Living Simply
It has the legs of a daddy-long-legs spider, the body of a mosquito (although much longer) and looks like it’s spooked with its buggy eyes.
I have no clue what this insect is although my local neighbor boy tells me they are everywhere and are harmless. Hmmm … he says that most bugs here are harmless — should I believe him? As long as it doesn’t invite itself inside my home I will call him harmless.
Anyone know what it is?
I haven’t posted much recently as I’ve been spending my mornings outdoors cleaning up our yard. One day, I looked uphill and saw long green stalks that went from our neighbors property into ours and almost all the way to our house. There were so many of them and I was surprised that I hadn’t noticed them sooner. Last year, they weren’t there unless they were a lot smaller and I didn’t notice them. And I don’t know what they are.
So I’ve been pulling them up one by one. Fortunately, the root comes up very easily and I hired a neighbor boy to pull weeds with me.
After 7 hours the side of our property (to our property line) is now clear. We filled almost 12 large garbage bags of weeds. And that doesn’t include any we have yet to pull in the back and street side of the property. Our 95 lb yard waste container can’t fill everything we have so I’ll have to dispose of the rest of the weeds in a couple of weeks. Â I haven’t ventured to the other parts of the property to see how much we have left to go.
Fortunately, the backs of my legs don’t feel as sore as when I started although the 7 hours of weed pulling weren’t all completed in one day.
The mosquitoes were out and I received 2 lovely bites to add to the 4 I already have. They look so large and red …
I believe once the major clearing of weeds and branches is done the property won’t look as unkempt.
I have so many outdoor projects this summer that the inside painting will have to wait until winter. Although, I am still working on the main floor bathroom which seems to take forever. Every time I see a dent in the wall I have to fill it with Spackle and sand it. Â I will sand one more time then I can prime and paint it. The contractor we hired to replace the countertop, toilet, light and exhaust fan will come out the next time it rains. I can’t complain about his timing though as his work is very good and he does it inexpensively for me.
Owning acreage takes a lot of work but I’m not complaining. I get lots of exercise.
[amazon_link id=”B000ZZYQ6E” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]
[/amazon_link]
Minnesota weather is like a see-saw. I’ve seen hail, lightning, thunderstorms, high humidity and then perfectly beautiful days. I’m thankful … to be alive that is.
Last week during a 3 inch rainfall, I went outside to bail water away from the house to make sure there were no leaks that came into the basement. Our house only has 2 small gutters and the rest of the is gutterless. I’m not sure why they built it that way but they did.
When I stepped outside with my rubber boots, rain jacket and large bucket in hand, I noticed that the rain was running from the roof above the garage to the ground and then around the house where there is a large patch of rocks on the side of the house.
I quickly placed the bucket where the rain was coming down the most to stop the current and headed back inside to get the shovel. This was going to be quite a challenge as the rain was coming down faster than I could possibly bail it but, I was up for the challenge.
While shoveling the rain from the side of the house (which must have been 3 inches deep already) I heard a loud rumbling in the sky. Thunder. I hate thunder, well, unless I’m inside then  think it’s beautiful. Bending over to shovel more rain, I saw a flash of light about a foot to the right of me. I screamed but there was no one around to hear me.
I quickly ran inside the garage by the side door. I had almost been hit by lightning.
How’s that for excitement? Getting hit by lightning is not on my “Ten Top Things To Do Before I Die” list. No, my life didn’t flash before my eyes — does it ever really or is it just small bits of thoughts that pass? I’ve often wondered what that phrase menat.
Today clouds are again hovering and threatening rain but this time I think I’ll stay inside and just hope for the best. I’m ready to meet my Maker but I think I’d rather not spend more time in the grave than I need to. I’d rather just see Him in the clouds when He comes the second time.
I don’t often go to movies as I find them a waste of money and time, but this Memorial weekend my family and I decided to go see what all the rage was for the recently released movie called The Avengers.
We went to a movie theatre in Oakdale, Minnesota called The Marcus Theatre. The place looks huge on the outside and it’s just as big on the inside. The sound quality was really good although a wee bit loud for me. The digital picture on the screen was clear and there were comfy chairs. I had thought since the movie was such a hit that there might be a long line but with the release of a new movie there weren’t very many people at the showing we went to.
