20 Questions - Swap on Swap-Bot

During August I signed up for a few swaps on Swap-Bot. In the past, I did swaps through the mail. With the postage costs high and finances tight, I'm enjoy doing electronic swaps now, particularly ones that I can do on my blog.

For this swap, the challenge is to answer 20 questions and email them to three partners. Below are my answers to the questions.

What's rocking your world (making you very happy) today?

I'm going to the State Fair with my daughters and watching them compete in two categories each this year. Sophia is doing an illustrated presentation about bunions and their surgical removal (sharing her experience of going through two surgeries to remove bunions and then being able to watch a bunionectomy in the operating room at our local hospital) and competing in the Crafts project area with her Russian lace necklace made from 1,200 beads.

Sophia with the necklace she made.

Olivia also is doing an illustrated presentation. Her topic is on caves and cave exploration (sharing what she learned about different types around the world; and what she saw and learned about visiting ten caves this past year).

Olivia with the photo she took.

She is competing in the Photography project area as well with a photo that she took of a sculpture at Franconia Sculpture Park that illustrates the Leading Lines concept in photography.

What are you most worried about this month?

Figuring out where the money is coming from to pay for a major home repair that happened back in June and is still being worked on.

The new walls and steps to the basement.

All of this area had to excavated and rebuilt 

because of water and mud damage.

There also are aspects of the rebuilding process from the fire that are not covered by insurance.

The garage in progress.

We found out that building the garage is costing more than the hobby shed was insured for...so there are parts that we have to pay out-of-pocket.

What characteristic do you value the most in your friends?

That's a tough one because I value two characteristics equally: loyalty and honesty. To me, they go hand-in-hand. It's the friends who stay with you through a crisis, who are there for you at your lowest point that are truly valuable. Friends who are honest are ones you can trust.

What characteristic do you find most irritating in other people?

Self-absorption drives me crazy. People who are always posing for "selfies" and posting them on Facebook, to me, shows someone who is very insecure and needs affirmation from others. They aren't able to be comfortable with who they are or what they have to offer this world.

What would you like to hear from your boss or your teacher?

I don't have a boss in the traditional sense since I'm not employed. My job is homeschooling and raising my daughters; and volunteering in the community. So, my "bosses" are essentially people who interact with my daughters in some way - their music and art instructors; teachers at the homeschool co-op; and directors at non-profits where they volunteer.

Sophia talking with someone at the farmers market about a project 

she's doing for Sole Hope that she's inviting the community

to be a part of this Summer and Fall.

She has collected blue jeans and is cutting them into pieces using a pattern. 

The pieces will be used by cobblers in Uganda to make 

shoes for children so they don't get jiggers 

(little insects that burrow into one's feet and can cause crippling pain and even death).

Olivia is coloring pictures to donate to Color-a-Smile

which sends them to seniors who are homebound or in nursing homes as well as

veterans and those who are actively serving our country.

Whenever I hear positive comments about the girls' character and/or the impact that they are making in the world, that makes me very happy.

A woven clay breadbasket that I'm making. 

My only teacher that I have currently is my pottery instructor at a local arts center. I would like to get to a point where I do something and he would comment that the project is creative, turned out nicely, or he liked some element of it. Coming from an accomplished potter/artist, that would mean a lot.

What's the single most important factor to you, when looking for a job?

As my dad asked me whenever I took on a new job, "Does it make you happy?" I think that is one of the guiding questions throughout my life; and I can hear him still ask me that question now whenever I take on something new.

There are many elements that would contribute to a job making me feel happy - type of work, the level of challenge, pay rate, benefits, how I can dress, and how far it would be from home. Ultimately, though, the most important factor is: am I making a positive difference in the world?

What’s one thing you’re not good at, no matter how hard you try?

Drawing is something that I can't seem to do. It would be nice to be able to draw realistic-looking nature scenes, birds, flowers, and people. However, that's not a skill with which I've been gifted.

If you could live anywhere and have everything and everyone you love with you, where would you want to live?

I would live someplace where the temperature ranges from 30-75 degrees; is not humid; there are no mosquitoes or annoying insects; and where there are lakes and rivers; hills and mountains; forests and prairies.

I would like to see colorful flowers where I live.

I would want to be able to see both east and west - to see the sunrise and sunset; and where it is dark enough to see the stars at night.

I would want to see views of the clouds and sky.

I would want to live somewhere where it is quiet, peaceful, and people are respectful and caring towards one another, the environment, and animals.

Geese that crossed the road to a nearby pond. 

We waited a while for them all to cross the road.

If you were sitting on a park bench, who would you want to come sit next to you? Would you talk to each other?

