An un-scannable moment this afternoon.

So...  I've been on a bit of a Blog vacation... or strike... or whatever you want to call it.  I just haven't felt like posting.  Blah.

Today I sat down to scan some old family photos. (Smith family photos that have been waiting to be scanned for... months... and months...)  I am borrowing a scanner from the volunteer group I am in, but I guess I didn't install the software correctly (I'm like that - not a friend of techy things).  I would just simply reinstall everything, but geesh, this #$%^& laptop of mine won't hold anything else.  Nothing.  Nada. Zip. Zilch.  In fact, I'm pleasantly surprised it hasn't burst into flames at this point.  In any case... 

Since I have been so selfish as to keep the beauty that is Zoey from everyone, I thought I'd post a picture or two.  (Happy days, Grandmas!)  ;) 

This is Zoey and her friend, Kalis.  We all went for a little walk downtown - back when the weather was perfectly spring.
Sorry it's so dark... but if some great benefactor would take pity on me, I could get a computer that would hold photoshop and fix these little issues.  ;) 

Here again, the cutie pies. We had a great day with Kalis and her mommy (and littlest brother too).
Let's hope when the RAIN stops...  we'll have even more fun!  **And, please, Mother Nature, the end of rain does not leave you to make each day 90 degrees.  Please show us some love. 

So, ok...  posting really is fun again.  I guess I just needed a break.  More on THAT later!  xoxo

Wearin' O'the Green... Thumb?!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!  Today Zoey and I decided to enjoy this most beautiful weather!!!  Yippee!!!  It's about time!!  Our GREEN today involved raking the old leaves out of the side bushes and starting to clean up our Iris bed.  The cute little green shoots of iris love are starting to emerge from the rocks and point to the sky.  I waited to uncover them through many cold spells, but with today in the 60s, I could wait no more!!

Our Irises and such during the clean up!

Zoey helping to stomp down the leaves.  We took three trips to the back yard to dump leaves over the hill. 

Throwing is always the best part!

 Also during our outdoor adventures today we found a St. Patty's Day treat...  Nope, not a four-leaf clover...  Much cooler.... a Two-headed Dandelion!!  For reals, yo!!

This is the back side of this magical wonder!

When this was in the ground, I really thought it was just two really close together.  Zoey pulled it up outta the group and yowza!...surprise!!

Zoey stripping the mega stem apart.

The stem after Zoey opened it.

This picture is for those of you familiar with the "froggy face" picture of Zoey that hangs in our kitchen.  Two years later...  she still makes the face!  HA! 

My beauty Bean!!  So serious!!

We also continued to collect items for our Fairy House.  We've been planning to build said fairy house for a couple of weeks...  but it's been too cold, then too wet...  We've amassed quite a collection of sticks and some bark. We even found an acorn top for a nice fairy cup.  And when Daddy came home, we ran out to JoAnn's and picked up some jute to tie it all together.  More sticks came this evening with Daddy's help, as I cooked dinner.  Hmmm.... I've never done this before...  We shall see how it all turns out.  (Oh and I picked up some more eggs for our egg tree.  One cannot have too many eggs.) 

Writing...now....

I have a need to write.  Yes, I do.  But I haven't done it.  I haven't written - much of anything - in a long time.  No blog posts.  Many fewer FB status updates.  No stories.  No book ideas.  Not even so much as a list in a very long time.  WHAT?! you say...  "No LISTS?!?"  Yep, I haven't even gotten to the store with a list in weeks. 

So, here I sit.  Zoey's napping.  I'm trying to get my head together from a morning that I didn't really expect.  (No story there, so don't bother asking.)  DOOL is on in the background.  I can't even sit still to watch that anymore.  I'm "lucky" lately that Zoey has been napping during this time so I can get my fill of "my stories" as Grandpa would say... but eh... bleh...  it's just so...  not where my mind is...  not even where my mind wants to vacation these days.

I want to be outside...  or at least I like the idea of being outside.  I'm not at all interested in being outside in this almost-spring weather.  Nosirree!  I want SUN and a slight breeze.  Here in the Valley that perfect weather might last all of one week.  Two if I embrace the muddy grass on one side of that week or the blazing heat of the week after.  That's how it is here.  ...Ok, not really.  It just feels that way right now as I sit and stare out at my muddy yard. 

I did have the windows open this morning - at least part way.  That was refreshing. 

...On to other writing news...
I have some pictures in the "queue" here.  waiting.  to go up on the ol' blog.  They are from when Zoey was so sick a few weeks ago.  I want to post them because they are a memory here - a moment.  But they are so sad to me.  I just want to have some other things to buffer my loooong absence here before throwing those pictures up.  (Ok, so maybe I'll do it tonight.) 

