Sticky hands never hurt anyone

Amy's Bread

2011-03-03T13:33:00.003-05:00

I love to read cookbooks and sometimes I even take the time to make something out of one of them. Last week I grabbed a copy of Amy's Bread off my library's shelf and was immediately smitten by the beautiful breads showcased of the cover.

This is a book for bread making beginners as well as those more experienced bakers. She begins by recalling her struggle and journey to opening Amy's Bread. That was enough to keep me entertained but it was the photos of her breads and and shop that kept me hooked. If I ever get to New York City her bakery (at least one of them and maybe all three) is on my list of places to visit!

It was the weekend and the kids were around so I opted to try out her pizza recipe. I've got other pizza dough recipes that I use in a rotating manner depending on my mood but I'm always willing to take a chance on a new one. I was worried the amount of ingredients wouldn't produce enough dough but I ended up with four cute little dough balls that rested lightly dusted in flour as I prepped my pan and toppings.

Here is one dough ball waiting to be turned into crust.

This dough is intended to produce a thin crust pizza that is crispy and not over loaded with toppings.

I was too lazy to run up town and get the toppings I really wanted (fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil leaves) so I went with just cheese. The edges were drizzled with olive oil that made for a crisp and tasty crust.

The kids claimed it was better than Arthur's Pizzeria which made me laugh because living in this little town doesn't give them much to compare it to. Next time I'm going to have my favorite ingredients on hand and maybe make a double batch because there were no leftovers and what is the point of pizza if you can't fight over the leftovers?

The Reply

2011-03-01T09:52:00.003-05:00

SmartWool is fast! But I hate form letters. I already answered her questions in my original email, grrrrr. And now I have to pay to ship their defunct product back to them so they can replace it, which is totally worth it but I wouldn't turn down an extra pair in addition to the broken pair as an incentive for me to continue to purchase their products. We'll see what happens. (And at least she spelled my name correctly!)

Hi Mechelle,

Thanks so much for your email. We know how busy people are so we appreciate it all the more when our customers take a few minutes to drop us an email.

SmartWool does have a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. I would recommend trying to exchange them through the store you bought them from. If they can’t and you live in the USA, I would love to take a look at your socks and evaluate them. Please send the product back to me at:

SmartWool Warranties

P.O. BOX 774928 (USPS)

3495 Airport Circle (UPS)

Steamboat Springs, CO 80477

Important:

Please include a letter stating the reason for the return, shipping address (FedEx), phone number, and size of the product. Also if you could answer the following questions we would greatly appreciate it.

1) How often do you wear the product?

2) How long have you had the product?

3) What do you wear these socks for – going to work, skiing, running, etc?

4) What size foot do you have, and what size is the product?

5) What type of shoe/boot/sandal are you wearing with this product?

We will try to exchange it for the same style and color, but if it is not available we will return a similar product.

SmartWool Guarantee

SmartWool’s goal is to provide you with seriously comfortable, superior quality products for your everyday lifestyle. Our commitment goes beyond using environmentally sensitive and renewable materials. We guarantee them.

If these products don’t perform to your satisfaction, simply return them following the instructions for a replacement or refund.

We cannot extend our offer to replace or refund product damaged due to normal wear from use. The conditions in which the product is worn, how often it is worn, proper shoe fit, & ensuring proper care instructions are followed, all play a role in the life of your SmartWool product. Remember, SmartWool is made from natural fibers, and designed to deliver maximum comfort and performance. Nylon and other synthetic fibers can be more durable, but at the expense of comfort and performance.

Thank you,

Tracy Norman
Consumer Relations| SmartWool

800.550.Wool • direct: 970-875-2310 •
3495 Airport Circle, Steamboat Springs, CO 80487
U.S. Mail: PO Box 774928, Steamboat Springs, CO. 80477

SmartWool. Feels Good

I love my SmartWool

2011-02-28T13:21:00.003-05:00

But not when they break :(

I have written SmartWool in an effort to possibly get a replacement pair. If these were $2.99 Target socks I wouldn't bother but these are high quality, sensory-sensitive socks that I love almost as much as my running shoes.

I hope SmartWool has customer service that matches Asics, because Asics rocks.

Dear SmartWool,

I received 4 pairs of SmartWool socks for Christmas and they were the perfect gift because I love SmartWool, they are the only socks I wear. Unfortunately,when I put on one of my new pairs (two months old at this point) last week I felt a sticky spot as I walking and as I looked at what I stepped on I was shocked to find a hole in my almost new sock! These are my daily use socks, I don't run or ski in them so they haven't been put through the wringer. I know your socks will naturally wear out as I found out a few summers ago with several hundred running miles on some pairs but I expected more than two months of wear out of an everyday sock. Sadly, these were my favorite of the four pairs I received :( They were purchased at a Boston area REI and I live in Michigan. Please help! I have attached two photos detailing the hole and the sock design.

Sincerely,
Mechelle

I probably shouldn't have subject lined my email "SmartWool unhappiness" but it does sum up my feelings and no matter what happens I won't quit buying SmartWool, I'm too smart for that.

Playing Laura

2011-02-27T18:29:00.002-05:00

We've been without hot water for almost a week now due to a faulty hot water heater and a delay in parts delivery. I'm starting to feel a bit like Laura Ingalls Wilder as I boil pots of water on the stove to clean myself and the children. Combined with filling the wood burner multiple times a day, hanging the clothes to dry next to the wood burner, being married to Manly and the braid that has mysteriously appeared in my hair I'm thinking about changing my name. This life is tedious and time consuming. I could make the children share bath water and eliminate some of the labor involved, but my kids don't like to touch another person's dirty plate for fear of cooties so forcing them to bathe in used bath water would be unacceptable. I'm looking forward to a real shower when my scalp won't be screaming in pain from frigid water (the only way to wash hair as long as mine is to suck it up and use the cold sprayer). However, this little lesson has taught me that something we see as a burden is really only an inconvenience. When I put it into perspective, which is difficult to do when I'm standing under a spray of very cold water, it isn't s bad. Our house is a balmy 75 degrees with the wood heat, it isn't too dry because of the wet clothes adding humidity to the air, Manly is able to fix the hot water heater (if the parts ever get here) instead of having to replace it and I rather like the braid in my hair.

Final Tally

2011-01-01T19:58:00.004-05:00

I made it. My "race a month" quest is over and now I need a plan for 2011. I'm considering this, as it would be a similar challenge but with races I haven't run before (except for 2 of them). There is a one mile race included in the mix and that is a distance I have never raced at. I always check my pace at the one-mile marker in a race but knowing I have at least several more miles to go that is never an all out effort.

My mileage goal for the year was met and I managed to run 23 races in 12 months. The New's Year's Eve run was iffy with the race location being changed 4 days before the event due to public safety issues and then severe thunderstorms moving across the state just before the race. We lucked out and the race organizers got a new location and course together, the weather cleared up, and I finished the final race of the year with a little over nine hours to spare.

As I perused my running log for the year I paused to question why I run at all. I saw such things as "Very sore muscles and joints" ""Hips!" ""Tired, very sore bones" "Hips tendinitis MRI" "Tore hamstring" "Hip :(" "Nausea" "Felt horrible" "Vomiting" "Ortho surgeon-don't run!" "Back doctor-herniated disc" "Back surgery" "Felt horrible, walked" "Very sore hips @ night" and the list goes on. I appear to have tortured myself the entire year. I'm not very kind to my body at times but my body hasn't been very kind to me for over three years now and I just wonder which one of us is going to give in first. I found a blog the other day titled Despite Lupus and I fell in love with the name, because we all have to keep moving along no matter what is tossed in our direction and despite lupus I'm going to keep lacing them up.

Staying the course

2010-11-26T09:03:00.004-05:00

This photo is from Turkeyman Trot in Lansing, Michigan, my last and best 5k of the year but not my last race of the year. One more to run and that will complete my race a month goal for 2010. I'll end the year with a 5 mile race on New Year's day that will earn me the right to go to bed before midnight and miss the coming of 2011.

Truthfully, I've enjoyed running at least a race a month or maybe what I really liked was the selection process and anticipation of each run. I had one friend complete the challenge with me even though several of us started out in January with the same goal. It is easy to let life get in the way but with all the organized races now I'm not sure that there is a single weekend of the year where there is not a race within two hours of where I live and I live in the middle of nowhere.

I haven't set any goals yet for 2011 and this is the first time in a long time, if ever, that I have made a resolution and stuck with it. And although it sounds easy to run a race a month with the kind of year I had medically (torn hamstring, crappy lupus, back surgery, etc.) I'm very pleased that I have almost finished the journey. If necessary, I'll be crawling across the finish line on New Year's Eve unless I run a safety net race between now and then.

Bread

2010-11-21T19:13:00.003-05:00

"The smell of good bread baking, like the sound of lightly flowing water, is indescribable in its evocation of innocence and delight."
M. F. K. Fisher (1908-1992)

Artist Soup

2010-11-18T13:27:00.005-05:00

****I've been working intensely on clearing out the clutter in our house before Christmas strikes again. We aren't a "huge pile of gifts" type of family but even a few more things added to the contents of our already over-packed house may cause it to burst. Most items I can look at and give to the proper charity or the pile by the road with no problem but the it devastates me to toss the kids' artwork. I don't mean every little scribble that they put on paper while I'm making dinner but the more elaborate pieces, the
ones they really spent some time on. I'm learning to take photos of the pieces, then I gently fold them and push them into the proper bag. Here are two works by Gibson that were created in last year's art class with the most amazing first year art teacher. Unfortunately she went looking for greener pastures and found them in Colorado.

****Diezel baked a cake the other day and stated as he took it out of the oven, "Yeah, I'll be a chef if my first plan doesn't work out." His first plan is to be a Lego designer. He is the type of kid that as I am cooking he will walk by, pick up the lid and stir whatever is in there. He peels, chops and cracks without being asked and is always cooking up breakfast for himself and his dad. I was making beef soup in this photo and Diezel was learning how to cook pork sausage from one of our homegrown pigs. Fergie thought she would lend a hand and supervise the browning of the patties.

****One of the best things about this past year is that we are relying more and more on our own homegrown food and less on the mass produced food. We are a long way from where I would like to be but I'm making baby steps toward grocery store independence. Here is Diezel with a carrot that he went outside and picked for our beef soup.

Playing the lottery, again

2010-11-08T20:32:00.006-05:00

It is difficult to believe that it has been an entire year since I attempted to gain a lottery entry into the New York City Marathon. And here I am again, not even stalling this time to debate whether or not it is a wise idea to put my name back in. My sister got in for 2010 and deferred in the hopes that I would get in for 2011 and we could go together. Visiting New York City has always been on my bucket list and what a better way to experience the city than to lace up my shoes and run through all the places I should see.

Trouble is, I'm not certain I can run 26.2 miles as well as I would like and I need to swallow that and keep on moving. My goal this year with running was to run a race each month and so far I'm on track with one month to go. But, it has been a struggle, not the registering and committing, but the actual getting out the door and on the road. My joints are worse than they were three years ago when I attempted my last marathon and my hips frequently suggest that a half marathon is all they have in them, if even that. I hate it. And I think the reason I despise it so much it that it all seems so out of my control. I follow my doctor's suggestions, I have rest days in my schedule, I do yoga faithfully and I have tried treatments that I never dreamed would be a part of my life. Nothing seems to make a substantial difference and there appears to be no end in sight.

