Blog

It’s 30 degrees below zero and we’re gardening

Homeschooling, ProductsWrite a comment

Indoors, that is. We planted a mini herb garden, and hopefully in a few weeks we’ll have a luscious crop of Basil, Sweet Marjoram, Parsley, and Cilantro.

Hopefully.

The project was simple, and not too messy…we used a gift A.J. had been given for the holidays (to which her original response was, “Oh great. A plant.”  Luckily her severe lack of enthusiasm warmed up when we opened the Chia herb garden and she began unpacking all the supplies.garden-1-copy

You just take a garden “sponge”, soak it in water for a sec, squeeze out the excess, and plop it one of the pots.garden-2

Since the Chia herb garden uses some type of mossy sponge rather than a pile of dirt, filling the pots with soil and water was a fairly smooth and clean process. Not a small feat considering Miss-Spills-A-Lot was in charge. (Seriously…on several occasions she has been threatened with the possibility of only being allowed drinks in the bathtub).

garden-3

So, after choosing our herbs (the kit comes with 6, we decided to save dill and chives for later) sprinkling the seeds on top and adding the little name tag stake thingies (is there a technical name for those things?).  In less than 15 minutes we were just about done.  While I covered each pot with a plastic sandwich bag to simulate a mini greenhouse, Miss A made cards noting the germination time line for each plant (5 days for the basil & marjoram, 10 for the parsley and cilantro).  The kit recommends setting the plants on top of the fridge since the fairly warm area will help the germination process. (This was fine with me, since that would put them out of the reach of Miss-I’ll-Just-Water-Them-A-Little-Bit-More).garden4

After the germination stage, the pots are supposed to be moved to a south facing window…the south side of our house doesn’t have a single window, so I’ll see what I can come up with.

As for whether I’ll be making some tasty Thai noodles with the basil or some kickin’ salsa with the cilantro…sure…whether it will be from my spice cabinet or freshly trimmed from our mini garden…

Either way, it was fun to do this activity together, especially since we were stuck indoors on a day most of the town shut down due to the ridiculous temps.  I’m a bit shocked at how often schools, etc close due to weather conditions nowadays – I have to wonder if the world is getting softer or smarter…and is everyone turning into a bunch of pansies?

One of the joys of homeschool – learning doesn’t get put on hold ‘cuz of the weather.

And Grandpa Johnson? She’s sorry she said she didn’t like the present…it wasn’t “just a plant” afterall.garden5

And while we’re on the subject of Rice Krispies…

Cool Stuff, Products, UncategorizedWrite a comment

I just really found this fascinating, odd…but fascinating.

Keep in mind I’ve had two glasses of wine tonight.

Did you kow that “Snap-Crackle-Pop” is not universal? Nope (at least that’s what Wiki tells me) The following has been cut and pasted from a wikipedia article:

The onomatopoeic noises differ by language:

Oh, and in Australia they call them “Rice Bubbles.”

Hm.

Learn something new everyday!

And while we’re on the subject of cakes…

Celebrations, Cool Stuff, Life, ProductsWrite a comment

Yours truly had a birthday in here somewhere.

Now, usually I don’t do cake…it’s really just not my thing. I was that weird kid who didn’t like frosting.

But Beth, my friend who makes all the incredible edibles you have seen me post here, convinced my husband (upon delivering the cake seen in my previous post) that she needed to make a cake for me too.

Finding a theme for me wasn’t too hard (just see #1 & #2 on my 100 things)

yoda-cake-08And since she knows I’m not a fan of the traditional celebratory confections, she made this for me out of RICE KRISPIE TREATS. Yes people, the Jedi Master is gracing a “cake” made of Snap-Crackle-Pop deliciousness.

Which was actually quite an evil thing to do.

I LOVE rice krispie treats.

Love them.

Luckily the frosting was so incredibly sweet that in order to avoid a diabetic coma I couldn’t eat too much at one time.

Or at least I had to remove gobs of frosting first.

It was worth it and hey – if you’re going to have to face the reality of growing older it’s nice to know at least you’re not like, 900!

The fact that Yoda was a puppet brought to life by the same man who voiced Miss Piggy is of no consequence.

A Cake for all Seasons (and reasons)

Celebrations, Family, LifeWrite a comment

There’s really not much to say here, a few months ago my husband underwent a procedure and decided a celebration was in order.

