Pet Peeves

Perhaps I'm a grammar snob. Or maybe even more broadly, an English snob. But it really bugs me when simple rules of English fall by the wayside. Not esoteric things, but things every native, American born English speaker learned in elementary school. And sadly, the problem is getting worse, not better!

If you regularly search Craigslist, you will see a never ending stream of comic errors. If I see another ad for "Chester Draws" down here in the South, I think I'll scream. Who is Chester and why do we care that he has artistic talent? Has the accent so pervaded the brain that somewhere along the way the knowledge that it was a chest of drawers has been lost? I won't even go into the number of times I've seen something for "sell" or how many people try to "sale" their merchandise.

Another thing that gets me is the wrong use of the apostrophe. I know it can be confusing when you're talking about contractions versus possession (I don't think there's any excuse for people who use it for plural!), but we all had to learn this in grade school. The worst offender is "it's" as opposed to "its". It seems as though people have completely forgotten which is which. "It's" is the contraction for "it is"; "its" denotes ownership. As in, it's not fair for its usage to be wrong!

I don't know why, but the pronunciation (or butchering) of the word "height" gets me more than most spoken errors. Maybe because it's become so ubiquitous that I'm afraid whole generations are growing up not knowing any better. It's pretty clear; width, breadth, depth, length. Those dimensional words all end in "TH". And I don't know why it's an exception, but height ends in a "T". So let's say it, people! Please don't say "heigTH". That would be wrong! Nobody says "weigTH"; think how silly that would sound, and you'll hear how odd the mispronunciation of height is to us sticklers. It should rhyme with "might". Give it a clipped little "T" at the end, just as you would in choir when the music director tells you to use those ending consonants. It may not seem important, but if you say it wrong, think how much harder spelling it correctly will be!

P.S. Please note, I recognize the irony and deep responsibility in writing a post about correct writing! You can bet I double and triple edited to ensure I didn't embarrass myself by committing obvious errors. They certainly come as easily to me as anyone, so if you ever see mistakes in my posts, please feel free to let me know! It may just be a typo, or it may be a habitual grammar faux pas on which I can improve.

To-Do List

December is "get your house in order" month here in the Evans household. We usually try to do a little of that every year, but we're really hitting it hard this time. We plan to analyze our budget and banking; review our home, auto, and life insurance policies; cull, organize, and document belongings, update last wills, living wills, and health care proxy forms; and generally check up on the status of all those "just in case" documents and provisions. It's not the new calendar year that sparks the notion as much as Jeff's somewhat more available and flexible time in the dead of winter now that the fall semester is over.

Oh, yeah, and we're also trying to sneak in time to build a niche, hang backerboard, waterproof the shower, tile and grout it all, and lay flooring in the bathroom. Not to mention housebreaking, crate-training, chew monitoring, and otherwise puppy-proofing our home and lives. (But I can't complain; Heidi has been a real love and she's super bright and responsive, so all those tasks are coming along quite well)!

Going Bare

A friend's recent blog post about stripping paint reminded me I could use a heat gun on my chippy old mantel. This is the third mantel we're planning to add to the house, making a total of four fireplaces (some fully functional, some more decorative).

Stripping paint is such a relaxing, meditative task. At least, it is for me. I'm a bit of a "picker"; you know, someone who always has to pick that scab or squeeze that pimple or pull that hangnail. So carefully peeling and scrapping away bubbly, gooey layers of paint feeds right into that obsession. I didn't quite get it all done in one afternoon, and it was so hard to stop and lay down the heat gun. I kept needing to get just one more spot!

Jeff checked in and documented my progress from time to time. There is a weird reddish "stain" impregnating the raw wood, but since I'm planning to repaint, it won't matter.

Going...

Going...

Almost gone!

The Right Tools

As particular as I am about using the right tools in home improvement, I'm learning the right tools for every job are worth it.

I usually neglect getting my hair cut until it's too long and heavy for a basic claw clip. Then I make a trip to my trusted (but underutilized) stylist and ask her to work her considerable skill on my messy mane. This time, I mentioned that I'm long overdue for a new hairbrush and blowdryer, so she offered her expert opinion. She was able to give me quite a few pointers on size, bristles, wattage, attachments, everything I needed to know. She even demonstrated the best techniques, too. Not that I can put them into practice as well as she can, but it's worth a shot.

