MORGANI*C

One of These Things is Not Like the Other

2013-05-13T09:05:00.000-05:00

Last weekend we found a suspicious white marble-shaped egg in the chicken coop. It looked a lot like a reptile egg. Our new chickens are pre-teens so they are too young to be laying, so we surmised that one of the girls from the 2nd generation (last Spring) has been having issues. Then today we found this in the coop.

Hopefully the trend continues because this egg is at least oval and twice as big as the egg we discovered last weekend.

Worm Day

2013-04-05T10:37:00.000-05:00

Dirty Job

2013-04-03T20:27:00.001-05:00

Cleaning out the pond had to be one of the grossest projects we've ever done. Shoveling muck and tadpoles and fully grown bullfrogs that Miss Kay would be happy to fry up was so disgusting at times. Especially when I'd clear out some reeds or hyacinth roots and see some slimy eyes looking at me.

But the results were mostly worth it.

I say mostly because the poor fish that we rescued, the ones who managed to get through 2 years of Tadpole Invasion and make it through 2 weeks in the cooler, they weren't so lucky when the hail storm hit early Easter morning. I am not sure a single fish survived. ;.( Not that there were many. We will have to get more fish once the plants are growing.

This yucky, mucky scene is a memory now (until a few more years get away from us, right?).

Smelled like a sewer

And this pretty fish has been healed (via cement glue)...

Repaired

...and painted...

Ready to Get into the Pond

And hopefully soon will be perched in the pond or very close to add a bit of color and more splash to the pond.

Pool Makeover

2013-04-03T19:59:00.001-05:00

We have needed to replaster the pool since forever and this year we decided that instead of going on a family vacation, we'd bite the bullet and make some pool repairs and replaster. We are going to get every bit of enjoyment we can from the back yard this year.

This is what the pool looked like last year.

May 2012

It doesn't look so bad in this picture, but you can't see the brushstrokes that we could. The pool had been painted instead of plastered before we moved in several years ago. I'm guessing the previous owners were trying to save a penny. The current owners were not impressed.

So, three weeks ago the pool was drained sandblasted. We were thinking that within the week we'd have a shiny new pool, but our pool guy's cement/plaster mixing machine was broke. We weren't in a hurry to have the pool done, but it was a bit nervewracking whenever anyone was in the back yard having a 30,000 gallon death pit back there.

The sandblasted look was a definite improvement from the brush strokes but we were getting a little anxious to fill the pool.

A few days ago the crew showed up to "frost" the pool. We had researched doing this ourselves a few years ago but decided that our marriage probably wasn't strong enough to survive such a project. ;.)

Watching the video was very zen-like (with the sound muted anyway)

Our guy used a grey pigment in the plaster that will create a beautiful blue hue

After the plastering was complete, we started the long process of filling the pool. Our poor little spigot was taking so long that we decided to ask the boys next door to borrow their spigot.

With their help, it still took about 53 hours to fill up our pool.

Two Hoses Are Better Than One

The water bills are going to hurt!

As the pool was filling up, we were busy emptying muck from the pond. But that's another blog post...

On the Third Day

After the pool was filled, we added a calcium remover to the water and then brushed the extracted calcium down to the drain hole. We have to do that so that the calcium doesn't stick to the walls (or something like that).

Now that we have the pool finished, we don't have any excuses for the rest of the yard, do we?

MIO

2013-03-23T21:59:00.002-05:00

Even though I was dead tired after our day trip South of Norman, I HAD to try making some toasted pecan butter before the day was over. (And I also had to take my 5th grader and her friend out chalking! My how things have changed!)

I toasted 2 cups of our shelled pecans in my cast iron skillet until they were fragrant (about 7 minutes stirring often on med-hi heat).

Then I processed 1 cup in my food processor for about 5 minutes. At first I thought I was going to end up with toasted pecan meal until the pecans gave up their oil and became a nice butter. I added only sea salt to this batch and a dash of cinnamon to the second batch.

This was very satisfying for breakfast on toast with some of that wonderful MIO Strawberry Lavender jam.

* Made in Oklahoma

Breaking Spring

2013-03-22T21:45:00.000-05:00

For the first day of Spring we took the kids to see Oz the Great and Powerful. This was the second movie that the whole family went to and the kids behaved really well...just like last time. No crying, no talking through every scene. Probably because we loaded ourselves down with snacks to keep our chew holes busy! We thought the movie (it's a prequel to the Wizard of Oz) was a family hit.

