Local abundance!

As summer very slowly makes its way to our region of the world, with it comes an abundance of produce, farmer's markets, and an overall feeling of fresh.

I read a quick interview with the author of the book Cooked by Michael Pollan. He says that the number one thing we can do to be healthier is to cook at home. He stresses that cooking is key to changing our health and the environment, and those who cook for themselves consume a healthier diet. One of the points that he made is that if we let corporations cook for us, they are going to buy food from the biggest monocultures. But we as consumers have a choice. We can take time out of our day and choose the food we prepare, how we prepare it and where it comes from.

The citizens of the Coulee Region are fortunate to be surrounded by agricultural heaven! We have local farmer's markets several times a week, where produce grown locally can be purchased only hours after it was picked! We can drive right up to a farmer's door and pick the cow, pig, sheep, etc that we want to have butchered for our freezer. We can see how it was raised and what it was fed.

I'm trying my best to buy more locally and shop healthier. As summer finally arrives I hope to continue to frequent our local farmer's markets and experiment with new recipes! Cooking can be such a joy, and seeing my kids try new things and discovering they enjoy them makes it worthwhile.

Now If I could only get them to do all the dishes.

For more, see this article: Buying local and organic food on the Balance Your 7 website.

Boston.

A city on my long list of cities I have yet to explore. Now a city that will forever have far more significance than ever. I feel like I just sat down and wrote about the tragedy at Newton, CT. Now Boston.

We, as a country, are now living, working, shopping, playing in a totally different world than our parents and grandparents did. With senseless tragedies like the now-named "marathon" bombings, we live in a world that we now look over our shoulders, growing suspicious or leery in ways most of us never even thought of before.

If our world is now so different, what kind of future do our chlldren and grandchildren face? When will we ever learn to stop taking our anger and hatred out on innocent individuals? When did extremism and radical actions replace logic and rationalism? And why? With so much sadness and anger surrounding this violence, I took some comfort in a quote I read by Mr. Rogers:

When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." Fred Rogers

Seeing how others rushed in to assist and looking for all of the helpers shows us that the good in people far outweighs the bad. Maybe our children have a bright future after all. And someday I cannot wait to visit Boston and experience its beauty and history but never forget its recent events.

Today = 100

That's one more than 99, in case you weren't aware.

Significant? Perhaps to no one else but me. Today marks the day for my one hundredth post. Ten x ten.

I've been boring you with my blogs, and that adds up to a lot of time you could have spent doing other, more productive things! However, for myself, this has turned into a job I've come to thoroughly enjoy.

Job doesn't accurately fit the description, if you find yourself doing something you enjoy, as I've come to discover I do about writing. Some weeks I struggle to conjure up an applicable topic, or would like to inject more humor or wisdom than I otherwise do. Raising three kids, tackling daily family issues and logistics is wonderful. But writing a weekly blog has given me the freedom to express thoughts, explore various topics and tap into that creative self that has been napping too long!

So while 100 maybe just another number, to me it is a bit of a milestone. Maybe more like a stepping stone, but one that has led me on a bit of a journey of self discovery. A journey that I hope to be on for many more 100's to come!

Spring! Maybe?

Well, it's officially spring, at least according to the calendar!

Every time I decide to put away the winter coats and boots, I think better of it!

There are mounds of snow still lingering around. Who am I fooling?

I think our 80 degree March temperatures from last year were a tease, and we are experiencing just a "normal" winter/spring season. Yea for all those farmers out there! But I'm ready. My sweaters don't hold any more appeal. They are tired too and ready to snuggle on the shelf until next fall. My toes are ready to ditch the socks and show their faces again, with a fun new coat of polish! My daughter noticed the daffodil buds struggling to push through the cold ground and strut their bright color! The robins are all back and the birds are singing or maybe they are shivering so loudly it sounds like singing! There are signs of spring, I think we are just having to look a bit harder this year to find them.

My son has his first outdoor soccer game this week. I'll be sending him in a jacket, hat and mittens! Better run extra fast to keep warm!

But isn't that the beauty of weather in Wisconsin? We get winter one minute and summer the next? I guess it helps us appreciate each and every season while we have it. I think I could have stood to appreciate winter a bit less this year! So while my shorts haven't quite made their appearance, my sweaters have earned their break and are resting comfortably until fall.

