Gene paid me an unusual compliment yesterday.  “Hey you’re keeping your flowers alive this year”, he said.  It made me feel good, because it’s true:  I have zero green thumbs.  And yes, my flowers are alive, not thriving, but alive, and that’s what counts in my book.  Of the three rows of carrots I planted, one survived. Not one row, one carrot.  I’m not sure if I should pamper it or pull it out.  I’m on round number two with pepper plants because the original ones didn’t make it.  I have three half rows of green beans instead of the three full rows I planted.  On the upside, I have three healthy looking squash plants and that’s funny since I didn’t plant any squash.  Oh well.  I’m not sure why I torture myself this way.  I guess the reason is when I’m finally done and have my green beans in the freezer, I can think, “boy I feel like a virtuous woman”.

 Speaking of virtuous women, I was reminded yesterday during church of the Proverbs 31 women.  So I took a little peek at her.  And I was reminded again of my love/hate relationship with her.  I wonder why so much attention is given to the things she does instead of her heart.  I wonder since she’s so busy does she have time for her children?  I wonder if it ticks her off that her husband can bum around at the gate while she’s out buying fields.  I guess most of all she intrigues me, because I’m not sure if she exists.    On the other hand, I would definitely recommend a woman like that to my son too.  Now before you get all worked up about my warped view of her, I’ll say this: She is an inspiration to me, and she’s a frustration to me.  I’m actually learning to have a little more faith because of her.  Faith that there is a good reason God let her in the Bible, not just to tick me off or make me feel like a failure, something more.  And in case you’re wondering, yes, I have had this fixation on her for quite a while now. I keep thinking I need to do an in-depth study on her to put it to rest once and for all.

End with some pictures of my kids.  Seriously I never knew I had such strong maternal genes.  Sometimes I love my kids so much my heart feels like it will explode.  Other times, oh well, we won’t go there.  I guess today is one of those days I look at my little boy and girl and “I want to squish you guys to pieces!”.

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This is what she does all day: Plays with the kittens. And yes, she gets filthy.

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This is what he does all day: Rolls around in his walker. He loooves it.

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I love this picture, they’re both cracking up.

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I had to add this one, because she is wearing

my old dress.  Her little mind can almost not

comprehend that I once fit into that dress, she

thinks it’s too cool!

So long, see you next month!

competitions

  I have this thing for cometitions.  I’m always finding them in the newspaper, and I have this idea in my head that I will win big if I enter the bake-off or writing contest or whatever it is.  I clip the rules, check out the website, and come up with all sorts of great ideas so that $1,000,000.00 prize will be mine.  The thing is I have never actually submitted anything into these contests.  Currently clipped is the 43rd Pillsbury bake-off and the Family Circle 2007 Fiction Writing contest. The deadline comes…I haven’t perfected the recipe yet…the deadline goes… and no prize money for me. The next week I spot a new competition and clip, clip, clip get excited about that one.  The worst was when I actually went and bought cans of Veg-All mixed vegetables to create some delicious masterpiece.  I quickly learned that the Veg-All marketing team probably needed some new great recipes because there is simply no way to make those mixed vegetables edible.

  Anyway, ever since I read the book The Prize Winner from Defiance Ohio, I’m enamored with winning these contests.  Its about this incredible lady who keeps her family a float by winning all these limmerick contests that magazines had back in the old days.  A neat (also true) story. (side note: book way-better than movie) Sooo any ideas for the Pillsbury bake-off? I will give you 10% of my winnings. If I choose to use your idea, and if I actually submit the thing and If I win.

Ok I need to be fair, and honest with you.  THE ODDS REALLY AREN’T THAT GOOD.

Good Day.