The next day we drove South to Pauls Valley for a day of surprises for the kids (the littlest ones anyway) starting with a trip to the Toy & Action Figure Museum. Until a couple of weeks ago I didn't know this museum even existed. I was researching options for day trips in Oklahoma as my plans for a trip to the Great Salt Plains State Park were thwarted by the park not being open until next month.

TMNT Happiness

Spidey Girl

Random

Lots o' Action Figures

Caught Daddy Playing

Cruisin' with Raphael

The museum is not very big (but it's still very cool) so we were only there for about 1.5 hours. Plus we were starving so we headed over to Punkin's for some BBQ and catfish.

I hadn't been to Punkin's in about 20 years so I was pleasantly surprised to see that they were still open. They moved to a new location down the street but they were going strong as ever. We filled our bellies on fried green tomatoes and pickles and sweet tea and then catfish and BBQ. None of what we ate was healthy and what's worse is that we boxed up the leftovers and repeated the gluttony at home later.

To finish off the outing, we visited the Bedre Chocolate Factory which also had a new location. Scott and I visited Bedre before in 2006 but we hadn't taken the kids there.

Now we can check that off our list of things to do...or we can just keep it there and come back again and again. The location moved from Pauls Valley to Davis, OK right next door to the Chickasaw Welcome Center (Exit 55 off I-35). We picked up some chocolate goodies - meltaways, chocolate covered pringles, a chocolate scented pen! - and then we checked out the welcome center for ideas and inspiration.

We left there with some cool jams made in Oklahoma by the Prairie Gypsies - Strawberry Lavender and Pear Pecan - and a hankering for roasted pecan butter!

What a fun day with the family!

I grabbed more literature for things to do in Oklahoma including u-pick-em farms (I didn't know they had those in OK! I used to pick strawberries and tomatoes etc at u-pick-em farms in Florida so I'm super excited about visiting local farms with the kiddos now.) so we're looking forward to more day trips in the near future (including digging for crystals in the salt plains).

Bullfrog Massacre

2013-03-17T19:28:00.006-05:00

For some reason I thought cleaning out our pond would only take 1 day. I didn't realize just how big of a pond it was (or a job it would be).

Friday the pond looked pretty much like this at the start.

It's obvious that we had some dead vegetation to remove. We also knew there were lots of tadpoles in the pond still, but we only ever saw 3-4 full grown bullfrogs. 2 years ago we found the bullfrogs trying to take over the pond. We didn't realize how bad the infestation was.

They have made life fairly miserable for the fish that managed to survive. We saved a dozen or more goldfish and hope they can hang in there until after we get the pond completely cleaned out.

This is what our pond looked like by the end of the work day on Friday. Doesn't look dramatically different but we worked a long time to drain the muck filled pond down to this level and we filled up a few trash bags with the root bound and dead vegetation.

This view shows just how deep the pond is. Even drained down to this much, it was iffy on whether to go ahead and get in with rain boots and start shoveling because you don't want that swamp water inside your boots!

A few years ago, before the frogs, we had quite a few more fish in the pond.

Back when Flounder and bigger goldfish were still with us in June 2011

We're hoping to stock the pond with fish and flora soon...

On day 2 we seemed to make a lot more progress. The cattails and hyacinth were so tightly bound together that we could walk on the "island" to begin hacking away at it all. We are getting rid of the cattails completely and only keeping a very sparse amount of the beautiful hyacinth.

I can't seem to find the pictures of the hyacinth when it was blooming and beautiful but I did find this picture of the hyacinth right after my sister's dog tromped through it. That should give you an idea of how thick it was back then (2 years ago!).

Before tadpole awareness, July 2011

By the end of Day 2 we'd removed several containers of the pond plants and probably 10x that amount of plants growing within the roots of other plants! It was disgusting and scary and twice I happened upon bullfrogs hidden in the muck and roots. I actually picked one up and tossed its sliminess up onto that pile of pond plants. Ewww!

We were using clippers to cut through the vegetation and after sighting 2 healthy looking bullfrogs, we were worried that the swampy water was going to get bloody. We got lucky in that we didn't clip any frogs. One frog hopped into the mostly empty pool the other day and stayed... ;.(

Our sump pump kept getting clogged by tadpoles and muck and we'd stop every once in a while to let the muck settle and hack away at a root ball and search for fish survivors trying to get some air. We filled up the wheelbarrow over and over with muck from our nets and leaf rake (we really needed a seining net) and we dumped that at the West end of the property where no one really hangs out. Maybe it will make for some fertile (if not stinky) ground.

