>The tomatoes are planted, the seeds are in, the herb garden is on the deck. But the most important display isn’t the bush or the pile of woodchips; it’s the flag flying in the front yard.
>While the workers are here, the Big Bunny (Buttercup) has to be caged.
Since the daughter has graduated and is moving back home, her bunnies live here, too.
The bunnies are not friends with each other. Not. At. All.
Normally, Sadie lives in our bedroom. However, we have no bedroom right now; just a collection of 2 by 4s, many of which actually measure 2 by 4 inches – But that’s another story. Temporary home for Sadie is the den, but the den doesn’t have a door. Well, not a regular door.
We’ve been keeping Buttercup in her cage while the workers pound up and down the stairs. When she’s out of her cage, we have a temporary gate on the stairs. But the day the plumber was late (tried to put off our job until later, but the inspector said “ahem, today, sir”) Chuck took pity on the poor furry creature and let her out. In his frustration that day, he sent me the following email.
Try this Mr. Fox in Socks sir:
When the summer plumbers battle over a vent-le in a stud-le and the Butter-Bunny’s running on the crumblys in the roomblys and that Butter-Bunny’s eating the wettest of the lettuce, then that’s a Summer Plumber ventle studle Butter-Bunny crumbly roombly wettest lettuce battle.
The plumbing rough-in is done and passed inspection. They
may move forward onto the next step.
Thank goodness.
>
(Actual email from Chuck after dealing with a difficult day in the remodeling process)
The wild and wacky adventures of the father and son plumbing team, Chuckles and Bo!
It’s Two and a Half men, but the extra half is the big guy’s gut.
Reminiscent of Martin and Lewis, Laurel and Hardy, Sherri Lewis and Porkchop (except they were cute), Gonzo and Camilla.
It’s like Kukla, Fran and Ollie and the Keystone Cops compressed down into two people
The entire Muppet show on the road in a plumbing truck.
Enjoy classic comedic lines like:
“Phooey, we have to move the potty.”
“Hold on! I think I hit cement.” (Remember, they’re on the second floor of a wood frame house.)
“Hand me the saw up through the potty hole.”
“Hey! What’s going beep beep beep in the dumpster?”
Yes, it’s potty humor at its best. 9pm/8 central, right after America’s Funniest Home Videos. Pipe down; I want to hear the theme song!
>When MomCentral asked me to be part of a blog tour that reviewed Noodles & Company, I emailed La Petite, who was still at school:
“When you come home, we need to make a trip to Noodles & Company for a product review. Darn. Such a sacrifice. I hope you’re up for it. “
She was up for it. She replied, “I just can’t say No to Noodles.”
Our opportunity came sooner than we thought. I picked her up at her roommate’s home in the Madison area after a big graduation party. On our way out of town, we looked for a place to have a light lunch. We didn’t want to sit down and have something heavy, but we wanted something better than fast food. Lo and behold, we spotted a Noodles & Company outside of Madison’s East Towne mall.
I hear you thinking, “What a coincidence! Did you plan that? Come on, Daisy, out with it.”
No, we didn’t precisely plan to go to Noodles & Company that day. I did pack the bowl coupons in my purse, though, because I knew our route would take us down an immense Strip with just about every restaurant option you could want. Luck was with us; the Noodles & Company was on the right side of the road at the right time.
At the suggestion of Mom Central and because it was in season, I ordered the Asparagus and Lemon Linguine dish. It tasted as good as it looked. Feta cheese on top, snap peas to join the asparagus, simply delicious. Those are La Petite’s sunglasses, by the way; you didn’t think I was that fashionable, did you?
Daughter had her “usual,” the pesto cavatappi with chicken. She let me try a bite of hers, and she sampled mine. Both were delicious.
Prior to this review, I hadn’t been to Noodles & Company for a long time. Our local Noodles restaurant isn’t close to home, it’s close to the mall. I’m not a big mall-goer, so we end up there on rare and special occasions. I’m glad I took the time to go; I really do enjoy their menu. Speaking of menu, you can go to their web site and check out the menu before you go. I highly recommend clicking on the Farmers Market link and then playing the little veggie/ noodle musicians’ video. It’s adorable.
