Robin's Nest

 When I first arrived in Colorado via the gracious hand of Uncle Sam, it snowed every weekend. It would be nice all week and I would stand there on the tarmac wondering what fun the kids and I would conjure up on Saturday. When Saturday arrived, the snow came with it and not just a little snow. Usually enough that my little Ford Festiva was not able to be driven very far. No trips into the mountains, barely any to the grocery store across the street from the townhouses that we lived in. Friday's whiteness The minimal amount of snow that has fallen this winter and spring, is pitiful comparatively speaking. This lack of moisture has prompted my plan to container garden this year. So far, I have green beans sprouted and buttercrunch lettuce, a few tomato plants, two types of watermelons, pumpkin, Brussel sprouts, sweet peppers and cabbage. The broccoli is still not sprouting. The sweet peppers just began so there is hope for the others to still come up. this tray has a variety of seed...

 Today I got up and didn't even consider what day it was until I went into our bedroom to get my clothes ready for church. Frankly, I really didn't feel up to going to church today, but I vowed with the kids homeschooling that we would go, if at all possible, no matter how much I felt like not going. I had weird dreams last night. Weird enough to remember too. As I entered the bedroom DH asked if I knew what day it was, I said yes, the 8th, not thinking about the significance of the day. He had barely got the thought out of his mouth when it registered that it had been 4 years since our home had burned to the ground. Maybe the dreams tied in with the date, maybe they didn't. We chatted a bit and I went to make the morning coffee and get the girls ready for church. The youngest put forth a fuss, but not much of one. The older one came out of hiding and poured herself a bowl of cereal and immediately retreated back to her room. We talked a bit longer and then DH headed off to...

 This morning we are on day four of constipation with the 9-year-old. What makes it harder is that this child will not take any medication. Part of her personality, but also common in children with ADHD. This makes getting things moving a bit trickier than it needs to be. I have already used MiraLAX in the drinks and have had no results. Really don't want to move to the next route but I might have too if things don't get moving along. She has also run a low-grade fever since Friday, this means Monday may be another absence. Not a great thing but if she is sick what can I do? Other than continue playing games? During the height of the pandemic, we "game-schooled" a bit. It helps to keep them learning while having fun. Yes, it is a real thing. Jenga actually is teaches lots of different things, to include spatial awareness, gravity, opposing forces. It improves strategic thinking, eye-hand coordination and problem solving, without a boring textbook! Geometry is also add...

  It was a good day to try something else. So, I tried my hand at a different donut recipe. It was, eh, so-so, I mean as far as donuts go. I have definitely had better. The ones that I cut into the traditional donut shape cooked a little too long as they were very dark. It just seemed like they were missing something. All of them. I did cut some into a shape to fill with something and when they cool, I will try. I had lots of help during this little adventure. All in all, they were a success. The recipe made way more than we could or would eat. I will let you know how well they keep. In the future I will make a half batch. While I did look forward to the traditional shape, I found the puffy pillow shape to be my preference. Another detail I will pay closer attention to is having frostings and fillings ready before starting the dough. That was my "try something new" for this past week.  SIL is particularly needy this weekend. The fact remains that I am the main entertainme...

If today is the first day of the rest of your life does that count as a "do-over"? Because if it does I'll take mine tomorrow. But alas I know and you know that life is what you make it... "do-over" or not. Now that I think of it, I won't take mine tomorrow as I have an audit in my department and a meeting with the company attorney. It seems that one of the residents is suing us for discrimination... I wish you could start discriminating when that happens.  I should so wear the bunny suit! there are lunches to pack and creamer to sniff (since I am not drinking the stuff). There are also 4 pints of whipping cream that need to be turned into butter. It makes it easier to freeze and keep longer. But that is the trouble of buying too much of a good thing!  This post was halted by the fire that changed our lives.... Thus the delay in posting it. I didn't wear the bunny suit on January 8th We didn't eat dinner at this table that night ...