What's On Your Doorstep?

These two moths showed up on my doorstep a few days ago. They were far more interesting than the run of the mill variety. This first one was huge...nearly the size of a Luna Moth which is pretty darn big in moth terms.
This one was quite the opposite. It's a teensy little thing, and has little fuzzy legs and an incredibly cute little "mustache" (really probably the antennae).
I know y'all all woke up dying to know what was on my doorstep. I'm sure Erin is especially intrigued....ahem...if memory serves me she has a slight fear of moths. Sorry, girl...hope we can still be friends!

In other, totally unrelated news, Yana from Heart Go Boom-Boom is expected her first little bundle of joy! I am thrilled for her. Since we spent a semester as college roomies, I probably should have done a whole separate congratulatory post, sans moths. But really, how fun would that be?! Anyway...Yana, you are destined to be an incredible mother. I am so excited for you and can't wait to see tons of belly pics and get a little peek into your journey into motherhood. Enjoy every moment, and rest up...you're building a baby in there! It's a tough job, but definitely quite an honor!

Birthday Blues And Totally Unrelated But Adorable Pics

My Birthday is coming up very soon. Generally, I don't get too terribly excited about my birthdays, but I was starting to get excited about this one. It was scheduled to rain...FINALLY! But, I just checked the forecast and, oh, the disappointment of it all. There's a big ole' stinkin' sunshine plopped right on my birthday. The nerve of that darn sun! Rain isn't in the forecast now until two whole days after my birthday. I've already lost three cucumber plants, and my beans are at this weird standstill...sort of frozen in time. If it's even possible to be frozen in 100 degree weather. They won't get past 2 or 3 inches. It's almost eerie. I'm also blaming the lack of rain for all of my tomatoes and blueberries still being green. Green, sort of like Levi's shirt. Of course, I just had to throw in two totally unrelated pictures. Because he's just so darn adorable. And, speaking of green tomatoes. I've found new and fabulous uses for them because we seriously have enough to feed an army. Fried green tomatoes are of course super fabulous, but did you know you can grill those babies?! Talk about some yumminess. Now, when I say grill I'm referring to a grill pan...starting a fire is not on my skill list. But, the other day I "grilled" slices of eggplant, green tomato, and onion and then made open faced sandwiches. Mmm...Mmm...Good! And, chopped green tomatoes are incredible when sauteed. So, when life gives you green tomatoes, cook 'em up!

Everyone Needs A Little "Dur"

Summer is in full swing around these parts. And, Levi is loving every minute of it. This is pretty much what he looks like 24/7 now:
The boy just can't get enough of the outdoors...especially the dirt or "dur" as he likes to call it. Has the heat picked up in your neck of the woods? The temps are skirting and surpassing 100 around here. And, oh, that rain sit hasn't worked so far. Hmmm...we might just have to pull out the dancing shoes. My garden is languishing. I've even had a few fatalities. Oh. my.

Tag Time

I've been tagged by Monica from Moon Over Maize. If you've never checked her out, you certainly should. Psst...she makes really cute jewelry! So, on with the meme:

The rules:
1. Respond and rework; answer the questions on your blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, add one more question of your own.
2. Tag eight other people.

What is your current obsession? Growing food and going to the farmer's market...and, of course, chopping and cooking all those really lovely, yummy veggies.

What is your weirdest obsession? The spider living on my front porch. I check her out every day...possibly with more frequency than I check my garden. She's moved to three different spots and molted twice. She also might have eaten her husband. I don't know, but she sure looks mean. He's been hanging out in her web for a few days now, and he's mysteriously disappeared. So, either he's found himself another web or she ate him.

What are you wearing today? Rolled up jeans, black flip-flops, and a blue tank top...not exactly my most stylish day. Comfy, though.

What’s for dinner? Probably baked sweet potatoes, steamed kale, and a squash and green tomato something or other. It's still a tad up in the air.

What is your favourite book? I only get to pick one?! Hmmm...I'll have to get back to you on that one.

What’s the last thing you bought? I assume this means something other than food, so that would be some cute clothes from Goodwill.

What are you listening to right now? The air conditioner.

What is your favourite ice-cream flavour? Um. All of them.

What do you think of the person who tagged you? She's a pretty cool homebirthin', jewelry makin' momma!

