On Eating (part 3) - The S'mores Edition

We went camping last weekend in our little snail shell of a camper. Oh wait - that's not the right picture...



It may not be big and luxurious, but we love it. Oops. That's not it either.

Apparently, I didn't take a photo of our camper this time.

Here's one I took right after we bought it...



ANYWAY. I was a little concerned about how we were going to integrate our newly established eating habits into a weekend camping trip - because we love to eat camping food - you know...burgers, brats, baked beans, chips, and cookies.

And s'mores. Many...many...many s'mores.

Well - it wasn't so hard. It just took a little rearranging of expectations and some planning ahead.

We did burgers - but with lean ground beef and smaller (thinner) whole grain hamburger buns and a salad instead of baked beans, chips and dip.

We did spaghetti with whole wheat noodles, salad and garlic toasted english muffins (yummmm).

And we did brats. Yep. But these weren't your typical bratwurst sausages, which weigh in at a hefty 320 calories.

EACH.

ALONE.

I found some turkey bratwurst though - Butterball, maybe? I can't remember. Anyway, for 140 calories, we thought we'd give them a try. Honestly? I wasn't too excited about it. We had some turkey breakfast sausage one morning while we were camping, and I didn't care for it too much - too turkey-y.

But - we threw them on the grill...

photo by Joshua Ott

And instead of chips and dip, I decided to make zucchini fries.

Yes, I'm aware it's a stretch. Hang with me.

I cut a fresh zucchini into french fry shapes, sprinkled them with a seasoning mix intended for poultry (onion, garlic, salt, pepper, blah blah blah) and wrapped individual servings into aluminum foil. At first, I placed those on the grill over the open fire pit.

photo by Joshua Ott

Then I got worried that they weren't really roasting all that well, so I removed the grate and just tossed the aluminum foil bags down into the coals.

I pretty much just left them there and occasionally turned them over with the barbeque tongs until the turkey brats were finished.

When I pulled them out of the fire and opened them up, I realized I probably could have let them roast a little longer - to get more caramelized...but we were hungry.

People. This was absolutely fantastic. The turkey brats tasted just like bratwurst - none of that overpowering turkey taste. I loved the zucchini fries. LOVED them. Derek ate every one on his plate, and about half of Joshua's. Joshua said they weren't his favorite, but they were okay. Trust me when I tell you that is high praise from Joshua - he's not a fan of green anything. I noticed that Dr. SmartyPants' plate was clean, as well.

Now - I know what you're thinking. 140 calorie bratwurst. 100 calorie whole wheat hot dog bun. 0 calorie zucchini...that's not enough food to live on! And you would be right.

Because there are some things that you just can't find a substitute for...

Oh. Yes.

I believe I will...I mean I believe I did.

On Eating (part 2)

Yesterday, I wrote about Derek's decision to change his eating habits because he was concerned about his weight. Today, I'm going to share a little about how I had to open my eyes to the issue, start facing the reality that his weight was not just a family trait, and work to make a change in our entire family's way of dealing with food.

You see - it took Derek saying something about his weight for me to finally admit that he was, indeed, overweight. For so long, I've used the excuse that he's just built differently (he is) - it's genetic (part of it is) - he'll grow out of it (probably, but not necessarily) to cover up the fact that he was overeating, and it was taking a toll on his health.

So, when he told me he wanted to make a change, I started crunching the numbers, and sure enough - I didn't like what I saw. To be considered at a healthy weight, kids should fall within the 5th and 85th percentile on the age vs. BMI charts. Derek was closer to the 95th percentile.

(To crunch your own numbers, plug them into this handy calculator - it works for kids and adults.)

Once we started making the changes we determined from the book we purchased, I think he and I both started to realize just how making small changes and being aware of portion sizes and better choices were going to impact his efforts.



We've added in a lot more fruits and veggies.



We've cut out chips and sodas. We are eating three meals and two snacks a day...some days I feel like all we do is eat...and within just a few days, Derek was already starting to feel hunger in between all those eating sessions - something he never felt before the change. I don't even have to call him for snack time, now - he is ready...his metabolism has apparently kicked into overdrive!

While I've been guiding the efforts, the choices have been 100% his. He debated at the store last week about getting a small bag of chips and a bottled lemonade for his snack. I told him to tally up the calories (230 in the bottle of lemonade alone...260 in the chips). His target snack calorie total is 200. He struggled with it. I saw tears in his eyes. I told him it was his decision.

He ended up getting a 100-calorie snack pack of chex mix, a 30-calorie gatorade and a big bowl of watermelon. He bragged on himself to his dad when we got home.