Registering for the lottery again might be my way back in or it may be what it takes to humble me (As if my struggles this summer haven't done that!). I want a spot but I'm scared I'll get a spot. When I didn't get in last year I pondered doing the Chicago Marathon instead but stalled long enough that it filled up. Sometimes blessings don't appear to be blessings at the time. With a few injuries haunting me and my auto-immune issues sticking their nose in my face I'm grateful I didn't make the attempt this year. Finally, my hamstring is substantially better and my back doctor kicked butt on my surgery, now if I could only throw my pills to the wind.

If I get in I'll be there, no matter what. Securing a bib number and running NYC with my sister is a thought so wonderful that I have no words to describe it.

Boo!

2010-11-04T09:38:00.002-05:00

Halloween 2010
(If I were smarter I would have gotten the Christmas photo done at the same time.)

Vacation!

2010-09-10T06:33:00.001-05:00

We went on a short trip and I don't even need words to describe our adventure, the kids do it for me in this photo:

Eggscellent!

2010-08-03T19:52:00.007-05:00

The Kuchar Farm hens, all named Betty, came through for Gibson this year by laying 2 different first place dozens!

First place brown eggs.

First place heaviest dozen. If you look at the egg scale you can see the super jumbo egg is too heavy to be weighed. You can make a whole omelet with one egg!

Fair photo results

2010-08-01T12:54:00.004-05:00

Five of my photo entries placed at the Saginaw county fair this year. I had the first place winner in the extreme close-up category with a photo of a blade of grass with dew drops on it but it is lost in computer space so I can't post it. Here are the other winners:

3rd place snowscapes

3rd place human interest

3rd place animals

1st place flowers

Home of the tired

2010-07-30T11:36:00.001-05:00

Round II Pig Show Day

2010-07-28T17:00:00.006-05:00

Pig show day starts early, ends late and is nothing short of exhausting. Not only do the pigs need to be bathed but the show person needs to be in tip top shape too. Thankfully the show starts with showmanship which is how well the handle manages his/her pig in the show ring. After showmanship winners are selected in each division it switches to market hog judging where the pig is judged on the quality of meat it will produce. Finally, there is pen of hogs, and the judge evaluates how similar your pigs are to each other in body style and weight.

All ready to show and waiting to be called into the show ring!

On her way in for the showmanship judging.

Doing an excellent job of showing her pig, "Abraham".

The boys coming to watch Seneca in the ring with cupcakes in hand.

Showing her pen of hogs with a friend. It takes two to show the pen so you have to find a buddy to help you .

When it was all said and done Seneca came away with first place junior showmanship, 9th place market hog and 4th place pen of hogs.

The beginning of fair week

2010-07-27T21:21:00.004-05:00

The educational pork exhibit that Vinnie built for the pig barn. The cuts of meat pull out so you know exactly what the cut is called and what you can do with it.

The pigs always have access to water and they like to drink together.

Sometimes they try to snuggle. There are usually two pigs to a pen and these pigs are just getting to know each other through the pens.

The boys love to pet baby chicks.

All the kids did well with the projects they submitted, here is Gibby with the first place water color painting for ages 6-10. We are very proud of him!

Summer Part II

2010-07-04T17:20:00.004-05:00

Summer Part I

2010-06-20T10:10:00.001-05:00

Kids, candy, and racing

2010-06-06T19:24:00.006-05:00

Oliver attended the NL kindergarten round-up where they tried to bribe him into wanting to go to kindergarten there for 2010-2011. He didn't fall for it and will stick with his beloved Ms. Shari for another year. Good choice Oliver!

My blogging is so far behind that Fergie celebrated her 1st birthday with a homemade cake by Diezel and decorating by the group. It was more than a little messy and Fergie enjoyed her slice so much that she came back to the table for more.

Oliver's class had their annual lemonade stand and here he is with Ms. Marcia selling lemonade and popcorn to his friends and family. He tired out quickly and soon sat down for his own snack.

I spent almost 3 months helping the 5th grade girls at the middle school get ready for the Girls on the Run 5k in Owosso. Gibson decided to run too with both Seneca and him having a great debut race. Now they want to run another one!

Although I haven't updated my race calendar I have still managed a race a month since the year began. My June race hit on my birthday and while I was busy running the kids were hard at work on my cake. Yellow cake with chocolate frosting, they did an amazing job baking and cleaning up the mess. It was the best birthday ever!

Cake time

2010-04-17T15:59:00.003-05:00

I think I may have matured and I came to this conclusion when I decided, just the other day, that buttercream frosting was really was too sweet and overrated. I'm starting to enjoy cakes that old ladies like. They don't necessarily need frosting and don't have to be gooey. I hate getting old.

Whenever I offer to bring something to an event the hostess usually requests a dessert which I am thankful for because I love baking and am not confident in my cooking skills. Their faith in my baked goods works for everyone involved. So I had this small family event to attend and was in charge of dessert, luckily I brought this tidbit up with a friend as she told me about Oprah's Favorite Things and this cake that was on the show. (I don't do Oprah and the only thing I know about her has to do with her marathon running experience, go figure.)

For $28 and $19.95 shipping you could order this in an 8" size. I don't do Oprah like I don't do mail order cakes. If I won the lottery that would all change, the cake part at least.

So I searched my friendly internet and found what I deemed to be the closest thing to the We Take the Cake recipe and I think I succeeded. My glaze wasn't as glazey as theirs but that was definitely my fault for not thinning it as much and the zest in the cream cheese glaze sort-of made it look like relish but the taste made up for the condiment-like appearance.

Totally an old lady recipe, or maybe a mature audience selection, rated R for really good and not worth wasting on a child that just wouldn't appreciate the melding of pie flavors with cake.

Marathon status

2010-04-08T15:15:00.007-05:00

The New York Road Runners kindly informed me today that I was not accepted into the 2010 NYC Marathon:

"Dear Mechelle Kuchar,

We’re sorry, but you were not selected in the ING New York City Marathon 2010 lottery. We appreciate your commitment to running with NYRR, but we must limit the size of the field to make this race safe and enjoyable for participants."

My sister, on the other hand, got an invitation to join them! We had hoped that we would both get in so that we could run together in my come back marathon and her post-second baby marathon. Alas, she will have to enjoy the crowds without me. I'm now contemplating if I want to attempt a fall marathon and which one. If I had gotten into New York it would have been a done-deal because they charge you your entry fee ($185) just after you are accepted whether you plan to run or not.

Instead, I now have the option to select a different race with the benefits of less distance to travel, cheaper entry fees, and smaller crowds. At first I was aiming for Detroit, Grand Rapids or even Columbus but now I see that Ryan Hall will be running the Chicago Marathon on 10-10-10 and perhaps there is a chance that my tech shirt could rub against his tech shirt. (At the expo of course and not on the actual race course because he will probably finish before I hit the halfway mark.) And that would be an exhilarating experience. I guess I'll be waiting for another sign, maybe in the form of a personal invitation from Ryan to join him in the Windy City.

Playing the lottery

2010-04-06T19:41:00.006-05:00

I'll know tomorrow whether I'll be at this precise location on November 7th of this year. In a moment of weakness, or possibly insanity, my sister and I decided to enter the lottery for the New York City Marathon. For $11 you can enter the random drawing to run in the largest marathon in America. Our chances are slim, according to some it is easier to get into Harvard than to run the NYC marathon as a lottery winner. There are other ways to get in: 1) By running a qualifying time which are more stringent than Boston 2) Be a charity runner. However, it is lottery or bust for us and neither of us are hinging any training or hopes on this entry. You can watch the drawing live from your computer and I'm sure thousands of people will take advantage of this opportunity. I'm not sure if I'll watch or not, in fact I haven't decided yet whether I'll be praying for a bib number or thankful that I got passed up.

This would be an amazing race for a marathon comeback after the disaster of 07', but if I don't get in I've got back-up plans that may or may not include a replacement marathon. My DNF still haunts me and I know the only way to kick it in the butt is to toe the line for another 26.2 miles. Unfortunately, tackling that distance would take something I'm not sure I have in me: COMPROMISE. And by that I mean training carefully, very carefully, and listening to my body. To accomplish what I am doing now involves precisely timed medications, overlooking pain and fatigue, and making sure I have my RoadID strapped around my wrist. Non-runners might just think I need a bit a therapy and someone to toss my running into the garbage! I'm not certifiable, yet, and tomorrow I'll know if I will be facing that demon this fall.

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T09:55:00.007-05:00

The older the children get the crazier our egg decorating gets. Might I add, while knocking on wood, that it has become much less stressful and I don't even think about drinking alcohol before we get started anymore.

And the better looking they get too.

Bunnies! Ollie selected this "easy" project for me to do and many hours later they were marching upon us.

Cute :)

This might just be the best lemon meringue pie I have ever made, a mix of regular lemons with meyer lemons and Sherry Yard's pie crust recipe are guaranteed to be a tasty hit!

Have a wonderful Easter! I'm off to make pierogies so our ham won't be lonely.

Super Bowl Sunday

2010-02-09T20:41:00.004-05:00

We are not football people here at the egg farm so even though we are now post-Super Bowl I still can't tell you who played in the game or even more importantly who the winner was. In honor of the event, or maybe in defiance of it, I ran the Super Bowl 5k in Okemos where I started with tendonitis in both hips and ended with a severely strained hamstring.

The photo above is just before the finish line where a half mile before I felt my left hamstring pop which was followed by severe pain. I slowed, I hobbled, I debated and then prayed for some endorphines, like the ones you produce while trying to birth a baby, and willed myself to the finish (I have to admit I was after one of the football helmet shaped age-group medals).

Minus the icy/snow packed roads that made getting a grip difficult, the hamstring incident and the 30 minutes of annoying fire alarm sounds while waiting for the race start (A young child, when placed by his dad near the Pull in Case of Fire lever, pulled the lever) I was glad I made an appearnce at this race. The race route was great and I would relish an opportunity to run it uninjured on clean pavement. Furthermore, this was a Playmakers event which are always 0rganized with efficient race results and yummy post-race food.

Red velvet is in

2010-01-28T11:01:00.003-05:00

My camera is failing me because these pictures do not do justice to this cake. If you could only scratch, sniff and taste on the computer. I had three recipes I was torn between using but went with the one using butter instead of oil. Oil is nice but butter is better. I was amazed by the texture and structure of this cake. I'm not often proud of a baked item and maybe it was beginning red velvet luck but this cake was scientifically sound.

My next issue was what to frost it with, butter cream? Cream cheese frosting? Or an interesting pecan cream cheese frosting that seemed to be used traditionally at some point? Fortunately I was blabbing about this cake and a friend sent me her husband's grandma's red velvet frosting recipe which appeared to be less sweet than my above choices. I compromised and used grandma's as the filling for the torted layers and the cream cheese for the outside.

This was the last slice left and a less than excellent example of the magnificence of this cake. (Not to mention the apparent finger prints on the lens-Ollie!)