My sweet friend, Crysta, has given up Facebook for Lent.  (You may have seen her posts show up on my blogroll.)  I thought about giving something up.  Not because I'm religious at. all.  But I am surrounded by people that are either Catholic, religious, or simply like to do what everyone is talking about doing... so I did think about it.  Then thought that didn't jive with me to just give up something because it's "time" to try the sacrifice.  Although I do like Crysta's views on the whole thing.  Check her bloggie blog out, if you wish.

I view my spiritual connections a bit differently than many I have met.  So, I'm using this Lenten season to keep gratitude in my heart and voiced frequently - everytime I think about someone giving up something special to them for 40 days (or see them actively not having that mocha or pastry or whatever), I try to think of those things and people in my life that make my life so special.  Thank you!  Thank you! Thank you!  and thank YOU!  I'm not going to post a picture of my gratitude.  I'm not going to write every thankful thought out for the world to see.  At least not now.  I have seen various forms of a "gratitude" project out there in the internet world...  Most do make me stop and think.  (I'm sure that's the point.)  But I have yet to be moved to do one myself - at least publicly.  I'm simply going to try to stay thankful in my heart and when I'm so moved to do so on here or there or there... It'll be that much grander to me.

....I've been told I need to write something, anything, every day.  I'm working on that...  Maybe I'll keep this going with a list.  Perhaps a happy list... like all the places in my house I could actually put live flowers/plants where the cats won't eat them!  Hmmm.... 


...

...

I think that list might be too short to count.  ;)

Awesome!

Zoey and I had a wonderful day today. We went to a local orchard and picked apples with some of our friends. (That will be a post in itself - once I go through all of the photos.)

After apple picking, while Zoey napped (under the supervision of Grandma), I headed on over to my in-laws' house to help out Ole John with a project. While finishing things up there, we noticed this...
Isn't it simply beautiful!?! I didn't mess with these photos at. all. Not one bit. I just took them off the camera and put them up here.

Simply wonderful. It was that kind of day. Fun with friends and family. :)

Spring Outing

a.k.a. I have the cutest baby in the whole world!
Today we had lunch with our friend Anne and went to the park. It was a glorious sunny day (temps in the 60s, I think). Zoey was looking super cute. And this picture was taken right before we left for lunch. :)

The following pictures are of her mostly walking away - because I never thought to take any until we had left our friend and were on the way back to the car... so I was not getting her back in the stroller and she was on a mission...
We looked at sweet gum balls and after Anne showed her they were not in fact scary, she had to have one to take home. ("Had to" didn't happen until we were already back at the car, of course... she did get one.)Ahhh... shadows!

After leaving our first park... we decided to drive by the local school playground (not the one by our house now - the one by our old house... for those of you interested.) A few of our other friends were playing there and so we thought we'd stop and say HI!

Zoey was having a fun time following all of the bigger kids around, but -here again- didn'thave my camera ready at that point... so these two shots are taken with such bright sunlight that I couldn't even see the screen. I just tried to document the day. This was our first official trip to a playground.

She loved to see the kids swing, but did not like swinging with mama.

She also did not like the slide... at. all. (maybe next time)

She loved seeing our little friend, Caden (he's five). He was nice to her, but was much more interested in playing with his big-kid friends. I can't say that I blame him... for now.

(Here's another random shot taken without being able to see anything... just my cute kid. She was counting the bolts.)

I realized a few things today:

1. I need to get outside more - every. day.

2. I like hanging out with my kid.

3. I'm going to need to build up some stamina to be an active mom. - Time to start walking - every.day.

4. I have a very hard time being a "playground mommy" - but that could simply be my own reservations and weirdness.

5. Always take water with you - wherever you go.

Update.

Zoey's croup has turned into a really bad cold... runny nose, sneezing, the ocassional cough. She actually slept better when she had croup (or when she first had croup, depending on whether or not she still has it). Last night was the worst for sleep. We all made it through.

We haven't left the house in a while. bummer, but not unusual. I opened up the windows yesterday. Quite a bit, actually. The air seemed relatively nice... or rather comparatively nice.

I am looking forward to SPRING with all my heart! Oh, I suppose I could write an entire post about that... some other time.

Our massive icicle farm got reeeeeally big and then I decided it was time to harvest some. And by harvest I mean, slash through some with a broom handle and listen to the crashing thud. Even with that, I didn't venture out past my front stoop. I just leeeeaned really far and got the ones I could.

The gianormous one on the back of the house that was probably 5 feet long (I wish I had measured it!) bit it Wednesday evening. John took some pictures, but I haven't downloaded them yet. He got the pleasure of knocking THAT sucker down. I think he said he broke it off with his hand and it weighed more than 30 pounds (he guessed).

