Lessons from My Mother

Today is my mom's birthday. Since I won't be able to celebrate it with her this year, I wanted to leave a little tribute to her here. So, here are a few of the many lessons I've learned from my mother (and how she displayed them):

• Stand by your man (She's been married to my dad for over 30 years!)
  
• Sometimes you have to make sacrifices for your children (She ran a daycare out of our home so she could stay home with us. Then, she went back to work so my siblings and I could go to private school. After I had my baby, she selflessly cooked every meal for 2 weeks - with a broken foot!)


• Make time with your children special (Although I don't feel we were sheltered growing up[OK, maybe a little], my parents made extraordinary efforts to make holiday traditions and treasured memories with our family. I can't remember how many times we went camping as a family and she ended up washing the dishes over a little spigot. Or the time we were renting a mobile home at a mobile home park on vacation and the toilet clogged. For some reason, Mom and I were sent out to find a plunger.)


• Volunteer before you're voluntold (She has played just about every role in churches as a pastor's wife - secretary, Christian education director, piano player, nursery worker, baby shower coordinator, ad nauseum.)


• Always put God first (After 30 years as a pastor's wife, she's cynical about a lot of things, but she still loves God and still shares His message of hope.)

There are many other things my mom has taught me through the years, but these are the most important. Thanks, Mom, for not only loving me, but for supporting me all these years - even to the point of following my blog. Happy Birthday!

Gardening References

When my husband and I first bought our house and dirt-landscaped property, I spent that first winter scouring garden books from the library and memorizing common and Latin names of flowers, shrubs, trees, etc. You might notice that today's selection of books don't have library codes. That's because I actually bought them! These are a few of my favorites, all rated G of course. If you can't relate to the locale of the books because, say, you live in Florida, you probably have something similar for where you live.

Sunset Western Garden Book edited by Kathleen Norris Brenzel
This is the reference book for the West. The best thing about it is that it further defines the traditional climate zones into smaller regions. I'm in Zone 2-A instead of Zone 5. It also includes detailed information (and drawings) of each specimen listed in the book, including common names and cultivars. This was one of the first books I bought, and it has been worth every penny.

Better Homes and Gardens Step-by-Step Ornamental Grasses by Peter Loewer
This made the list because I love ornamental grasses. Prairie grass is Montana to me (even though we're not really in prairie country). I specifically like the suggested garden designs and the encyclopedia of grasses in the back of the book.

Rocky Mountain Gardener's Guide by John Cretti
I like this little reference manual for its pretty pictures. Each plant selection includes detailed info on how, when, and where to plant, including suggested companion plantings, and the author's favorites. The author's motto is "To grow plants successfully, you have to think like a plant." I wonder what plants think about. Water? Sun? Rabbits?

The Montana Gardener's Companion by Bob Gough and Cheryl Moore-Gough
You may have noticed that the previous books are regional or aregional (as with the ornamental grasses book). However, Montana's gardeners have special (and numerous) problems. No one is more qualified to deal with these than Bob and Cheryl. Bob is a professor of horticulture at MSU and Cheryl is the state's Extension horticulturist. They bring a wealth of knowledge to this book with no-nonsense advice. For instance, if you want a lawn that needs no mowing, water, fertilizing, and is evergreen, try artificial turf. They don't beat around the bushes (pun intended). I look forward to reading more of their suggestions for vegetables, annuals, bulbs, and shrubs because gardening in Montana is a hard business. I found this gem at K-Mart for under the suggested retail price.

Disclosure: I bought all of these books with my own hard-earned money. Nobody pays me for my opinion on them (sadly). I will, however, be getting some books from Thomas Nelson publishing to review in the coming weeks. I will note the source of these books under those reviews.

Do you have any favorite gardening books or resources?

Exciting Announcements

Dear Readers,

I am excited to announce two important achievements in my life. (And no, I'm not pregnant.)

The first is that I've been accepted to become a contributing writer to Blissfully Domestic. I told them that I could write on humor, faith, or gardening, and they assigned me to gardening. As you know, I call myself the Mediocre Gardener - for good reason. I have successfully landscaped two-thirds of my property, but with some serious trial-and-error. However, I figure I can write at least one article of interest per month. If you have any ideas or questions you'd like me to research, please leave me a comment or email me at debittergroot at gmail dot com.

