July 30, 2023

A Much Needed Break

I naively thought my trip to BlogHer last weekend would be sort of relaxing, but I don't think getting up for an 8am conference and staying out until midnight and beyond really sunk in when I was planning for my trip.

So we're going to be taking a long weekend at the beach and hopefully relaxing if SoJo lets us. I'm not taking the laptop (yay!) so posting will most likely resume early next week. I really need to get back on schedule, with contacting Friday Featured Bloggers, doing my daily blog rounds, etc. but that conference and this sticky heat has really whooped my butt.

Here's hoping you have a lovely weekend!

July 29, 2023

Wordful Wednesday: Lunch

This week has already been such a whirlwind, trying to catch up on laundry and use up the huge amount of veggies from our farm cooperative. Since I was away this weekend, no one was here to cook them. Mr. Geek excels at breakfast fare, but I'm the main cook in the house.

The easiest thing to do with a variety of vegetables is to make soup. Yes, it's hot and humid here, and we haven't installed our air conditioner yet (we're trying to go all summer without it), but I decided to make a pot of steaming hot vegetable soup.
I'm trying to stop eating chicken and go back to being a vegetarian, since I'm now done nursing and I found that a bit of chicken now and then was helpful with milk. Maybe it was my imagination, but whatever the case, veggie soup is a great vegetarian meal that really fills you up.

I put in 2 cans of diced tomatoes, celery, carrots, an onion and peppers, cabbage, snap peas, squash, orzo, kidney bean, salt, and lots of herbs from my garden. This soup is so good! I only wish I had baked some bread with it, but maybe tomorrow.

Little so-and-so loves soup, so he ate it right up, even though he prefers to gorge on saltines.
Ah, a carb-a-holic just like his mama.

Want more Wordful Wednesday? Visit 7 Clown Circus. A Wednesday of the Wordless kind? Visit 5 Minutes for Mom.

July 28, 2023

BlogHer Recap

I just don't know where to begin, because I have so much on my mind about the conference. Everything from getting to meet so many great people (Naomi, CanCan, Katja, Sheena, Kristin, Renee, and Jeremiah and Jennifer from ZRecs) to attending some really nice parties. I really wish I had brought my good camera instead of my crappy one, since I ended up not wanting to take it out for photos. So this post will seem pretty naked without images. Oh wait, I just remembered the ones online.
photo credit Carla Duharte Razura babyjidesign.com
I'm so un-photogenic so I cringe about those photos that are out there on the web. Like ones of me chewing food or bending over. The one above is of me (right), Naomi (left), and Jenn from Frugal Upstate, a blog that I'm only now starting to read after having met her. I just love that about the conference, meeting new people and checking out their blogs.

This one was taken on a fake red carpet outside the BowlHer party, which was in a super-cool venue that was like a retro bowling alley, right in the middle of the city.Since I was a snarky teenager, I've hated posting for photos, so I really didn't play it up. I don't know why but it just feels so stupid. I need to live a little, or drink more. And let me just say that is the first time I've ever worn a feather boa. I ditched that about 5 minutes into the party. It was really itchy!
I'm all like "are you serious?" in this photo. Candice really is rocking out, and don't you just love Naomi's bowling outfit? I'm so pissed she didn't win, and frankly the winners were not worthy of wining a trip to NYC. One of them looked like a bad Cyndi Lauper and the other looked like a Donna Reed knock-off. Seriously, what did either of those costumes have to do with bowling? Naomi had an actual bowling shirt, and there were quite a few others who were dressed to the nine-pins.

BlogHer09 was nothing short of dramatic. You've probably seen the recap posts, from the swag bullies, to the lady with the baby turned away at the Nikon party and who stared the #Nikonhatesbabies twitter drama, to the rude blogger that threatened the Crocs guy, to an actual fist fight. Geez! Talk about take-me-back-to-Sweet Valley High.

While I didn't witness the actual bruises (was it really just a myth spun out of proportion?) that resulted from swag swarm or the gaggle of women who bum-rushed the Room 704/Eden Fantasys people grabbing swag bags before the party even started, it was pretty crazy. I don't know what it is about free stuff that makes people go nuts, even over something as joyless as a USB drive or a cheap reusable bag.

I'm often conflicted about getting free stuff as a result of my blog, since I try to live an eco-friendly lifestyle and it pains me to think of UPS coming to my house as often as they do. While I wasn't snatch-happy when it came to swag, I still took my share of it, but really tried to consider whether I'd really use it or not. So far, everything I brought home will be of great use to me, including the 4 Michelin tires that I won and didn't have to actually stuff into my suitcase! We desperately need new tires before winter.

