Take a Stitch Tuesday - Oyster Stitch - Week 30

This week for Take a Stitch Tuesday, the featured stitch is the oyster stitch. It is one of the least favorite stitches that I have done as part of TAST. It is included in my embroidery journal for the week along with a personal reflection, list of things for which I'm grateful, and a couple of images that represent the week.

The Canada goose reminds me of the huge family of geese that is near the library. There have to be at least 20 of them that we've watched grow up from tiny goslings to full-grown geese.

The flowers represent everything that is in bloom now, including a little garden of annual flowers that the girls and I planted earlier this summer. The moss roses, marigolds, and other flowers add so much color to a spot we see and pass by multiple times each day.

Two stitching samples are part of the 

two-page journal entry for the week.

Back to the oyster stitch. To me, it's a stitch that seems to try to do too much - a twist here, a stitch there, and a loop around. To me, it's a sloppy stitch compared to some of the more precise, counted stitches that I prefer.

The oyster stitch done with

cotton embroidery floss on wool felt.

Part of my lack of enthusiasm about this stitch also has to do with floss choice. I used embroidery floss this week since I'd been using perle cotton floss for the past couple of weeks. There isn't the fullness of the stitch that can be seen with people who have more success with the oyster stitch.

I am not planning on using this stitch again with embroidery...not even with different floss choices and more practice. There are so many other pretty stitches that I would much rather enjoy doing.

Life Vision - Then and Now

Today's question for the Summer Blog Challenge asks: "How does your life measure up to the vision you had when you were younger?"

When I growing up, my parents didn't have my sister, brother, and I envisioning our future and creating life plans for ourselves. They had us focus on living in the present moment - going to school and doing after-school activities. I don't ever remember them encouraging us to actively envision what life would be like as an adult.

That being said, they gave us many opportunities to explore potential careers. Programs like Junior Achievement and Medical Explorer Post introduced me to careers in the business or medical fields.

During junior and early senior high school (when I did these programs), my strongest interest was in neonatology. (Neonatology is a subspecialty of pediatrics that focuses on the medical care of newborn infants, especially the ill or premature newborn infant.)

By senior high school and going into college, my focus shifted to being an occupational therapist. (Occupational therapists treat patients with injuries, illnesses, or disabilities through the therapeutic use of everyday activities.) After my first semester in college and taking a biology course, I realized that being an O.T. was not something I was called to do.

I changed to being a Psychology major since the general psychology courses I was taking were very interesting to me. I chose to double-major when I realized that to do anything professionally with a psychology degree, one needed to go on to get a masters or doctorate degree. Financially, that wasn't an option for me.

So, I chose Theater, Communications, and Telecommunications as my second major. I did an internship in each of the subcategories to help me determine which path I wanted to pursue. Although I enjoyed the backstage elements of theater (e.g., costuming), there weren't courses at college that specifically would have prepared me for that field.

So, I focused on the communications element - public relations and advertising. After graduating from college, I began working for Jim Fish who was well-known in the the field at the time. He hired me as an assistant and then helped me get my first job in a field I had not even heard of: fundraising and development.

This became the field I worked in from 1989-2003 - working in art, education, environmental, and agricultural non-profit organizations. From being an administrative assistant to founding and running my own non-profit organization, it was a journey that I didn't envision for myself, but was very happy to have been involved with for 14 years.

Children learning how to do Taiko drumming

during the Create & Cultivate Art Camp.

I hired artist-educators to work with children at the 

camps that were held at the farm.

(Original photo taken by me, and 

then modified by MRAC.)

During that time, I became a mother to Sophia and Olivia. Being a parent wasn't something I envisioned growing up. In fact, when I was 13 years old I didn't think I would have children. I couldn't see myself as a mom. It wasn't until a couple of foreign exchange students - Ruth and Bel - suggested exploring adopting children in Brazil (where they were from), did it even cross my mind.

Ruth came back for a visit and 

was able to meet Sophia and Olivia.

(May 30, 2009)

Originally, Limiar (a non-profit organization that helps facilitates adoptions through Brazil) was the organization that referred children seeking permanent families. There were many referrals - individual children and sibling groups - that were suggested as good matches.

