Time for June bugs

It's going to be a hot day in Minnesota today. We're talking 92˚ and humid. bleck!


So, because I care, and want everyone to stay cool, here's a suggestion for beating the June heat.


June bugs!


I'm not talking the creepy crawly kind my friends. (tempted to insert photo of creepy crawly June bug...I am restraining...but I am tempted!) I'm talking the sweet, refreshing drink called the June bug.


I found this recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens magazine.


These few ingredients make a perfect beat-the-heat beverage.

Oops, missing the orange juice...you need OJ too!

1. Pour 3 cups ginger ale into the pitcher of a blender.

2. Add in 4 Tbsp grenadine.

3. Add in 4Tbsp orange juice.

4. Add in 3 scoops of orange sherbet.

Blend together. Pour into ice filled glasses.

Serve this round of June bugs to the children.


Now, repeat steps 1-4 and add in 1/2 cup of white rum. Blend, pour into ice filled glasses and serve the adults!

YUMMMMM! 


June bugs, a great way to beat the heat, all summer long!


Christine


P.S.  A big round of applause for the Husband who served as hand model for this post! He did a great job!

Pest control

This is a Praying Mantis egg case.

There are hundreds of little Praying Mantis (Manti? Mantises? I don't know the plural) bugs in that little case. 


I have placed that little case in a paper bag, I will place that bag in the garage, and in a few weeks that bag will be full of Praying Mantises. (the plural is mantises, I looked it up)

Then I will sprinkle these little guys throughout my gardens. "Hello baby Mantis."

Not only are they fascinating to look at, but  Mantises will eat any other bugs they can catch, and they are very good at catching other bugs. These little guys have saved my vegetable garden from more than one nasty pest that likes to eat the vegetable plants.


The Praying Mantis has also been become a summer pet of sorts for the girls. They often discover one living in a hosta off of the front porch. The girls will name it and talk to it and watch it grow. 


Oh boy do they grow! We found one that was 5 inches long a few years ago. That was one big bug. That means it was doing a very good job eating all of the other bugs! Yes!

The Praying Mantis has the very unique ability, for a bug that is, to turn it's head 180˚. Those little bugs will turn their head and look you right in the eye. It can be unnerving!


The Praying Mantis is a cool bug and welcome to eat in my garden anytime! 


Some of them even know Kung Fu!

Like I said, the Praying Mantis is one cool bug!


Christine

Goodbye zombies

Last night, while the Husband was helping Emma Bean study for a test, I snuck off to the computer to play Plants vs Zombies.


Plants vs Zombies, for those who do not know, is a computer game. It's a game in which cartoon zombies try to break into your cartoon house to eat your brains. Therefore you must plant plants that shoot peas at the zombies and destroy them before they get into the house to eat your brains.

Goodness, when described like that it sounds kinda ridiculous. But it's fun, and I play. 


"Hello, my name is Christine and I play Plants vs Zombies. Help!" 

Eh hem. Anyway...after playing for only a few minutes...ok, more than a few minutes, I realized what time it was and that Emma Bean should be getting ready for bed. I went in search of her and found that everyone in the family had become "plugged in"...computer, Ipod, whatever. None of us were actually aware that the others existed anymore. We were all in the house together, but very separated and alone. Let me tell you, it was startling!


I don't mind the occasional video game. I actually enjoy them. That may have been clear to you already, Plants vs Zombies and all, but I suddenly had a vision of my children wanting to spend the summer tuned out to the world and "plugged in" to video games, computers and Ipods.


I did not like the image!


Being "plugged in" has not been a problem in the past, but the girls are in a different stage of life now, and with Ipods and computers to occupy them, and always calling their names, I think this summer may be a different story. It may be more difficult this summer to get them to run around with their friends.

I want them to continue to enjoy climbing trees.

Scratch that. The last good climbing tree will be coming down soon. We will go for picnics instead!

I'm going to have to have my act together this summer if I am going to keep everyone active and avoid the many things that promote being still and solitary. I may even have to say goodbye to zombies for the summer. I think healthy, active children will be worth it.


That said, I only have 5 days of planting peas shooters left. Gotta go! I'm joking...mostly!


Christine

Hosta baby!

My flower gardens are full of Hosta.


From the large (the leaves on this one are about the size of a dinner plate)...

to the small, (the leaves on this one are about the size of the bottom of my mocha cup) I like them all.

One of the best things about Hosta is that they are easy to divide and share. 


This beauty came from my parents.

There are only a few Hosta that I have actually purchased. I found this one at the Farmer's Market. I thought it's variegated leaves were stunning.

I did not know, at the time that I got it, that some variegated Hostas can revert back to being non-variegated.

Look at that! Every year a few more leaves pop up completely green. Who knew? Not me! Oh well, I still like it.


A girlfriend, who moved away, shared this Hosta with me. I miss her. I think of her every time I look at this plant. It is the most fantastic shade of green.

If I continue to add Hostas, I'm going to need to create another garden bed. Fortunately the Husband is very accommodating every time I suggest creating a new garden area. He does all of the sod removal and digging. I do the weeding, fertilizing and plant care.


When I tell him I want to create a new garden, he tends to mull it over for a few minutes. He has to consider the work involved in setting up a new garden plot. The one time set up of a new garden always wins over the regular mowing of the grass in the same area. New garden=less mowing=new garden for me! YAY! 