This is where we are now. We are letting the invasive plants dry out before bagging them up and letting the last bit of muck dry out before we start shoveling and scooping out the pond. I want to scrub down the liner and rinse it out before we refill the water and add back in the hyacinth and fish.

Once we defoliate a little on the East side and rinse off the rocks, that area will be a little more of an oasis to enjoy. It's going to be so nice to have a clear pond again with a working waterfall (maybe 2). And some nice water lilies....

Love working on projects like this...(wish we hadn't waited so long)

L.O.V.E * Life

2013-03-10T15:37:00.002-05:00

I'm sure I would love life more often if I had access to endless rainbows and the prettiest blue water in the world...and PINEAPPLE!

Gorgeous Blue Waters

Pineapples and Rainbows

But I think Oklahoma should be ranked a little higher than it seems to be ranked in this article. I love living in Oklahoma and I also love visiting more exotic places (or just different places)

But it's always good to come home again...

*from the song Your Love (L.O.V.E. Reggae Mix ) by Wyclef Jean featured in 50 First Dates

Saturday Night Special

2013-03-09T21:16:00.001-06:00

Last night was Italian night at our house with my brother-in-law treating us to some delicious spaghetti with meat balls, shrimp lasagna rolls and prosciutto mozzarella appetizers. We sampled wine and porked out on the food. It was a good night and I am so happy to have close family who also loves to cook. The spaghetti was delicious again today for lunch...my brother-in-law is like my mom in that they prepare way too much food for gatherings. And in this economy, actually in any economy, we like leftovers in this household.

Today has been a dreary day. And as much as I really wanted to get out and dig and chainsaw in the backyard, the forced down time was good for us. We watched Wreck It Ralph and Here Comes the Boom with the kiddos.

David had a soccer game before the rain hit and his team won (again)! David has a pattern in which he scores the winning (or the last, depending on how high the score is) goal. He is really relishing these wins because he is on a new team. His first team in the Fall won every game and so had some reservations about playing on a new team (he was worried they were going to lose). I personally think that he needs to experience a few losses to be humbled and know that life is not all about winning. But Lord help us when that first loss happens...

The girls and I hit the mall while the guys were at the soccer fields. We had to get some pants for the Emster and socks for the Little Ones. Just in time for the warmer weather too... We also hit Natural Grocers to pick up some stuff they don't have at Homeland (ingredients to make "wheat meat" and other hippie food). I have wanted to make seitan for a while now, ever since I saw how easy it was on HHH and now I have all of the ingredients in my pantry...it's on the menu for later this week.

Making Greek Cucumber Salad

Greek Inspired Dinner (Lemon Chicken with Brown Rice and Greek Yogurt/Cucumber Salad)

My little helper also helped me make another pecan pie like we made 2 months ago using this recipe, but it didn't come out the same. It might be because I was trying to "healthy" it up a little by swapping out corn syrup with brown rice syrup. It seemed a bit soupy the first time out of the oven....and also the 2nd time out of the oven 20 minutes later. I am sure I messed the custard up earlier, not mixing it up properly because I don't think that corn/rice syrup made the difference. I will have to test that theory out later this week.

Meanwhile, this pie works as a topping for vanilla ice cream and milk mixture.

Oahu Recap (Part 3)

2013-03-05T21:50:00.000-06:00

This post wraps up my trip to Oahu. (*sad face*)

Waikiki Beach (from the car)

Chickens at Pali Lookout

What a view!

As if the view wasn't breathtaking enough, the wind almost swept us away. And there were signs to watch out for the bees during high winds, so that was kinda scary.

See what I mean about the wind?

On the way back to the hotel we stopped at this beach and I gulped down some beach air and caught some sunset views...

Afterwards, I went back to my hotel, dropped off my laptop, and then went walking around Waikiki. I picked up a few more souvenirs and treated myself to a late dinner of kalua pork tostadas from La Cucaracha (yum!).

The next morning I took an express shuttle to the airport and a mere 12 hours later I was home! ;.)