After many referrals, there was a sibling group that was suggested - a girl and her two brothers. They were willing to be separated, they said. As I watched the video of the three children (about 9-14 years old), the interviewer asked the girl a question about going to the United States..alone. For a split second, her facial expression changed indicating her discomfort with the idea.

I contacted the agency and said, "I don't think Rejane wants to be adopted without her brothers. Could you please ask her specifically if she does or prefers to stay with her brothers." So, they asked her and, sure enough, she did not want to be adopted alone. Understandably.

Back to the beginning...with more referrals. Finally, a girl without siblings was suggested. She was living with her grandmother since her mother had died from natural causes. Her grandmother was aging, and was concerned about her granddaughter's life once she died. She wanted to make an adoption plan for her. The granddaughter understood and was ready to be adopted. She was 10 years old.

The adoption was ready to move forward...until the government officials in Brazil stopped all international adoptions. (Up until that point they were allowing parent-initiated adoptions. The government wanted all international adoptions to be supervised by a Hague-certified U.S. international adoption agency.) Even though we were working through Hague-certified adoption agencies, it didn't matter. There was no estimated time when the situation would be resolved. 


After several months of waiting, I let the adoption agency know that we would not move forward with an international adoption. On that particular Mother's Day, I gave my niece all the clothes I had purchased for the girl who would have been part of our family. 


I remember saying that evening, "If I'm meant to be a mom, the only other country I'd consider adopting from is China. I'm sure the adoption fees are too high. However, if they aren't, then I'll take a look at it."

The next morning, I went on the internet and did a search for adopting children from China. I can't remember the specific keywords I used, but America China Adoption Agency (later renamed American World Adoption Agency) came up as the first one on the list. Its rates were affordable because their focus was on uniting children who were living in Chinese orphanages with families. It had the right philosophy.

As a side note, I did the same search many other times in the months that followed, and ACAA never came up again as the first one on that list. I took that as a sign that this was the path that was meant to be.

Sophia was adopted through ACAA in 2001.

Sophia in her rose princess costume.

(Taken on October 31, 2007, when she was 6 years old.)

Olivia was adopted through Great Wall China Adoption in 2003. 

Olivia wanted some pictures taken of herself.

She enjoyed posing and thinking of 

different ways to sit and place her hands.

(Taken on January 31, 2008, when she was 5 years old.)

Both girls have been huge blessings. I can't imagine my life without them in it.


When they were young, I took them to ECFE and early childhood programs at the Waldorf school. Both girls went to preschool - Sophia at the one held at a local church and Olivia through the school district where she also received speech therapy.

By 2004, I decided that homeschooling would be the best match for the girls' educational needs. This is not a path that I envisioned taking because when I was growing up homeschooling was illegal. In fact, in Minnesota, as late as January 1984, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that a mother was found guilty of homeschooling her children without a teaching license.  (I graduated from high school in June 1984.)

Now, eight years later, I am still homeschooling Sophia and Olivia and couldn't be happier with that decision.

Science is a favorite subject of both of the girls.

Sophia is measuring the jaw of a skull to 

determine what animal it is from.

(Taken on April 21, 2008, when Sophia was 7 years old.)

The joy of helping them learn new skills and build their knowledge about a wide variety of subjects is truly a highlight of my life. It is a great fit for their learning styles, abilities, and interests.

Olivia enjoyed visiting a dairy goat farm and 

feeding some of the baby goats there.

(Taken on March 19, 2010, when Olivia was 7 years old.)

Has my life turned out as I thought it would? Am I a neonatologist, an occupational therapist, or in public relations/advertising? No. Yet, my life is even richer and more rewarding than I could have even imagined it.

P52 - Photo Challenge - Sunshine - Week 30

This week's photo challenge for P52 is "Sunshine." This is the second day in a row that the humidity has been low and the temperatures nice and cool in the morning (in the 60s).

Although the sunrise wasn't as colorful as it was earlier this week, I still enjoyed seeing the sun without the accompanying heat and humidity.

The corn, soybeans, and oats that grow in the fields around here all seem to be doing well. The photograph above shows the view across the street from the house. This field and additional land was donated by a neighbor to the Department of Natural Resources so it could be preserved forever.

