Family, family, family.......

We had an awesome Easter with my family. I haven't been home long enough to download my pictures, yet. But I can't wait to show them to you.

A couple of days later, I got to pick up Race at the airport. (Excited squeal!!!) ANd THEN.....1 day later, we were in the suburban headed to Florida. We were on our way down to celebrate the wedding of a really special nephew to really special girl. That nephew, Ronnie, is probably one of the very few things that could have pulled Race away from home again so soon. They have always had a really special bond. When Race was in highschool and football was his life, he would haul Ronnie everywhere with him. It wasn't unusual to see this little guy in his baby carrier, down at the gym, while Race was working out. They were inseperable, from early on.

When Race and I were married, Ronnie was our Jr. Groomsman. So it was no surprise that Race got all teary-eyed as he watched Ronnie say his own wedding vows. He was so proud of that kid!

The wedding was beautiful, and the reception was a blast. We all laughed, danced, and visited long into the night.

Today, we got to visit with lots of Race's family. Some very special people who welcomed us so warmly into their homes. And that's a whole other post that I am looking forward to writing.

And we're still here!! We are headed back home tomorrow.....But not before we take the kids out to the Okeefenoke Swamp. A reptile lovers mecca. So after we've had our fill of gators and snakes..................we're headed back home.

Cheers!!
Melissa

AWWWWWWwww.....

He's HERE!

Congratulations to Dy, Zorak, James, John, Jacob and Emily...............And "Welcome" Jason Thomas!

Oh, who can blog?

What with poor Dy laboring away at home, WHO CAN BLOG????? Are you constantly checking her blog for an update? I was always so completely impatient with my deliveries, but she handles it all in stride. When I talked to her the other night, it reminded me how long I've been reading her blog. It was through her blog that I met her. Our families got together. She and Zorak know my mom and dad. My sisters. Everyone. I am really and truly excited to watch this family grow. Dy and Zorak are like the perfect couple in that they are comfortable in their own skin and it makes them and their children a joy to be around. Dy, we love you and we're thinking about you. Sending lots of prayers your way.

Melissa

Homeschool Yuppie Mommie

I have taken time out from planning my own funeral to use the only voice that I have left.

You see, the anonymous comment below got me to thinking. Could it be?

Could the stigma that has so long plagued the poor homeschool mom be lifting??

The homeschool mom has long been associated with a certain......."look". You know the one I of which I speak. She is content to don one of a handful of long jumpers that reach to her shins. She has one of 2 different hairstyles: either a tight perm, or the loooonnng, untouched down to "there" hair. I could go on....it's all been very well defined and I'm afraid well documented.

So, I'm just saying........maybe we're turning a corner here girls!!! Maybe the NEW homeschool mom will drive a suburban..(you still gotta haul all those kids around)...maybe she will be dressed in a more "Gap-ish" way. Maybe she'll have an AWESOME, big, leather tote and a fresh haircut. I dunno.....it's possible...right?

I mean I couldn't be the poster girl or anything, because I also still have to haul my own garbage and drive the Scalded Dog each week:



Still.......I'm just sayin'......


(shrug)I dunno, it could all just be my fevered brain. You see, my sister has put a curse on me. She has cursed me with illness because I didn't like the baby name she picked. I know, I know.......I should know better......and I do. But still, shouldn't she use her power for good?? Shouldn't she?

Cheers!
Melissa

*cough*, *cough*, *hack*, *hack*.......

O.K. I admit it. I AM SICK.

I rarely get ill, but I am really sick. BLECH.

The minute I felt it coming on, I made myself a huge pot of chicken noodle soup and that's all that I've eaten for the last couple of days. ANd tonight, I can honestly say that I'm no worse. So......I must be getting better.

This is a REALLY bad week for me to be sick. Race is gone and there are ball practices, ball games, art classes and martial arts.

Oh- and did I mention Easter? I LOVE Easter because the whole family comes to my house to celebrate it. But as I look around me I am struck by just how....UN- CELEBRATORY the house looks at this moment. The cushions are all off the sofa(started washing the covers the other day...not sure where they are at the moment), the floors haven't been swept. And on my dining table...the would be heavenly mecca of all things spring-like and Easter,.. I see a coat hanger, a can of compressed air, an unfinished art project, several school books, various cd's, and a rock. (sigh) But I'm still ultra excited about Easter and I think that i still have time to pull it all together.

