take II* (click on each pic to enlarge)

first, a couple from monday morning (going through the 9-12m box!) and monday afternoon (check out the teeth!):


and my version of yesterday:

a trip to the thrift store: $7 (inc. the pink shirt I'm wearing and missing a pair of brown fleece pants with monkey embroidery for EP)

a trip to the flower department: $15 (roses-with roots!)
a trip down the street wherein the H comes ] [ this close to trashpicking (the owners are PCS-ing-to Norfolk, no less- and since we actually talked to them I cannot call this part of the post by its' alternate title of Productive Constitutional part three)



this totally counts as a "good" V-day, especially with 3" thick lasagna and chocolate bomb cake (recipe courtesy of a fellow chocoholic) for dinner. Too bad I (xx) had to do the cooking and the dishes.

*11 pictures, that is. again, email me if you want the originals to print off.

it was a productive valentine's day

Guess what I got today?

I'll give you a hint:



















it came with a bunch of stuff

















we love the finish on the sides
















we also love looking up music. too bad most of the sites are being shut down due to "copyright infringement."










part 2 will be what else we did
xy

wouldn't this be neat in a kids room?

click here to design your own floor

it's kinda fun :)

Sailor Dog!

Hooray! another picture post.

Puzza has officially been sworn in:



















I don't think she is enjoying her time in the service. She is looking for her chance to go AWOL.












I am pretty sure she hates us for this.

While the H is away the H will play

My tax return came in while I was at work. I made some purchases:
(real pictures to come later when items arrive)

Taylor guitar:


very nice, definitely not $12





















assorted other accessories (i.e. humidifier, picks, strings and whatnot also more than $12) hmm, there goes that refund =/ At least my guitars are replaced now.

And I hear some one wanted a dog to person comparison shot:














that's about all for now. Sailor dog pics upcoming.
XY

chocolate orange muffins

So when you buy multiple pounds of blood oranges, it is nearly impossible for two people to finish them before they go bad. We're doing well so far, thanks to refrigerating the first half and sucking down two a day right after we bought them, but there are still about a dozen left, and they're getting a bit soft. I found this recipe on the net, and modified it into a scrumptious treat that's pretty healthy to boot. Too bad AC's not accepting new recipes for the mountain cookbook anymore! I know these are a lot like the sweet potato muffins I posted awhile ago, but hey, what can I say, muffins are great.

cream 2 T butter and 1/2 c sugar.
add 4 T applesauce and two eggs, one at a time.
sift in and mix just until combined:
3/4 c white flour (have to make sure they're not too healthy so mr. waaz will still eat them, lol)
3/4 c oat flour (ground up oatmeal)
1/2 c whole wheat flour
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
add and mix just until combined:
up to 4 oz grated chocolate (or you can use cocoa powder if you want)
2 T fresh orange zest
1/4 c OJ
1/2 t vanilla
1/4 c yogurt and 1/4 c milk (probably could use all yogurt)
1/2 c or so craisins (I used orange flavored)

bake at 375 degrees farenheit for 15-20 minutes (until tops are golden and toothpick comes out clean). let cool a few minutes before removing to a rack (or just tipping them all on their sides in the pan like my mother does)

serve with a cup of cappuccino made with your very own espresso maker.














ps: Sicily's in the news
pps: notice that my last christmas presents finally arrived and I'm even putting them to good use!

life in 5 minute increments

We took almost 2 hours of footage, which I narrowed down to three 8-9 minute clips. While uploading them to Photobucket, I realized that this particular video host has decided the average attention span is only five minutes long, and as a result truncates every video to that length. Since I believe that you, my loyal audience, have longer attention spans than the average, I now present part one and two of the clip from last week. (of course, I won't know it was worth it unless you comment, especially you lurkers. Yeah, that's right, I see you out there.)

When the H is away, the W will play

(H=husband, W=wife in case you're having a brain fart kind of day)

So we needed dog food. And I got dog food, but did not deem it picture worthy. It's not my fault if I just happened to pass the thrift shop while they were open. Furthermore, I have no idea how a blank check got into my pocket. None at all. But since it was there, and I was there, how could I resist??

for a grand total of $12, may I present three 18 month shirts, one 9 m. shirt, three mommy-sized shirts, a white baby girl sunhat for my mother to tie-dye, a ribbon belt and a knitted belt for my sis (shh don't tell), a genuine first aid bag, upteen books for my niece and nephew (shh don't tell) and EP, a queen-sized sheet set to be used for fabric, a few yards of red flannel for a new wrap, a tot-sized wooden bat, a little tikes wooden racecar, a picture frame with mat, a Mikasa oven safe serving plate, a little green vase, and a corduroy jacket, missing one button. Anyone want to hook me up? (sorry, not full length shot of the coat, which was SO worth the whole $3 pricetag)



























































OH and may I also present the "look, I'm smiling, can we go inside now?" face WITH a bonus shot of the first two teeth that have given us almost no grief whatsoever.

