Garden Update

Well this year was okay for the garden - but not fantastic.  A number of seeds just didn't grow well.  The beets, cucumbers and peas all did terrible.  Potatoes, herbs, pumpkins and squash did well.  The tomatoes were just sad and tired all summer.  Too much rain I think.

 In other growing news I pulled out the front bed of our house - which was just bushes and planted flowers.  It will take a 

while for it to fill in ... 

But it will get there!

Garden time

Zooey and I like to spend a lot of time in the garden.  Mostly picking bad bugs off and weeding.  But today we harvested in the cool morning air!

Spring

The garden is planted and weeded.  Let's see what grows!

Raising a Family

Part of my issue with social media is the competitiveness it gives each and every one of us.  You see people climbing, biking or doing whatever and you feel the need to compete with this.  The worst, currently for me, is parenting.  Too many parents compare their children.  I see them using Facebook, Twitter or blogs to basically talk about how their kids are the greatest children on Earth.  Each of us loves our kids like no other (um hello - they are our children).  But, comparing them is wrong.

Each person has strengths and weaknesses (even as children).  There is no perfect human and even if your kids is the smartest one in this city or state, I can guarantee you there is a smarter child somewhere in the universe.  Learning humility, compassion and love are more important than learning you are the smartest or prettiest kid out there.

Too often I see kids tearing other kids apart for their faults, instead of seeing what the other child has to offer.  They have learned this.  They learned it from you parents out there.

My kid is special and perfect and neat to me because she is my kid.  I don't expect, nor want, others to feel the same way.   Parenting is hard.  Each time a kid changes or grows you face new issues.  Working and raising a family is a crazy amount of work that requires focus and dedication (to the family, child and yourself).   No parent needs other parents picking their choices or ways apart.  How about I raise my family the way I'd like and you do the same?  Let my child be wild and crazy and keep your comments to yourself.

In particular, in case you aren't getting the point, my special message to other mothers out there  .... you can be catty, bitchy, mean and aggressive but in the end what does it get you? 

I'm here to raise a strong and passionate daughter who will help other women, not tear them apart.  Please take the hint!

The English Language Part 1

There are a lot of things about the English language that drive me nuts.  There are also a lot of things I just don't understand the where, why and how it came to be.

Lately there is a sign when I walk into my building that says "Ensure the door closes behind you."

Ensure: to make sure, certain, or safe :  guarantee (Webster's)

But what about assure?

Assure:  to make (something) certain

Left with more questions than answers I use the all powerful Google to find this cool site and reference:
Insure: protect with an insurance policy, as in Insure the car before your trip. To “assure” a person of something is to make him or her confident of it. According to Associated Press style, to “ensure” that something happens is to make certain that it does, and to “insure” is to issue an insurance policy.

When I see it put like that I know I have it.  And then I can ensure that the next time this comes up I'll use the wrong word.

Have a question about the English language you want to investigate with me?  Drop a comment.

Organic Cotton

I have a general question.  If you were to look at 2 t-shirts and one was organic cotton and the other was just cotton which one would you buy?  Would you spend a bit more for the organic cotton shirt?

I have a set of pjs and a shirt that are organic cotton.  They feel great, although I will honestly say they feel just like "regular" cotton to me.  Not softer and not too stiff.  But, here is my issue.  Both items (which I spent more than I would normally spend) have small holes throughout them now.  I wear and wash them just like my normal regular cotton clothing and out of no where there are little holes.  Is this something to do with it being organic cotton or just these items?  I don't have a good answer for it, but it makes me not want to buy organic cotton again.

I started wondering what is organic cotton. (from Wikipedia)
Organic cotton is generally understood as cotton and is grown in subtropical countries such as Turkey, China, USA from non genetically modified plants, that is to be grown without the use of any synthetic agricultural chemicals such as fertilizers or pesticides.^[1] Its production also promotes and enhances biodiversity and biological cycles.^{[2][dead link]} In the United States cotton plantations must also meet the requirements enforced by the National Organic Program (NOP), from the USDA, in order to be considered organic. This institution determines the allowed practices for pest control, growing, fertilizing, and handling of organic crops.^[3][4] As of 2007, 265,517 bales of organic cotton were produced in 24 countries and worldwide production was growing at a rate of more than 50% per year.^[5]

 

After reading what organic cotton is, I think I want to buy it more.  But, I'm worried about the longevity of the items I purchase.  I'd be interested to know if other people see the same small holes appearing in their organic cotton items.  Reading this thread hasn't helped at all.  I'm going to guess maybe small aliens are eating my clothing!
 

