In the midst of summertime.

Now if only she could actually do the laundry!



This is the truck my husband is driving this week (in the sunrise at 5:30am). It doesn't look that big in the picture but it is huge! About 4-5 times the length of my car, and I have an SUV so it is a big car.



Awww, somebody loves me! (well besides my family). Thanks to Missy at Missy's book nook
"Being a recipient of this award affirms that this blog invests and believes in the Proximity – nearness in space, time and relationships."

What's happening - Not much really. With having the month of Aug. off, I do have a few little projects planned. I have already started cleaning and re-arranging my Daycare room. I want to re-paint the front porch (but haven't started yet) I will be posting some before and after pictures.
And I guess the big news is we have put our "Thousand Islands Lake property" up for sale! With Glen's new(ish) job we just do not have the time for it. We hardly ever get up there. We would like to buy something else a little closer to home. That's why all the visits to Tug Hill! That area is only 1 1/2 - 2 hrs. away. And yes we have been looking at property for sale. Here is the link to our property - Grass Lake Land for sale, click on the pictures on the top and you can see more pictures. Its not that we don't love it up there, we do. It is absolutely beautiful! I hate getting rid of it, but it does us no good if we never go there.

I remember when I was a teenager, my mom and I used to get headaches t the same time. Well now I am going through the same thing with my daughter. She will call me and say "I have a headache today" and I will say "Me Too!" but also she will call and say "I don't feel very good today", or- "I have an upset stomach" or something else and I almost always say "Me too!" Does anyone else have this happen?

Knitting - Still working on socks!!! LOL I am looking at some new patterns though.

Books I have read - Waiting for the Moon, by Kristin Hannah. This was my second Kristin Hannah book and I am sure it will not be my last. This book took place in a house on the shores of Maine where a young woman throws herself off a cliff, battering her skull making her face an unrecognizable mess,she ends up at Lethe House, where young doctor Ian Carrick looks after a pack of loonies (including his own mother). Ian, formerly a surgeon, had been shot by a jealous husband and, after a near-death experience, he was cursed with the ability to feel the psychic pain of anyone he touches. The great thing about the young cliff-jumper, whom Ian names Selena, is that when he touches her he doesn't feel anything but growing passion. He believes that healing Selena will restore his illustrious reputation. Though she has lost all her memory, she quickly makes a family of the oddities Ian's care, including his mad mother Maeve. They would live happily ever after, except that her husband comes to take her back to their Shaker village. She never did like it there but now she longs for her freedom even more.

"What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day" by Pearl Cleage. This book was shockingly good! I had to keep reminding myself that it was fiction, it read so much l like a memoir. Right on the very first page, Ava, the main character tells us she is HIV positive. But this book is so much more than that - it is about AIDS, teen pregnancy, drug use, teen violence and love. It takes place in a small town north of Detroit MI.

Contests - Liz and Lisa over at Chick lit is not dead is giving away 3 copies of "Time of My Life" by Allison Winn Scotch. This book sounds real good!

I won a great book - "Julie and Julia" by Julie Powell, I can't wait to get this one from Chick loves Lit. You may have seen the previews for the movie that is coming out, I would love to see the movie too.


Reading through the states - I thought I should explain what this is again (for my new viewers) I started this book challenge in Jan. I made it up and named it myself. I am reading one book that takes place in each of the 50 states, any kind of book.
I am now reading my 36th book (a Delaware book)!!!
If anyone has a book for any of my blank states, please let me know!

Alabama- Florabama Ladies Auxiliary and Sewing Circle, by Lois Battle (14)
Alaska- Building from Within, Joan Koponan (15)
Arizona – Whispers, by Erin Grady (13)
Arkansas – Sweet Baby, by Sharon Sala (18)
California – Echoes, by Erin Grady (1)
Colorado- Tomboy Bride, by Harriet Fish Backus (16)
Connecticut – Perfect Family, Pam Lewis (32)
Delaware-
Florida - In her Shoes, by Jennifer Weiner (2)
Georgia – Wild Card Quilt, by Janisse Ray (25)
Hawaii - Flip Flopped by Jill Smolinski (22)
Idaho – Indian Creek Chrinicles, by Pete Fromm (11)
Illinois - The Perfect Match, by Kimberly Cates (20)
Indiana- Prep, Curtis Sittenfeld (26)
Iowa – The Learning, Love Beyond A Lifetime I , by Ruthann Weaver (3)
Kansas – Waiting for Summer’s Return, by Kim Vogel Sawyer (10)
Kentucky – The Believers, By Janice Holt Giles (6)
Louisiana –
Maine- Waiting for the Moon, Kristin Hannah (34)
Maryland-
Massachusetts – A Year by the Sea, by Joan Anderson (4)
Michigan- What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day, by Pearl Cleage (35)
Minnesota – Hit by a Farm, by Catherine Friend (7)
Mississippi- The Help, Kathrine Stocket (28)
Missouri- Language of Sycamores, Lisa Wingate (30)
Montana – My Hutterite Life, by Lisa Marie Stahl (9)
Nebraska-
Nevada-
New Hampshire – Handle With Care, by Jodi Picoult (23)
New Jersey- Welcome to the Departure Lounge, Meg Federico (29)
New Mexico-
New York - The Lives they Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic, by Darby Penney and Peter Stastny (12)
North Carolina – Scrambled Eggs at Midnight, by B. Barkley & H. Hepler (8)
North Dakota- Nothing to do buy Stay, Carrie Young (33)
Ohio-
Oklahoma-
Oregon-
Pennsylvania-
Rhode Island-
South Carolina - Bastard out of Carolina, by Dorothy Allison (5)
South Dakota- A claim of Her Own, Stephine Grace Whitson (27)
Tennessee - The Ballad of Frankie Silver, by Sharyn McCrumb (24)
Texas-
Utah-
Vermont-
Virginia - Confessions of a Counterfeit Farm Girl, Susan McCorkindale(31)
Washington - North of Beautiful, by Justina Chen Headley (19)
West Virginia –
Wisconsin – Tyler: Whirlwind, by Nancy Martin (17)
Wyoming – Letters of a Woman Homesteader, by Elinore Pruitt Stewart (21)



