Friday Favorites: This Is My Valley

The Man-Cub was not able to make the trip to Mayberry with me today; his coach preferred that he ride the bus with the team, tomorrow. The Cub was ok with that, and, so was I, because, sometimes I enjoy being able to belt out my tunes with no teenagers to roll their eyes in obvious jealousy of my superior vocal ability.

Because that's got to be what all that eyerolling is about.

Anyhoodle, being alone also gave me the freedom to make the trip at my own pace, which, means that I got to stop to pee more frequently than usual, also without all the eyerolling.

Bonus!

I also stopped a few times to take pictures, which, I would probably not have taken the time to do had the Cub been with me. My heart always swells just a tad once I crest the summit of the mountain range that separates Mayberry from Petticoat Junction, and, today was no exception; the beauty of my alpine valley is staggering, and, photos really don't do it justice, but, that didn't stop me from trying. 

This weekend, the annual Crane Festival is happening. The geese above will have to share their wetland with the larger birds for a few days, and, if I'm lucky, I will spot a few to photograph before I head back home on Sunday.

Fingers crossed.

We're Jellin'

The Man-Cub's first baseball game of the season takes place this Saturday. It's being played in Mayberry, which gives me an awesome excuse to visit my mom. The Man-Cub is going to ask his coach if he can ride down with me tomorrow instead of on the bus with the team on Saturday morning; if that happens, it also gives me an opportunity to converse with my son (captive audience!).

If the coach doesn't approve that plan, I'll just have to crank up my music, open the sunroof, and entertain myself on the drive (Hugh has a middle school wrestling match to officiate), then, Mom and I will meet the Cub at the ball field on Saturday.

Either way, I am looking forward to the trip.

A couple of days ago, one of the senior moms texted me to see if I would help put together lunch for the boys, so, I am planning to make hoagies when I get to Mom's. I am also going to contribute a couple of batches of Gatorblox*, which, prior to last night, I hadn't made in ages; back when The Teenager was playing volleyball, to be exact.

The good news is, it came back to me like riding a bike. Which, isn't that shocking considering how easy the recipe is.

Gatorade, unflavored gelatin, and a touch of regular Jello are all that you need. Boil three cups of Gatorade. Sprinkle four packages of unflavored gelatin over an additional cup of Gatorade, let set for a minute. Pour in boiling Gatorade and about a quarter of a small package of flavored Jello. Stir until dissolved. Let mixture cool for a bit before pouring into a 9X13 glass pan and chill in the fridge until firm. Cut into squares (or, circles, or hearts, or whatthefuckever you like) and store in fridge in an airtight container.

Easy, peasy, and the kids love them.

Now, I am off to pack for tomorrow's trip. I finally get to break out the baseball bling!

*When we were kids, these treats were called Knox Blox, because they were apparently invented by the good people at Knox. Mom used to make them for us to take to weekend swim meets. When my kids were small, they were overtaken by Jello Jigglers; Jello having taken over the market, I guess. But, they will always be Knox Blox to me. Except for when they are made with Gatorade, obviously.

Promposals Are an Actual Thing

The Man-Cub asked his girlfriend to prom today.

Sounds simple, right? I mean, pimple-faced boys have been asking girls to prom since the 1950's; the boy asks, the girl either says yes or no, and there you have it. My own prom invitation came on the tail-end of a walk to class, with a casual, "See you after English. Oh, yeah, hey, by the way, we're going to prom, right? Cool".

Kids these days? Make a huge production out of this stuff. I've heard rumors of singing telegrams and invitations spelled out in rose petals spread across football fields. Crazy stuff.

Luckily, while the Cub wanted his invitation to be special, he didn't want to go nuts. After consulting with his girlfriend's best friend, he came up with the idea to present his girlfriend with a single rose, bearing a tag with a single word of the invitation at the beginning of each class during the school day (he had a similar idea for a homecoming invitation not too long ago, but never got the chance to ask (long story) thank goodness this time, he had the "yes" pretty much in the bag).

The Cub asked for my assistance in purchasing the flowers and in making the tags, but, the rest of the plan was all him. He charmed the school secretary into delivering the roses each hour, until, the final word "me", at which point he showed up with a much larger sign and a full dozen roses.

It was a pretty sweet plan and it worked out; the girlfriend said yes (she's probably been waiting for him to get off his hiney and ask for weeks now).

Looks like it's time to get this handsome guy fitted for a tuxedo!

Coming Out of Hibernation

The weather has been nice enough to get outside, and, I have taken advantage of that by resuming my daily walks.

Ok, that's a slight exaggeration; I have started walking every other day. Still! That's progress.

