Yay!

I have some exciting news to share: I don't have consumption. No TB here!! Yay!
I had to have a TB test at the doctor's and I came up negative. Not that there was much of a concern that I would have consumption but I definitely don't. Yay! Now I don't have to move to a drier climate or live in a consumption ward. Goody!


Blog consumer update:

In an effort to be a little greener and smear fewer man-made chemicals on me, I switched to a greener deodorant. Tom's of Maine makes toothpaste and deodorant. I tried the apricot scent which smelled more like peaches than apricots but that's ok. And I found out something very important: if you are going to switch deodorants, don't do it at the end of July when it's 88+ degrees outside. Stick with your Secret powder fresh until the heat of summer is done. Tom's works for about 3/4 of the same time as Secret does. It doesn't have aluminum in it but instead has hops. And no, you don't hop around when you put it on nor do you make some kind of funky underarm beer (which would make for an interesting marketing technique if it did: "In a long boring meeting? Need something to make the time go faster? With Tom's of Maine hop underarm beer fermentation tank, you can have all the beer your underarms can make! Try our ale flavor as well!)

So I switched back to Secret until fall. A lesson learned.........


Last night I went for a walk. I'm not certain why but the everywhere I walked, butterflies were there. You know the little yellow butterflies that always end up on your car's grill? Those. They were right alongside the road in droves and as I walked along, they flew up and flutter along next to me. I think it might have been mating season but it was still lovely to walk along with the butterflies. Made me feel like a Disney Princess albeit a sweating, headphones and tennis-shoe wearing Disney princess.

Deep thoughts with Mer: I thought of something while I was walking last night. We have a country road near us called Pleasant Hill Road. Sounds lovely, doesn't it? Well, you know those treadmill programs that have you walk up an incline, down an incline, and repeat to simulate walking up and down hills? God made a natural one for us here. I personally think it should be called Butt-kicking Hill Road. It's a great road to walk on because of that. And I can say hello to cows, dogs, cats, and more cows. It's just a beautiful road!!!

As I was approaching the last steep incline, I thought, "Self, you know, this hill is hard to climb. Instead of thinking about how hard it will be to reach the top of this hill, I need shorter goals. My new goal is: walk to that mailbox, then the next driveway, then that patched bit after that, and finally that shady part. All I need to do is think about reaching that mailbox. And I do. Then that driveway, and so on up the hill. Suddenly I'm at the top of the hill and I didn't even realize how hard it was to get there. I just kept putting one foot in front of the other, listening to my Wayne's World 2 soundtrack CD, and suddenly I'm there! Goal achieved.

This is kinda like life. We all have long term goals in our minds: debt free, families, living in our dream home, a dog name Louie. But those goals are so far off sometimes that we have to make shorter goals: pay off a credit card, be happy in ourselves, save money to buy that dream home, occasionally pretend the cat is a dog named Louie. One foot in front of the other to the shorter goals and bam! Suddenly you and your husband Fabio have adopted Louie Dog to run free in your mortgage free dream home on 50 wooded acres. Just make it to that mailbox!

A Fair Weekend!!

Very punny, Mer, very punny!



It was a fair weekend: Matt and I went to 2 (two)!!



Yay for fairs! I love fairs. They are just fantastic!! We went to the fair in our small town (the only community one in Illinois) and had a great time! Last year I entered a couple of canned goods: beet jelly and pickled beets. I won first for my pickled beets (thanks to Aunt Genny's recipe) and my beet jelly took second because some other woman had violet jelly. Violet jelly? What a waste of sugar!!! (Does anyone else remember making sugared violets? And if you have never heard of them, they are exactly what they sound like: boring pieces of sugared flowers) Anyhow, last year I was quite perturbed that I lost. I eventually stopped muttering, "Second, second? Violets, violets?" and started coming out of the basement more and more. Ha!

This year I didn't enter because I don't have too many canned goods to enter and I mistakenly opened the jar of chili sauce I was going to enter. Oh well.



But enough of my contest woes. This year we just went and had fun. The best part is saying hello to all of the animals: sheep, goats, and cows. They also had truck pulling, which is a sport I don't get. But it was still neat.



That was Friday night. Saturday night we went to Wisconsin to a county fair.
Now that was F-U-N!! I haven't been to a county fair in years!!!!! The rides, the food, the exhibits, the carnies (small hands, smell like cabbage) Oh such much fun!!!!!!

