Summer Dreamin'

 Against my better judgment, because I know I really won't have time, I have decided to TRY NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) for April. Yep, I have to blog EVERY DAY!! The theme is Sprout. I like this theme! So here goes nothing!

I am waiting not so patiently for Spring to just hurry up and get here, already. Sheesh. It's SNOWING today! SNOWING! I hate winter. So much. I have a lot to look forward to this Spring and Summer! Let's see, where to begin??

We bought a brand new, super awesome fire bowl. I LOVE campfires. LOVE THEM! S'mores and mountain pies, oh and they make cool popcorn poppers! Popping popcorn over the fire! How cool is that? I can't wait to sit outside around the fire, with our guitars and some beer. Whether it's a romantic night with my baby, or fun with friends, or roasting marshmallows with Maya and her friends. Nothing says Summer like a fire.

I am also looking forward to some healthier eating! We are joining a CSA this year. Basically, this means you buy a share in a farm, and get lots of (in our case, organic) veggies and fruits every week. It's a great way to support local, family owner farms, as well as eat organic and healthy for less than you would spend buying all your veggies separately.

I'm also growing a few things of my own this year. Nothing major, as we rent as don't have a lot of room. I am growing a small amount of carrots, sugar snap peas, green beans, tomatoes, sweet peppers, basil, and chives. I'm also going to try sunflowers, aloe, and a small variety of various wildflowers. I'm not very experienced in growing things or gardening, but I'm reading and learning as much as I can, so here's hoping it all goes well!

I also can't wait to get outdoors. I love hiking and kayaking, geocaching, and swimming. We are planning on some camping this year, also. We were hoping to buy our own Kayaks this summer, one for each of us including Maya who LOVES kayaking, but it looks like that may have to wait a little longer. No worries, we can still rent them! Oh and I finally bought The Audubon Society's Field Guide to North American Birds, so we plan on doing some bird watching, too. Maya has been reading it and is looking forward to keeping track of the different birds we find. And biking, how could I forget biking? Last summer we found a few really awesome bike trails, can't wait to visit those again and find some new ones, as well!

So, these are the things I am dreaming about, as I stare out the window at the falling snow and gray sky. Sigh.

Springing Forward... And Backward. And All Over The Place.

I have a lot to say, I've had a lot to say for a while now, and it's been so long since I've sat down to write it... now it's all just mush in my head. I wanted to write about the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan, and how small it made me feel. How powerful this world we live in is, and how, as cliches as it seems, we really are just these little specks clinging to this planet precariously and, well there's more but I've lost it now.

I want to write about SPRING and time changes and thunderstorms, recipes and cooking, planting things and growing things and all of these plans and goals I have. Running and jewelry making and my new business venture and complaints about certain things... like bunnies chewing through phone cords.

Today I could write about the hail storm we got (which was pretty cool, actually), but everything is just all scattered and jumbled up in my head, and I'm feeling somewhat restless and unable to concentrate so I'm leaving you with just this rambling, bits and pieces sort of... thing... that somewhat resembles a blog post.

Stuck Doors, Growing Stuff, and Fighting Bunnies... Oh My!

Anyone who has ever read any of my other blogs knows that I am the queen of random blogging. Instead of having one blog post on one topic, I tend to write several quick, unrelated paragraphs. I mean, you know, not ALL the time, but... a lot of the time. I also tend to not think about what I am going to write about, I just sit down and type. I find this to be very therapeutic, actually. It works well for me.

Today started out kind of hectic and frazzled. Maya and I got in the car so I could drop her off at school and then head to work, and my freakin' door would NOT stay shut!!! I messed with it and jiggled it and tried WD40 and to no avail. I had to have my dad drive over and get us so we could get Maya to school, and I had to call off work so I could take the car to the shop and have them look at it. And wouldn't ya know it, it turned out to be a stuuuupid 1 min quick fix. Apparently, you have to pull up on the handle and juggle the thingy that clicks into place when the door shuts. Yes, I'm using technical terms here. At least they didn't charge me anything!

Having the day off did allow me to get some stuff done, anyway. I cleaned the house really, really well. It needed a good, thorough cleaning. I used mainly vinegar and water, in case you were wondering. It's cheaper, non toxic, better for humans and animals and the environment. I don't go overly crazy about this sort of thing, but I do like to try to be conscious of these things when I can.

I also got a bunch of gardening supplies!!! BRING ON SPRING! I'm ready!! I want to grow lots and lots and lots of sunflowers. I want people to drive by and be all like, whoa look at all of those awesome sunflowers! I have a little "kitchen garden" started already. Some potted flowers, and in the window sills I have an aloe plant, chives, and basil. I also started small pots of tomatoes and sweet peppers, which I will transfer outdoors after the last frost. I am SO READY or Spring, and Summer. Really, I can't say that enough. I HATE Winter.