Project one of 2010

2010-01-21T21:41:00.006-05:00

I've been working on this scarf longer than I would like to admit but it is finally done! I have since weaved the ends in so there are no long pieces crawling all over my brown-eyed boy. Now I need to muster up the energy to pull out the quilt top I finished some time ago and sandwich it together so it can be quilted and finished. This is the year of finishing so I can get some new things started without old things banging into my head.

First race of 2010

2010-01-16T15:16:00.006-05:00

Today's race didn't quite live up to it's name as there were no frozen fannies in sight but it was chilly and slippery. The course was flat (Except, of course, for the hill at the end. Why do they always plan a hill at the end?) and loopy so I was able to see my running buddies a few times. I imagine that it is a beautiful route in the spring and summer months as it appeared that we were in a park that would be lush in warmer weather.

The race was put on by the Bay Area Runner's Club and they know how to do post-race snacks. Not a banana to be found! And although there were apples, they were along side of the chocolate cupcakes with chocolate-peanut butter frosting. They even had soup with crackers and cheese but because we were headed to the Souper Cafe we opted out of the soup.

It was a great way to start out the 2010 running year!

5k fun

2010-01-15T16:58:00.007-05:00

I don't train for 5k's but use them as speed work to train for other events. This is because I'm a wimp. Running fast hurts, not that running in general doesn't sometimes hurt but the all out effort of speed work is just torture to me so I run 5k's instead and suffer in a group with goodies to eat at the end.

This year I've set a goal of running at least one race a month and the quest begins tomorrow when a few of us will head to Bay City to run the Freeze Your Fanny 5k. We picked this one over the Snowflake Run in Flushing just so we could get a shirt with the word "fanny" on it. The 5k is a funny distance, short enough that most people I know, fit or not, could finish one (walking, running or both) but long enough that if you are serious about what you are doing you need to be smart about it. Eamonn Coghlan contends that it takes the strength of a marathoner and the speed of a miler to run a good 5k. Which in short means you need to sometimes train long, sometimes train fast and sometimes both. Although us average folks are usually just looking to run well and perhaps beat our previous personal 5k time there isn't anything wrong with having expectations. But what I've quickly learned is that you can't expect to race fast unless you train fast. All the long, slow miles are comfy but if you don't train those muscles to move it! they aren't going perform come race day.

Mileage+Speed work+Bananas+Rest=Good Race

Maybe.

But you need a plan, a strategy for how you are going to race that day and you need to try to stick with it, EVEN IF YOU FEEL REALLY GOOD AT THE START.

I know, because I've blown it at the beginning by starting at a pace that at the time did not feel outrageous for me but was. I always tell first time racers to be careful, don't go out too fast, and inevitably I don't follow my own advice. Eamonn further states that to run a 5k well takes an ability to get into the proper pace and rhythm over the first quarter mile, then relax and settle down. So, in addition to my monthly race goal I think I'd like to race smarter, more in control and perhaps suck it up during my training miles and toss in a little speed work, maybe.

Buchtie Day 2010

2010-01-11T21:27:00.009-05:00

January 10th is our annual Buchtie Day and we were fortunate to have the Buchtie Master, Aunt Mary, on hand this year. I've been attempting to recreate her superb results for many years now and I think I finally did it! I made a batch of dough without her help and she made a batch of dough (In the beautiful professional Kitchenaid mixer that she hauled to our house just for the day, I was hoping she would forget it but no such luck.) and amazingly enough the end product was the same. In the Kuchar family this is similar to winning the Noble prize.

I'd share the recipe because it isn't a secret but it is more than knowing the ingredients, it is about how to put it together and the proper consistency of the dough. Then you need to throw the dough, fill it, and top it with posypka which inevitably ends up all over the house because it is good before it is baked, even better after it is baked and falls off the buchtie as you are walking around eating one. Don't vacuum before baking!

Fergie tried to balance and catch one from her nose but failed miserably. She could hardly contain her excitement to get it onto her nose and then it flopped on the floor where she promptly picked it up and carted it off to eat as though she was at tea party. I think the poppy seed filling was a bit extreme for her.

Done on the left and waiting on the right!

The Kuchar girls will have nothing but happy memories of Buchtie Day.

By the time they made it to this plate I could think nothing but "ugh".

Keep on moving

2010-01-11T13:21:00.004-05:00

These are my winter trainers drying in front of the wood burner after a particularly snowy run where I embraced the weather rather than cursing it . Winter running is a challenge but the victory I feel after a run in extremely brutal temps is worth it. There is nothing like icicles hanging from your eyelashes and balls of ice accumulating in the elbow of your outer layer to make you feel like a real runner. The look my husband gives me upon entering the door is anything but admiration and more like he needs to call the mental health authority, but hey, to each his own. I don't think running the snow blower for 3 hours just to hear the hum of the machine is all that sane either.

I always get the odd person that suggests I take the winter off, these people typically are not runners or even someone that exercises regularly (and that's okay, I'm not judging), but that is not an option for me. One winter I had been given a stationary bike and I was pregnant, the bike was set up in the granery (so I didn't wake up anyone in the house) and on really nasty days I would bike. It was miserable monotony. Horrible. But I got out there anyway and peddled my way to a semi-endorphin high. I have never been that desperate to avoid the elements again and instead tough it out with plenty of layers and lots of determination.

I'm a perpetual motion person and anyone that knows me or is around me often enough realizes that I don't sit still very well. Running and I fit very well together.

However, the fact that I do run and continue to run is very confusing to my doctors. When my medical problems first surfaced it was easy for them to see my labs were not normal yet when I reported that I was still running they dismissed my complaints because if I could run I must be fine. After my experience I am convinced that runners need doctors that run or at least doctors that are physically active if the actual title "runner" is not available. I recently switched general practitioners and after Googling several names I had been given I selected the person that had recent race times. She understood why back in October 2007 I went to that starting line even though I knew deep down that I shouldn't have because she would have too.

On Saturday I had an appointment during which my rheumatologist and I were discussing my hip pain and I told her how it hurts to sit, lay down, squat, etc. but that when I'm moving I feel better. It is tough to get out the door to run but once I'm going I don't want to stop because I know it will hurt worse to stop than to keep going. Running is good for my cells, it makes them work; it makes my joints lube up so they are less cranky. She confirmed this as very typical of an inflammatory joint condition and for the first time in two years my running was validated by my rheumatologist (the prior doctor suggested I quit running) as a productive way to help my condition. I guess I ought to look into running some ultras...

The not really a new year's post

2010-01-08T14:09:00.011-05:00

I had intentions of starting the new year with one of those boring posts about all the great things that happened last year and then set up some goals for the coming year. But I realize most people don't care how many miles or races I ran, or how many scarves or quilts I plan to start AND finish this year. All those things will just be my little secrets.

The kids had a snow day today and one that couldn't have come at a better time. It has been a frustrating school year and already I find myself biding the time until it will be over. Which brings about one of the biggest issues we will face in the next six months: how our children will obtain an education next year. I'm tired of thinking about this issue and looking and reconsidering every available option because none of them are viable for the group as a whole.

When I was young we lived two houses away from the K-6 elementary school and I attended kindergarten at Lincoln Elementary knowing by mid-year that the doors would close in June for good and we would be bussed to Buchanan after that. Nobody threw a fit, enrollment was down and it just made sense to consolidate. We visited the new elementary school at some point during my kindergarten year and then spent the next six years in a building that I fondly remember and could accurately draw a map of if asked. We lived in a great school district that was well-funded with programs for students of all abilities.

Unfortunately, that is not the case where I live with my children and I have found myself in the position where I must select their educational environment and not just accept it. This decision is tougher than the breast vs. bottle discussion or the cloth vs. paper diaper dilemma. And what makes it so difficult is the lack of options, I'm capable of selecting and supporting a program but when there is only one to choose from it isn't really a choice.

So today I found myself shoveling the driveway and as I was tossing the snow out of the way I glanced up to see St. Francis shrouded in snow. Sometimes there are little surprises out there and just maybe 2010 will bring me a few more.

A Merry Christmas to All

2009-12-24T07:30:00.006-05:00

We love Zingo!

2009-11-15T17:06:00.006-05:00

I'm not much of a product promoter, I have a lot of brand loyalties and things that work for me but I don't usually waste my words convincing others to try things I like. But Zingo! is different, my family adores this game. The first thing my four year old does in the morning is ask his dad to play a round with him, which inevitably turns into 10 with each successive child joining in as they wake up. It is madness. The game personally drives me nuts and I conveniently find myself busy in kitchen while all this is going on but the excitement and togetherness it promotes is worth it.
There is even a Spanish version and we discovered yesterday a Super Hero one as well.

This game is so much fun that even Fergie the wonder dog plays. Here they are playing the green card side and Fergie has found a matching tile.

Fergie is proud of her good start.

Resting after a serious series of Zingo!

Full circle

2009-11-13T18:31:00.002-05:00

We've been Building Big lately and if you haven't been you should be. For someone that doesn't comprehend physics or engineering these documentaries are captivating. The above photo is of the Firth of Forth Bridge in Scotland that was built over the Firth of Tay after the first bridge collapsed. It took 54,000 tons of steel; 194,000 cubic yards of granite, stone, and concrete; 21,000 tons of cement; and almost seven million rivets to build the bridge.

Yesterday, we had a field trip planned to Sloan Museum for some hands on activities involving canals and Michigan pioneers. Little did I know that all we had been doing previously would be reinforced at Sloan. I'm an accidental homeschooler, I've always got big plans and ideas and then I let my child lead. He watches, he does, he learns. Often times more than I realize.

The arched bridges and tunnels in the Building Big series were especially confounding because of the way the weight is distributed.

"Arch bridges are one of the oldest types of bridges and have great natural strength. Instead of pushing straight down, the weight of an arch bridge is carried outward along the curve of the arch to the supports at each end. These supports, called the abutments, carry the load and keep the ends of the bridge from spreading out." NOVA

If you don't have it all just right your bridge is not going to remain intact for long. Below is the finished structure before the supports are removed.

The supports are removed and it appears that his bridge is ready for traffic!

The other exhibits were just as compelling and of course educational but the second best part to building the arched bridge was that the gift shop had a replica of the Back to the Future DeLorean complete with a flux capacitor.

(And yes, that is Back to the Future on the t.v. in the background.)

DNA

2009-11-12T21:41:00.005-05:00

I don't believe in reincarnation but I do believe in DNA. A year ago today Buchta died and we spent the next 8 months without a vizsla in our lives. Then Fergie, Buchta's great-niece, appeared and we felt whole again. Whole in a way that makes other people think we are crazy, these dogs are demanding with a capital "D" but they love you in a way that can't be described.

Buchta
January 10, 1999-November 12, 2008

Fergie
May 7, 2009

Buchta

Fergie

Trotting with the turkeys

2009-11-09T21:13:00.005-05:00

*10,000 runners
*Course Christmas carolers
*Christmas cookie and candy cane stations
*Costume prizes
*Eight packet pick-up locations (aka "a reason to go to Playmakers")
*Really cool long sleeve tech shirts

It's Turkey Trot time again! I can't remember the last time I ran this race but I've got a crew of us headed there for 09'. This used to be a family tradition when I was in college; us kids would come home from where ever we were living and drag ourselves out of bed very early to head downtown (thankfully my mom lived in Livonia at the time so we didn't have to get up THAT early-it only seemed like it). Often times we had a friend or two with us and mom was always nice enough to let our "friends without families" join us for a hard earned turkey dinner after the race.

