Day 244

Blue Moon:  The second full moon in a calendar month. 

Because we have more days in a month than in a lunar cycle, these days accumulate, and every two to three years, we end up with an 'extra' full moon.  Tonight was one of those nights.  We had a full moon on the 2nd, and now another one tonight. 

I know I shared a moon shot just last week, but this kind of thing won't happen again until July of 2015...so I just had to have this as my photo of the day!

Day 243

It's Thursday again.  The night Rob and I always seem to eat out, and tonight was no different. 

This afternoon I asked Rob if he would take me out for dinner, and he agreed. Once we were in the car, he really struggled with where to go.  Should we go have our usual Mexican dinner?  Should we go somewhere else?  Somewhere new?  I really was no help to him...I wanted him to choose...to take me wherever he wanted to go.  And he did great...he decided on the Texas Roadhouse, which neither of us had tried yet.

We had a pretty good meal, and great service.  The only thing is...it's a pretty loud and rowdy restaurant.  Billie had warned us that about every half hour the wait staff breaks out into line dancing, which was kind of entertaining.  But what I wasn't prepared for was the production they make over someone's birthday...now that was loud!  Rob made me swear right there that I would never take him there for his birthday! 

Day 242

On Fat Mum Slim's August List for today, it said...Down.  Then at the bottom, with her helpful hints, it said, Look down, take a photo. Or however you want to interpret this! 

I immediately thought about how I have to 'get down' off our new bed.  No longer do my feet touch the floor when sitting on the side of the bed.  I have to crawl up in, and slide on down.  Kind of makes me feel like a kid again! 

So this is my view, feet dangling, looking down from our lovely new bed.

Day 241

Is this about the funniest thing you've seen in awhile?  Well I thought it was...that's why I snapped the photo!

As we were getting ready to leave the office tonight, I noticed Billie's purse on the desk behind her...with a GIANT zucchini sticking out of it.  Shauna brought in some cucumbers and zucchini from her garden, and they were quite large.  Billie decided to claim one of them, and just stuck in there in her cute little girlie purse to take home with her.

And just a note; Billie and Bre both made fun of me when I took the photo and said that they would be able to see it later on my blog.  They said if that was the best thing I had to take a picture of...  Clearly they don't know how much I have been struggling, and that this is a better picture than most lately!!

Day 240

Here's another one...a lame photo post.  Today's Capture Your 365 Inspiration word was...Rusty.

This is an old ice cream scoop that belonged to my grandmother.  For some reason, when she moved out of her home and in with my parents, the family took items that they wanted, needed, or that somehow had meaning for them.  I ended up with her rolling pin, which had some significance...and this ice cream scoop, which had none, other than I did not own one at the time.

That was over 15 years ago, and I still have the ice cream scoop.  Truth is I rarely use it...it is a little rusty, and leaves black marks everywhere.  But I hang on to it nonetheless.  I imagine I'll never be able to let go of it.  Because this simple little rusty scoop that once had no significance, now does.

Day 239

It arrived!  Our new bed was delivered this afternoon!

We were so excited to be getting our new set today, that right after we got our of bed this morning, Rob hauled out our old box spring and mattress, and broke down the frame.  Then, I gave our room a good dusting and vacuuming, and washed all the bedding.

I have to admit, we are feeling pretty highfalutin right about now.  This is some kind of box spring and mattress.  It's the Beautyrest  Black series.  Doesn't that even sound fancy?? It has temperature-regulating cashmere woven in right at the surface, layers of Geltouch foam, and comfort and AirCool Memory Foam.

I can't wait to get the sheets on this thing...I'm looking forward to a great night of sleep tonight!

Thanks again Mom for an awesome wedding gift!!

Day 237

Yep!  It's the pooches again.  Baylee and Lucy all snuggled up for the night in their little doggie beds.

I just thought it was so funny, as I passed by on my way to bed and looked at them snoozing away.  They were in this identical position... lying on their right sides with their little heads hanging out of their beds.  Synchronized Snoozing!

