast and working out and showering first, in which case we would've arrived late, waited in line for tickets, not been able to get a spot on the tour until mid-afternoon, and ended up stuck there all day.

Visiting on the tour bus turned out to be a wise decision. For starters, our driver, Rocky, kept us entertained all the way to the site and back. (And shared an island's worth of knowledge, only half of which we actually believed.)

Once we arrived at the Pearl Harbor Historic Site, Rocky waited in line to snag our small group tickets for the USS Arizona tour. We lucked out and were in the first group of the day.

First, we entered a theater where we watched a 40-minute video of what happened on Dec. 7, 1941. Although anyone who has taken an American history class undoubtedly knows about the "day of infamy," it was interesting to revisit all the details. Of particular note: The entire 40-minute narrated video featured actual footage from the day of the attack, provided by people stationed in Hawaii at the time as well as by the Japanese. I had no idea there was so much video footage of that day!

The video was incredibly sobering, and the actual visit to the USS Arizona Memorial was even more so.

We boarded a ferry run by the U.S. Navy which took us across the harbor to the memorial.

The striking structure was built over the top of the sunken battleship.

From inside the memorial, you can see views of the harbor and the USS Arizona from every direction, including from an opening in the floor.

It was amazing to see the once-massive battleship's remains so close to our feet--and it was particularly surprising to see the rainbow-hued oil slicks floating on the surface of the water. After all these years, the USS Arizona--an underwater grave for the soldiers who lost their lives aboard the ship that day--is still leaking oil.

At the back of the memorial, the names of those brave servicemen who gave their lives are memorialized.

After our ferry ride back to the site, we wandered around looking at the other memorials to the soldiers and civilians who were on the other battleships that went down or who were killed in the harbor.

Conservative Hubby and I, along with our fellow tour mates, opted out of the actual tours of the Battleship Missouri Memorial, USS Bowfin Submarine tour, and the Pacific Aviation Museum, as that would've consumed our entire day and required purchasing multiple additional tickets.

We were able to spend plenty of time looking at outdoor displays and taking photos of the USS Missouri and the USS Bowfin, however.

And there were other things to see at the historic site, including some interactive exhibits like this one showing the inside of a submarine.

Plus, on the way home, good ol' Rocky drove us through downtown Honolulu, which we might not otherwise have seen. He showed us where he lived, in case we wanted to visit. He also pointed out the street on which Dog the Bounty Hunter's office is located, where Chinatown is (and we learned that we shouldn't visit after dark), and the giant glass building the guy from Dirty Jobs scaled and cleaned.

We are much better off knowing these tidbits, folks. Don't you think?

All joking aside, though, Conservative Hubby and I were glad we took the time to visit the Pearl Harbor Memorial Site. It was a striking setting and a humbling experience to see a place where so many people lost their lives and to remember an event that so drastically shaped the history of our country.

Should you ever make it to Oahu (I hope you do!), make sure to leave time to visit it yourself.

Diamond Head Crater

2011-02-14T20:32:00.007-06:00

Our first full day in Hawaii dawned clear and bright. Because of the time difference, Conservative Hubby and I were awake well before the sunrise.

We took advantage of this fact to enjoy views on the balcony and to participate in a terrific yoga class on the lawn overlooking the ocean. (Yes, I did say "we." After nearly eight years of trying, I finally convinced the hubs that yoga isn't so "sissy" after all.)

Then, because we were rarin' to get out and explore, we decided to follow up our morning yoga class with a hike to Diamond Head Crater, which you saw in the background of the photo above.

The concierge told us it was only about 2 miles to the crater, so we decided to hoof it there. Only it didn't seem like 2 miles. We were certain it was much farther than that--although perhaps that was only because it was uphill the entire way and we got caught in a sudden, five-minute rainstorm halfway up the hill.

Either way, once we got to the crater and walked through the tunnel,

we were greeted with this view (but in reverse, as I took this photo from the other side of the crater) ... and the realization we still had to walk to the other side of the crater to even begin the actual hike.