I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Noodles & Company and received five Noodles & Company bowl cards to facilitate my review. Mom Central also sent me a thank-you gift certificate.
>Want brick and mortar? I’ll give you brick and mortar. This is in what’s left of the master bedroom; it’s the chimney. See those 2X4s? They really measure 2″ by 4″. Yes, they’re that old.
When was this tile put in? Any ideas? It was under carpet since the 1970s at least.
>Chuck read the original recipe in his new book, Dining on the B&O; recipes and sidelights from a bygone age. He wasn’t too thrilled with the main ingredient (tripe), but he thought with beef it might work well. Here’s his version.
Philly Pepper Pot, Chuck’s Crock Pot version
1 lb. beef for stew, cut in bite size pieces and lightly browned.
2-3 teaspoons salt (optional)
6 Tablespoons butter
6 Tablespoons flour
1 quart beef stock
1 green bell pepper, sliced fine
1 red bell pepper, sliced fine
1 yellow bell pepper, also sliced in thin strips
1 onion (white works well), shredded
1 Tablespoon dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Melt butter over low heat and add the flour, stirring constantly until smooth. Add the stock. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
Place the meat and peppers and other ingredients in crockpot. Pour the beef gravy over the top. Simmer on low for 8-10 hours.
Serve over egg noodles or rice or on its own with home-made bread on the side. This will be thick!
Note: the original recipe called for tripe. If you’re a fan of tripe or feeling adventurous, go ahead and use tripe in place of the beef.
>Here it is as it looked last week; my new tomato plot. A plain triangle, a few grass clipping layered over a little compost.
We covered the area with cardboard and newspaper last fall, outlined it with a few posts and spare boards, and let nature do its job over the winter.
To read the rest, go to Green Spot-On!
>
Yes. You guessed it; everything is piled in the corner until the project is finished and we have closets again. Until then, I hope we don’t need clean sheets; they’re in the bottom bin.
>I sent the following note home in my class’ weekly newsletter.
“I’ve noticed an increase in body odor in the room. Are your children ready for deodorant? It may be time to have the personal hygiene talk with your child!”
The best version of this “talk” came from a school nurse who had a son in sixth grade. She was a middle school nurse, so she had street cred with my students at the time: the dreaded 6th graders. She talked about face washing, astringent, and acne. She informed them that only 30% of kids their age washed their hands after using the bathroom, and challenged them to become part of the elite 30%. She taught the kids that as they reach their preteen years, the body starts producing hormones. Those hormones combined with sweat create (drumroll) Body Odor. She explained the difference between antiperspirant and deodorant. When she was done, they were psyched.
I now teach 4th grade, so the *ahem* odors in a spring-time classroom are not as intense as a room housing 6th graders between its chalkboards and walls. However, after an intense afternoon recess of kickball and jump rope, the scent still wafts through the air.
Socially, it’s not popular to smell of sweat and body odor. As children get old enough to use deodorant, sometimes I need to approach the awkward subject and tell them it’s time. So when MomCentral offered a blog review tour for Unilever products geared for preteens, I offered to check out the products.
In addition to the products (Dove deodorant and body spray), Unilever presents a web site devoted to talks between parents and teens about this uncomfortable subject. It’s called Don’t Fret the Sweat. I suggest browsing the site together and then leaving it bookmarked for further perusal, er, surfing.
You may find a less, er, aromatic home and a more confident tween or teen. Trust me; your child’s teacher will be relieved, too.
I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Unilever and received the items necessary to facilitate my review. The deodorant and body spray went by way of our school counselor to a girl in my class who is socially awkward and developing body odor. She’s a sweetheart, and this little tool might help her feel more confident. The scent is light, and she won’t be conspicuous while wearing it, either.
In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.
>Seen on the way to a graduation ceremony:
