Fainting goats

We were out to dinner last week with Drew's family while we were at dinner we got to talking about fainting goats, which got us to talking about the Mythbusters trying to get the fainting goat to faint... I was laughing so hard tears were running down my face. Some how I missed that episode so I had to look it up. I found this clip on youtube.

Favorite meal

I was just reading a thread over at Ravelry about favorite childhood meals. I think the one I miss the most is country ham, grits, with pan fried sweet potatoes and fried okra. No one can cook country ham like my grandfather could and he made sweet potato fries before the were trendy. I miss my grandfather and his cooking too!

I don't have any photos of my grandfather on my computer and my scanner isn't working right now :(

How does my garden grow?

I really wanted to have a garden this year, so I decided to get containers and found these at Wal-mart for $5 each. Chase drilled holes in the bottom for me, I added a layer of gravel and then filled them with soil. I have a Japanese Black Heirloom Tomato, squash and cucumber planted in the first one. A Creole Heirloom tomato, squash, and cucumber in the second one. In the third one I have a Rose Heirloom tomato, eggplant, sweet pepper, and a basil plant.

I am excited to see if they do well. I already have some tomatoes getting ripe and several squash and cucumbers starting. The boys seem to like to check on the plants with me but I don't think they will eat any of what I planted. I may have to get some more container next year so I can plant some cantaloupe and watermelon.

Summer reading

I LOVE to read and my kids love to read ... so reading the books is not a problem. I think that if the kids are on vacation from school then any summer reading should be optional.
va·ca·tion- noun

a period of suspension of work, study, or other activity, usually used for rest, recreation, or travel; recess or holiday: Schoolchildren are on vacation now.

HUMM key words here suspension of work

My kids will be the first to tell you we are the mean parents we make our kids do some kind of school work over the summer just to keep their little brains going. We do a lot of reading on our own. This year my oldest is going to take two classes over the summer one on grammar ( which I could use myself) and one on writing. They only last a week and are two hours a day.

I think having the option of having summer assignment is great BUT it should not count against them if they don't do it. Have them write a paper on the book or take a test and then use that as an EXTRA grade. If you want the whole class to read something together then do it during the school year....I'm just saying

6th grade
The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster
The Sea of Monsters, by Rick Riordan

9th grade
Animal Farm, by George Orwell
Lord of the Flies, by William Golding

Talents from Generation to Generation

Elizabeth Marshall Ayers
"Granny"



















Edyth Kenny Powers
"Grandma"

I have been thinking a lot about talents lately. For a long time I didn't think I had any. Both of my grandmothers were wonderful artist, gardeners, seamstresses and cooks among many other things.

I spent a lot of time with my maternal grandmother whom I called Granny, when I was very young I could not say my "G's" so I called her Nanny and as an older teenager and into my twenties I often, affectionately called her Lizzy. I spent many afternoons sewing cloths for my dolls from scraps of material that she was making cloths for me. While I spent many hours "sewing" with her this in NOT one of my talents. I loved to be in the kitchen with her cooking and baking. I learned the " a little of this and a little of that method " with her. Cooking is something I am good at but didn't really think of it as a talent until later.

I did not spend as much time with my paternal grandmother but learned so much from her. She always made me feel special. The first real memory I have of spending time with her was the summer I was 8. She drove down to South Carolina from Pennsylvania with my uncle who was 16 or 17 at the time. Then drove all the way back with me. We spent time baking together, making art projects and just hanging out. I loved every minuet of the two weeks I spent with my grandparents that summer. It became the highlight of my summer when I got to go visit them.

As I was growing up anytime talents were talked about at school or church. I would think to myself I don't have any. While I LOVE art and so wanted to draw and paint well like my grandmother well lets just say that isn't one of my talents ;)

To me a talent was, drawing,painting, singing, dance, playing a musical instrument ... something tangible and I didn't feel that I had any of those ( I KNEW I didn't have any of those). I had friends who danced, sang, played instruments and not only did they do these things they did them really really well.

When I went to college and people would ask me if I had any talents my answer usually was " I am here for the entertainment others" or " I smile really well". It was said jokingly, but it really was to hide what I thought was a huge fault... I had no talent in ANYTHING.

It wasn't until I was older and already married that I began to realize that some talents are not as easily seen as others. I also discovered that I do have talents. I don't sew (much), I don't sing, I don't dance, I don't garden much,( in fact I really do think I have a black thumb). I don't play a musical instrument but, I can cook, bake, crochet, knit , and rug hook. Once given the opportunity I discovered that I work well with clay. I love babies and can usually get them to stop crying and to sleep when no one else can ( but not always ). I can keep a secret and if I tell you I am going to do something you can depend on me to do it.

So what does all this have to do with my grandmothers? I know I may not be a great artist in the drawing and painting department or gardener like they were but I also know that I am a better person for knowing them, spending time with them and learning from them. They taught me to love, listen and look for the beauty in the world around me. They taught me to try new things and not be afraid of failing.

This is a dress I made for my niece for her second birthday. I knitted the top and did a very simple skirt on the bottom.



P.S
Least you think my mother does not exist or that I did not learn from her, she does, I did and I love her very much but that is a whole other post.

car mirrors

Are your car mirrors adjusted correctly? I found this video very informative I hope you do too

Socks

We all loose socks but not pairs of socks just one! Have you ever really thought about it? We all seem to gripe that our socks disappear but where do they really go? I have never had a house elf so I haven't given any socks to them to set them free. I guess there could be some gnomes or little people taking them.I mean are they ready for a vacation? Can they just not handle smelly teenage feet anymore?Did one of the two just up and walk out of the house heading south for the winter? Are the Washing machine and Dryer having a fight and the sock couples are having to choose sides? Are they getting a divorce? Do I need to use some other kind of dryer sheet? What gives...