Category Archives: Ponderings

22 Smells I Like

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Recently, I have posted about liking the smell of new books and the smell of sheets dried outdoors. After thinking about it a bit, I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m a smelly person. 🙂 Here is an incomplete list of smells I enjoy.

  1. New books
  2. Luke’s shaving cream
  3. Coffee
  4. New money
  5. Hazelnut
  6. Luke’s deodorant
  7. Common Scents
  8. Bread baking
  9. Newly built house
  10. New car
  11. Honeysuckle
  12. Luke’s aftershave
  13. Cookies baking
  14. Fresh cut wood
  15. Cinnamon
  16. Freshly cut grass
  17. Blueberry
  18. New clothes
  19. Apple Pie
  20. Chocolate
  21. Freshly bathed baby
  22. Spring

So, what scents do you enjoy? If you are willing to share, please leave a comment or use this as an opportunity for an easy blog post of your own.

Go ahead & share. It just makes scents! 😀

To Dry or Not to Dry

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I did it! I did it! I fixed a dryer that was taking 3 hours to dry each load of clothes!! We had been struggling with it for months, and I had resorted to hanging my clothes out on the porch to get them dry! It actually took less time that way! Amazingly, sheets, because they are only one layer, only take 20 minutes in the bright sunshine to dry! And oh the smell! I love sheets that have been hanging outside!! Oh wait, I’m supposed to be bragging on myself. 🙂

We live in the upstairs part of a 2 family apartment, so we share a washer and dryer (in the basement) with our neighbors. Our neighbor cleaned out the dryer vent hose, but it did nothing toward making our dryer hotter. So, more time went by with me enjoying the fresh outdoor scent of our clothes.

One day several weeks ago, I had a load of clothes that I really needed to wash before the next day. Unfortunately, the dryer was busy. I waited for 5 or 6 hours on our slow dryer to dry 2 loads of our neighbor’s clothes, and the third load was in and still very wet. Even though I enjoy the aroma of fresh air on our clothes, I needed a dry load of clothes before the next day!

So, my fingers did the walking across my keyboard, and I did a bit of research. I had done the research before, but for some reason I had over looked one little word in my previous research. Wanna know what that word was? You sure? Maybe I shouldn’t tell you.

Okay. That word was “outside.” So, now it is all cleared up, and I can end this blog post. Oh wait! You say you don’t get it? What are you, slow? Okay, I guess I’ll have to spell it out for you! I-A-M-B-R-I-L-L-I-A-N-T!!!

Oh yeah…..bragging on myself……wait….isn’t that what I was just doing?

Our neighbor checked the vent hose leading to outside, but did he check the actual vent outside the house? So, out of desperation to get that load of laundry done as quickly as possible, I walked outside, got down on my knees, and felt for a vent. Sure enough, there was a little vent that pops right off that was caked with wet lint. After pulling it all off, the dryer dried a load in one drying cycle!!! All that lint was blocking moisture from escaping from the dryer! Yep, I’m brilliant. Go ahead. Say it. I know you’re dying to! 😉

Oh, wait! What’s that you say? Anybody could have figured that out? It was obviously done by someone before? You don’t say? Oh well, at least my dryer works!

Afraid to Begin Tomorrow

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Here is a summary of how my week has begun:

Yesterday after Chinese lessons, I came home to a very hot house and a not so cold refrigerator. Our electricity had been turned off because the bill had supposedly not been paid. Because our utilities are paid by the landlord, and I could not get in touch with him, we packed up our food and clothes, and headed to a friend’s house for the night. They fed us and took good care of us. The electricity issue turned out to be a misunderstanding with the electric company, and the electricity was restored that evening.

Today, Luke needed to go to the bank, but I offered to go for him since I needed to go to the grocery store anyway. Just before I left the house, I gave my phone a bath in the toilet….and almost flushed it. So, I headed out with Luke’s phone so I could at least email him if necessary. My phone replacement would be an issue for another day.