Her styling left my hair looking great for three days! I usually can't even get out of the bathroom before my roots are going flat, curl is falling out, kinks are working their way in, etc. She barely used any product, my hair smelled great, never got greasy, and didn't needed a brush or comb in the morning. Even Jeff kept commenting on how nice my hair looked. I guess going with pro advice, quality products, and topnotch equipment applies to hair renovation as much as home renovation!

It may not look like much, but this is the end of day two and my hair is still curled under! I was certainly pleased.

Fall Fun??

As you might have guessed from my last post about classes starting, I've been a bit too busy and overwhelmed to blog the past week or so. The time dedicated for class isn't so bad, but being away from home two full days really throws my schedule. Now, I'm packing two lunches instead of one, preparing dinners a day ahead of time twice a week, doing all the shopping and laundry in one day, working on projects for Jeff, and studying and doing homework to get the most out of my class. Oh, and still taking care of chickens, duck, and cat, planning the fall garden, putting in more landscape plantings, tailoring Jeff's new suits, finishing up random DIY projects, and gearing up for the bathroom remodel. I don't know how you moms with multiple bodies to clothe and feed do it! I only have one other human being to care for, and Jeff's quite self-sufficient at that!

I will shamefully admit we have been falling onto the comfy leather couch to eat dinner in front of an old Dharma and Greg episode frequently at the end of our craziest days. Yesterday was a perfect example; after an early morning rise, Jeff watered, fed, and tended to all the animals while I made a hot breakfast. Jeff cleaned the duck pond while I packed lunches and made dinner preparations. We stocked the truck with shovels and gloves for the free plants we were going to dig up that afternoon, thanks to Craigslist. We also needed our dance bag for Samba class, Jeff's work bag, my school bag, and changes of clothes and shoes for the afternoon digging, plus the lunches I'd packed. We barely fit in the truck cab ourselves!

After a full day of work, school, and church paperwork, we changed in Jeff's office, drove 15 minutes to our digging destination, and uprooted seven loropetulum bushes. We loaded and secured them, drove 35 minutes home, unloaded the bushes, showered, had a quick snack, and headed back to town for dance class. We finally got home, sore legs and all, around 8 pm to start dinner and our evening livestock routine, so a little vegging on the couch later while we ate sounded just fine! At least we didn't have to go round up the donkey who got out, like the evening before!

Conjunction Junction

May 26th found us at NASA Space and Rocket Center for an astronomy lecture and viewing. It was the ideal night to see a triple conjunction, the close alignment of three planets in the sky (some believe the Star of Bethlehem was an example of a very unique conjunction). On this past Sunday evening, it happened to be Venus, Mercury, and Jupiter. You could see it with the naked eye, but the Von Braun Astronomical Society was on hand with many sizes and types of telescopes to give us a close-up view, including several of Jupiter's moons.

But, more fascinating to us was Saturn! After the trio of planets set in the horizon, the astronomers turned their telescopes the opposite direction and honed in on Saturn. I had never seen that particular planet with a good quality ten inch telescope. It was amazing! There is no describing how crisp and clear the planet, its rings, and the moons were. It was a tiny miniature of every drawing or diagram or model I've ever seen. It was so adorable you just wanted to put the little thing in your pocket! After we enjoyed a turn or two, it was fun to stand back and watch other adults and kids catch their first glimpse of the magnified sight. There was real joy and amazement from tiny tots to elderly grandparents. What a treat for all ages!

What I Did on Spring Break

As a stay-at-home wife right now, there isn't really a difference to my job based on Federal holidays and vacations. The cooking and baking still need to be done, the laundry continues to pile up, the animals require tending, the weeds keep growing, etc. But it's fun when Jeff has a break because then we can do those things together!

I'm only partially kidding. Poor Jeff feels like he's had a vacation when he can stay home and do my work with me. That'll teach me to whine and moan about how hard my tasks are sometimes!