I've been asked if I'll go next year, and to be honest, I'm not sure. While some of the conference content was a little heavy on the fluff (did I just negate my point?), I did enjoy the Eco-Blogging session, the Community Keynote highlighting a variety of bloggers, and Geek Lab stuff. My favorite part is meeting the people that I chat with online, and since many of my dear readers (all 5 of you!) weren't there, it was a little lonely. I did meet so many new bloggers, but I really would have liked to party with some people that I already know. So I'm still on the fence about next year, but since it's in New York, I probably won't have to spend quite as much.

I wanted to thank my sponsor, Glitterful Felt Stories, for supporting my trip to the conference. I'm so appreciative of it, and hopefully you get some business as a result of chatting to bloggers about your cute products.

One more thing, here is my favorite piece of swag, well, actually more of a gift from Mom Most Traveled. It's a handmade fabric book from Laos, that she didn't make, but bought from local artisans.
I love that the frog is laying blue eggs, hopefully not blue poops. You wouldn't see that on many American toys.
Ok, I've totally neglected our already filthy house in order to catch up on posting and on the gossip. Expect me to check into your blogs this week, or maybe next since I forgot that we're headed to the beach later this week.

Thank you for all of your great comments this week on my posts, and please forgive me if I haven't responded to each one. I really like doing that, but I just don't think I'll find the time.

I'm a Baby Bjorn Believer! {Giveaway}

I don't know what we would have done without the Baby Bjorn carrier when SoJo was born. That boy just would not sleep unless being held. Let's say that life at that time was hellish, and the only solace I found was when I was carrying him in the Baby Bjorn original. When he was big enough to fit into it (he was a 9lb baby, so it didn't take long), I'd carry him during the day so I could get stuff done around the house. He hated being in the sling that I sewed, I think he just didn't like not being able to see, so the Baby Bjorn worked out perfectly. Mr. Geek and I kept thanking my Aunt T for gifting it to us.

Fast forward 15 months to SoJo learning to eat by himself. It's a messy and often funny process, and Baby Bjorn has helped out yet again with their thoughtfully-designed dinnerware. SoJo is starting to use a spoon to feed himself, and the Baby Bjorn Plate and Spoon set makes it easy for him to scoop up food.
The plate is shaped like a clover-leaf so it keeps food from moving around the plate and makes it easy to scoop up. And it comes with 2 coordinating spoons.
The plate has a rubber "grippy" bottom, so it resists sliding around on the table or high chair tray. The spoon is soft and ergonomic too, though the size of the spoon head is a bit large and would be more appropriate for older babies and toddlers.
And of course all of Baby Bjorn's eating items are BPA/PVC free, including their soft bib, and can be washed by hand or in the dishwasher.
We used the soft bib more often when SoJo was younger and it was the only bib he couldn't pull off. Plus it wiped up so easily. Now he won't have anything to do with any bib, and pulls them all off.

Baby Bjorn also has a Baby Bjorn Believers program, where you sign up as a fan of their company and according to Baby Bjorn, "have a chance to make a difference by recommending safe, quality products, a first look at new BabyBjorn products, and a voice to express your opinion to BabyBjorn." I'm the Believer of the Month this month, so look for my feature in their next newsletter.

Baby Bjorn has kindly offered to give away
{{{{A Plate and Spoon Set!!}}}}
To Enter:
Visit Baby Bjorn and leave a comment on your favorite product and why you'd like to win this.
Extra Entries (leave a separate comment for each one):
  • Blog about this contest (2 entries--leave 2 comments)
  • Subscribe to my updates
  • Follow me on Blogger
  • Follow me on Twitter (Katydidandkid) and tweet this giveaway, leaving a link to your tweet in the comments. You can tweet once per day (leave a comment each day)
  • Become a BabyBjorn Believer. Take the BabyBjorn survey to see if you qualify and write “katydidandkid” in the comments section so they know you were sent by me!
This giveaway is for US postal addresses only.
You must do the first entry in order to enter ("I want to win, thanks!" comments will NOT be considered). You will have until Friday August 7th at 11:59pm EST to enter. The winners will be chosen via random number generator the next day and notified by email. I'll also post the winners on my blog HERE. If I don't hear back from the winner by Tuesday at noon, I'll pick another.