On the way to the bank, I witnessed a fender bender wreck. It was such a small wreck that I heard no crash and was not even aware that they hit each other until they pulled over as I was passing by. I felt obligated to go back and be their eyewitness, but there was one small problem. I had accidentally taken a road that went straight onto an unfamiliar highway. I had to exit onto another highway and then exit again to turn around and go back. I actually found my way back with no problems and arrived in time to see the police officer pull up to the scene of the accident. It was tempting not to stop because it required taking that same exit that caused the accidental detour in the first place!

After telling the police officer what I saw, I was then faced with the dilemma of doing the detour all over again. After asking the police officer how to get to the bank, I made it without a hitch, even though he gave very brief and vague directions.

When I got to the bank, I had a baby, a 2 year old, and no stroller – because I had taken it out to fit our cooler in the van the day before. The only bank still open was in a mall, so I stuffed my pockets with all the necessary stuff to make a deposit, put C in my baby front carrier, and let B walk. Fortunately, I had accidentally parked close to a bank I had never been to within a mall that I’ve only been to twice. After a walk through the mall at a 2 year old’s pace, carrying the weight of a 16 pound baby on my shoulders, I was glad to sit down in the van. And somehow the shopping trip at the grocery store seemed like a breeze!! I even got a good shopping cart! 🙂

As I was typing the events of the last 2 days, I realized that there were a lot of good parts to balance the hectic. So here is a list of the good things:

  • I had not shopped to stock our fridge yet.
  • We had good friends with a big freezer to take us in.
  • The electricity issue was a mistake.
  • I did not flush the phone.
  • I am able to email from my phone.
  • I found my way back from my accidental detour (twice).
  • We had money to deposit into the bank.
  • I had my baby carrier with me.
  • I parked close to a bank.
  • I made it home from the mall without getting lost.
  • I did not have to call Luke a single time for directions!

Now that I see how well the good parts of the day balanced the bad, I think I am prepared to take on tomorrow! God is good, isn’t He?

7 Things About Me

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I was tagged by Amanda to list 7 Things about myself, so here goes.

  1. I love bananas but they have to be the perfect ripeness. There seems to be one or two days in the life of a banana when it is perfect for eating. When at this perfect ripeness, bananas are my favorite fruit!
  2. I have a short temper. For some reason this one surprises people. I have to watch myself or I will get frustrated with someone just for not being like me. I forget that not everyone thinks in the exact same way that I do! (Praise the Lord!)
  3. I am a middle baby. It may sound a bit confusing, but even though I was the middle child in my family, I have always been treated like and have acted like the baby. Don’t get confused here. I did not say that I act like a baby. I said I acted like the baby of the family. There is a difference, albeit a small one. 🙂
  4. I make it a habit to stick my hand in the toilet. Well, maybe that’s going a bit overboard, but I have stuck my hand in the toilet more times than I can count. It’s just that way with 5 kids. How else are you going to get the poop out of underwear during potty training without washing it down your sink? Interestingly, my hand took a dive in the toilet last week just to rescue a nail. Hey, any excuse works!! 😉
  5. I am becoming a geek. I guess anybody that is around Luke long enough will begin to form some geeky tendencies. I have learned to do a little with CSS (note I said a little) and am currently learning about Joomla!. I have learned to go to the computer every time I am curious about anything. I use it as a dictionary, Bible, phone, journal, TV, newspaper and several other things. I would be lost without my geeky computer (and the husband to go with it).
  6. I like the smell of new clothes and books. I know I will probably die with some form of sickness from sniffing them, but they just smell so good!
  7. Yes, all five are mine, they all have the same father, I do know what causes that, none of them are twins, I do have my hands full, and I’m loving it!

If you want to know more, read a previous post where I listed 5 things about myself.

Now for the fun part. I get to give you all something to blog about. I tag Luke, Rebekah, Matthew, Lisa, Paul, Butterfly Mama, and Angie.