We didn't go anywhere special, but we did enjoy Jeff's week off for Spring Break. We hosted a formal dinner party, built a portable pen for the ducklings, installed a new (rain-proof!) mailbox, cleaned and organized the shop, worked on the lawn, and watched several basketball tournament games. Jeff even tried his hand at some baking one afternoon when I wasn't feeling well. With supervision (and just a little hands-on help), he made flatbread and butterhorns! Here's a bit of our week in pictures.

New duckling pen:


Bat discovery while cleaning the shop:


Jeff's baking foray:


Dressing the dining room:

Sick

March has not been a good month for my health. I hadn't had any illness in probably a year and a half, and I was getting cocky that my usually inadequate immune system was getting stronger. But no, I think I was just blessed not to be exposed to anything contagious for all those months. We had company in early March who had something mild, and I of course caught it. I was struggling to get over it when we went to San Antonio, and then Jeff caught something at the conference. I got it from him, and then just when I thought that second bought was over, I caught a third mysterious thing this week.

They've all been different, some more cold-like, some flu-like. All miserable, I can tell you. I try to watch my health, but I'm always the one to catch what's going around. So I'm making it a goal once and for all to really research and implement some ideas for strengthening my immune system. If you have any tips, techniques, or natural remedies, please help a girl out and leave some words of wisdom in the comments section!

Chapter 9

...In which Jeff and Sarah are completely surrounded by water. (A.A. Milne fans will get the title reference!)

It rained and it rained and it rained. The ponds are encroaching on the pasture and the puddles are taking over the yard. The poor chickens have been cooped up (literally!) for days now. And we have the start of an Olympic sized swimming pool in the basement!

The basement has never been water tight, and it tends to weep in the wet winters. But someone working in the basement must have unplugged our sump pump to use the outlet and never plugged it back in. I finally thought to open the basement door just to check the conditions down there, and imagine my surprise at almost two feet of water. We got the sump pump running and enjoyed a lengthy water feature as the pipe began spewing a thick jet of liquid away from the house. After an hour or two, I checked the basement again and found little bubblers and fountains going on down there. There are apparently holes in the concrete floor and walls that are allowing ground water to come pouring back in! Jeff found it all rather entertaining, but I guess once it dries out a bit, we'll have to find some sort of patching solution.

On Edge

Remodeling is stressful at the best  of times, but we had a very different edgy moment last night.

By posting this blog entry and photos, I will have to admit to a weakness for chocolate. And not even good quality chocolate; usually, any chocolate will do. So last night, while fretting over yet another bathroom decision gone wrong, I opened a package of peanut butter chocolate wafer bars and split one with Jeff. It was suppose to console me, but it ended up distracting Jeff!

We finished our treat and I went to wipe the butcherblock island counter of crumbs when Jeff interrupted me. I thought he was perturbed by a bug of some sort, but he was pointing and exclaiming about an inanimate object on the counter. On closer inspection, it turned out to be a piece of chocolate. No big deal; I was still worrying over the bathroom. But Jeff started admiring the chocolate from all sides and whipping out the iPhone for documentation. So I got closer. And this is what I saw.

Look at the little dark spot in the middle of the photo. Doesn't look like much, right?

Look a little closer. It's a tiny diamond of chocolate (a shard from the wafer bar) standing on edge. All by itself.

It's just standing there. We stared at it from all angles. It stayed put. We took photos. It stayed put. I was rather blase about it all at first, but Jeff was more excited than I usually see him. It's a piece of chocolate! On its corner! All by itself! You have to understand that Jeff has a small habit of setting things on edge. Nothing big or fragile, just little things he'll turn on a corner or an edge and balance there absentmindedly. It's a cute little quirk, but it explains why he was so excited about the chocolate. His excitement was infectious, so I guess chocolate got me through another stressful moment, though not in the usual way!

In the end, we left the chocolate diamond on the counter overnight. This morning when we found it laying down, we tried to set it up on a corner again. And failed repeatedly. It was apparently a once in a lifetime occurrence. Although I think we need to eat many more peanut butter chocolate wafer bars now in an attempt to replicate the event!

Trade Days

Jeff and I spent our last pleasant Sunday (for awhile at least) outside. The weather was forecast to turn cold and rainy after the weekend, so we wanted to make the most of the balmy day. We decided that a venture to the famous Lacon Trade Days was finally in order.