Secondly, I was at church on Sunday morning when the pastor decided to have a congregation-wide quick elimination tournament of rock, paper, scissors. (The point was about defeating worry - and rock, paper, scissors is all about defeating your opponents.) I beat my husband, then the girl next to him, then the kid a few rows up. Before I knew it, I was at the front of the church beating off the other two finalists. The pastor presented me with this sweet certificate. (BTW, my secret was to mostly use rocks and throw in a few scissors every now and then.)

Thanks for reading my blog and for encouraging me. I'm on my way to becoming a "real" writer.

Love,

Jen

The Hoodlums are Here

I took the baby to Albertsons on Saturday. While I'm waiting to check out, a couple young men walk into the store and head to the courtesy counter. My cashier gets noticeably agitated and spews some code into the loudspeaker. "You have to watch out for those boys," she says to anyone listening.

Then I start wondering if I'm safe. Are they going to pull out knives or guns and threaten me and the baby? Is this some kind of punishment for straying from Super 1? Is this the real cost of cheap butter and free pasta?

"Yeah, I don't know why they let the Job Corps kids come in here," she continues. Now, Albertsons employees are coming out of the woodwork, grim-faced and vigilant. I relax a little. The Job Corps kids? The same kids that are carted around town in big government vans and rake the leaves off the county's property every fall? The kids that used to come in to the optometrist office where I worked and had to get the ugliest glasses on the wall?

"You have to watch them - because they steal," she keeps on. "I had just cleaned up Aisle 5 last time they were here. When they left, there were a bunch of empty condom boxes in the aisle."

"At least they use protection," a lady behind me offered.

So, it's come to this. Our biggest threats are some wayward kids stealing condoms? I am sorry for your loss, Albertsons, but that's nothing compared to problems elsewhere. Give me the Job Corps kids any day. And I'm sorry Super 1. You would have found out some day.

A Full Night of Sleep

I was fortunate. My baby started sleeping through the night around 10 weeks. This wasn't just a few hours. This was 9 pm to 5 am sleeping -enough for a new mom to recover and feel well-rested during the day.

Then came the teething around 7 months. When that first tooth came in, she started waking up every 3 hours. Maybe it was a pain thing, maybe a growth spurt, but we got into the very bad habit of waking up around 12 am and 3 am every morning. I would nurse her and she'd go back to bed. But my REM cycles were suffering. One thing I NEED to function is my sleep. And here I was, having to sacrifice it to my sweet little girl.

I know it doesn't sound like much, but last night I only had to wake up with her once. And the night before, I got a full night's sleep. I felt like a new person, and that's a finer thing.

Chicken Puffs

Today I want to bring you a little appetizer that's a favorite in our home. The original recipe uses crescent rolls, but I stopped using them because they contain trans fat. I have been making french bread dough in my bread machine and using that instead. The nice thing about these is that you can use other meats too, such as crab or tuna (if you like food from the sea).

Chicken Puffs
2 pkgs. crescent rolls (or bread dough of your choice)
1 c. cooked, shredded chicken
4 to 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
seasoned salt

Preheat oven to temperature required by rolls or bread dough. Mix chicken and cream cheese. You may need more of one item to make a nice mixture. Add seasoned salt to taste. Spread out the crescent rolls (or roll out your bread dough and cut it into long triangles with a pizza cutter).

Put a nice heap of the chicken mixture at the wide end of the dough. Roll up from the wide end, making sure the chicken mixture doesn't fall out. If it does, you're using too much. Continue rolling up until you run out of something. (You'll have to experiment here because I just mix haphazardly.)

Place the rolled chicken puffs on a cookie sheet. Bake at temperature and time required by the rolls or bread dough. The puffs will be finished when the dough is cooked through and the mixture inside is warmed. Best served warm!

Dirt and Dairy Deals

Spring fever has started. By that, I mean that I went to K-Mart to purchase some seeds for my garden. They had a small selection of organic Burpee seeds. The rest of the organic vegetable seeds will hopefully come from Super One's produce section. I started some onion seeds yesterday in my little greenhouse, which is annually assembled and stationed in my dining room.

I am trying out an egg carton container with some seed starter soil and the onion seeds. I didn't water the soil beforehand (dumb, dumb!), and relied on the carton to soak up the water and give it to the soil. The carton is soaked, and I am convinced that it will decompose before the onion seeds ever get water. I may need to rethink this method.

In other news, Tillamook has a new natural sour cream that I picked up at (where else?) Super One. I can never tell the difference between fat free, reduced fat, and normal sour cream because I only use it mixed with other things. I like the concept of the natural sour cream, though, and found it fine.