If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be? Here. Does that sound ridiculously provincial? I just like Mississippi.

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour where would you go? To Italy for lunch.

Which language do you want to learn? I'm pretty happy with English. Previous attempts at learning other languages have led nowhere fast.

What gets you motivated to clean? This would be part of rule #1. I was about to write a post begging for cleaning motivation. Seriously. I'm not the world's best housekeeper, but I'm not usually the worst either. Lately, though, zero motivation. I look at my house, and wish it would clean itself. Maybe I should throw a party. That's definitely one way to get me to clean up, but then I'd have to clean up after the party too. Ugh. I so need a cleaning pep talk. My attitude towards housework has gone way down hill. Any good advice? Or, bad advice? I'm pretty desperate at this point. ;)

What is your favourite colour? Robin's Egg Blue.

What is your favourite piece of clothing in your own wardrobe? That's a tough one. There's a pink skirt in there that I love. And, a little black dress...duh! And, some pink shoes.........

What is your favourite magazine? I have two. They're actually the only magazines that I ever read, but I read them cover to cover at least twice. . . Mothering and Quilting Arts.

If you had a £100 now, what would you spend it on? Is putting it in savings an option? I'm turning into such an old lady...can't believe I just typed that. But, yeah, savings sounds good.

Favourite artist/s? Oh. my. stars. All these favorites questions are getting me. The list would be insane on this one. I don't even know where to start.

Do you admire anyone’s style? Yes. ;)

Describe your personal style? Comfortable but cute...except today, it's just comfortable. I am a mommy after all. And, I got thrown up on this morning. Oh, yeah, and peed on...not exactly inspiration for a stylin' outfit.

What are you going to do after this? A nap sounds good, but not terribly practical. I think I might muster up some cleaning energy. Or maybe, I'll just say to heck with it and go to Italy for lunch.

What are your favourite movies? The Princess Bride. Truth be told, I don't watch a lot of movies. I think the last movie I saw was The Business of Being Born...very good by the way.

What is your favourite fruit? Blueberries!!! And, strawberries.

What inspires you? Things around me....nature, Levi, my family, and friends.

What music do you like this week? I think this meme is revealing how truly dorky and homebodyish I am. I'm pretty sure that I haven't heard anything except children's music in the last month. We're pretty big into Julia Norton's Lullaby Island. I especially love that it puts Levi to sleep...works like a charm, every time. I'm thinking a little Etta James is in order for the day. Levi's horizons are in need of some broadening.

What is your dream job? Being a mom!

What is stopping you? Nothing. God is very good!

What is your favorite season of the year? Um, all of the above. But, especially spring and autumn. This 100 degree weather is certainly making me look forward to autumn's cool crispness.

Something about yourself that makes no sense? Ha! Does any of it make sense?

Okay, now it's tag time. So, you're it:

1. Liz @ Notes From a Small Town

2. Dera @ Casablanca

3. Heather @ Cool Zebras

4. Holly @ Tropic of Mom

5. Yana @ Heart Go Boom Boom

6. Erin @ It's Your Movie

7. Hannah @ Mulberry Spot

8. Molly @ Star Cottage

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to the best Baw-Baw in town...actually, I'm pretty sure you're the only Baw-Baw in town!

We (meaning my dad and sister) moved the chicken house yesterday. Levi and I watched. Oh, but, don't tell Levi that. He's convinced that he was a huge help. You see the sweat he worked up doing all that "helping"?
Hope all you daddies out there are having a wonderful day!

Parched

We
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Need
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Rain!!!

You know it's bad when even the succulents are looking parched. Despite lots of sprinkler action, my garden is unhappy and wilty. There's really no substitute for what God pours down from the sky. I've considered collecting rainwater to use in the garden, but that would require me to put my thinking cap on. In this heat, my thinking cap doesn't work so well. Oh, yeah, and I'd have to build stuff and move heavy objects, and when the temps hit this high, I feel no desire to do anything but sit...inside...where there's air conditioning. Thank the good Lord for giving us the brains to invent air conditioning.

Hmmmm....

Maybe a rain dance is in order.

Oh, wait. I nearly forgot, It's way to hot to dance. Maybe a rain sit would work....