And what’s a party without cake?

v-cake-web

Also on the menu were cocktail weenies, bbq meatballs, cheese balls, donut holes, and those little sweet pickles.

Yes, you detect a theme.

Congrats to my man, who was man enough to do this.

Land of Nod visits Johnsonville…it’s cheaper here

Cool Stuff, Homeschooling, Kids, ProductsWrite a comment

There are a few places I indulge…things I buy that are luxury items for someone like me who usually only makes a purchase if it’s on sale (and hopefully I have a coupon too).  Among these indulgences are scones and non-fat venti cafe mochas at Starbucks, BabyLegs for Miss G (that’s an addiction I’ll delve into further at some later date), and stuff from The Land of Nod. You know, that cute little side store of Crate and Barrel that sells everything from these handy dandy and adorable book shelves (the girls each have one in their room) to fun & educational games with funky artwork. On a recent visit I picked up some clips for wall art (I got em 50%0ff at $5.95, now they’re even cheaper – go buy some!) While there, I noticed this really cool wallpaper that A.J. would just love. I mean seriously, the girl is a Doodlin’ Fiend and goes through piles of “dry paper” (what she calls blank paper for some reason) every day. Luckily, I practice being green by hoarding all the paper leftover from various speech tournaments and recycle them into hours of art entertainment. I thought it was a great idea, and cute to boot…but wasn’t too keen on the $40 price tag, esp since this was not pre-pasted wall paper. Ever use that stuff? Me neither.  FOR GOOD REASON.

I didn’t want to deprive my child of the joys the freedom and liberty to color on the wall would give her, nor did I want to deprive myself of the “free” time it would buy me while she was occupied doodling flowers, rainbows, and the Scooby Doo gang (complete with Shaggy’s sgraggly goatee, btw).

So instead of dropping the $40 for the wallpaper, and at least another $20 or so for paste and tools (not to mention the time and frustration of hanging the stuff) I made a quick run to my local smiley faced superstore and bought a pack of white poster board and some sharpies. Once home, it took me about 5 minutes to scribble some frames onto the poster boards (this was actually quite fun, if you want to know).

wall-artI tacked them up to the side of our island with some wall putty. wall-art-2

After a few minutes of doodling, I was rewarded with a giant hug and a “this is awesome Mama!”

And that is worth a heckuvvalot more than $40.

I really just need to make my own…

UncategorizedWrite a comment

Holiday radio station. First let me say that  I love Christmas music: it helps put me in the holiday mood, it lifts my spirit and is part of the whole package of decorating, baking, shopping, wrapping and anticipating. All fun things to do….yet do them too much or for too long at one time and what was fun becomes a tedious chore. Same issue with the holiday music. One local radio station goes all holiday all the time from mid-November til the big day. Which is a great idea – I like the fact that anytime I need a boost I can flip to that station and get some holiday tunes. The problem is that it seems to always be the same 4 or 5 tunes. And that, well, it become rather tedious…like waiting in line after line after line. Or having to do those last few batches of cookies after making a dozen dozen. Especially since they seem to have some of my least favorite songs on permanent hourly repeat.

So I have resorted to gathering my favorite holiday music and loading up the trusty ipod. Viola! My own holiday radio station. Maybe I’ll get A.J. to record some intros to various songs. She loves to play talk radio. Check out my Top 10 page to see what the main songs in my rotation would be…and the 10 holiday songs you would NEVER hear on Radio Johnson.

A Barbie (or 2) She WON’T Be Getting

Kids, ProductsWrite a comment

While perusing the on-line toy ads for some holiday shopping, I came across some dolls of a particular well known brand (does an Aqua song come to mind?) and felt quite a variety of emotions from disgust to wry amusement…in any case, my daughter will not be finding any of the following under the Christmas tree:

The Lindsay Lohan Barbie (from the picture, I could not tell if panties were included)