If they were still living, my parents and grandparents. I would talk with them as long as I could; listen to what they had to say; and tell them - repeatedly - how much I love them.

An old photo from the 1980s of my grandma, me, mom, and dad.

Otherwise, having anyone from my family sit with me would be nice. Spending time with people who I love is very important to me.

Which is your favorite time of day: sunrise, early morning, daylight, twilight, or night? 

That's a hard question. I like early morning because I'm awake and can get things done while everyone else is asleep. It's so quiet and I can hear the birds waking up and singing as they start their day.

Birds in one of our trees.

I don't have a clear view of the sun rising now that the evergreens have grown in so much over the past 23 years that we've lived here. Otherwise, that used to be my favorite time because I could see the sun rise and the sky and clouds change colors...often times as I walked the dogs.

If you could choose an age to be forever, what age would you choose and why?

Again...another tough question. I like the 5-6 year old age range because I was old enough to do some things on my own, didn't have a care in the world, wasn't stressed out or anxious about anything, loved to learn, enjoyed playing outdoors, could play for hours indoors with my sister (brother was too young), and could color in coloring books for the longest time. Everything was new, exciting, and safe. Life was a sense of wonder and exploration.

My sister and I on the swingset in our backyard 

when we were growing up. 

She was a bunny and I was a dog for Halloween.

My parents and grandparents were alive; and my sister, brother, and I all lived at home with my parents who cared for and loved us.

The flip side of that is that I didn't have Sophia and Olivia yet - our family was not yet complete. So, I would say another age when I would like to live forever would be around 40 years old. The girls are young, I'm still active and not dealing with lower-back pain, and we all are out hiking, playing, and exploring together. The world is ahead of us with opportunities!

If you could be in any movie, which would you choose and what character would you play?

One of my favorite movies is Defending Your Life with Albert Brooks and Meryl Streep. If I was a gifted and talented actress, I would enjoy playing Meryl Streep's part. However, what would be more rewarding would be an extra or a supporting character who would get to meet and work with Meryl. Learning from her would be inspiring!

If you could meet any fictional character, who would you want to meet?

I haven't read a fiction book in a long time. I tend to read non-fiction books so this is a challenging question. First thing that came to mind: Christopher Robin.

It would be great to be able to have talking animals - like Winnie-the-Pooh, Tigger, and Eeyore - and be a part of their world.

What are some of your favorite foods?

For breakfast, I like cinnamon raisin rolls made from my grandma's recipe (I'm the only one who knows how to make them) and waffles.

For lunch, a good BLT, tuna fish sandwich, or egg salad sandwich would be good.

For dinner, I like tacos/nachos and anything that's made on the pellet grill, especially if it is barbecued. The smoky flavor and caramelized barbecue sauce are wonderful!

Homemade salsa to go with tacos.

For dessert, homemade ice cream that Sophia makes. She has made a variety of different flavors this summer - all of which have been delicious.

Homemade mint chocolate chip, strawberry, and vanilla ice creams

that Sophia made.

Are any of these healthy foods? Not by a long shot. However, they are all special treats for me that I have once in a while.

Which is your favorite season, and what do you like best about it?

Fall is my favorite season after the first frost because there are no insects (like mosquitoes, gnats, or hornets) and the leaves are changing colors to brilliant yellows, golds, oranges, and reds. The temperature is in the range that feels comfortable; and the mornings and evenings feel slightly chilly. Sweaters and jackets are worn daily...which I like.

The dogs can go on walks again because they aren't bothered by the horseflies or high temperatures and humidity. The roads are a comfortable temperature on their paws.

The horses love the cooler temperatures and will gallop more in the pasture.

Colorful leaves in October 2012.

We have fires in the woodstove again and things feel cozier and more comforting in the Fall.

Which season is your least favorite, and why?

Winter is becoming my least favorite season because of dealing with snow, ice, and extremely cold temperatures. Last winter, we had our water line freeze that went to the house and our well pump burned out as a result of that.

The truck in the backyard doing work on the well.

So, we started the beginning of the year with no water and then a multi-thousand dollar bill to fix the line and well pump. It wasn't a good way to start the year.

What item (that you don't already have), would you most like to own?

The fire that happened at our farm on May 5th took many items that had special meaning to us - books that I read to the girls when they were little, Christmas plates that belonged to Paige's parents, cards and gifts signed by and given to the girls by my parents, and bikes that we used to ride together.

Going through books that were destroyed by the fire.

There were children's books that we were holding onto to 

give to the girls when they have children of their own.

With the exception of the bikes, these are all items that can't be replaced. If there was some way to have them again, I would like that.

