Think About It

Those who get too big for their britches

will be exposed in the end.

Bloggy Break

I’m taking a little bloggy break, but I’ll have lots of great surprises when I return.

Guests are coming, floors need scrubbing, hair needs dyeing, walls need painting, and the list goes on and on.

I really need a vacation on the beach, but it looks like work will consume my summer.

That’s life!

I love it.

See you all soon.  I’ll miss you tons.

A Bit Blue

I told FringeMan I should go work on a farm for the summer picking season, because there’s something all-consuming about trying to capture every last bit of ripe fruit before the ants, flies, and birds get them.  If you have a compulsive personality, become a picker of anything growing in mass quantity.  You’ll experience happy fulfillment at the end of each day.  Trust me.

Anyway, FringeMan thinks I’m too slow to be hired by anyone.  He’s never heard that slow and steady wins the race.

Pretend it's a good picture.

I must admit that I ate three berries for every one I picked.  Perhaps the antioxidants went directly to my brain or maybe my hormones were out of balance this week, because I morphed into Betty Crocker.  Sadly my creations won’t be making me millions, but I guarantee they’ll add pounds to my bottom.

This sudden surge of domestication had me wondering, and I momentarily stopped, looking from a double sink piled high with purple stained dishes to a countertop no longer visible.  In that late day moment, I feared my sanity forever stolen by a small, plump berry.

In reality I am no pioneer.  A battle wages in my brain with the sane side telling me that grocery stores sell more jars of jam than I can make in the nine lives I do not posses, but the other side of brain sees the five gallon pail of fresh berries and concocts projects that could transport me to the nineteenth century.

Intervention struggles for release on the tip of my tongue.

It’s the morning after and as I plod down the stairs, I am greeted by a mess that the cleanup crew in the Gulf would shake their head over.

I had no choice but to make blueberry smoothies, with skim milk of course.  Somebody help me before I drown in my kitchen sink.  At the end of my life, I don’t want to learn that I’ve spent ten years, and not a moment less, doing dishes!

It’s not that I lack a great respect and admiration for the likes of Betty Crocker, Martha Stewart, and June Cleaver, but I don’t wear an apron.  I don’t even have a clean oven!

Thankfully the rest of the berries are sleeping happily in my freezer and waiting for the next time my hormones go haywire.  Right now I’m sitting scared to death of apple picking season.

I’m not even bored.  Really.  Imagine if I were?

I don’t want to make you feel less than June Cleaver with this post.  The truth is my jam is a bit runny, the pie (made with refrigerated crust) must scooped with a spoon, and the smoothies…well, those I can’t complain about.  I am getting better than my first pie.  You can read my early cooking confessions HERE.

Did I mention that it’s been 90 degrees in my kitchen and there’s no AC?  Yes, come help me please.  Drag me out of the house!!!

Unclean

Do you realize what you’re seeing?

In this photograph I’ve managed to capture the image of a dirty footprint ON MY COUNTER!

Imagine me yelling the last part of that sentence.

My dilemma – Do I wash the child first or the counter first? Or perhaps the floor??

I need a maid!

For Marriage’s Sake

Today I’m writing about marriage over at Adding Zest to Your Nest.  It’s shocking, I know.  This is my third time writing for them and I’m still scratching my head.  I can sum up each blog post I’ve written in one word, ‘STRESS‘.   I think I was given truth serum as a child, because I feel the burden of honesty.  Walking the talk can be a tough job sometimes.

If you’d like to come visit me today at Adding Zest to Your Nest, click HERE.

FYI – It’s a girls site.  I just felt the need to warn you three men.  You can thank me later.

Green

The other day I found a freshly painted green patch floating in a wall of brick.  Thankfully I had my camera.

Green is good.

I’m not sure, but I think he’s waiting for run-off from the gutter.  No, I did not teach him to do that.

Farmer’s Bounty

Here’s my bounty from this weekend’s trip to the Farmer’s Market.  You must understand there’s not much to harvest yet.  Things are still growing in this here part of the world.

The cilantro may look a little wilted, but that’s what 90 degree temperatures do to us Northerners; however, the cilantro was amazing mixed in ground chicken and eaten in tacos.  Now I need to figure out what to do with the rest.

The honey is raw and very local.  One jar is fall honey and one jar is spring honey.  Can you guess which is which?

