The Meehoo with an Exactlywatt

Have I ever told you how much I love Shel Silverstein's poetry and art? Well, I love it a lot. Ever since I picked up Where the Sidewalk Ends in grade school, I have been a huge fan. In fact, I remember writing several papers on Silverstein in high school. I remember being quite surprised that he never intended to write for children and he was in fact, quite an edgy person.

Did you Know?

• He was born Sheldon Allan "Shel" Silverstein
• He was not only an American poet and children's author, but he was also a singer-songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, and screenwriter
• He was born in Chicago and began drawing at the age of 5
• He attended the Art Institute of Chicago for one year before dropping out
• After a stint in the military, he sold hotdogs in Chicago ballparks- setting a record for the number of hot dogs sold at Thursday night games
• He had two children, including a daughter who died at age 11
• He died in 1999 from a heart attack at his home in Key West, Florida

Such an interesting life (and I didn't even get into the edgy stuff- you can read about that for yourself).

I think one of the main reasons why I love Silverstein's work so much is because his humor reminds me a lot of my dad. For instance, the poem below, The Meehoo with an Exactlywatt warms my heart with thoughts of Dad cracking jokes at the dinner table.

Knock knock!
Who's there?
Me! Me who?
That's right! What's right? Meehoo!
That's what I want to know! What's what you want to know?
Me, WHO? Yes, exactly! Exactly what?
Yes, I have an Exactlywatt on a chain! Exactly what on a chain?
Yes! Yes what? No, Exactlywatt!
That's what I want to know! I told you - Exactlywatt! Exactly WHAT?
Yes! Yes what? Yes, it's with me!
What's with you? Exactlywatt - that's what's with me.
Me who? Yes!
GO AWAY!
Knock knock...

Here is another one of my favorite Shel Silverstein poems from when I was younger, it is called Boa Constrictor:
Oh, I'm being eaten By a boa constrictor,
A boa constrictor,
A boa constrictor,
I'm being eaten by a boa constrictor,
And I don't like it--one bit.
Well, what do you know?
It's nibblin' my toe.
Oh, gee, It's up to my knee.
Oh my, It's up to my thigh.
Oh, fiddle, It's up to my middle.
Oh, heck, It's up to my neck.
Oh, dread, It's upmmmmmmmmmmffffffffff . . .

*Just a note- today, I found Shel Silverstein's website for kids. The link is: www.shelsilverstein.com.
This website is a great introduction to Silverstein's work. Kids will love the games and downloads; and adults will love the ideas for teachers and parents about how to interact with his work. Not to mention, the incredibly fun graphics that guide you around are entertaining for all ages. I encourage you to check the website out!

A Show to Set my Watch By

The Amazing Race is by far my favorite show on television. The show includes a lot of my favorite things- travel, intercultural communication, zany competition, and reality television. What isn't there to love? As it so happens, the premiere of season 17 starts this very night, just as soon as 60 Minutes is over.

Fueling my excitement for the show is the viral video of a competitor getting smashed in the face by a watermelon. If you haven't seen the clip- it'll make you cringe. I wasn't a part of the million plus people who watched the video on Youtube, but I saw the young lady being interviewed on the morning news and thankfully- she is fine. Not to spoil the video if you haven't seen it, but it is just amazing to me that she is able to recover after that huge watermelon backfires on her out of the catapult. In the interview, she explained that she was quite shaken, but she was determined to continue on with her race.

There have been a lot of moments during past seasons of The Amazing Race where competitors have faced seemingly insurmountable tasks. A lot of competitors end up dropping out of the race or give up- I can remember one girl who was scared of heights and so, she wouldn't go down a huge water slide- eliminating her team. But, there are also competitors who rise up and tackle their fears- like a girl who couldn't swim, but she jumped in a pool and swam laps anyway. When I watch the show, I always cheer the racers on; no one likes to see people overcome and defeated.

Following The Amazing Race is Undercover Boss, which is another great show. I don't love Undercover Boss as much as The Amazing Race, but it is noteworthy. I appreciate that the bosses are willing to discover what is going on in every level of their business. Then, at the end of each episode, the undercover boss surprises his/her employees and gives them some kind of offering. There were quite a few touching moments during the last season.

The show is about to begin, so I am going to sign off.... I wish you a wonderful fall night, filled with delicious caramel apples and great competition. Blessings...

Life in the Dark

Today, I am reflecting on my love of half hour to one hour long power outages. Yes, I’m serious! I thoroughly enjoy the sudden calm and peace of a power outage. Yet, I want to clarify that I do not like power outages that last so long that the fridge and freezer start to get warm and food has to be thrown out. Nor do I like when the power goes out and the basement is filling with water because the sump pump doesn’t have electricity (sounds like we need a good generator).

