Indoors = sad.
Outdoors = content. ;)
Outdoors = content. ;)
Monday, April 28, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Grey skies are gonna clear up
It's rather dreary outside today - but I'm not complaining! We've had great weather lately and Simeon and I have been outside everyday (which is a great change after the long winter). Yesterday we went out to lunch with my parents and went back to their house for a visit and a tour of the garden. Things are finally starting to spring up. It's so good to see the green, even if the deer have eaten a lot of it :( They sent home some daffodils and mayflowers with me and they're a very cheery addition to the apartment, especially today. Thanks mom and dad!
Our animal friends
As a continuation of our last post I thought I'd share a couple of pictures we took of the local wildlife while we were at the reversing falls. The groundhog was very suspicious of our motives and kept inching towards his burrow but did let Simeon get a good look at him. That's assuming of course that he was looking at the rodent and not at his hands, thinking: "Hey! Fingers!"
I got Sean to snap this pic because I was quite impressed with this rather regal-looking seagull. I've never liked seagulls; they're rats with wings that infest fast food parking lots because stupid people feed them fries and then drive off before the birds start pooping happy meals on everyone else's windshields. *Sigh* But I digress. He seems different somehow. Here's hoping.
I got Sean to snap this pic because I was quite impressed with this rather regal-looking seagull. I've never liked seagulls; they're rats with wings that infest fast food parking lots because stupid people feed them fries and then drive off before the birds start pooping happy meals on everyone else's windshields. *Sigh* But I digress. He seems different somehow. Here's hoping.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Well Then
On the same visit that produced the typewriter, Dad stumbled upon a second well on the property. Having previously seen the ends of these rotted and be-mossed planks under the hay on the hill, he decided to dig them up and clear them out. What he found was this:
And then this: A very old and beautifully executed fieldstone well.
Then he decided to clean the debris out. In the absence of a net, he climbed down into the well, bracing his feet against the loose stones. I thought, "Maybe not such a good idea." But if YOUR dad was about to fall into an old and frigid well, wouldn't YOU want to be there taking pictures too?
Anyway, he got out safely and we put a new covering on the well. Here now is a shot from the ecosystem on top of the old planks:
It had been raining off and on that day, and this little fellow had filled his raindrop-catching quota (the quota being 1); happy was he.
And then this: A very old and beautifully executed fieldstone well.
Then he decided to clean the debris out. In the absence of a net, he climbed down into the well, bracing his feet against the loose stones. I thought, "Maybe not such a good idea." But if YOUR dad was about to fall into an old and frigid well, wouldn't YOU want to be there taking pictures too?
Anyway, he got out safely and we put a new covering on the well. Here now is a shot from the ecosystem on top of the old planks:
It had been raining off and on that day, and this little fellow had filled his raindrop-catching quota (the quota being 1); happy was he.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
The Big, Silent Type
Was up at Mum and Dad's Saturday. Helped purge the sun porch. Uncovered this Remington 30 banking typewriter, of which Dad was trying to unburden himself. I was only too happy to assist:) This old beauty weighs a tonne, and everything on it works smoothly.
The Remington 30 has a fascinating history, dating back to its first recorded use to draw up a contract between Noah and the Post-Diluvian Ararat Zoological Society. Over the years the considerable heft of this machine has made it useful in sundry other lines of work, from mooring small boats to chaining down flight-risk criminals.
The belly of the beast: this is a view across the inside of the typewriter (assisted on the other end by the light of a match).
The famous bell that makes that satisfying "ding."
The inclusion of the "@" key (seen here) was instrumental in writing pre-WWI commerce-related emails.
The famous bell that makes that satisfying "ding."
The inclusion of the "@" key (seen here) was instrumental in writing pre-WWI commerce-related emails.The Remington 30 has a fascinating history, dating back to its first recorded use to draw up a contract between Noah and the Post-Diluvian Ararat Zoological Society. Over the years the considerable heft of this machine has made it useful in sundry other lines of work, from mooring small boats to chaining down flight-risk criminals.
Friday, April 11, 2008
We may not have mentioned it.....
I don't know if we've told you that Simeon can roll over now. Ummmm, surprise. Anyway, this morning I had him on the floor and he was reaching for a toy and he actually pulled himself forward to reach it! I couldn't believe it, he must've pulled him self a good 6 inches. I though it quite impressive. Of course, when I got the camera he wouldn't do it again but he does roll over in the video at least. {I apologize for the annoying voice in the background}
A drake and his duck
The weather has been absolutely wonderful in old SJ this week and Simeon and I have been enjoying our daily walks tremendously! I took a few shots along the way to show you the signs of spring in our neck of the woods. The crocuses in this picture are the first blooms in my (Ruth) mother's flowerbed. 
Sidenote: did you know that crocus is Latin for saffron? Saffron is made of the stigma of the saffron crocus. Hmm.
We also met a couple of mallard ducks on our journey.
We've seen them for over a week now and I'm hoping they'll stick around. Sadly, Simeon wasn't quite as interested (as you can see).
