Once Again..

Faythe is doing my work for me! We all went down to the Globe Bar and Grill last night and I really don't have to write about it because Faythe did an excellent job of it right here.

I do have to weigh in on the ice cream and second what Faythe wrote about how each flavor came through equally. The Lavender and Honey flavor was the most interesting to me, the lavender tasted like the plant so it was fairly strong but the honey flavor did not get lost in it. But I have to say that my favorite was the Peach Saffron.

I will be going back. Soon. Thank You Faythe for the great post. Happy Birthday and have fun in Vegas!


Yes, I stole it!

Thinking Is Expensive

This morning in my email there was a comment regarding the picture in my previous post about how much they liked it. This comes on the heels of my shower thinking this morning. I don't know about you, but there is something about the shower that help me focus my thoughts, solve problems and gain understanding about stuff. Anyway, my shower thinking was about how I can take better pictures, they usually come out blurry. And I think I figured out my problem. It's my crappy eyes. They can't see anything up close anymore. When I took the picture in the previous post, I had taken off my glasses and brought the camera close up to my eyes. Plus I was in the shade and there was no glare on the tiny screen. Perfect focus!

But not a minute later, I took this picture of my ripening tomatoes:



The leaves are in focus but the tomatoes are not. I probably would have noticed this if I could SEE THE SCREEN! HELLO!! This leads me to only one conclusion: I need a camera with a giant screen on the back. And Costco has a deal on one...

What I Did This Evening

First I took some pictures of my porch garden, only one is worth posting. I think I might need a better camera or maybe I should learn to work the one I have.



This is the only good one, the rest suck. But anyway, I like my fuschia, the blossoms look like little lanterns.

So after I was done on my porch, I decided to take a drive. I went out Northwest Blvd up onto Highway 291, past Tum Tum and Long Lake. Then I turned right on Highway 231, past Ford to Springdale. There I turned right on Highway 292 to Loon Lake, where I turned right yet again on Highway 395, which took me back to Spokane. It was a beautiful drive which took about 2 hours and covered I think about 90-100 miles. Highly highly recommended.

Now I am home and I think I will have something cold to drink and then fall asleep in front of the TV. Let the good times roll!

To The Minute

It is exactly one year to the minute that we arrived in Spokane. Time has flown. I really really really like it here. I would say more but I think I'm going to sit on my porch and knit awhile. Because I have a porch. And it's nice out.

You all should come and visit me sometime. I bet you would like it here too.

I Am Having A Great Day!

It started this morning, as days often do. First I went to a rummage sale at a church in my neighborhood and bought a round turquoise Pyrex baking dish for 50 cents! Then I went down to the farmers market and bought some veggies for tonights Supper Club and some happy little sunflower plants 4 for 1.00. Then I went the Goodwill and got some super nice glasses for the mojitos we will be having tonight. They were super cheap and really really nice! All this getting stuff cheap was making me very happy! Plus it is a beautiful day and the trees are so full and green and the squirrels are so cute! So then when I get home I put in my Led Zeppelin DVD and that made me so happy I wanted to cry, I was that happy. But I did not cry, instead I baked a cake for Supper Club tonight that pretty much summarizes everything:



Now I have to go prep the veggies for Supper Club, the theme is Sandwiches and Mojitos. And Cake.

Hope everyone is having a great day too!

Four Days Into The List

And what have I done? Not much! Oh, I've knit and crocheted, and watched some stuff from Netflix, but have I lifted a finger around this house, let alone take a walk? Heck No! I thought I would be lonelier than this but so far I have just been enjoying not having to watch "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" every night with the boys. I have plenty of time to waste on the internet, and I have eaten reuben sandwiches for dinner 3 out of 4 nights. It helps to have nice people like Jennifer and Faythe to hang out with from time to time. And I don't have to ask someone to get out of my favorite chair so I can take a nap.
But don't think I am a heartless mom who doesn't miss her kids. I do, but so far just talking to them on the phone a few times a day has been enough. And I know this new found freedom will get old shortly and my tune will change as the weeks go by. But this week has been ok. There will be time for the rest of the stuff on the list next week, right?