We had heard about the flea market quite a few times, and I even purchased the clawfoot tub for the bathroom from one of the vendors, but it was through Craigslist. The market is open every weekend and is just the old-time flea market you might remember from your youth. There are booths and buildings with more permanent wares, but most people just pull in with whatever miscellaneous they want to sell, pay their $2-3 for a spot, and unload their merchandise. There are guns and clothes and goats and housewares and chickens and antiques and toys and jewelry and concessions and doors and shoes and crafts and on and on. As their lovely colloquial slogan goes, "If it ain't been here, it don't exist".

The place doesn't look like much, but as it turns out, we found many things we were interested in. There was an 18" prehung door that looks just the right size for our little attic access door, a neat cast iron handpump for water that would make a fabulous water garden feature, a darling bantam rooster who would look so cute running with our big hens, and an upright balance scale from a doctor's office which I have always wanted for the bathroom. We were just planning on looking, so we didn't purchase any of those things. But it was neat to know they could be found there!

And we did end up coming home with one item. It's a fascinating antique adding machine, probably from the teens or twenties. It's in good condition and it really works! You click the tabs up to the desired number in each decimal place, pull the lever, and then select the next set of numbers. Every time you pull the lever, it adds to the tally. When you're done, you push the keys to zero and pull the handle to zero it out. There is even a little lever to clear out a mistake if you accidentally set the wrong number without deleting all the previous input. Jeff and I kept playing with it and found it irresistible. And the 20% offer clinched it, so we came home with this adorable unit. It will eventually sit in Jeff's study on the big partner's desk I bought last month. What a productive day!

Momma needs a new hammer!

Jeff and I spent some time salvaging the lumber from our old roof. It is great quality, old growth true 2x4s (which means it really measures two inches by four inches, not one-and-a-half by three-and-a-half). We don't have a specific plan for it, but we hated to see it thrown away. But it meant we had to knock the boards apart and pull out some pretty hearty nails. That is when I lost my head!

My hammerhead, that is. Jeff always called this my "lady hammer", as it's a rather lightweight, slim handled hammer. It was sometimes too slight for the job, but it usually performed household tasks well. Now I guess I'll be on the hunt for a new model.

In addition to losing my head, I lost a foot as well. Not a limb, of course. But it almost feels that way. We discovered this morning that our new addition is one foot too short! That's a full twelve inches! For those who have ever constructed or remodeled anything, you'll know how significant this is, especially in a small-to-medium sized room. In our case, it dramatically affects our floor plan. We'll be talking to the contractor and the framers tomorrow, but I have a feeling that what's done is done.

Whipper Snapper

I love mowing the lawn! This is a very recent discovery, happily coinciding with the very recent acquisition of a little riding mower.

Our neighbor loaned us an older Snapper riding mower that he doesn't use anymore. I was a bit intimidated at first by the 30" spinning blades, the throttle settings, the gear shift, the hand and foot pedals for engaging the blades, the lack of brakes, etc. It's quite a bit more involved than just priming the push mower and pulling the cord. But Jeff patiently walked me through it and now I'm a mowing maniac.

The mower has had its share of wear and tear, and it gave us a few problem at first. But Jeff persevered and has replaced the belt, fixed the bearings on the wheel, and repaired the front axle when it came apart mid-mow! The mower is sort of hinged in the middle, and every time I go over a big hump or bump or slope, it undulates like a horse maneuvering his forehand and hindquarters. Even more reminiscent of horseback riding is the fact that the seat foam and vinyl are worn completely through on the left side, making the driver's hips sit a bit crooked; so whenever the terrain is uneven, I pitch to the left and feel as though my saddle is slipping!

But there is something relaxing about having a (relatively) easy physical task that precludes any multitasking and frees the mind. And the satisfaction of seeing neat, trim rows of shorn grass is quite pleasant, too!

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

The pot of gold must be in downtown Huntsville!

Weekend Warriors

We enjoyed our productive long weekend this past Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Saturday evening was a game night at church, and I learned how to play Mexican train dominoes. I have no idea what makes it a "south of the border" domino version, but it was fun.