Tonight I watched 50 First Dates again (we have it on Blu-ray) and reminisced about last week's trip. I am so happy I got the chance to experience shave ice and rainbows in Hawai'i! I hope I get to go back because there are a few more things I'd like to see and do:

Climb Diamond Head
Hike Koko Head Crater
Visit Pearl Harbor Memorial
Polynesian Cultural Center (stay for a bit longer this time)
Oahu's Makapu’u Point Lighthouse Trail
Eat at Ted's (we went there twice and left twice because it was too crowded)
Visit Honolulu Zoo (we drove past it daily)

Oahu Recap (Part 2)

2013-03-04T21:16:00.000-06:00

On the second day, at the recommendation of a local engineer working with us, we checked out Kahuku Grill. We stopped at Ted's Bakery first but it was crazy busy so we opted to try for Ted's the next day.

Maybe it was my headache or maybe from lack of sleep and coffee, but this place was just ok for me. I ordered a fish sandwich trying to stay light and healthy and it came to me smothered in onions and cheese. "Normal me" might have loved that but I was not feeling normal. But the fries they accidentally served with my sandwich were really tasty.

After work we decided to drive around some more and hit Sunset Beach (at least I think it was Sunset Beach...will have to get confirmation on that.).

I rolled up my pant legs and dipped my feet in at this beach and was surprised by the coolness of the water. I guess I shouldn't have been because it was still February!

After we left, we kept on driving. I told you that I have been on all of the highways of HI...

Halona Blowhole, Oahu South Shore

I read that in the winter you can see humpback whale and honu (Hawaiian green sea turtles) from here (Hanauma Bay). We didn't see anything near as exciting but the geyser shooting up at high tide was pretty cool.

I will have to find out the names of the places in the pictures above...be back later...

Oahu Recap (Part 1)

2013-03-03T21:42:00.000-06:00

Now that I've been home for a couple of days, I thought I should recap my trip before it's faded away too much. It was such a whirlwind trip with barely any sleep that it's hard to hold on to it all. Glad I took my camera so I can refresh my memory.

First off, I have to say that I think I could totally blend in there in Hawai'i. I felt surrounded by cousins and everyone was so friendly.

We landed in Honolulu right at noon on Tuesday. While my body was sleep deprived and feeling like it was 4pm (it was in Oklahoma), I felt like I should take the island in while it was daylight because the next 2 days were mostly about work.

So we got settled into our hotels and then we hit the road. My head was on a swivel checking out all of the flora (beautiful fragrant flowers!) and fauna (mostly chickens) and the beautiful blue ocean and waves. I am so glad that I didn't have to drive so I could take it all in.

After we drove around for a bit we decided to head to the Dole Plantation to check out what they grow in HI and get some pineapple samples. We walked through the gardens a little and then took a train through the bigger gardens.

After we got our free pineapple samples we hit Matsumoto Shave Ice for a shaved ice. I got Coconut Cream and it was PINK!

I didn't pack enough warmer weather clothes so I picked up a tank and some flip flops (and a rice paddle) at Matsumoto. Money well spent.

We also drove by the BYU campus just to see what it looked like (not very impressive in my opinion but we only quickly drove through) and then on the way back to the hotel, we stopped in at the Polynesian Cultural Center. We walked around and checked out the market place for a bit and inquired about the events. We discussed coming back the next night for the show that included dinner, but we ended up not going back. My mom was disappointed that we didn't...next time! It sure smelled good but it was getting late...

I did check out a local ABC store (The store with Aloha) near my hotel though. They are convenience stores and they are everywhere. They are worse than Starbucks and they are on most every corner in Waikiki. I am not complaining because I rather enjoyed the store; I could get water, souvenirs, snacks and sundries there for a song. I liked that. I visited the store closest to my hotel every day that I was there... They had a special going that if you spent $100 cumulatively, you would get a free gift. I am now the proud owner of an ABC 2014 calendar!

View outside my hotel

I stayed at a quaint little hotel called Stay Waikiki. I thought the hotel was cool (how couldn't it be with such a cool name?) and there were no frills. The only views I had in my room were of the backside of the Hyatt or the Hilton but I am not complaining. I left my window and balcony door open much of the nights to get the ocean breeze, but I was always awakened by the beep-beep-beep of a tour bus backing up or the talk of some hotel workers from across the street taking a smoke break or cars making that eee-eee-eee sound as they rounded the corner in the parking garage that was catty-corner from my hotel. Once again, not complaining, just letting you know I was not in a resort...