Day 237

Bunnies and chickens and pigs, oh my!

Today Rob and I both had the day off.  We spent a better part of the day getting some of our 'married' things done...like joining checking accounts, getting a driver's license in my new name, and combining our cell phone plans.  By the way...the best part of that deal is that I came out with an early birthday present...a new iPhone!

Once we were done with all of our to-do's we headed to the Fair.  Rob really wanted to take in the whole experience, so we left no building or booth unvisited.  I ran into a couple of old friends, we sampled several different eats, strolled through all the commercial buildings, and then headed to the animal barns. 

I'm not usually an animal fan...mainly because of the smell, but I have to admit there were some very cute lop eared bunnies...huge bunnies.  And even though the swine barn didn't smell great, you can't help but think they are kind of cute, especially these two all cuddled up together!  After a couple hours of taking it all in, we made one pass through the carnival fairway, and then called it a night.  Attend the 2012 Fair...check.

Day 236

If you look closely, you can see the bumps.  It kind of looks like a face...the Man in the Moon.

Sorry.  I have nothing exciting going on for today.  So all I can offer is just a little shot into the black of night at half of our moon.

Day 235

OK...there can't be any judgement here!  For those of you who are local, you'll know what I mean.

Tonight, I was wiped out and didn't feel much like cooking dinner.  Rob and I were both being kind of lazy, and just relaxing in our room when we decided to order take out.  Other than pizza, we are very limited to delivery.  Except Chinese Gardens...they deliver.

I know...in an effort of full disclosure, I offered Rob the story about how one time, several years ago, we got delivery from there and Mom found something questionable in her food...and we have never returned.  But honestly, it used to be our very favorite place to go!  I mean their food is good...so we decided to brave it.

The good news...we got quick delivery, everything was great, and we found nothing out of the ordinary in our meal!!

Day 234

Look at these beauties!  Once again, I failed to take a picture of the pan full of these, or of our lovely dinner plate.  I get in such a rhythm trying to get a meal prepared and us sat down to eat, I forget to stop and breathe...and snap a photo.  But even in the leftover container, they are still lovely.

This is a recipe I found on Pinterest awhile back, and have made once before.  They are Thai Chicken Enchiladas, and they are damn good. 
The recipe is actually from a website call How Sweet It is, and this gal has a lot of good recipes on there I would love to try...and a few I already have.

These particular enchiladas have all the fixin's you would expect for a Thai mixture; chicken, cabbage, carrots, peanuts, cilantro, etc.  But the kicker is a mixture of a Trader Joe's chili sauce and coconut milk.  Some of it is mixed in, while the rest is poured over the enchiladas before baking.  They have quite a unique, and delicious flavor!

Day 233

Mmmm...grilled corn on the cob!  Summer is well underway, and this is the first corn on the cob I've made.

On the way home from the fair parade on Saturday, Mom, Rob and I stopped at the Cool Slice, the local fresh produce open market and grabbed a half dozen ears of corn.  I have never grilled corn before, so tonight, with a little help from the internet, I was ready to go.

I ended up shucking the ears, then just doctoring them up a bit with some butter, salt and pepper, and wrapped each one in foil and grilled them.  They were pretty darned good.  Rob and I ended up eating two each! Leaving only these two for another time.

Day 232

Mmmm...dessert!

After dinner tonight I made a batch of brownies.  And while they were still warm from the oven, we topped them with caramel sauce, and dollop of whipped cream. 

Yum-O!

Day 231

Finally...a little something new to photograph!

This morning, Mom, Rob and I went to the Benton Franklin Fair Parade.  Overall it was long, it was pretty hot, and there wasn't a whole lot of interesting things.  There were a couple floats, a couple bands, and few nice old cars, but it seems like it has really become more of a means of free advertisement for commercial businesses.

This was one of the floats, and I thought it was really pretty.  It was from the little town of Zillah, in the heart of Washington's Wine Country, and was called Jewels Of The Rain.