Oh- and did I mention that THE DAY that Race flies in we are all driving to the Sunshine State for a wedding. WAIT. FLorida IS the sunshine state, isn't it?? Is it? Or does it have something to do with oranges??? O.K., anyway we're driving to Florida for a wedding that we are SUPER excited about!!!

But the suburban.....she wants new tires and an oil change and new brake pads. And y'all know how I am with the whole mechanic/garage thing. It freaks me out.It's like a world that I am not allowed to understand. An alien planet.( Every garage I attend (attend?) has a token moped-driving, trash-picker-upper, who is JUST.NOT.RIGHT. And this trash-picker-upper always really takes a fancy to me.I'm like a magnet.(shudder)) And why do they keep the mechanics behind that window? And they just keep sort of passing by and peering out. It's all very zoo-like. I just sit there clutching my handbag really close to me and bouncing my knee up and down. Frightening. And I've gotta do that tomorrow.

But more importantly....THE WEDDING. This is a really nice wedding, and we could not be more thrilled for the bride and groom. The groom is our nephew and he is marrying a really beautiful, sweet girl, whom we love. So we're excited........and I need a perfect dress.......and did I mention I'm sick???

I dragged us all to the orthodontist and to the magical, suburban-dvd-player-fixer guy. Then after dropping the boys at martial arts ,Savannah and I went to the J Crew Clearance store. I hacked and coughed as I gathered dresses to try on. Amazingly, the other ladies parted as I headed to the dressing room. After dress #6, I lost Savannah and she went to the car to wait. My worn-out cowboy boots and jeans lay on the floor while I pulled on dress after dress, all the while sniffling and coughing. The dressing room was a mess with hangers and piles of silks and cottons.

But it was oh-so worth it! I emerged from that dressing room, clutching VICTORY in my hands as I stumbled to the register with my plastic already out of my wallet and held high.

In the immortal words of the Beatles: "Here comes the sun!" (doodle,do-do) We watched A.I tonight.

I got THIS dress!!!!!!!! OH YEAH!!!! A beautiful medium weight silk, fully lined and beautifully tailored. Oh-and this dress is $195 in the catalog right now.............my price????

50 BUCKS!!!!!!! Wa-hooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!

Now. Could someone please direct me to some stunning T-strap shoes to wear with this dress? I've gotta go find the couch covers before the family comes.

Cheers!

Melissa

A few photos.....

I have a few photos for you tonight. The first,is for L.B. It is Savannah's first acrylic painting. She did it in about 2 hours from a photograph that was given to her in class. She is really looking forward to the next class. She really loves anything to do with art and she also finds it totally cool hanging out with her Aunt Thom. (For the record, if I had been given the same photo at the beginning of a class I would have collapsed on the desk and cried.) This next shot is from a photo that she took in England. Now, when she took it, it looked nothing like that.

We had come upon a sheep carcass and Jack had to examine it thoroughly. He asked Savannah to take a picture of it. She took the original photo and turned it into this:

How cool!


These next photos are from dinner tonight. (No, you get no segway. Just sheep skull-to-dinner.)

I fixed a huge pile of steamed mussels. SO EASY. I sauteed onions and lots of garlic. Then added about 1/4 cup of chardonnay and as soon as it was boiling, I added the mussels. After about 4 minutes....dinner is served. We had toasted Italian bread w/ bruschetta to round it out. YUM!




Now, I haven't been feeling so hot today, so I am taking proactive measures against any sickness that may be trying to manifest itself. We went to church and as soon as we got home, I fed everyone lunch and then went to lay down!(Totally wierd for me.) I have a sneaking suspicion that it has more to do w/ my lack of sleep than anything else. Sometimes I just worry, in spite of myself ,about Race. So, I am going to try to catch up on some zzzzz's tonight.

Thanks for stopping by!
Cheers!
Melissa

Spring flowers

Isn't this pretty?

Every time I have been to England, I am struck by the varieties of flowers that they pair together.It is so different than what you typically see in the U.S. I tried to copy some of that here using plants that do well in my area. The planters are the dark grey "stone look" kind. They are planted with purple violas, yellow tulips and ivy. I really like the way that they turned out. I have 2 of these so I set them on either side of the steps leading up the front porch. I set these out a week ago, and they've done just fine in the cold nights.

