9.12.11
We are busy with our forced home remodel. During the family reunion the toilet overflowed for over and hour resulting in a very flooded basement. So we took the opportunity to pull all the carpet and pad and clean the walls of paint to seal them from the water that seems to seep in occasionally. After that process the painters came and did a marvelous stress free (to me) job of painting the walls. Today the carpet guys came to begin relaying the carpet and will hopefully get it back in tomorrow. We also had planned on re-doing our roof as it leaked through the ceiling last winter. We were blessed to have our talented brother in law come with his muscles and skills to take it down to the rafters and take it back up to a beautiful albeit not very noticeable steel roof. We were exciting and got the blah color of stone. Maybe we will use barn red on the house? Not likely. The fun surprise in all of this adventure was the discovery of electrical shorts somewhere on the varied, unmarked, multidirectional and wired circuits. The electrician has been here today for a major part of the day. One even got to be shocked. The kids thought it to be hilarious... we are not long on sympathy here. I finally got them hushed and they were a little more likely to listen when told to back away with each query of electrical outlet or switch. The electricians will be coming back tomorrow to hopefully solve the remaining problems. The good news is that our insurance did cover the basement the bad news is the windows I ordered to complete the basement remodel are 1/4-1/2 inch too large. UGH! I will be so excited to spread out into our house again. We have been crammed into the upstairs and while it is fun and nice to live on one level I am excited to get some more space especially with the winter indoor months looming close.
We have also been canning as it is that season of greatness here. We are so blessed to live in the Treasure Valley. It really is a treasure for all the things that are produced here. We have discovered a love of zucchini. Truly Greg rarely gets any with his dinner as he eats much later than the rest of us. The kids snitch it off his plate or just eat it all before he comes. Not sure if he really feels a loss about this or not. But they enjoy it. I canned beets too and Reed has been anxiously eying the jars and helping himself as I pack them. It is fun to see my kids enjoy the bounty we too often take for granted. So far I have canned apricot jam (which is surprise hit), dill pickles (not so hot), sweet dill pickles (yummy), spaghetti sauce (accidently doubled the salt and can't get enough of it on bread sticks), whole tomatoes, green beans, beets (to round out my children's diets and to teach some of them to eat their vegetables), sloppy joe sauce, frozen peppers and raspberries. Peaches and pears are coming on so we will be starting into those soon. I must admit that I do enjoy/dread canning. I like seeing something done. I like making my children do the work I did as a kid.
Picking green beans is a sort of delicious exercise in obedience, endurance, and tradition for me. As a kid I had to pick my grocery bag full before I could be done. I have instituted this same rule and I love hearing the same complaints and hoping that it is making them into good workers. One session of picking the boys were particularly not interested and kept wandering off. Anna stayed on so I told her and them the only ones who would get a reward were those who kept working. When we were done I knew I needed to make a big impression so I took Anna to get a rootbeer float. Everyone was in the car and wishing they could have one. I kept asking her Anna isn't that good? Sure am glad you were such a good worker. Well about as soon as she finished she said mom my stomach hurts stop the car. I know Anna's weak stomach so I immediately pulled over. She hopped out and immediately left the rootbeer float on the ground. So much for my teaching plan. I did learn not to order the regular float but the child's size. The next time the kids were much more obedient and did their work. They all requested rootbeer floats in exchange. We got child's sizes and no one lost theirs.
Other than the change of season and pace of life, if anything it is rapidly speeding up, life is pretty normal. We really enjoyed reading My Father's Dragon a great silly read aloud for kids. Reed is getting big and starting to sneak some words into conversations. If I listen he will tell me things as he walks away or when he really wants them -- like please for a brownie. Or thanks mom for juice. But on command just to be cute or conversational he is just a jabber.
Oh one remedy to share. Mark slammed his middle finger in the front door a while back. It was ugly. It began to swell and turn red. We were worried about infection. A friend had mentioned and old remedy (and being she had 6-8 sons) figured it was good to know. You dip bread, any kind about half a piece, in milk then wrap it around the finger. Wrap with plastic wrap then a baggie taped on. Then go to bed. THis really made the finger look good in the morning not to mention it was cool and soothing on the finger. Well after doing this for a week it was not progressing as fast as I wanted so I switched to grated potato, grated clove of garlic, and some oil of oregano. Drop the oil on the finger then apply the potato/garlic. Wrap with wet gauze then a piece of dry and tape. Wear as much as possible. It was clear in a day and a half. The nail dropped the next day and it is looking like it will heal well. The bread and milk is supposed to work well on feet that step on nails or bad cuts as it draws out the infection. And it's a handy cure.
We hope all is well and peaceful for you and your family. We enjoyed seeing many of you this summer and look forward to the next time. And if any of you received the Relief Society history take a minute to read it. Wow it is beautiful. Best to you all.
p.s. I do have a few photos but addie my big helper keeps carrying away my electronic stuff so I will have to relocate it and send some later. She has shown quite an affinity for scrubbbing pots so I guess we will keep her for the time being.
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