July 25, 2023

More BlogHer

Click on over to my roomie Naomi's blog for some photos of our night out last night. We went to the swanky Nikon Night Out party, where we actually got to ride in a limo (thanks Nikon!), which I haven't done since my wedding. And that was one from a funeral home that my friend's stepdad owns. I'm weird like that. Here I am in the limo, looking a bit dazed.
We got to meet Carson Kressley, of Queer Eye fame. He grew up about 15 minutes away from where I live, so it was cool chatting with him about the art museum and the flea market in my town. And he complemented my felted necklace that I made, which is in the photo. I take the complement with a grain of salt, since I'm sure he was getting paid big bucks to flatter the mom bloggers. But who cares, he was a nice guy, it was a gorgeous setting right along the river, and it was a beautiful night.
Here I am with Candice and Katja, and Carson of course.

My favorite conference session so far has been last night's keynote, where some bloggers read posts out loud, and since they were chosen out of lots of entries, they were pretty good ones, a lot from blogs that I've never heard of. And I did shed a few tears over some of the topics.

Anyway, I'll stop rambling and making it seem like I'm bragging about all this, since I feel bad that many of my readers aren't here. This has been such a weird and fun experience, and I'm really missing my blog friends! I've loved reading your comments when I get a chance, and soooo wish you all were here.

July 24, 2023

Chicago and the BlogHer Insanity

Finally I'm posting about BlogHer in Chicago, quite late because the internet service has been spotty, and also my goodness, it's nuts here! So many people and so much to take in. I'm so shy in real life, hence the blogging rather than meeting face to face, so this has been quite a change. You think I'd be used to it since I was a teacher, but it's always a struggle. Especially when there are so many big time bloggers here.

So far there have been lots of parties, tons of free stuff (really, I'm not trying to rub it in to those of you not here), and a gorgeous city that I sadly won't be exploring, since the conference and after-party schedule is so packed. I have my el-crapo camera, not my Canon, since I was too afraid I'd break it in the luggage, so the photos are bad.

I did have to post a few photos of all the swag that companies dole out on bloggers. It's insane! And since it seems that social media is the advertising of the future, corporations are targeting bloggers, as we all know already from the number of giveaways on blogs. Here's a shot of just some of the stuff.
Notice the Kodak HD video camera in the top right. So insane.
Crocs sandals, reusable bags galore, free coupons...I'm quite overwhelmed by all this stuff. You could say that overwhelmed is the word of the day for me. But in a good way.
Even iVillage had flowers placed in each hotel room. Isn't that insane?
Oh, and a winery was giving out bottles of Chardonnay, but I'm sure that won't make it onto the plane. Naomi and I went to a lovely dinner last night hosted by Frito Lay, and had some awesome Cuban fusion food, and lots of mojitos, which explains the poor quality of sleep I got last night. I think I've made up for all the alcohol I didn't consume this past year all in one night. The funniest part about our dinner was leaving this fancy-schmantzy restaurant (Carnivale) carrying bags of Frito Lay chips. Classy.
Sampling of food from the Social Luxe Party

I've been enjoying the Geek Lab sessions, naturally--trying to gather some good tips for my Tech Tuesdays. And of course my favorite part by-far is meeting some of my blog friends in real life, like Naomi and CanCan. I'll let you know if someone actually recognizes me or my blog (highly doubt it). I hope to meet at least one reader! Oh, and for all of you East Coasters like me, they announced this morning that next year's conference will be in New York City! I'm sure you'll be happy Nicole, that you can just take the subway to the event.

Off to another session, so bye for now.
Love to you SoJo and Mr. Geek! I miss you boys...

July 21, 2023

Tuesday Rewind

I'm participating in my first Take Me Back Tuesday at A Giveaway Addicted Mommy, where you share photos from the old days.
Since I don't have a scanner, I'm relying on photos my cousin has been posting on Facebook, and here's one of them
This is back in 1978, and we're playing at his house. He's my age and his sisters are a few years younger. Don't you just love those overalls and my kick-a sneakers?

I just can't get over how much of SoJo I see in my childish self.
I briefly looked through my images, and couldn't find one to illustrate my point exactly. But I see it him all the time.

For more Take Me Back Tuesdays, head to Kari's place.

