My Week So Far...

As some of you know I decided to do the unthinkable and take a week off from work. I was in dire need of a BREAK so I broke down and took the whole week off! Here I am at Wednesday and thought I'd share what I've been up to so far...

Sunday -

Missed Father's Day because I had no gas in my car and never got around to calling. So Happy Father's Day dad! I love you!

Monday -

Slept in (if you can call 7:30am sleeping in -- lately my eyes have been popping open at 10 minutes to 6 every morning.

Went to the dentist by 7:50 to get my semi-annual cleaning. This time I even got x-rays (yee haw). And thankfully NO CAVATIES!

Went for a much needed oil change - found out I needed new tires. Bought new tires (thank heaven for a third paycheck in July).

Started and finished reading "A River Runs Through It" (quite an accomplishment for me to start and finish reading anything over 20 pages in one day). In case you're wondering, the books is just as sad as the movie -- Paul still dies.

Weeded the vegetable patch. We have 3 tomato plants, two cucumbers, 2 yellow squash, 2 zuchinni plants and a raspberry bush.

Helped Toby load all the gear into her dad's trailer for Girls camp (she's headed out all this week). Would you believe both girls and leaders were still bringing stuff at 11pm?!?

Discovered two cute kittens in the neighbor's back yard -- resisted all temptation to jump over the fence and adopt them. (gus would have liked to have them as a snack.) Luckily no adoption was needed, the neighbors decided they needed two kittes, so I get to watch them run up and down the tree and run in circles next door and I don't have to feed them. :) I've named them Jasper and Horace. (And for the record they are not NEARLY as cute as Gus).

Tuesday -

Packed a small bag for an overnight camping trip. Waited for Toby's dad to come fetch the trailer, bid farewell to the kitty-cat (who incidentally is sleeping with his head on my right had as I type this having been "Abandoned" for 24 hours) and headed for the mountains nearby Strawberry reservoir. After a quick and not-all-too-satisfying lunch at Chick's Cafe in Heber we found a suitable campsite and settled in. I spent most of the afternoon playing StarWars legos with Mason (my nephew-by-association) and trying not to fall asleep in the peaceful quiet of the mountians. Toby and her mom (and later her dad) saw a bear that had ripped a hole in a tent further down the canyon and couldn't convince Mason that it was something he needed to see.

We got a fire going, had delicious tin-foil dinners and I told Mason scary stories (which here means I tried to retell the entire saga of StarWars to a 5 and 1/2 year-old's liking) then we played tag around the campfire while the rest of the gang chatted around the campfire. I've come to the conclusion that I don't get nearly enough kid time. For whatever reason I have a far easier time communicating with kids than I have with grown-ups. After I wore Mason out -- he headed off to bed with the grandparents and Toby and I followed shortly there after. We only saw one star last night, what with the clouds, but it was wonderful to just sit in the middle of nowhere and not have a care in the world. I found myself taking a couple of mental vacations--haven't done that in a while.

Did I mention the great fire? It was a pity we weren't prepared with Marshmellows or peeps as we had PERFECT roasting coals. I guess we'll have to pull out the fire pit and try to convince someone to come hang out with us on the 23rd after the parade to roast marshmellows and watch fireworks from our front yard.

Wednesday -
Woke up bright and early helped Toby unload the trailer in preparation for the girls who were leaving to come up to camp this morning.

Played a round of ring toss.

Loaded up the truck and headed out with the parent's and Mason leaving Toby alone in the woods with a trailer, a pile of gear, a Honeybucket (aka port-a-potty), and a bear somewhere in the woods. We're hoping the blue van we passed on the way out was on its way to keep her company.

Stopped on the way home so Mason could go fishing. Dan stopped at the Provo river walk and tried a cast or two, Mason was successful in discovering a Muskrat hole with his foot and wasn't too happy about that. Luckily we had an extra pair of shorts in the truck to replace his soggy jeans. (Mental note: when walking along a river bank watch out for muskrat holes.)

Arrived home safely to a sullen cat. Showered and took a quick snooze with aforementioned cat (I think he missed me). Ate a peanut butter sandwich and couple of cookies, got the mail, chased the cat who escaped while getting the mail and then started in on my homework -- which is still not qutie done (what with blogging and all).

That's my week so far -- the day's not over yet, so there may be more to come. Stay tuned.

The Sound of Music

While reading for one of my classes I have been introduced to John Muir one of the early Transcendentalists (akin to Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau)--you could say they were the original tree-huggers. Being a tree-hugger (and poet) at heart I was impressed by this passage from one of Muir's books, the chapter it comes from is called "A Wind-Storm in the Forests"

“I drifted on through the midst of this passionate music and motion, across many a glen, from ridge to ridge; often halting in the lee of a rock for shelter, or to gaze and listen. Even when the grand anthem had swelled to its highest pitch. I could distinctly hear the varying tones of individual trees,—Spruce, and Fir, and Pine, and leafless Oak, —and even the infinitely gentle rustle of the withered grasses at my feet. Each was expressing itself in its own way,—singing its own song…”

I have always felt that music has a way of touching the deeper part of one’s soul much like being alone in nature does. I love the way Muir intertwines these two elements in this passage. It isn’t hard to imagine the kind of music trees and grasses might make if they had a voice (or if we truly listened)—Muir was in tune enough to hear their symphony.

Room for a Gnome?

You know it's a bad sign when even your mom comments on the fact that there's never anything new on your blog. So here's what's on my mind today...

I have this recurring dream that I'm getting married--should be a good dream, right? But it's not...the wedding (or rather the events leading up to it are always a fiasco -- the gown is never ready (or even one I'd actually wear, I rarely have a veil (last time I tried to convince Toby that it would be okay if I made a veil from the toile curtains in the dressing room, and the groom is either a complete unknown or nowhere to be found. Sounds like underlying commitment issues--at least that's what I recall Scratz dream book saying, something along those lines.

Maybe those commitment issues come from the fact that I need to commit to a man in my life -- a little smiling man made of resin who will watch over my flower garden -- yes, folks, a lawn gnome.

As many of you know I have a sort of love/hate relationship with lawn gnomes (remember Gjerry). Now that I've got a well-established yard I'd like to find the perfect gnome to live in the back yard. Let's face it some gnomes are just downright creepy. I've been looking fro a while now and I've seen several contenders that I would approve of...

#1 - the travelocity gnome... very cute, and not at all creepy. Sticker price $69.99 not including taxes and shipping. (even on ebay)

#2 - the Robert's craft gnome -- very cute, painted in muted shades, kind of stone looking with a nice little lantern. Sticker Price $70.00 (ack!)

#3 - the Smith's Marketplace gnome -- a very traditional looking gnome, although not as menacing as some I've seen, nor too whimsical -- even at 40% off he was still $40.00.

I guess I need to decide what my gnome commitment level is. I like gnomes, but why are they so pricey? Could I really commit to a gnome that I didn't really love? This is my dilemma. I need some serious help.