Top 5 - Things I want for my daycare kids (this one is not for you to do but to read) if you have and want to get rid of these items please let me know. If you click on the word it will show you a picture.
1. Wooden blocks
2. Dominoes
3. Tiddlywinks
4. Gyroscope
5. Spinning tops

Kidless for the rest of the summer

One sock down one to go. That's the bad thing about knitting socks, you have to knit two! You get all excited about finishing one then... Ugh I have to make the other one now! Too bad God didn't give us only one foot, but then we would have to hop around. Would shoes be less expensive?



My Lilies. Aren't they beautiful?


The "Lone Flower"



What's happening - Yesterday was my last day with kids!!!! Till Sept. again. Today I tool my daughter grocery shopping and later I will go to Wall-mart. The next couple days I will just clean and do laundry. My hubby has been home everynight, he is working on NY these days. On Sunday we went to the lake house of some friends. We went out on their boat and cruised around Cayuga Lake. I got sunburned, not too bad, just a little pink. We had grilled salmon and corn on the cob, yum (Glen had steak). We had wine and just sat and talked (Glen had coke) LOL. He's not into seafood and not into wine.
My daughter's boyfriend is coming to visit her this weekend so we will have them over for dinner one night.
It has been a very cool summer, only in the 70's and low 80's. Well yesterday - summer began. It was hot. We have been having some T-storms, which you all know I love!

Knitting - Working on my socks.

Books I have read - Ok so I have a sin to admit. I stopped reading a book on page 27! Gasp! I just couldn't read it.It sounded like it was going to be a good book but it just started so slow and..... There were no quotation marks around the conversation!!!! This really bugged me. You could not tell if she was thinking or saying. Pet Peeve - punctuation! Its kind of a "DUH!" Anyway the book was "In the River Sweet". So I started a new book and I like it on page 2!
I did read "Nothing to do but Stay" by Carrie Young. This was a great book. Probably one of the better Historical Memoirs I have read. It takes place in ND in the early 1900's. I thought it was very well written, interesting.
Also read "Perfect Family" by Pam Lewis. This book was really good too! It was a suspenseful, murder mystery that takes place in CT. It was predictable and I had figured out who the mysterious stranger was about 1/2 way through the book but I really didn't care! It was well written and had good character development. The chapters alternated from the different characters view point, so you really got to know everyone involved.



Top 5 - favorite foods that are NOT good for you (but you eat it anyway).
1. Ice cream! I love ice cream, always have it in the house.
2. Recess Puffs cereal, man is that stuff good! I try not to buy it too often but I love it.
3. Syrup, I don't have pancakes, waffles, or french toast very often... but when I do I lay on the syrup! I like every piece drenched in it.
4. Coffee, I know they are finding out now that coffee is not actually all that bad for you, but I drink about 3-4 cups a day, love the stuff!
5. Wine, The amount that I drink is not bad. I only have one glass at a time, holding more than one glass gets kinda hard, especially after you have had a few! Ha ha ha! (Joke)

If coffee buzzes you up and wine makes you sleepy, do they cancel each other out? That's the secret! Just have a cup of coffee after each glass of wine and you will be able to drink as much as you want! Of course you'll be spending all your time on the toilet, so you won't be able to enjoy it.

Country Living

These are all pictures my daughter took when we went to our "Barn Property" just down the road. This is a sampling of country life.








What's happening -My mom sent me this email of interesting facts and it had this in it - The name Wendy was made up for the book Peter Pan; there was never a recorded Wendy before! I think I had actually heard that before.
I am watching kids for this week and two days next week. They have been really good. We have gone to the library, taken walks, eat ice cream, eat lunch on the front porch, watch movies, and play outside everyday. We watched this movie yesterday - "Alaska" - A missing father, A heroic search, an unforgettable family adventure. It was really good! Had me on the edge of my seat and the kids loved it. Lots of action.
My husband has been working closer to home lately so he is home for dinner every night. Kinda puts a cramp in my free-time LOL, just kidding I like having him home for dinner. I was going to say it is nice sitting and watching TV with him but he always falls asleep!