Yep, the Husband is very smart. I like him. I would totally marry him!


The Husband has recently begun to consider other ways of reducing his mowing. He has decided that a basketball court in the middle of the back yard would be good. I'm not so sure I like this plan.


And really, it isn't necessary. The neighbors have a perfectly good basketball hoop in their driveway. They would gladly allow him to play anytime he wants. Although there was a little mishap the other weekend while they were backing their camper into their driveway and the basketball hoop suffered a bit of a crunch. Drat! That is definitely an argument in the Husband's favor.


Anyway, I like Hosta, the Husband likes less mowing. We're a perfect match!


Christine

It was bound to happen

I said never again! (It's too much work.)


I'm done! (It takes too much effort.)


No way! (I don't want to sort through everything.)


But then my good friend told me she was going to do it.


And then I went through the girl's closets and drawers, to try on the summer clothes from last year, the girls have grown by leaps and bounds, nothing fits them anymore.


This pile of clothing, that no longer fits, really must go!

And, after 9 years of yellow, I decided I wanted to go back to white dishes, which we had prior to the yellow. 


This pile of dishes really must go!

Fortunately I still had most of the white dishes from before, and I was able to fill in the missing pieces I needed from Ikea without spending too much. Gotta love Ikea!

The part about the old dishes doesn't really have anything to do with this blog post. I just wanted to tell you that I like Ikea.


We also have some small pieces of furniture that we don't have a place for any longer. This table really must go!

And there are some odds and ends, really an assortment of items that we no longer need or have space for, that really must go. Not to mention the things that our two, double digit girls have outgrown or simply no longer use. 

Polly Pockets anyone?

I guess what I'm saying is...I think I will be having a garage sale with my friend, who said she will be having a garage sale.

Drat! I said it out loud, it must be so. 

Christine

It's Friday

We met my parents for dinner yesterday.


My Mom brought some Lily of the Valley for me.


I placed them on my bedside table so I could smell them all night. Lovely!

Thanks Mom!!


After dinner Emma purchased a volleyball with some of her birthday money.


Both girls have decided they want to play volleyball this year. Volleyball is in, soccer is out.

Volleyball may take some getting used to.


This morning I reminded Miss Sofi Bug that there are only 9 days of school left.

I know, I am very excited too!


I'm so glad she still allows me to call her Miss Sofi Bug in front of all of you.


I overheard a woman call her little girl Sofi Bug once. My Miss Sofi Bug was about 10 then. I had to stop and talk to the woman. I told her that I call my girl Sofi Bug too. We liked each other instantly.


The Husband wore a purple shirt today. I think he was making a statement about yesterday's blog post. He wouldn't look me in the eye when I asked him about it.

The purple one is mine!


I am happy that the iris my nice neighbor gave me is going to flower this year. She thought it would take a couple of years for it to bloom after having been transplanted into my garden.

She didn't say what color it is, but she said it is beautiful. I can't wait to see it!


We are kinda sad because we wanted to visit my in-laws, who live several hours away from us, over the long weekend. It isn't going to work out. Hopefully we'll get to go for a visit soon. We miss them and love them!


The husband and I found this mug that bears a striking resemblance to my Father-in-law.

We didn't buy it. We much rather spend time with the real thing. (my Father-in-law that is, he's not a thing) 


But hopefully he will see the blog today and it will give him a good laugh!


Anyway, I'm rambling. 


Hope you all have a fantastic weekend and a good Memorial Day!


Christine

He said/She said 2

She decided that it was about time to replace the body poofs that she and the Husband had been using. The old ones had been around for awhile and she began to think about the amount of dead skin and crud that might be lurking in the old poofs. YUCK! It was time for the old ones to go.


Yes she calls them poofs. She does not know what else to call them.


Yes, she has just told you the Husband uses a poof and it does not in any way reflect on his manliness! 


But she might choose to call his a body scrubber instead of a poof.


For those who are totally confused and have no idea what a poof/scrubber is...tah dah!

Body poof/scrubber.


She specifically purchased a scrubber that was a bit more compact for the Husband because that is the way he likes his scrubber. She also chose a manly shade of gray for him.

Wasn't she thoughtful? 


She was!


She purchased a less compact poof for herself, for that is how she prefers her poof. Her poof is a lovely shade of purple.

I like that word...poof, poof, poof.


Sorry. It's out of my system now. Wait...poof! OK, I'm done.


This morning, after using the new scrubber for the first time...


He said: I wasn't sure which scrubber was for me, so I used the one on my side, the purple one.

She said: The purple one is mine. I bought the gray, more compact one for you.


He said: I don't like the compact ones.


She said: Yes you do. The one you'd been using was a more compact one.


He said: I never used that one. I told you I didn't like that old compact one.


She said: You did not!


He never told her that he did not like the compact one. NEVER. She would have remembered. She has a memory like a...a...well she can't remember what it's called, but her memory is very good.


She said: So I just replaced a poof that has never been used with a poof that will never be used?


He said nothing.


Now she wonders if a poof can be returned. 


Returning a poof just seems wrong. 


Thankfully the poofs were only a dollar each.


By the way, did she mention that she found the birdbath? It was right where she left it last fall.

Yep, she has a memory like a...


Christine


P.S. This post was Husband approved.