I only purchase unsalted butter, and saw a good deal at Costco for their Kirkland Grade AA butter. Then, I wondered how high up the line Grade AA butter is. Turns out, it's at the top! Grade A is slightly worse, and Grade B is not so good, used only for cooking or manufacturing. If you're a nerd like me and want to know more, visit the USDA Butter grades site.

Remember my review of The Complete Tightwad Gazette? One of its suggestions was to start a price book, so I did. The cheapest I've been able to find Ronzini Smart Taste or Healthy Harvest pasta is $1 per box at Albertson's. Turns out they're on sale there again this week. If you subscribe to Family Fun magazine, which I now do (thanks to a recommendation from Rhoda), you'll find a $1 coupon off for Ronzini Smart Taste, which makes it FREE!

Also, I think Family Fun magazine has some really cute craft and party ideas. I've received three issues so far and LOVE them! The Happy Housewife has an article showing how to get Family Fun for under $4 a year. Wish I knew about that before I subscribed!

That's all I know for today. I'm trying to finish our taxes (ick!), clean up the house, and water my little seeds. Have a great day!

Making up a Crib

Here's how I made up a crib for our littlest family member, and how you can too.

1. Spend hours researching the best crib buys on ConsumerReports.org.
2. Realize that the stores around you don't carry it, so order that crib online. (I ordered the DaVinci Emily 4-in-1 crib from diapers.com.)
3. Debate for months about which mattress to purchase. The reason this took so long was because I am afraid of SIDS and didn't want to purchase a mattress with a bunch of chemicals in it. (For info about SIDS prevention, check out this site from the AAP.)
4. Finally break down and spend lots of money on an organic mattress. (Mine was an organic cotton/wool innerspring mattress from organicgrace.com.)
5. Have your neighbor help bring in the mattress from the porch because it is heavy, and you are pregnant!
6. Have hubby put mattress in crib.
7. Register for or purchase crib sheets and flannel receiving blankets.
8. Finish making up the crib! Due to concerns with mattress covers, I layer 2 receiving blankets in the middle of the crib for any accidents. Then, I add a crib sheet on top.
9. Although you can purchase those fancy crib sets with comforters and bumpers, I didn't. Babies don't need anything with them in the crib (i.e. no stuffed animals, pillows, or comforters). The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests using firm crib bumpers if you use them at all, but I haven't and the baby seems to be fine.

This post makes purchasing crib items seem easy, but I agonized over this crib for months and months! The organic mattress was the only organic thing I purchased for my baby, but I consider it well worth the cost. Hopefully the crib will be in use for many years to come, and can eventually be converted into a toddler bed. And that works for me!

Winner Announced!

And the winner of the mocha gift basket is Heather O! Thanks to all of you who entered. I love you all and am sending you happy thoughts right now.

Giveaway

Today is the last day to enter for my giveaway!! See picture and info here. I'm taking a break from my regular posting today, but will bring you the giveaway winner tonight, after 6pm my time. Best wishes!

On Second Thought...I'll Stay Home

I've been learning a lot about the different little towns around Montana lately. It almost makes me want to get out of the house and brave deer-laden highways to visit these unique locales. Almost.

Then we come to Libby. Maybe you've heard of Libby, Montana. It's involved in some lawsuits (what town isn't?), had a large industry supporting many of the townfolk (remember the logging industry here?), and inspired a book or two (not quite A River Runs Through It). Libby's famous because its vermiculite mine was contaminated with tremolite, a dangerous form of asbestos. Contaminated building insulation and soil conditioner (among other things) were produced and shipped all over the country.

It also led to some serious health problems in the Libby community. Workers at the mine were exposed to very large amounts of dust. Large amounts of any dust can be harmful to your lungs (think black lung disease), but when asbestos is in the dust too, well, it's made many people sick and causes deaths from mesothelioma.

It's not just the mine workers either. The clothes they wore home from the mine carried the dust particles to their families. The EPA has spent a large amount of money trying to decontaminate dusty homes. In addition, the mining company (bought by W.R. Grace) was a "good neighbor" and poured mine tailings on the baseball fields and school track, leading to the sickening of future generations.

Libby became an EPA Super Fund site in the early 2000s and the EPA is still there trying to clean up the town. You can watch an informative video (Libby, Montana) on this or check out some of the books written on Libby at your local library. I gathered most of my info from the DVD and a book that I can't remember the name of at this moment.