I also bought rhubarb.  It was a bleeding heart purchase.  The young woman selling it was trying to save her grandparents farm before they died.  How could I not buy rhubarb and some onions?  If I had the money, I would have bought her the farm!  Now what do I do with the rhubarb?  I haven’t a clue!!!

Last, but not least are my Hens and Chickens.  That’s what the little plant is called, because it is very prolific and will have a bunch of little baby plants under the big one in no time at all.  I like them, because they remind me of the old lady that lived down the road from me in Maine.  Once she brought me a whole garden full and in two years time, I had more babies than I could manage.

So that’s my bounty.  I’m all ears if you have rhubarb advice.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday FringeMan!

I tried to bake you a cake big enough for me to jump out of, but I ran out of baking powder.

There’s always next year.

A Place for Nerds

When a night out on the town includes a frozen coffee and a few hours spent browsing through books, you know you’re a nerd.  Thankfully there’s a place in this world for nerds and apparently it’s in my house.

My children recently received a monetary gift from someone in my family.  Because they are following closely in my pathetic footsteps, they both chose to spend their money on books.  Honestly, I couldn’t be more pleased.

Reading is not only fundamental, but it is the key that opens the door to the rest of a child’s life.  Without books this world would be a dull place to live.  How about that for NERDY?

It gets worse.  School has been out for what?  A whole two or three weeks now?  I’m almost ashamed to say that we’ve gone to the library at least three or four times a week.

If you aren’t using your library, you’re allowing a wonderful free resource to go to waste, especially if you have kids.  Despite the fact that I’ve been on the libraries’ Most Wanted list, I’ve learned that librarians can be quick to forgive.  It helps when you fund a new wing with your overdue fees.

Seriously, libraries usually have summer programs for kids filled with special activities and art projects.  For all of you non-nerds, they sometimes even show movies.  Let’s not forget that they host book clubs and they always provide an air-conditioned space to read.  Free AC is important when it’s a 100 degrees out and you only own two fans.

Even if you have an exceptionally lame library, odds are good that your library is part of a bigger system based on geography.  In all likelihood, your library can order you almost anything you want.

I should become a spokeswoman for libraries nationwide.  Maybe my fondness stems from the fact that FringeMan thinks I look like a librarian.  I don’t know.  At any rate, pack up your kids and head to the library and let them discover a love for books.  You won’t regret it!

I know you’re wondering if this post will ever end, but I want to share a book that FringeKid loves.  She’s tricky.  She claims that she doesn’t like mysteries, but I find that hard to believe since she’s my daughter.  When I was her age, I was nearly a professional spy.  At any rate, no mysteries.  She also won’t read a book that is too thick.  While my son views large books as a challenge, my daughter will not even crack the cover.  She is more of a colorful pictures and witty words type of gal.

So here is her latest book recommendation.

Mercy Watson

These are really fun books full of colorful illustrations.  Your kids will like it.  Maybe you will like it too.

Do you have book recommendations for children?

A Place in this Town

I am convinced every town in America has a place where votes are cast and decisions are made.  It is not town hall and it is not the mayor’s office.  It is in a place of big windows, endless coffee, and common folk.  The seat of honor may be a cold, hard bench, but it is also a place of hurried greetings, long arguments, and whispered secrets.

Old men sit until their memories are shared and their wisdom is heard.  Perhaps it is an overabundance of caffeine, but sentiment runs strong and opinion stronger.  Local politicians are birthed by swirling passion entwined with coffee’s steam.  They are weened on debates with neighbor’s and friends.  Their entrance into the world decided over a honey-bun.

It is the place where inroads are forged into the heart of town.  It is the place where local news stories are embellished with family details.  Assumptions are made.  Lots are cast.  The town’s fate hangs precariously over a stack of morning papers and a few discarded jackets.  It is a place of future decision and past consequences wrapped neatly in present cellophane.

In Bible times these places were the city gates.  Today they are the local cafe, corner deli, or full-service gas station.  They beat with the pulse of the people.  They are the keepers of the town.

Depending on the size of your community, you may be up for discussion.

Thank You

I just wanted to say Thank You, because you guys are the best readers in the world.  I mean that!  It was special to have so many first time commenters take a moment and introduce themselves on my “Anonymous” post.  I enjoyed getting to meet you, and in some cases find out who recommended you.  So thank you.

