Security x 2

Pond/yard security has commenced.....

"Green" is the theme

Patty sent me a surprise the other day--a snappy new frog necklace to remind me of the little green guys in my pond.  I love it because when the real ones bail on me, I still have a little one to wear close to my heart.  And he's not hopping away anytime soon.

I love that Patty. :)   It's stuff like that which makes me happy.

It rained yesterday. Yep. Real honest-to-goodness rain--and hail. I'm still trying to figure out how it could be 100+ degrees outside and ice cubes rain from the sky.  It's almost like God was saying "Hey! It's raining, let's have a party! I'll bring the ice for the cocktails!"  or something like that.  I was just thankful for the rain.

On another note, the frog population is coming along nicely.  There are two frogs out there and I spied another tadpole sunning himself the other day.  It's amazing how little these frogs are (about the size of my thumb) and how they can grow to be big enough to eat a bird in no time.   These two peanuts are just now getting brave enough to sit on the edge of the pond.  At the sight or sound of anyone, they zip back into the water like a flash.  You've gotta be quick with the flashlight to see them--hence, no photos just yet.

Glad it's Friday. Glad it rained.  Glad I've got some frogs back in my life. And glad I've got blog friends who get me.  I'm lucky like that. 

Happy Weekend, pallies!

Everything isn't dead

You know, sometimes you just gotta find some happy.  And although I've been down about the yard and the gardens, I still try to find something good out there--although I think that's sorta drying up too. Sigh.

But......I found a good happy last night as I sat down to read the blog roll....

I've been following the story of Tina the goat--a little one who was born with crippled legs.  Her mom at Ruffled Feathers and Spilled Milk has been trying everything imaginable to help straighten those legs and get them to be strong enough to support Tina's growing goat frame.  They've been trying all sorts of splints, taking them off for periods of time to let the muscles grow strong, and then splinting again--all in the effort to save the life of this dear sweet goat.  If it didn't work, Tina would have to be put down.

While I love me a good Tina post, I am always half afraid that I'm gonna tune in to find that it didn't work.  You know, too many of those animal stories end with tears--so I read those posts with one hand on the hanky and the other on the mouse for a quick exit should there be bad news.

But there wasn't!  Tina's legs are good and strong and she is doing all sorts of wonderful goat things like climbing, hopping, running, and hanging with her sheep friends.  Hooray! I think Tina is gonna make it! And her legs, although a little wonky, are strong enough to let her live like a normal goat.

Isn't that a nice story?

I think so.

And with a sweet story like that, my faith in this good green (brown?) earth is restored.  Sometimes you gotta look a little further than the back 40 for some happy.  I found it a ways down the road with a little goat named Tina.

The un-summer

I was talking to a friend the other night and we went on and on about how bad our gardens are this year. With the lack of rain and the temperatures fluctuating between chilly and intense heat, the flowers and grass look horrible.

It's not even nice to sit outside. If the brown grass isn't hurting your feet, it's just depressing to look at the half-dead flowers that you spent a lot of money on a matter of weeks ago. If I'm out there, I'm feeling guilty that I'm not watering something....and watering is only half-helping the flowers at this point. I think they have secretly lost their will to live.

Sigh.

The thing that I love about nature is that while everything is suffering, there is some beauty out there...somewhere--you just gotta look really, really hard to find it. So, I put on my best Positive Polly attitude and went out to find something, anything good and happy out in the yard.

Here is my list all of the happy, good things in the back 40:

1. Two wee frogs in the pond
2. Lots and LOTS of snails in the pond
3. A happy tomato plant

Uh........that's it.  That's all I could find.  And that's not really all that good because 2 of the 3 live in the pond--which is filled with water.

Sigh.

Remember my lovely green lawn?  Yeah, me too.

The Mojo Monkey is Kicking it into Gear

He's been sitting there, on my desk, quietly waiting--waiting for the right moment to work his Mojo Monkey Magic.  You'd never suspect that wee, sweet face. Nope.  If you didn't know better, you'd be saying to yourself "Wow, what a cute little monkey you've got there, Lin. I wish I had a monkey like that too."

But you wouldn't. Not really.

Because while he's laying there with his little monkey head in his little monkey arms,  he's secretly working his evil monkey madness on the office, making his intended target do stupid stuff--stuff that gets you fired. Yeah, Monkey!

And while it's taken him a long, long time to work his special magic, let's just say....uh.....it's working--working like a dream.

He's just been pacing himself all this time.

Make that FOUR birdies...

Remember the gold bars story of a few weeks ago? Well, they weren't gold bars, they were Ipads. And yes, I had to wrap Ipads for my co-workers--but I did it and I'm over it.

Now, what to get Joe for Father's Day? Yeah, go ahead and guess--I'll wait........

Yep, an Ipad. And Em asked me if I would please "wrap it nicely" for him. I wanted to kick her, but I didn't--I did the mature thing and laughed. That kid is a punk sometimes, you know?

Anywho....

Joe loves his new Ipad and is now a regular on sites like YouTube, where he finds funny stuff for us to watch. This is Joe's latest find:



Who knew golf could be so darn funny?

Love the hat.

No Day but Today

I was very sad to learn that one of our very favorite dog friends, Sadie, has gone to the Rainbow Bridge.  I remember her with this song--one of my very favorites as well.





Because Sadie always made me smile, I'm gonna make sure that I pass that on to someone else today. I'm not sure who, not sure when, but I'm gonna smile at someone today and be happy in Sadie's honor.

God help whoever that person is.

Life is too short not to have a "Sadieday" as Sharla puts it.  So, join me in just enjoying the day, won't you?

TGIF

"Who's the Most Annoying" Contest

Weiner Dog Alert!!