We also went to say hello to the animals! We're just like that. You know those people that actually say "hello" to the animals as if they know English? Yeah, that's us (well, me at least!).
We looked at all the dairy cattle (we're in Wisconsin, so there were a lot. And please ignore those commericals for California cheese, our cows are far happier than any other cow!!!!)
We looked at pretty Jerseys, Guernseys, Brown Swiss, Red and Black Holsteins and who knows what else. I like cows.
Then we went to the goat/sheep barn and a strange occurrence happened. At first it was just the goats. Matt and I thought that it was because I had a gyro for supper. The goats kept coming up to me and nibbling. On my dress, on my fingers, whatever they could find. They would come to me from other side of the pen. We thought since I had a gyro, maybe I smelled like goat??? And my dress was flower print, so maybe they thought it was actual flowers?? Some of them even ran (or trotted) over to me!!!! (I have the same effect on men:)

But then the sheep starting doing it!!!!!!! All of them let me pet them like dogs. It was very funny. And odd. So now my name is "Mer of the Goat People." All goats and sheep were strangely drawn to me.

Except that sheep do call for Matt: "Maaaaat, Maaaaat." According to him.

We also saw the awarding winning Swiss Cheese (remember, Wisconsin)
And I had ice cream (Wisconsin)
Matt had corn (Wisconsin)

All it all, it was a very fair fair!!!!

This weekend there is a fair in Iowa. Wonder if they'll have elephant ears? I am on a years' long quest for elephant ears. I have been craving one for at least 4 years. There weren't any at our fair and only funnel cakes in Wisconsin, elephants being a foreign creature and therefore protected by the Anti-Margarine Code of 1889. We even asked around for elephant ears but no one had any. Some people didn't even know what they were! I could find a deep-fried twinkie or snickers bar but no elephant ear. What is wrong with this picture!!!!!!

Ok, someone please tell me that you have been to a fair recently and have at least seen elephants ears being sold! Otherwise I might go back to the basement......

"E" is for the way I enjoy you
"L" is for the way I love you
"E" is for your yumminess when I eat you.....

and that's enough. You get the picture!
Elephant Ear, Stat!

The wonder of our world

I'm in the process of reading Gorgeously Green and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. It is also my inspiration for this post. That and Alaina's recent post on the same subject. Sorry Alaina, I don't mean to copy, it's just that I share your opinion on the matter and it has been weighing on my mind recently.

The author believes, and I agree, that one change can make a difference. So as we continue to use up our old light bulbs and replace them with CFLs, I try to remember to bring in bags when I go to the grocery store (why do I always remember in the dairy section? What is it about cheese that makes me think: I forgot my bags!), and we try to use as little water as possible (which means I stuff the washing machine with as much as I can get in there. There's always room for one more towel!) we are working to improve the environment.

However, just because we try to live green doesn't mean that we have to wear only hemp clothing! We can be pretty women too (sorry guys, this book is not really for you) I'm only on the second chapter but it's already helped me to realize that I have no idea what is in my makeup, lotion, shampoo or conditioner. I looked at many of the labels which start this way: water, glyercin, and continue to list chemicals that I can't pronounce. Does anyone know of eco-friendly shampoo, soap, etc, that would be readily accessible? Remember, I live ten miles from the middle of nowhere, so it will have to be pretty mainstream.

Something else that is recommended is to spend 1/2 hour with nature each day, even if it's weeding your flowers. So this morning, I woke up early and took a walk. The world is very new at 6:30 in the morning. I love that time of day except that it comes so early! I also re-remembered how beautiful our area is. It's not that I forget but more like I just recognize its beauty again. I walked along a country road and admired the lovely colors of tiger lilies, chicory, clover, and even the garlic mustard which added a nice yellow. Nature's bouquet, growing in a ditch. We move so fast anymore that we forget to enjoy what we have, whether it be nature or each other. I did laugh at a squirrel. He was about 50 feet in front me and kept running away from me as I walked closer. We did this for about 200 feet. I'm certain that I looked like a crazy woman walking along and laughing but come on, squirrels are funny!