What seemed like a great idea at the time, but turned out not so great?

We were just talking about this the other night at dinner. At our home on Morgan Avenue South in Minneapolis, which was a 1 1/2 story home, there was an odd, useless rectangular space at the top of the steps as you went to the second level.

I went to a home and garden show and saw an indoor garden with a little waterfall which I thought would be nice to do in that spot. The landscape company came to our home and built an indoor garden with a waterfall. The catch was that rather than real plants in the garden, they used fake ones since there wasn't enough light for plants to survive.

Needless to say, although it looked fake to us, it was realistic enough for our cat to think it was a playground for her. She would use her paws to mess up the bark chips and toss them in the water, monkey around with the plants, and drink the water.

It became an eyesore after a while - a place where plants never changed or were fragrant and life seemed "dead" rather than alive and growing. We have never had an indoor water garden like that again. Once was enough.

What’s something you almost always have on-hand?

The obvious thing here would be baking supplies, toothpaste, and things along that line. Something a bit out of the ordinary would be Watkins Menthol-Camphor Ointment and Petro-Carbo Salve.

These two items are things I grew up with and that are a staple in our home. The ointment is something that we use as a lip balm and under our noses to help with breathing.

The salve is something that we use on cuts, sores, or anything that needs to heal quickly. My dad used to use it on the farm when he was growing up - both on people and animals. He said that a horse one time had a cut and they used the salve. Very quickly that sore healed thanks to the salve.

What will you do after answering these questions?

It's 7:08 a.m. and it's time to start getting ready for the day.

The girls and I need to patch a hole in the fence that our miniature horse is getting out of and into another pasture (that is ours) where there is more grass. He gains weight on air, so he needs to be one of the two pastures that he already has access to.


The third pasture is one we don't use anymore now that we don't have sheep. It has very tall grass - taller than him - so it's also not safe for him to be back there. With coyotes around, it's better to be in an area that he can see all around.

After that it is breakfast time, I'll feed the animals (dogs and cats), and pack to go to the State Fair. It's going to be a long - but fun - day.

Scavenger Hunt - August 2018

This month I participated in a swap on Swap-Bot called "Scavenger Hunt" in which participants were challenged to find five and photograph five items. Below are the items and my photographs:

Something cluttered

This is the top of a bookshelf that I am working on right now. There is a system of organization, though not apparent by this photo.

Under the weights and foam rectangle are ideas for service projects for a teen club I'm co-leading.

Next to that is a pile of paperwork that I need to go through and do. My goal is to finish this by the end of August.

The next pile are two English books for the girls and then magazines and other periodicals I want to read and recycle.

The last pile is a stack of vendor registration forms for an upcoming event I'm organizing; and the top sheet is a map of the layout of where the vendors will be located. This pile will be gone after September 8th.

On the shelf below this are homeschooling resources that I need to go through during the upcoming week as I finish laying out the upcoming school year.

Something that is heart-shaped or has a heart on it

Aspen, our Siberian Husky/American Staffordshire Terrier mix wears a heart-shaped identification tag on her collar.

We adopted Aspen from a local humane society who worked with a rescue agency in Texas to get her out of a high-kill shelter when she was only six weeks old. She was part of a 11-puppy litter that was going to be euthanized. Thankfully, they were able to get her out in time.

She had to overcome a lot of fears - especially of men. She is a very protective dog of all of us; and a great watchdog. We are so happy to have her as part of our family.

Something you're proud of

I learned to do Saori weaving last year and enjoyed it. During May of this year, I took another Saori weaving session and make another table runner. Below is the one I made this year.

There are a variety of different types of yarn as well as colorful pieces of roving. The result is a very tactile piece that has a variety of textures.

Something older than you

This is a set that was in the bathroom that my sister, brother, and I used when we were growing up. It was from my step-grandmother on my dad's side. My grandpa's first wife, Olivia, passed away six weeks after I was born. His second wife, Esther, was the grandmother I knew when I was growing up. She passed away when I was about eight years old.

This set was something our family inherited, and ultimately - somehow - it was something that became mine when I was a young girl. I don't know if Esther intended it to be for me, or if my parents decided it was for me. What I did notice is that the angel has "June" on her dress - my birth month.

The perfume bottle broke when I was growing up and we glued it back together. So, there's a visible crack where the two pieces meet. There's also a little piece missing from the powder container. Regardless of these imperfections, this set is very meaningful to me and brings back memories of my grandparents and visiting them in Illinois many times as a child.

A beautiful or intriguing cloud/sunset/sunrise picture

I had trouble choosing only photo for this one. On the 21st, I took Olivia to her rifle practice. Sophia joined us too; and on our way back home we noticed unusual clouds. To the west of us, there were clouds that were flat on the bottom. The best view of the clouds we had was at our home looking to the west over the pasture.