And a special thank you to my Mom for birthing me and my children for giving me things to write about and FringeMan for ….Oh, wait, this isn’t the Academy Awards.

I got carried away.

I also wanted to tell you that my posts don’t always come across the way I intend.  Sometimes it sounds like I had a bad day (like when my glasses end up floating in the toilet), but those are the things that often make my day quite amusing.  You would be more amused if you witnessed FringeMan laughing hysterically and calling me pee-pee face.

I am truly very blessed.  Even when I don’t understand why things are happening, I know that God has a plan and purpose for me and my family.  It’s my job to walk each day by faith, something that sometimes can be elusive and much easier to say than do; however, God IS faithful.  He is at work even when I cannot see His hand.

I just wanted to let you know that YOU don’t creep me out (only my blog stats give me the heebies-jeebies).  I enjoy getting emails from you and of course, I love comments.  Who doesn’t?  I also enjoy reading so many of your blogs.  Your blogs suck me right into your lives and make me love you even more.

I also wanted to say a special thank you to those of you who have prayed for my family, specifically my son and my situation with his doctor.  All is going extremely well.  His doctor’s attitude has changed tremendously.  Changing our appointments from the end of the day to the beginning made a world of difference and I suspect the Lord had something to do with that.

So enough mushy stuff.  Tomorrow it’s back to grumpy me!

Sorry for two posts within 24 hrs.  I’ll go easy on you this week.  I promise!  Also if you see highlighted (underlined) words in a post, that means they are link and you can click on them to read another related post.  I realize most of you understand that, but some are new to blogs.

Potty Talk

It’s so hot my glasses jumped in the toilet for a swim.  Seriously, I just fished them out of the dog’s favorite watering hole.  I’m a little grossed out right now, but my choices were to view a blurry world for the next year and half or be a pee-pee face.  The choice was easy.

Is there anything left to say about my day?

At least it’s not as bad as the time we pulled a straw out of our clogged toilet.  My daughter was a toddler with a fascination for our bowl and there’s not a doubt in my mind that she took her share of long, cool drinks.  The dog’s not the only with an affinity for free sparkling water.

Enough toilet talk.  This post is turning into a fifth grade boy’s conversation.

The good news is it cooled off a bit, three degrees to be precise, but just enough to kick the kids out of our bedroom.  Communal sleeping is fun for the first night and after that I go nuts.  I’ve never been one to co-sleep (you can read about that HERE).  Besides my daughter moved into my air-conditioned room with an army of stuffed animals and dolls.  She took up more real-estate in my room than I did!

Someone recently blessed her with Molly, the American Girl Doll and she loves it.  She’s also enjoyed reading the American Girl books from the library.  Molly is a hand-me-down that came with her own bed and a ton of clothing.  Molly is as bad as FringeKid with taking space in MY room!

I must admit that I have been enjoying every moment of summer so far.  Long nights and late mornings make me a happy girl.

My kids are also loving their carefree days.  The other afternoon my daughter no sooner walked out of the house eating an apple, when she came in carrying a giant frog or toad or frog…I don’t know the difference.

The first thing out of my mouth was, “You can’t catch those while you’re eating.

You’ll get warts!”

She assured me it was a one-handed catch and at the moment, she is still wart free.

I think that may be the same toad that nearly scared the pee out of me one day while I sweeping the porch, but when I looked down, I realized that I had scared the pee out of him.

I almost feel sorry for that toad.

Almost.

How are you enjoying summer?

Anonymous

Does your blog ever weird you out?

By ‘weird you out’ I mean, do you ever look at your stats and find out information that gives you the heebie-jeebies?  Today I did just that.  I looked at my stats and realized that in the past two days, I’ve had a sudden surge in blogs hits.  Now don’t get excited, on any given occasion there are more people standing in line at Wal-Mart buying toothpaste than there are people waiting to read my blog; however, I wondered at the cause for my sudden popularity.  Have I  won a blog giveaway?  Am I featured on a billboard on this great information highway?  I fear I will never understand why an extra two people mob of people are visiting me.  I’m ok with anonymous.

Really.

I just feel better when you leave a comment and I can associate a human name with a stat.  Otherwise I begin to feel like I’m being stalked.