What I am referring to, are those times when I am sitting in the living room watching television, twiddling my thumbs, when all of a sudden the power goes out. In that quick moment, there is peace. The blaring television quiets, the dishwasher stops its cycle, the house phone won’t ring, and there is just peace.

I especially love power outages at night, when I can light candles and the whole house takes on a warm glow. The ambiance takes on even more allure when there is a good thunder storm outside and the weather creates its own soundtrack. It is in these moments, I like to curl up with my favorite goose down throw and pull an old favorite off the bookshelf (Sanditon by Jane Austen, To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf, or a good travel novel by Bill Bryson).

If I’m not in the reading mood, Hubby and I have been known to grab a board game. The conversations we’ve had over board games played in the dark- range from the downright silly to heartfelt moments that I will always treasure. With no technology to distract us, it is easier to focus on each other and investing in our own small family.

If reading a book or playing board games are not catching my fancy during a power outage, I like to forget the house and go outside to sit on the porch. Watching the world go by can be mesmerizing. If there’s pouring rain, powerful thunder booms and zigzagging lightening, I’ve got an exciting show that I can watch for hours. Not only is this a fascinating way for me to pass the time, but it becomes so much more than that- it is a time I spend in worship of my Creator for orchestrating such an amazing world.

I firmly believe we all need power outages every once in awhile. They offer us a much needed respite from our busy world, a time to disconnect and find peace and quiet.

May you see and feel the glory of the Lord surrounding you today.

Homecoming is Around the Corner

Working at a college can be fun, particularly around Homecoming time. As a staff member, I can choose to work extra hours if I so desire- and I normally do.

Each October, I get assigned to a specific class year that is celebrating a reunion. As a volunteer then, I attend all of the events for that class. In the past, I have attended various sharing times, pizza parties, and more formal dinners with fancy floral arrangements. The best part of working each event is that I get to sample the food. Actually, I have to sample the food, to make sure it tastes good and that it is the correct temperature; it is a perk of the job. The downside to working Homecoming is that I have to stay super late on Friday night and then be at work all day Saturday. By the time Sunday night rolls around, I am left wondering, "Where did my weekend go?"

Homecoming is right around the corner and on Friday, I will learn what class I will be assigned to help. This year, I actually put in a request for a specific class because one of my dear work friends is celebrating her class reunion this year and she will not be coming back to work afterward- because she is getting married and moving to Milwaukee. She will be missed...

To celebrate Homecoming, enjoy these crazy fan photos:

From Everlasting to Everlasting

This morning, these are the words that I needed to hear from the Lord that I love:


Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-

who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,

who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.

He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:

The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.

He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;

he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.

As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;

the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.

But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD's love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children's children-

with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.

The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.

Praise the LORD, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.
Psalm 103:1-20 NIV

Bubbles

I love a good bubble bath. For eleven years I only had a shower. Now, I have a lovely bath tub and I am taking full advantage of it. Just yesterday, I filled the tub up with some wild plum bubbles and lit some soothing candles for a relaxing bath.

Speaking of my bath tub, I need to give a huge shout-out to my Dad for lending a helping hand with the bathroom over Labor Day weekend. When Hubby and I first bought our house last Thanksgiving, our bathroom was the size of an outhouse. Literally, I could be sitting on the toilet, styling my hair at the vanity, and shaving my legs in the tub- all at the same time. It was a real timesaver, but in no way ideal.

Our bathroom is a bit bigger these days. My dad helped Hubby and me to expand the bathroom, by pushing the new tub (we had to remove the original claw-foot to open up the space, but don't worry, we are saving it for future use) into the guest room closet. The guest room closet was then moved over a bit, into what used to be an open shelved-in space. It is amazing what a difference it made to move the tub back just six to eight inches.

Now, we are in the process of mudding and taping the bathroom. The paint colors are all picked out and as soon as the room is finished, I will post before and after pics.

Until then, enjoy these great homemade bubble bath recipes:

Old-Fashioned Bubble Bath
In a clean container, mix together ½ cup mild liquid hand or body soap, 1 tablespoon sugar or honey, and 1 egg white. Pour the entire mixture under the running water as you draw your bath. Honey is a natural humectant, which will attract and retain moisture in your skin. The egg white helps create stronger, longer-lasting bubbles, for a nice, fluffy bath. For extra-dry skin, consider adding a tablespoon of light oil, such as almond or light sesame.

Foaming Vanilla-Honey Bath
In a clean container, mix together 1 cup light oil (almond, sunflower, or canola), ½ cup honey, ½ cup mild liquid hand or body soap, and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. To use, shake gently to remix and pour ¼ cup under the running water as you fill the tub. This recipe yields about 16 ounces, or enough for 8 baths.