The long-term plan is to change it into a park with trails. It's nice knowing that this open space will be protected and continue to provide shelter and food for wildlife. 

Roughing It - Camping in Minnesota

Today's question for the Summer Blog Challenge focused on the last time of "roughing it." For me, "roughing it" means not having the everyday luxuries that I take for granted and being in the wilderness.


Many years ago, I used to go camping in Grand Marais, Minnesota, with my dog Casey. 

Sophia, Olivia, and Casey on the nature trail

at the farm.

Sometimes I would take Sophia when she was a toddler and could move about on her own. I enjoyed getting away from the routine and stress of running a non-profit organization; and being able to spend time outdoors enjoying nature and wildlife. 

Chipmunk I saw on a trip to Grand Marais.

I had a one-room tent that I would set up in the middle of a cleared space, with pine trees surrounding me. It was like I was in a different world.

Pine trees in the fog in Grand Marais.

One summer night that Casey and I were camping, I woke up to the sound of twigs breaking and heavy breathing outside the tent. 


Casey stood up and faced the zippered door of the tent, her fur raised between her shoulder blades. She did not make one sound. Either did I.


I sat up on the edge of the air mattress listening in fear. I had no idea what was outside the tent. Within five minutes it was on its way.


We laid back down and tried to fall back to sleep. Not more than ten minutes later, I heard the same loud breathing and larger twigs snapping, but this time it was even closer. 


Casey, this time, stood next to me with her fur standing on end. Both of us didn't move or make a sound. From the sound of the breathing and the size twigs that were breaking, I knew very well that it was not a small animal - like a rabbit or a fox. This was something of more substantial size from the sound of its steps.

Thankfully, the noise gradually got quieter. It never returned that night.

At 5:30 a.m., when the sun began to rise, I haphazardly threw things together and quickly brought them to the car. Near the car were bear tracks and scat.

This is not the black bear that I heard in Grand Marais.

This bear is one that Sophia, Olivia, and I saw in Maine.

It was at a sanctuary for wildlife that was 

orphaned, injured, or human-raised.

(Photo taken in September 2011.)

When I came home, I searched the internet for the sound of a black bear breathing. When I played the sound...sure enough...that was the same sound that I heard.

So, between the bear, Casey, and me there was a flimsy piece of fabric (the tent). That bear could have easily ripped the tent apart with one swipe of its paw. Why it didn't, I'll never know.

Since that time, I have gone camping, but never in a tent. I have taken the girls camping and we have stayed in camper cabins at state parks. These have four sturdy walls that a bear can't get through. There are windows on three sides and a door on the fourth. The ones we have stayed in all have screen porches.

This is an older camper cabin at Lake Shetek

in southwestern Minnesota. 

The newer cabins all are a lighter wood.

Camper cabins do not have bathrooms, kitchens, or multiple rooms. They are simple structures that are more  sturdy than a tent, but give the feeling of "roughing it" since the things we take for granted (e.g., running water) are not present.

The girls in the upper levels of the bunk beds.

This was at Lake Shetek State Park.

(Taken in June 2012.)

Sophia and Olivia like the camper cabins because they have bunk beds and they can sleep on the top bunk.

Olivia sound asleep after a day of camping.

She brought some items from home to

set up next to her when she slept.

(Taken in August 2008.)

Near each camper cabin is a fire ring where we make a fire and cook our dinner.

Olivia, Sophia, and me making dinner.

My sister (Mary) and her sons went camping with us.

(Taken in August 2008.)

We went camping in early June in southwestern Minnesota. We definitely felt like we were roughing it because it was in the upper 80s and there was no air conditioning. Although we did bring three fans to circulate the air, the high humidity and temperature were challenging.

Sophia eating dinner on the porch.

We were happy that we were able to start a fire

since the winds were over 30 mph that night.

(Taken in June 2012.)

Our next camping trip is in September to Lake Itasca - where the Mississippi River begins. We're looking forward to seeing a part of Minnesota that the girls haven't been to, and that I haven't been to since I was a child.

Sophia and Olivia walking on a trail near 

Lake Saganaga in Grand Marais.

(Taken in September 2010.)