Getting Ready for BlogHer

Though I'm still sniffling, sneezing and coughing through this cold, I'm still gearing up for my trip to Chicago and the BlogHer conference on Thursday. I hope I'm not sitting next to you on my flight from Philadelphia, cuz I'd hate to infect you with my germy sickness. My roomie is already sick, so hopefully this won't affect her. And my apologies to those of you not going to the conference, since you're probably so sick of seeing posts about it. Look away, at least until next week.

Someone recently asked me "what is this conference all about?" and my dear Mr. Geek (who's playing Mr. Mom this weekend) summed it up for him--"it's like when people go to the Elks club, it's a social thing." (do you know the Elks club? Kind of like Rotary or the Moose. My parents were memebers) I couldn't have said it better myself. Yeah, there's lots of talks on blogging, getting sponsors, and even having sponsors bring free stuff, but in the end, I just want to go for a girlfriend getaway of sorts. Not that I don't have a few real life girlfriends here that I could plan a getaway with (somehow that never comes to fruition), but meeting lots of people I've chatted with online is really exciting. And the alcohol and parties and kid-free weekend helps.

I've found myself skirting the issue about BlogHer with my real-life friends, because I'm not sure what to say. Some people (usually over 40) don't really get the whole social media thing, so I find myself just saying I'm going to Chicago to visit friends. Which is true, just not the entire truth. Do you ever feel awkward explaining your blog to non-bloggers? Especially when they ask things like "what is your website about anyway?".

So today and tomorrow, I'm going to muster up the will to pack my stuff. I copied this checklist from Plus Size Mommy, and have added a few things of my own
Plus Size Mommy's BlogHer Checklist
  • Pack your clothes. Don’t forget your special outfits for cocktails, PJ parties (dont forget your bunny slippers), dancing, a 50’s outfit or creative outfit for BowlHer 09′, casual clothing, and comfy shoes. Make sure to pack your underwear, pantyhose, and bra’s.
  • Pack your laptop, cords, webcam, mouse, and if you can an extra extension cord/power strip (sometimes they run out). Make sure to mark everything, cause after all most of them are black and look alike. (I'm adding an ethernet cable, in case wireless isn't working and I need to plug in the laptop in the room)
  • pack your camera, digital camera, flip, camcorder, or anything else you have to take video/vlogs, and pics (I'm adding my battery chargers too, for camera, iPod and cell phone)
  • pack your cell phone, but make sure it is in a convenient pocket for easy access
  • pack your money, purse, extra change for homeless people (if you like, {I don't}) and money for cabs, trains, quick snacks
  • business cards and POKEN, these are EASILY forgotten so pack both or either but make sure to pack something with your name and info. on it. You will be meeting TONS of people who you will want to network with, this is very essential. (I'm bringing an extra case for cards that I collect. I've amassed quite a collection from blog reviews already, and it's become kind of a hobby, like my cousin's grocery store key chain cards collection)
  • tickets - make sure you print out all of your confirmation info. Plane tickets, BlogHer admission tickets, party tickets, etc.. just in case you need proof that you signed up and/or RSVP’ed to different events. (according to the BlogHer site, you should print out your email registration confirmation for checking in)
  • Gum, snacks, magazines, ipod, music to listen to and keep you busy on the plane, train, or automobile
  • glasses, contacts, medication, tylenol, cosmetics, toiletries, hair brush, tooth brush, vitamins (if your flying and never flown before, check airport guidelines on how to pack certain items. They WILL make you throw away things if they are over limit, and make sure prescriptions are in normal container from the pharmacy)
  • swag - if your taking swag to hand out, don’t forget to bring it. You wont want to come home to 500 bags that now your will have to wait until the next conf. to pass out!
  • invites - if you received mailed invites/drink tickets, dont forget to bring those
  • gifts/trinkets - some people will bring little notions to give to the select few people that they talk to the most over twitter or through their blog, that they never met before. This is just something thoughtful to do, if you're able
  • stamps, although we aren’t going to be gone a whole long time, my kids love to get mail. As soon as I get in I send post cards out to them from where ever I am, it makes it a lot easier if you already have stamps to mail them with, this makes them feel happy even when mom’s gone
  • YOURSELF !!! You wont get a ton of sleep at BlogHer because there is just so much going on, it will feel like your in a whirlwind, a happy little tornado, so get plenty of sleep when you can and you will want to “BRING IT” when it comes to meeting people, PR folks, companies, and just everyone, be yourself, but make sure you show them the best you that there is. First impressions can mean a lot! Be The RAWK STAR that you ARE !!! (remember this will be a lot of people’s first time at BlogHer (including mine) so don’t be nervous or shy, it will all be fine)
So that's it! I plan to do a Tech Tuesday post later, and keep to my regular blogging schedule all week. Hopefully I'll be posting and Twittering from Chicago too.