After the parade was over, the three of us had a nice lunch at Famous Dave's, then went bed shopping.  That might sound kind of odd, but Mom decided that that was what she wanted to give Rob and I as a wedding gift...a new bed.  After testing out about 15 or 20 different mattresses, we ended up finding one we could agree on.  It truly is a wonderfully generous wedding gift...can't wait until next weekend when it will be delivered!

Day 230

I warned you, I'm feeling uninspired!  And you guessed it...another look at the ol' Inspiration List.  It was Capture Your 365's August list again, and today, it said Hot.

The other day, my beloved professional flat iron bit the dust, but not before throwing a mean spark out at me!  So, right into the trash it went.  I had to dig out the old trusty round iron, and I'm not too thrilled about it. 

Actually, it doesn't get hot enough to really do anything with my hair, and the top cap is broke, so it just spins and spins when you are trying to hold on to it for leverage...not good!

I'm thinking a purchase for a new HOT flat iron is in my future!

Day 229

I continue to struggle with a photo for each day.  I've done so well for so long, but I think I'm officially in a slump.  There's just not much happening, not much new that I haven't captured before.  Today, I checked out the Capture Your 365 Inspiration List for August, and today it was At Work. 

This is a little glimpse into what I do everyday at work.  Yep, sad but true, I put my face on after I get to the office.  I used to put it on every morning in the car, but once I got the Charger, it became too difficult.  So now, I just do it at my desk, while I'm having my morning cup o' joe!

Day 228

Ooops!  This is what happens when you place an Amazon order for work, but forget to change your Ship To address!!  You end up with three boxes full of one-gallon jugs of liquid smoke in your living room!!

The Benton Franklin Fair is just around the corner, and the Pub Ed folks were in need of some liquid smoke to run our Life Safety House.  I placed the order, but didn't notice until I looked at the invoice a day or two later that I had included my home address for shipping. Tonight, all three boxes were sitting on our front steps when we arrived home. We lugged them in the house...and now tomorrow we will lug them to the office.

Day 227

Tonight Rob and I had Mom over for dinner...for my now famous (yes...only in my own mind) Turkey Meatloaf.  It was a yummy dinner too...Meatloaf, scalloped potatoes, green beans with bacon and mushrooms, and Caesar salad...quite a spread for a Tuesday night! 

As we were just finishing up we noticed what a pretty pink and orange sunset we were having.  I grabbed the camera and headed outside before I missed it.  Once the sun hits the horizon, boy it does sink fast!  Unfortunately there's a house in the way, or it would have made one heck of a skyline...but I'll take what I can get!

Day 226

Alright, I have to fess up.  I goofed.  Not that anyone but me will know this...but still.  I've really been at a loss for photo ideas...I mean REALLY at a loss.  So I checked out Fat Mum Slim's August list again, and it was just Spoon.  Now first of all, that's kind of boring...really...spoon?  I think Fat Mum Slim is at a loss too!  But the goof is...Spoon was the prompt for yesterday, not today.  Ooops!! Oh well, what are you gonna do...now it's my photo!?!

I took a picture of this particular spoon, because it reminds me of Billie, and a kind of silly story we still reference.  There was a time, long ago, when all of us girls were attending a lot of Pampered Chef parties...for fun, and to build our kitchens the way we thought we needed to cook like little chefs and serve fantastic meals. 

It didn't seem to matter who your consultant was, at the start of each party, they asked each person to introduce themselves, and then state what their favorite Pampered Chef product was.  Billie found that each time, she would say she loved their Bamboo Wooden Spoons.  So, after many parties, she just became...Billie Bamboo Wooden Spoon...and she still is, whenever the subject of Pampered Chef comes up!

Day 225

To be honest, two months later, I am still working my way through a few items from my bridal shower that I have slowly been trying to make room for or find them their perfect spot. Today I was doing my regular Sunday chore thing, and cleared off our table, which seems to be a magnet...mostly for paper; unfortunately the mail stops here!