I'm sure it has been at least 10 years since I ran through the finish line in Cobo Hall but my memory is sketchy and I think, quite possibly, that I ran in 1999 while pregnant with my daughter. It appears that it has become bigger, better and more organized. There is pre-paid guaranteed parking now and I better hurry and register so I can get a spot! Parking used to be interesting to say the least, you would find a parking lot where someone unofficial would take a $20 from you only to find out that the person didn't even own the spaces.

I have extremely fond memories of prior Thanksgiving mornings spent in downtown Detroit. To me it was part of what the holidays were all about and this was the kick-off. Back in those days Christmas music didn't start until the day after Thanksgiving and Target wasn't shoving Halloween decorations aside to fill in the shelves with Christmas items. This race brings about the true spirit of the season, post-race candy cane and all.

*I hope Vinnie can figure out how to get the turkey in the oven while I'm gone! (Or maybe I better see if our favoite Chinese restuarant is open that day.)

Maiden voyage

2009-11-08T20:43:00.004-05:00

Vinnie finally got me a gift for our 10 year anniversary. (We don't usually do the gift the thing but he had to justify the purchase somehow and it was only 2 months late!) Anyway, the kids love to fish and be near water so he had been looking for a flat-bottom aluminum boat with a reasonable price tag on it. Fortunately he didn't have to look any further than New Lothrop and it came with a trailer and sticker good until 2012.

After running the combine all night to harvest beans, Vinnie decided to sacrifice precious bean-time with a trip to the beautiful Shiawassee River.

The crew and captain (Vinnie or Fergie, you decide) were pleased to be on the water.

A bit of rowing for upper body strength.
(I'll turn her into a runner yet!)

Fergie is debating how badly she wants that peanut shell.

Ollie was pleased with his find-a nice wet leaf.

An odd half followed by Guinness

2009-11-07T19:50:00.006-05:00

I ran a race today where I received this highlighter colored tech shirt. This photo does not in any way give you an accurate view of the COLOR. I will NEVER have to worry about getting run over by a motorized vehicle while wearing this shirt, unless the driver is literally blinded by it and I do believe that is possible. I had a choice of socks or gloves instead but I can't pass up a tech shirt for $10 that I can wear deer hunting too. Opening day will be extra fun this year; I can chase after the deer in my new shirt.

The race was on this trail:

For an hour and 47 minutes this is what I saw, over and over. The only excitement was somewhere near the end when a squirrel decided to mock me and act as if he couldn't carry his nut across the trail because he was so tired. I managed to avoid tripping over him and went on to finish only to find that the promise of yummy post-race food was false. I'm assuming the race director was not a runner because as I've said before no runner wants another damn banana after the race, or an apple. A 13.1 mile run deserves to be followed with real food and a pint of Guinness.

Thankfully my friends and I found Oscar, he does not believe in post-race bananas or probably any bananas for that matter. I was just going to have water to drink (gotta rehydrate) but then I tasted Mary's* Blue Moon with a slice of orange and was convinced that a Guinness could do the job just as well as water. Run half-Drink Guinness. Maybe I'll start a race under that guise just as an excuse to have some quality beer and there will be no post-race bananas present.

***Hopefully Mary will give a full race report including recommendations for pre-race nutrition and why Paydays should not be on the list if you are not certain porta potty's will be on the course.

I like coffee

2009-11-06T19:55:00.010-05:00

I've gone from being a Folger's girl to discovering Trader Joe's coffee which in my opinion competes just fine with those more expensive guys like Starbuck's. After all, you can buy a good grind but if you prepare it wrong you might as well be drinking cheap mud from a Meijer brand drip pot. I do ours up right in a percolator as old the combine that brews right on the stove top. It takes an hour, an hour during which I wish I could train the dog to turn the stove on before I wake up.

This hour prep time means that I typically run in the mornings without ingesting a cup of coffee first and that just makes that first cup even sweeter because my hard work is already done for the day (if you believe that taking care of four kids on a farm is easy compared to running down the road). The exception to this is race days where I get up super early so that I can start and finish the percolator process before my adventure begins; I can't go to a race without a cup of coffee first. Fortunately, even Runner's World advocates the pre-run coffee and for more than one reason. Plus you can't discount the findings of people who get paid to do research on such things as the benefits of caffeine.

Peer Pressure

2009-11-05T19:52:00.005-05:00

My daughter is more like me than I like to admit and sometimes when I stand back and watch her I know exactly what my mother used to put up with. Using the word headstrong would be putting it mildly but not necessarily negatively. We are who we are and we don't often fall to the ways of others.

Growing up I had horrible hair and not because it was genetically incompetent but because my mother couldn't deal with my lack of interest in having a "hair-do". Her typical solution to my "ugliness" was to plop me down on a stool and proceed to hack it off, preferably the day before school pictures were to be taken. In the fifth grade she somehow talked me into a perm and because she was often taking her scissors to my head my hair was never long. I walked out of the hair salon with an afro, and yes, school pictures were the next day. If we owned a scanner I would I would post it and induce fits of laughter.

After the midwife put my first born in my arms and I discovered the baby was a girl I was struck with thoughts of what in the heck am I going to do with her hair, because as if to mock me she already had plenty on her head. I don't "do" hair, I wash my hair and up it goes, unless it is wine tasting night at the library. And true to form, like my mother, I had Seneca convinced that the local barber was the place to get her hair cut; that is until she somehow ended up with bangs that started close to the crown of her head. This was about the same time she discovered the color pink and realized that she was being dressed in farm duds. No more boldly striped shirts or pants and she wanted long hair.

Her long hair is beautiful when lovingly washed and brushed but she is a 10 year old girl and that is a battle I don't enjoy fighting everyday. So for about the past year I have tried to convince her that she would look great with her hair cut up to her shoulders. You know the story, easier to wash and brush, blah, blah, blah. But no dice, all she ever wanted was a trim, of less than a 1/2 inch.

Until today, when her seatmate at school suggested she cut it all one length.

I think I'll bake that seatmate some cookies and sneak her a note about what I want Seneca to do next.

Enduring the insanity

2009-11-04T22:10:00.007-05:00

For too long I have been fighting for my health, our public library and the local Catholic school. It doesn't matter how tired I get or how frustrated I am, I don't know how I can dare to stop.

Is there any way to look these kids in the eye and tell them, "Sorry, I quit?" That their future is no longer my concern and that their happiness and success is not dependent on a quality education or a community that values them as citizens.

I knew that parenting wouldn't be easy but I unquestionably assumed that my children would have access to educational options that included resources within their means and that the adults in positions of authority would NOT be so damn reluctant to do what is right.

Tablanas

2009-11-03T16:56:00.007-05:00

Tablanas: Ollie's word for bananas and my code word for "super food".

If I were to ever start a list of things that are important to me bananas would be in the top ten. Of course people like family and friends would be right up there (yes, above bananas) as would my running shoes and reading but bananas are one of those things I can't live without. If I had to choose between chocolate and bananas for the rest of my life the yellow boomerangs would win.

I eat one every morning, rain or shine, sleet or snow. I have been known to hide the last banana in the house so that it will be waiting for me in the morning. But actually being down to a solitary banana is rare, I panic at the thought and am often found on my way to the store just to buy more bananas.

If you don't believe me you can check out the power status of bananas here.

And the best part is that, as an athlete, I've always got a friend in my banana:

An Athlete's Friend

There are approximately 30 grams of carbohydrates in a Chiquita banana supplying the fuel your body needs for muscle and central nervous system activity.
The banana's combination of carbohydrates, simple sugars, starch and dietary fiber gives you the quick boost and sustained release of energy over time to help improve your endurance and concentration during physical activity.
The potassium in bananas helps your body maintain fluid balance in blood and tissue cells. Potassium is also an essential mineral for protein synthesis and the building of muscle because it stimulates nerve impulses for muscle contraction.

Love thy shoe manufacturer

2009-11-02T14:52:00.011-05:00

This summer I made a sucker purchase when I went with a friend to my favorite running store, Playmakers, so she could buy new running shoes. I glanced at the trail shoes and then made the mistake of trying these on. Of course it was love at first step; Asics shoes make my feet feel at home the moment I put them on. I was smitten and began training in these to prepare for the upcoming Legend 10 mile Trail Run at Sleepy Hollow Park. My shoes and I had a fine time, so fine that when my road shoes ran out of steam in late summer I switched over to these full time. Unfortunately and to my dismay I put them on one day and the uppers on both sides were coming apart from the sole.

I wrote to the Asics people and explained my situation:

"Hello,

I have been wearing Asics running shoes for at least the past
10 years, usually the 2000+ series, and have been very happy
with the quality and durability of the shoes I have worn.
This summer, in addition to my road shoes, I purchased the Asics
2140 Trail shoes and fell in love with the fit.  Unfortunately,
when I went to put them on today I noticed that they felt a little
funny and when I inspected them further the upper on both shoes at
the inside of the toe box was completely coming away from the sole.
I have never in thousands of miles in at least 30 pairs of Asics
had a shoe(s!) fall apart on me.  Is this a common problem with
this model? I assumed that if anything a trail shoe would be
constructed to withstand the wear and tear of trails and not
literally fall apart.  I consistently replace my shoes at 400-500
miles and then continue to use them as "lawn mowing" shoes but these
are shot.

I hope if this is a known problem that you are doing something to
resolve it as I would love to use the 2140 Trail shoe as a winter
trainer but not if I can't depend on it to stay together."

Sincerely,
Mechelle Kuchar




Not long after I received a response:

"Hi Mechelle,

Thank you for contacting the ASICS America Corporation. ASICS
is very concerned that you were not happy with your recent purchase
of our product. ASICS warranties shoes for two years from the
manufacture date against any manufacturing defects.  I have not run
into this problem with this shoe yet and it has been out since January.
If you want to send it in so we can take a look at it for you.  The
footwear must go through a brief inspection before we can move forward
to make sure that they have not been misused or abused.  Please package
the shoes in a sturdy container and mail to:

ASICS America Corporation
Consumer Relations Department
29 Parker, #100
Irvine, CA 92618

If available, also send the original box and copy of the
receipt.  Additionally, please indicate your address, telephone
number, e-mail address and what the problem is with the product.
Once ASICS has received your package, ASICS will make every effort
to resolve this problem for you as quickly as possible. Please note
that ASICS does not refund direct to consumers.  If a defect is found
we will replace the product for the same or comparable model.

If you live in Canada, do not send you shoes to us.  Please contact our
Canadian Distributor to resolve the problem.  AQP can be reached at the
following 800-567-3405.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me again."

Thank you,

Carol Herrig
Consumer Relations
ASICS America Corporation
29 Parker Suite 100
Irvine, CA 92618
1(800) 678-9435


I promptly sent them off and today received
a replacement pair, but not the pair I
was expecting.  Hello!  Asics GEL-Trabuco Trail 12WR,
whatever all those letters
and numbers mean.

There was no note in the box and I have no idea
why I was sent this pair and not a replacement of the Trail 2140's, but I'm a friendly gal (sometimes) so I'll give these a try. After all they match my new watch and cooler weather but not freezing weather training jacket, quite possibly someone is trying to make me fashion savvy.