So the results, so far, are fantastic. Since our first weigh-in, four weeks ago, he's lost 5.5 pounds - almost 10% of his starting weight - this last weigh in was a little skewed by an extra couple of days (9 instead of 7) due to camping, plus a stomach bug last week - the two previous weeks were 1.5 each, which is a very nice amount, and more along the lines of what we're hoping for. He's moved from the "overweight" category on the BMI charts to "at risk of being overweight," and is only 3 pounds away from that magical 85th percentile line that puts him in the "normal" category.

***NOTE*** In case you all are worried that I've put my boy on a diet at this crucial growth period in his life, please know that we are keeping a very close watch on his weight as it relates to his height - regular height measurements are an important part of this! While he's been excited about seeing a few pounds drop away, my main concern is the BMI number - the age/weight/height formula, and he is aware of that, as well. As he grows taller, his weight will either stay the same or increase - AND THAT IS PERFECTLY FINE. ***NOTE OVER***

Most importantly, I've seen a change from the inside - a confidence I've not seen in him before. When he runs laps at tennis clinic, he does it with his head held high, instead of hunched over - worrying that someone might say something to him about his belly. As a matter of fact, we played the other day and he was walking toward me with this cocky little look on his face after he sent me a little cross-court volley I couldn't get to. I asked him what that look was.

"Confidence." He replied.

Indeed.

*************************
Tomorrow, for the last installment of my "On Eating" series, I'll show you how we changed up our typical camping menu to better reflect our healthy eating goals. Camping is hard, y'all...bratwurst, beans, chips, sodas, s'mores...what's a family to do?

Eat yummy food. That's what...and that will be tomorrow!

On Eating (part 1)

I have two sons.



They are very different from each other.

One has curly brown hair and green eyes.



He's the spitting image of his father.
He's got a heart the size of a lion.
He can be kind of a space cadet.
He loves fruit and vegetables.
He's overweight.

The other has straight blonde hair and blue eyes.



He may resemble his mother just a bit.
He's a creative marvel.
He's can be a little mean.
He loves dessert.
He's a scrawny bean-pole.

Before I get started on this story, I want you all to know that I asked for and received permission from all parties involved in this tale. I specifically asked Derek if I could share his story, and he said it was fine with him.

About a month ago, the four of us were sitting in the living room, talking and being silly - pretty much an average evening - when Derek asked a question that broke my heart.

"Mom?" (because all questions by youngsters in this house start this way...even when Dad is present.)

"Derek?" (because I am a smart ass.)

"Why are all of you slim, and I'm not?"

At this point, tears sprang into my eyes and my throat closed up and it was all I could do to not give in to them. Derek has always been big. He was over 9 pounds at birth. There has never been a time that he didn't check in at the 90th percentile for weight. But over the past year or so, I've really started to see some changes in Derek's shape - his cute little belly has grown into an uncomfortable paunch and its size has started interfering with his physical activity.

In short, my sweet butterball baby has become an overweight young man.

And, while I've noticed it, I've been reluctant to say anything negative about it, because the last thing I would want to do would be to make him feel bad about himself. I'm very thankful that he brought it up first - because now he's in control of the changes he needs to make.

We talked about food choices, and calories and metabolism. Derek says he rarely feels really hungry - he just eats when it is time to eat. This is dramatically different from Joshua, who lives to eat - and is constantly hungry. Derek has a sluggish metabolism...Joshua's is similar to a Formula 1 car.

We talked about genetics and the role it plays in body shape and how Dr. SmartyPants struggled with his weight around the same age, as did my dad, brother and nephew - and how my metabolism more closely resembled Joshua's, although it has slowed considerably through the years.

And Derek decided that he wanted to change his body shape and how he eats. I did some research about healthy weight loss options for pre-teen boys, and found a book to help him understand how your body uses food, and what kinds of foods are best to eat to promote healthy (gradual) weight loss...

...and came up with this one. It's such a simple concept for helping kids make good choices with regard to their eating, and it's been a fantastic road map for all of us - even the hyper-metabolized Joshua.

On the whole, it's been an easy transition. We eat fairly healthily most of the time anyway, although sodas have been a constant issue, we like chips, and Joshua's need for dessert at every meal kind of negates the vegetables I love to serve. Sodas have now been relegated to once a week, and honestly - they've been choosing other things instead, even with the option of having one - I've seen them order iced tea or  lemonade instead. Desserts are special occasion things, but sugar free pudding is a good substitute when they have a craving. Strawberries with stevia, instead of sugar, are even better. We switched from 2% milk to fat free milk. And we're drinking much more water.

I've watched them both reading nutrition labels and figuring out calorie content per serving, and seen their eyebrows raise up when they realize that they can have 40 goldfish crackers or 5 tortilla chips for the same caloric content. I've seen them measure out a portion size, rather than just filling up the entire bowl full of cereal and milk.

It's like health class all up in here.

We've all been weighing in once a week and so far...

Well. You'll have to wait for Part II, where I'll disclose the numbers (including how we came to the conclusion that Derek was, indeed, overweight) and talk about my struggles of helping him make those wise choices every day. Let's just say for now that it's hard being a mama...