The cabin we're staying at is a step up from a camper cabin because it has some of the amenities of home (like a kitchenette and air conditioning)...yet still has the feel of camping with a fire ring and picnic table near by. It also is surrounded by nature...something that we enjoy and will remember years after our experience camping.

3 in 30 July Update #4 + Goals for August

My goals for July for the 3 in 30 challenge are:

1. Go through kitchen cupboards and put anything that's in boxes in glass jars. I did this process once back in March 2011. I've been saving jars from products that I'm done with and have quite a few to work with. 


In the process, this will clean out the mudroom closet where I've been storing the jars, and clean out any food in the cupboards that I don't plan to use. This will free cupboard space in two places.

I completed this project during Week #2.

2. Clean the freezer. I'm going to remove each thing from the freezer (a multi-shelved one that is separate from the refrigerator/freezer in the kitchen), and determine if it is something to keep or toss. The freezer will be defrosted and cleaned; and then items put back by type (e.g., vegetables on one shelf, fruit on another shelf).

I finally cleaned out the freezer. What a job. Over the past couple of weeks I have thrown away food that I knew that we wouldn't eat. This week, I did the same thing when I removed everything from the freezer.

After everything was removed and placed in coolers, I began chopping away at the ice. What's challenging about this freezer is that it is located in the mudroom which is not a heated or air conditioned room. The freezer (that is part of the refrigerator) that's inside the house (which does have heat and a/c) doesn't frost over like this one does. Not sure if there's a solution to this that doesn't involving moving the freezer.

Anyway...once the ice was removed (by huge knife, hair dryer, and pounding on the shelves) I dried the freezer before putting the items back in it.

Let me assure you that I do not like posting the before pictures since they show how disorderly different parts of the home got during the past year. That being said, I am also pleased with how everything turned out; and seeing the before and after pictures next to one another help motivate me to continue to tackle some of the de-cluttering and/or organizing jobs that are left.

Here are the before and after pictures:

Before (on the left): A complete disaster. 

Who knows what was in there, and how to find it.

After (on the right): Much better. 

Now I know where everything is located.

What I like about the freezer now is that all the vegetables are on the top shelf, then the fruit on the shelf below that, then the meat, and finally ice blocks for the cooler, ice cubes, and bags of items to make banana bread and Amish friendship bread (e.g., 2 cups of bananas frozen in a baggie, starter to make the friendship bread).

Before (on the left): Nothing was grouped by food type.

I wasted time trying to find things in the freezer.

After (on the right): Each shelf has a different type of food

(e.g., chopped peppers, bread, cookies, broth).

I am so relieved and happy that this project is done. It has been something I've wanted to do a long time, but it seemed overwhelming to do. It did take several hours to do this, but - like cleaning the girls' closet last week - it was well worth the effort and time.

3. Clean the girls' closet. One half of the closet has become very disorganized, and become the spot to place things that need to put away in another location (e.g., shelf, drawer).

This project was completed during Week #3.

*~*~*~*~*~*

I read another book this week about cleaning and organizing. It was called Clutter Clearing Choices – Clear Clutter, Organize Your Home, and Reclaim Your Life by Barbara Tako.


She made an excellent point: "Clutter control and home organizing aren’t ends in themselves. They are the means to free up time and energy for our personal priorities – whether they are spiritual, relationship, career-oriented, or anything else."

I can see her point. I'm finding that as the home is getting more organized each month, the energy and time I would have spent on these projects can be better directed elsewhere.

Next month I want to get a three more organizing projects done before starting to homeschool again in September:

1. Clean the closet in Olivia's room. By cleaning the closet, Olivia will have significantly more space to put away items that are currently in her room. This will give her more floor space in her room as well as give her more space in her closet which will help her better organize her toys and clothes.
- About a third of the closet has items that I haven't looked at in years. They are from earlier times in my life (e.g., elementary school, college, first job).
- Another third has a variety of items (e.g., bags of wool from sheep I raised in different forms - cleaned, carded, roving, yarn, and batting; bins of items from China for each of the girls; memory boxes for each of the girls; toys the girls played with when they were younger).
- The last third is what Olivia's actively uses for her clothes and some of her toys.