I should probably say that I don’t like violence whether it is fiction or non-fiction so my opinion will be biased.
Did I like the movie? It was okay. The basic plot is about the “avengers” saving the world from aliens. There was a lot of action and things flying around (both human and alien bodies).
I feel creepy when I see eyes that have no eyeballs or that turn different colors. It makes me squeamish so I had my hand in front of my eyes while the scenes passed. Another scene that I thought rather gruelish was when the “Hulk” pounded an alien over and over again on the ground.
Who really, I mean really, enjoys seeing these kind of things happening whether real or imagined? I am not immune from wasting my time sometimes and this was probably one of those times.
So, call me wimpy or just call me different. If you enjoy lots of action, violence and fiction then this movie is for you.
While listening to a recent sermon my Pastor gave, he used a word that I had never heard before: de-sin. The dictionary has no meaning for this word so it’s one that was made up but my imagination was piqued by the results of what it could mean.
How simple life would be if we could go into a chamber and be “de-sinned.” All of our weaknesses, our tendencies toward things wrong, our grumpiness, anger, jealousy, bitterness, revenge, laziness — all wiped out by simply walking into a “de-sin” chamber.
The problem with this scenario is that we’d have to walk into the chamber several times a day. Selfishness would be the primary reason that would take us back time and time again. In this consumer age it appears that it’s supposed to be all about me. But in the spiritual life it’s not about me at all but about Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit.
I know very few people who, before every thought or action, asks the question “Will this glorify God or me?” Our tendency is to act and think later. But days of asking this question should make it habit-forming as smoking a cigarette would be natural to someone who smoked.
Habits and life tendencies are hard to break. A “de-sin chamber” sounds good to me but since it doesn’t exist I have to rely on the best thing out there which is the Holy Spirit. He’s the best de-sin chamber I know who has fruits such as love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)
“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” Romans 8:5, 6
I prefer that life and peace. Come Spirit come!
Last year I spent a lot of time removing the grass from the front yard as the grass was not healthy and quite patchy in spots. We also didn’t want to have to mow a small bit of grass.
I’ve now finished my spring cleaning of this area by removing most of the leaves and debris that fell during our spring storms. Now it’s time to landscape and I’m having a wee bit of a problem visualizing what I want done. Truth be told, I’d like to have a very simple perennial shade garden with some spots of color — kind’ve Japanese style but with no pond although we have a drain in this area.
The two two-by-fours you see are lying across the drain and the area slopes too far down. I’d like to make a Japanese type bridge that will cross this drain, 4-5 feet long, but the area seems too low and I feel I need to regrade it somehow. Otherwise I’d have to have a pretty large bridge that will reach from one side to the other and I think it will be out of proportion to the yard.
I’m wondering if I can bring in some cement blocks (like the ones on the front of the house in the picture below) then add more dirt to make the ground higher and add more rock. I’m just not sure if that will make it stable enough.
On the positive side, I have found quite a few places that have Japanese bridge kits that I can purchase and have my husband build for me. I could do it myself but as I tell my husband “there are some things that men should do.” I tell him this, not because I think women can’t do certain jobs, but as incentive to have him help. Â (laughing) Â Hey! It usually works!
Any thoughts out there?
I’m hoping to put in a couple of small trees that will be deer resistent and shade tolerant  along with a few other perennial plants so all I have to worry about is leaf/debris cleaning next spring. I hear there is a nursery called Gerten’s in Inver Grove Heights that I can get a lot of my plants from. I’m hoping to make a trip there sometime soon.
[amazon_link id=”B003DVV2KK” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]
[/amazon_link]
I have always been intrigued by the simple yet elegant look of Japanese gardens and my desire to have my front yard have a simple look led me to the Normandale Japanese Garden in Bloomington, Minnesota to see what the possibilities might be.
The beautiful garden is located at the Normandale Community College and sits on two acres. There is no charge to stroll through the garden. The designer of the garden, Takao Watanabe, was a professional garden architect from Tokyo, Japan. A quick search through the internet did not tell me if Mr. Watanabe is still living or what he may have continued to do with his life. However, I did find a Mr. Watanabe in Tokyo Japan who has become a Councillor and I have emailed him to see if he is the same person. I am always interested in what happens to people “later in life.” I’ll let you know if/when I hear anything back.