Chocolate Cheesecake

Yes, I made this and took the picture! Tonight our church is having a concert and dessert silent auction to benefit a local charity and here's my contribution: a rich chocolate cheesecake. I'd like to go and buy it back because I only made one. Nothing is worse than taking the time and energy to make something as yummy as this and not get a bite! So, I'm giving you the recipe, hoping you'll find it in your hearts to make me one. (Just kidding! Kind of!) I also want you to know that I entered this cheesecake in our fair a few years ago and won second place in the cheesecake division. I have adapted the recipe from Martha Stewart's magazine.

Crust

22-30 Oreos

4-5 Tbsp. butter, melted

3 Tbsp. sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 °. Take the cream out of the Oreos and finely crush them. I used my mini food processor. Mix together the Oreo crumbs, butter, and sugar in a medium bowl until well-mixed. Press onto the bottom and 1-inch up the sides of a 9" springform pan. (If you are planning on giving the cheesecake away, cut a sheet of parchment paper the size of the bottom of your pan and put it between the bottom of the pan and the cookie crust. It'll be a snap to take it out of the pan and transfer it later.)

2. Bake the crust about 10 minutes. Remove from oven to cool while you're making the filling. Turn oven down to 300°.

Filling

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used Ghirardelli)

24 oz. cream cheese (3 of the 8 oz. packages), room temperature

1 c. sugar

Pinch of salt

3/4 c. sour cream, room temperature

3 Tbsp. Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder (There I go with the Dutch again!)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 eggs, room temperature

1. Melt the bittersweet chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave. Let cool while doing step 2.

2. Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer for 3 minutes, or until fluffy. Add the sugar and salt. Mix well.

3. Still using the electric mixer, add the sour cream, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and melted chocolate. (You'll end up with the picture above.) Add the eggs one at a time, until just mixed. Don't overmix! (See the picture below for what it looks like after the eggs.)

4. Pour filling into Oreo crust. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Refrigerate, uncovered, 6 hours or overnight. Martha recommends running a knife along the edge of the pan before unmolding, but my cheesecake came right out without that step. If you're planning on giving it away, pull the cheesecake off your pan using the parchment paper, and put it on a piece of sturdy cardboard covered with aluminum foil.

White Chocolate Curls (optional)

1/2 c. white chocolate chips or a small amount of white baking chocolate

1. Melt the chocolate in the microwave on a shallow surface. I used a small bread plate.

2. Allow the chocolate to cool. Heat up the chocolate until the sides are barely starting to melt.

3. Run a cheese cutter across the surface of the chocolate to form curls. Place them on top of the cheesecake for embellishment.

That's all there is to it! Hopefully you can find someone else to do your dishes. Good luck!

Easter at the Commod

DISCLAIMER: This post is only applicable if you live in the Bitterroot.

I love Easter, but don't like to pay a lot of money for decorations. The baby and I were walking today (because I still don't have a car!) and walked right into the Commod. It's a little thrift store (think "commodity" not "commode") that has a pretty nice selection. I was able to purchase the basket, bunny puppet and eggs in the original packaging for under $2. They had lots and lots of Easter baskets, egg dye sets, plastic eggs, plastic grass, stuffed animals, and other Easter decorations. It's also a very neat store. I hope you can find neat stuff there too!

Prayer for Sudan

I believe in prayer. I might not be the first person to pipe up during a group prayer, but I firmly believe that God listens to me and wants to nuture his relationship with me through personal communication. For private devotions, I typically use the ACTS model - Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. When someone asks me to pray for them, I try to remember and follow through.

That's why I am joining Samaritan's Purse for the Sudan Global Day of Prayer on March 28. Samaritan's Purse is a Christian charity that organizes Operation Christmas Child (the shoebox ministry). They also do a lot of other relief work around the world. They are asking Christians in all nations to join with them in prayer the week of March 21-27, ending with the Global Day of Prayer on Palm Sunday. They are specifically asking for prayer for:

• peaceful elections April 11-18
• safe polling locations
• an end to violence in Darfur, and
• political stability

Will you join us? For more information or to sign up to receive daily email prayer alerts next week, visit www.samaritanspurse.org/prayforsudan.

Milk Bath Recipe and Giveaway

I can't remember exactly when it happened, but at some point in the last two years I went on the warpath against chemicals. Hence, my investigation into "natural" bath salts and soaks. The easiest one is just to dump some epsom salt in your bath. If you want a step up, here is a three-ingredient milk bath that is fantastic. The individual ingredients are pricey, so if you're buying them just for a bath, it probably isn't worth it. However, the dry milk can be used in all kinds of baking recipes, the jojoba oil is a nice night-time moisturizer (in the winter), and lavender essential oil is supposed to help relieve headaches and can be used in other applications. Here's the recipe, from my Organic Body Care Recipes book:


Basic Milk Bath
1/2 c. powdered milk
1 Tbsp. apricot kernel, jojoba, or sunflower oil (optional if skin is oily)
10 drops lavender, rosemary, geranium, or Roman chamomile essential oil (optional)


Pour powdered milk and base oil under running water of a bath. Add the essential oil right before stepping into the tub. Swish with your hands to mix. Due to the nature of the oils, this recipe should be made as needed, not ahead of time.