I can't get the blogger picture upload to cooperate tonight, so this is the only picture that I could get to post.

Today I picked up two different shades of a variegated evergreen for a backdrop against our deck. I plan to fill the entire area in front of the evergreens with loads of perennials. I also picked up a pretty good sized Carolina Jasmine vine for another spot in front of the deck. The flowers smell wonderful and I am hoping to have it climb along the deck. ANd again, I will plant loads of perennials in front of it.
Anniesue, I have no imagination at all myself, so I look at gardens that I like, and I try to copy them. I don't always achieve what I want the first time out, but I am finding that I am learning a lot along the way! Anything that I can't figure out, I always call Janelle or my mom and they have an answer.
What sort of spring planting or planning have you been doing?

Cheers!
Melissa

Just a recap......

My Lil' Sis has some very exciting news, so be sure to go over and check that all out. The whole family is so excited!!!

I didn't do too badly on my new schedule today. I hit the treadmill early before everyone was up. Then it was breakfast and schooling till lunch.I got my lifting in while the kids ate lunch. I ran Savannah out to meet Thom for an acrylics art class. I ate lunch when I got back home and everyone worked on finishing up school work till 2. Austin had a baseball game 1 hr away. We didn't get back home till 8:45 pm. A special thanks to Thom for letting Savannah hang out with her today while we were at the game. You wouldn't BELIEVE the painting and photographs that Savannah came home with. Her natural artistic talent never ceases to absolutely STUN me. Thanks Thom!

To round out the day, we also got an email from Race to let us know that everything was O.K with him.

So all in all it was a great day. The kids are all in the bed, and I'm about to check out what's on TIVO and then hit the sack myself.

G'night!
Melissa

Outdoors!

I can't believe that it is Wednesday already! It's been a busy week. Austin has started baseball and Jack will have his first practice sometime this week. Race is gone, but it should be a kind of short trip, so we are thankful for that and we're already counting the days till he returns.

With baseball season upon us, and the oldest not quite through "behind the wheel" in drivers ed, my days to work outside are limited.But today was so gorgeous outside that we just had to get out in it for awhile. We had picked up some new rakes at Lowes awhile back, so the kids EACH had a rake, and we got the yard and drive cleaned in no time at all. Jackson had taken as much "junk" as he could find from behind our shed and had piled it up "just so",covered it with a giant tarp, and made it a new fort. This made our side yard look like "Sanford &Son". I lived with it as long as I could, but today Lamont had work to do and we got it all back in order. Honestly!

Then it was on to the vegetable garden. I got half of it tilled and I feel pretty good about the way that it's looking. The dirt looks richer every year and it will be ready for planting after I add in some more compost.

Now don't even get me started on the flower beds. After that trip to England my mind is positively REELING with ideas. Ivy, people! NEED. MORE. IVY!!!!! But anyway, all my perenials are coming up and I think that what I DO have should look pretty this year.

Tonight my goal is to sit down and figure out a new schedule for myself. My work-outs have been sporadic at best, and that just ain't gonna cut it. So tonight I sit down with the calendar and try to figure it all out. Weeeeeeee!

Thanks for checking in,
Cheers!
Melissa

Oh,My....

Can I blog about dinner?Can I? Cause we had an amazing dinner tonight. You see, we are a family of seafood lovers. We LOVE it. Fixed every way imaginable. WE LOVE SEAFOOD.

Tonight, I fried oysters. A LOT of oysters. I only have one of those little Fry Daddy's so it took forever. BUT....it was SO worth it. I ended up setting the table with 2 large platters of golden fried oysters, a spinach salad, a loaf of warm artisan bread and a bottle of organic reisling.

They're gone people. ALL GONE.

Well,actually there's a little salad and wine left.

When I fry oysters I always use the "select" size and I bread them using House Autry's seafood breader.(Because that's what mom and dad use.) I bread them carefully, using the "one hand wet, one hand dry" method that my dad taught me back when I was growing up in the resturaunt business and I had to bread hundreds of onion rings. It works. No mess.