Knitting - I finished another purse and it is ready for felting. I have to get a button for the front first. Still working on my lime green socks, although I haven't been working on them much because of the kids.

Books I have read - "Language of the Sycamores" by Lisa Wingate, this was a good book, I had never read one of hers before. A wife from the city goes to visit her sister in the country and ffinds more than she thought she would. She find out things about her husband she never knew, lover for her sister, and a needy little girl. Very touching book.
"Confessions of a Counterfeit Farm Girl", this book was very funny. The woman's husband has always wanted to buy a farm in the country so she reluctantly agrees. Being from 'Jersey and working in NYC, it is hard for her to adjust. The only thing I didn't like was that she kept giving references I didn't understand, like designers I had never heard of.

Contests - Ti from Book Chatter and other stuff is giving away FIVE copies of "Foreign Tongue" by Vanina Marsot.
Always visit Dar at Peeking between the pages, she has her give aways posted on the left.
Missy at Missy's book nook has hers posted on the left too.
A Sea of Books has some give aways posted on the right.


Top 5 - things you wouldn't do if you didn't have to.
1. Pay bills
2. Housework
3. Cook
4. Get groceries
5. Get headaches (I have one now)

Baaaaad kitty!

I have to ask... Does anyone else's kitty do this?

And she looks so sweet too. "I didn't do anything, Mom"



This is a pair of sock I am knitting with yarn I got in Watkins Glen when my mom was here visiting. The color is awesome! It's like Sierra Mist. You can click on it to get a closer look at the pattern.


This is the "before" picture of the purse I knitted and felted.
This is the "after". I love it! It turned out great! I will keep the pattern and probably use it over and over. So some of you may get a purse for Christmas.




Whoot, Whoot! I got an award! It comes to me from Missy at Missy's Book Nook, she has a really nice blog you should visit her. ***Actually I got two! I got another (same award) from Chick Loves Lit.
So - The rules state that in order to accept this award, I need to list seven of my very favorite things. Then I may pass the award on to seven other bloggers!
My Seven Favorite Things -
1. Being with Family
2. Coffee on the porch
3. Pizza and Ice Cream... anywhere, anytime
4. Vacation
5. Being alone
6. Books and knitting
7. God and my faith

Seven other Blogs, hmmm... this will be hard.
1. Miss Flower Beautiful blog, beautiful pictures!
2. Chick Loves Lit Book reviews, and always lot of giveaways!
3. Chickens in the Road - this just might be the most beautiful and creative blog I have ever seen!
4. Melissa's Bookshelf - Another really beautiful blog with book reviews and lots more.
5. Peeking Between the Pages - Great book reviews, great give aways, nice blog.
6. Chick Lit is not Dead - The most Hilarious blog ever!!!!!!
7. The Yarnarian - Great knitting/yarn blog, she dyes and sells yarn and it is gorgeous!


What's happening - My husband went from working in PA to working in WV. He was home for 1 1/2 days. 3 days in PA and 4 days in WV. He is suppose to come home tonight. I have to admit that even though he is gone alot he really tries hard to make it up to when he gets home. He has to mow the yard both here and at the "barn property" but then he makes sure he spends time with me. We go out to breakfast, out to dinner, go for drives, go shopping, etc. Other wives have asked me how I can stand it and I tell them "If we had young children at home, or if he ignored me when he was home, or if we were jus newly married, it wouldn't work" But we make it work! I knew before he took the job that it would be like this and we did talk about it, he actually asked me if he should take it. And we both agreed that our marriage was strong enough to handle it.


Books I have read - "The Help" by Kathryn Stocket, Excellent book! Takes place in the early 60's in MS. This is about a young white woman who becomes interested in the plight of the black maids that every white family has working for them. She wants to "change things" but this is dangerous at this time in history. She begins to write their stories about the mistreatment, abuse and heartbreaks, all just before the Civil Rights revolution. The black women have to make a decision, take the chance and tell all and possibly be fired or worse, or just keep quiet and put up with it all.
Also read - "Welcome to the Departure Lounge: Adventures in Mothering Mother" by Meg Federico. This is a memoir of a woman who ends up taking care of her elderly and deranged mother. It is very funny and very sad. I would often laugh and then feel guilty because I realized I was laughing at her expense. But the book is written to be funny so I laughed along with her. Great book!

Contests - Dar at Peeking Between the Pages is giving away a copy of "A Worthy Legacy" by Tomi Akinyanmi. Looks like a great book (and has a great cover!).
Toni at A Circle of Books is giving away a copy of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer. This also looks like a great book!
Chick Loves Lit also has several giveaways.

My friend Erin Quinn has just finished her new book - Haunting Beauty. Check in at Quinn's Essentials to see a real nice trailer for it. Also she does contests at Erin Quinn Books and has some great prizes.



Top 5 - Swear words (that are not really swearing).
1. Oh crap!
2. Oh my word!
3. For Heaven's sake.
4. Just chill!
5. That really ticked me off!

*please no real swear words - I like to keep a clean blog.