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Scattered Sundays

Hey, good news! Unlike last week, our house didn’t almost burn down this week. Everything else after that is just gravy. House not burning down > everything else.

Troy’s birthday is this week and then Father’s Day is always the following week. Just like last year, I “gave” Troy the joint birthday/Father’s Day gift that all parents crave and desire. The gift of being ALONE.

He headed to his parent’s house at the ocean for a few nights and had a great time doing whatever he wanted without having to answer 1,981 questions about whether or not earthworms have buttholes. Again, the parent’s dream.

I used the solo time at home to crush my way through my photography to-do list. It’s so much easier to have the house to myself when taking food photos because I don’t have the share the kitchen, work around anyone, and I can listen to all the murdery podcasts I want.

Each summer the kids are home and I get really grouchy, yelly, and downright stabby trying to fit in photography while they’re destroying the house. Now that I’m using some flash equipment, it’s just more stuff for them to break, mess with, or ask questions about.

I’m sick of being the mean mom who is trying to run a full-time business during the summer. So, this year I tried a slightly different tactic. We’ll see if it works; only time will tell.

The goal in May was to photograph almost all the recipes I would need for the site through September 15th. I knew it was impossible, especially with the three of them being home sick for a week at the end of May. A house full of productivity destroyers. But, I was going to give it my all!

Many of the recipes are seasonal and the produce I need/want for them isn’t yet available at the farmer’s markets. There’s not much I can do about that, but I can greatly reduce the overall number of times I have to yell “OMG STAY OUT OF THE KITCHEN YOU FERAL CHILDREN”.

Even as I was cruising thru the photography to-do list, I kept adding more projects when I found good keywords for future posts. I also dehydrated pretty much every single herb that lives in my yard, and none of those were on my initial list.

I started this project in May with 46 recipes on the list, and as of today, I’m down to 17 left to photograph. And that includes one recipe that I have to reshoot because I hated the photos so much. The 2010 blogging version of me would have been thrilled with those photos, but the current blogging version of me said “heck no”.

a messy kitchen.

Last Sunday we went to the Mariner’s game to celebrate two friend’s birthdays. I haven’t been to a stadium since WELL before the world shutting down in spring 2020. I think it had been at least 10-15 years since I had stepped foot into T Mobile field which I kept calling SafeCo field because it had been THAT long.

It was a fun trip, despite the fact that lines everywhere were nuts, nobody took cash to make it “faster”…but the systems kept crashing and vendors had to keep rebooting, and the torrential rain that happened, starting in the 4th inning.

The stadium has a moveable roof and they closed it in the second or third inning. It covers the entire stadium, except for one section. And naturally, it was the section we were sitting in. 🙂

The ushers let us know that we were all allowed to move to another section, but we were a big group, people were out getting food (see note about looooong lines), so it took us a very long time to decide to move. Once we did, it was 100% the right choice and we started to finally dry out.

a mom and her son who has a silly looking smile at a ballpark.

Something that has definitely changed since the last time I was in a large arena, is the bag policy. I think it’s a combo of covid and likely the constant dangers of violence of the US society, but they now only allowed clear bags into the ballpark.

We couldn’t bring in a metal water bottle and had to shove everything we needed into a gallon Ziploc and then pay to use a locker at a street vendor’s outside of the stadium which seemed shifty as hell. I was pretty convinced our backpack would be gone when we came out of the game.

I don’t know how many games/events we ever plan to attend in the future, but I’m sure the clear bag policy isn’t going away anytime soon. I ended up buying this clear backpack for future use, and my sister jokingly asked me how it felt to return to the 90s and did I buy it from Delias.

a kid sleeping with crooked fingers under his chin.
And yes, his bedding is unicorn cats. You can get your own here. 🙂

Since Bennett was a baby we have joked about his “weird thumbs”. Like his fingers are missing a joint or something. We asked about it at a really early checkup (like 3 months maybe?) and the doctor said babies are bendy.

He’s been experiencing extreme muscle cramps for the last few months, and honestly, I didn’t think much of it. I had horrible leg cramps for years at his age, well into my tweens.

But then he started complaining that things were getting “stuck”. He doesn’t know the word for joints, but would say something like “my arm is stuck” or “I need to pop my ankle”. And not being able to “unstick” these things would cause pain and discomfort.

A few months ago I was reading an article in People Magazine um, The Economist, about a woman with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and thought “hmmmm, that does a bit familiar”. And I tucked that nugget away in my head to marinate on a bit.

I often post photos of Bennett sleeping in my Instagram stories because 1) I’m creepy and 2) he sleeps in the weirdest positions. Like a pretzel that has been hit by extreme wind. I posted this photo below about 10 days ago.

a child sleeping in a strange position.

A week before posting it, I had scheduled an appointment with Bennett’s pediatrician to talk about EDS and his hyper-mobility. And then wouldn’t you know it, a reader on Instagram who has EDS sent me a very sweet private message asking me if I ever had Bennett evaluated for EDS.