Birthdays!

In our household April is birthday month.

Tomorrow it is my husband's birthday and I dare not disclose his age!

Every year is important, but this particular birthday isn't a "big" one. It occurs midweek, so dinner, cake and ice cream should complete our agenda. A special dinner has been requested, tortellini with meat sauce and a big salad. Sounds like a celebration to me!

One week later our son celebrates his eighth birthday! A VERY big deal to him and his little sisters. We have been discussing the details of his special day since Christmas ended. I'm not sure if it's the idea of a special party or turning one year older that excites him most. He has picked the venue, Shenanigan's it is. The invites are out and we are making plans for the party.

At what age do you stop having the kid parties? I think I was around nine or ten and birthdays were more about just one or two friends, maybe a sleepover, and dinner out. I know it's different in every family. It's so fun to get caught up in the enthusiasm of turning one year older, until you don't want to and dread the coming of your birthday! So we are getting caught up in the excitement and rocking out those birthdays, complete with two cakes, a pile of gifts and lots of laughter.

Creating our dreams

Time for a blog follow-up.

We are slowly moving forward trying to fulfill our house dream. Our plans are officially complete, as are all the upgrades to our new subdivision!

Now comes the biggest, and perhaps the most frightening part of this process, the talk with the bank.

A few years ago this would have been a walk in the park, but we all remember how that walk ended! We are all still dealing with those repercussions, though hopefully the worst is behind us! The banks hands are tied. So we roll up our blue prints, laying all our hopes on a few sheets of paper, gather our numbers and hand them over hoping the story the bank tells us is favorable.

I've already started picking out colors, tile, matching towels! Of course all of this is in my head, for now. But I'm crossing all fingers and toes that someday it will become a reality and we can move into the place we created--the place we will call home for a long time to come!

We've done all we can, now we need to see what will happen.

Hopefully we have our answer soon, those matching towels just went on sale!

ME. In a nutshell.

I wake up, it's 6:15 am, I am in this moment, a wife. We say our good mornings a quick smooch, he jumps in the shower. It's 6:32, I am me, alone for a few quiet moments of solitude.

It is 6:34, my youngest child, accompanied by her ever faithful, furry, four-legged brother, climbs/jumps into bed. I am a mother, listening to the tales of my 3-year-old's dreams, snuggling up to her warm, pj-clad body.

Out to the kitchen, rousing the other two children, on full force mommy duty.

Husband emerges, we grab sips of coffee in between rushing kids out the door to school, he to work. Roles merge, I am chaos director, wife, mom, short-order cook, dog walker.

Kids arrive at school, all but one still home with me.

Time is 8:12, off to the gym. Drop remaining child in child watch.

8:18: Alone, I am gym-rat extraordinaire. Work up sweat, chat with a few fellow friends, enjoy a bit of me time. I am me. Alone for awhile.

10:20: Pick up child, resume mommy duty.

Head to grocery store - grab necessities, plan dinner in my head, buy food.

11:10: Pickup child number two, head home. Prepare lunch for kids two and three. Mommy in full force. Play with girls, dog, clean up lunch, laundry.

1:12: Nap number three, bit of TV for number two.

1:32: Jump in shower - ahhh- me time for a few blissful minutes.

3:02: Rouse youngest from nap, load up car with girls and dog, pickup child number one. Listen to son tell about his day, return home, make snack. Check email, referee kids, homework, laundry.

4:46: Prepare dinner, chef hat officially on!

5:36: Set table, gather kids.

5:42: Greet husband- roles merge again. I am wife/mother/cook.

6:45: Prepare for bedtime routine- full mommy mode--baths given, books red, bed.

7:22: First tucked in. Only two trips back to get her settled.

7:34: Second child in bed. First trip a success.

7:46: Sit down with husband and kid number one, I am mommy/wife.

8:08: Last child down for the night.

8:12: Ahhh--wife mode--chat with husband, make tea and watch a bit of television.

9:36: Let fur-baby out (mommy mode still on!).

9:48 Head to bedroom--grab book of the moment--ahh a bit of me time!

10:27: Husband snuggles in--out for the night.

10:34: Kick dog off the bed, NOW, out for the night, ALL ME TIME!