You Wascally Wabbit!

Quit stalking our garden!!! You are too cute!

~Karen

In Our Backyard

Look what's happening in our apple tree! Momma and Poppa knew what they were in for when they picked a tree in our backyard, and so far they have been quite tolerant of the kids and dog.
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I didn't know squash had a flower? I think it is a squash plant..?
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Isn't it looking good? Kevin weeded a lot today, and it looks so nice! I can't wait until it is filled up with veggies.

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Finally we went to see Star Trek. Thanks Melissa and Derek for watching the kids. We had a great time. The movie is great. I knew Kevin would like it because in the beginning there is a scene where young Spock is being quizzed on mathematical equations!

Live Long & Prosper!
~Karen
FYI: Spock was being quizzed on the volume of a sphere...

Random Thoughts

Things are growing in the garden!

Can't wait to eat fresh tomatoes! There is nothing like a home grown one!

This little bugger is trying to foil our garden efforts. He stalks the garden. We can be several feet away, and he will still watch our garden and plot ways to bypass the fence. I don't know much about rabbits, but I don't think he is too bright. He will run at the garden , jump into the little fence around it, and then fall down. He keeps doing this. I would think he would try to squeeze under it, but I guess that idea hasn't occurred to him yet. He is very cute, but I really don't want to share our garden with him. So, we planted a habanero plant, and we will cut some peppers up and surround the perimeter of the garden with them. I hope it helps.

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I finished The Kite Runner.
It is a good book, but the ending was a little convenient and somewhat predictable. All in all, a good read. Now I am reading Jimmy Carter's The Virtues of Aging.

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oh, and finally....

Another self portrait of Mimi. Here she is "fixing a hard drive" The dots are the "pwoblems on the hard drive." She is replacing the problems with zeros and ones. Isn't this great? :)

Have a fun week!
~Karen

Yay for the weekend!

Artist: Moe
Title: Bert and Ernie hugging
or what Kevin and I call "Two potatoes trying to eat one another"

Artist: Mimi
Title: Self portrait

This Gasbag on the Airwaves Scares Me

Busted!

I'm always asking " Where is the camera? Who took these pictures??" Finally, my suspicions have been confirmed. I recognize the reflection in the monitor! I showed this to Mimi, and she told me she thinks it is Moe! :)

~Karen

Weekends Go at Warp Speed

Weekends go by so quickly! I look forward to them all week, and then suddenly it is Sunday evening and I am hopeful and excited about the week ahead. We played outside a lot. We worked on the garden too.

Moe, in his big red car, had a lot of fun driving around.

I am trying to keep my pact with you, Amanda, to wear a skirt at least once a week. It has been a nice change from my usual tee and shorts. Crocs? Well, a girl has to be comfy....

The kids and Kevin had a tea party in the play house. They invited me in, but I was enjoying watching them and taking pics. The red roof makes the lighting neat.

And, finally, look! The garden is growing. For awhile I was concerned we would have tomatoes and maple trees. But, it appears there is life! We have yet to see any sign of green or red peppers, but I am hopeful. Next year, I think we will start the seeds in advance.

Oh, for you book readers...I tried to read Twilight. I got to page 9. I told my friend Adrienne it sucks, and she replied:
irony = a vampire book that sucks.
I laughed so hard I almost cried. Oh!

I did start Kite Runner. And I am completely taken in by it.

Have a great week!
~Karen

Yay for the weekend!

We didn't do much today. We visited with an old college friend, Matt, and had a great time. We had great conversation and laughed a lot. The kids loved every minute.

Before Matt got here, I hit up a yard sale and got a few things:

I fell in LOVE with this because it reminds me of Mimi. This sculpture is about a foot long. It weighs a ton too, but I couldn't resist....

This is a quilted piece that no one ever used. It looks so cool up close...I love the birds. It has inspired me to try to make a couple flowers and then frame them.

PRODUCE! Nothing makes me happier than a bowl that runneth over. I can't wait until it is filled with our garden goods.

If you haven't seen Walk the Line with Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix, GET IT! It is fantastic. I have a renewed love and respect for Johnny Cash.

Still haven't gone on a movie date with Kevin to see the new Star Trek....:(

Hopefully, we will soon.

And finally, you don't know what suffering is until you are out of:

I kid. I kid. We were only out for about a half hour or so. In all seriousness, 4 people can go through a lot of this stuff.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!
~Karen

Good Things!

This sweet picture was taken yesterday after Miles said "take a picture of Daddy holding me like a baby." :)

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I found this chair at Goodwill for $5. At first I thought I would paint it, but now I find it charming and would never consider it! Ignore all the clutter on the desk. Despite my best efforts, it is always a mess.

Cool, huh?
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Not much else is going on here. I think I am going to have a surgery soon, and I am nervous about that. I am glad tomorrow is Friday. Looooove weekends and Fridays!