I Want A Month!

I read this blog called Something Good. It's all about good things that we can do for ourselves, each other, humanity and the planet. LornaDoone's posts are always thoughtful and informative. Well, in this post there is a list of all the things that the month of June is. Like how February is Black History month, June has a lot of things in its' month. Let's talk about some of them.

1) Cancer From The Sun Month--It sounds like you are supposed to go get some cancer from the sun! They should have put the word AWARENESS in the title.
2) Fireworks Safety Month--You would think that would be in July, but I guess they are being pro-active.
3) International Accordion Awareness Month--Now we're talkin'! I think I need to go to Faythe's house right now and watch the Big Joe Polka Show!
4) Lane Courtesy Month and Learn French Month--I think these two should go hand in hand. When someone cuts you off after you have shown lane courtesy, you can swear at them in French!
5) National Candy Month, National Soul Food Month, and National Steakhouse Month--These should be every month, I think.
6) Potty Training Awareness Month--My good friend Shannon is doing battle with her three-year-old who refuses to poop on the potty, so of course I had to call her right away and inform her that this is her month!
7) Rebuild Your Life Month--Can a person rebuild their life in one month? And what if a person's life falls apart in July? Do they have to wait until next June to rebuild it?

There were many other causes on the list that were very worthwhile and not so outlandish. My question is, is there some big calendar authority that listens to your cause and grants you a month, or can anyone just declare a month for their cause without permission? Because if it's the latter, then hear me now--I am declaring the month of June to be National Karla Is A Wonderful Person Awareness Month. Because I am a wonderful person. And now you are aware of it. Please tell everybody you know!

My Apron Gives Me Power!

I can't really explain it. It all started last week when SusanLynn and I went to Greenbluff and bought aprons. We realized that we looked just like our Tantes, who were 2 of my grandma's sisters, Tante Paula and Tante Frieda. Tante Paula was an excellent baker and Tante Frieda was an awesome needleworker. They were born and raised in Germany but lived close to us when I was a kid. They were both gone by the time I was about 12. Anyway, they always wore their aprons. So when my sister and I put on our aprons, we realized that we were carrying on a legacy. And you know what? My sister is an awesome cook, and I am a decent needleworker. That makes me Tante Frieda and her Tante Paula. Here we are in our aprons:



So I have been wearing my apron this week while I cook and clean and iron and knit and somehow it makes me feel more confident in my domestic abilities. Even when I melted Max's nylon belt with the iron, I still didn't feel bad because I had the apron on. I even tackled the knitter's nemesis: double pointed needles, and I wasn't intimidated! In fact, I made a hat! And tonight, I'm going to make dinner, that's twice this week! Who knows what's next, I may bake a cake, or even sew something!


Thanks Tante Frieda!

Trying Not To Sound Desperate And Failing Miserably

Next Monday my boys are going to California. They will be gone four weeks. That is the most time I have been away from my kids since Max was born. For the past 18 years my main purpose in life has been seeing to their needs and enjoying their company. I do not relish the thought of being completely adrift for 28 days. But I'm trying to formulate a plan so that I don't just go to work, come home and cry all night. Here is what I have so far:

1) File all the papers in my office.
2) Knit and crochet on my blanket, bathmat, hat, and start a chevron scarf.
3) Take walks around town.
4) Watch movies. I have my Netflix list all queued up and ready to go.
5) Clean Max's area downstairs.
6) Take a trip to Missoula with Jennifer.
7) Email Cathy to make a date for coffee.

Any suggestions or offers will be greatly appreciated. I would especially like it if someone invited me somewhere for a 4th of July celebration. Thanks to you all for taking pity on a poor displaced mom!