Why I rarely post anymore

2009-11-01T20:15:00.006-05:00

Yesterday I noticed that my posting this year has been rather pathetic but for good reason. Between the four beauties in the bin of this combine and the combine itself I just can't seem to sit down long enough to get a coherent sentence out.
After I realized how little I've written this year (136 posts last year, 33 so far this year) I decided to try to do better. Then I looked around the office (to save Vinnie's pride and protect his privacy I didn't take a photo) and realized something must be done to restore order. My first task was to clear out the Official Used Car Guides from 2005 so they could join their cousins dating back to the early 90's in the granery.

As soon as I got started on my little office project I got the "farming call" in which I was instructed to fill up four gas cans and meet him at the school where there were beans to be combined and to make sure to take my phone in case he broke down on the way. ALL of our farm equipment is older than me and some probably older than my grandma so running out of fuel is usually the least of our problems.

I grabbed the cash, the dog and headed up town in the Ford farm truck, not to be confused with the Chevy farm *uck (Gibby couldn't say t's when he was younger and it earned itself a nickname). By the time I met Vinnie at the field he was already broke down and I was further instructed to sit it the cab and push levers around while he shoved his arm in little doors and tried to unclogged the belts. Fortunately the combine did not eat my husband and all his appendages were still attached. This grand success brought about an offer to "Go for a round?" Anyone that is a farmer's wife knows that if you turn your husband down for a ride in the combine to see the glory of their labor pouring into the bin is like turning down their plea for s*x. The dog was waiting in the truck eyeing the free newspaper Vinnie found on the side of the road and was insistent I keep because it was free (we already had this issue and I'm sure it was a school board member that tossed it because of the incriminating article on the front page), but I knew better so I said sure with as much enthusiasm as I could muster.

I'm sure new combines run nice and smooth but this baby is from 1967 and it vibrates like a bed in a motel I once slept on where you could put quarters in the little bedside machine. My job tonight was to to keep my eye on the belt that caused the back-up in the first place because "If that thing stops moving it'll clog like a nun's (you fill in the blank because I just can't print what he said)." It didn't clog, we didn't get stuck in the mud, we didn't hit the telephone poles scattered in the field, and we didn't mess up the school yard (even though I told Vinnie our school board is VERY supportive of farmers and he had nary a worry if he did any damage).

We made our round and I was free to return to my dog and the now chewed up free newspaper.

Now the office is slightly cleaner with much less dust and things (really, "things" is the only way to describe the vast amount of stuff found under his paperwork) and I can get back to blogging until he moves onto the next field.

October

2009-10-31T13:47:00.003-05:00

I don't know where October went but I'm going to miss it. There wasn't enough "fall" around these parts and I know the snow is going to be flying soon. This month was spent dreaming of German chocolate cake for Vinnie's birthday upon which the children were kind enough to plant 39 candles that he managed to blow out in one breath.
There were also plans for Halloween costumes, candy and the one day a year that I wear my most hilarious and detested race t-shirt. (You just gotta love the ingenious race director or local designer of this cancer awareness t-shirt) And really, I guess I don't completely dislike it, it just isn't practical to wear any other time of the year. It was a one time race so there are very few of these babies out there and I wear it loud and proud on Halloween day!

Happy tricking and treating!

Feckless Friday

2009-10-02T22:15:00.001-05:00

It is late and I'm lazy when it is late, especially when I'm on my evening vicodin but after reading today's feckless posts by Abby and friends I had to play too. First, let me note, that I had to Google the term feckless because my brain seems to have difficulty comprehending the word as it appears. But now I get it and I certainly had no sense of responsibility whatsoever when I showed up to the allergy clinic for allergy testing with a bag full of chocolate covered nuts to eat during my appointment. I'm always thinking about my next snack and heard horror stories about the amount of time I would be sitting with allergens injected under my skin waiting for a reaction. So I brought protein, in the form of nuts, to an allergy clinic.

Fergie Days

2009-09-24T21:15:00.007-05:00

There is nothing like having man's best friend on your side.

Fly Guy

2009-09-23T21:01:00.003-05:00

Summer flew in and out this year in more ways than one. The older I get the quicker time really does seem to move, I always thought old people were making that up, but they weren't.

Bridge Run 09'

2009-09-13T20:51:00.006-05:00

I don't know if I'll ever get around to doing justice to the 2009 Bridge Run. The whole weekend was amazing, from dinner on Friday at the Ugly Bar to eating 5 slices of fudge on way home with cousin Gary. The view was not something that could be captured on film-the sun rising over Mackinac Island on my left with moon on my right. Go here to check out fellow ambassador and Bridge Runner Sarah's photos (You can see me in the group with Governor Granholm, and the back of my head on the bridge with the blue hat on). She ran with her camera.

I met Bobby Crim at the spaghetti dinner where he gave a very motivational speech about staying fit for life and ended his talk as he jumped up and sat on the table with his legs spread apart and touched his forehead to the tabletop. He is 78 and ran the bridge with us.

A view from our hotel room as walkers are crossing over. Getting up at 4am was a challenge but the payoff was being done first and getting to gawk at everyone else.

The crowds coming over the bridge.

The grumpy runner that didn't smile when fellow runner Tim made a joke in the porta-john line.

Tomato Tart

2009-08-29T14:22:00.003-05:00

I may not have been a responsible gardener this year but thankfully I have friends that took their duty seriously. And I'm reaping the benefits! Good friends are invaluable, especially when they have extra tomatoes because there is nothing like a tomato tart made with fresh off the vine tomatoes.

I did contribute the fresh basil:

Finely chopped with garlic:

They are beautiful:

Pretty little tart:

The masterpiece:

***I used Kraft mayo with olive oil and the result was just as good as using full fat mayo.

Bon appetit!

No Fashion Diva

2009-08-25T09:28:00.003-05:00

I wear what is comfortable, always. Because if I don't I feel as if my skin is screaming at me. Usually this isn't a problem, we don't go anywhere fancy and I don't feel as though I need to dress well to take the children out and about, but today I'm being interviewed, about running, thank goodness. I can confidently wear running attire and be at ease at the same time. I just couldn't decide which race to promote by wearing "their" t-shirt.

When I first found out about the opportunity I immediately envisioned myself in the new sleek Legend t-shirt I earned in August, I could even slyly drink some coffee during the interview out of the mug I won. The Legend is one of my favorite runs of all time, the course, the people, the post-race giant muffins. They deserve a bit of publicity but then I wondered if too many people found about it the atmosphere next year might be ruined by torrents of road racers coming to steal my mug away from me!

Then I felt guilty, I should promote my local town and their race, Chesaning needs all the help it can get, but the shirts are cheap (although nicely designed) and my tattoos are fully visible underneath the material. I wasn't looking to promote "biker trash" running so I tossed that plan aside. And really, I meant to contact someone about this last year, runners would much rather pay a few extra dollars for a quality t-shirt that they can wear as opposed to something that needs to be layered. We don't ask for much: good course, mile markers with splits, decent t-shirts and edible post-race food.

The final possibilty was this past weekend's Crim shirt. There is nothing to not like about this race except the lack of available restrooms for those pre-race jitters. The Crim is a community event as is evident by the hordes of people that come out in suport of Flint and the runners that make this race the show that it is. My shirt is special this year with autographs from Joan Benoit Samuelson and Anne Audain. I'm wearing it as I type and I'll be sporting it as I talk about my committment to fitness and the sport of running.

Summer Bounty

2009-08-23T10:20:00.007-05:00

Our garden is a sad sight but my race t-shirt collection is growing wildly. I hope they can sustain us over the winter months! I've toed the line at: Dexter to Ann Arbor 1/2 marathon, The Legend 10 mile trail run (Enter if you dare!), Curwood Festival 10k in Owosso (On my birthday!), Chesaning Showboat River Run, New Lothop Car Show 5k, the Churchill Classic 10k in Cheboygan on a whim because the race I really wanted to run was full, and the Crim.

This weekend was the 33rd running of the Crim where I was able to meet runner extraordinaire Joan Benoit Samuelson and had her sign a slew of items for me including this poster of her at the 1984 Olympics where she won the gold medal in the first ever women's marathon. My heart sped up a little when I saw her, not like when I'm near the finish line but more like when I get super good news. It was really her, in the flesh! Being a "non front of the pack runner" there are rarely opportunities to talk to the greats in our sport. We just know they run fast as we stare in awe of their times and look further down the list to find ours. She was not impressed to meet Mechelle, runner and mother of 4. My feelings aren't hurt, she didn't care about Joel Feick, the channel 12 news reporter, either. Maybe she was tired or sick (although she ran 6 minute miles at the race) or maybe sick and tired of the attention. She is still my hero, bad expo day or not.

She tells me to "Run in good health."

If she only knew the road blocks thrown my way the past two years. I had tears in my eyes as we started the race because it was difficult to believe that I was actually there and running. It would be so easy to quit, to give into the struggles, but I don't. I keep lacing em' up and wearing em' down.

Anne Audain was at the expo too, sharing a booth with Joan. An inspiration to women, runners and those with hurdles to leap over. She was extremely friendly and I wish we would have invited her to eat Chinese with us!

Thanks Joan, you better believe I will "Run on!"

My Hens are Hot!

2009-08-09T17:38:00.002-05:00

A Formal Introduction

2009-08-04T11:19:00.005-05:00

I haven't formally introduced the newest family member so here she is in all her glory! It is often said that owning a vizsla is a way of life, they are velcro dogs, and that sentiment couldn't be truer. Having Fergie has been like adding another small child to our family, only one that grows really fast and picks up bad habits quicker than lightning (As I found out the other day when the library contacted me regarding a chewed up book). Vizslas aren't for everyone, but after being without Buchta for 8 months we know that our life is not complete without our piece of velcro.

She drops,

and flops,

and rolls.

Her first trip to "big water":

Thinking she may sneak a bit of buchtie:

*Kudos to her wonderful breeder, Sue Branch of Stonepoint Kennels, for creating our little wonder.

No Room for Words

2009-08-03T21:35:00.003-05:00

Country Living

2009-07-17T17:00:00.002-05:00

When you live in the country you have live garden ornaments:

Her name is Betty:

She oversees the farm operation:

The Grass Might Be Greener

2009-06-10T21:46:00.002-05:00

Somedays I'm convinced that it would be much easier to be a stuffed Pioneer sugar beet at the Saginaw Children's Museum.

Brown Dogs

2009-06-07T19:09:00.004-05:00

I'm a bit behind in Bloggerland with 2 races to review but I couldn't help putting these photos ahead of race t-shirts, times, courses and post-race food. We had a bittersweet afternoon remembering Buchta while we played with her sister, great nieces and great newphews. One of which will be coming home with us next time we visit.

This is one of the last group photos we had with Buchta while she was still doing well, she died 12 days later.

Puppy pile!

The one with the black collar took a liking to Vinnie.

The grandma and Buchta's sister. She is the spitting image of Buchta.

This is Lil' Bit, the smallest of the pups and the one Seneca wants.

Some Racing Wisdom

2009-05-30T20:18:00.002-05:00

Never underestimate the power of positive thinking, proper training and quality socks.