Until tomorrow...eat some fruit, y'all...

Diving Deep into the Educational Pool

Derek woke me up at 11:30 last night to tell me his stomach hurt.

That's never a good thing.

He had a rough night, and so - consequently - did I.

Joshua benefitted a little from it, though - a little math after breakfast, while Derek slept, and now a lesson in "How to be a Good A-Team Member." It's a combination of law-enforcement and guerilla warfare, with a side of con-artistry. Also involved is a great deal of Bad Attitude and proclamations of "Fool!"

Joshua is thinking of getting a mohawk and draping himself in gold chains.

It's a quality education we provide here, folks.

Back in the Saddle, Again

The first page in my newest Moleskine sketchbook. I can't call it my new sketchbook, because it has been languishing in my purse for a very long time. I took it out occasionally and drew some odd geometric designs on a few pages, but the chickadee is the first non-doodle I've drawn in it.

I'm heading out to pick up camping supplies for the first trip of the year. We haven't had the camper out since September of last year, and everyone is excited at the prospect of a few days in the woods. It's always a nice, quiet retreat away from my self-imposed electronic attachment, and usually seems to signal my getting back into the studio and getting some quality work done. I hope it works this time, as well.

I've got a 4x6 canvas...that's 4 FEET by 6 FEET canvas, by the way...waiting to get put back together and have something painted on it, so the ideas really need to start flowing right away.

Or my mom's going to get mad at me.

Be patient, Mom...

Catching Up

Last Wednesday, Linda and I went to the historic Bijou Theatre in downtown Knoxville to see Abigail Washburn. We thought it would be a good show, but we were wrong.

It was an amazing show.

Have you ever been to a show where the musicians were having such a great time that you couldn't help smile and get completely wrapped up in their joy? That's the kind of show it was. We were blown away, not only by that, but by the fact that every note was straight on - crystal clear and practically perfect. At one point, they stepped in front of the microphones and did an unamplified version of "Keys to the Kingdom," and it was absolute magic.



Go out and find some passionate musicians to listen to, people...it can do you a world of good...

Wednesday Wanderings

• Going to the Bijou tonight.
• Going with Linda.
• Going to see Abigail Washburn.
• Going to recommend you buy her album, because seriously...good stuff right there.
• Going to wear something pretty.
• Going to sit four rows back from the stage.
• Going to be silly excited.
• Going to tell you all about it tomorrow...

The NFL Probably Won't Miss Us

We've played a lot of sports here through the past 5 years or so. The boys started with baseball. They played basketball. They played soccer. They ran track.

And they were okay at them. Derek's a big hitter in baseball. Joshua throws well. Derek was an excellent defender in soccer, Joshua ran like the wind on offense.

But they never loved them. Not in the way that you see other kids love them - eat, sleep, breathe them.

Tennis has been an entirely different thing altogether. Determination - focus - dedication - drive - desire - begging and pleading...from both of them. And IT'S SO MUCH FUN TO WATCH! I love seeing them so pumped up about it - so eager to get out and play. Very few mornings go by without one of them asking if I've booked a court for that day, and if it's raining, they go upstairs and hit the ball against the wall I let them use.

Yes.

I let them play tennis in the house. It's a special ball. Really.

Anyway. This morning, Joshua was telling me about his experience playing touch football a couple of weeks ago. It was one of those conversations that makes it clear that tennis really is his game...

Joshua: I really don't know anything about football. I've never actually played it. It's kind of confusing.

Me: Why is it confusing?

Joshua: Well, we were playing and this guy started to try and tackle me or something, and I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THE BALL!

Me: Well, honey, he was probably blocking you.

Joshua: Okay - but he was going to touch me or tackle me or something. You can't do that when you're blocking. (Obviously, he's getting this from basketball and soccer)

Me: Actually - in football, you can knock the other guys down if you're trying to block them.

Joshua: Seriously? I mean, the guy was coming at me with his hands all up in my face and that's legal? That's crazy.

Me: Well, I hope you don't mind, because we signed you up for football this month. You start today. We figure tennis can wait until fall.

Joshua: Oh, I don't think so, Woman. (Okay, he didn't say that, but the look he gave me did.)

Me: What? You don't want to? Okay. I guess we'll go to tennis lessons this morning instead.

Joshua:  Yippee!!

So endeth the dreams of my father, who was hoping for a couple of University of Alabama linebackers.

Sorry, Papa. We'll try and get you seats at Wimbledon...

Quietude, Dude.

I keep thinking of things on which to blog, but stacked up against the storms of last week and the news from last night, everything I think of seems trivial and banal.

And honestly? That's okay with me. If I'm going to be faced with the option of having a quiet life that sometimes delivers no blog-fodder, and one that is filled with mass destruction and terrorist stalking, I'll choose the quiet, thank you very much.