The dinner was scarfed down in no time with compliments for mom all the way around. And for the record, the organic reisling was absolutely DE-LISH and perfect with the mild taste of the oysters. (deep, satisfied sigh)

Race and I are going to settle in for a bit of 'Beowulf' on DVD. (I already saw it in the theatre in 3-D, so this will no doubt be a let down!)

I was going to blog about celebrating my mom's birthday, but Thom already did. ANd she's got better pictures. SO please go and read about our awesome family celebration. We Love that kinda stuff!!

G'night,
Melissa

The last of the England photos....

O.K. I thought that the slideshow might be easier to wrap up the whole trip. Looking at the photos makes me want to go back. Right NOW. Immediately.

So enjoy the photos. The trip was absolutely amazing and we are so thankful to have been able to go.

Hiking the Fells in England

The full screen version!

Keswick ..........

When we awoke the next morning, the wind was blowing rain in wild torrid sheets across the fells. The wind was in seemingly never ending huge gusts and it brought the rain against you like a wall. If you intend to travel in England, you have to be prepared for the weather. ANd we were.

We had a quick breakfast and coffee and headed into the small town of Keswick just 2 miles down the road. We went through many shops and loads of outdoor stores. There were dogs out with their owners everywhere and of course Jack would ask each person if it was ok if he pet their dog. These folks love their dogs and it shows in the animals. (I do believe one of the favorites was a British bulldog named "Clive". Jack just couldn't get enough of him!)The dogs are all well-behaved, on leashes and travel in and out of the stores and the tea rooms and pubs with their owners. We ate lunch at the "Strawberry tearoom". It is a lovely little shop that over looks the town center of Keswick.

On Saturdays there is a wonderful open-air market, so we went around to the white tents and stocked up on all fresh local groceries. Cheeses, fish,meats, poultry, eggs, a wide selection of fesh fruits, jams, and loads of baked goods. We made sure to include a dozen scones, fresh jam and a tub of clotted cream. Everything was out in the open and there wasn't a bit of shrinkwrap anywhere in the town! By the time we were finished in town we had also acquired a bottle of wine, fresh baked bread, Yorkshire tea. By this time the rain had stopped and the wind was dying down a bit, so we headed home to try and get in some hiking before dark.

We went out the back door and hiked Brackenrigg Fells. It was a lovely hike and it really excited us for the next days adventure. The sheep roam all over these fells. You can see them way up on stony craggs as well as dotting the landscape in all directions. Jack found a sheep carcass, so of course it had to examined thoroughly. It was mostly bones at this point, but interesting to a 10 yr old boy nonetheless.

When we got back down off the fells, it was dark. I whipped up some dinner for us with fresh beef,sauteed onions, English peas and corn,and freshly baked bread. It was quick and still tasty!

The end of the night found us all in a high stakes poker game. High stakes if you count using matches as chips!! I was out in like.......3 hands. And after way too many hands to count Austin ended up winning. ANd still LATER a Jiu Jitsu match ensued between Race and Austin.......and Austin won that too.

It was a great day and a great evening. We all went to be to the muffled sounds of the wind and rain howling once again. Those stone walls are amazing for a good night's sleep!



Below is Race's NEW favorite outdoor store. (And I actually love it too, because there's a tea room upstairs. Brilliant!)

Day 3 The Lake District

After leaving York, we drove several hours as the sun began to set. We arrived at our final destination in the Lake District, long after dark. We turned off the small road that was lined on both sides with field stone walls and onto the ravel driveway. The drive was dark and lined with high fieldstone walls on both sides. The picture below shows the big stone barn that has been turned into the self catering rental. You can see some of the fells in the background.We pulled up to our self catering apartment. This is what it looks like in the daytime and up close.

This was our view from the large front window the next morning.

And here is a snap shot of part of the inside. The large door/window was one of the original barn door openings. The large map on the wall is a topo map of the surronding fells which we referred to quite often, because in England none of the trails and paths are marked, which we found quite refreshing, as it never spoiled the suroundings!

After dropping off our bags ...and the kids...in the barn, Race and I hurried 2 miles down the road to the town of Keswick to try to rustle some cow for our hungry travelers. Fortunately we found a fish and chips place open till late, so we bought up what they had left and headed back home. The lady behind the counter wrapped everything in plain paper and then closed up after we left! Below is the town of Keswick.We took everything back to the barn and ate. After the kids went to bed Race and I had a bottle of wine while watching the moon rise and listening to the wind sweep across the fells. We all slept so soundly that night within those stone walls and could hardly wait to hike the fells first thing in the morning!