See you tomorrow Dexter to Ann Arbor!

Transfer of Faith

2009-05-18T12:51:00.006-05:00

It took me over three weeks to read The Poisonwood Bible. Rarely does it take me that long to read anything and if I'm reading a book of little importance that I know I will struggle with due to writing style or just plain dislike I will typically return it. Thankfully I got over the "I must finish this book because I started it" guilt about a year ago but this one kept tugging at me. Although I loathed the thought of my evening reading time being consumed by a book that seemed to never end I crawled my way though it. And in hindsight I'm a better person for it. Not for finishing what I started, I've set enough of those examples in my life and continue to do so, but for listening to the little words. When a novel is over 500 pages it is natural to exit the narrative with the big picture and forget the small parts that pushed a button when you read them or that flipped a switch as you felt a pang of recognition.

You can search the Internet and find all kind of summaries and character descriptions while avoiding the actual reading of The Poisonwood Bible. But what you would miss is the meat of the book. The parts that make you pause and leave you wishing you could sneeze such thoughts out of your mind. You would escape the embarrassment of living in a nation of plenty and forgo the desire to know what "want" really is. I may have empty pockets but at least I have pockets and it is my burden to fill them.

"But Antole said suddenly, "Don't expect God's protection
in places beyond God's dominion. It will only make you feel
punished. I'm warning you. When things go badly, you will
blame yourself."

"What are you telling me?"

"I am telling you what I'm telling you. Don't try to make life
a mathematics problem with yourself in the center and
everything coming out equal. When you are good, bad things
can still happen. And if you are bad, you can still be lucky."

Nipping off the Runner's World

2009-05-16T13:24:00.007-05:00

My Runner Girl is trying to peel herself off my van. I'm a little disappointed because I thought we were tight, like coffee and cream or chocolate and caramel. But I'm thinking she is trying to tell me something or maybe she is hinting that she'll stick around but in a different way. Not as secure, not as dependable. She might fly off on I-475 and never come back. So I'm looking for ways to keep her around, entice her with something exciting, so I signed up for a half marathon. Then I bought new running shoes and a week later invested in trail shoes and another stick of Body Glide because I'll be damned if my fat, lazy, overly-social mitochondria are going to keep me from lacing up my shoes and running.

My mitochondria, the powerhouses of our cells, are letting me down. According to my neuro-muscular specialist typical mitochondria should be small in size with smooth edges and evenly spaced in the cell, when she called to share the results of my muscle biopsy she did not use any of those words. Instead she said things like prolific, misshapen, clumping, large. I thanked her for the compliments and told her she forgot to use the word "normal". Better luck next life.

So instead of figuring out the keys to my supposed lupus I have been given a new disease to contend with: primary metabolic mitochondrial myopathy. Try Googling that with the word "runner" and the results are not promising. Lupus was/is (because now it is unclear) a challenge but at least I have these little pills that I can take to keep it in check and I'm ready to travel to Africa at a moments notice. Not so with the mitochondrial myopathy. Right now I take a cocktail of over 30 medications/vitamins/supplements a day to try to kick my mitochondria into behaving. And like the children, they just don't seem to want to listen.

Culinary Appreciation

2009-04-30T16:56:00.002-05:00

If you have any inkling of appreciation for food you must try these or convince someone to make them for you!

Efficacious signs of grace

2009-04-27T12:27:00.005-05:00

Blessings,

smiles,

and cupcakes make for a perfect Confirmation and First Eucharist Celebration.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T12:42:00.003-05:00

Hallelujah!

Hello Spring?

2009-04-06T20:16:00.007-05:00

The other day I had MY first sign of spring but didn't blog about it because I did last year and didn't feel the need to repeat myself. Instead I found some other positive indicators that wearing a skirt may be in my near future:

The rhubarb is bursting out of the ground.

The crocus' are making a feeble attempt even though it snowed on them today.

This daffodil is waiting patiently to say hello.

The hyacinths are taking a peek too.

And the oldest boy is back at work hydro-engineering.

Zoup!

2009-04-05T20:53:00.004-05:00

Saturday seemed like a good day to whip up a pot of soup, Food and Wine's Hearty Minestrone to be more specific. I'm not a huge fan of Minestrone but as I was sitting in some office for some appointment I wrote it down in my little "things to remember later" book and so I went at it with gusto on yet another chilly spring morning. It was my first time playing with shallots, fennel, and pancetta and we all got along just fine. And next time Rachel Ray attacks her fennel bulb I will be able to relate.

It all starts with the white beans and we are fortunate to have a dry bean grower in our basket for friends so these are locally grown beans:

I think I was a prep cook in my former life:

Food art:

Cooking until softened:

The finished product:

Short Lessons in Mourning

2009-03-25T12:06:00.009-05:00

"Let's sing hello together,

hello, hello, hello,
let's sing hello together,
hello, hello, hello.

Let's sing hello to Oliver,
hello, hello, hello,
let's sing hello to Oliver,
hello, hello, hello."

My three year-old participates in a Beginning Music Makers class where at the start of each session we sing and wave hello to each student. At the end of class the kids know it is time to go home when we sing goodbye to each of them. Some of the children get a little mad because they don't want to leave and some even shed a few tears. Luckily that age-group is easily distracted!

I've been reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and can't shake the feeling as I work my way towards the end that I will need time to mourn the loss of my new friends Francie, Katie and Neeley. Everyday when I sit down to read about their daily adventures and tragedies I sing the "Hello" song to them in my head because I am so happy to be with them again. There are a lot of great books out there but only a few that suck me in so strongly that I feel as though I am a part of the characters' family and I'm sure after I close the book each night that they go sleep dreaming of me as I do them.

As I am nearing the end of the book I am beginning to feel that same sense of loss that I have felt in prior captivating books. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn isn't the type of book that you read so you can reach the conclusion to find out "who done it" because there is no villain unless you think life ought to be fair. I could reread the book but that would be like looking at pictures of deceased loved ones. You can revisit them but it isn't like sitting down with a fresh cup of tea, it is more like reusing the tea bag from yesterday.

So tonight I will sing goodbye to Francie, Katie and Neeley with a wistful heart.

"Goodbye Francie,
goodbye Katie,
goodbye Neeley,
goodbye, goodbye, goodbye."

It has been grand!

It takes two

2009-03-11T12:29:00.007-05:00

I came from a mother who embraces the "Self-Help" philosophy of improving our lives. Growing up our bookshelves were always filled with volumes citing ways to be healthier, secrets to loving yourself or someone else, practicing Tough Love, coping with alcoholism and how to find happiness. Sometimes I would peruse those books but never really "got" how a book could help you put your life back together or how words had the capability to make you happier. Apparently none of the early versions had the correct information because when my mother gives me books to donate to the library often times there are several current self-help titles among them. She is one of many who want to believe that it could be as easy as reading a book, that one of the books she purchases will finally hold the answer, the secret, the golden ring to happiness and self-actualization.

In college I intently read The Road Less Traveled and People of the Lie. Reviving Ophelia was in there at some point and one semester while dabbling in Women's Studies I found myself deep in Fire in Belly:On Being a Man. I remember reading them and having hope for myself, my future children, and mankind. There is a sense of power and potential you maintain while reading books that are intended to pull you out of your comfort zone. You read and all the while your insides are screaming "I can do this! I can make a difference!" Then you finish the book and that feeling of empowerment slowly leaks out of you because you are not submerged in the message on a daily basis.

And this is where The Love Dare was different.

For 40 days the first thing I did was check my email and receive my assignment for that day. I lived intentionally in my marriage for 40 days. On Day 1 I had to resolve to say nothing negative about my spouse for that day. I tried to take it a step further and vowed to say nothing negative about him for the entire 40 days. I wasn't trying to "one-up" the challenge but I know that I am quick to judge and am often much harder on Vinnie about what I view as his inadequacies than I need to be. To be successful at starting and completing The Dare you had to be honest with yourself, your spouse and your marriage. And that, in my opinion, is a tall order. We get so comfortable in our actions and our words that we assume too much, too often. The Dare forced me out of that plush place and put me into a place of reflection.

Early on in the 40 days it was easy to see that my efforts were worth it. We were communicating better and more frequently, there were few harsh words between us, he was openly appreciative of things he never seemed to notice before and we were happier in general. He had no idea I was participating in The Love Dare but was pleased with this alien that had replaced his short-tempered judgmental wife.

At the end of the 40 days I stopped The Dare even though I knew I should have continued to focus on the main behavior changing components. It was easy to lose focus, to let happy-alien-wife be replaced with demanding-expectant-woman. I noticed, he noticed. I rented Fireproof and we both watched it separately. He wanted to know when I was going to start The Love Dare and when I told him I had already done it I was met with surprise because he had taken for granted the positive changes that were evident a few weeks earlier. Now we ask each other what day we are on and laugh because he has to get past Day 1 before moving on. He claims he doesn't have "the recipe" but I think it may show up in his in-box soon.

Simple changes can do a lot to any relationship but it was obvious that it does take two people to make marriage successful. After all, marriage is a union of two people and it takes the efforts of both to keep it working. The "self-help" business is booming and you can read all you want but if you don't actively make changes to your behaviors and thoughts you aren't going to gain much. As with anything from running a marathon to making a marriage work it is about effort. You won't finish the race if you haven't put in the mileage for months before and you won't be sitting in the Meijer Cafe drinking coffee (Okay, so Vinnie would rather die than sit in the Meijer Cafe but I just love those older couples that I see there!) when you're 80 with your spouse unless you train everyday to make there.

Catch Up, Sort Of

2009-02-25T16:39:00.004-05:00

I just received a request for my pretzel warfare experience to be expounded on in a blog post but I'm a bit behind in my posting priorities so it may have to wait a day or two. I'm having the same blogging trouble that I've always had and probably won't go away anytime soon. I write all my posts in my head while I'm running and somehow my brain does not see fit to print out a replica upon my arrival at home. This may be to the readers' (Mrs. A help with that apostrophe please!) advantage because a lot gets done in my head while I'm on a run. And people think I just run to get away from Vinnie!

So I still need to recap and finalize the Love Dare (Aren't you curious?), a tidy Lenten related post might be nice too but maybe I should wait until Lent is over and the etching on My Lenten Cross has been rubbed smooth. I had a great post about the Star Bursts my mother was trying to poison my kids with all wrinkle free in my mind but I'm trying to Change My Heart during the next 40 days and need to love my mother's efforts even if I would rather scream.

Tomorrow I head off to U of M with my "responsible driver" (I'm wondering if they will give her some type of responsibility test to determine her level of dependability, not that I think she would fail, but how do they KNOW? Do they size her up, ask her to flex, or just Google her name?) to have some small sections of my muscle biopsied because Lupus might have found a friend called Myopathy or Dystropy but we don't think so. We're just checking to make sure he isn't hanging with the wrong crowd. And if he is there will be hell to pay because I. Don't. Have. Time. For. Something. Else. I can't eat for 6 hours before which may be more torture to me than having the muscle "nipped" from my deltoid. My blood sugar and I don't get along well either, it likes to dip too low when it does not have a constant input of fresh, whole foods (Er, read: chocolate.) therefore, the business of fasting never goes well. I hope my trustworthy driver will be patient, especially because my a.m. coffee is not allowed either.