Mineo trip

Well we didn't want to look too much like tourists so we didn't take many pictures, sorry.

The drive up to Mineo consists of some narrow roads, but does afford a nice view of the valley once you get up the hill. However this view is best enjoyed by the passenger, as the driver can only steal glances out of the side of the car whilst directing most of their attention to staying on said narrow roads while taking some hairpin turns (the sharpest switchbacks are labeled with either 1, 2, or 3 degrees) without flying of a cliff and adding a wisp of smoke and a pile of metal to the vast scenery.

After making it safely up the side of the hill our efforts were rewarded with more narrow roads, traffic, a horse drawn cart and two roving vegetable stands in trucks with PA's blaring their wares in Italian. That was different. We finally found a place to park and began our walking tour of one of the streets in Mineo. We made our way past several shops all boasting the semi annual sale season in Italy. It really is to bad we didn't find anything we really wanted in those stores. 30-50% of everything? Really, too bad. Anyway we found some things we did want in the form of some pastries from the gelateria and some local fruit and veggies (huge head of broccoli for .50 euro? strawberries that smell like summer at the schoolhouse? yes, please.









Around this time, since I had accidentally opted out of breakfast before setting out, we stopped in to a roadside bar. Bars in Italy are not like bars in America. An Italian bar is a coffee/pastry shop. American style bars are called pubs. The wife and I split a couple of capo's and some pastries that were delicious. Off again, this time back towards home as the poor dog , no doubt suffering from her VDS, had been alone for about two hours now. As we made our way down the hill we ran into another Italian staple: geep.




These guys are raised purely for their milk and meat as opposed to wool, hence they all still have tails and are dirty and smelly. Once they passed us by we continued home and stopped for one more picture of the valley. Good stuff.


XY



p.s. the wife would like you to know that these were purchased at the Mineo market held in the housing complex every other Monday. They were also quite tasty.

this is great

ha ha watch this. If only I saw this four years ago....

The many faces of EP

or at least a few of them:




All smiles


















The "ooh I want that!" face.













hmm......















This was going to be a dog free shoot but Puzza has what we like to call VDS or Velcro Dog Syndrome, meaning: she can't be more than 4 inches from any one of us at any given time.






And I think we're done here.

New and improved

maybe.....

trial and error

mostly error... try this

let's see if this works... version 2.0

hmm

So I mentioned a few days ago that I was starting a new Bible study. I have always been hit by the command in Leviticus to "make yourself Holy, for I am Holy," especially since "holy" is translated in some versions as "perfect." How can I make myself perfect? Isn't that impossible? I know that my faith pleases God more than anything, but my behavior is a direct result of my faith in and communion with God. Therefore the command to be holy or perfect in my thoughts and actions cannot be ignored.

My goal with this new book is a chapter a week, which at first I thought was a little pathetic. The writing is straightforward, and it's very easy to take notes on. As I started to really concentrate on the "study" part as opposed to the "casually flip through and nod accordingly" part, however, I realized that even a chapter a week might be too much for my brain to process. I'm using the Message Bible with this study which doesn't have verses marked. Therefore, I am constantly reading the context and trying to pin down exactly which words I'm supposed to be concentrating on. Context is good (and totally in keeping with my personality anyway). Turns out, this study is perfect for me. For example, here's the first chapter's primary verses, context included:

You must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your life...Throw yourself wholeheartedly and full time...into God's way of doing things. Sin can't tell you how to live. After all, you're not living under the old tyranny any longer. you're living in the Freedom of God. (Romans 6:12-14, Message)

Good, yeah? Here's the verses that start off the study for chapter two:

...so roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally READY [emphasis mine] to receive the gift that's coming when Jesus arrives. Don't lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn't know any better then, you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God's life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, "I am Holy, you be Holy." You call out to God for help and He helps-He's a good Father that way. But don't forget He's also a responsible Father and won't let you get away with sloppy living." (1 Peter 13-18, Message)

I won't bore you with my own personal notes, but suffice to say I'm on page 5 of my little notebook, and the book itself is heavily underlined. Cultural holiness (when the Christians in our own culture define the standard) and sloppy living begone, there's a "new" standard in town.