2. Clean the other closet in my office. This closet has books for homeschooling, office supplies, and has become a place to store a variety of items.

3. Clean the built-in cupboards in the family room. The upper shelves have canned goods and homeschooling supplies; and the lower shelves have space for homeschooling work that the girls have completed. The open cubbies in the middle have games and activities.

In addition to this, I also need to plan for the upcoming school year. I'm waiting on one major component from Sonlight which was backordered (Core F - Sophia's history/geography/social studies curriculum which focuses on the Eastern Hemisphere). Once I receive this, I can start planning the year. This is the latest I've ever waited to plan and it's a bit unnerving for me at this point.

Having the homeschool year plan combined with the organizing projects completed will create a strong foundation for the upcoming year. I'm looking forward to it...once these projects are done!

Wind Power as an Alternative Energy Source

I've been seeing quite a few of the wind turbines in recent years. This seems to becoming a valuable alternative energy source.

The first time I saw a wind farm was in 2009 when I traveled to Pella, Iowa, with Sophia, Olivia, and my parents. There were many wind turbines in northern Iowa; and we were equally fascinated by this "new" type of farm.

Wind turbines in northern Iowa. 

(Photo taken on April 29, 2009)

More recently, Sophia, Olivia, and I traveled to southwestern Minnesota, and saw quite a few farms with wind turbines near Pipestone. It seems like there are more states using wind power to their benefit and for the benefit of the earth.

According to Wikipedia, "Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using: wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships.

"A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines which are connected to the electric power transmission network .... Wind power, as an alternative to fossil fuels, is plentiful, renewable, widely distributed, clean, produces no greenhouse gas emissions during operation and uses little land.

"Any effects on the environment are generally less problematic than those from other power sources. As of 2011, 83 countries around the world are using wind power on a commercial basis. As of 2010 wind energy production was over 2.5% of worldwide power, growing at more than 25% per annum."

The only "down side" to the wind farms is usually due to aesthetics. Also, some neighbors near the wind farms note that noise is an issue. I guess I've never been that close to one to hear the noise they make.

Wind turbines in southwestern Minnesota.

(Photo taken on June 9, 2012.)

Before wind turbines, there were windmills. Windmills were first used in Iran as early as the seventh century. Their use spread across the Middle East and Central Asia. By 1000 AD windmills were pumping seawater for salt-making in China.

In northwestern Europe, windmills were used to grind flour. Early immigrants to the New World brought the technology with them from Europe. When we were in Pella, we took a tour of the windmill there which, to this date, still is used to grind flour.

Windmill in Pella, Iowa.

(Photo taken on April 29, 2009.)

The windmill in Pella was completed in 1992. The parts were built in Holland and assembled in Pella by skilled Dutch craftsmen. The Vermeer Mill grinds wheat into flour using only wind power and is the tallest working windmill in the United States.

In the photo above, the wind picked up during the day and two of the blades were covered with canvas. I didn't see the person climb up each blade to fasten the canvas to the wood, but it was done sometime that morning.

Here's a link with some more facts about the mill: www.pellatuliptime.com/historical-village/mill/

Sophia and Olivia by one of the 

blades of the windmill in Pella, Iowa.

(Photo taken on April 29, 2009.)

One of the common things on farms used to be a windpump. Wikipedia describes a windpump as "a windmill used for pumping water, either as a source of fresh water from wells, or for draining low-lying areas of land. Once a common fixture on farms, windpumps are still used today where electric power is not available or too expensive."

I remember my dad talking about the windmill that was at his aunt and uncle's farm. As a child, we visited that farm and it was still operational. If we needed to wash our hands while we were outside, we could use the pump at the base of the windmill.

This windmill/windpump is at Gammelgarden,

in Scandia, Minnesota.

(Photo taken on February 21, 2012.)

I've been interested in wind power and windmills for a long time. Seeing the different forms - from antique to modern - shows the value of further exploring this alternative energy source.

Embroidery Journal Project - July

This month for the Embroidery Journal Project, the central image is a sun to represent the oppressive heat that seems to be never-ending. Between the heat and the thunderstorms, it's been a challenging month, to say the least.