Barbie Best Models: Monte Carlo Barbie – The product copy was so ridiculous, I had to include it here: Featuring the dramatic ModelMuse body sculpt Now, this term made me curious, so I Googled it to see what I might find, and holy pantyhose, there are some bizarre people out there, anyway, it appears the ModelMuse is an even thinner Barbie with less boobage, yay eating disorders!, the second Barbie doll in the Best Models Collection is dressed in a striking bathing suit and features fabulous accessories and an assortment of mix and match outfits. Being a star of the modeling elite means world-class assignments to exotic locales. This time the brilliant sunshine and the azure-blue Mediterranean Sea inspire finely tailored pieces in subtle hues. The sophisticated and dramatic black wrap around bathing suit, black sling back heels and oversized drop earrings are classic and elegant. For daytime dressing when not being seen at the pool, attire may include a sleek pantsuit, attache like purse, soft scarf and sunglasses to cut the glare of the brilliant sunshine. In this sumptuous wonderland, the nightlife is all about luxury and the perfect outfit moves effortlessly from dinner to the casino WTF? I mean seriously, my 5 year old needs to know all about how to glide effortlessly from pool to posh restaurant to the poker table– slim dove-grey shirred seam skirt, blue blouse with shiny buttons, fishnets and a glittery necklace. Big, bold faux leather bag and matching wallet make for stylish portability. Doll cannot stand alone. Sheesh, you got that right.

Fashion Insider Ken What I want to know is, has fashion insider Ken come out yet? He can join his brethren, who I’m sure are asking Santa for him right now…like this fine chap who I came across on a Barbie chat board while looking up the modelmuse term…his profile…

Location
Somewhere under the rainbow.
Gender
Male
Age
is a bitch.
Occupation
Arts/Entertainment
Personal Quote
I wanna be Barbie,cuz that bitch has EVERYTHING!

…is such a stereotype I’d almost say he was a troll…except it appears he posts regularly and often – and truly is concerned about Barbie’s fashion endeavors.

Guess I need to keep shopping.

Tri-Dogs and Nocturnal Ears – The 5 year old Linguist

Kids, UncategorizedWrite a comment

I had meant to post about this over a week ago, but as usual things get busy and blogging falls pretty low on the delegation of time for – well, anything, list. So, in view of recent events, the following “tri” conversation I had with my daughter is bittersweet.

The other day Aishtyn (in the car of course, where all her greatest mental work seems to flourish) asked me if “tri” meant three, since a triceratops has three horns. “Yep,” I said, “And a triathlon is a race that has 3 events, and a tricorne hat has 3 corners, and a trident has 3 prongs, and a tripod balances on 3 legs…” As I paused to consider what other examples I could come up with, she piped up with one of her own, “And your Mom has tri-dogs!!!” Laughing, I agreed. My mom has three dogs, she lives in a tri-dog home…or did until a few days after that conversation. Sigh.

My daughter has developed the habit my grandmother excelled at: selective hearing. On one such occasion (again in the car) she had asked my husband to repeat himself several times, when finally he grumbles out a frustrated “Wake up your ears!” To which Aishtyn immediately responds, “My ears sleep in the morning and afternoon and are awake at night. My ears are ‘OCKturnal’ (nocturnal for those of you who can’t translate 5-yr-old-ese). ” As it was still only mid-morning, I figured we were in for a loooong afternoon of, “What did you say?”

Goodbye to a Friend

LifeWrite a comment

On Monday my sweet little ball of fluff, Thisbe, passed away.

She was my first, “baby.” I bought her when I was still a teen, and she gave me and my family 12 years of love. As Aishtyn says, “Nothing will be the same without Thisbe.”

She loved her milkbone snacks, and would often find various places to hide her stash. She had such a belly on her we called her a “watermelon on toothpicks.”

Unfortunately, this may have led to her developing diabetes, which she was diagnosed with late last year. We managed almost a year with vet visits and insulin shots and a special diet…but in the last few weeks things took a turn for the worse, and from one Sunday to the next, she was gone.

Goodbye Thisbe, we will all miss you.

In Memory of Thisbe

Playing the role of Captain Obvious…

Time Wasters, UncategorizedWrite a comment

…is People magazine, who recently ran the big story that Clay, he’s gay.

Shocking, I know.

About as shocking as the moment we all found out THIS GUY (insert euphemism for homosexuality here). Is Gay?!?!?

No, there’s no possible way that THIS GUY could be gay!

Really, I can’t believe HE is gay!

In case you’re confused, I’m referring to George Michael. The other dude (Anthony something…I think? You can wikipedia it if you really need to know) is NOT gay…and that, perhaps, may be the more surprising piece of info.

(And yes, it so looks like Georgie’s hand is on the dude’s ass, not his own leg)