6 months

Once again, click to enlarge, and let me know if you want the highest resolution version of these (like if you're planning to print them out). Shown here is 50% of the original.

The quilt is from Great Granny (much ooh-ing and ahh-ing is required), and the ball is from Granny Boo (again, ooh and ahh).

also I found this on a forum

Rules according to the dog:


If I like it, it's mine.
If it's in my mouth, it's mine.
If I can take it from you, it's mine.
If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.
If it's mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.
If I'm chewing something up, all the pieces are mine.
If it just looks like mine, it's mine.
If I saw it first, it's mine.
If you are playing with something and you put it down, it automatically becomes mine.
If it's broken, it's yours.

Licking: Always take a big drink from your water dish immediately before licking your human. Humans prefer clean tongues. Be ready to fetch your human a towel.
Holes: Rather than digging a big hole in the middle of the yard and upsetting your human, dig smaller holes all over the yard so they won't notice. Arrange a little pile of dirt on one side of each hole; they'll think its gophers.
Doors: The area directly in front of the door is always reserved for the family dog to sleep.
The Art of Sniffing: Humans like to be sniffed everywhere. It is your job to accommodate them.
Dining Etiquette: Always sit under the table at dinner, especially when there are guests, so you can clean up any food that falls on the floor. It's also a good time to practice your sniffing.
Housebreaking: Housebreaking is important to humans, so break as much of the house as possible.
Going for Walks: Rules of the road: when out for a walk with your master or mistress, never go to the bathroom on your own lawn.
Couches: It is permissible to lie on the new couch after all your humans have gone to bed.
Playing: If you lose your footing while chasing a ball or stick; aim for the flowerbed to absorb your fall so you don't injure yourself.
Chasing Cats: When chasing cats, make sure you never quite catch them. It spoils all the fun.
Chewing: Make a contribution to the fashion industry.....eat a shoe.

for those who are keeping track, curious, or care in the slightest...

The puppy will be 16 weeks this Saturday and as of today weighs in at 35 pounds. What a beast.






this is her a month ago









and here she is today...













she's getting big quick, no wonder we go through a twenty pound bag of food in three weeks. =\

productive constitutionals part due

over here:

and, coming soon, a "pathetic quilt" play by play at clemfam.

he'll resent this when he's older

but I couldn't resist.

the baby with the amazing disappearing arm














"YAyayaYAAAAA!!!!!"














the AP (attached pet, as opposed to attached parent, which I sort of am)

the one where she stayed up too late

"Cuz they say two thousand zero six party over,
oops out of time
So tonight I'm gonna party like it's 1999"

last night. At least EP can sleep through anything...
he lost all 500 pennies. so sad.This morning:
my new Bible study book for the next 18 weeks or so. The chapel is doing this for adult sunday school, but since I teach the little people during that time, I just grabbed the book to work through on my own. Really trying to do more than the typical 5-10 minutes a day with my One Year Bible and Our Daily Bread I discovered a new workout routine. Put the baby in the high chair (that needs to be refinished in a bad way. the tray also needs to be sanded and resilvered in a bad way. apparently years of storage in the attic is no good. Granny, where are you?!), fill his tray with toys, and go get your sneakers on.
Every time he throws a toy down (accidentally, though it won't be long until it's purposeful), do a lunge or squat to pick it up, and do a few punches and silly faces while you're down. Stand back up and do jumping jacks while you wait for the next toy to fall. Repeat. Talk about upping the heart rate in a speedy fashion!
Then, later, take a walk, either with the boy on your back so you can walk the dog, or in the stroller if waaz is coming with you:Oh, and I noted last week in the baby calendar that I actually had to get out a bib to catch all the drool that has started cascading out of the corners of EP's mouth. At the dr.'s appt. we had last week, we confirmed that EP is 18.5 ell-bee's*, 28 inches long, and most definitely working on a few teeth, particularly on his bottom left jaw. Bring on the refrigerated plastic and wooden spoons.

*for comparison's sake, the baby across the street is 10 months and 19#.