Despite the large number of other travelers winding their way up the steep, curving, narrow trail to the top of the crater (and my frequent stops to take snapshots or ask others to take a photo of the two of us) ...

Conservative Hubby and I made pretty darn good time up the trail.

Then things got even slower, as we made our way through a tiny, dark tunnel

and up a set of rather steep stairs

and then up some treacherous, winding iron stairs in the heart of the mountain. (Leftover from when the crater was a military installation and the troops created bunkers in the crater.)

And then we were at the top and were greeted to the most fantastic views of this

and this

and this, which shows a long-distance view of the hotels along the beach in Waikiki.

And then we set off at once back down the trail, racing as fast as we safely could without taking out elderly folks and pregnant women ambling down slowly.

The reason we raced so fast is very important. We thought we had taken so long that we were missing the Superbowl.

So once we got down to the entrance to the park in the middle of the crater, we hitched a cab ride back to the hotel--only to discover in the cab that we still had plenty of time to get back to the room and shower before the game started.

I guess that walk to the crater didn't take us as long as we thought it did, which was good, because then we had time to dine on fish tacos and fish sandwiches at Duke's, with one eye on the ocean and the other on the TV.

And then we headed back to our hotel to watch the rest of the Superbowl outside under the giant banyan tree in the courtyard.

(Or, as Conservative Hubby called it, the magical Avatar tree ...)

Saying Aloha

2011-02-13T20:12:00.004-06:00

Aloha!

It feels funny to write that, as I sit at home on a Sunday evening, thinking ahead to a busy work week and staring at the snow still piled up in our front yard.

The last time I heard anyone say "aloha" was just about 24 hours ago, in a very different climate and a very different part of the country.

That's when Conservative Hubby and I boarded our flight from Honolulu back to Chicago, after an absolutely amazing week-long trip to the beautiful U.S. islands floating in the Pacific.

The reason for our February escape? A (quite) belated honeymoon.

As we discovered from our first couple of days on Oahu and learned even more so as we wrapped up our trip on Maui, there's nothing wrong with a belated honeymoon. Especially one to paradise.

Naturally, I took along my trusty camera and snapped hundreds of photos of our adventure. So, starting today, I'm going to take you through some of the highlights of the trip.

It all began on day one, when we arrived in Honolulu and headed straight for our hotel, the Westin in Waikiki. The gorgeous views of mountains and ocean you saw above just so happened to be the view from our hotel room.

And this is the hotel itself, the oldest one in Waikiki. It's a lovely place, with the main areas all open to the ocean air and views.

(A terrific fellow went out of his way to hook us up with the most amazing accommodations and views we could imagine on this trip, and for this week thank him very much!)

Jalapeno Pepper Jack Scones

2011-02-04T12:57:00.001-06:00

I made these scones, another recipe recommendation from My Sister, a few weeks ago.

They're a nice, savory scone with a little kick thanks to the peppers and plenty of flavor thanks to all the melted cheese.

You should try them sometime.

That is all.

The Bathroom Remodel (Part 3)

2011-02-03T12:47:00.000-06:00

My apologies for the delay in bringing you the next installment of the basement bathroom remodel series, but sadly there hasn't been much to report as of late.

T-Bear did a terrific job with the grout on the floor and in the shower.

Then Conservative Hubby sealed the tile.

James K. stopped by and returned the toilet to its rightful position and installed the new showerhead and handle.

But that's all that's been done since the major bathroom remodel weekend.

That means there's still ceiling sanding and priming and painting to be done. The back wall needs painted, too.

We need to put in a new drain in the shower and install the new vanity and sink.

There's a mirror to go on the wall and a light fixture that needs hooked up to the ceiling.

But none of this is going to happen for at least the next couple of weeks. So we're just making do with the mess in the basement for the time being.