Here are the rules:

  • Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
  • Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog (some random, some weird).
  • Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
  • Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

My Favorite Husband

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He’s thoughtful. He’s kind.
He’s friendly and true.
He’s so generous
I don’t know what to do

He’s gentle. He’s loyal.
He’ll always help out
No matter the cost
And without a doubt.

He’s patient. He’s loving.
He has faith in the Lord.
He’s always had vision,
A goal to look toward.

He’s slow to get angry.
He’s hard to offend.
He’s the best man around.
He’s my best friend.

I love you, Luke!

Doctors and Toys

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Today at Candace’s 2 month check-up, Hasbro presented a solution to keeping kids busy at doctor’s appointments without spreading germs. They give coloring pages and pre-packaged crayons (4 in a pack) to each child that the child gets to take home. What a great idea!! Here’s why.

Less Likelihood of Germs

Sure germs are still around, but at least sick children will not be chewing on toys that well children will be playing with. Also, you don’t have to worry about whether the toys get cleaned often enough. I should point out that Hasbro has automatic hand sanitizer machines everywhere to help prevent the spread of germs. I really like them, even though both Peter and I have had our hair sprayed from standing (or sitting in my case) underneath one.

More Personal

There is something more personal about the nurse personally handing the coloring pages to each child. This is especially true if the nurse is giving them to the siblings of the child being seen because the siblings don’t feel ignored. Plus each child gets to make his/her own creation (even if it is a printed coloring page). And, best of all, he/she gets to take it home to show off to siblings or other family members!

Quiet Activity

Coloring kept my kids’ attention for about 20 minutes. They sat quietly and colored and compared their crayons and pictures. After awhile they began to pretend their crayons were people, but at least they were playing with un-contaminated “toys,” and even then, they were quite quiet. And maybe, since they get to take the pages home with them, they’ll decide to have more quiet coloring time in the car on the way home.

Less Chaos

With toys in the room, children are likely to argue over who gets the “coolest toy.” This is not as much of a problem when they all have identical coloring pages and even all had the exact same color crayons (yes, I know this is also a bit boring because they only had 4 colors to work with). Also, as parents of small toddlers are leaving, they don’t have to convince the child that he/she really wants to leave the toys in the room. They just take the coloring pages and crayons with them!

Good for Everyone

Pediatric offices see patients ranging in age between newborn through teenager. It is difficult to provide toys that work for all age groups. For some reason, coloring works for them all (except infants, of course)! I still enjoy coloring, and I’m…….uh….well, I’m an adult! 🙂 Too bad coloring pages weren’t available for me at the doctor’s office as a child. It would have been neat to come home and show off my artwork.

Have you caught on to the fact that I like being able to take home the coloring pages and crayons? Maybe it is because I like pictures plastered all over the refrigerator. Or maybe I just like seeing a full-length crayon with the wrapper still on it in the kids crayon box from time to time. Regardless of the reason, I am hooked on this activity at the doctor’s office…as long as my young toddler doesn’t leave her artwork (almost) permanently on the walls!

More Calories for Breastfeeding Mothers?

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As a breastfeeding mom of a 7 week old baby, I have been seeking ways to get back to my pre-pregnancy size. While I know exercise is important and has its place, it also makes sense to watch what you are eating.

I have been told with all my children that I should have an extra 500 calories per day in order to give my body enough energy to make breast milk. While I know that is a great thing to hear and very tempting to do no questions asked, it did not make a lot of sense to me.

This is the most sensible answer I have every heard or read on this topic. It makes so much sense it is almost hard to believe. 🙂

Think about it. Adding 500 calories to a diet of a woman who consumes 2000 calories per day (the amount most food package labels assume you will consume) increases the intake by 25%. Adding 500 calories to the diet of a woman who normally consumes 1200 calories per day increases her calorie intake by 41.6%! So tell me. Wouldn’t it make more sense and be more realistic to say that breastfeeding mothers should increase their caloric intake by 25%?