He’ll be seen in a week and who knows what our pediatrician will say/if he’ll refer us to someone. But, I thought I’d share the process we’re starting on the off chance that it will help someone else potentially identify EDS in their own lives.

I’ll keep you posted on this journey! These kids sure do keep us on our (non-bendy) toes with their random medical mysteries. See: Bennett’s PFAPA (Periodic Fever, Aphthous Stomatitis, Pharyngitis, Adenitis), and Jack’s 2-month bout with intussusception as an almost 7-year-old.

And last but not least, shout out to all the people who, in solidarity with this geriatric millennial, also complained with me about switching from a PC to a Mac. Update: I still can’t get the clock to stay locked on the screen when I’m in full-screen mode.

After 20 minutes of being down the rabbit hole of the interwebs, I’m finding this is something that is not possible. My tiny 5 ft 2-inch friend said she doesn’t work in fullscreen mode and thus can see the clock all the time. I told her that bigger people needed bigger screens and that fact was just science.

She did recommend this little cling sticker thing to me with the most popular Mac shortcuts, and it has been very helpful. Hopefully, this helps out another PC to Mac trasitioners. <—that is too a word, spellcheck. Pfft.

In the Garden This Week

Well, April was the coldest April on record since 1945, and May ended up being the wettest May in 74 years. And it is expected that this weekend alone, we’ll have an entire June’s worth of rain.

It’s been a RAD spring here. (Insert fart noise here)

We’re finally getting a stretch of days where the nighttime lows are in the 50s, so the tomatoes need to go in this week. Cucumbers and beans will be late this year (when are they not??) because the peas are currently in the place where the beans and cukes will be going.

And the peas are where the beans and cukes will go because they went in late because of the stupid weather. It’s a rolling snowball of crap.

We did have a few sunny days this week and I was able to work in the garden for a few hours. I finally got back to thinning the stupid morning glory out of the raspberry patch. This morning glory will be my undoing. I cannot win the battle.

The peas, carrots, and beets are coming along nicely, but I have yet to put one our cattle panel trellises in for the peas. It’s way past time when I should have done that, but we’re currently using one of them to corral PooPoo Sandwiches, our injured chicken.

I’m still harvesting soooooo much delicious tender lettuce and even though I find salad boring and lame, I’m eating two giant ones per day. When it’s fresh and didn’t travel 1,500 miles, well, it just tastes different. And by different, I mean better. And it’s free, so…

3 garden beds with plants in them.
Someone come help with the weeding. Please and thank you.

WHAT I’M LISTENING TO THIS WEEK

I’ve recommended Smartless before, but I’m still so enjoying this podcast that I thought it would be worth a re-mention (which spellcheck refuses to accept is a word but here we are).

The friendship between the three hosts never fails to crack me up, even when their guest is less than captivating to my earholes.

What I’m reading this week

I finished The Midnight Library and loved it! And, a very wise reader from Instagram mentioned to me that it should come with a suicide warning, so I’m passing that onto you.

The book itself was great, but if suicide or suicidal ideation is a trigger for you, take care if selecting this book.

I started The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo after being on the library waiting list for a very long time. The book hooked me right away, and I’m very much enjoying it! I’m excited to read more and see what happens.

READER SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK

Laurie left this five-star review on our Instant Pot Beef Tips {Pin this recipe}:

I keep forgetting to leave a review! I have made this probably 6 times now! It’s a favorite with my hubby and boys! Usually have to tweak it here and there, but always get rave reviews! Try this it’s wonderful!
Thank you for posting the recipe!

ON SUSTAINABLE COOKS THIS WEEK

Strawberry Freezer JamThe freshest tasting jam you’ve ever had, this Strawberry Freezer Jam Recipe is so simple to make. Just three ingredients and 20 minutes, and you’ll have homemade strawberry jam made by your very own hands. {Pin this recipe}

stacked jars of strawberry freezer jam with fresh strawberries on a white board.

Creamy Vegan AioliThis creamy Vegan Aioli recipe is an egg-free garlic miracle! It is a deliciously easy healthy sauce that goes with everything. {Pin this recipe}

a grey bowl with vegan aioli topped with sliced green onions with a plate of vegetables.

Confessions – everyone’s favorite silly post of the month.

A woman with a finger up to her mouth saying "shhhhh"

THE FIVE MOST POPULAR POSTS THIS WEEK

  1. Air Fryer Egg Rolls – vegan and vegetarian as written but super customizable! On, and did you know you can FREEZE these? {Pin this recipe}
  2. Garlic Butter Rice – so easy and so comforting! {Pin this recipe}
  3. Canning Peaches – this one will creep up in the ranks (it was #4 last week) until it is number one from July-early Oct! {Pin this tutorial}
  4. How to Freeze Spinach – Yep, it’s spring! {Pin this tutorial}
  5. Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce – who are all these people who are already picking fresh tomatoes? I haven’t even PLANTED MINE YET! {Pin this recipe}

MEAL PLAN

Monday:: Troy is making something.