Cheers!

Melissa

I must mention that by this time in our trip.....Jackson had managed to scavange 4 pounds 50 pence. For the record thats $9. He looks for dropped change everywhere. He was the only person in our family who actually MADE money on the trip.

Day 2 York

Bloggers picture upload feature isn't working for me right now, so I'll just post the pictures tomorrow, while I tell a little bit about our day/night in York. We arrived at the little B&B right on time and were met at the door by our hostess. She quickly handed us a parking pass so that we could leave our car parked on the street. Parking is a BIG,BIG issue in these small towns. In fact, I'm not sure where, in England it is NOT an issue.Our rooms were large, comfortable and ready for our arrival. The kids room was like a little suite, so Savannah essentially had her own room. After throwing our bags down and getting settled in we scoured the maps and information on York that was in our room. We had to narrow down what we most wanted to do and set a plan for the morning. After that, we bundled up and headed out. The wind was wicked whipping through the streets of York as we headed for a good pub for dinner. The pub was actually located inside the old Roman walls of York and was aptly named "Hole in the Wall". You could actually see parts of the wall on the INSIDE of the pub. Pretty cool. Race went up to the bar and ordered for us. Another awesome meal was waiting for us. We ate big......AGAIN. We walked around the town of York for awhile, but it was SOOoooo COLD and WINDY! We arrived at York Minster just in time for Evensong. So we sat for the service. If you ever have the opportunity to sit for an evensong in this or Westminster Abbey, I highly suggest it. It is really an incredible experience. We ducked into a cafe before long and got hot chocolates and coffees all the way around. We went by Betty's tea room, and I was reminded of my LAST time in York, England with Janelle
Thomasina and we a little "incident" in the upscale tearoom at Betty's. But that's another story. (ahem..) York is charming town with beautiful old buildings and streets , so it is hard to believe some of it's brutal, bloody history. History .....bloodshed that took place in these same streets.....in these same buildings. After we were frozen to the core we began the walk back to the B&B. We crashed for the night and slept like logs.
The next morning we were up bright and early. We headed downstairs for breakfast. there were 3 tables. We took 2 of them, and another couple was at the third. Another big full english breakfast and we were off. We had decided to visit "Viking York". They have actually excavated the Viking town of York found beneath the current city streets. We had to find our way around and find a public parking place. And then you have to pay....a lot if you convert back to $$. But the excavation was INCREDIBLE! We loved it. They have actually excavated a very well-preserved Viking city. They really showed the very brutal lifestyle that WAS the Viking town. We LOVED this exhibit. Then we took the kids to the "DIG". This is where they actually teach the kids (and adults) a lot more about archaeology and let them take part in digging some artifacts. We spent most of the day doing these things, stopping only long enough for a tea & scone break. When we were finished up at the excavation we stopped in a pub for a lunch/dinner. We ducked into a good looking pub, settled into the back, took off all our coats, etc. Race went up to the bar to place our order, and we found out that they had stopped serving food till dinner time. GAH! So we bundled back up and hit the streets. We went into another place, ate, drank, and discussed the day. When we got up to leave, I discovered that I had left my bag in the last pub!!!! O.k, I HATE that feeling. Thankfully, we booked it back to the first pub, and it was right there. WHEW! This why Race carries all the important stuff!!! LOL! After walking around the top of the walls a bit, we loaded up in the car and made the drive to our final destination in the Lake District.

Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to post our York pictures, but you got the story!
Cheers!
Melissa

Scratch that--The pictures are below this post.

York Pictures

Blogger is giving me fits tonight! But here are the pictures.....somewhat randomly.

Jack in one of the turrets in the old wall around York. The towers of York Minster as seen from the wall.

Yep. That's what it says. Keeps you "healthy,bright-eyed and slim". BWAHAHAHA! This is in old ad and I think that York is almost as famous for this ad as it is for the Minster!! LOL!
Jack at the Viking DIG i n York. They were uncovering previously excavated objects.
Savannah and Jack digging for Viking booty.
Race and Jack on the cold and windy streets of York.