Upgrade

You might remember this. Well, we've had a bit of an "upgrade":

He insisted it come home with us from the thrift store a couple of months ago. It sat on a shelf until yesterday. Now, it's his constant companion. "Dacta" is it's name...that would be Levi speak for tractor.

Pretty and Yummy...Now That Can't Be Beat

The daylilies are blooming. Around here, daylilies are in nearly every yard. They are as common as cats, but I love them just the same. Their blossoms are gorgeous, but beyond that, you can eat them. How cool is that?! They're actually really good. You can throw them in salads or decorate a dessert with them. I've only tried the flowers, but I've heard that the entire plant, including the rhizome, is edible. Any daylily eaters out there?I should Google daylily recipes. Hmmm....

Curious

His insatiable curiosity makes me grin ear to ear. It's infectious and fabulous. He checks out everything. Just walking from our house to his Nana and Baw-Baw's house takes forever and a very long time. We have to stop to inspect all the leaves, bugs, toads, lizards, skinks, and sticks between here and there.
If we ever want to get in the door, it requires toting him. If left to his own devices we'd never venture inside. I wouldn't change it for the world.

Can't It Always Be This Good?

Some weeks it seems that problems just pop up left and right and nothing gets done quite when and like it's supposed to. And, then other weeks everything runs smoothly (even when it doesn't--if that makes any sense), and time is slow in a good way. And things just fall together quite nicely. This has been one of those smooth (even when its not) and good weeks. I've been busy as a bee and happy as a lark (Geez, I think I've read I'm As Quick As A Cricket ten too many times).
We've gone to appointments, run loads of errands, possibly skimped on the housework (but whose counting?), gardened, worked, and, of course, played.
My sister, Annie, came up for the weekend. We had a blast running errands, chatting, and playing with Levi. Saturday, we left extra early for the Farmer's Market, so we could run other errands before nap time. Being the genius that I am, I managed to lock the keys in the car which put us behind schedule by two hours while we waited for help to arrive. We still had fun though. The market was hopping, so there was plenty to look at and enjoy. Not to mention it was a gorgeous day, so how could a little thing like being locked out of the car put a damper on things?! We even managed to get all our errands run and get Levi down for his nap on time. We must have hit a time warp! That evening we went to a cookout hosted by some friends. Grilled eggplant was on the menu....Yummy!!
Speaking of food, my garden is becoming quite edible and oh, so yummy! I have 11 tomato plants, and they are huge and overflowing with lovely green tomatoes. I even broke down and fried some up. Generally I steer clear of fried food. I love fried green tomatoes, though. So, I finally found some recipes and tested the waters, or should I say oils? Mmmm, mmmm, good.
Some of these plants are as tall as me!!
Sigh....How cute is this little munchkin???!! And, when did he start running? Seriously, people. One day he's crawling, the next he's walking, and now running. He cracks me up waddling around on those short legs. He still loves to be held and cuddled though. Makes a momma's heart just melt.
Now why can't every week be this good?

The Chase Is On

Levi has been busy lately perfecting his bug chasing skills. He giggles as he chases daddy long legs, moths, and ants around the porch. I giggle just watching him. The little speck he's after in these pics is a carpenter ant. Poor thing had a few narrow escapes. We're working on learning the art of gentle bug chasing. So far, we've only had a few insect fatalities.
When the ant finally ran out of sight, Levi decided that bumblebee chasing was next up on the agenda.
There are no more pictures after this because, well, I had to put an end to the chasing of stinging critters.

Yummy Weekend!

Hope y'all have a fabulous and yummy weekend!

Found!

I found it...
on clearance...
and he loves it.
Sigh.
"Daw" (Draw)...
"Cayon" (Crayon)...
"Cuwuh" (Color)...
Oh. My. He truly is a boy after my own heart.

P.S. There's more to come in his little "work" nook, but for now I'm terribly pleased.