And maybe, just maybe, U of M should not be so organized and forthright because after reading the Needle Muscle Biopsy procedure handout I'm not looking so forward to my twilight sleep. It states: "You may sense the deep stab of the instrument and feel the little nips the instrument makes as it snips off samples from within the muscle. The nurse can give you a more pain-killing medication by vein. The doctor will usually penetrate the muscle in a different direction to get samples from another part of the muscle." I'm not aiming for a natural, unmedicated birth here people! They better pump that "a more pain-killing medication by vein" BEFORE the nips are made. And Panera better be serving up something yummy tomorrow because my dependable driver has been instructed to take me there immediately following the procedure.

Why I love to Read

2009-02-17T15:14:00.000-05:00

Because sometimes the author writes about me and that leaves me feeling pretty good about myself, even if the author makes me sound a little quirky:

"She tired to figure out her own life philosophy and came up with something she once heard a rock star-Eric Clapton, she thought-say in an interview about not being a big fan of, uh, people. She wasn't either. She preferred-as ridiculous as it sounded-being with herself. She like reading and watching movies without commentary. She couldn't handle men and their egos and their constant boasting and their raging insecurities."

When I read that particular passage in my latest book it made me sit up a bit higher and open my eyes wider. It was the same type of realization that hit me when I discovered most people don't hate clothing (Just a few select "special" people are hindered by wardrobe sensitivities.) It was freeing in a way because I always assumed I was, well, bitchy for lack of a better term, for not seeking out oodles of people to spend my time with. I'm just not a fan of people and that is o.k. Why I sought out a degree in social work I have no idea, or maybe it was because I could usher my clients in and out and do what I could to offer them assistance without more than a professional committment. I wouldn't have to take them home for early morning conversation when I prefer to have none.

As a child, my home life was peculiar in many ways but one that stands out frequently in my memories is the fact that we must have been trained from an early age not to speak in the morning. Unless you were trying to claim you were too ill to go to school (In which case you were allowed to state your symptoms and wait dutifully for mom to ask if you wanted to go to school.) the expectation was shower, clothing, breakfast and out the door. All without a peep. My siblings may have different perceptions of this but whenever we happen to be together for the night as adults none of the three of us speak in the morning. And I'm not just referring to early morning, if you really want to have a conversation with me try and hit me up after noon where you will have a short window of opportunity before I revert my brain to hermit mode.

For those of you that I frequently find myself in social situations with and appear to be enjoying myself, I really am, but you may want to consider if there is something special about you or if you are quirky too.

The Weekend Was Fine

2009-02-16T21:10:00.003-05:00

Even Maybe played hard! And I, I skied alone 2 days in a row. It was as close to Heaven as I could imagine while still on earth.

Don't Question My Love

2009-02-10T12:48:00.003-05:00

All anyone needs to know is that not one negative word was released from my lips after my farmer husband hauled a load of beans to the elevator today and did this to my yard:

Damn Facebook

2009-02-03T13:44:00.011-05:00

I'm convinced nobody is updating their blogs lately because they are too busy on Facebook letting people know that they are letting their dog out to pee. Yeah, I'm guilty too. But I don't even stop to let the dog out, she has just been peeing on the floor.

It doesn't help that is has been winter here. W.I.N.T.E.R. As is cold, windy, snowy. Depressing. And just when I finally had a day of running on actual pavement and not ice/snow covered roads it is snowing again.

So, now that my life is complete because I have reconnected with my fourth grade boyfriend (Come on people!) I've decided to get busy in the kitchen.

The Buchtie Babes
L to R: The famous Aunt Mary, Marie and myself

Buchtie: still hot and pipping on the baking sheet. And no, I can't share the recipe because only someone that has been making them for 80+ years can get it right.

Apparently this was a crucial step.

Cleanliness is very important at all times!

Guacamole anyone?

The featured item at Sunday dinner:
Smoky Tomato Salmon Chowder

Can You Spell Education?

2009-01-20T21:17:00.006-05:00

Apparently the school my children attend believes it is spelled o-p-t-i-o-n-a-l.

I almost asked this morning when I dropped the kids off if all the classes would be watching the inauguration, but I didn't. Because I assumed it would have been mandatory to see history in the making. It was a no-brainer to me that the children would witness a terribly important and POSITIVE day in United States history, live. Not on the evening news after it was all said and done.

I blew it.

If I had known that the big screen television was to be placed in the small conference room off of the cafeteria and that the students would have a choice to play after they ate lunch or watch as the inauguration unfolded I would have kept them home. And educated them. And they would be better for it, maybe not today or even tomorrow, but at some point in time they would recall that their mom forced them to watch Inauguration 2009 and they would feel proud for being a part of today in some small way.

Instead they will just remember that it was really cold, Diezel got his hair cut after school and their mom was a-n-g-r-y and d-i-s-a-p-p-o-i-n-t-e-d about what didn't happen at school.

****My fourth grader did see a portion of it and talked more about Yo-Yo Ma than President Obama, but maybe that is because she was whisked back to class DURING President Obama's speech and she saw the entire performance of Yo-Yo Ma.

Inauguration 2009

2009-01-20T14:23:00.003-05:00

Riveting and tear provoking.

Need I say more? (Except that I regret not keeping the children home from school today. They should have seen all the coverage that led up to the actual swearing in of President Barack Obama.)

Buchtie Day

2009-01-10T10:20:00.009-05:00

Today would have been Buchta's 10th birthday. We have celebrated each year by baking Buchtie (others call them Kolache) with Aunt Mary, the master of Czech pastry. If Aunt Mary was unavailable we would suffer through my attempts and delight in a semi-hockey puck-like version of the yummy treat. After all our hard work Buchta would humor us by balancing one on her nose, flipping it in the air, catching it and then gobbling it up.

We'll be baking Buchtie in her honor this weekend. I just don't know who I can get to attempt the nose flipping trick. (Maybe has been a failure at this particular feat)

WE MISS YOU BROWN DOG!

You Had Me @ "Challenge"

2009-01-08T12:43:00.007-05:00

I like challenges. I'm a bit competitive, in a friendly way of course. I would never yell, "You suck!" at you while playing Euchre if you lost a hand or two. If I gloat, I do it quietly, but I'm more competitive with myself than my neighbors unless you happen to rub me the wrong way before a race.

So when it comes to resolutions I do better during Lent because 40 days of suffering is a challenge to me while an entire year is a lifestyle change and I'm too old for that. For 40 days I can pick something really difficult to give up and know that it will end. Like a hot, hilly 10 mile trial run-I'm bound to hit the finish line sooner or later. So when I came across this I thought what an interesting and atypical dare it would be for me.

Our marriage is in a good place right now but Chesaning thought Parshallburg Bridge had a good foundation too, so I figure if I can make the important things in my life a bit stronger I can only be better for it. And really, 4 days into the 40-day Love Dare Challenge and it hasn't been difficult at all. I didn't tell Vinnie I was participating in the challenge and that makes it even better because he isn't expecting anything and when you don't expect anything that leaves room for being pleasantly surprised.

In case you don't check out the link here is what the first four days involved:

Day 1-Resolve to say nothing negative about your spouse today.
Day 2-Do at least one unexpected gesture to your spouse as an act of kindness.
Day 3-Buy your spouse something that says, "I was thinking about you today."
Day 4-Contact your spouse sometime during the day and ask how he or she is doing and if there is anything you could do for them.

It may seem kind of cheesy but it has actually been kind of fun to check my mail first thing in the morning and be given a quest that forces me to be present in my marriage all day long or at least during my run while I plan what my "gift" to Vinnie will be that day. Sometimes it is too easy to plod along with our spouses until a crisis is evident or a romantic getaway has been planned. These 40 days will require intentional interactions and I don't think I'll be backing down anytime soon.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T11:49:00.002-05:00

We. Have. A. Tree.

And that makes it a Merry Christmas because in the end it all worked out just fine and we are eternally grateful for Fr. Rick's gift of gab, it made us right on time for Mass.

Bah Christmas!

2008-12-15T12:32:00.006-05:00

This is not turning out to be the Christmas of my dreams, again. I'm trying to keep with the message of the season that was imparted on us at Mass on the first Sunday of Advent that was basically to "slow down" this time of the year. Do not turn it into a rush of gathering, doing and wanting. So I'm really trying. But once again our living room is trashed. What turned into a goal to finish the project by 7pm on Saturday has evolved into not even a speck of primer on the wall by Monday afternoon. But I'm trying. Really. I haven't even questioned why it took ACE 1 1/2 hours to mix the paint on Saturday afternoon. Or how a simple trip to Frank's for sliced jalapenos during the paint purchasing trip required me to go back to Frank's to replace the mild whole peppers that were purchased. If I were Charlie Brown I would let out a wide-mouthed scream. But I'm not. So now, like a good little non-judgmental wife, I'll go clean the dry-wall dust in the living room and leave you with last year's Christmas photo that I am tempted to use again this year because that project has been neglected.

Yes, we did opt for Buchta instead of Ollie in the photo because she was able to cooperate.

For Gibby

2008-12-11T14:38:00.004-05:00

Gibby has always been the "lost" kid at our house. He wasn't the first born and didn't cause as much angst as infant number two Diezel did. He has just been the kid that blends in, the one that smiled at his dad just after he was born (And no it wasn't gas, the vernix wasn't even wiped off him yet!), the one that likes to do just about anything. Basically he has been fairly easy compared to other children I have been fortunate enough to parent. Well today, for the nth millionth time he made it clear that he needs a guitar and must acquire one soon. So I have entered him in the Kids Know Stuff guitar giveaway and I think you should enter too! By entering you could win a guitar and lower my chances of further upsetting my auditory sensory issues at the same time. Bless You!

Turkey Update

2008-12-03T12:17:00.004-05:00

The turkeys managed to escape over the semi-frozen river so we had ham for dinner:

These "turkeys" managed to stick around:

This was our lame attempt to get all 6 dogs at our Thanksgiving feast to sit together. I think it was a wine induced fantasy or maybe we wanted to prove that at least our dogs can behave even if our children don't.

Turkey Season

2008-11-26T22:54:00.003-05:00

Because I won't be trotting with the turkeys this year and winning a pie I thought I better go hunt up a turkey as my contribution.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Christmas My Style

2008-11-20T18:20:00.006-05:00

There are plenty of things I love about the upcoming holiday season, like making cookies. I could, however, do without the gift giving business. It has just become too much and with Christmas being promoted in Target before Halloween I'm thinking things are out of hand. So, I took this link from Erin's blog because I love, love, love it. I think I'll have to watch it once a day until the Big Day is over while I frantically knit everyone a lovely scarf.

Even For You Non-Runners

2008-11-17T20:38:00.002-05:00

I found this on Kelly's site and even if you don't believe in running you might just like it!

This video captures the fantasy of the perfect run. Brooks will donate five cents for every view of the video between Nov. 13 and Dec. 21. Brooks will donate up to a max of $25,000 to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, earmarked for the support of Breast Cancer research. Thanks so much, Brooks!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2aecp-IINw

How Dogs Say Goodbye

2008-11-15T21:21:00.004-05:00

Nailed!