Can you say Par-A-noi-a?

Then I look more closely at the stats and I can see which posts were read on a given day…interesting.  I also see what people plug into search engines when they happen upon The Domestic Fringe.  It’s usually funny, but every now and then, it’s unnerving.  There have been a few times when exact phrases I’ve used in writing came up.  Hmmm…who is keeping tabs on me?

I wonder.  A girl raised reading Nancy Drew mysteries cannot help but think suspiciously.

The thing that really puts me in my in my red Ferrari and makes me throw on a pair of Magnum P.I. shades is when I look at the stats for the pictures.

I’m sure you are all aware that if you click on one of my pictures, it will enlarge.  Today several people saw my freckles up close and personal.

The amount of hairstyles I’ve been though in the past year and a half shocked me.  I think I must have a committment problem, at least when it comes to my hair.

So tonight I am asking that you reveal your true identity, leave a comment, and tell me who you are.  I’ll sleep better.

If you don’t, I’ll be forced to borrow my son’s spy gear.  I’ve always wanted to become a private investigator, but the fact that they wear wrinkled clothes and drink stale coffee turns me off to the career.  Let’s not even mention the big bellies and outdated ties…

Am I the only one that gets the Heebie-Jeebies sometimes?

Today I…

Today I…

ate a few M&M’s.

Now don’t start wagging your finger in my face, because I’ve been doing really well in the food department.  I’ve eaten more oranges and bananas than the giant gorilla at our local zoo, but tonight I had to have a few M&M’s – only a few.

I also went swimming in a real pool, not the back of a pick-up.  The water was spectacular.  I am definitely counting it as exercise, because I swam laps, did leg lifts, and acted like I was in a geriatric water-aerobics class.  Therefore my M&M’s are canceled out.

FringeMan says I’m like the guy on the TV commercial who is riding an exercise bike while drinking in order to cancel out the calories for drinking, except I am eating.  It’s possible that you may see me doing jumping-jacks while chewing a steak.  Unfortunately I cannot guarantee I will not be in public.

I also almost sent my daughter to reform school, a convent, the pound, or anyplace that would take her on short notice.  After coming out in my new swimsuit, she took one look at me and said, “Wow, you look pregnant.”

Then she said, “I wish that bathing suit came in another color.”

Wolf-spiders eat their young.

Seriously, I have a lot of problem areas (namely my marshmallow legs), but I do not look pregnant.  Thankfully my son stood up for me and said, “I saw her pregnant and she didn’t look like that.  I remember.”

Moving on…

I am also thinking about painting these cute little owls I purchased for seventy-five cents.  I have three, but now I wish I had bought them all.  Regret is a terrible thing, even on twenty-five cent items.

I am also praying about something big.  Part of this prayer includes earning an extra thousand dollars this month.  Remember the parting of the Red Sea, the Flood, the Water into Wine?  Greater things have happened.  So will you pray with me please?

Hey, you have not, because you ask not.  It says that in the Bible.

Are you asking God for anything?

It’s a Heat Wave, A Tropical Heat Wave

Baby it’s hot outside!

I am melting faster than M&M’s in child’s grubby hand.

The kids and I spent the afternoon in the library, because it was the only air-conditioned space in town where I didn’t need to spend a dime.  Tonight we went to McDonald’s, bought a drink and just sat in the cool.  I’ve never loved McDonald’s like I loved him tonight.  I even forgive them for mixing up orders in the past and putting mustard on my burger.

Now I know what you’re thinking…don’t I usually complain about the cold?  I realize I should be overwhelmed with gratitude now that the red mark on the thermometer is rising, and I am.  It’s just that it’s been rising to 96 degrees.  The TV reporter said that with the humidity, the heat index was 105 today, and we all know that everything they say on television is truth.

We just aren’t prepared for this much heat all at once.  We only have one little air-conditioner in my room, so that means the kids are camping on our floor.  Heaven help me when I wake up for a middle of the night potty run.  It will be like navigating an obstacle course with my eyes closed.

The good news is that it’s just too hot to eat much.  If the heat wave lingers, I may shed a few pounds.  Maybe it will linger for the next six months?  Hey, crazier things have happened!

Tomorrow I am going swimming, even if that means filling the ice bucket with water and flapping one toe at a time.