Mums and Pumpkins

I love this time of year! I know it is not officially fall yet, but I have already started decorating my house like it is because I am so excited. My fall decorations are my favorite- all of the pumpkins, leaves, crows, indian corn, scarecrows, etcetera.... When September comes around, I know it is dangerous for me to enter certain stores because I want everything in their seasonal aisles.

Here are some fall decorating ideas that have me reaching for my favorite sweater and a steaming mug of apple cider:

Here are my 2010 Sandwich Fair counts:

Days attended: 3
Hours spent at the Fair: 25 (pretty low this year)
Cinnamon rolls consumed: 1 1/2 (I shared one with Hubby)
Thick milkshakes consumed: 2 ($3 this year, instead of $5 because the vendor was celebrating 33 years at the Sandwich Fair)
Chocolate covered bacon consumed: 2 bites (new this year- it is bacon dipped in batter and deep fried, served with a chocolate drizzle)
Bands listened to at Ag Land: 3 (Woodsugar, Patchouli, and some big band tribute to our troops)
Animal varieties seen: Too many to remember, but my favorite was the Angora Rabbit; it was so beautiful and soft to pet
Family members seen: 26 (I was particularly grateful to see my cousin who is in the Navy and his family- they recently moved back to the states from Japan)
Horse related activities attended: 3 (the draft horse show, the horse pull and then Hubby and I took our little nephew for a ride on a pony)
Rides ridden: 1 (the train that circles the antique steam engines, I rode it with my nephew)
Fair entries: 12 (pumpkin bread, chocolate zucchini bread, pear butter, peach jam, a Christmas cactus, and 7 greeting cards)
Ribbons won: 6 (blue 1st- my Christmas card and my announcement card, red second- my congratulations card, and white third- my pear butter, my Halloween card and my lovin' you card)
Mullets seen: 0 (unfortunately)

It was a wonderful fair. The weather was perfect- 70s each day, except for Sunday when Mother Nature had the audacity to reach 80 degrees. Hubby and I particularly enjoyed taking our littlest nephew to the Fair and not only because it was nice to dump all of our stuff in his stroller, but fairs always seem a bit more fun when there are little kids getting excited about this or that. In fact, my favorite moment of the whole Fair was probably in the cow barn when two little kids got super excited about a huge pile of cow dooky and yelled out, "Wow, that poop is bigger than Daddy's!"

I love the Fair!


I would like to give a shout-out to my little nephew S, who really loved the boat/bed I had on my blog a while back. You are the cutest, littlest guy in glasses ever!

You Can Find it on a Stick at the Fair

Today is the first day of the 2010 Sandwich Fair. I was telling someone at work about the fair today and she thought I literally meant a sandwich fair, with all varieties of sandwiches available for consumption. I suppose this was an understandable mistake because Sandwich is a fairly (haha) small town.

I have been attending the Sandwich Fair for as long as I can remember. Each year, my mom's side of the family gathers and helps prepare the fruits and veggies for entry. Hubby and I have been submitting our own entries for three years now.

This year, I managed to pull together seven greeting cards, pear butter, cinnamon peach jam, chocolate zucchini bread, and pumpkin bread. The results of judging have already been revealed to all of the Wednesday fair goers, but I want to wait and discover the results for myself on Friday. When I discover the results, I will let you all know. Fingers crossed please...

In the past, I have won my fair (haha again) share of ribbons. Actually, the first year I had entries, Hubby and I won a purple ribbon for our banana nut bread (overall best quick bread). Last year, I won a blue ribbon for my mexican monkey bread, my salsa, and my triple berry pie. I also won second place in the pork cooking contest with my orange pork tacos, topped with a cabbage slaw.

Beyond the fun of winning ribbons, the things I love most about the fair are seeing all of the animals (especially the cows in the dairy barn), the food, hanging out with my family... and did I mention the food. You can get everything on a stick at the Sandwich Fair. I've had deep fried Snickers on a stick, alligator on a stick, deep fried pickle on a stick, and cheese on a stick. I also love the kettle corn for sale near the Ag Land Stage and the huge cinnamon rolls for sale near the beloved Yellow Building (which houses the home arts). Sure, none of it is healthy, but you have to indulge a bit... it's only once a year.

Hubby and I also enjoy spotting mullets. Over the years, we've made it into a contest- seeing who can spot the longest, most heinous mullet at the fair. We've seen some real winners.

I look forward to sharing my fair stories with you soon. Have a blessed night!

Thanks to everyone who has been praying for my little doggie, Judson. He had a seizure his morning, but after spending the day under observation at the pet hospital- he is home and doing well. Only time will tell if he is going to have any more seizures. Hubby and I really hope not because it was freaky.

Upside Down, Turned All Around

Way back in college, I did the most stupid thing that has haunted me ever since. It was a Saturday night and I was hanging out with two of my good friends. We were studying for an upcoming test until we decided to go out in the hall and do some handstands to blow off steam.