...I can't believe it's Friday. A friend posted something on FaceBook about thanking Friday, etc. etc... I literally had to check my trusty atomic clock to make sure it was actually Friday. Ah, cabin fever, you are real to me. You mess my internal calendar and make me eat handfulls of chocolate. (Mom, the Valentine's chocolates we got for you and Dad are still safe... so far... although, they are such good handmade wonders... it might be a shame to let them get old.... hmmmm.....)

Happy Cabin Fever Friday! Here's hoping my weekend is as wonderful as the promise held by the beauty that is shinning through my window this morning.... :)

Icicles!

The top story for most of the last weeks has been the weather. More pointedly, the snow! Well, we did not get slammed like DC and that area, but we did get our fair share. The real story here at the Manor is the icicles. Some like I have never seen before (on a normal house, that is). I should have taken pictures of the outside of the house, but I didn't... perhaps later. Here's the view from outside the front window. (and these ice wonders are after we have cleared the stuff off of the guters once or twice before.)

This is an even better picture, taken standing inside peering out of the front door. I haven't measured them, but I am sure we have some that are THREE (3) FEET long. Yes, I'm not kidding.

On to the fun stuff: Zoey...

After much internal debate about cleanliness vs childhoodness... I broke off some of these massive wonders and Zoey and I ate them. Yep, we did.

As a kid, I loved eating the giant icicles that hung from the picnic shelter at Sun Valley. It's a great memory for me. I'd like Zoey to have some fun with winter this year and she's not been out in the snow. That, and I figure the crap from the roof can't be any worse than the crap in our drinking water (don't even get me started on the "local" water here... I'd take city water any day!)

But I digress... Zoey is also teething again. This time it's the EYE teeth. Oh yeah, another big'un! She's been kinda cranky, but dealing with it well.

This video was shot today. It's super cute, if I say so myself. I just LOVE this baby! :)

Enjoy!

Happy Winter Solstice!

A quick view of the backyard out of our "playroom" window.

As I decided to write this post today, I realized we really haven't done very much to decorate for the Solstice this year. We have filled our home with snowflakes (one of my personal favorite holiday decorations). As for more meaningful celebrations of the season... um, well, I'll have much more to share when I post about Christmas at the Manor. :) (Yes, we choose to observe both holidays here.)
I decided to take a quick snap shot (not even posed!) of the Solstice gift I made for John many moons ago. (The etched Celtic knot mirror.) It is sitting in our bookcase -smooshed inbetween the cool gifts Scheimann found for us at his recent trip to a Ren faire. The leather mug was for John, the stoneware goblet for me. (They are smooshed because everything that is precious or breakable is shoved onto these shelves until Zoey learns what things are for little hands and what things aren't.)

John's hoping to come home early today. I'm hoping to figure out some heartfelt way to spend this most beautiful holiday with him and Zoey.

As Christmas is quickly approaching and we are so very excited for Zoey's first "conscious" Christmas - although we KNOW she was in-the-know in her own way last year - I'm hoping to slow down this "buy buy buy" mentality. and I think the Solstice is a PERFECT day to really rest and reflect.

Hug your loved ones. Enjoy the crisp cool winter air. Light a candle. Pray. Sing a song. Celebrate this day as you wish. I know I'm excited to do so.

Blessed Be!!

To ring in December...

I realize it has been much too long since I have posted. I have started to write a few entries in the last week or so, but fell short of completion. One was about Zoey's rapidly expanding vocabulary. I hope to get that particular post (or a version of it) up soon. I'm very proud of her. Until I get the motivation to do justice to such a topic, however, I'll wait. :)

Thanksgiving has come and gone. I left my camera at my Mom's so the pictures (video, actually) will have to wait. The whole week(end) went by and I took not a picture. Not a picture of my fanciful Turkey table or of my adorable child on her one year anniversary of eating solid foods.... John did take some video on his new (early Christmas present) toy. Thank you Miller family, you will see many (higher quality) Zoey videos! I took a funny video of Delia and Z at Grandma's. ...to come, I promise...

I felt I had to write something tonight... John actually commented that I hadn't updated in awhile. And when he notices that I haven't updated, whoa boy, it HAS been a loooong while. ha ha.

He's at a meeting this evening... The Big Bang Theory is a re-run... so here it is.... a post.

The day after Thanksgiving it snowed. It was amazing. Not so much in quanity or even quality of snow... just snow. It signaled a change from fall (from Indian summer lasting til November). A change into winter. A change into a merry season of ribbons and pine, cold windows fogged up with the dew of simmering pots of cinnamon and clove water.

I'm ready for the winter. More pointedly, I'm ready for the holidays. Christmas. Solstice.

After a full Thanksgiving that caught this family a bit off-guard. (A chest cold for John, a whirling dervish flurry of Zoey, and oh yes.... Aunt Flo for MamaMiller.... TMI, I know...deal.) I'm ready to approach this holiday season with a bit more love in my heart and less perfection seeking. Last year's Christmas was stressful. This year, I want to live in the moments.