Fortunately it's a little tidier than in this photo (though not much).

And the tile cutting mess has been cleaned up.

Thank goodness.

Snow Days

2011-02-02T12:34:00.005-06:00

Two days of blizzard warnings and high winds and snow this week resulted in two snow days for me.

It has been a pretty nice arrangement, actually. I spent both mornings chugging through my work to-do list, since I brought my work home with me in preparation for the bad weather. But because I wasn't required to work on my snow days, I've also had time to do a bit of freelance work and some cleaning and some baking and even some packing for a certain trip Conservative Hubby and I are taking very soon.

I must make it known, however, that Butter hasn't enjoyed the snow days quite as I much as I have. He normally loves to go outside and play in the snow, but he's smart enough to know that he'd rather be inside when the wind is howling and his chain is buried under the snow that has drifted against our back door.

Plus, for a good portion of yesterday afternoon and evening, Butter's window was so covered in snow that he couldn't sit there and keep an eye on things like he normally does.

This didn't stop him from trying, though. Every once in a while last night we'd find him sitting at the window, often for minutes at a time, staring at absolutely nothing but the white stuff stuck on the glass and his reflection.

Now the high winds and the snow have stopped and it's time to get un-buried.

(A friendly someone came by and snow-blowed our driveway and sidewalks just as we were getting up this morning, which made my day a whole lot nicer, by the way.)

If you got snowed in too, I hope you're staying warm and safe today!

A New Radio

2011-01-31T17:59:00.007-06:00

As you may have noticed, I spend quite a bit of my spare time in the kitchen.

And often, when I'm not in the kitchen, I'm sitting nearby at the dining room table working or writing or reading.

In all the time we've lived in our house, I've had this feeling something was missing from this area.

And then, a while ago, I realized what the kitchen needed: a radio.

But I knew I didn't want just any radio. And so I spent quite some time thinking about what I wanted, searching for just the right thing.

And I found it, in all places, in My Sister's kitchen.

You see, she picked up an adorable little blue Tivoli radio at a yard sale back when she lived in Boston. It was a steal of a deal—$10, maybe $20. Whoever sold it had no idea what a gem the brand-new radio was, that it sold for around $150 normally.

So I pined for this radio that was out of my price range for years. I hoped (quite unrealistically) that I, too, might stumble across a garage sale bargain like My Sister did.

I gave up on that wish this winter, when it was time to think of my Christmas wish list, when I decided I would go ahead and ask for the darn radio that had been missing from my house for so long.

I picked out an equally retro-looking radio, much bigger than the Tivoli I coveted, but that looked nice and was an easier-to-stomach price.

Only we discovered, after Conservative Hubby dutifully purchased it for me as requested and even wrapped it up himself, that the sound of that darn radio was terrible. Absolutely horrible.

So back the cheaper radio went and I spent another month without my precious radio.

And then I broke down and did it. I chipped in on my own Christmas gift and ordered my dream radio, the little Tivoli that matches my retro kitchen beautifully and boasts wonderful, full sound for such a small package.

Right now, I am listening to a little "All Things Considered" while dinner cooks. Once Conservative Hubby joins me (because he is not a fan of NPR like I am--or at all), I'll switch to listening to some music from my iPod, which hooks up to the back of the radio.

I'm feeling a little Eric Clapton tonight to go along with our roasted cod, potatoes, and lemons.

It makes me happy, happy, happy to have this little friend on the countertop next to me. And it makes me want to spend even more time in the kitchen (if that's possible).

Cinnamon Rolls

2011-01-27T21:50:00.005-06:00

If you've ever walked by a Cinnabon in an airport (and if you've ever been in an airport, odds are you have), you've probably experienced that moment when you are so overcome with the scent of the cinnamon rolls that you momentarily forget about how bad they are and begin salivating on the spot.

It can be hard to resist temptation, I know.

You should try making Cinnabon cinnamon rolls in your own home and then try to resist temptation.