That's it for today. But what about the giveaway, you say? I will be giving away a mocha-scented gift basket. It includes bath salts, cream bath, a candle, a body scrubbing pad, body lotion, bath caviar, and more! You can enter by leaving a comment on this post and/or becoming a public follower of my blog. Each follower/commenter gets an entry per action for the total of two entries per person. The winner will be selected at random on Tuesday, March 23 at 6:00 p.m. Mountain Time. (I will be happy to ship it anywhere in the United States.) Happy entering!


This post is being linked to Works for Me Wednesday.

Yada Yada Yada

Today I will be highlighting the work of Dave and Neta Jackson. Perhaps you've heard of the Yada Yada Prayer Group series. That's them! All of the following books are recommended and rated at least PG, only because they deal with real issues, like drugs, teenage romance, marital relations, racial issues, and violence. However, they're not crass or disturbing. The books are uplifting and deal with these problems spiritually. Here we go!

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Series by Neta Jackson
This is a seven book series following a motley group of women who meet at a conference in Chicago. Although there are women of every color and background in the book, the main character is Jodi, a white, Protestant teacher, and the mother of 2 teenagers. I found her very relatable, and enjoyed seeing how she dealt with all of the problems thrown her way, including vehicular manslaughter. I loved reading and rereading the books in part because there was so much praise and prayer involved. The words acted as a good influence on my life as they bounced around in my head. I was sad when the series ended, but then she started another one with some of the same characters....

The Yada Yada House of Hope Series by Neta Jackson
You'll meet everyone from her previous series in this three-book series, but the main character is now a red-headed woman named Gabrielle who is married to a very rich man. They move to Chicago with their two sons, and then life starts falling apart. Gabrielle gets a part-time job as an activities director at a homeless shelter, which her husband resents because he's trying to impress people in his new firm. The first book ends on quite a cliffhanger. I just finished the second one in the series, and I can't wait for the third. The names of the books are Where Do I Go?, Who Do I Talk To?, and Who Do I Lean On?.

The Yada Yada Brothers Series by Dave Jackson
Neta's husband Dave also started his own series, starting with Harry Bentley's Second Chance. It's choreographed to take place at the same time as Where Do I Go? This book follows the doorman of Gabrielle's building, Harry. He ends up getting involved with the same homeless shelter and even falling for one of the Yada Yada gals. It was a bit darker than some of the other books and had a lot more drug and bad girl references, although it eventually ended with redemption. Dave and Neta have collaborated on lots of books and it looks like they'll continue. Lucky us!

What have you been reading this week?

Oh, the noise! Noise! Noise! Noise!

Have you ever just gotten a baby to sleep, only to have a large noise wake her right up again? It's incredibly frustrating! For our quiet little neighborhood, we have a lot of noise.

Noise Problem 1: Neighbor's Dogs
There are three of them in her backyard. They bark all day long. The neighbor works full time so she doesn't have to hear them. I do, but I'm too much of a wimp to say anything to her.

Noise Problem 2: Fire Station Siren
Every time the fire station is dispatched for an emergency, a very loud siren goes off for at least a minute. It can be heard miles away. This is separate from the sirens heard on fire trucks, ambulances, or police cars. To better understand the need for the siren, I contacted the non-emergency dispatch number the past week. Here's how our conversation went:

Me: What is the purpose of the siren in town?

Dispatch Man (DM): We are a small town and have an all-volunteer fire department. The siren goes off when they are dispatched.

Me: That's great. What about pagers?

DM: They do use pagers, but they also have the siren because some of them live in town and can hear it.

Me (confused about last statement): So, is there any chance that the siren will be phased out?

DM (angrily): No, and I hope it never is! And if you don't like it you can move to a big city!

Me (feeling like a bad person for asking): Sorry! I was just trying to get some information.

That did not go well. I would like to state that I do support our volunteer fire station both monetarily and in spirit. However, I could do without the siren. And the dogs. Does that make me a Grinch?

(The title of today's post comes from Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas.)