To our east on the drive home, we spotted a partial rainbow about 15 minutes from home. By the time we came home, we could see a full rainbow. This is the view of the rainbow as I looked to the east. Unfortunately, there are electric lines in the photo...however that's the best view of the rainbow.

On the same night, there were beautifully-colored clouds to the west. It's amazing how facing one direction the clouds are pinks and purples; and the other side they are more blues and oranges.

Perhaps the sun setting (also on the same night at about the same time) had something to do with the rainbow and dramatic clouds. This is the road in front of our home looking to the west as the sun is setting by the cornfield.

It was fun doing this challenge, and I enjoyed spending time over the past couple of weeks looking for things that fit each category.

Classic Gingerbread Cake

The local county fair was held earlier this month and I thought I'd try a couple of new recipes and enter them in the Open Class Baking Division.

One of the recipes I made was gingerbread cake. It was from a pin on Pinterest that linked to Dinner Then Dessert. I added the applesauce (an optional ingredient) as well as crystallized ginger. The judge commented that she liked the crystallized ginger. I won first prize for this cake.

It's a very moist and flavorful cake. I made it again today and used fresh ginger instead of crystallized ginger. Both add an extra kick to the cake. Perhaps next time I will do a triple-ginger version (dry, crystallized, and fresh).

Here's the recipe that serves 12:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 egg
• 1 cup unsulphured molasses
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup applesauce (optional, but will add to moistness of cake)
• 1 cup hot water
• Crystallized ginger (optional and an amount that you prefer)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use baking spray with a 9 inch square pan (I used a round pan because I didn't have a square pan).

In a stand mixer, cream together the sugar and butter until lightened in color and fluffy. Beat in the egg, and mix in the molasses until fully combined.

Add the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves until just combined. With a whisk, add in the hot water and applesauce (using the stand mixer would make a mess with the water and pouring in the water slowly would cause the flour to over-mix).

Bake for 40-45 minutes in the preheated oven until the cake springs back up when touched or a knife comes out clean.

Enjoy!

My Favorite Photos of the Month - July 2018

The photos that I've included as my favorite ones aren't ones that are artistically beautiful or show advanced photography skills. Rather, they represent memories that are special or significant to me which makes them my favorite ones.

On July 1st, the month began with a lot of rain and significant thunderstorms. The excavated area that leads to the basement (for the new walls and steps due to flooding and a mud slide), flooded with water and had to be pumped out. Olivia went into the excavated area to rescue a frog that had fallen into the hole and was struggling to get out.

She managed to get the frog and out of the clay (which held tight to her boot), and release the frog on drier land.

On July 2nd, Sophia headed to Arizona to participate in a leadership camp. Forty teens from all over the United States and Canada attended the camp. Below, she is saying "goodbye" to Danny and Olivia. 

On July 3rd, the tigerlilies were in full bloom along the ditches in front of the house as well as in the backyard (pictured below).

We had a quiet 4th of July with Sophia gone to Take Action Camp in Arizona and it raining off and on throughout the day. I made barbecued ribs on the pellet grill - smoking them for two hours followed by one hour of baking. They tasted great. In the evening, we went to Dairy Queen.

On Monday, July 9th, the girls - along with a friend Sophia attended camp with for two years - went to the Science Museum of Minnesota after a stop at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center to drop off four baby squirrels that fell out of their nest in our backyard. (They were there for quite a while and the mother was not getting them and bringing them back to the nest, so we brought them in.)

There was a special exhibit at the Science Museum about engineering and tall structures throughout the world. The models of the buildings were constructed from thousands of LEGO bricks.

After going through the exhibit, we watched a movie in the Omni Theater. Again, the theme was engineering. There was one section that we all felt was quite moving about the impact that engineering and bridges can have on people and a community. 

There was a woman who helped impoverished communities build bridges. In one place, a mother had drown trying to cross a river. Her children had to cross at that same dangerous spot each day to go to school. 

After the team of engineers from the U.S. and local construction workers created the bridge, the children no longer had to walk through the river where their mother died to get to school....they could now safely cross the river on the bridge.

The girls had fun on the musical steps at the Science Museum.

There was a little play area at the Science Museum. The girls and I remember it being there when they were young. They were good sports and had a lot of fun encouraging Emily to pick up one of the stuffed animals for a picture. 

I love this photo because it captures pure joy...complete happiness. Olivia laughing and not being able to stop...and Sophia with her head back laughing hysterically. I hope when they get older they look back upon memories like these and smile yet again.