Sidenote: did you know that crocus is Latin for saffron? Saffron is made of the stigma of the saffron crocus. Hmm.We also met a couple of mallard ducks on our journey.
We've seen them for over a week now and I'm hoping they'll stick around. Sadly, Simeon wasn't quite as interested (as you can see).
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Duh! ; )
Husbands create 7 hours of extra housework a week: study
Fri Apr 4, 2008 7:27pm EDT
NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - For married women who can't figure out why they always have so much housework researchers may have the answer -- husbands.
A new study from the University of Michigan shows that having a husband creates an extra seven hours of extra housework a week for women. But a wife saves her husband from an hour of chores around the house each week.
"It's a well-known pattern. There's still a significant reallocation of labor that occurs at marriage -- men tend to work more outside the home, while women take on more of the household labor," said Frank Stafford, of the university's Institute for Social Research (ISR), who directed the study.
"And the situation gets worse for women when they have children," he added in a statement.
Stafford's findings are based on 2005 time-diary data from a study on income dynamics that has been conducted since 1968 at ISR.
The researchers studied diaries to assess how people spent their time and questioned men and women about how much time they spend cooking, cleaning and doing basic work around the house.
They found that young single women did the least amount of housework, at about 12 hours a week. Married women in their 60 and 70s did nearly twice that amount, while women with more than three children spent 28 hours a week cleaning, cooking and washing.
But it's not as bad as it used to be. In 1976 women did an average of 26 hours of housework a week, while men did about six, according to the study.
Fri Apr 4, 2008 7:27pm EDT
NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - For married women who can't figure out why they always have so much housework researchers may have the answer -- husbands.
A new study from the University of Michigan shows that having a husband creates an extra seven hours of extra housework a week for women. But a wife saves her husband from an hour of chores around the house each week.
"It's a well-known pattern. There's still a significant reallocation of labor that occurs at marriage -- men tend to work more outside the home, while women take on more of the household labor," said Frank Stafford, of the university's Institute for Social Research (ISR), who directed the study.
"And the situation gets worse for women when they have children," he added in a statement.
Stafford's findings are based on 2005 time-diary data from a study on income dynamics that has been conducted since 1968 at ISR.
The researchers studied diaries to assess how people spent their time and questioned men and women about how much time they spend cooking, cleaning and doing basic work around the house.
They found that young single women did the least amount of housework, at about 12 hours a week. Married women in their 60 and 70s did nearly twice that amount, while women with more than three children spent 28 hours a week cleaning, cooking and washing.
But it's not as bad as it used to be. In 1976 women did an average of 26 hours of housework a week, while men did about six, according to the study.
Everyone should wake up to this song
That's what I think of when I see Simeon smile at me first thing in the morning. And here's what early morning grin looks like:
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
If you like a little spice...
...I thought you might enjoy this recipe for what I call Mexican Lasagna. You'll need 6 tortillas (store bought are fine) which are very simple to make with the following instructions ~
Tortillas
2 c. flour
1 t. salt
1/4 t. baking powder
1/4 c. oil
3/4 c. boiling water
Mix dry and wet ingredients separately and then mix together; form into six balls. Roll them flat (very thin) and lay in fry pan at low/medium heat (no oil in pan!) until brown bubbles appear.
But on to the lasagna~
2c. ground beef spaghetti sauce
1 1/4 c. salsa
1 roma tomato
1/2 yellow pepper
1/2 onion
(any other vegetables you choose)
grated cheddar cheese
Mix sauce and salsa together. Lay 2 tortillas on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish and spoon 1/2 of the sauce on top. Sprinkle with vegetables and repeat. Lay last 2 tortillas on top of second layer and sprinkle cheese. Bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes. A dollop of sour cream goes great on top if you need to cool it down. What I like is that it's such a forgiving dish and it's a great way to use up leftovers. Last time I made it I used extra sloppy joe filling I had in the fridge :) I also made a loaf of cheese and onion bread topped with roasted garlic and a quick tossed salad.
Bon appetit!
Tortillas
2 c. flour
1 t. salt
1/4 t. baking powder
1/4 c. oil
3/4 c. boiling water
Mix dry and wet ingredients separately and then mix together; form into six balls. Roll them flat (very thin) and lay in fry pan at low/medium heat (no oil in pan!) until brown bubbles appear.
But on to the lasagna~
2c. ground beef spaghetti sauce
1 1/4 c. salsa
1 roma tomato
1/2 yellow pepper
1/2 onion
(any other vegetables you choose)
grated cheddar cheese
Mix sauce and salsa together. Lay 2 tortillas on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish and spoon 1/2 of the sauce on top. Sprinkle with vegetables and repeat. Lay last 2 tortillas on top of second layer and sprinkle cheese. Bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes. A dollop of sour cream goes great on top if you need to cool it down. What I like is that it's such a forgiving dish and it's a great way to use up leftovers. Last time I made it I used extra sloppy joe filling I had in the fridge :) I also made a loaf of cheese and onion bread topped with roasted garlic and a quick tossed salad.
Bon appetit!
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