Funny Pictures

I even bought a new and much needed swimsuit.  You can see it HERE, but mine is black.  Now I am not a fan of cheap swimsuits, but this one is actually pretty good.  It’s even got a little shaping firmness to it.  So hats off to Wal-Mart.  You were there to fit my budget in a pinch.

I Love My Country

I love her rocky Maine shores and Pensacola’s white sand beaches.  I love finding starfish in tidepools, while gulping in large breaths of salty air.  I love the feel of the sun warming my face, while my feet bury in the sand.

I love her cities standing tall and rising proud.  I love eating hot pretzels from street vendors, visiting museums, and walking until my feet scream in protest.

I love Ellis Island.

I love her people and her spirit.  Her ‘can do’ attitude and her fight to succeed.  I love that you can be anything your heart desires in America.  I love that dreams are fulfilled and lives are changed every day.  I love possibility.

I love America.

I love her fields of corn, dew kissed flowers, and mountain views.  I love visiting a farm stand in the summer.  I love victory gardens and fresh fruit, strawberry jam, and apple pie.

I love yard sales.  I love America’s old, but not forgotten junk. I love her history.  I love BBQ’s and picnics in the park.  Lazy days, friends, and coffee with a neighbor.

I love the men and women who gave their lives for our country.  I love freedom.  I love her generosity and goodness.  I love the American Flag and the blood shed to preserve it.

I love her church steeples rising on mountain tops and sitting nestled in valleys.  I love the liberty to worship God and share my faith with my children.

I love my life, the opportunity to own a home, and live as I please.  I love mom and pop shops, front porches, and Maine Street.

I love from sea to shining sea, because I love America.

What do you love about our country?

(Please note:  I stole this idea from a preacher who read a poem and was inspired to make his own list.)

The 4th Deserves a Tribute

Because the 4th of July deserves a tribute, I painted my finger-nails blue and then coated them with glitter.  My daughter looked down at my hands when I’d nearly finished and exclaimed, “Your nails look like fireworks are going off!”

“Yes, my daughter.  It’s because I am patriotic.”

I am also pitifully lazy tonight.   So although I photographed the fireworks on my left thumb, I’m too tired to walk downstairs and get my camera to download another piece of fine photography for you.

Sorry.  I know how sad that makes you.

If you’d like to read a real 4th of July tribute, click HERE.

In the meantime…May all your hot dogs be burned (It’s the only way I like them) and all your buns be warmed.  Happy 4th!

Happy Weekend

Psalms 118:24

This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Have you noticed that silence in blog world usually means a raucous of noise in the real world?

Our first week out of school began with late nights, new friends, kaleidoscopes, minnows, puppet shows, and long walks in the sunshine.

We are loving every moment.

Unfortunately there have been a few casualties of my children.  This minnow didn’t make it unless he had the ability to suddenly sprout legs and run after my daughter lost him in a pile of dirt.

I’ve learned some important lessons this week.  I’ve learned that I can cohabit in my kitchen with a few spiders, as long as the spiders stay in their corner of the ceiling.  I’ve learned children have no use for clean clothes and one more pair of jeans really can fit into my washing machine.  Most importantly I’ve learned to always sew gaping holes in my pockets, because when you dump a handful of change into your bottomless pocket, you tend to resemble a slot machine after someone has won the jackpot. The only problem is my left leg became the corridor of wealth.

Have a very happy weekend!

Decorating With Kid Art

I keep waiting for one of the big style blogs to do a post on Decorating With Dust, because I seem to have mastered this art form; however, I’ll need to wait for dust to become a fad before I get featured.  So instead of dust, I’ll show you how I’ve decorated with some of my children’s art.

I’ll warn you in advance that the photos are terrible.  Since summer came to the fringe, I’ve been awake much more than I’ve been asleep, so my brain retains its’ morning fog long into the afternoon.  The bright side is that for an hour each afternoon the saintly librarians in town are doing a craft project with the kids.  I know librarians get a bad rap, because they are always shushing people, but I’ll trade a lifetime of loud voices for an hour of reading in peace.  I officially love my librarian and that’s saying something considering my history with New York State libraries .

Here are some tips for decorating with your kid’s art.

* Layer their artwork into your already decorated spaces.