On the 2nd day on the island, I woke up with a major headache (started behind my right eye) that stayed with me much of the day. I walked a few blocks to meet up with my team lead (who drove and was my personal tour guide) and then we make the trek to the north shore for work. Traffic in downtown was a bear and I got to see some of the unglamourous parts of the city, like the grafitti. I also noted that Hawai'i has many of the same weeds as I do...they are bigger of course.

On the way to the site I took in some pretty views. I got a few cool captures of a very hot surfing spot near work but check out this cool aerial photo I found.

Beautiful Pupukea Paumalu

Here are some of my captures of the views I experienced at work on a daily basis:

I'm told that they filmed Soul Surfer in this area so I will have to watch that movie again and see if I recognize anything. I also might watch 50 First Dates again because my recent research has indicated that most of the film was shot on location in Oahu on the Windward side and North Shore.

(I'm tired from a late night tasting wines for my brother-in-law's soon to be open restaurant so I will resume posting tomorrow starting with the cows and lunch...)

Bizcation (What the What?)

2013-03-01T19:37:00.000-06:00

I mean... Aloha, friends!

My body and mind are still on island time currently while I sit at the SFO on my 4 hour layover. I am not sure what to expect for sleeping patterns when I get home later tonight.

I was in Waikiki for work this week!!! My work was actually on the north shore of Honolulu but there are limited accommodations over there. I still can't believe I was in Hawai'i for work!

Monday night when forecasted blizzard conditions were supposed to hit, I hardly slept waiting for a text from the airline that my flight was canceled due to thunder snow and extreme howling winds. But I got lucky (again...the first time was in scoring this trip!) and the flight was not canceled. I left OKC at 6:22am and arrived in Hawai'i at a little before noon.

There was no group of lovely ladies hulaing and giving us leis when we landed though. Guess that's only in the movies? Or on the Big Island? There was a car waiting for us at the rental place though.

I had on long pants and long sleeves (my ski jacket stowed in my carryon because it was 33 degrees when we left Oklahoma) so the first order of business was to change into warmer weather clothing because it was 78 degrees there in Honolulu!!!

We drove around much of the afternoon taking in the views and ocean air. I felt guilty much of the time walking around in tsinellas while my family was at home in the windy snow\sleet\rain of winter. I don't think winter comes to HI.

Here's how natives describe the weather there: Sometimes same, sometimes a little bit different.

It was beautiful and the views I saw were awe inspiring. I did get to dip my feet into the surf but I didn't get to slip into my swimsuit (probably a mixed blessing there). And now I am trying to hang on to that aloha mana for a little longer.

I am happy to report that not only did we get all of our work accomplished, but I also have been on every highway in Honolulu. There are 3 and they are labeled as 'Interstate'. (What?)

Even though it was a quick trip, you know I took pics of everything so I can share my experience. I will upload pics soon.

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

What's Up?

2013-02-24T20:01:00.000-06:00

Lots of things....

Digging in the yard (it's not just for the dog and chickens...)

Preparing the garden beds

Things are growing in the yard already and I'm trying to get the gardens and beds ready to plant things OTHER than the things that have accidentally grown in the yard over the years - quite a few mulberry trees have quietly grown in the beds and they are being excavated.

Pretty Maple Blooms

Although it may not look like much, we've been digging around in this bed surrounding the pond. We only have 1 Mulberry Tree left to extract (it's a big one) and a few mounds of monkey grass entwined with Johnson Grass. I keep thinking back to the past 2 summers when it was so hot that I gave up caring what grew in my yard. We are trying to be aggressive and proactive (or maybe just keep up this year) so we can enjoy the fruits of our labor when it gets unbearably hot...

Daffodils, Tulips and Irises

I am not sure about what to plant, but I'm thinking a bunch of strawberries on the side of the waterfall. We're also going to stock the pond (once cleaned) with fish we can actually eat (and our pretty goldfish too). Look for big transformations soon but don't be too disappointed if I peter out on this. I will have a mulberry tree-free yard for sure, but I am not guaranteeing that we will be able to survive off of what we produce in the yard this year. We can only get so many eggs, pecans and figs, right?

And we've been infused with basketball lately...

These girls dominated the court yesterday and won their tournament. We are SO proud of them!

And the other night some friends gave us their tickets to the OU women's basketball game. The little ones hadn't been before and Aubri had just asked if we could go some time. A couple of days later we were given tickets. Presto! At halftime the kids got to go out on to the court and meet with the OU Rowing Team and Baseball players to learn how to be fit.