Cinnamon Rolls

When I was pregnant, I craved two things: Chick-fil-A sandwiches and cinnamon rolls. My mom brought me a Chick-fil-A sandwich that I ate the night before I went into labor. (Coincidence? I think not!) The cinnamon rolls I usually took care of at the Farmer's Market, which is seasonal. (What to do for those long winter months??)

I took it upon myself to find the best cinnamon rolls that I could make at home. I finally found them. You can follow the excellent recipe at www.whatscookingamerica.net/Bread/CinnamonRollsFantastic.htm.

I like this recipe because I can make it ahead and thaw it for any random morning. There's only two of us eating these, so I take the normal recipe, cut it into quarters, and throw each quarter in a quart freezer bag and into the freezer. The night before I want them, I throw the bag into the fridge to let it rise. I'm usually up early with the baby, so I take them out of the fridge around 5am, cut them into the appropriate number of rolls (usually 4-6), and place them a glass pie dish to rise on the counter. A couple hours later, they've sufficiently risen, I throw them in the oven for 15-20 minutes, make the frosting while they're cooking, and ta-da!

My biggest problem is cutting down the frosting. I accidently made the entire amount of cream cheese frosting for just a quarter of the rolls, and now I can't go back. They're too good! On another note, I like the softened butter in the filling instead of melted butter. Enjoy!

Rose Surprise

Earlier this week, my husband took the baby to the grocery store to buy his coffee. He likes taking her with him on errands. When he came back, he presented me with these beautiful roses - one for friendship, and one for love, both just because. I keep changing out the water so I can enjoy them as long as possible.

NOT a Finer Thing

You may have noticed that I've been participating in Finer Things Friday and posting the finer things on Thursday so I can still do my Foodie Friday posts on the correct day. Well, today I have the opposite of a finer thing. (By the way, the Adventures of a Mediocre Gardener will be shown anytime I do anything yard related.)

I was outside on Tuesday morning, taking advantage of the beautiful weather by pruning shrubs and cutting down old growth from last summer. Whether that was the right time or not, I don't know. The gardening guides say to do it in late winter, so I just went with it. I was rewarded in my efforts by seeing the first crocus buds peeking out of the earth.

Every fall before last fall (when I was busy with my little one), I would purchase and plant over 100 bulbs in my yard. I planted these crocus bulbs the second fall we were in this house and have been rewarded with their blooms ever since. I love, love, love bulbs. When I'm flush with funds, I order them from the Mother Country (I call it that because my in-laws are Dutch).

Anyway, I was on my last flower bed area, cutting through some thick shasta daisy growth, when I stumbled upon some fur. I could tell by the bushy tail that it was a squirrel. I jumped back so the creature wouldn't get scared and bite me and give me the plague. Then I noticed it wasn't moving. Yes, it was dead. At that point I lost my appetite for gardening and gave up for the day. I told my husband he had to dispose of it at some point.

I went out today (yes, to check on it) and it was gone! What had happened to my squirrel? I'm not complaining because I didn't want to throw it in my trash can, but still. Where did it go? How did it get there in the first place? Why was my neighbor's cat hanging around looking guilty? Mysteries, mysteries.

Squirrel update: The little critter showed up again in our yard and my husband finally threw it away. I guess the cat had been dragging it around. Ick!

Two Wacky Wodehouse Tales

Remember when the askjeeves.com site came out (now ask.com)? I remember wondering who Jeeves was and why he was in the position to answer my questions. (If we were British we would have grown up knowing about Jeeves, like Americans know about Charlie Brown.)

I found out shortly after I had my baby and a friend lent me a collection of P(elham).G(renville). Wodehouse's stories about Jeeves and Bertie Wooster. The same friend recently lent me the book pictured. Both are reviewed below, highly recommended, and rated PG for alcohol usage and some descriptions of love-struck men and women.

Life with Jeeves
This Penguin collection contains three tales in one: Right Ho, Jeeves; The Inimitable Jeeves; and Very Good, Jeeves. Bertie, the main character, is a lazy, well-off, young British chap, spending much of his time getting into trouble and dodging tasks bestowed upon him by a large collection of meddling aunts. Jeeves, his valet, concocts stiff drinks and solutions to Bertie and his friends' dilemmas. The tales are hilarious, a good dose of British dry humor. The only problem I had was with the slang references to food, which I couldn't interpret. I recommend any of the Jeeves' tales, including the ones that were turned into movies. Hugh Laurie plays Bertie Wooster, who I knew from the TV show House. Read them! Watch them! Laugh!

