The highlight of my day was my dad sending me a tip about a Chrome add on that helps limit time on wasteful sites on the computer. I hate how much I can get distracted by this thing. It is very useful, but very distracting as well. Check it out–it’s StayFocusd. This is how my computer time can go (as it did today). Decide to look up information on removing sod, because it is the project for Saturday. Then I got wondering about tiller rentals/purchase. I looked up some rental prices and checked KSL. While on KSL I looked for lawn mowers and other garden equipment as well. I have classifieds on there, and noticed they were started a local page for business. I added my business. Then I hoped over to my site to get some information to add with my business listing. (Including my phone number that is not entirely memorized. It’s a google voice number, which I must say google voice is neat.) Still on the marketing kick, I went ahead and checked my google ad campaign. (The only reason I’m doing that is because they sent me a free trial. I’m a big fan of free advertising, not so much paying for it. But all I’ve gotten from google ads is solicitors. Oh well.) Then I decided my site could use improvement and started overhauling it.

Did you make it through all that? Crazy how much the computer can just lead from one thing to another. I didn’t spend all my time on the computer, luckily. I cooked, cleaned, and played just as a good mommy should. I also went outside, since it is the only day with decent weather. Oh and I donated/sold plasma with the resolve to never do it again. It hurt; my veins are just too small. We aren’t completely desperate for money, so I will protect my elbow from now on out.

Today was a happier day. Peter is getting better, and even when he was grumpy I was able to stay happy. That’s hard to do but also important as a mother. Nothing too eventful happened today. I did make a new dish that I quite enjoyed. Last week at the grocery store, I bough some new ingredients and this is what I came up with.

Mix:

• 1 box couscous–Cook according to package directions.
• 2 cups bean sprouts–I boiled mine for a couple minutes because they looked a little old, but I think they would work raw.
• 1 can tomatoes, drained
• 8 oz tofu–Fry until slightly browned
• Large squirt Asian sesame dressing

Serve cold

I just made this up, and looking back at the recipe it appears “ethnic” but of no specific ethnicity. Couscous is Africian/middle east. A lot of the other ingredients are more Asian. I have no idea if this even resembles how couscous and bean sprouts are usually prepared. I’ve never used them before. But it tasted good. Peter even ate a bunch. Today’s grocery trip didn’t involve any new ingredients. It is cheaper that way. And by the way, if you really want to save money on groceries and go to the store less often, cook from scratch using a few basic ingredients. Pasta, tomatoes, rice, chicken, and a variety of vegetables are my staples. There’s really no end of what you can do with them.

Peter has a cold today, and it has tried my patience. I was very ready for him to go to bed at 7:00. He isn’t eating well, and is very tired. He has this pathetic little cough and sneezes out snot rockets. But he also knows to not touch such snot and let mommy or daddy wipe it off before doing anything else.

On a completely unrelated note we went to the doctor. A cold is a cold…but a red swollen hand is something to get looked at. He seems to have cut it or got a sliver at some point (I have no memory of him hurting it), and last night Joe and I realized something was amiss with it. He is on anti-biotics now for that. But my poor Pete has had a rough time lately.

Didn’t do much today. Sesame Street was on a lot, because it was often that or crying.

Maybe it will snow…Here is a thought for all those people who hates when it snows in spring. What is more spring-like than melting snow? Then again I am perfectly happy with beautiful thunderstorms at sunset, complete with rainbows. My list of things to do is growing along with the temperatures. And life is so much more enjoyable when the weather is good. (Although I was thinking about what I do when the weather isn’t good and realized I still go outside. Peter and I hate being cooped up.)

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Some good things in my life lately:

• Sand volleyball, 2 on 2, than 2 on 1. Me and Joe were beat by one guy.
• Business name change to better reflect what I’m doing. And some potential clients as well…
• Parks, and a brave Peter who tackles the slides.
• Hyacinths, daffodils, tulips, and crocus. I bet your garden’s bulbs aren’t blooming yet.
• Bees. Honey bees. Why in the world could you ever be scared of the best insect ever?
• A great neighborhood with playgroups and friends.
• Pruning fruit trees for others, just for fun.
• Hide and Seek…dumbed down for 1.5 yr olds, including lots of saying “Boo!”
• Tomato seedlings coming up.
• Conversations where I have no idea what the other person is saying, but it sounds like “ba-ba oo” etc.
• Singing at church.
• Husband who takes over breakfast/dinner, all the clean-up, and watching Peter because I’m not feeling well.

Today I was thinking that simplifying life isn’t necessarily doing less.

Simplifying Life is to:

Stop worrying about the 100 odd things I can’t really change or deal with right now.

Stop complicating tasks I have, over analyzing, and pushing too hard.