Peace and blessings, y'all...

Thankful Beyond Measure

My dad, Ray, took this photo from the doorway of my parents' storm shelter. They live just north of Tuscaloosa, off in the woods and hills of west central Alabama. For those of you who have been living under a rock this past week, the southeastern US was devastated by a series of tornadoes that have claimed at least 210 lives - 36 of those in Tuscaloosa alone. Those numbers will likely climb as more areas are searched for survivors.

This tornado, the one in the picture, is not the one that struck Tuscaloosa. This one hit the small towns of Berry, Oakman, Cordova and Dora and wreaked havoc there. Berry is maybe 15 miles north of where my parents live, so the size of this particular funnel is obviously huge.

My parents and my niece who live on that hill, my grandparents and uncle who were in the valley just beyond them are all fine, as are their neighbors and friends. They are without power, and won't likely have any power restored until sometime next week, but they are alive...they have food and water and safe, dry places to sleep. My great-uncle and his family up in Cullman (also heavily damaged by the tornado) are fine, as well.

I'm so thankful.

The tornado that hit Tuscaloosa continued to the northeast toward Birmingham, where Dr. SmartyPants' mom, dad, brother and sister all live. My youngest niece, Anna lives there as well, with her dad, Will. All the Otts are accounted for, but I'm still waiting to hear about Anna and Will. I'm praying they are just without power and unable to charge cell phones.

***UPDATE*** Anna and her dad are fine, too! Yay!!

The storm continued on its path, to Georgia and Tennessee, where my sister found safe haven at her employer's home, and my niece and grand-niece weathered it fine as well.

It brought its hail and lightning and funnel clouds up to Knoxville, where we watched the weather fretfully and listened as gumball-sized hail hit the back windows and hunkered down to wait it out, all the while wondering what we saw as a benefit to this stupid open floor plan house with no interior rooms. I woke the boys from a deep sleep and shoved them into the pantry in the kitchen when our community's name was called out on the EAS.

We all made it through fine, too.

And I'm so thankful.

I was just in Tuscaloosa last week, helping my mom and dad, and I'm absolutely shocked and so saddened at what I've seen on the news of the devastation. Places I knew so well are simply gone. Landscapes that have stood for decades are completely altered. A town that took me from 17 to 30 and grew me up so well looks as if it were ripped apart. It will take a long time to recover, but I know they will, along with the other town so hard hit by this awful outbreak of tornadoes.

Pray for them. Donate blood. Consider giving to the Red Cross. They need it desperately.

Deep Sigh

Raikki looks how I feel, people. Too tired to lift my head, but interested enough in what's going on to at least move my eyes around...

I spent last week at my parents' house in Alabama, while my mom had surgery. She's recovering very well. I ran my niece around to her various activities and looked after the dogs while my dad stayed up at the hospital with my mom. I don't think I slept past 4:30 am the entire time I was there.

The boys stayed with my in-laws during the week, and I got to their house on Wednesday evening, and then got up at crack-o-dawn-thirty on Thursday morning to drive back to Knoxville so the boys wouldn't miss their tennis lesson. Then I worked as a photographer's assistant that evening until about 8.

So that was a long day.

The rest of the weekend was equally busy with yard work, more photography work and the like. We took a 9.5 mile bike ride on Sunday up in the foothills and had a great time driving through Cade's Cove and enjoying the gorgeous weather.

Thus endeth the most boring post I've ever written.

When I wake up, I promise to be back on form...

Hither and Thither and Yon

I've been away...but now I'm back.

Kind of. It's a holiday weekend, so I won't actually be here until Monday.

But I wanted to say hi.

"Hi!"

And I wanted to let you know that all is well and good and normal...just busy and active and traveling.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend, my friends...you deserve it!

six times six is thirty-six

You know how much I like to spout math facts on this blog...in this case, it actually applies. There was much multiplication in our yard this weekend.

Two ornamental grasses multiplied into six and left the front yard for the back. The two estimated hours of time to dig those grasses up multiplied into four and left Dr. SmartyPants a little tired and cranky.

Six golden ruffle day lilies multiplied to become 36 and spread all over front and back yards. I hadn't actually planned to do that job, so the time taken to do it actually multiplied by infinity and lasted the rest of the day.

But...in the end...

the math paid off.

It always does.

Sometimes you're just heading home from supper and you drive past the home depot and you look across the highway and your jaw drops to your chest and you are suddenly glad that you aren't actually doing the driving because you'd have had a terrible accident already and you fumble around in your purse and find your phone and open the camera app and wish he'd slow down already but there's too much traffic to do a stop in the middle of the four-lane and you just roll down your window and press the shutter button and hold your breath and then take six more before you get too far below the trees and then when you remember to check your camera roll you see this and you fiddle a little bit with the contrast and colors and then you send it to flickr and your jaw drops all over again and you decide to post it to your blog because you want everyone else to see it too.

whew.