Our bunnies are fighting. They just won't get along anymore. Which suuuucks. We had to put them in seprate cages, and every time we let them out to play... and we have to let them out to play a lot, we have to do it separately. they used to get along, and they are both fixed, so I'm not sure what's going on. It's a pain in the ass, too. Now 2 cages need cleaned and 2 water bottles and food dishes need checked and filled and on and on and on. But they are too cute and fun, and of course they are Maya's bunnies and she is just in love with them so, it's worth it.

Last random thought of the day: It has been officially been 1 full year since I smoked my last cigarette. So, GO ME!

So this is life in my little corner of the planet lately!

Guess Who is a Big, Fat Baby When She is Sick?

That's right... THIS GIRL.

Wahhhhhh. My throat hurts, I can't stop coughing, my chest hurts, BLAGGH. I managed to make it through *most* of my work day, thanks to the healing powers of cold medicine, tea, honey, soup, and menthol cough drops. Now I plan on getting into my P.J.'s (or, as my BF says, my "Nanook of the North" outfit, because I am ALWAYS cold so I dress in warm, comfy layers) and just VEG. Here's to hoping I am feeling better tomorrow, because the only thing worse than being sick at work? Being on sick on the weekend!!

In other news... My daughter spent her allowance on a magic wand and has been practicing Harry Potter spells for the past week or so. I think someone is going to be awfully disappointed when her 11th birthday rolls around and there is no letter from Hogwarts.

Oh, and also? She wrote a letter to President Obama. Apparently she learned in Social Studies class that you have to be born in the U.S. to become president, and she doesn't think that's fair, because what if you were born in another country but moved here as a baby and you're a citizen and love this country and want to be president? So she wrote a very nice, respectful letter and sent it off to the White House. I'm hoping she gets something back, even if it's just some automated thing they do. She'd be thrilled.

Well, time to drown myself in more tea with honey. *cough, cough, hack hack*

All About Yours Truly

My name is Mandy, I am 31 years old and I live in a (very) small town in PA with my 10 year old daughter, Maya, and the love of my life, Pete.

I am divorced (well, almost) from my daughter's father, but we have an amicable relationship and my daughter sees him all the time.

I currently work for a company that does fund-raising for various non-profit and political organizations. I am hoping to go back to school, and I am looking into nursing programs in the area. I also do photography on the side, mostly weddings and parties. I am also in the very beginning stages of starting a small biz, selling home made natural soy candles and eco-friendly, reused and upcycled homemade jewelry.

I love being outdoors, kayaking, hiking, and biking. I HATE winter with a passion, and hope to move out west someday. I love to read, I love photography, movies, spending time with my daughter and BF. I've also been getting interested in cooking, and I love my wok.

I'm not religious, but I love a lot of the Zen Buddhist philosophies.

My daughter, Maya turned 10 in October. She is the most amazing kid EVER. She is smart, funny, a little goofy, active, talkative, kind. She loves to read, especially Harry Potter and the Percy Jackson series. She has 2 pet bunnies, Percy and Fluffy, who are a handful and keep us all busy! She loves being outdoors, swimming, biking, hiking, climbing. She has an incredible imagination and loves to write.

Pete is the most amazing, compassionate, caring person I know. He is mellow and laid back, loves to be active... running, golf, hiking, climbing. He also likes to read and snuggle and watch movies. We have the best conversations, we love to argue politics and can be pretty competitive playing games, like scrabble and backgammon and Wii.

My life is pretty simple and yet pretty crazy at the same time! 

All About the Blog

Welcome to my blog!

I would like to start out by saying that I am NOT a writer, so please ignore the various mishaps you may find here, including but not limited to: Lack of interesting subject matter, poor sentence structure, typos and incorrect grammar, random and rambling monologues, sometimes vague and cryptic writings, etc etc etc.

I have had blogs in the past, and I miss it. That's why I am back. This time, I am writing for me. I always felt this great pressure to make everything I write great, or an overwhelming need to keep up with blogs I like and comment everywhere so that I wouldn't lose readers, and while I will obviously continue to read and comment on blogs I like... I just don't want the pressure of feeling like I HAVE to do it.

This is mostly a pace for me to write about whatever is on my mind. How my day went, or a problem I may be having, updates about my daughter and family, venting frustrations and sadness, posting photos, writing about places or products, basically just whatever I feel like. No real theme or rhyme or reason!

I can't promise to always be entertaining, or even to write every day. But if you enjoy what you find leave me a comment and I will be sure to check out your blog as well!

Thanks for stopping by!