In fact, this is the first year that we chose not to go the 4th of July parade. With the heat index well into the 110+ range, it wasn't comfortable nor safe to be outdoors. So, I ended up making a meal for the holiday with red, white, and blue ingredients; and relaxing. It was a change from past years...yet still an enjoyable way to spend the holiday.

Other symbols on the quilt square this month include a 4-H symbol to represent the focus for the first two weeks of the month. Sophia entered 27 projects and Olivia entered 17 projects in the county fair. They received 25 and 15 blue ribbons respectively. Sophia even got a few Grand Champions, Reserve Champion, and Top Blue; and Olivia got a Top Blue as well.

Preparing for the county fair was definitely time consuming. The projects the girls chose were very interesting this year. We all learned a lot about a variety of topics: geocaching, hedgehogs, musk ox, owls (and owl pellets), embroidery, quilting, sewing, cost comparisons of food items at different grocery stores, cooking, beading, painting, origami, dairy cows, and sheep.

The purple and blue stars represent Sophia and Olivia and doing things outdoors with them (e.g., nature programs at Interstate State Park).

The pointe shoes represent watching the movie "La Danse" (it's a French documentary with English subtitles). It gives an inside view about what it is like for a ballet company to produce multiple shows - including rehearsals, setting, costuming, lighting, and administrative aspects. My favorite parts were the rehearsals, the performances (with classical ballet - complete with pointe shoes and tutus), and costuming.

My sister bought this movie so we could watch it together. She made a delicious lunch for her sons, herself, Sophia, Olivia, and me. One of the highlights from lunch: fresh fruit (strawberries and raspberries) and homemade chocolate cookies with Dutch cocoa and Ghirardelli chocolate chips.  

The Power of Communicating with Animals

Today's Summer Blog Challenge question is: If you could have a super power, what would it be?

When I was growing up, there were three shows on television that intrigued me: The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, and Superwoman.


In The Six Million Dollar Man, Steve Austin (a former astronaut) had bionic implants including a left eye with a 20.2:1 zoom lens along with a night vision function. Austin's bionic eye also had an infrared filter that he used to see in the dark and detect heat. 


Steve also had bionic legs that allowed him to run at high speed (up to 67 mph) and make huge leaps. He  also had a bionic right arm with the equivalent strength of a bulldozer.

The spin-off from The Six Million Dollar Man was The Bionic Woman. In it, Jaime Sommers was given two bionic legs which gave her the ability to run at speeds exceeding 60 mph and jump to and from great heights.

Her right arm was replaced by a lifelike prosthetic capable of bending steel or throwing objects far distances. She also had the inner part of her right ear replaced by a bionic device that gave her amplified hearing such that she could detect most sounds regardless of volume or frequency.

Superwoman possessed superhuman strength, speed, and flight.

Although these super human powers intrigued me when I was younger, they aren't ones I would want now.  So, I was curious to see what other super human powers people have thought up. Interestingly, on Wikipedia, there's a whole page dedicated to Superhuman features and abilities in fiction. I would never have thought there were that many. 

Out of the ones listed, the one that resonated with me was the ability to communicate with animals...to know what they are thinking and feeling. Wikipedia's example of this is the character Tarzan.

I think it would fascinating to know what animals think. One of my favorite dogs was Casey who was born in 1995. She died in 2008 at the age of 12 years old. She moved from Minneapolis to the farm the same year she was born, so she was truly a "country dog." She loved helping me with the sheep, chickens, turkeys, and horses.

I would have enjoyed knowing what she thought about as she was with me doing chores and caring for the other animals; and what she and her dog companions (Sydne and Montague) would find on their walks around the farm.

Casey relaxing in the pasture 

after helping with the animals.

Being able to communicate with animals would also be helpful, especially when we have introduced new animals to one another. For example, Bailey and Hoss were both adopted from the Minnesota Hooved Animal Rescue Foundation. They came from neglect situations at two different farms, and met each other for the first time at our farm.

Olivia watching the horses meet one another for the first time.

(Taken on August 13, 2009.)

Being able to communicate with animals also would be helpful when trying to figure out why certain cats get along together so well and others avoid each other.

Three of the cats - Meenie, Eenie, and Lucy.

Meenie and Eenie are from the same litter, and 

were adopted from a local farmer.