Just had to get that out there.

Friday Rhyme Time

I like this picture.
Yes, I do.
I cannot tell a lie.

I like this picture,
but I can't
exactly tell you why.

It could be that
the vehicles are
artfully arranged.

Or may be 'cause
in just a sec, it
could be all a'changed.

The colors are appealing, sure.
The framing makes me smile.

But mostly, I think
it's mainly because...

Well, honestly, I haven't exactly taken a lot of photos lately and this was all I had.

Happy weekending, everyone!

Blue Skies...Smilin' At Me...

Yesterday had one of those blue skies. One of those impossibly blue skies that make you wonder if the artists at Pixar Studios have taken over the world and animated the whole darn thing. It lasted all day - a miracle of color - and it extended way into the twilight. I was playing a rather heated tennis match against Dr. SmartyPants, when I just had to stop and stare and point at the sliver of moon over the red-orange-sapphire blue sunset and marvel at God's handiwork.

I lost that match.

*****

The boys are reading a biography of the Wright Brothers. I already finished it, and was struck by the similarities between Wil and Orv and Derek and Joshua. I think it's probably an age-order thing, but I found it amusing. Wilbur is described as having a very steady, quiet personality - someone who thinks things through and studies them for a long time before acting on anything. The book says that when he was ready to do something, though, it was done with great precision and excellence. Sounds just like Derek. He's not always the idea-guy, but he's always the make-it-work guy.

Orville was something of a pistol - the brother with the out-of-this-world ideas - a creative genius. His school work suffered from a lack of patience, but his knowledge was fantastic...his confidence bordering on arrogance. And that, fits my baby Joshua to a T. He has such amazing ideas, but often fumbles in his haste to get it done. He has a certain swagger that doesn't always exactly match his abilities.

Dr. SmartyPants and I often joke that if we could combine them, they'd make a superhuman. It can be difficult to parent children who are such opposing forces - I'm constantly telling Derek to hurry up and Joshua to slow down - telling Derek to "just try it! You can do it! Don't think so much - just go!", while at the same time cautioning Joshua to "slow down! Take a deep breath! Think it through!"

When they compare notes, they must think I'm insane.

Or at least a little confused.

They probably aren't the only ones to think that.

*****

This weekend, I was hoping to finish up the planting and cleaning up around our new patio, but it looks as though it may rain...at least on Saturday. Maybe I'll still get some done - I'd love to show you the completed and gorgeous product sometime. It's a lovely little space, and I have a feeling that this blog is going to be seriously neglected once the weather settles in and that impossibly blue sky hangs over head more often.

Enjoy your day, people. Breathe in, breathe out.

Smile.

Things are Bustin' Out All Over

It's dogwood season here in the 'ville. These lovely trees are blooming all over town and making me wish, once again, that I had one in my yard.

But I don't. And given my propensity toward killing green things, I most likely won't. I still haven't even planted anything in the flower bed surrounding my new patio, mainly because I can't figure out what to plant that can survive my neglect and the dogs' interest.

I'm taking suggestions.

We did eat out on our patio for the first time on Sunday night. Dr. SmartyPants grilled burgers and we sat and basked in the gloriousness of our endeavor. I strung some lights up over the table, and it was so festive and beautiful. One of these evenings, I'll get out there and take a photo so you can enjoy it, too.

Once my legs stop hurting.

On Challenges and Epic Adventures

Ten months ago, when Dr. SmartyPants and I decided to start running again, I never dreamed that this day would happen. All we wanted to do was increase our fitness levels and run a little 5K.

Nine months ago, when I realized I was a delicate flower who was aging a bit and has a magical unicorn toe, I didn't even know if I could run the 5K we were training for. But I did. And then I ran another one.

Five months ago, when we moved back to Knoxville, we decided to try and take on something of an epic challenge and run the Covenant Knoxville Half-Marathon. I know I didn't exactly mention it on this blog, but that was because I was a little bit terrified of failing dismally, and I didn't think I could handle that on such a public forum. Our training was going great until about a month ago when it derailed entirely because we decided to build a patio, so I was sure that I would be able to run exactly 9 miles and then promptly die.

I was kind of ready to quit, honestly - chalk it up to a great idea that just didn't pan out, but Dr. SmartyPants wouldn't let me. And I'm really glad he didn't.

Because we did it. We did it. We did it.

And, while I can't exactly walk very well today, I'm better for it. Today, I feel like I could do absolutely anything.

Yesterday, at about mile 6, I was struggling up the hills (ohmygoodgod the hills...seriously, people...damn.) I sent the Smarty ahead and told him I'd see him at the finish, but I was concerned I wouldn't make it. The Knoxville marathon course is known for its hills. But then I made it up the mother-of-all-hills, and knew that, although other hills were coming...none would be that bad.