Anyway, I decided to put out a serving tray that Bre made for me in the middle of the table...yes she MADE this tray!  Her grandmother owns a pottery shop, and well...she owns all the talent...enough said.  For right now, I just put my peace lily in the center of it, but I'm hoping to find something better, or to find a spot for the plant and just let the tray stand alone.

She also made us one of those wine bottles melted down flat into a little serving tray for cheese and whatnot's.  It's back on our little bar, with our wedding champagne glasses from Mom, and our etched wine glasses from Katie and Ryan. 

Voila...four more bridal shower gifts with homes!

Day 224

What a night!  Actually, what a week!  Poor Baylee has been fighting some kind of gastrointestinal problem all week long.  Which has meant her needing to go outside and take care of business all throughout the night, sometimes every hour on the hour.  And just when I thought things were getting better, we had another really rough night last night. 

So, I was up early and showered to get ready to take her into the vet's office first thing this morning. As I was running around getting ready, I passed by the sliding glass door and caught a glimpse of a rainbow.  It was a welcome sight...a pretty little rainbow created each time the sprinkler passed a certain point in the yard.  I grabbed my camera and took a picture before it was lost.  Let's hope this is a sign of rainbows and butterflies times ahead!

Day 223

I checked out Fat Mum Slim's Photo A Day List for August...and today was Ring.  I suppose that could mean many different things, but for me, I took advantage of an idea that's been in the back of my mind for some time.

This is a picture I have been meaning to take since Rob and I got married.  I got the idea from Pinterest, and had Mom save the newspaper for us from that day. But with me first losing my wedding band, then finding it, then sending it off for sizing and soldering...well, I just hadn't taken the photo yet.  But today was the day.

So here it is...a cool little, slightly fisheyed photo of Rob and my wedding rings on the wedding day newspaper.

Day 222

Happy Birthday to my Baylee Girl!  Today she turns 8 years old!  I remember it like it was yesterday...picking her out of the litter at 5 weeks...bringing her home at 6 weeks.  When I look at her, she still looks like a puppy to me.

This sweet little girl has been the light of my life for 8 years now.  Rob gives me such a hard time about how I talk to her and how I treat her...like a 'people', but to me she is!  For so long it was just her and I...hanging together, cuddling on the couch together, sleeping together.  Me and my girl.  She has brought so much love and joy to my life over the last 8 years.  And now, even though our family is a bit bigger, she's still my baby...no matter how you dice it.

I mean seriously...who could look at that face and not want give her some love??

Happy Birthday ol' girl...I hope you are around to celebrate many more!

Day 221

Well, obviously this was not the picture I thought I would be sharing today.  I was really pretty sure that the picture that would be posted for this day was a positive pregnancy test...but as luck would have it...no.

But on to the lighter side of things...with a bit of a warning, this may be a little too much information.  After all was said and done, I started thinking about it...how much direction does a person need to pee on a stick after all??  Check out these step by step, numbered, diagrammed, detailed instructions, followed by a whole series and Q and A!  And if English isn't your first language, you are in luck, because just flip the piece of paper over and you've got the whole thing again in Spanish.  And apparently people need these.  Lord knows I followed them like the obedient child my mother raised!

It's all kind of funny now, but it didn't seem very funny at 6:00 a.m.

Day 220

It's Election Day today.  In our State today is the day for our Primary Election.  Which means for us vote-by-mail folks, all ballots must be placed in the drop box, or postmarked by 8:00 p.m. today.

Well...I have to admit it, I have had a lot of things on my mind lately...but voting hasn't been one of them.  I was prepared to sit this one out...after all, it is just the primary, right?  I hadn't even looked at the candidates or done any research on who I might want to cast my vote for...which I think is very important.  If you are going to vote, you don't want to be doing it all willy-nilly!

But, as the evening drew to a close, Rob strongly expressed his feelings about me not voting, and what that meant to him.  So at the eleventh hour, I got on the computer, did some reading on the online voter's guide and did my civic duty by making my selections one by one.  I raced down to the post office and threw my ballot in the box just in the nick of time.