There was a lot of construction on the way to the garden even on a Saturday although signs are posted so it’s easy to find your way.
Although this garden is small it has the same design quality as larger Japanese gardens and leaves you with a sense of serenity.
And this is what you see when you first enter through the gate …
Walking down this path and to the right is another path …
To the right is a waterfall. The designer did a wonderful job of making sure the flow of the garden leaves you with a sense of calmness.
Stroll through the rest of this beautiful garden with me …
A view from the bridge …
What’s that I see in the water?
They have a koi pond here. I wonder what happens to the fish in the winter when it freezes. You suppose they move them somewhere else?
There were a few geese lounging around … and lots of geese poop to avoid.
The red winged black bird seems to make an appearance in quite a few places.
Across the fence are wetlands.
This is a good place to gather your thoughts and experience a little bit of serenity.
A favorite dessert of mine growing up in Chicago was a very simple dessert my mother would make called limber. I don’t think I know a Puerto Rican family who has not made it. It can be as sweet or non-sweet as you like.
Since we were poor, my mother would make these in ice cube trays instead of popsicle molds. She always used whatever we had around the house.
Here’s my mother’s recipe. We loved it whether the weather was cold or hot outside.
Ingredients:
Or …
Put in the freezer then serve!
I love coconut so this is the perfect dessert for me!
Hope you enjoy it.
There are two things in my life that I find happen randomly.
The first is what I call the deja vu syndrome. Ever since I can remember, I have always had times when I felt like “I’ve been here before” or “I’ve experienced this before.” Â It doesn’t happen when I meet people as in “I’ve met you before” but only places/locations. I have always taken these moments to mean that I am in the right place in my life. Kind’ve like a sign from God affirming that yes, I should be here at this time in my life.
Sometimes there are people around me but not always. I could be out for a walk and all of a sudden have this “feeling” come over me. Has that ever happened to you? I’ve read that it can be caused by a form of epilepsy but I’m not sure I believe that. I’ve also read that it is experienced more often by people who are 25 and under but that has not been the case for me. (Click here to read an online article)
It’s funny though — I haven’t experienced this since moving to Minnesota. Maybe that means I shouldn’t be here … hmmmm … thoughts?
My second idiosyncrasy is what I call “moments of clarity.” It started about a year after I had a virus (I believe) that I picked up in Mexico. After I was well enough to take walks again I noticed that sometimes I would be walking and suddenly things around me would get totally clear as if they were magnified and I could even see the veins on leaves.
The clarity never lasts more than a minute and the strange thing about it is that I still suffer from a very mild form of visual disturbance, ie things/people move slightly when I look at them. During this time of clarify it’s as if my body has re-adjusted itself to a more perfect state.
Have any of you ever heard of anything like this or am I just a simple oddball? (laughing)
A recent trip back to Minnesota from Chicago had my family and I stopping in Janesville, Wisconsin for a late lunch/early dinner. The Cracker Barrel Restaurant sign could be seen while driving on the highway and as I had never been there and my son raved about it, we decided to stop.
Upon entering, there is a country-style store that has lots of neat items to buy. From Amish looking (and inexpensive) quilts to homemade jam and fudge, I made sure I browsed after we had lunch.
A sign that said “Hostess” was above an area where a young man waited to show us where to sit.
The restaurant itself is decorated with country items.
One of the items that I hadn’t seen in awhile sat on each table of the restaurant — do you remember playing this game when you were a kid?
The purpose of this game is to keep you occupied while waiting for your food. It served it’s purpose well. There is one hole that is empty and has no peg in it. You “jump” the other pegs and try to get rid of as many pegs as possible. If you only have one peg left then you’re a genius! Unfortunately, I was not a genius on this trip.
The personality of the waitress was neutral as she was neither friendly nor unfriendly but simply business-like. Our orders were taken and served to us quickly. I had the Blueberry Maine Pancakes and they were absolutely delicious. They came with a small bottle of blueberry syrup. I would highly recommend these pancakes as they were so moist and had real blueberries in them.
The two other entrees that my family tried were the Chicken and the Meatloaf. Both were good although the honey corn muffins weren’t as good as others we’ve had at other restaurants.
I thought it was quaint to see this table set up for someone to sit and play checkers at.
I think we’ll have to stop here again on the way to/from the Chicago area. Good food!