Things have been nice and busy. We got 3 estimates on replaster of/repairs to the pool and we'll start that project soon. I am looking forward to finally getting that done. With the hot tub gone and other little projects attended to in the yard, it will be like having a new pool.

And we finally replaced the ceiling fan in the pantry (formerly known as the "breakfast nook") and replaced the light fixture in the kitchen. We are in maintenance mode right now and it feels good to cross things off the list.

Heart Boiled Love

2013-02-14T19:59:00.002-06:00

Ok, so maybe not love but EGGS!

I saw this idea posted in my FaceBook feed from a friend's pin on Pinterest. Is that considered 2nd or 3rd hand knowledge?

You take freshly boiled eggs, peel them while warm and press chop sticks on them until cool. When you slice the eggs, they are heart shaped...

Well, they were heart-shaped when I went to bed last night anyway. They were a little flat on the bottom when the kids ate them for breakfast.

I think the point was that mom made breakfast with love...

Week Ending

2013-02-11T19:01:00.001-06:00

This weekend was a rarity in that we didn't have any kidlet activities planned and we were able to hang out around the hacienda mostly. It was much needed down time after a long week at work.

Friday night Scott and I stayed up late after the kids were in bed and shelled pecans until our fingers bled. Just kidding. That would be gross! It's not like we don't have some snazzy nut shellers (I user the Texan Nut Sheller) or a method to the madness. We almost have it down to an art form these days. Which is good because we still have 3 trugs full in the sun room after we get through the 1/3 full trug in the Living Room.

We gave away that gallon bag to the Little Ones' birth mom who came over for a surprise (to them, not us) visit on Saturday.

Mama Bri!

It was a nice visit. Emi and I made Lettuce Wraps (with Thai Peanut Chicken for lack of a better name). It was fragrant and delicious and very messy. I am glad that we got extra chicken thighs because we want to make the same recipe again later this week using spring roll wrappers to hold everything together. It will be a new experience because usually when I wrap something up in an egg roll type wrapper (lumpia wrappers to my people), it is followed up with a deep fry.

Then on Sunday we went to my parents' house for lunch. While there we checked out the "beach" for rose rocks and it was disheartening what we found.

Lake Thunderbird is devastatingly dry.... I have never seen the lake like this before...

During our lake parties boats were tied up just a mere 20-30 feet from where Aubri is...it's so sad.

We definitely need to pray for rain....

Put A Bird On It

2013-02-03T18:09:00.005-06:00

I finally completed our video montage for 2012. I could go back and edit/add more pictures forever so I had to force myself to finish up already, or as my family would say "Put a bird on it!".

Enjoy!

Morgans in 2012 from Nolita Morgan on Vimeo.

On Being Blessed

2013-01-27T20:50:00.001-06:00

Most of my family was sick lately and our income was cut (again) and I'm still a few pounds over what I should be (or at least I'm configured differently than I think I should be at my current weight) but I am still feeling thankful and abundantly blessed.

We used a lot of this stuff below to get the family back to middling (and keep me from getting The Crud).

Not pictured but heavily used was fish oil and pau d'arco

After the wonderful laid back holiday with family and friends and getting transitioned over to a new contract at work, and then with family getting sick, it was hard for me to feel motivated about anything extra - I was just trying to keep up with life. But that lasted for only a short time (Thank God). I was daydreaming about some realistic transformations I'd like to see in the back yard this year (aside from hopefully resurfacing the pool) and I kept coming back to my lavender plant. That plant has been hardy and fragrant and was such a good investment a couple of years ago that I decided to get more. I had my cart filled with a few (online shopping) when I came across an article on propagating lavender. It hadn't occurred to me to take cuttings to propagate from my lovely plant (except to make a peace wreath) but I quickly emptied my cart and clipped my plant. Keeping my fingers crossed because I know this particular plant is a keeper and I'd like to see more of it around the place.

I've been wanting to get outside and prepare the yard ahead of time (for once) and I'm planning on excavating big items from the beds, then putting down a layer of paper bags and newspaper, then a layer of peat moss and compost and leaves so that the beds can be getting ready for new growth in the near future.

I haven't done that yet but I did get out in the yard today and work in a bed by the pond. It was very hard to stay on task because the kids were trying to pick up the chickens (who kept wanting to get into the bed I was working in) and Aubri wanted me to help her pick up more pecans. I still can't get over the abundant harvest we've gotten this year (Thanking God again for this wonderful food!).