If I Were You
This book is a standalone novel by Wodehouse with a new set of characters, including young Freddie, an earl named Tony, and the challenger to his title, a young barber named Syd. The gist of the book is that Tony's nurse drunkenly confesses to swapping her baby with the earl when they were young. Now Syd is back to claim his title, but has neither the upbringing nor proper political views (he's a Communist) that fit in well with the upper class. Tony's family members, including his fiance Violet, do all they can to convince Syd that he doesn't want the job of an earl, while untrained Tony is itching to try his hand at shaving someone. I'll leave the exciting conclusion for you. It's a quick, fun read.

The Labyrinth

I have previously alluded to the fact that I borrow movies from the library as much as possible. Last week I happened to pick up some copies of the Best of Backroads of Montana, a production of the Montana PBS. What a find!

These are some rip-roarin' tales about really neat places and people in Montana. Given the demographics of Montana, the episodes highlight many older residents of the state. Who knew there was a famous jazz pianist living in Hamilton? I had no idea there was an underground portion to Havre. And the guy who put mirrors all over his Chevrolet? Crazy cool.

Most of the "Best of" episodes were produced in the 1990s, so the PBS website has updates on the people and things to do. We started reading through them, becoming sadder and sadder as we realized that most of the stars of the show have passed on.

However, we did come across a local activity that presses on: a labyrinth in Victor. A couple there built a labyrinth (not a maze) out of rocks for people to walk around and reflect. They host special walks on solstices. The spiritual aspect's not really my thing (remind me to tell you later about Goat Fest), but it would be cool to walk around the labyrinth, especially since I lived a stone's throw from it for so many years.

Until then, I'm going to sit back and watch a few more episodes of the Backroads. It makes me proud to be a Montanan.

Housekeeping

No, no, I'm not about to launch into the joys of cleaning house. I just wanted to say that I was deeply saddened when my list of public followers actually dropped yesterday. I appreciate each and every one of you!

In line with that appreciation, I wanted to let you know that I am accepting guest post proposals. Some of you already have your own blogs or don't want to blog at all, but for the rest of my readers, if there's something on your mind that you want to share, please email me at debittergroot at gmail dot com. I will be happy to post your thoughts. Thanks for reading and sharing this journey with me.

Love,
Bitterroot Mama

Spring Cake

It feels like spring to me! Baby and I were out in the yard today and I could see my crocuses sending up little shoots. It's only a matter of time until the deer are devouring my tulips. (Hint: Plant only deer-resistant plants, like daffodils, around here.)


Anyway, the spring reminded me of a happy little cake I made last summer for my baby shower. (I wanted to make it!) My sweet sister-in-law had no idea what she was in for when she volunteered to help me make the cake. I think she was a little scared of my methods, but we all agreed the results were cute - and scrumptious! Happy almost spring readers!

Brunch Date

I was cleaning out my husband's college binders to give away on craigslist (they're already gone - sorry), when I came across an old gift certificate he won as a senior. After checking with the restaurant, I learned it was still legit, so this morning we had brunch together as a family at Finn & Porter in Missoula. I had ham steak, eggs, toast, and a view of the Clark Fork River. It was another fantastic date. There may not be such a thing as a free lunch, but there is such a thing as a free brunch!

I'm linking this happy moment to Finer Things Friday.

Elimination Communication

I first ran across the concept of elimination communication when I was pregnant and read The Diaper Free Baby by Christine Gross-Ioh. It made sense that babies didn't want to sit in their mess. I sure didn't. However, with all the other books and excitement, I kind of forgot about it.

Until my baby decided that the moment we took off her diaper was the time to pee (or worse) all over her changing table. I thought, if we put her on the potty, at least she'll pee in it instead of on the table. So, I ordered a BabyBjörn chair potty. I held her over it and made the little pee sound (like a hissing snake) and she did it! For awhile there she was averaging two pees per day, which was more a reflection on me giving her pottytunities (my new word for potty opportunities) than her willingness to use it. Yesterday, she used it a record-shattering 6 times! My goal isn't to have a diaper free baby or to have her totally diaper free by the time she's a year old (although some have accomplished this). I was just sick of all the extra laundry and emergency baths.

If you're interested in elimination communication too, here are a few tips:

1. Read up on it. Check out The Diaper Free Baby or websites about elimination communication. I recommend http://www.diaperfreebaby.org/.


2. Have a regular pottytunity schedule. For instance, offer it after taking your baby out of the car seat or when she wakes up from a nap. Make the same sounds every time. (The poop sound is typically a grunting noise.) Other people use baby signs.