Living each moment instead for pushing forward to the next one.

Eliminating the junk that clutters up everywhere, in my time, house and mind.

Going slower, with a watchful eye for the good.

Plan properly, with flexibility in routines and task.

Take one thing at a time and enjoy it.

We biked five miles today. It reminded me of my first date with Joe. We biked up Logan Canyon to second dam and had lunch. I remember talking and talking together. Today, we rode up Hobble Creek canyon, and made it about 2.5 miles from our home. The trail was snowy after that, and I didn’t want to ride on the road. Peter came along, of course, and enjoyed himself. He even tried to steer by putting his hands on my handlebars. I love being out and doing things with my family, even though I still feel a little cold from it.

I’ve had fun the last few days. Pete and I went on a walk with neighbor friends and played at the park. Peter would even go down the slide all by himself. The three kids were so fun to watch run around with huge smiles on. My mom and I went out to lunch and let Peter play at the mall playground. He also furthered his relationship with the escalator. At first he would cry when on it. But that didn’t last long and he was okay with it. Then he didn’t quite get on right and fell down a few steps, scraping his head. This did not damage him too much though, and he was still fine with the escalator. It started to fascinate him, and finally he would go on it just for fun.

We picked up Joe from school one day, and found a cool park in Orem. They had ducks. I remember living by the “duck park” growing up, and loved feeding the ducks. Peter wasn’t really interested…petting dogs was  a lot more fun. That night we also got 88 cent crunch wraps at Taco Bell. Eating out wasn’t in the budget, but we spent $5 for a good sized meal for all of us. I can’t always cook that cheap…and then I didn’t have to clean up either.

Peter is adorable. He says uh-oh all the time, whenever something is slightly wrong. Other common word are hot (with a very definite “t” on the end), ball, up, elmo, and mama/dada. He continues to pick up new words all the time but has yet to get most of the constants down. (Button is baba; actually lots of things are baba.) He loves being outside and cries when he comes in. But I like being outside too. Here is a picture of him at lunch today, eating cottage cheese. (The use of a spoon is still a little bit of a foreign concept, although he did eat half a bowl of oatmeal using one.)

Another day has come and gone and I am happy.

I worked hard today, and played even harder.

The day wasn’t perfect. But it wasn’t depressing or lonely either.

The highlight was planting tomato seeds with a four year old friend. Peter even planted one.

I received the most amazing heirloom seed catalog in the mail with the most unique varieties of vegetables I’ve ever seen. Vegetables are not boring.

I worked on transforming popular songs to play on my accordion. I realized the other day I would play more if I liked what I played. Too much accordion music sounds like a reincarnation of Lawrence Welk. I’m finding many recent songs I actually like go well on an accordion too.

And did I mention gardening season is coming up? So excited…

Hello. I have not written in a while. Our family went snowshoeing yesterday. I was happy about another big snowstorm, since it is still winter. It meant we were able to go snowshoeing one last time. Although I think I overdid it a little, and I’m still a little tired. Early this week we were able to visit a lot of family. That was tons of fun. I miss all the friends and family we had around while we were up in Logan, but they are still fun to go visit.

Here are some random pictures. They include the curtains I finally finished, the seed starter mentioned below, a hike from a week ago, and some pictures of Peter that show why I could use a new camera. He is looking a lot older now. 

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I’m getting excited for the gardening season, which is coming up quick. We made our own seed starter, and I’ve got the leeks started and will plant more out this week. The leeks just started to show a little crack of green. I love to get in the dirt and garden: it will be fun to have a place to grow veggies this year! I’m excited for the projects I’ve got lined up as well. So far they include my parent veggies garden construction, my grandparents vegetable garden, and condo maintenance and community garden. I’m sure more will come my way as well. But first I’ve got three-ish orchards to prune.

Utah was way ahead of the trend. People here have been growing vegetable gardens for longer than they have been growing flowers. Actually, the whole flower garden hasn’t caught on that much. Most landscapes are lawn, a few lollipop shrubs, and the vegetable plot in a forgotten corner. Seeing a garden filled with flowers (petunias don’t count, and neither do professional landscapes that all look the same) is a rare and pleasant experience.

So, people around here grow their vegetables so much so that when I say “garden” people automatically assume I am talking about growing vegetables. It annoys me. A garden is much more than vegetables! It can include grass, flowers, trees, shrubs and whatever other plant you feel like. (Although I do have to admit that lawn and lollipop shrubs don’t count as a garden.) I wish people would start looking at their landscapes and actually see potential for beauty. A landscape can be a rough canvas for a myriad of colors and textures. Most landscape around here could use a lot less mowing and changing that term “garden” to include flowers.