Now, I've never been a jock, but I can honestly say that I was in much better shape in college. Still, I should never have been doing handstands. Not only had I just finished physical therapy on my back for some ligaments I tore in Europe, but let's face it- I'm accident prone.

This particular instance, I was doing just fine with my handstands... until, one of my friends dared me to do a handstand up against a wall. Later, my friend explained that she suggested it only because she was worried about me hurting myself and felt that a handstand up against a wall would be safer for me.

Boy, was she wrong. When I went to set my hands on the ground, I placed them too far away from the wall, so my legs couldn't touch it when I threw them up. I felt myself falling backwards and I panicked. I dropped my arms and came down on my head, which subsequently bent to the left.

I remember blacking out when I fell and then waking up still hunkered upside down in a ball. I couldn't breath and so,I immediately stretched myself out on the ground, face down. My friends meanwhile, were laughing hysterically, not realizing the gravity of the situation. My friends told me later that they didn't realize it was a serious accident until after 10 minutes passed with me not being able to breath normally and I was moaning in pain.

To make a long story much shorter... 45 minutes and a lot of confusion later, I was in an ambulance with the sirens blaring on my way to the hospital. There I was, wearing a huge neck brace, strapped to a board. The situation was so overwhelming that I was actually laughing in the ambulance and the driver asked one of my friends if I was drunk! (I wasn't). The doctors at the hospital determined that I had sprained my neck, twisted and crunched my vertebrae, tore a lot of ligaments and some muscle. I was put in a neck brace for three months and underwent physical therapy for just as long.

Despite the care for my neck right after the accident, I have been dealing with the after effects ever since. Recently however, I went to see a specialist and now I am back in physical therapy twice a week. Here's to hoping... I can finally forget about my gymnastic days.

For me- please keep your feet below your head and have a blessed day!

Counting Sheep

Today I am loving my bed. Seriously, I am extremely tired today and all I can think about is my bed. Hubby and I have a queen-sized cedar log bed that we bought the year after we got married. We bought the bed on the internet (I can’t remember the exact website) from an Amish carpenter. The bed was unfinished when it arrived, which helped us keep the cost down and allowed us to stain and varnish it as we liked. In the end, we opted to keep it very natural looking.

Our Simmons Beautyrest mattress and box spring came from Craigslist. While I do not approve of how Craigslist has become a thoroughfare for sex trafficking, I will acknowledge that you can get some great deals if you are quick on the trigger. At first I was leery of buying a mattress and box spring sight unseen, but we managed to find a young lady who had just bought some and then didn’t need them. 

When we went to pick up our bed set (of course she lived near the top of a high rise) we found out that her boyfriend had invited her to move in with him… in London, so there was no way she was going to ship her new mattress and box spring. The transaction worked out well for everyone: she got some cash for her move overseas, she emptied more of her apartment, and we gained a practically new mattress and box spring for $250 (they retail new for over a thousand).

On top of our mattress, Hubby and I use a memory foam topper from Bed, Bath & Beyond. Although our mattress has a pillow top, the memory foam really helps my neck and shoulder (more on why my neck needs extra special TLC in a post-soon-to-come). Also, Hubby has mentioned that the memory foam keeps him from rolling around at night.

When it comes to sheets, I like using flannel sheets in the winter and smooth cotton sheets in the warmer months like my mom has always done. I love finding fun, colorful sheets to dress up the bed. In addition, I try to buy a good balance between girly and more masculine sheets as an ode to my love. He has never complained about sleeping on pink, flowery sheets before, but I think it is only fair that I also spend some time sleeping on sheets with a manlier vibe.

In celebration of my love of beds, here are some others that make me delightfully groggy:

Washer Woman

Today is laundry day at my house. For as long as I can remember I have enjoyed laundry day. There is something about the smell of clean clothes that makes me smile. Not to mention, the joy of wrapping up in a blanket that's just been pulled out of the dryer (I especially love this on a cold winter's day). I think laundry is simply a rewarding task; folding my baskets of refreshed clothing, towels and blankets makes me feel like I have accomplished something.

Normally, I enjoy laundry day. Today however, I don't want to do the laundry. Despite the fact that if I don't do laundry today- I will have to wear my footie pajamas to work tomorrow, I am just not excited about it. I don't know what's wrong with me.

My best guess is that my dismal attitude has to do with the weather. You see, it is raining outside. That means that the basement will smell musty and I'll be reminded once again that I need to give it a thorough cleaning. I hate cleaning dirty, grimy places and our basement currently epitomizes dirty and grimy. I mention all of this only because my washer and dryer are currently in the basement. Someday, I hope to have a laundry room on the main floor, but that is not a possibility right now.

Bottom line: we'll see what I am wearing tomorrow. Will it be clean clothes for Hubby and me? Or will it be the footie pajamas?

Have a blessed, rainy day!