A Fast and Fun Time

This week flew by because every night I spent cleaning and preparing because my sister came into town for a visit! She got here on Thursday night and left this afternoon. We crammed a lot of stuff into 42 hours! We did a lot of driving around, which included trips to Idaho last night and Green Bluff this morning. It's all pretty much a blur, but here is what I remember.

1) Last night driving into Idaho we hit a swarm of bugs on the freeway. My windshield was a gross mess and this morning we had to scrub it for like 10 minutes to get all the bug guts off.

2) We ate huckleberry pancakes at Walters Fruit Ranch and we both bought aprons that were made by the Hutterites and now we both look like our great aunt Tante Paula.

3) We went to not one but two TJ Maxx stores and bought dishes at both of them.

4) We drove through (and I do mean through) the Gonzaga campus. Good thing it was deserted or else I would have run over a lot of people. On the other hand, if there had been a lot of people I wouldn't have been driving down walkways and off sidewalks.

5) My sister got to see a marmot! I didn't see a marmot until I lived here for like 8 months, she's here for 12 hours and she sees one. Go figure.

6) When I got home from work yesterday, I discover that SOMEONE had incarcerated the Ugly Ass Chickens. And that SOMEONE left a note. In my sister's handwriting. Hmmmm...



When I asked my sister about it she tried to pin it on the bowler, as he appears to be fleeing the scene, but I believe he was framed.

My sister is a stinker! I miss her already!

My Cats Love The Porch!

Blossom and Grace relaxing this morning.


Watching Dolly. She crossed the lawn and disappeared into the tall weeds on some sort of cat adventure I'm sure.



Look! Tomatoes!!



That tiki statue in my flower bed is made out of pumice and is one of my brother's first sculptures when he was a teenager. It sat in my mom's yard most of my life and when I moved I took it and now it sits in my yard.


I love that 1) I have a porch, and 2) It is warm enough to sit out on a Sunday morning with the paper and a cup of coffee.


I love my porch!

More Than I Wanted To Know

I was surfing some knitting blogs and I came across one of those personality tests like "What Kind of Flower Are You?" so I clicked it and it led me to the website where all of these tests are. So now I am going to take some of them and together we will find out just what kind of a person I really am. Here goes:

You Are A Lily

You are a nurturer and all around natural therapist. People see you as their rock. And they are able to depend on you. You are a soothing influence. You can make people feel better with a few words. Your caring has more of an impact than even you realize.

What Flower Are You?

Why couldn't I have been a fuschia? I really like fuschias, and I heve never even grown a lily. I'm not so sure about this. Lets try another.

You Are Coke

A true original and classic, you represent the best of everything you can offer. Just the right amount of sweet, just the right amount of energy... you're the life of the party. Your best soda match: Mountain Dew Stay away from:Dr Pepper

What Kind of Soda Are You?

AAUUUUGGGHHH! I HATE Coke! Why are they doing this to me??

Your 80s Theme Song Is:

Head Over Heels by Tears for Fears

What's Your 80s Theme Song?

Oh Brother.

You Should Paint Your Room Red

Dramatic and bold, a red room brings energy. Your red room will inspire you to try a new activity... And bring out even more passion for the things you love.

What Color Should You Paint Your Room?

These people have no idea what they are talking about. Red is my least favorite color. Ok one more and then I give up.

You Are 28% Abnormal

You are at low risk for being a psychopath. It is unlikely that you have no soul. You are at medium risk for having a borderline personality. It is somewhat likely that you are a chaotic mess. You are at low risk for having a narcissistic personality. It is unlikely that you are in love with your own reflection. You are at medium risk for having a social phobia. It is somewhat likely that you feel most comfortable in your mom's basement. You are at low risk for obsessive compulsive disorder. It is unlikely that you are addicted to hand sanitizer.

How Abnormal Are You?

FINALLY!! They got one right!! But I still think these things are dumb and I highly discourage anyone from wasting their time on them.

Have A Great Weekend with love from Coke Lily.