It's even harder. Especially because the hit to your bank account is considerably less than it would be in the airport. And the cinnamon rolls are much more accessible.

Then again, when you see just how much butter is in this recipe, you may have a bit more willpower to resist. If it's possible to suffer death by butter, then this recipe will get you dangerously close.

But the thing is, life's too short not to try these ridiculously over-the-top goodies.

That's why, armed with a recipe My Sister sent me, I set about making these cinnamon rolls a couple of weekends ago.

First came the dough, with 1/3 cup butter as one of the ingredients. Then came another 1/3 cup softened butter, which I spread on top of the flattened dough.

After that, on went cinnamon and brown sugar. At last! A reprieve from the butter.

Then I rolled up the dough.

Next, I sliced the rolled dough and placed the individuals rolls in the pan.

Then, while baking the rolls, I whipped up the icing, which included (naturally) another 8 tablespoons of butter.

On went the icing, and then the rolls were ready to serve. I promptly took some down to the basement for the boys, who were hard at work.

(We'll pretend I was being nice and generous, but really I just knew I had to get those darn things out of the kitchen so I couldn't overdose.)

On a side note, I realized after I ate one of the cinnamon rolls that for all the butter in the dough and on the dough and in the frosting, my granddad Charlie still would have slathered the top of the frosting on the cinnamon roll with butter. No joke.

Lavender in Winter

2011-01-24T21:11:00.005-06:00

This is the lavender that sits next to Butter in the front window.

This is the lavender that used to live outside in the planter in front of our house, until the weather turned cold and I placed it in a pot and moved it indoors.

I did the same thing last year with a number of herbs but, alas, they didn't last long.

This year, however, is different. This year my lavender is thriving, much more than it ever did outside in the summer. It keeps growing, stretching toward the sun outside the window. It's even flowering.

And oh, the smell, when I walk by and brush my hands across the lavender.

It's heaven. It makes me forget, for just a moment, that it's winter outside.

Of course, then I see what's sitting right on the other side of the glass and I am reminded of precisely what season it is.

The Bathroom Remodel (Part 2)

2011-01-21T10:01:00.004-06:00

It probably won't come as a surprise that last weekend's basement bathroom remodel hit a few snags.

Doesn't every home-improvement project get stalled by unforeseen challenges?

The challenges in this particular project took the form of a leaking shutoff valve (for the whole darn house) and leaking pipes in shower.

And an extra trip to Home Depot in Bloomington and about 50 extra trips to Ace Hardware in L-Town.

Despite these holdups, the boys made progress.

First all the plumbing fixtures came out.

Then the ceiling came down and was replaced with a nice, smooth drywall ceiling.

Then the shower underwent some demolition and gained new tile-covered walls.

And a lovely tile floor too.

Next came the bathroom floor.

It was at this point in the process that I was completely shocked and amazed and impressed to learn that the fellow working the wet saw in the basement was none other than Conservative Hubby.

I did not know he possessed the skill to make such delicate cuts.

(For the record, he didn't know this either. And T-Bear and James K. were as surprised as I was.)

But it turns out he's got a talent for the tile-cutting.

This came in handy, along with T-Bear's knack for laying tile in perfectly straight lines and sacrificing holiday Mondays to grout said tile, even after the others had to go back to work.

But you're just going to have to wait on the edge of your seat for those grout photos. Sorry! (But not really.)

The Bathroom Remodel (Part 1)

2011-01-20T20:51:00.004-06:00

You might call the bathroom in our basement partially finished.

Maybe.

It has beautiful wood paneling on the walls—the same paneling that graces some of the walls elsewhere in the basement.

And it has a sink and a toilet and a shower.

Well, if you call this a shower.

I can tell you I certainly haven't ever showered in it.

The bathroom floor is concrete. And the sink doesn't actually work anymore, because the faucet leaked so badly that we couldn't fix it and so had to disconnect it from the water.