At mile 10, when I got a cramp in my right thigh, just above the knee, that was so bad I had to stop and stretch and pray in between running intervals, I wondered if I would be one of those people who had to ride back on the emergency cart. But I limped on and walked it out and grabbed gatorade and gu and forged ahead.

I also walked the entire time between mile markers 11 and 12. And I made a walking friend - her name was Shelby. Great walking with you, Shelby!

At mile 12, I ran again, but the thigh cramp stopped me, and as I started walking it out again, my left foot turned kind of sideways and I lost the ability to move my ankle.

That was weird.

Shelby caught up to me and we ran together, once my various strange cramps were done. We crossed the finish line on the 50 yard line at Neyland Stadium - our faces enlarged on the jumbotron - hugged each other and put our medals around our necks. I looked up and saw Dr. SmartyPants beaming at me, waiting just beyond the finish.

And suddenly...I felt like I could run 13 more. Right then. I had wings.

Today...I'm tired. My legs are sore. My feet hurt.

All. Completely. Worth. It.

Today: A List (no fooling)

• I woke up and immediately helped clean up a Jasper accident. He's a crate escape artist.
• He has an amazing bladder capacity.
• I ate cheerios with a little sugar for breakfast.
• I drank two cups of coffee.
• I kissed Dr. SmartyPants and wished him good luck on his first day in his new position. (He's awesome.)
• I went to ALDI to buy groceries.
• I love ALDI.
• I went to Target.
• I love Target.
• My car got hit in the parking lot of Target by an elderly lady.
• I was driving past her. She pulled out just as my hood passed her. She hit me in the rear passenger door.
• She pressed her gas pedal to the floor and kept pushing my car.
• Then she put it in reverse.
• That's when she hit the guy behind her.
• I got out and kissed my 5,000 pound SUV and promised it some extra special gas the next time we filled up.
• I was thankful: no one was injured, my kids were at home (she hit the door where Derek normally sits), we were all insured, two people gave me their numbers as witnesses, I wasn't driving my Mustang.
• I came home and unloaded the groceries while I talked to the insurance people.
• We ate leftover bratwurst for lunch.
• Chico bit Derek
• Chico may have just signed his eviction order.
• We played tennis. I started playing with the boys, but my adrenaline rush from the accident went away rather rapidly, so I sat on a bench and stared at my precious babies play each other.
• They rock.
• We came home.
• Smarty is on his way home.
• We're going to watch Rafael and Roger play tonight.
• Unless I pass out first.
• I need chocolate.

An Ode to March

March, I found you lovely when
your sunshine smiled on me.
And lovely, too, the way you worked
to water grass and tree.

Your azure skies and fluffy clouds
were pleasant to behold.
So, too, the buds formed 'pon the stalks
in pink and white and gold.

Were I to fault March just a bit,
in just one little thing,
'twould be in how the temperatures
do violently swing.

One day I find sunscreen to be
a thing not to be missed.
The next I need my winter coat,
which tends to leave me pissed.

So fare thee well, dear March, I say
so soon your time will pass.
And as you go, be careful that
the door don't hit your ass.

Wednesday Wanderings

Completely loving her music.

Getting really nervous about this.

Planning a trip for May that I haven't even mentioned to Dr. SmartyPants yet. What? She has a new house!

And another for August that I have mentioned to Dr. SmartyPants.

Looking forward to a Thursday photo event with her. But it means I have to give this back.

Missing this.

Loving this and this.

Hoping your virtual wanderings are full of joy and magic...

LLAP

Happy (belated) Birthday, Mr. Nimoy.

Pride and Joy

These two boys never cease to amaze me. Honestly - I'm not an overly emotional person - I very rarely cry, but I spent this weekend with a huge lump in my throat and constantly wiping at the corners of my eyes.

Derek and Joshua have been taking tennis lessons since the last week of January. They started out taking a couple of clinics a week, with 8 or 10 other kids, and about a month ago, they started working with a pro once a week. We've played a lot of tennis in the last two months - we've played more days than we haven't - and we've had a blast. They absolutely love it.

Their tennis club hosted a tournament over the weekend. The USTA has a new approach to teaching younger kids how to play tennis, and the tournament was designed to accommodate those new rules - smaller rackets, smaller courts, lower compression balls - and the boys' coach encouraged them to sign up, to gain some experience and play against some other kids.

So we did, and we've been talking a lot about expectations - obviously, we weren't in it to win it - two months of tennis lessons were not going to turn them into Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, after all. Honestly - I was a little worried. One of my children, who shall remain nameless but looks just like a miniature version of me, is just a teensy bit competitive. He hates to lose, and when playing his brother, has been known to burst into tears at the end of a lost match. The other child, who also shall remain nameless but looks just like a miniature version of his father, doesn't APPEAR to be competitive, but has a tendency to beat himself up (quietly) after he doesn't do well.