Despite being sister and brother, they don't get along all the time.

This picture is a rare one of the two sitting next to each other.

(Taken on November 17, 2010.)

The dogs love to explore the backyard, pastures, and nature trail. When there's snow on the ground, it's easy to see what scent they are following - a pheasant, deer, fox, bird, or other wildlife. I'd enjoy listening to what a dog's mind is like as it follows the tracks of an animal.

Olivia raking leaves and burying Sophia in them.

Montague finding Sophia in the leaves.

Needless to say, he was very excited to find her!

(Photo taken October 17, 2007, when the girls were 4 and 6 years old.)

I can just imagine this male peacock below thinking, "Look at me! I'm so handsome!" And he is...the display he put on was quite impressive.

White peacock displaying his feathers.

(Taken on June 8, 2012, on a trip to southwestern Minnesota.)

At times, it would be great to be able to let animals know that they are safe at the farm; and to see if there is some specific food that they are looking for and/or need.

A deer on the east side of the front yard.

It's not a great picture because it was taken through a window.

I didn't want to frighten her away.

(Taken on June 1, 2008.)

There are times that I would like to know more about a particular animal and "its story." For example, the black bear pictured below was at an animal sanctuary in Maine that Sophia, Olivia, and I visited. The Maine Department of Natural Resources runs the facility to help orphaned, injured, and human-raised wildlife. All of the animals at the facility fit into one of these categories.

One of the bears in Maine that was either orphaned,

injured, and/or human-raised.

It's walking to get some water.

(Taken on September 9, 2011)

So, with domestic pets, livestock, and wildlife around me all the time, the most helpful - and interesting - super human power for me would be the ability to communicate with animals.

Healthy Snacks for Children

I've been looking for some healthy snacks for children recently since so many delicious fruits and vegetables are in season now.

Fruit Skewers


The fruit skewers have a variety of fruit that I put on bamboo skewers. They do have a not-so-healthy component on two of them (brownies). However, I told my daughters that in order to have the brownies, they needed to eat the fruit to get to the brownies.

Fruit skewers.

A new way to serve fruit to Sophia and Olivia.

They liked having their fruit on "spears."

Eating all the different types of fruit was a bit challenging for Olivia due to sensory integration issues. However, she did the best she could to get through the blueberries in order to get to the brownies.

Had the brownies not been there, chances are she probably wouldn't have been motivated enough to eat the fruit. Hopefully some day, with persistence and patience, she will enjoy eating blueberries and a wider variety of fruit than grapes, strawberries, and peaches. (Eating fruit as it is is a huge accomplishment given where she started.)

Vegetable and Cheese Plate

One of the ideas I want to try is making a simple plate with a variety of vegetables and dips or spreads. For example, having celery sticks with peanut butter; a cracker with a cream cheese spread topped with tomatoes and fresh basil; cheddar cheese slices; and carrots sticks with a sour cream dip.

Muffin Tin Meal

A couple of years ago, I used to make muffin tin meals for Sophia and Olivia. Sometimes they had their own muffin tin, and other times it was used as a "serving platter" from which they could choose what they wanted to eat.

They always enjoyed the muffin tin meals; and ended up sampling healthy food that they may not have normally eaten had it simply been on their plate.

A muffin tin meal that I made a few years ago.

Top row: green grapes, pistachios, teddy grahams, and carrots.

Middle row: peanuts, dairy-free cheese, swiss cheese, and celery.

Bottom row: dried pineapple, sesame sticks, pickles, and red grapes.

Some of the other muffin tin meals I've seen use small cutters (like cookie cutters) for fruits and vegetables. Little flower-shaped apples and star-shaped honeydew melons may seem more appealing to younger children.

Fruit-Stuffed Strawberries


These fruit-stuffed strawberries have the green leaves removed, are cored, and a little slice from the bottom removed so they can sit upright. 


I used bing cherries, peaches, kiwi, pears, and grapes inside the strawberries. The cherries are placed at the bottom or center of the strawberries so they don't discolor the rest of the light-colored fruit.

Fruit-stuffed strawberries.

Each strawberry has five different types 

of fruit inside of it.