As I driving to the post office I had every intent on snapping a photo of my ballot, just before tossing it in the box...but lost my head at the last minute.  So here's the next best thing...my voter's card, because without this, I would not have had the privilege to vote in the first place.

Day 219

Isn't it pretty?  It's an ivory wedding candle my mom bought for me...for my wedding...24 years ago!  Can you believe it?  For 24 years she hung on to this little gem...the poor thing probably thought I was NEVER going to get married!!

When I opened it at my bridal shower, she asked if I remember it.  I do remember the blue one that she bought just like it, that was a decoration in our home for years...but I have to admit I did not recall her buying one for me as well.  It was quite a surprise.  And even after all these years, it still smelled good!  Now that I finally have possession of it, it sits on display in our armoire.

Day 218

Well, this day was not what I had planned...but it was a really good day nonetheless.

Rob and I were just too pooped to party again today.  With our very busy day yesterday, we just couldn't get ourselves out of bed early enough to head to Lake Chelan to make it worth while with the short amount of time we had left, and still having to face the drive home.  So we leisurely got up and got ready and headed to Shari's for breakfast.  While we were there, I checked out a map and offered Rob two options...head home via I-90 and go through Moses Lake, or head down Highway 97's Blewett Pass through Ellensburg.  He chose the later.

We were about two-thirds of the way down Highway 97 when I spotted a sign that said Historic Liberty Townsite.  Rob quickly turned around and we headed the couple miles up the road to check it out.  It was pretty cool little place...very little.  The sign that welcomes you into town says...Liberty - The Oldest Mining Townsite in the State.  It is a true ghost town...the opposite side of the sign even said so!  It was once a flourishing small gold mining town, complete with a school, post office, general store, saloons...and a bustling population of 200.  But now all that remains are a few homes and a fire station...Kittitas County Fire District No. 7.

We spent about a half-hour in Liberty checking things out, then got back on the road. We stopped again along the way when we came across a wind farm...with those huge windmills that seem to be sprouting up on hills all around the state.  Then we headed into Ellensburg and just toured around a bit...we found the fairgrounds and the college campus.  We made one last stop at Wind River Gifts and then it was back on the road again...next stop...home.

It was kind of a whirlwind trip, but it was really good to get out of town even if it was just for 36 hours or so!  I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Day 217

So, the undisclosed overnight birthday destination is...drum roll please...Wenatchee! This morning Rob and I got up with the alarm just like any other day.  We got ourselves ready, packed an overnight bag, dropped the pups off at Mom's and were on the road by 9:00.  I managed to keep where we were going a secret until we took a left off I-90 at George, and Rob asked if we were headed to Wenatchee...almost with puzzled look, followed by...What's in Wenatchee??

So, I confessed my plan that we were headed to Wenatchee to stay the night, but really what I wanted to show him was Lake Chelan and Leavenworth, and was hoping to do it all in two days.  I told him that I had also found a cool looking place in Wenatchee on the internet called Ohme Gardens, and I wanted to go there too.  I know, it is a rather ambitious itinerary for two short days.

We got into Wenatchee right at lunch time, so we headed to Red Robin first. After we ate, it wasn't quite time to check into our hotel yet, so we found Ohme Gardens and did some exploring. It was a really cool little park-like garden area with tons of natural stone pathways, leading to sitting benches, hidden lawns, water features and small pools.  The whole area is located on the edge of a bluff, so there are some very pretty views once you wind your way through and come out at its outer edges.  I thought it was a really good place to start our adventure...I'm really glad we visited.

After touring the Gardens, Rob and I were both pretty hot and in need of a break. So when we were done there, we decided to go check into our room and take a breather and cool off for awhile.  I had originally intended to head to Lake Chelan today, and maybe have dinner there.  But I kept talking about Cashmere and Leavenworth, so...change of plans, we hit both of these little towns this afternoon.