Last night I shelled 3 huge bowls of pecans to add to a gallon bag that Scott started already. That barely skimmed the first trug that we are tackling. (Not complaining! But Scott and I can probably add Pecan Shelling to our skill sets for our resumes now.)

This is about 10 pies' worth, I'm guessing...

I was able to help Aubri get her bucket filled with pecans and get busy pulling, digging, raking and bagging.

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

This is just a start. I really wanted to tackle the pond today but it had to wait. I just don't want Spring to arrive until we've taken care of the things on our yard punch list first...

Then and Now

2013-01-23T19:30:00.000-06:00

Emi and Calum, Feb 2010

Emi and Calum (and Aubri and David), Jan 2013

Rough vs. Ruff

2013-01-21T23:43:00.000-06:00

Today I had a list of things to do but I had to scrap that because some of the Morgans are ailing. Scott has what I think is the flu (day 2) and David is a poor congested, runny nosed (how is that even possible?) little boy. Aubri seems to be over her respiratory issues (but still has a nagging cough) and Emi is back to hale - recovered from her bronchitis. And this little pooch....she seems to be getting by taking her naps in the sun. Oh to be able to trade spots with her just for an afternoon...

Emi had another basketball tourney this past weekend and with Scott feeling under the weather, yesterday it was just me and her. It gave us an opportunity to talk girl talk. And I think I've scarred her for life talking about how boys act in middle school. (Just wait until high school, baby girl!) I'm sure the behavior I described has already been happening in elementary school, but just in case, I wanted her to be prepared.

I also had time to talk to her about how God plans things to prepare us for the next thing in our lives. I reminisced about how I was almost finished with school, when I lost my job and had to move in with my sister. I lost my hard fought independence and was forced to deliver pizzas again to get by until my first post-college job. It was a very humbling experience but it was necessary so I could focus on the real reason for such an arrangement...so I could be paired up with my soul mate.

I probably wouldn't have planned for something so humbling, but I am not The One in Control. ;.)

Hope you and yours are keeping healthy and hale this winter...

Home Again, Home Again

2013-01-20T21:22:00.002-06:00

During our road trip Emi had a cough that seemed to get progressively worse so I decided to take her into the Urgent Clinic when we got back to Norman. And Aubri's face had a slightly sandpapery rashy look to it, making me suspect she might have strep, so I took her in just in case. Not the best way to start off a new year...

Emi ended up with Bronchitis and while Aubri did not have strep, the doctor thought she had some sort of virus that she was fighting and just wanted me to keep an eye on her.

Emi is now bronchitis-free (Thank God) and David and Aubri are now on antibiotics for upper respiratory infections. And I am looking forward to the day when all of the coughing in my house stops...seems like everyone (besides me, thank God) has a runny nose these days...

So anyway, we're not moving to Florida (yet, anyway). We're back home waiting to find out what our new normal will be...working, back in school, yada, yada, yada...

Our little road trip was rejuvenating in that we got to hang with loved ones even for just a few days. We needed that.

And, I also almost saw an ALLIGATOR!

I was certain that this time I would spot an alligator in the creek that borders my mom's property. I had my eyes peeled when I saw movement. I almost soiled myself when I realized it wasn't a scary alligator...

But a cute little otter!

Can you see it? (Ogo Pogo?)

That's as good as it gets with capture this cute creature. I'm told that the otters came to this creek because there were plenty of tropical fish flowing over from a nearby fish farm.

Anyway, we've been busy trying to stay healthy: physically, mentally, financially and spiritually. We're purging and reusing and repurposing and trying to be good stewards of the stuff we've been blessed with.

Hoping that 2013 finds you blessed beyond words!

Catching Up, Part 3

2013-01-18T20:39:00.001-06:00

We used to get scones delivered to our door when our friends lived right next door, so when we arrived for our brief visit, they had freshly made scones for us. (And we had some freshly dug up Butterfly Ginger for them).

We sat out in the gazebo drinking some really good coffee and noshing on some really good scones (Thanks, Pete and Ruth!)

Little slice of Heaven

The cool tree with ferns and moss and the COOL swing

Aubri traded her brother for this tractor...

Gracie played with her new friend

And Emi played with an old friend (David's new friend)

We were almost persuaded to stay another night with our dear friends and would have loved more time with them but we needed to head back home. They loaded us down with a Hefty bag filled with Legos.