July 16, 2023

Have You Ever Seen Anything So Beautiful Yet So Disgusting?

Beets. We've been getting them from our farm and they've been sitting in the fridge for a while now, just waiting to be used in something.
These ones are gorgeous, with a bulls-eye on the inside, but I just can't think of something to make with them. I tried a piece raw, which tasted a bit like a radish but it left me with a sore throat sensation for an entire day! Weird...

I actually like pickled beets, but am not sure if these would taste as good as the kind you buy in the store. And I will not be adding hardboiled eggs to them...yuck!

I have a feeling that I'll be making pickled ones though, since the last time I made beets was 2 Thanksgivings ago when I baked them with other root vegetables. They weren't bad straight from the oven, but when reheated, they tasted like dirt to me.

Mr. Geek detests the beet, so I'm guessing I'll be the one "indulging" on these. You'd think my Eastern European roots would be salivating for borscht, but no thank you. Would you believe that my Polish grandma would eat cold borscht over vanilla ice cream? Now that's something that even a pregnant women could not stomach.

Post Lunch Update: I ended up just cutting them up, sprinkling them with water and a teaspoon of sugar, and microwaving them. I don't know why I always have to make things so complicated, finding fancy recipes worthy of organic produce from the farm cooperative.
When they were done, I sprinkled them with some of the pickle juice (vinegar) from my refrigerator pickles and then threw them onto a salad. They were good, and even Mr. Geek tried a tiny piece. His thoughts: "If I was forced at gunpoint to eat an entire bowl of these, it wouldn't be that bad." So I guess that's a thumbs up.

July 15, 2023

WW: Clean Freak in Training

Though he may not yet have the knack for good sweeping skills (he tends to push the broom), SoJo is on the road to becoming mama's little helper.
Would you expect anything less from a Swiffer Cleanest Blog Finalist?
I think SoJo may just be a kid-sized broom addict. There really must be something in the blog waters. He loves pushing it around the kitchen when I'm working in there.SoJo does fine with his little broom, that is until the big mama broom comes out.
Then he only has eyes for that, leaving me to try and sweep with that tiny thing.

For more Wordful Wednesday posts, visit 7 Clown Circus.
And in case you hadn't checked her blog, Jessie of Muthering Heights is in labor! She's going to have her baby boy any moment now, so check up on her on Twitter. And I never thought I'd be following someone's labor progress on Twitter.

July 13, 2023

Hair Today, Gone Today

I should have known better. I probably get my hair cut once or twice a year, because I can't stand that phase when I'm trying to grow out my hair and it's bothering the crap out of me. Of course that's the price you pay to have long, luxurious hair, but I'm just not a patient person.
So it was way past my typical June haircut, and I decided I'd better get a trim before vacation and BlogHer. But of course, they always seem to cut it too short, even though I keep telling them longer and longer increments each time I go. I'd prefer not to highlight my double chin, thank you very much.
And don't even get me started on the back. I have naturally wavy hair, and just wanted a simple bob with some layers in the back, but now it looks like a deflated football. Seriously. A square head.
When will I learn? I wish I could just take my head off and cut it myself.

But in all honesty, it's not as bad as the time I got it cut before a middle school dance and ended up not going because it looked awful. Thankfully I was just going with friends, rather than a date because I would have made that pretty miserable for him. And this haircut? Well, I'm posting photos, so again, it's not really that bad, just not what I wanted.

Have you ever had a bad haircut? Do share, and make me feel better.

July 11, 2023

Natural Liquid Soap Recipe

The herbs have gone nuts in my garden, so I've been trying to find new ways to use them, particularly the mint. I decided to make yet another natural cleanser, this time a liquid soap. One doesn't actually make the soap part, which is courtesy of Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap, but the other ingredients are easily assembled to make it extra effective and still good for the environment.
One could also substitute 2 bars of castile soap that has been grated for the Dr. Bronner's.

You can use this soap for hand washing, floor scrubbing, dishes, and general cleaning tasks. Feel free to substitute other herbs for the mint and lavender. I think Rosemary would smell really nice too.