~Karen

Monday, Monday

These lovely flowers came from our flower garden. We have no idea what they are, but they are beautiful!
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I have a new obsession. I will give you a hint....

Yep, old rusty, dirty, broken garden faucet handles....the rustier the better....

They are super cool!
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Mimi has been trying to get Moe to play "baby" all morning. He finally caved.

Unfortunately (for her), I think he is about her size, so he might just crush her! Sorry about the blurry photo, but this was the best I could get since she was rocking him. :)

Looks like the kids and I have today and tomorrow before the raining starts. So, we plan to spend as much of it outside as possible. We have a visitor too. A tiny baby rabbit lives in our backyard. He is sweet and will sit a couple feet away from us while we play. It is cute to see him nibbling on the grass.

Rudy, our dog, seems fine with the visitor. Nothing bothers Rudy. He is a great dog. He also needs a bath. I hope someone (anyone) will volunteer for the job, but I am betting no one will. He hates baths and shakes a lot, thus soaking me.

Have a great Monday!
~Karen

Mother's Day Fun

For my mother-in law!

For my mom!

YAY! One for me!

Today is Mother's Day. We don't do much on Mother's/Father's Day. Usually we take it easy and relax around the house. It is, after all, a weekend. But, today we have accomplished much. We cleaned up all the pruned branches from the fruit trees and weed picked the garden. And we made a huge crock of soup. The rain has stopped for a day or so, so we are forced to get all yard work done now, before the raining starts up again. I am afraid these lovely spring days will be gone soon, and we will be forced to live with 90' weather and horribly high humidity.

Some progress has been made at my desk too. I can now sit at the desk, whereas before it was impossible to do so. I know I will work through all of my supplies, and then be sad they are gone, but right now it seems slightly overwhelming. I hope to grow an extra set of hands. Then I could get twice as much done!

I am afraid to say it or even think about it. Moe will be 3 soon. How did that happen? It is hard for me to think of a time when he won't be sitting on my lap and cuddling, but I am sure that time will come sooner than I expect. I imagine I will be one of those old ladies with a lot of pets. I can now see how that happens. Another thing that makes me sad is Mimi's lack of naps. She refused to take one even though I want her to take one. I know she is at the age to quit, but I AM NOT READY!!!!!

Oh, the shadowboxes (above) were fun to make. The shadowboxes came from a craft store. I love mine! I am thankful to Adrienne for supplying the boxes. They are already treasured! I got kind of lazy after making my mother in law one and my mom another. So, instead of tracing the hand I used ink imprints that came from using washable ink. I just covered the kids' hands and made imprints. I love the look. It makes me smile!

Enough of me blabbing. I hope everyone has a great week! Happy Mother's Day to all the mommas out there!
~Karen

Funny! Steve Colbert !

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You may need a shovel to dig me out

I am one of those people who strongly believes clutter reflects the chaos in our lives. I am always trying to keep clutter to a minimum, and always trying to pass along unused or unappreciated things to others. Unfortunately, I rarely apply this to my crafting area. Take a peek:

I know it is bad. I need to re-organize and decrease my load. I see potential in most things, so I hang on to them. Make sense?

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Here is where I distract you from thinking "Man, that woman needs help."
Look at the cute kids:

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I added another row of clips to display the kids' art. I looovve it. I wish I had done it sooner. It is a super simple project.

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I hope everyone is having a good week! Thankfully tomorrow is FRIDAY! AH, another glorious weekend!~Karen

Good Tune

In my spare time

I've been keeping busy with playdates, crafting, and family visits. I really would like day where I could sleep in until noon or so, but I don't think that is gonna happen anytime soon! A person can always dream though....

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I finished a fantastic book: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. This book was a great read. The main character, Precious, is the kind of character every book needs. She has patience, wisdom, and inner peace. Get the book. I promise you will enjoy it.

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Yesterday my mom gave me my grandmother's quilt . I debated whether I should use it or store it away. I decided to use it. We only live once, and I will derive great pleasure from using it. It is in perfect condition since it was never used. It is fun to look at the fabric and wonder if which came my grandmother's dresses or my father's shirts.

Isn't it lovely?

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It is May, but I've decided to start making X-mas gifts now. I hated how I was making things up to the last minute last year. It was hard on my hands. This year I am making scarves and fingerless gloves for all the ladies! I am going to crochet little flowers to attach to the scarf and gloves....everyone needs some bling bling, right?

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And finally, the kids' art is taking over the fridge, so I decided to steal an idea from my friend Sara. She took strips of wood and glued on clips. Then she attached them to the wall:

Here is what I used:

You can use the E6000 to attach a button or whatever to the clips. I used quilted fabric with a button sewn on. It dressed the clips up a little.

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Alright, that is enough for today. I am off to read!
Have a wonderful week!
~Karen