(And by "we," I mean T-Bear, with Conservative Hubby's assistance.)

In other words, the bathroom in our basement leaves something to be desired.

And that's why, last weekend, T-Bear and Conservative Hubby and his long-time friend James K. decided it was time to do a little HGTV-style weekend remodel.

Well, HGTV-style with plenty of expletives and a couple of beers thrown in for good measure, that is. Perhaps that would count as HBO-style HGTV remodeling? I don't know ...

Regardless of what you call it, make sure you come back tomorrow to see how far the boys progressed last weekend.

Yes, that's right, I'm making you wait until tomorrow.

Winter on Lake Michigan

2011-01-18T22:10:00.003-06:00

When I mentioned my visit to Wisconsin for a service-learning workshop last week, I failed to share with you the snapshots I took on the first incredibly chilly day we were there, when I grabbed my camera and braved the cold to take a walk near the lake.

The thing that amazed me most is, sadly, something you can't see from the photo. It was the way the water undulated beneath big chunks of ice. I could hear the gentle lapping of the water but couldn't actually see any waves at first, and then all of a sudden I realized what looked like a mirage of sorts was actually the water slowly moving the chunks of ice up and down, up and down.

The next day, the waves told a different story, for it got colder and windier. Then the ice mounded up near the shore and the water crashed with ferocity against the temporary ice cliffs that formed. I braved the weather again that day to see how drastically the water had changed since my last visit, but left my camera behind tucked safely in my room.

That first day, before my fringers froze from snapping photos of the water, I also managed to capture a few other photographs.

One was of the labyrinth near the shore, which in nicer weather is a place for people to walk in peaceful meditation. The next day, the labyrinth was covered in snow, so we were lucky we got to see it before the weather changed.

A Close Look at Butter

2011-01-16T14:53:00.001-06:00

When I look at my dear dog, I can't help but wonder what it is that makes him such a wonderful pooch.

What is it about him that compels people to ask what kind of dog he is, to comment on his appearance, to stop and wave at him when he sits in the front window?

It is his big, sweet puppy dog eyes?

Or the wet nose that he uses to nuzzle you when he's feeling particularly affectionate?

Perhaps it's his big puppy dog paws, that look almost as if he still has room to grow into them.

Is it his big, furry, floppy ears?

Or maybe it's the tail that gives a hint of the husky in him.

Then again it could be his soft mouth, dappled with whiskers.

Maybe it's all of these things together that make Butter who he is.

Then again, I think it's something more than just his appearance.

It's his gratitude for being rescued, the loyal way he follows us around the house and looks up at us adoringly whenever he gets the chance.

The way he playfully races around the living room and bounds through the snow in the backyard.

It's the way he so fearlessly guards our house from intruders (particularly of the postal service variety).

And it's how he lovingly cuddles up next to us on the couch in the evening and later hops up on the edge of the bed to say goodnight.

Whatever it is that makes Butter who he is, I'm grateful that he's around.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

2011-01-12T06:46:00.002-06:00

In honor of a very important day (that would be Conservative Hubby's birthday at the beginning of the month), I made a very important treat.

Red velvet cupcakes.

To make these red velvet cupcakes, I used Paula Deen's recipe. (Except I skipped the toppers, because why would anyone mess up cream cheese frosting by topping it with nuts or berries?)

The cupcakes turned out pretty darn good. At least the birthday boy thought so.

And he should know--he ate nearly the entire batch himself.

But if you make this recipe, please be warned: It makes copious amounts of cream cheese frosting. I don't think I was stingy when I frosted the cupcakes, but I still had half the batch of frosting left. No joke.

So go ahead and cut the frosting recipe in half.

Or not. I discovered it's awfully tasty sans cupcakes.

Simplifying

2011-01-11T21:14:00.008-06:00

Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the mayhem, in the to-do lists and the buying and busy schedules.