Taking It For A Spin

A few days ago, after a very long day in which Levi napped less than an hour, I had the brilliant idea to go to Walmart for a tricycle. Hmmmm....where was my brain? I had dreams of a cute red Radio Flyer trike, and Levi beaming over it. I thought we'd be in and out in no time. Has anyone ever managed getting in and out of Walmart in no time??? Again, where was my brain?
So, we venture in, and finally make it back to the toy section. Levi is already showing signs of crankiness. But, I persevere. We get to the trikes, and lo and behold they have that cute red Radio Flyer. And, better yet, Levi beams over it.
So, why on earth is there a giant plastic Fisher Price trike on my lawn???!!!! Well, it's really not such a long story. Levi instantly got on the nice red Radio Flyer, and he instantly toppled over...trike and all. His feet didn't quite reach the ground, and the wheel base was a bit too narrow for his wobbly self. Sigh. There went my dreams. Instead I opted for the not nearly as cute or nostalgic plastic trike. Because, it's stable and safe, and Levi beams over it, too.
If only beaming was where the story ended. After putting the trike in the buggy, Levi's crankiness turned into giant, horrible sobs and screams. Passersby actually had the nerve to comment. And, of course, it took another half hour just to get out of the store. Oh, my.

Full On Red

Gorgeous...Yum.
The first garden tomato of 2009 was transformed into this...
Add some mint and oregano mixed in with a couple farmer's market tomatoes and cucumbers, and we had ourselves some serious yum. Have I ever mentioned how much I love fresh summer veggies? ;)

Basket Case

Levi is such a little riot. He's gotten very into stuffing his cheeks as full as he can possibly get them...with food, of course. I'm pretty good at prevention, but occasionally he gets past my radar and starts shoveling the food in faster than I can blink. And, then he's off to hide, so no one can steal it from him. Seriously, the way he acts about food you'd think we lived in a third world country...or he had 5 brothers vying for his snacks. Here he is hiding with food nearly escaping from those bulging cheeks!
While we're on the topic of silly things Levi does......Who needs toys, or chairs for that matter? A good book and a basket certainly suffice.
Excuse the bedhead. This was his seat of choice directly after waking up. Personally, I prefer slightly more cushioned spots for my reading adventures. But, to each his own.

Red Where I Want It And Red Where I Don't

Today, is Farmer's Market Day. Yay! Are y'all Farmer's Market fans like we are? In my dream world I grow enough veggies to eat year round. In reality, I grow vegetables that are still working on giving us more than one meal every so often. The Farmer's Market is the next best thing. Plus, I can get the scoop on different plants that can be grown in my neck of the woods.
Speaking of things growing around here. Ahem...we finally have ourselves a tinge of red!!!! Mmmm....my mouth is watering.
I lost a few bean sprouts to cutworms, so here we have some newbies adorned with cutworm prevention...paper cups sans bottoms. So far, so good.
The blackberries are still red for the most part. We've had a handful of ripe ones, but I'm waiting (not so) patiently for the rest to turn. This is one instance where red is not nearly so loved. At least it's pretty.
Wishing y'all a swell Saturday!

Bugged Out

Around here, in the Spring and Summer we're up to our eyeballs in bugs. Some of them good; some of them bad. Sorry, God, but I just don't get it. Why mosquitoes???? And, horseflies, deer flies, red bugs, and ticks???
Other than the Summer villains, the bug world is pretty spectacular. This beauty landed on my screen porch. He was none to keen on me invading his space with my camera. Sorry, little fella!
Can you believe this is the same butterfly? Just with wings shut.

This critter has taken up residence on my screen door. Sadly, my screened in porch is really perfect for spiders. Instead of keeping the bugs out it seems to just trap them. I'm torn between thinking this spider is stunning and being creeped out by his rather monster like "face".
This leggy fella' is what we call a daddy long legs. Levi is in love. He chases these things all over the place, giggling the whole way!
Not so secretly, while pregnant I was dying to have a little boy. I'm quite girly enough as it is. I like that with a little boy, I get to let the tomboy in me out. I can chase bugs and blame it on him. ;)
Are y'all up to any bug chasing adventures?

Whose Winning?

When Baw-Baw's gone, Levi asks about him non-stop. "Baw-Baw? Baw-Baw?" is what I hear coming and going all day long. Well, today, Baw-Baw took off of work. Levi was in seventh heaven. The two amigos fixed the tractor, fed the horses, spotted lightening bugs and bats, and even shared an ice cream cone. But the cutest part of the day, I actually managed to catch on camera. They played ball together. If it wasn't for nap time, I think Levi would have kept going and going with this little game. I never ever in a million years thought I'd say this, but with this little kid's love of playing ball, I think I might just end up as a soccer mom...gasp! I'll be the only mommy there looking completely clueless going, "Huh? What's going on? Are we winning?"

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