How tall can a pony, I mean dog..... get anyhow?

While I was babysitting last night, this little girl kept trying to sit in my lap on the sofa! OUCH!

I believe I can fly......

Just click on the photo to get a close up of this baby bird. He is now as large as his Mom, who is still flying to the house and feeding him. He also seems to be taking charge of the doorway. I see him trying to prevent his mother from entering now. After a few attempts, she pushes him aside to get in to the house. Any day now, he will try those wings.
UPDATE: His flight took place a day after this pic. He didn't leave any forwarding address, so his condo will be refurbished and put up for rent next season.

Blueberry Pickin' at The Big Apple in Wrentham, MA

A great farm for apples
Now it's blueberry time
Pick out a bucket with a rope


We went blueberry picking at a farm today.
You take a bucket (which used to be a milk jug) and hang the rope, which is tied through the handle, around your neck.
Lots of other families are there and everyone is excited about the berries making it home to become ingredients in pies, pancakes, muffins, or just to snack on!
It only takes about a half hour. You know you're done when you feel the sun beating down on your head. When you return to the building, the staff pours your berries into a paper bag and weighs them for the total charge. They didn't cost much, and they sure are delicious.
Here's a favorite muffin recipe:
Begged Blueberry Muffins
1/2 c. butter
2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c. milk
2 tsp. baking powder
2 1/2 c. blueberries
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar for topping
Cream butter & sugar slowly. Add eggs, one at a time. Add sifted dry ingredients and milk alternately and beat till smooth. Crush 1/2 c. berries and stir into mixture with a spoon. Add the remaining berries whole.
Fill greased muffin tins high, making sure the top of the muffin tin is also greased. Sprinkle tops with sugar and bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 min. Let cool in tins for 25 minutes.

Ready.....set......YARDSALE!

I used to be a yard sale snob. I viewed yard sale offerings as "other people's junk" and I just couldn't be bothered.
However, my daughter and I have begun a new Saturday morning adventure. We start with the trusty Garmin, map out our plans, based on the ads and locations--then after gathering up the spoils, the kids get to stop at Dunkin Donuts with us. It's a treat for everyone!
The kids are allowed their dollars to spend...and they always manage to find games, puzzles, outdoor play toys and any mysterious items that catch their eyes. They also get free stuff sometimes...just because, I guess. (People are nice that way.)


Our latest haul included a new pop-up play tent for a dollar, baby bouncy seat for $3, Joggeroo jogging stroller for $10, (price these online--Whoa!) a car seat for $5, and last but NOT least: an Italia dark cherry wood crib with drawer underneath, matching change table and Evenflo reclining high chair for a total of $70. That clean, like-new ensemble came from a great family in a lovely neighborhood. The home owner even insisted on delivering the baby furniture, so it wouldn't get scratched! ---------- You just can't beat those prices with a stick! ----------

Amish for one morning

So, the little kids were having a sleepover with us the other night....and we awoke in the morning to the fact that our power was out.
That, of course, meant: no cooking breakfast, no central air, no TV, no Nintendo and no computer games.
We ate cereal and put the milk back quickly and hoped that the refrigerator would stay cold for awhile.
The kids started having "gadget withdrawal" immediately. Markie has asked me about Amish people a few times lately, and wondered about their lives. I told him that this was an example for him. Amish children get up, do their gardening chores, etc...and don't even use electricity.
I took them outside and had them water the vegetable garden, feed the birds and squirrels and take peeks into one birdhouse which has newborns in it. Then we swung on the swing and the hammock.
Markie pronounced it the "best sleepover ever". However, he was even more enthused when the power was restored later that morning.

R.I.P. Olive Riley

Olive Riley, known as the world's oldest blogger has passed on to her Heavenly reward.
A resident of Australia, she was born in 1899 and she would have been 109 this Fall.
She kept in touch with people from other countries, who enjoyed the tales she wrote about in her blog, or as she called it, her "blob".

http://worldsoldestblogger.blogspot.com

Cat camp outs

A lot of people have been writing in asking "Do cats go camping in the summer?"
Well, here's your answer:

Calling ALL hummingbirds!

O.K. We're all set up now for our hummingbird invasion! We can't wait to see the little creatures at the new feeder, which is filled with nectar. The cats, who sun themselves in this window, also are awaiting the arrival of the hummingbirds.
How do I know they will be here tomorrow?
Well, they have been hovering outside this window all week, trying desperately to get a taste of my suncatchers (on the inside) with their bright colors.
So, I took a trip to Wal*Mart to get the set up to keep these tiny birds happy.
Hope to catch them now and then with my digital camera.

Something on his head......

Well, my grandson arrived the other day with something battery-operated on his head. It asks questions and you can answer with a tilt of the head. Does anyone know what this game is called? (Warning: Don't play this while riding in the car, as bumps in the road can cause wrong answers....which can cause tears.)

a. No Brainer

b. Motion Notion

c. Brain Drain

Garden update: Look what happened! (The agonizing heat is good for something.)

Nintendo....don't leave home without it.

And you thought breakdancing was over in the 90s......

Listen to the words.....

Of "Draconian" proportions (EXTREMELY severe) sentence for child rapists......

(Little Jessica Lunsford before being abducted from her home)

Here it is, folks.
Our State Representative James Fagan recently made national news with his tirade against the passage of Jessica's Law in Massachusetts. He's opting for a watered down version of the law, without a mandatory 20 year prison term for child rapists. He thinks that such a sentence is much too severe.
Jessica Lunsford was taken from her home, held captive, raped, then buried alive in trash bags. The autopsy showed that two of her little fingers had poked through the plastic bag after she was buried.
Although Rep. Fagan claims that he has been misunderstood, misquoted or that his words were taken out of context, it's obvious that he joins several liberal MA judges who think that it's perfectly all right for child rapists to be set free after a short sentence so they can reoffend. (Don't take my word for it...just Google any combination of words, such as Rep. Fagan, Jessica's Law, etc...and you can read all about his misguided efforts.
Jessica Lunsford's dad is asking that if the long sentence can't be included in the law, then he doesn't want to be disrespected by lawmakers attaching Jessica's name to it.
Feel free to email Rep. Fagan and let him know how you feel about his tirade and his own personal view that a 20 year sentence is of "Draconian" proportions. Here's his address:
Rep.JamesFagan@hou.state.ma.us