Herbal Liquid Soap
*Dr. Bronner's Baby Mild Liquid Castile Soap (unscented)
*Large bunch of mint leaves (or 10 mint tea bags)
*A handful of lavender blossoms (use however much you'd like)
*1 tsp. Borax (you can find it in the laundry aisle of the grocery store)
*1/2 cup baking soda
*6 cups of water
*stainless steel saucepan
*clean spray bottle or liquid soap pump

In the saucepan, boil the water and add the lavender and mint. Turn off the heat and allow the herbs to sit for 20 minutes. Strain out the herbs, then add the other ingredients and stir until combined. If using grated castile soap, you'll need to reheat the liquid to a simmer until the soap flakes are dissolved. Once the mixture is cool, pour into a spray bottle or soap bottle and use anywhere there's dirt. Be sure to give the mix a shake before using. Of course, use it with some reusable cloths, like ones made from old flannel receiving blankets.

July 10, 2023

Cuke Addict

Who has time to bother with the process of canning when you're continually pulling a 15 month old down from the kitchen table? Well, why not make refrigerator pickles?
I made this recipe last summer and oooooh are they good. I probably ate an entire jar myself in about an hour, and I wasn't even pregnant. But knowing that they're just cucumbers, onions and vinegar doesn't make it sound too bad. Oh wait, I forgot about the sugar, but I'm not drinking the liquid.

We've been drowning in cucumbers from the local organic CSA, both the pickling variety and the salad ones. So I dug out my refrigerator pickle recipe and got to work.
You'll need:
*2 lbs. kirby cucumbers *1 vidalia onion *2-3 garlic cloves *1 cup apple cider vinegar *1 cup sugar *1 tsp mustard seeds *1 tsp celery seeds *salt *fresh dill (minced)

Slice up the cucumbers and onion, and mince the garlic. Sprinkle these with salt and let them hang out in a colander for about 20 minutes to remove some of the liquid.
While you're waiting, mix the vinegar, sugar, seeds and minced dill in a bowl.
After the cucumbers have drained, layer them along with the onion in a clean jar or lidded container (preferably glass, since vinegar reacts with metal or plastic) . Then ladle or pour the liquid over the cukes.
As you can see, I stuffed mine a bit too much, trying to fit all those cucumbers in. And I wasn't too careful about layering, since SoJo wanted me to hold him while I was doing it.

Let the pickles set overnight (or at least 8 hours) in the fridge, and then eat them within 2 weeks. Sooo easy! They look fresh and bright, unlike pickles you find in the grocery aisle.
I can't wait to give some away too. If my dill was flowering, I'd have cut some of the flowers off to pretty-up the jars. Maybe with my next batch.

July 9, 2023

Thursday Thoughts and a Pitiful Graffiti Tag

I've been away from the blog for so long, due to the chaos of the week, involving a guest, a garage rehab, and that little boy I'm always referring to. Who is now climbing, by the way. That means on couches, tables, and window sills. Lord help me.

So here's the work in progress, our garage. We added some windows, and have prepped most of the building for siding.
Below is the other side of the garage, that runs along the street. We'll be filling in that top "window" eventually and pulling off the hideous shingles before siding that wall. (Who puts shingles on a wall?) The Mister and our friend added those windows, which we picked up at a discount building supply place on the cheap.

This is all of the wood torn from inside. They had to remove and resheet one entire wall since most of the wood was rotted.
And the big white thing in the front was part of one of the old carriage doors that opened into the alleyway. Certainly not easy to open or close, and they were falling apart. To quote musician Tom Waits, "Such a crumbling beauty, There's nothing wrong with her that a hundred dollars won't fix" Try three hundred.

Mr. Geek sighing about the above pile of demolition trash. We're neat freaks around here. Ruggedly handsome even in a grubby t-shirt and vacation beard.
As much as we'd love to recycle the wood into something else, a lot of it has hidden nails in it and it would be dangerous to try to cut it up. So sadly, it's headed for the landfill. This pains us both.

But on to progress...we added some windows to the upstairs of the garage, hoping to use the space as a spring/summer/fall play area for SoJo.
Or maybe an art studio for me. Or {I hate this phrase} man cave.
We have a nice view of the house from the windows, especially of my little balcony and its ruby-colored flowers.
We won't miss the graffiti inside the space, which will eventually be painted over
How pathetic is a tag like "Mike"? And in neon pink, to top it.

Nor will we miss the birds who liked to fly in via the one open, I mean MISSING window.
We still have lots of siding to do, then gutters and soffit. For now, I have tons of email to respond to, as well as blogs to visit. Oh my, I'm so behind!
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