First we headed to Cashmere to check out the Aplets and Cotlets candy factory.  Unfortunately, the factory was not in production today, but the retail store was most definitely open for business.  We picked up a couple items for ourselves, and a few for gifts and then headed to our next destination...the Cashmere Cider Mill.  We managed to find the place, although it was a little off the beaten path.  They have a tasting room set up and let you sample a few of their different ciders, just like you would at a wine tasting. We ended up buying some cherry cider and pear cider...yum.

Before leaving town, we walked down the main street and tucked into the local pharmacy, complete with an old fashioned soda fountain still in use.  Rob and I sat up to the counter, and he ordered a Vanilla Malted and I had an Italian Soda.  It wasn't totally authentic, but it was retro enough to give it a fun feel and complete our visit to this little piece of 'Hometown America'.

We headed into Leavenworth next.  I'm glad we went, and I was able to show Rob the cute little Bavarian Village, but good gravy...the place was packed to the gills with tourists, and it was hotter than heck!  We discovered that neither of us were finding it very enjoyable, so we went back into Wenatchee, and our cool hotel room. 

After a quick rest and freshen up, we headed back out for dinner.  Mom had been in Wenatchee a couple months earlier and had a nice meal at a place called Applewood Grill.  We gave it a try, and had a pretty great meal as well. The restaurant had a relaxed atmosphere, located in the first warehouse built in Wenatchee, down along the railroad tracks.  It was a nice way to wrap up a very eventful birthday.

Day 216

So here they are...the final product.  The Perfect Lemon Cupcake!  You want one, don't you??

Tonight I finished frosting and decorating Rob's birthday cupcakes.  As you can see, each cupcake is topped with this homemade lemon buttercream...including fresh squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest.  I don't remember the frosting turning out with such a puckering tart taste last time, but it's a good kind of tart...offset by the creaminess of the butter and sweetness of the sugar. 

In addition, each one is decorated with yellow sprinklers and a Lemon Drop.  Would you believe Lemon Drops are not easy to find...but I remembered I found them at Walgreen's last year...and I did again this year.  I also had a dozen party hat picks, so I added those to half of the cupcakes, and voila...Happy Birthday Husband!  I hope you enjoy your made-with-love cupcakes!

Day 215

Mmmmm...the start to Perfect Lemon Cupcakes!

Saturday is Rob's birthday.  I decided to take him out of town for a little overnight trip to an undisclosed location.  But, I had already promised him that I would make him the same cupcakes I made for his birthday last year.  So I decided to bake the cupcakes tonight, and frost them tomorrow night so we can enjoy a couple before heading out first thing Saturday morning.

It's a recipe I found last year on the internet, where you start with a lemon cake mix, but then you add lemon pudding, some sour cream, a little extra oil and an extra egg to make these super moist and delicious cupcakes.  They really are very tasty.

As I was making them, I thought about when I made these last year, and what I was thinking and how I was feeling...having known Rob less than a month then.  The excitement of heading down to see him and his place for the first time, taking several days off to go visit him, wanting to make his birthday very special, and trying hard to figure out a way to make these little gems and transport them 5 hours away in 90+ degree temps without the frosting melting!

So I guess maybe they're not just lemon cupcakes...they are probably the start of a new tradition now, and every year I can think back with a smile of how it all began.

Day 214

Oh...My...Gosh!  This is so lame!  I mean seriously, it might just be the lamest post yet!

Yep...it's the washing machine.  Filling up with water to wash a load of 'reds'.  I snapped this on my way to bed, because...well let's face it...some days there is just nothing to photograph.  Some days are the same days as the ones before...just rewound and played over again.  And one of the things that makes me feel that way is laundry.  It truly NEVER ends.  Never.  It's an on-going battle to not only make sure there are enough clean towels to bathe with and clothes to wear, but also just to keep the piles at a minimum as not to completely take over your house with 'dirty' things.

It just seems like I am forever doing laundry...so it felt a little appropriate to memorialize it in some small way tonight.