Do’s and Don’ts of Rhode Island Driving

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Now that I have been in Rhode Island for half a year, I will let you know what it is like here. I will begin by telling you about the driving habits and manners of Rhode Island drivers. Here are some Do’s and Don’ts

Do’s

  • Just go around a car on the right if it is turning left. This is actually in the Rhode Island driver’s handbook. It keeps from blocking traffic as it is very common here not to have a left turn lane. The interesting thing is that cars will actually pull as close to the center line as possible when turning left to allow cars behind them to go around.
  • Reverse the right of way when someone is turning out of the driveway or side road that you want to turn into. Instead of turning in and then letting them turn out, it is very common to let them leave the driveway first. Maybe this began because many driveways are quite narrow, but it seems to be more of a courtesy now because this is practiced even with wide driveways.
  • Make more room for cars if there is an interference with traffic on the other side of the road. If there is a police car or a telephone truck on one side of the road, each car in oncoming traffic will move over slightly on the shoulder to give room for both streams of traffic to have adequate space to get around the construction, etc.
  • Drive Slowly. The speed limit is 25mph within city limits! This one is still taking some time to get used to. I was used to going 35 minimum in Tennessee, and my foot seems to have adjusted to the faster minimum speed limit. In the past I remedied my heavy foot syndrome by setting cruise, but our cruise won’t work below 30!
  • Expect bumpy roads that hold water when it rains. This one really bothered me at first, but now I am realizing how nice it is not to have to deal with Tennessee’s state mascot – the construction barrel

Don’ts

  • Don’t hesitate if you are turning left and have no left signal. Many times I have seen a left turner book it when the light turned green. It seems to be accepted and actually expected behavior because drivers who are going straight actually pause long enough to allow it. Unfortunately, there seems to be a limited window of opportunity for this expected behavior that I have missed quite a few times.
  • Don’t honk your horn. It wasn’t until someone honked at me the other day that I realized that a car had not honked at me since moving (except in New York)! I actually almost changed lanes on top of someone (accidentally of course), and they didn’t even honk then! They just slowed down and let me in!
  • Don’t go blind looking for non-existent road signs. There seem to be certain areas that do not advertise what road you are on or the intersecting roads. Some areas have neither, some have one or the other, and occasionally you will find an area that has both the road you are on and intersecting roads.
  • Don’t assume no one will go behind you as you are backing out – even if you are over half way out. I guess I am used to people beign afraid to go behind a car if they merely have their reverse lights on. It has shocked me several times to have a car zoom behind me as I was backing out!
  • Don’t go the wrong way. Here in RI, we have rotaries. These are intersections where everyone coming into the intersection turns right and goes in a circle until they come to the road they want to turn onto. If you want to go straight, you still have to go around the rotary. If you want to turn left, it can be a bit confusing b/c you have to turn right and go all the way around. this is really a neat idea; it just takes a little getting used to.

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11 Ways to Beat Time at His Own Game

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Luke and I have discovered that we do not get along with Time very well. Somehow he always runs ahead of us and beats us wherever we want to go. Here are a few ways that we have fooled Time into thinking he is winning when we are really giving ourselves a head start.

We do everything possible the night before. Here are some suggestions:

  • lay out clothes for everyone including socks, shoes, and belts
  • pack diaper bag, purse, laptop bag, etc.
  • decide what’s for breakfast (make pancake batter and refridgerate)
  • prepare pot for tea
  • pour drinks into cups, cover, and put in fridge
  • set the table or at least make sure your dishes are clean. 🙂

Here are other tips to help beat Time:

  • Put everything by the door that you plan to take with you (purse, laptop, coats, diaper bag, etc)
  • Make a list of anything you can’t put by the door the night before (like lunch or a favorite blanket) and tape it to the door (even if there is only one thing on the list).
  • Fool yourself into thinking you absolutely have to be out the door half an hour before you really do
  • Make up a morning checklist (we use a dry erase marker on the mirror), and check off (or erase) actions as they are done. (This is helpful b/c I don’t have to ask Luke if he brushed Phillip’s teeth. I just look to see what is still on the “to do” list).
  • Have everyone clean up after themselves by washing their own breakfast dishes, or at least putting them in the sink or dishwasher.