2008-11-13T13:19:00.002-05:00

An interesting approach:

http://www.miamiherald.com/video/index.html?media_id=2383065

p.s. They're family, I bet you can't guess which side!

It Was A Good Run

2008-11-12T14:36:00.006-05:00

And now she is stirring up Heaven...

Stonepoint's Golden Buchta
"Buchta"

January 10, 1999 - November 12, 2008

Loved Beyond Measure

PMD-96 or PMD-51

2008-11-11T14:45:00.007-05:00

I'm searching for paint, again. I have officially decided to just paint the gosh darn living room and get it over with so Vinnie can adhere the custom-made trim before I die. His excuse for not hanging the trim is that he can't until the room is painted/papered/whatever and it is my fault for not selecting a color. I vow to have it done by Christmas.

In my quest for color I brought Seneca along hoping she would embrace the idea of a fresh start in the living room. She didn't. I finally had to suggest that she stop telling me that we should have painted the unpapered areas of the living room red to match the wallpaper and then we could make our own paper flowers and glue them up there. Her color suggestion after it was all said and done was black, she even chose a paint chip sample.

So, if the paint companies could just stick with the number of a color, PMD-96 or PMD-51, instead of Wild Wheat or Cardamon I would have a much easier time selecting. I am way too swayed by names that bring a vision to mind: Sweet Honey, Shaved Chocolate, Red Red Wine. How is a woman to pick? My kitchen is painted Oatmeal, the playroom Hunting Coat Red, mudroom Rye Grass Green and the bathroom Chai Spice. A little influenced by the namers, I think so. Hum, what about Velvety Merlot or Caramel Sauce?

The Obama Bucket

2008-11-07T19:05:00.007-05:00

I don't usually do politics but I couldn't resist sharing this brief conversation my son had out loud with himself the other day.

When it appeared as though the Republican Party didn't stand a chance in the current election we thought we better get the kids used to the new agenda. We did this by having them put the rest of their candy in the Obama Bucket after they had two days to eat their own "stash". In the Obama Bucket it would be shared among us, especially those of us that did not work to collect that candy.

The Obama Bucket

Sadly, the Obama Bucket is already considered empty, apparently nobody likes red licorice around here. Kind of like when you feel all good about yourself giving canned food this time of the year and you donate the canned spinach that had no hopes of being eaten anyway. Red licorice must be our canned spinach.

I know, you were hoping it would end here but it doesn't. And the reason it doesn't is because this is the amazing part: last night Diezel got to thinking and knowing that Obama is slated to take office in January he wanted to affirm that next year Obama would take some of his Halloween candy and give it to others. He wanted to know if Obama would just deliver the candy to other people's doors and before anyone had a chance to correct him he went on to conclude that "There will be nobody trick or treating next year because they will all just wait for the candy to come to them." After thinking on that for a moment he exclaimed, "Well I'm not going to trick or treat either, why should I if nobody else is and then I'll have to give my candy away." Some rather strategic thinking for a seven year old.

And really, I know it is about more than the redistribution of wealth. There are a lot of issues at stake and a lot of problems to solve. But thank goodness Obama is considering the advice of our very own Governor Jennifer Granholm when it comes to this economic mess. I hate to be disrespectful but OMG and WTF! Jennifer Granholm?

I'm off to hide my Obama Bucket refills.

Something About Hats

2008-11-06T11:22:00.008-05:00

I had the privilege to see this felting artist at the First Frost Arts and Fine Craft show at the FIA last Saturday. I visited her booth four times! I was convinced that one of her hats would be perfect for me but the $38 price tag was a bit much to swallow. That is, until some lovely older lady remarked what deal the hats were, and then another savvy shopper said the same thing and then another! Either Sierra Cole paid these people to walk around and sell her wares in such a sly manner or they really were a deal. Now that I looked them up on her website and found out she sells them for $48 plus $5 shipping I'm glad I purchased mine in real-life time. She might be coming near you too, check it out!

Santa will be bringing this fine tri-colored purple beauty to Seneca,

and this gorgeous rusty one to me. Sorry ACE but I'll be getting non-hardware related items this year!

And here is Ollie modeling one of his lovely new beanies!

The Bucket List

2008-10-30T12:13:00.005-05:00

Fellow blogger Erin requested a "20 things I would like to do before I die list" so I'm gonna give it a go. I actually had a list like this in high school and I wish I could find it to see how many things on it I have accomplished, I do know that run the Boston Marathon was on it as well as ride in a taxi. I have successfully checked those items off. I guess I better see what I can do with the rest of these:

1. Write and publish a book.
2. Raise a leader dog for the blind.
3. Live off the land, except for bare minimum staples, for a year.
4. Travel to all of the homes that Laura Ingalls Wilder lived in.
5. Visit Africa.
6. Run a marathon in Alaska.
7. Enter a quilt in our county fair.
8. Go on a trip by myself.
9. Raise sheep.
10. Complete a triathlon.
11. Participate in a canoe race.
12. Run an ultra.

I'll have to work on eight more, maybe dig up that old list and see where I stand...

Creepy Craft

2008-10-28T19:20:00.013-05:00

The most difficult part of this project was hiding the Dum Dums until Ollie fell asleep so we could make them without a taste tester!

They will all creep and crawl to school on Friday for the Halloween festivities.

Well, almost all of them.

Insanity

2008-10-27T20:22:00.007-05:00

I'm not sure insanity is the word, maybe stupidity sums them up better. Reading news stories like this and this really make my life seem normal. Some days I am glad for that.

Having One of Those Days? Me Too

2008-10-24T15:09:00.002-05:00

More than a thousand ice sculptures representing human silhouettes by Brazilian artist Nele Azevedo slowly melt away, Florence, Italy.

Cottage Chic? Country Chic Living?

2008-10-22T17:21:00.005-05:00

Or how about four kids, 2 dogs and no money chic?

I finally peeled off the wallpaper yesterday in one fell swoop. Well it didn't come off that easy, but after a trip to our local friendly ACE store where I purchased some DIF, a spray bottle and a bit of motivation I was able to remove it all. And now I clearly see why we had to wallpaper the room. I had myself all set to just paint because it is more economical and easier to change but I'm not quite sure that the defects in the 100 year-old walls will not be glaring.

Not one to go down without a fight I went to the BHG website for some inspiration, however, their decorating collections just don't seem to fit my lifestyle. Maybe if I got rid of the animals, found homes for the children, sent the husband to live in the barn and, well, basically lived alone, it would work. Then I could select between Chic I and Chic II or even Living with Books. Not that I truly care for any of those options but the ability to pick something other than super-heavy-duty-extremely washable paint would be nice.

Beans For Hire

2008-10-21T19:04:00.006-05:00

Really, I Did Run

2008-10-20T19:37:00.004-05:00

That race? Remember that trail race I was so looking forward to over a week ago? I did make it to the starting line and found myself running on an incredible trail. The first lap was pleasant with rolling hills around the lake, the second loop added a tremendous hill in addition to the rolling ones already on the course and the third lap, well the third lap kicked my ass with a mountain that the race directors tried to call a hill on the race flyers. Liars! There was an older gentleman making the climb behind me and he kept shouting what he might have thought were helpful directions that consisted of warnings that what appears to be the end of the "hill" is not. We climbed, it would level for 10 yards, we climbed again, it leveled again, we climbed again... I seriously considered tucking into a ball and rolling down the other side. Note: for those of you that are non-runners going down a lengthy hill can be more difficult than climbing it because you have to keep yourself from toppling over and that uses very different muscles.

Anyway, I survived. As far as rating the race, I loved the course but there were no mile markers which also means no split-times. There was only one aid station so if you were running the 8.5 mile race there was lots of space in-between available hydration (I carried my hand-held bottle with me.) The awards, as you can see, are plaques and NOT mugs. Bummer, big bummer.

My biggest beef was actually the lack of beef, or at least some filling post-race food. They only had bananas and apples. I spend the days before a race training and eating well and the last thing I want to see upon landing at the finish line is another banana! I would like to see some type of muffin, cookie, or a cinnamon crunch bagel from Panera. You know, real food.

***These race directors were very economical in that they used numbers from The Crim that were leftover. I'm glad I got one that said 10 mile on it and not 1 Mile like some runners did.

Truffle Anyone?

2008-10-16T13:07:00.003-05:00

Hershey's better move out of the way because BHG Pumpkin-Spiced Gingersnap Truffles are where it's at! I'll admit if you are not a lover of the flavor of the season you may not take to these. But if you find yourself ordering the Pumpkin Spiced Latte at Starbuck's I suggest taking a few minutes to make these amazingly easy and tasty truffles. These are exactly what I envisioned when I saw Hershey's had a pumpkin spiced Kiss.

They may not be as pretty as the Hershey creation but a little fancy foil does not foil the taste buds!

As Long As I Have My Running Shoes

2008-10-09T12:43:00.006-05:00

This election is wrecking havoc on my brain so I've decided to forgo the evil thoughts I have about it and resume a life of ignorance. Some people may consider this irresponsible or just plain stupid but I've had enough of people gleefully supporting one candidate while denouncing the other. Both sides are being slaughtered and praised at the same time, it just depends on who you want to believe and want you want to believe in. At this time I'm gonna believe in my running shoes because I know where they've been, who they associate with and how they'll treat me. There are no surprises and no matter what happens I'll always have them (or a pair just like them) and unless things get really bad I'll always be able to lace up and tromp down the road.

I read a few running blogs and last night as I was preparing for my psyche to go into another fit regarding this damn election I realized that if you only read these blogs and nothing else you would have no idea that America was divided and getting prepared for a major election. Say what you want about people that are not making this election their life-consuming hobby but they have other ways to feel triumphant. I like runners. Especially these runners. Sure they may be in the midst of marathon taper and have nothing but 26.2 miles or more on the mind, but I relish the focus on the run and not The Race.

This weekend I'm gearing up for another trail race and I'm popping the vitamin C to keep a creepy cold at bay. Part of me dreads the whole race scene, (Just ask those that travel with me, I'm a pretty nervous racer.) but if my memory serves me correctly I'll be elated at the finish and pleased later in the day when my legs ache and my muscles protest at the sight of stairs.

I don't need this election in my life, all I need is my running shoes and perhaps a bit of decent chocolate. It doesn't matter who wins as long as the medical *marijuana* legislation passes in Michigan so that when we have national health care (Let's just pray it isn't modeled after the government school system, Medicaid, social security or any of those other wonderful government controlled areas, or better yet the Secretary of State.) and it takes me a year to see my rheumatologist I'll at least have something for the pain lupus causes.

Enjoy The Race. I know I'll have a great time at mine and I'm confident that my shoes and I will have a clear head at the end!

Really Viagra, I'm Good

2008-10-03T16:25:00.002-05:00

I don't know how admin@Viagra got my email address but I'm getting a bit tired of them sending me messages as if they are my friend. The last thing I need is that drug in my house. There are no ED issues for any male person at this homestead. And if there were I would not be in any hurry to fix them.

So please admin@Viagra don't send me a message with the subject line "re:message" as if (as if!) I contacted you in the first place. Because you see, we already have four delightful children that remind me everyday why one more in the mix is totally unnecessary. And because we have these wonderful short people running around here there is rarely time to devote to recreational activities such as the one your medication promotes-especially for that kind of duration.