There is a clay owl hanging on the wall alongside the book shelf and my daughter’s water-color painting.  I’ve obviously ingrained the colors I love into my kid’s heads, because almost everything they create includes my favorite colors.  There are definite benefits to brainwashing your children.

Some of your children’s art may not have enough presence to stand alone on your wall, but when combined with your regular decorations, it can bring a personal touch to your spaces.

* Think off the wall when placing your children’s art.

Notice the dust the weaved, painted piece hanging on the back of our TV stand.  We repurposed the hutch that FringeMan made me for Christmas and turned it into a TV stand.  It’s the perfect size for the tall ceilings in our living room and we already had it, making it good for our wallets.  FringeBoy also weaved me a potholder that when placed under a simple milk-glass urn, brings life to a dull and dark area.  Obviously my kids get their weaving ability from their mom.  Let’s just hope we don’t go back to weaving more scarves this winter!

* Using your children’s art saves money.I am on the lookout for a large, chunky frame that I can paint and hang around FringeBoy’s mixed media tree art.  It will give it enough bulk to stand alone on this section of wall, besides I think it’s really quite good.

My daughter created a great piece of mixed-media art that I hung in our entryway.  The man is trying to reach the moon, but it reminds me of Jacob’s Ladder.  If I didn’t use my children’s art in these spaces than I would be purchasing other people’s art to fill the void.

* Decorating with your children’s art builds confidence in your kids.

If they realize their art is worthy of your wall, they’ll be motivated to create other masterpieces and to do them well.

* Children’s art adds warmth to your personal spaces.

Your child may not be the next Picasso, but they’ve poured their heart and soul into their creations.  You’ve gotta love that!

* Grouping their art creates feature walls.

I wish I had a photo to demonstrate, but since I am not done painting my staircase, I haven’t created a feature wall yet.  I do fully intend to use the wall going up my staircase to group more great art.  Cheap yard-sale frames can be used to help the art stand out and you can easily update the pictures as they are created throughout the year.

So that’s how I decorate with kid art.  Do you use your children’s artwork in your home?

Summer Comes to Town

I was shocked to realize that the Fourth of July is this coming weekend.  I think it stems from living in Maine for so long, but I consider the 4th to be the day that catapults us into summer, full throttle.  In Maine, you cannot trust the months of April, May, or June, but you can rest assured that the 4th will be ‘summah’.  The 5th may be winter, but you’ll have your ‘summah’, even if only for a day.

Since this is our first week off from school, I haven’t had time to transition my mind into chilling through long lazy days, nor has my internal alarm clock stopped ringing.  Thankfully, I am still hitting snooze and ignoring it.

For years in Maine, we always had a huge 4th of July picnic.  Since we lived on large chunks of land, it was easy to invite everyone within a 100 mile radius.  We could set up volley ball nets, play horse-shoes (haus-shoes in maine), set up a kiddie pool and sprinkler, or just turn the hose on and let the kids wallow in the mud.  Each year we looked forward to our day of summer.

Since we’ve been back in New York, it’s a little different.  We can still have a party, but it would have to be scaled down quite a bit.  I fear the first floor of my home would collapse if I had a seventy-five people standing on it at once and nobody wants to eat their hot dog in my damp basement.

So, we are working on new traditions.  This year will be different.  We live near a baseball field that hosts a minor-league team and there’s a big game Friday night with fireworks afterwards.  Then we’re attending a big church picnic on Sunday afternoon and Sunday night we’ll enjoy fireworks in our town.  The kids are still excited, but they are unsure if they’ll get a chance to wallow in the mud.  On Saturday I may have to let the hose run into the holes that the dog dug in our backyard and let them go ‘smudding’, swimming in the mud.  They will feel fulfilled and only my washing machine will be crying in pain.

What are your plans for this weekend?

By the way, thank you for all of your great comments on yesterday’s post.  I appreciate the chance to vent and I feel much better now.  I’m sticking with this doctor, because a three-hour trip in lake affect snow can easily turn into a three-hour tour the likes of Gillian’s Island, only there wouldn’t be any sunshine or fancy coconut drinks.  This doctor has the ability to give my son what he needs and I just need to do my part and kill him with kindness.  It’s not really personal against me, he’s just a bit of a pain (with everyone, I’m sure).  So I will bite my tongue and pray for him to be blessed by us, even if only in a small way.  The end.  No more complaints from me….well, for today anyway.