Even if it is a squirrel running away from you or the simple beauty of wildflowers, it is our duty to protect this earth. We shouldn't think, "what can we get out of the earth" but rather "what can we do to help the earth while still enjoying our time on this planet." The earth is wonderful. Just think of all the different animals, plants, insects, and life that co-exist here. The beauty of a sunset or snowstorm. The season cycle with spring teeming with life, summer's bounty, fall's colors, and even winter's promise (and beauty, if you are me!) There is so much to enjoy and appreciate and yet we don't. We blast through hills to pave roads. We speed by nature to get to a jungle of concrete and asphalt. We irrigate our land to grow grass where it shouldn't grow. We trash the planet for our own selfish wants. And we complain about the smell from landfills. But, there is a cure. The other wonder of our planet is that it can heal itself. Much like our bodies, nature, if given enough time, can erase most of its scars. Have you ever not mowed a section of your yard for a period of time? What happens? The grass grows longer, bushes begin to grow, birds and rabbits move in. The same is true for our planet. It is not dead or dying. We are hurting it but we can stop. We just have to be aware of our actions and their consequences. So please, remember to turn off the light when you leave a room or turn off the faucet while you brush your teeth. If you don't recycle, try to begin. See if your community has a recycling program. If you don't, try to recycle at home. Find new uses for items that you would normally toss into the trash. Don't spray pesticides or herbicides on your yard: find homemade, eco-friendly ones. I found one yesterday for pests on plants which was soap, vinegar, and garlic.
We only have one planet and we need to care for it. Just remember, every little action can change the world!

Good luck!

A berry good time

A riddle:

My hands are stained but my teeth aren't.
I have bramble scratches on my arms.
I'm dreaming of toast and pancakes.

What am I?

I'm Merrilee after picking wild blackberries!!!!

Matt and I picked, are you ready for it? You might want to sit down.

12 cups of berries last night.
12!!
From wild bushes growing along side the road.
12!!!
I'm in shock.

We added that to the berries we picked previously and now we have about 21 cups of berries total. Just from the last week! They are all in the freezer which is a little full right now!

We're thinking blackberry jelly and blackberry syrup. Yum!

We left quite a few on the bushes for the birds and wildlife because we don't have to have the berries to live. We can go the grocery store for food. There isn't a grocery store for birds, although designing one would be really cool. Little shopping carts for birds and aisles of different bird seed and suet types..... Ok, I need a life.

Random Miscellany

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Fourth of July!!!!!
I certainly did. I was able to head back to Indiana for a long weekend. Matt wasn't able to go so he was sorely missed. Anyhow, I was able to see family that I haven't seen in years and spend time with Mel and Jenny which was great fun. (Jenny made me promise to mention that)

What do Julia Childs, Emeril, and I all have in common? We like to cook!! I think I might have invented a recipe but I'm not certain. Has anyone had White Chicken Lasagna before?
The subtitle to this recipe should be: How to use up those lasagna noodles you impulsively bought a couple of weeks ago. Some people impulsively buy cars or furniture, I buy pasta. Oh well.

Anyhow, in case you are curious, here is my pseudo-recipe. I don't believe in recipes. They're only guidelines for cooking anyhow, not commandments.

Chicken, cooked and shredded. Saute onions. Make roux with onions. Add canned tomato chunks or just a little tomato sauce for some color. Use for sauce in lasagna strata.

Enjoy!

It was good, really good. And the best part is that it makes a ton so I have plenty of leftovers to pack for my lunch this week. Although I think by Thursday I might start sprouting lasagna noodles for ears and ricotta for hair!!


P.S. I do have approximate measurements that I can share if anyone is interested. But they're only approximate!

BOOKS!

The Big Read is an NEA program designed to encourage community reading initiatives. They've come up with this list of the top 100 books, using criteria they don't explain, and they estimate that the average adult has only read 6 of these.


So, we are encouraged to:
1) Look at the list and bold those we have read.
2) Italicize those we intend to read.
3) Underline the books we LOVE (Or, I'm making mine red since I read them. :)
4) Reprint this list in our own blogs and share!


1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte's Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo


Holy carp, I'm a total geek! What is wrong with me? I've read the Count of Monte Cristo but haven't read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?? I love chocolate more than I love sandwiches, what am I doing??

Ok, since I read 49 of them and I'm only supposed to have read six, does that make me a nerd?