Now and then little items seem to pile up in my brain. Today seemed a good day to set them out, sort them out, and share them with you - in no particular order -

#1 More important than most of the rest of this list, Happy Birthday Barb. Hope your birthday is wonderful.


#2 Look what arrived in the mail! Shawna at Scamp's Place sent me this wonderful assortment of scrapbooking supplies. I think I forgot to tell anyone I'd won something in the Dog Days of Summer Giveaway. I used some of the stickers to make a 'Good Things' notebook. Thank you, Shawna. Way, way more than I'd hoped for.

#3 For some reason, we're not seeing deer in our backyard much this summer. I've caught a peek or two at a doe with fawns, but for the most part they're staying under the cover of all the growth in the woods. However, the fact that every morning more and more of my blossoms have been nipped off right at the base tells me they are out there. Grrrrrrr.....Maybe my SIL Jeremy has the right idea, shooting them. At least those with petals hanging from their mouths.

#4 Don got his veneers finally this week, after three months of planning, prep work, etc. They look wonderful, so I guess they were worth the five hours he spent in the dentist's chair. We're going out tonight for dinner, to celebrate the fact that he can eat again. Nobody should have to sit in the dentist's chair FIVE hours. Yes, he said it was grueling.

#5 I forgot to tell anyone ahead of time, but there was a show of shooting stars this past Monday night. 40-60 shooting stars were visible per hour, so I was crazy and got up at 2:50 a.m., to sit on the deck in my pjs and watch. I saw five beautiful shooting stars! The only background noise was that of crickets and what sounded like one big frog in the creek out back. I didn't make wishes, but it was worth getting up for. Whatever this shower was, it comes around late July - early August every year, so maybe next year I can remember to put the word out. You'll all be dying to wake up your kids in the middle of the night, I know.

#6 I have a very fun surprise for my husband this next week, for his 9th no-smoking anniversary. We bought him a new fishing rod, we're going out for crablegs Friday night (his choice) and there's one more item to pick up Thursday evening. Can't quite tell yet, just in case the word would slip. I'll tell you later next week. I'm excited!!!!!

#7 I've been quilting up a storm lately - and am amazed how quickly I've gotten rusty. The points are getting a bit nipped, things don't line up so slick, but with practice I should get better. I'm just about to cut out Landon's first birthday quilt - the fabric is "woodlands walk", caterpillars in jars, lady bugs on leaves, dragonflies. I can't wait to get started with it. Maybe someday his son will have it. It'll likely be less than perfect, but stitched with love. I'm taking a little class on binding tomorrow with Dianne's mom, Mary Ann. She's a fellow Sew and Sow.

#8 Kite Runner was a truly beautiful book. There's a scene early on in the book that is painful to read, involving s*exual abuse of a young boy, but it's critical to the book. I was amazed throughout the read, not only by the writer's ability, but the heart that book would come from. It was his first book, incredible. I expect it'll be made into a movie someday. He has another one out, and I've requested it from the library. I'm reading now, at Sarah's nudging, Silas Marner by George Eliot. I'm struggling a bit to get through it, but she promises me it's worth the effort.

#9 The mood to cook is still going strong. If I don't make banana bread tomorrow morning, we may as well turn the place over to the fruit flies. Here's the recipe I'm going to use, for Sarah, who requested it. I like this one because it added oatmeal to the typical banana bread recipe, which doesn't stave off hunger for long:

Labels: Family Affair, Girl Talk, Slavin' Over the Stove