We have no idea where they get these traits. Okay, we do. Let's just say the freaky similarities between the grown-ups and their clones extend more deeply than just looks...

In any case - they played the tournament. They lost in their singles matches. They lost in their doubles matches. I watched with tears streaming down my cheeks as Derek faced a boy that had a dozen tournaments under his belt - the balls went flying past him so quickly he rarely got a touch with his racquet, and when he did, he told me later, his finger tips went a little numb. But he probably had a 90% first serve, no double faults, and he won a few hard earned points. I watched with a lump in my throat while Joshua worked to adapt to a smaller court and a more experienced opponent than he's ever faced, and go on to win one game in his first match, three in his second, and never once make a scoring error.

And I couldn't be more proud. They were consummate sportsmen. They shook hands and chatted before the matches. The warmed up and smiled. They called the scores correctly and fairly. They called faults and outs with much grace toward the other players (maybe a little too much grace occasionally...). They supported and encouraged each other in doubles and treated each other with respect when a ball was badly hit. They lost and ran to be the first to the net to shake the hand of the other player and tell them "good game." They walked off the courts smiling and talking with their opponents.

They came home, asking if they could go outside and hit balls up against the garage door, and could I please book a court for Monday so they could get some more practice in. Joshua was lying on the sofa, eyes almost closed, clutching his racquet in his hand and asking to please go outside for just a little longer to play.

In two days, Joshua played a total of 36 games, and Derek played 32 - and they were still eager for more, and asking when the next tournament they could play in would be.

I think children may be the most amazing creatures on our planet. I was so impressed with all the tournament competitors - their respect for each other and the spirit of fair play. They played their hearts out. They celebrated quietly. They lost gracefully.

And now I'm all teary again, just thinking about it.

We'll be doing it all over again on Saturday - with Joshua, at least. Derek's too old for this next tournament, but I have no doubt that he'll be there, rooting for his brother and making notes for his next match.

I'll be sure to pack tissues. (sniff)

Friday...a Celebration

Happy Birthday, Dr. SmartyPants. You're the most awesomely fabulous 54 year old I know.

Wait. Reverse that. You're the most fabulously awesome 45 year old I know! Mwah!

Happy Anniversary, Melinda! I'm so glad I was privileged enough to get to share that sweet day with you 5 years ago!

Happy Anniversary (yesterday), Jesse and Samantha! I may be a day off, but I'm so proud of both of you - you are amazing and I love you.

Happy 5th Day of Spring to the rest of you fabulous people! I love you all.

And, you know, your hair looks great today!

Where's HGTV When You Need Them?

Sorry I kind of disappeared this past week - but Dr. SmartyPants and I have been busy bickering building a new patio for our backyard. It started out to be a small weekend project, and then it grew into home improvement reality show territory. He built that fabulous retaining wall and filled it with fill dirt and gravel and sand and blood and sweat and tears. I laid all but about two and a half rows of the pavers.

I'm tired.

I still have dirt under my fingernails.

My lower back has been saved only by copious quantities of anti-inflammatories and frequent jacuzzi tub soaks. And beer.

Beer is good for the lower back. You'll just have to trust me on that.

Derek and Joshua were cheap champion laborers throughout the entire process. They hauled pavers and gravel and sand. The dug dirt and swept sand and ran errands and all they ask in return is a grilled bratwurst and maybe some s'mores when everything is finished.

**************************************************
INTERLUDE: Conversations with Derek:

Derek: (setting down a paver close to where I was working) Whew! Man! These are heavy!

Me: Yes. I know. Do you see all those pavers there? (I point to the 10 or so completed rows of pavers.) I've lifted every one of those things 17 times trying to get it to lay right.

Derek: Really? (pause) How do you know it's been 17 times for each one?

Me: (eyebrows raised...wait for it, wait for it...)

Derek: OH...hyperbole! Good one, Mama.
***************************************************
In any case - the heavy lifting is done. The pavers are in place and mostly level. I did have to relax my standards after a half dozen rows, when I realized that at the pace I was working, I wouldn't be finished until next February.

(wait for it...wait for it...Hyperbole!)

And I figured that when my exacting engineer of a Dr. SmartyPants told me I might just be a little anal retentive about my checking to make sure that each and every paver was precisely sloping in the appropriate way to facilitate drainage away from the foundation, that maybe I could use the longer, four-foot level and go for a more generalized approach.

Sigh.

Of course, now that I have the chance to look at it, I find that each and every paver that isn't precisely in the right place makes my eye twitch a little. But guess what?

I have a cure for that, as well...

Yep. You guessed it...

Beer.

The Luck o' the Irish

Happy St. Patrick's Day, y'all!

I Do Declare!