On July 10th, we headed to the Mall of America for some shopping. The girls also went on a couple of rides - including the log ride which is their favorite one.

They also went on a roller coaster and clearly had a fun time!

On Wednesday, July 11th, we had a play system delivered and installed. The fire back in May burned down the playhouse and our swings no longer were functional. So, we invested in a play system with two swings, a little rock wall, ladder, playhouse/fort, and slide. 

Although the girls are teens, they still like to swing - especially Olivia. The slide is a fast-moving, bumpy one. Olivia took Scooby (who is about 11 years old) on his first ride down the slide; and Sophia took Danny (who is about 6 years old) on his first ride. 

 

That afternoon, we hosted a blood drive and mini-One Stop Donation Drop at the local community center and farmers market.

The girls made no-sew, fleece tied hats for children who have cancer and are undergoing chemotherapy. 

Sophia donated blood again. She's been donating blood and platelets since she turned 16 years old (the youngest you can donate blood).

She is happy knowing that for each unit of blood she donates, she is saving up to three lives!

While there was a short lull in blood donors, I decided to see if I could donate blood. With rolling and small veins, it always has been a challenge to get blood or do IVs when I've needed them for surgeries. 

After passing the screening test, I went over to one of the beds. The phlebotomist did a fantastic job and I was able to donate my first unit of blood!!

On July 12th, we went back to the airport to send Emily back to her parents out East, and to pick up Paige who was out of town on business. We were able to see another therapy dog at the airport. This one was all decked out in with a tie.

On Saturday, July 14th, my sister and I went on a farm tour sponsored by the local co-op. We visited several organic farms; and enjoyed eating at a new restaurant that focuses on using only locally-raised and made organic food. It was delicious!

On July 15th, more work was being done on the excavated area in our backyard. Rocks were brought in and the drain tiling was completed in the entry way to the basement (there is no access to the basement through the interior of the home).

On July 17th, we celebrated Olivia's half birthday a day early by going to the Chinese buffet. We all like this restaurant, and it is the place Olivia always requests to go on special days.

Wednesday, July 18th was a busy day for us. First, the girls were doing judging with their 4-H projects at the county fair. Olivia entered four photographs and received a reserve champion on one of them. She will be taking that one to the Minnesota State Fair in late-August.

Sophia won a grand champion award for her beaded necklace. She will be taking that one to the State Fair also in late-August.

To celebrate how well the girls did on their 20+ projects, we went to dinner at Dairy Queen (Olivia's request since it was her 15 1/2 year old birthday). Normally, we don't get out of judging so early, but with not having to show club projects this year, we were happy to be done around dinner time.

On our way home, we saw two spotted fawns by the side of the road.

We came home to a newly-graded backyard and one that didn't have the high ragweed and itch weed growing in the firepit.

The doors for the barn were completed and installed.

We celebrated Olivia's half birthday that evening by opening some presents. She had a great day.

On Thursday, July 19th, we enjoyed having our friend, Ed, visit us from California. Ed and Paige are business partners; and Ed is the son-in-law of Don Rickles (who passed away last year). We went to Don's funeral last year, so it was nice to see Ed under happier circumstances. 

We had bratwurst, fresh vegetables from the CSA, potato salad, tossed salad, berry/rhubarb pie, and homemade ice cream. 

On Sunday, July 29th, we went to the Polk County Fair. We enjoyed seeing the huge rabbits, projects, and entries from youth and adults.

Sophia was a good sport and had her photo taken by one of the cut-out-face displays. She was wearing a hat and didn't want to take it off, so that's why her face isn't closer to the hole.

On the final day of July, the 31st, the concrete guys came to put in the floor of the garage. It's been a long month trying to get a variance with the permit (due to the garage being 61' instead of 75' feet from the wetland...even though it is the same distance as the shed was that burned down) and then doing all the prep work for the garage.

There were 14 loads of fill that were brought in just to support where the garage will be placed; another 3 loads of fill that were used to grade the backyard, and cement trucks for the excavation project and garage. So, lots of construction vehicles during July.

With the 15 trees that were burned in the fire now taken down and chipped, the view to the west is quite open. Of course, this will blocked by the garage once it goes up, but - for the time being - we can enjoy this open and beautiful view.

One of the construction guys did recommend planting some trees along the fence line so that the garage wouldn't be so hot - that there would be shade during the summer. 

We do want to plant trees at some point...though a wider variety than the boxelders that had taken over that area. It would be nice to invest in all at least a half dozen different trees to benefit the wildlife; and to have different leaf colors and shapes. Something to think about during the summer and hopefully plant in the Fall or next Spring.