**That said, I have to stay focused on these moments and not let myself fall into the trap of letting everything slide by.... that would drive me crazy. That would make me sad and probably, with my head-wiring, make my whole warm and fuzzy intent backfire and make me stressed more and throw my head into a focus on the lack. The tree's not up yet... the cards aren't sent... how many cookies were we *supposed* to make?! That kind of stuff.......

So, dear reader/friend/family member... what are your plans for the coming weeks? December will be here in such a few short hours. I can hear the sleigh bells.

Here's a lifted pic of some lovely antique bells that remind me of the sleigh bells that hang above the library doors in my parents' house - the house in which I grew up. Dad used to dig them out of the attic and hang them for Christmas each year. Then one year we decided to leave them up. (They're heavy!) They've become a fixture there and the last time we had Christmas in that house, I tucked pine in behind the leather straps and bells. It was really pretty and well worth the pine sap-induced itchy rash. :)

First Mojito of the summer!

Rum. Club Soda. Lime. Simple Syrup. Mint.

Ahhh....

The only thing better will be sipping this love in my backyard. That is, when it's not 9 million degrees with humidity as high as walking through Vietnam.

**I just realized this is my first mojito since I got pregnant.... aww...**

(Another camera photo, taken by sweet hubby.)

Pretty soon she'll be hitting the margaritas...

ZOEY DRINKS USING A STRAW!! Whoo-hoo!! How ever-loving cool is that?! I must send out major props to Grandma Joyce for working with Z on this task. John and I tried to introduce using a straw before, but never with much success. Then last Saturday (yep, the 25th), Joyce started working on her. And, I tell ya, in five minutes the kid had it!! Genius!!

I have no idea if this is early or average or whatever for little ones. It doesn’t matter. My kid is SUPER COOL!!

I should have pictures to go with this, but alas... I do not. I'm just happy to finally find 5 seconds to write. And wouldn't you know it... Zoey just woke up! For real. She's squirming on the monitor now. (But hey, she slept for more than 30 minutes... I just used that time to get. something. done.)

Too bad, Blogger.... you are fun, but not as pressing as say, laundry... or me glued to an old espisode of Friends.

**And a side note (mostly for myself to remember), I started to nurse Z at 2 p.m. I put her down in her crib about 15 minutes later (awake). She fussed a bit, but not too badly. I waited... I started new laundry, folded 'old' laundry, made some tea, went around and shut all the windows because our neighbor decided to cut the grass right now - in the rain- uh, yeah....etc... etc... had that old Friends episode on... Then I didn't hear her on the monitor. What?! Really? It worked?! Nah. I waited...

Not a peep. I knew she was fine. I celebrated a split second and then... yeah, I had to make sure she was ok. I just opened the door to look. ;) She, of course, was fine. Sleeping on her tummy - having flipped all around in the bed to be on top of the covers and backwards from earlier. ah......

****So, she's fine now. Up and diaper changed. :) It's still raining outside. RAINING like a bitch. (Um, do bitches rain? I guess they'd rain as well as cats and dogs?! In any case, if we were back at the old house this week... we'd be bailing water out of the basement day and night. Gee, I hope that girl that is there now is ok. oh well....

Enjoying May Day!

Ah, May 1st... May Day!

It's a beautiful, rainy spring day here. The sound of raindrops on the roof makes me happy.

The morning started out grand - Zoey was next to me. The sun decided to hide behind some clouds, leaving us to wake up slowly...

Then I checked my schmeemail. There was a disappointing note from my bank. I took charge and called them up. It was all a mix up and 20 minutes later (and some very annoying digitized classical wait-tunes later), everything was settled!

Back to this glorious May Day... I had thought about hosting a big party to celebrate this holiday. I had dreams of a maypole decked out in bright ribbons. Iced herb teas, frilly cookies or some such on a cute table under the trees.... Invitations to friends asking them (and their children) to wear beautiful pastels. It's a good thing I didn't try this year. The rain is beautiful and spring-like, but would have been a mess to play in the yard. I still hold these ideas for next year. By then Zoey will be able to participate and I'll be able to plan more.

Mark your calendars friends... May Day at the Miller Manor. Let's try to start a tradition!

What a difference a day (or so) makes...

Saturday afternoon, April 4th:
Tuesday Morning, April 7th:

(This picture was taken AFTER the blanket of white-stuff had mostly melted. My car was covered when I started to make breakfast.)

**By the way, the chair in which Z is sitting was an early Easter gift from her Grandma Joyce. You can't really see it, but it is green with a ladybug on the back. Super cute.)

***And Sunday was even more beautiful. High temps, bright sun... so the day comparison is even closer! :)