Of course, my poor body feels like I have run it through a marathon, rather than simply strolling through the park, but, I am hoping that the soreness and stiffness will go away within the next few days. Then, I can add workouts back into the equation and see how long it takes for the exercise-induced Tourettes Syndrome to pass.

Fitness is fun!

Said no middle-aged, winter couch-bound woman, ever.

Springtime at the Pea

The spring edition of Pickin' at the Pea was almost as good as the autumn version. Almost.

I didn't find the windows I was hoping to find, and I didn't get to savor the delicious donuts made by the sweet Mennonite ladies (Lent...three more weeks!), but; I did discover a couple of unexpected treasures, so, all was not lost.

And, I was in good company.

The sale was really well attended; we actually had to park a good distance farther away than we did in the fall, and, the crowds made for a tough time navigating the narrow aisles between vendor booths in the community center and old store building that house the event, so, after a quick trip through them, Kortni and I concentrated on the vendors outside and waited for the indoor crowds to thin.

Once we got inside, I found the two items that I would eventually purchase: an old frame that was re-purposed as a picture holder and an antique camera to add to my collection. With those purchases out of the way, I was free to do what I enjoy most: wander aimlessly while taking pictures of cool things that I have neither the room for, nor the desire to own. I'm weird like that.

Once we were convinced that there was nothing we had missed, Kortni and I said our goodbyes and I came home to display my finds. The Baby Brownie camera is twee and precious and I've never seen one before, so, that was a win, all the way around.

It fits in nicely with my other antique and vintage cameras and I absolutely love it. The fact that it was dirt cheap doesn't hurt.

The old picture frame was also dirt cheap, which is why I pulled the trigger on purchasing it. Could I have easily made something similar on my own? As Kortni would say, absotootly. But, why bother when one was practically given to me?

I can't wait to get it hung up in my scrapbooking room. It's going to look awesome.

Apparently, the ladies who host the Pea sale are looking at adding a summer show to their schedule. I don't suppose I have to tell you that I will be there with bells on. Because, I will be.

Friday Favorites: In No Particular Order

Favorite Number One: Today is Friday, and, I love me some Friday, people! Friday means half a day at Day Job and, with the hiatus between basketball and baseball, this week it means no plans to leave the house. Instead, I am going to pour a glass of wine, run a tub, pop my iPod on the speaker and relax into a calm, totally Zen state.

Favorite Number Two: As I mentioned in my last post, it's finally March. However, when extoling the month's many virtues, I failed to mention that March is Girl Scout cookie month. Thin Mints! And, yes, while it's still Lent and I am not actually eating the delicious minty, chocolate-coated disks of awesome; I have purchased my usual six boxes, which, are in the freezer, happily awaiting a date with my mouth.

Favorite Number Three: Iced coffee. Specifically, Starbuck iced skinny cinnamon dolce latte. I've tried a lot of different flavors and I always go back to my first love. The Man-Cub and Queen B both think it's gross; I guess it's an acquired taste. Also? More for me.

Favorite Number Four: More baseball bling. This baseball cap was gifted to me by the Booster Club President Extraordinaire; I love it and cannot wait to start wearing it (first game is next Saturday in Mayberry!). The only sad part of the story is that BCPE won't be joining me at games, wearing a matching cap; her son decided to put his time toward livestock judging with FFA rather than play baseball this year. Insert sad faced emoji, here.

Favorite Number Five: Highlights! I went to the salon this week and got my hair did. Last year's highlights had grown out and it was time for a refresher before summer. They turned out great.

Favorite Number Six: Pickin' at the Pea! Kortni and I are headed out to our favorite bi-annual flea market tomorrow morning. I am hoping to find one or two small windows to turn into picture frames for my scrapbooking room. I need a few to go along with the large door that I turned into a frame when we redecorated the room back in November.

The Pea is a great place to find treasures, so who knows what else I'll find? The excitement of the hunt is another favorite. Insert happy faced emoji, here.

March to the Beat

March! March! March!

It's finally March!

March means Springtime! Springtime means we are that much closer to summer! Sure, it also means raging winds, pollens that are determined to kill me, unpredictable weather, farmer's burning their fields, which, adds fuel to my allergy fire, but!

Spring!

Longer days! Sunlight! Oh, sunlight! How, I've been craving your presence!

Capri pants! Sandals! Pedicures that aren't hidden away under boots!

There is so much to be excited about this time of year; spring heralds the rebirth of the earth and the rebirth of my optimistic nature. It's the gateway to boat season, RV trips, baseball games, fireworks, fresh-picked cherries, and Porch Night.

In short, it's the life preserver tossed casually toward my mental health, and, it can never come soon enough; I am simply not a winter girl.

Except for Christmas.

But, that is beside the point. And, I digress.

It's springtime, y'all!