A note about the strawberries - unless you have jumbo strawberries, the amount cut-up fruit inside the strawberries is minimal. However, if you eat them in one or two bites, the flavor with all the different types of fruit is wonderful!

Take a Stitch Tuesday - Basque Stitch - Week 29

This week for Take a Stitch Tuesday, the featured stitch is the Basque stitch. It also is known as the twisted daisy border stitch. 


The Basque stitch is found on old embroideries from the Basque area of northern Spain as well as from southern France and Portugal. 

Traditionally, the Basque stitch was done with red thread over green fabric or white thread on blue-green background.

Since I was learning the stitch, I made two small samples. One is of three flowers and the other is the sun.

The flowers are a a bit more orderly looking.

The sun has more of a chaotic look to it. It's not how I envisioned it looking...but that's part of learning.

As with past weeks, I've included the embroidery samples in my TAST journal. The journal also includes a reflection about what happened during the past week, a list of five things for which I'm grateful, and images of things that represent the week.

The stamps, for example, represent the stamp show that Sophia, Olivia, and I went to this past Friday. Of those stamps, one is from China (where the girls were born), and two are from Japan (where one of my friends, Yoshiko, lives). 

Yoshiko has been a friend of mine for more than 30 years now...we have known each other since high school and have corresponded through high school, college, first jobs, and other transitions in life. She is a true friend...and, thus, the quotes about friendship that are included in the collage.

One quote was part of a greeting card and the other was something that my dad wrote about friendship. (I've also been going through more items of his during the past week and determining who would enjoy having it, if it is something I want to keep, or if it can be donated.)

I'm happy I'm sticking with TAST and doing this journal. It is interesting to go back and read what I wrote and all the stitches I've learned throughout this year.

Music that I Like

Today's prompt for the Summer Blog Challenge is: What's a band that you've been listening to and liking lately?

This is actually a challenging question for me because much of the music that I'm hearing these days sounds the same. To me, there isn't a lot of variety in the music I hear nor are the lyrics that engaging or complex.

I was thinking that perhaps it was just me who was thinking this...or, perhaps, a sign of my age. (Kind of like when parents or grandparents would say, "What's that noise you're listening to? You call that music? In my day..")

In The Daily Titan (the student paper of California State University in Fullerton), an article addressed this very topic. The author said, "There is no doubt the music being produced, recorded, and released today is no match against the music of yesteryear." He went on to explain his reasoning citing technology, originality, iconic status, and work ethic. 


For me, the point that I agree with most is that many artists today aren't that original. In fact, as the author of the article stated, "Songwriting, lyrics, and the overall quality of music have deteriorated."


For example, Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me" is one of those songs that sounds like many others on the radio. Out of the 21 stanzas in her song:
- 12 are repeated (4 stanzas repeated 3 times), 
- 2 more are repeated (with different lyrics from the 12 noted above)
- 4 others are repeated with only a word or two changed 
So, that leaves 3 stanzas of different thoughts (or 14% of the song). Hmm...not that original or complex if you ask me.

As a comparison, "Something's Coming" by Barbra Streisand is a song that I like. I first heard it on "Defending Your Life" (a great movie, by the way, with Meryl Streep and Albert Brooks). In this song, there are 47 lines. Of the 47 lines, 8 are repeated and 39 are different thoughts (or 83% of the song). 

So, rather than listening to one particular band, I tend to listen to a variety of music (except country and rap) by many different artists. Some of the artists who I've downloaded songs by include: Annie Lennox, Barbra Streisand, Brian Ferry, Cold Play, Damien Rice, Dave Matthews Band, Florence + The Machine, Jesus Jones, John Mayer, Kim Carnes, Madonna, Michael Kamen (he wrote pieces for "Mr. Holland's Opus" - another favorite movie of mine), Moby, Norah Jones, One EskimO, Paul Potts, Peter Gabriel, Philip Glass (he had some great pieces in the movie "The Truman Show"), Queen, Sarah Brightman (songs from Phantom of the Opera), Sting, Talking Heads, The Verve, The Wallets, and U2.

Some of the artists I like have only one song that they are known for while others have written and performed music for decades. Listening to a variety of music written by many artists is something I prefer doing rather than listening to one performer or band.