Court Yard Duck

My husband's parents live on the lake, and for the second time in two years a mama duck has laid a multitude of eggs in their front court yard area, which interestingly enough does not face the lake.  The mama must think it's a safe space?  In the previous year the eggs disappeared- perhaps they were eaten by a raccoon, a water snake, or some other hungry animal.  This year my husband's mother has fortified her court yard in an attempt to keep out other animals.  I'm hoping these babies hatch!

Gorgeous Girl Handsome Man

Look at this picture of Sarah Dooley relaxed on her bed.  Isn't she gorgeous?  The second picture is of Trigger Monkey on the couch.  Isn't he handsome?  At night Trigger gets tired and cranky, and he doesn't like it when Dooley starts running around the house...so we have to put him up on the couch or in the bed to keep him safe from his energetic sister. 

Pack A Suit

In less than a month we'll be in the Republic of Georgia.  It will be my first time to cross the Atlantic, and I'm really looking forward to the adventure that is in front of us.  We Skyped with my cousin who lives in Georgia and she reminded us that Europe is more formal than the States.  She said we should pack our suits.  Taking formal clothes on a European vacation makes me feel like I'm visiting another era.  In the 1960's my husband's father vacationed with his aunt and uncle in Europe; I've seen the photographs, and my husband's father was wearing a suit in every single photograph.

Focusing on the Now

While I was typing the previous post I had our baby girl in my lap and Trigger at my feet.  So instead of being too reflective on the life and death of Martha Fauker I'm going to celebrate the here and now.

Trigger Monkey is my lover boy and Sarah Dooley is my rambunctious girl, and the three of us are going outside to enjoy the evening air...
 

Collar

I keep Martha Fauker's collar on a vase in the main room of our home.  I like to see it on display.  This weekend at the couples' stock the bar shower the bride's mother, DeAnne, saw the collar and started tearing up.  When I was in college and had to go out of town, DeAnne would keep Martha Fauker for me, and DeAnne has been a dominate member in the Martha Fauker fan club ever since. 

Martha Fauker's death makes me feel like a magical part of myself is gone for good.

I wish I knew with certainty and without an echo of doubt that heaven exists and that I'll see Martha Fauker again. 

Life goes on...

Iris Beauty

Behold the beauty of our irises!  I still think irises are the most under-appreciated flowering plant.  They are easy to grow and they are beautiful in bloom- why aren't there more irises in the world?   Maybe I should start a non-profit: Society for the Promotion of Iris Beauty? Iris Beauty Advocacy Group? Iris Beauty Awareness League?

Of course when it comes to iris beauty I am partial to the cool color palette; blues, purples, whites.  I only let the yellow irises grow on the other side of our fence in the alley, but I'm okay with that because I bet someone in the world likes yellow irises more than the blues/purples/whites, and together we balance each other out.

Stock the Bar Shower

We hosted a couples' stock-the-bar shower for our friends Missy and Josh this weekend.  (They are getting married in January 2012.)  It's always great fun to hang out with our college friends.  We really only see each other in person a few times a year.   One of our friends, Mike, is a brewmaster and he brought two kegs of his home brewed beer, which was a big hit.  We had tons of other beverages too- wine, margarita punch, cokes, lemonade and ice tea!  But of course we also had more than enough food!

The menu:

• Grilled vegetable kabobs (red potatoes, squash, bell peppers, pineapple, sweet onions.)
• Grilled cream cheese stuffed jalapenos wrapped in bacon
• Grilled sliders with all the fixings
• Brisket stuffed corn muffins
• Cheese puffs
• Spinach and artichoke dip
• Fresh fruit salad
• Ooey gooey butter bars
• Cupcakes

We used my husband's mother's silver platters, Glenda's silver punch bowl, and my mother's white table cloths- we are so lucky to have family willing to loan us their good stuff.  The best part is hosting with my husband.  It's a tremendous amount of work to host a shower, but I really like having our house full of interesting people who are eating good food and laughing through the night.