Things To Note on Hump Day!

#1. I like my tea in a massive cup.  I like the tea to water ratio to be more water than less.
#2. I like my coffee in a tiny cup.  I like it hot and strong and I like to drink it fast and then drink a lot more of it.
#3.  When eating fondu do NOT drop hot cheese on your arm.  It burns.  FYI


Happy Hump Day!

Moon Dog ??

The other morning I walked out to see a moon dog.  I of course didn't know it was called that.  I said, "Hey Mike, check out this really cool ring around the moon."  He looked and informed me it was a moon dog.

From the web:
A moon dog, moondog, or mock moon,^[1] (scientific name paraselene,^[1] plural paraselenae, i.e. "beside the moon") is a relatively rare bright circular spot on a lunar halo caused by the refraction of moonlight by hexagonal-plate-shaped ice crystals in cirrus or cirrostratus clouds. Moondogs appear 22° to the left and right of the moon.^[2] They are exactly analogous to sun dogs, but are rarer because to be produced the moon must be bright and therefore full or nearly full. Moondogs show little color to the unaided eye because their light is not bright enough to activate the cone cells of humans' eyes.

Turns out there are also sun dogs (which I've seen before as well).

Just thought that for a Wednesday we should all learn a little something.


Moon Dog also sounds like a yoga pose.

Spam & Why I Love You!

We all get spam emails.  There is a filter set up to just toss them all into trash.  But, every so often I go through them and read a little.  I laugh.  I laugh a lot.  Have you ever checked out your spam?  Enjoy a few from below but PLEASE DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINKS!  I've copied them directly from my spam folder and I'm sure the links are dangerous.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Restore hair in as little as 4 weeks

Russia has begun dumping U.S. dollars

meet you at walmart  

Delete Me
1740 Nicholasville Road
Lexington, KY 40503

 

 

ducatirocketgirl, New Testosterone Booster Hits the Shelves  

 

Hello Christina,

I saw this info and thought it could help you.

The government is giving away $5,730.00* per year to residents of the United States.

This money can be used for going back to school.

It can be as easy as taking classes online and you could be on your way to getting a degree.

Go here to see if you qualify.


Thanks,
Robert
 

 

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If I were to look at my spam and guess what type of person I was here is what I would guess.  Someone who needs hair, ladies, money, roof repair, an education, drugs to fix my penis and a hook up at walmart.  I think they nailed me.

 

What Is Adventure?

One of my three New Years resolutions is the be more adventurous.  Does this mean sky diving or bungy jumping?  Nope.  For me this means putting down the "mommy must do" and jumping into something fun.  I'm very much a list person.  Even if it isn't written down I have a mental list of all the things I need to get done around the house.  This last year I noticed that instead of playing house or hide and seek with Zooey, I would be doing chores (especially when Mike was out of town).  Thinking about this what a waste of fun time with my kid!  So, on New Year's Day when Zooey asked to play in the snow and make a snowman at 7:30am - I put down the dirty dishes and played!!

Happy 2015!

2014 in Review

I know I've been missing in action for a while.  I've put a lot of energy towards a new blog dedicated to yoga (if you like yoga come check it out).

I plan to try and get a bit more blogging done this year.  At least that is one of my resolutions.  Stay with me while I try to get everything together!

Books Read
In The Company of Vampires ****
Torn **
Even Vampires Get The Blues ****
Ready Player One *****
Marked ***
Steamed ***
Night Broken *****
Vampires Most Wanted *****
Spartan Gold ****

In general I read between 15-20 books a year and this year was a lot less.  I'm not sure if it is because of the book choices or some other reason.


Books Listened To
The Second Ship
Playing With Fire
Secrets and Lies
Phantom Shadows
Some Girls Bite
Dance of Death
Envy
Night Reigns
Magic Breaks
Cassie Scot
Hex
Clean Sweep
Holy Smokes
Brimstone
Light My Fire
The Becoming
First Drop of Crimson
Cast in Shadows
To Kill A Warlock
Love in The Time of Dragons
Beyond The Highland Mist
The Darkest Night
Darkness Dawns

23-24 books on tape is pretty normal for me.  Looks like a regular listening year for me!

Projects Finished
Knit 11831 yards
Spun NOTHING (can you believe it)??
I got a new hand crank knitting machine and made a bunch of socks and scarfs.
Sewed 2 dresses
Started a new needle point (I should get on this)

Happy 2015 everyone and I hope you have had a great year.