It happens, particularly, at the holidays. Yet go-go-go, spend-spend-spend isn't limited to certain months. It's a pattern many of us fall into nearly all the time, almost all the year.

I am reminded of this occasionally, at random moments.

Like when I'm baking at My Sister's apartment, where I can't microwave the butter because there is no microwave and I can't plug in the mixer to blend the dough because there is no electric mixer.

I come to realize you really can get by on very little, on the necessities. And in the process you can live beautifully, you can live fully. You can still make pretty darn good sugar cookies.

I am reminded of this on the beach, when I notice something as minuscule as the way someone has carefully placed a handful of shells right where I can see them as I wander by.

You don't have to hoard the shells, to take them home for your collection. You can stop and examine them, admire them, and then leave them for someone else and move on.

I am reminded of this right now, too, at a spartan retreat center run by Dominican Sisters in Racine, Wisconsin. Here I have no choice but to slow down and to contemplate life, as I sit in my tiny room after the day's activities are done or as I wander along the snow-blown path toward the icy shore for a glimpse of the lake in the early morning light.

It's something I think we all need to do more often.

To pause.

To look around and finally notice--really notice--our surroundings.

To appreciate the fine details--the handheld mixer with its faded handle and the distinctive shape of each shell and the way the winter wind roars across the lake.

To stop counting gadgets and tasks accomplished. Instead, to count blessings and blissful moments.

We all need to drink in a big, deep breath of life once in a while. To slow down. To live in the moment, not in the madness.

California Dreamin'

2011-01-10T20:09:00.001-06:00

Since it's pretty darn frigid here right now, I've decided to extend my reminiscences about Christmas in California for one more winter day.

Why wouldn't I, when I have yet to show you the beautiful post-rain sky I spotted from the front door of My Sister's apartment?

And when I haven't shown you a few photos from the wackiness that is Venice Beach on Christmas Eve day ...

... the wackiness that Conservative Hubby said was making him break out in hives?

I know what you're thinking right now. "Ah, yes, that's the way to spend the holidays."

You know what else makes for a great holiday?

Dining on wonderfully fresh fish tacos at a big farmhouse table in My Sister's apartment.

Trust me, I know.

And to cap it all off, there's nothing like a stormy dusk walk on the beach.

Surfing Tales, Part 3

2011-01-09T19:46:00.004-06:00

As I mentioned yesterday, about halfway through My Dad and Conservative Hubby's surfing adventure, My Dad decided to take a break.

And, because surfing instructor Peter had a van full of different-size surfboards and wetsuits, My Sister decided she'd take My Dad's place.

You see, she does a bit of surfing herself now that she lives so close to the beach. But because things were getting going so early and the water would be so darn cold, she decided she'd sit things out and keep My Mom and I company.

Only the water looked too inviting, so she had to give in to temptation.

Right away, she showed us how things are done.

Doesn't she make it look easy?

Then, while Conservative Hubby and My Sister waited for the perfect wave, I noticed there was something moving toward them in the water.

A fin! Ack! SHARK!

Only no, it was a dolphin. Two, actually. (They really are there in the photo above. You just have to use your imagination because I didn't have a long enough lens.)

So Conservative Hubby and My Sister hung out on their boards and watched the pair of dolphins swim past, then returned to surfing.

Meanwhile, on the beach, I snapped a photo of these fellows fishing. Apparently the older one is there quite often. My Sister said he fishes for little sharks, and often catches them.

At one point, we thought he had a big catch, but then the line snapped. I like to think he might have reeled in a shark had the line held, but then again since two of the most important people in my life were in the water at the same time, I'm going to go ahead and be thankful we didn't see any sharks.

There's not much more to say about the surfing adventure, so I leave you with one last photo of Conservative Hubby hanging ten while My Sister looks on.

I don't know if this is the proper use of "hanging ten," but it sounds really hip, like I'm all down with the surfing lingo.

So this chicken who didn't even get in the water is going to go ahead and use it, like she knows what she's talking about.