Pi, the Circumference of Things and other Mathematical Ponderings

Today is Albert Einstein's birthday. He's 132 years old. Well. He would be, except that he's been dead for almost 56 years.

Today is also Pi Day. In case you weren't aware, pi is a mathematical constant whose value is the ratio of any Euclidean plane circle's circumference to its diameter. It is approximately equal to 3.14159265, hence March 14 is the day on which all we geeky nerds celebrate its very existence.

I think it's completely apropos that Albert Einstein was born on 3.14. It's just a pity he wasn't born in 1915, because then he could have been born on 3.14.15 which would totally geek me out.

There are only 6 days until spring is officially here, but this weekend was a lovely preview. Linda and I stole a way for a few hours on Saturday evening and headed downtown in search of beautiful light. We found it in abundance, along with gorgeous flowers, interesting people and a few light bulbs.

Some of the lightbulbs were spherical. You could use pi to calculate how big they were.

The Sunsphere is a sphere, as well. Its diameter is 75 feet, which means it has a radius (r) of 37.5 feet. The volume of the sphere is 4/3πr³, or 220,893 cubic feet. The first derivative with respect to the radius, 4πr^2, gives you the surface area of the sphere, which is 17,671.45 square feet. The second derivative describes the circumference, which is 2πr, or approximately 235.6 feet.

Plus...it looks really pretty through the spring blossoms.



Pi. Yep.

Chugging Along

I've got a good painting groove going, which is pretty exciting - AND - I'm using acrylics, which I've avoided like the plague for the past few years and they're working really well. These are obviously based on the Sketchbook Project book I worked on at the end of last year. This particular quote made it into the book, although the painting did not.

I've got four different ones finished so far, with plans to do as many as my inspiration allows me, or until I run out of 6x6 inch canvasses, whichever comes first...then, I suppose I'll either order more canvas or move on to something else. Once I have a hefty supply, I'll put them in my painting etsy shop and reopen that dusty little place!

We're off to a tennis carnival today - and to grab the camper to fix the toilet - and to start work on revamping the backyard - and to...well...everything that's been sitting on our to-do list for the winter is going to get started today, pretty much.

Wish us luck.

Oh My Gosh, Y'all.

I painted something.

Complete...and Open for Business!

Ta-Da!

All done. Not perfect, by any stretch of the imagination...the printing and mailing center is a bit, well...low to the ground, but it's functional until I find a better solution. I moved the alphabet print, because it just seemed so busy over the workspace, and I still haven't found a cork board I like enough to hang in there, so right now, I'm just going with a nice blank space between the shelves.

I found the chair at a local antique shop and recovered it in a sweet little aqua and brown print - it's got a certain aluminum 1950s office vibe that I'm digging right now. Plus, it cost me $12.95, and the fabric was on sale, so I've got maybe $20 invested there. AND it's comfortable.

And to celebrate it getting done, I opened up my Ottwork Studio Etsy shop! Please come by and have a look around, and if you have any suggestions or comments for me, I'd love to hear them. Now that my studio space is finished, I hope to have my painting shop back open for business in the next month or so, as well. Thanks to everyone who helped select prints and get me going. You are all beautiful people.

And your hair looks mahvelous.

Sunrise!

I love a day that begins like this - full of promise and glorious color.

It makes me feel like anything is possible.

You're the Tops

I've not got much to say today...here's a little toy to hold you over...

Wednesday Winners!

Here are the winning ten photos that you, dear readers, selected to be the first additions to my new etsy shop, which will open next Monday...I'll provide the link then - it's still undergoing some renovations, and I want to make it all pretty before you come see it. Thank you so much for all your help!

Now for the winning commenters:

First up, the grand prize of five photos goes to (drumroll, please...)

Weird, I thought - #1 never gets selected...but it did, so congratulations to commenter #1, Susan E of This Old Paper! Susan, send me your mailing address and your five selections from the top ten photos shown above to diahnott (at) gmail (dot) com, and I'll get them to you as soon as possible!

Next up...the runners-up.

Commenter #12 is Teresa, and

Commenter #4 is Karen Blados!

Congratulations, ladies! Send me your info and select one of the images above and I'll send it out to you!

Note:  Photos 1-8 will be 6x6, and photos 9 and 10 will be 5x7.

Thanks again for all your help and support - you really are the best!

Tuesday Marches On

Happy March! I don't have any daffodils to photograph right now - my yard is a barren wasteland of mud and misplaced mulch, especially after the flooding rain yesterday, but I did find this daffodil-colored chair and its flaked and fading paint made me smile just as much as an actual daffodil would.

Today is the last day to offer up your opinions of my etsy iphone prints and get a chance to win a few for yourself. If you haven't entered, you simply must - and you must do it before midnight, eastern time. Your very life depends on it!

Okay. That's a lie. But you'll be more beautiful than you were yesterday.

And I'm not just saying that.