Tuesday:: A new recipe that I’m testing.

Wednesday:: A new recipe that I have already tested and it’s delicious but when I downloaded the photos I realized I HATED them. So now I’m making the whole recipe again for new pictures. Lame.

Thursday:: Takeout to support a local small business and my sanity and it’s Troy’s birthday so he gets to choose!

Friday:: Popcorn, leftovers, and movie night.

Saturday:: TBD. Depends on how much we have left in our fridge.

Sunday:: Troy is making something and I’m not.

What are you having this week?

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11 comments on “Scattered Sundays”

  1. Yeah, the clear bags have been a thing in football for about 5 years now, well before Covid. I’m trying to remember what caused the change but I do remember thinking, “Yikes, I don’t want to carry my stuff in a clear bag, good think I won’t pay money to go to games!” 😀 But I don’t remember it being an issue at our local baseball stadium. I’ll have to make sure I check their website before we go. We usually get free tickets from the library reading program and go on $1 Menu Night to fill up on the junk food and “watch” a game.

    • Well, it’s very obvious how often I have gone to a sporting event in the last 5 years, then! Ha!

      The free tickets from the library sounds SO fun! Dang, I love me a library.

  2. Thanks for the reminder about the clear bag policy – I’m pretty sure Coors baseball Field here in Denver has the same policy and we’ll be going to a Rockies game there this summer!  Those clear bags are so ridiculous.  LOL  But, one does what one must!

    • I have been to a few concerts at Red Rocks with my Denver friend and I know they always use clear bags to make the inspection go more quickly. But I’m not sure it’s a requirement. Coors very well might be!

  3. Several years ago the local state college announced that only clear bags would be allowed in the stadium and they had to be under a certain size (and they provided a list of retailers that would be carrying appropriately sized clear bags). A coworker was absolutely livid at this change and complained non-stop for what seemed to be forever. Why was she so mad you ask? Because the biggest tote bag allowed was just a little too small to contain the blanket she always took with her to the stadium. She would go on and on about how they’d been season ticket holders for decades and yada yada yada. I think she even called the stadium to complain and was upset when they told her she could just carry the blanket over her arm lol. She finally moved on to complaining about something else but I will never forget the time a 60+ year old woman lost it over a bag. And as far as I know, they’re still season ticket holders.

  4. Well if this blogging thing doesn’t work out you now have the correct purse/bag to start your career as working in your local mall stores! No sneaking out scented body creams or skimpy panties with that bag! lol
    I am glad you are seeking out the EDS aspect. I have quite a few friends who have this and like most medical conditions there is quite a range of complications or issues. It will be good to have an idea if he possible has this before his surgery in August.

    • Do mall employees really have to use them? Goodness, that’s hilarious and sad at the same time.

      If he does end up having it, I do hope it’s a mild case that can be dealt with using PT and other things. Best case scenario for the worst case scenario.

  5. Our garden is a full month behind schedule… I finally got my plants and seeds in last weekend. Why oh why was there so much rain? And now I have an entire teepee of peas not coming up-so I have to reseed that teepee. The other three are happily sprouting beans and peas. I swear to Pete if those dang carrots don’t start peeping up I am going to cry. It’s the first time we’ve used this particular brand of seed so maybe that’s the issue. I almost put in a second garden because every time I read about your garden, I totally think it’s doable at our house-and then I remember we live in Cincinnati and it gets to 95 in the summer sun and I’d spend my days constantly watering something. I did plant some new butternut squash plants by the deck in hope of adding something new to my garden resume -time will tell how this works out. All my full sun is either under cinderblock by the deck stairs, or in prime deer cut thru. On top of that we ripped out our front garden- all those 1980 evergreen bushes were prime mosquito habitat and I had it. It’s all gone. However I severely underestimated how much work it would be after we tore them out and dug up the roots. We just leveled out one side of the garden where the yard slopes-full day of work. We just tilled everything and it helped pull up the remaining roots (good Lord there was so much)… my entire body is sore and I already told my husband I would never request another project again. We aren’t even done. Still have to put in the brick border so the mulch stops washing away. Then plant stuff. And then work on our other flower beds we are starting under the trees where grass won’t grow. Our curb appeal will be 1000x better if my body doesn’t fall apart in the process. Oh and chase after a 2 year old. No biggie. Thank goodness kids sports are on pause for the summer because I need every minute to get this done between the rain. Giving up Facebook and Instagram for Lent has led to a permanent hiatus. So much free time.  But I feel ya. Between the rain and longest stretch of allergies-Mother Nature is trying to kill me.

    • Misery loves company. I’m sorry your garden is behind but I’m glad I’m not the only one!

      Your project sounds massive! It’s going to be so worth it, assuming you don’t collapse in a heap at the bottom of that slope.

      I had to laugh about your 80s evergreen comment. When we moved into this house it had huge bushes running alongside the kitchen wall (there are blueberry bushes there now). In the summer they smelled like urinal cakes and that side of the house would be COVERED in flies all afternoon. It was horrifying!