We had overnight guests and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast Sunday morning. After their departure, we jumped back into kitchen reno mode and got the faucet installed and started assembling the overhead light fixture. It was such a pretty, sunny day that we took several breaks and picked up pecans. Yes, they are still falling. After every storm, Jeff says surely this is the last of them, but then we find more!

Five bags full of whole pecans!

Also out enjoying the sun were all the pasture animals. We heard Sam the donkey braying and went to give him a little attention (and some carrots). He was nosy about the iPhone, and then wanted to smile for the camera!

Monday saw the kitchen chandelier hung, as well as a date to the plumbing warehouse followed by dinner at Panera Bread. Dance class capped off the evening with two hours of bolero. For a slow, romantic, Latin dance, it sure is a workout for the legs and feet. We fell into bed full, happy, and tired, but ready to face the (admittedly short) week ahead!

We are the A's

I know next to nothing about baseball. I probably enjoy watching it even less. But I can now say I identify with and appreciate the Oakland A's.

Jeff and I knew we would be a little burned out on remodeling at this point, so we scheduled in a movie date. We go to the theater only two or three times a year, but I had been wanting to take him to Moneyball; it's playing at our (very nice) dollar theater, so we went to the show last night.

The basic premise, based on a true story, is that the general manager of the poorest baseball team in the league revolutionizes the way players are picked and utilized. Using statistics, they make the most of every player and manage to win more consecutive games than any team in history. Essentially, they win games for only two hundred-something thousand dollars per game while the big flashy teams are spending over a million per win! Of course, they don't have the big name players or the fancy stadium, but they accomplish nearly the same results on a much smaller budget.

This concept I love. I think we as a couple strive to do the same thing: live below our means and make smart, thrifty choices while netting the same outcome as the big spenders. It's mostly undeserved blessings, but also some hard work and conscious decisions that yield the fruits. I'm grateful for the opportunity to know and practice this way of life!

Note: I'm not necessarily advocating this particular picture. We liked it, but some might find the movie a touch slow, and it did have a few coarse words. But it was interesting and did not require a large emotional or intellectual investment to follow and enjoy, which was exactly what we needed! I would be a terrible movie critic as I hate to be responsible for another party choosing or not choosing to spend two plus hours of their lives in the dark at my mercurial recommendation!

Herbal Bath

No, it wasn't a relaxing chamomile soak, or even a lavender scented wash. It was parsley!

When I went to get into the tub yesterday evening for a warm and cleansing rinse after a hard day, I found, much to my amusement, a piece of parsley floating in the bath water. It was a remnant from dinner, when I washed my electric cooker in the tub (it won't fit in the pedestal sink)!

This has been my evening ritual for the past few days, bent over the tub scrubbing our cookery and utensils. It's amazing how quickly you get use to it, though. I almost can't imagine the luxury of a working range, close-by refrigerator, and running water. And all in the same room; sheer decadence!

Our Perfect Day

Back when we were dating, Jeff asked me to describe my perfect day. It began with a sunny, pleasant morning walk with my husband from our old historic house out to the barn and pasture of our ten acre mini-farm to feed our menagerie of animals.

That dream was voiced about eleven years ago, and Jeff brought it to my attention yesterday. There we were, working side by side on the front landscaping of our old farmhouse, enjoying the sunshine and the view of the horses grazing. Along came our friendly chickens and DaVinci went to check out the little scene.

It was so like the moment I described all those years ago! Jeff joked that it only took a little over a decade to achieve (and the equines aren't actually ours, of course; oh, yeah, and we only have one acre, not ten)! All the same, it was a great memory to file away and a wonderful example of how God really does give us our hearts' desires.

Picking Pecans

Whether you say "\Pee-kans" or "Puh-\cahns", Jeff says delicious! He really enjoys pecans, so it's nice that we have two nut trees of our very own. I'm actually not a huge fan of them, but with a free harvest, I'm not inclined to let them go to waste. I'm hoping to find a good recipe for sugaring or glazing them, as I do love a fall mesclun salad with pears, gorgonzola, and glazed pecans, all topped with a raspberry vinaigrette. Yum!