3. Don't push it. When our baby was getting her first tooth, she didn't want to sit on anything - not her car seat, not her booster seat, and especially not the potty. I just didn't put her on there for awhile.


4. Don't give away all your extra Pampers. Since I'm only a part-time practicer and I have fairly new carpet in my house, I don't feel comfortable having my baby diaper free. I especially don't want to wake up at night to put her on the potty multiple times because I need my sleep. There is more info about this in the book.


5. Make it about the baby. If my little one didn't use it or seem to enjoy it, I wouldn't do it.

Elimination communication isn't for everyone. If it's not your thing, then do what's right for your family. I'm able to practice it frequently because I'm a stay-at-home mom with one kiddo. However, I am interested if anyone else out there has tried it and how it has worked for them. Please leave me a comment! This post is linking to Works for Me Wednesday.

Book Worm Tuesday: Make It Yourself

As I consider the types of books that I read, I have narrowed them down to three categories: how-to/instructional books, memoirs/biographies/autobiographies, and some fiction. Today I have a couple instructional books and then a combination how-to/memoir. These particular books were chosen from the library to assist my gardening and cooking endeavors. Enjoy!

Recommended

The Backyard Homestead, edited by Carleen Madigan (G)

I saw this one first at Cracker Barrel! It claims that you can produce all the food you need on just a quarter acre. Imagine that! It's just the land I have available! From its first pages, I have gleaned more about gardening than from any other source. Of course, it also contains information about raising sheep, goats, chickens, and brewing your own beer. Part of growing your own food is raising your own grains. I think I'll just purchase Wheat Montana flour from the grocery store. I have only started it, but I find it informational, and I might just have to purchase it from half.com.

The Flavor Bible by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg (G)

Why does everyone have to use the term "Bible" in their title? Anyway, this book is a must-have for real chefs. It lists almost every kind of ingredient you could think of and its possible flavor combinations. For instance, under Eggs, Hard-Boiled, possible flavor pairings include almonds, basil, unsalted butter, cayenne, chile peppers, chives, cilantro, cream, etc. This could be real handy when you're coming up with awesome dishes to make from all that zucchini you grew in your garden. (Hint: basil, cheese, eggplant, garlic, olive oil, onions, parsley, pepper, salt, thyme, tomatoes)

Mixed Feelings

Made from Scratch by Jenna Woginrich (PG for language and traumatic events)

Poor Jenna. For a girl who chose vegetarianism in part because she can't bear to think of animals dying, she certainly killed her fair share of them during her experiment to make things from scratch. There were the chickens she wanted for eggs. Her pack dogs ate them. Then, there was the unfortunate bunny that was also frightened by the dogs and died when Jenna put it out of its misery with a shotgun. Then, there was the bee colony that was supposed to raise her lots of honey that died off due to the lack of the queen and then was decimated by a hungry bear. I feel sorry for this girl trying to make it in Idaho, but everyone knows that doing things on your own leads to Murphy's Law. Her problem was unbridled idealism, thinking that wearing handmade clothes and baking omelets from farm fresh eggs was going to lead to a greater fulfillment, when the only thing that will bring that is a relationship with God. She makes pursuit of scratch items and antiques her god. The books ends up being a mix of her experiences and some instructions on starting out yourself. The resources listed in the back of the book are excellent. If you want to learn more about Jenna's experiment without reading the book, check out http://www.coldantlerfarm.blogspot.com/.

The White Pages Game

There are 114 white pages in the 2009-2010 Bitterroot Phone Directory put out by pdcpages. There are 40,000 people in Ravalli County. Chances are, if you've lived here any length of time, you know someone on almost all of those pages. At least, I do. I found this out by playing the white pages game. There are two versions, explained below, but here are the rules. Count each personal listing you know (unless it's the same person listed twice, like R Johnson and Robert Johnson and they have the same address and are the same person). Count businesses if you've made contact either in person or on the phone. Highest number wins! Here are the versions:

1. Against yourself. Randomly select the numbers of a few pages. Scan through them to find people you know. Keep track of how many you know. Play again to see if you can beat your old score.

2. Against friends. Select one (or more) pages of the phone book randomly. Challenge your friends to see who knows the most people.

My husband doesn't like playing with me, but I think it's fun. I think it's because I beat him because I know all the people in the county from my old job. Anyway, if you'd like to play, let's see who knows the most people on page 87. Go! (I got 6, mostly businesses - Only count Hallmark once people!)