Please let me know if you have other suggestions for beating Time. Moxie and I would love to hear from you!

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5 Things that May Surprise You

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I have been tagged by my husband (Big surprise….he loves chasing me and I have to let him catch me once in a while!!) 🙂 I am supposed to tell you 5 things about myself that you might not already know. Let’s see. I have 3, I mean 4 children, but I bet you already know that. I am homeschooling…wait, most of you already know that too. This is tough for me because extroverts have trouble keeping secrets – even about themselves! OK. Here goes….

1. I am an extrovert.

Throughout grade school, I was an extremely shy person. Because of this, I always thought myself to be an introvert. It wasn’t until I got married and was looking through books on personality types that I discovered that being a shy person is not what defines an introvert. An introvert is idea oriented (not me at all!), but an extrovert is people oriented. I care what people think of me – usually too much so!! When I was a freshman in college, one of my friends joined the yearbook staff. I was very interested in both writing and photography, but would not join because I was afraid my friend would think I joined because she did!! I know that is absolutely silly, especially from this friend, who actually asked me if I wanted to join in the first place. But I did not see how silly it was until recently. I care what people think. As a matter of fact, I considered leaving out this illustration because I was afraid people would think I am a fruitcake. 🙂 Fortunately, there are people who do not mind, and may even like fruitcakes!

I enjoy working with the elderly.

My grandma used to take me with her when she visited the nursing home. We would see her friends and people that had no family to visit them. Thus the beginnings of my interest in the elderly. In college, I was part of a group that visited a nursing home regularly. It felt a little awkward at first, but then I realized how much our visits were appreciated. To some at the nursing home, we were the bright spot in their week!! Even if they did not know us or thought we were somebody they knew, they enjoyed our visits. Between my grandma and the college group, I have formed a soft spot in my heart for the elderly, even if they do get a little mixed up sometimes. Speaking of getting mixed up…..

3. A friend and I used the men’s restroom by accident.

Yes, we actually went into the bathroom and did not notice until we were coming out. Yes, we heard someone actually come in, do their business, and leave while we were in the stalls. I am sure the looks on our faces were priceless when we walked out of the stalls and noticed 2 whole rows of urinals that we had walked right past on the way in. Somehow it did not make sense to ask if they were there when we went in. (I guess it would now be pointless to mention that maybe I’m not very observant!) 🙂 Fortunately, we got out of the bathroom without getting as embarrassed as we could have been. I don’t know why the cashier looked at us so strangely when we came out……. 🙂 Even though this experience may make me appear a little ditzy, I am actually quite smart. As a matter of fact…..

4. I am currently learning Ruby on Rails.

A month or so ago, I looked at my husband as he was working with a database and said, “I bet I could do that.” He loved the idea and has been working with me off and on ever since, teaching me what he knows about building databases and how computers work. I still have a long way to go!! For those of you who are wondering, Ruby is a programming language, and Rails is a framework that makes it easy to connect a database to a website. The learning process isn’t exactly fun, but I look forward to the day when I can create my own usable database that will make both my life and the life of others easier. And last but not in the least…….

5. I have a blog!!!

I hope that someone is actually reading this post because nothing I have typed here is a big surprise to me!! 🙂 Plus, if no one is reading it, no one will ever know if he/she got tagged by me!! If you are reading this and were surprised by anything I said, I would love to hear about it. Leave me a comment. If you already knew I had a blog, why haven’t you commented on it??!! An extrovert is getting lonely, here!! Oh, I hope that didn’t offend any of you…… 🙂

Okay, now for the fun part!!! I tag Marie, Rebekah, Chris, Kelley, and Amanda. If you have a blog or are willing to start a blog, please post 5 things that you think others may not know about you and tag 5 more people. For information on how to start a blog, my husband has described how to do it here.

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