It was hard to say goodbye to our friends and I hope that we get to see them again, Sooner rather than later (Gator). ;.)

We drove for a few hours and then stopped to eat dinner at Po Folks somewhere in North Florida (we needed to eat some Black Eyed Peas for luck).

After that, it was serious business as Scott and I decided to drive through the night to get home. The kids slept and we took turns sleeping and driving (Scott drove most of the time).

We made it back around lunch time on the 2nd. Just in time to take the girls in to Urgent Care...

Catching Up, Part 2

2013-01-18T20:18:00.001-06:00

On the way to Lola's house we stopped by the new Trader Joe's in Gainesville and stocked up on wine and chocolate and other goodies.

We had only been at Lola's for a few minutes before the kids started harvesting citrus from her trees.

It was balmy and warm and nice. Love South Florida this time of year!

Under the Massive Mistletoe

I actually miss the Spanish Moss

It is so beautiful and peaceful here at my mom's....

Kumquats - we brought back a ton of these!

Fishing off Lola's pier

Emi testing out her driving skills with Lola's golf cart (and I'm in a tank top in JANUARY!!!)

We didn't do much besides eat, sleep and be merry at my mom's place. We did get to IKEA to get some wire baskets for the Little Ones' closet (and lunch) but that was the only outing...

For New Year's we made (and ate) a lot of food and karaoked with a couple of my mom's friends. It was a very laid back way to ring in the new year. Poor Emi was coughing her head off and was miserable.

David took this picture...

Dancing with Lola

The next day we needed to head back home so we packed up Beulah and said good bye to Lola and headed down the road.

Stuffing his pockets with kalamansi

Loaded up with kalamansi

Me and My Mom

About 10 minutes after we left my mom's place, my mom called me and in a stage whisper asked "Hey Nolita, where's your dog?" Whoopsie!

So we turned around to retrieve our sweet little Gracie girl who had no idea that we had left her behind. She was sleeping in front of the refrigerator...

And then we were on on way again...

Catching Up, Part 1

2013-01-18T19:08:00.001-06:00

I haven't had a real chance to update on what's been going on so I thought I should start with our road trip to Florida. (which seems like so long ago now!)

It was really wonderful to get away from the snow and sleet (14 degrees!) of Oklahoma to warmer temps and friends and family in Florida.

We loaded up the car and planned to head out Christmas night, but it was so blizzardy out that we decided to wait until the light of morning just to be on the safe side.

The first 3 hours on the road between Norman and the Dallas-metro area were treacherous to say the least. Snow and ice and deserted cars on the side of the highway. It was slower going as we drove into different counties and the highways were in differing states of slickness. Outside of Dallas it was smoother sailing for us. We took sweet little Gracie with us and she rotated between my lap, Scott's lap and Emi's pillow.

Where's Daddy?

We would drive for a few hours and then stop for bio breaks and meals. We really wanted to drive straight through to Gainesville, but Google had us take a "shortcut" in Mississippi that forced us to we call "Uncle" in Daphne, AL.

On the chilly morning of the 27th, we filled our bellies with hotel breakfast and headed South. We arrived at our friends' home mid-afternoon and hung out with them just like we used to when we were neighbors. We were so heartbroken when they left 3 years ago so it was so good to spend time with them again. It was chilly (in Florida?!) so we had a fire going and we caught up on life.

That night after we went to bed it rained and stormed and it would have been really enjoyable but we had a crazy fur ball wigging out in our room. The next morning we ate porridge and sultana for breakfast and I had quite possibly the best cup of coffee I've ever had!

After a relaxing morning, Scott and I broke away (leaving the nippers with our friends) and checked out a local mall. I got a couple of pairs of skinny jeans (the hot pink ones took me back to 1985). Later we snacked and played games...

Hanging Out

...and talked about the possibility of us becoming neighbors again. If we moved in with my mom, we'd only be a hop and a skip away!

Aubri loving on Ruth

Scott loving on a cup of coffee...just LOOK at that beautiful mug!

The next morning after breakfast we went exploring the woods around the house. It took me back to when I was a child exploring the woods with my grandmother.

When we got back it was time to head further south to my mom's place. We knew we would see our friends again (on the way home) so it was only bye for now.

Us with the Best Neighbors Ever

(Continued in the next post or two).

Away

2013-01-03T08:42:00.000-06:00

M*O*R*G*A*N*I*C