The cats are on high alert when he's here for the week.  Sammy is a very nice (and polite) dog friend, and he knows better than to mess with these two, but they don't let down their guard for a minute.  Hobbes has been hanging out in the yard as much as he can, even though the temps outside are in the 90's. Why take a chance of getting slobbered on, you know?

I think we are the best dog-sitters ever because we let Sammy sleep with us even though I hate that part. Again, he's nice enough, but he isn't our dog, you know?  And he does weird stuff like sneezing and then licking up the droplets. Or he shakes his floppy ears around a lot and it wakes me up.  And because he is a Weiner Dog, he can't get up or down from the bed without us lifting him--and it is sort of a pain.  But we do all this stuff so he has a nice stay here and isn't all stressed out and eating things like he did last year.

Sammy's latest weird thing is that he HAS to have a treat every single time he goes outside--even if he doesn't pee or poop.  He insists on a treat--and doesn't let you forget it.  He stands and stares at you until you give him a treat from his designated treat container.  It drives Joe nuts.

While this is silly enough, he has stopped eating his dog food and will only eat his treats--which I am not going along with.  If he's gonna get a sick tummy, it's not gonna be on my shift. So, I've stuck a bunch of his dog food pellets in the treat bowl and I do this great award-winning performance on what a good dog he is for going outside and I give him a dog food pellet out of his treat container.

And he falls for it. Every. Single. Time.

I'm freaking brilliant.  I can outwit a Weiner Dog like no other--even Joe is impressed. But then again,  Joe is also very consumed with his big giant boo-boo from work--he got a paper cut on his finger from a file folder and he thinks it's the end of the world. Or just his arm. 

I'd love to just lock the two of them in the garage for week. Sigh.

Tales from the Not-So Very Deep -- A New Day

While I miss the deep voice of mature bullfrogs singing me to sleep, I also find joy in finding that my new taddies have sprouted arms and are now breathing air instead of water. Ah, the circle of life....

I found a wee frog the other night--one that is hardly the size of my thumb. And while it is hard to imagine that these teeny things blossom quickly into bird-eating gigantors, it is sweet to see them so tiny. And surprising. One day they are taddies, the next, froglets. This is the part of nature I love--the happy part.

I rarely see the tadpoles while they are working their taddie magic--you know, growing arms and moving their eyeballs to the top of their heads. But it's fun to look out one day and see those little faces clinging to lily pads with wee hands in the water. Oh, they just grow up so fast.

The only time I can "catch" nature in action is at night, with my flashlight. I can see the snails working on the algae, the fish protecting their precious eggs, and of course, the froglets taking their first breaths. It's all very exciting--although I'm sure the neighbor thinks I'm a freak out there with my flashlight in the yard. Whatever.

Last night, I found yet another froglet--a wee frog who still has his tail, but is slowly absorbing it and turning into a full-fledged frog.  They breathe air at this point, but they don't eat--they just absorb that tail for nutrients.  He too, is very tiny--just a thumb-sized miracle.

So, yeah, the big frogs are long gone, but life goes on.  Now, two wee frogs take over the place and call our pond home.

It's too hot to blog

Or work. Or breathe. Or anything else for that matter. I'm sorta feeling like that beachball with all these 90+ temps and 1000% humidity.

I'm melting...

Weirdville is following me

For Father's Day, we decided to get outta Dodge and head to the beach.  Joe and I can't relax if we are around the house, so the hour ride to the Michigan dunes is the perfect solution.  AND it makes us feel like we are much further away from home than we truly are. 

The four of lay there like slugs, tanning our bods and enjoying the warm sunshine.  It was a perfect day.



Well, until this jackass showed up hauling a baby stroller,  two lawn chairs, a new tent that he's never put up before AND a boombox.   And where does he set up?  Yep directly in front of us.  Sigh.



He's got a mile of shoreline and the fool has to pick this spot--5 feet in front of our blanket.

After an hour of "setting up" (which I know is his ruse used to avoid helping with the kids), this is our view of the lake....



Lovely, eh?

And then his knucklehead wife proceeds to crank the boombox while they went to the water with the kids.  Yes, I was mentally punching them...and their kids.  Plus their parents and extended family members. And whoever sold them that damn tent.


My only get-even was when the 20 or so Chinese people showed up directly next to them--with their tent, chairs, tables, rice maker (seriously), pots and pans loaded with food, and a bag of green stuff, which I swear was seaweed.

By the time they set up and Grandma Chan finally made it to the tent, got settled and sat down, the beach stunk to high hell from whatever they were eating.   Whatever happened to sammiches and cold chicken for a picnic lunch? Criminy. 





Sometimes, no matter how hard we try to escape Weirdville, it just sorta follows us. 

Happy Father's Day!

It takes a lot to be a good dad and we are very lucky to have such a good one in our family.  Joe is endlessly considerate to us--always putting our needs and wants in front of his.  He is a great provider and extremely patient.  He knows every current song on the radio and sings along to make us laugh.  I knew all those years ago when we first starting dating that he would make a great guy to be with, but kids have a way of testing us all and he shines like a star.  I couldn't ask for a better husband and father to my kids.

Happy Father's day to Joe and to all my dear friends that are Dads.  You all make it look very easy--when I know it is not. 

Perspective

Joe and I sat on the lakefront a few weeks ago, watching the boats going by and talking about everything and nothing.  We sat there for the longest time, just having a nice chat--and then realized that we were probably being rude to the kids  and headed back to the picnic blanket.

"Gees, could you two not sit together?" was Em's comment and we approached them.

And I had no idea what she was talking about until she pointed out on the camera the distance between us as we sat.

Really?  Does 2 feet really make us "distant" in their minds?  And here we were, thinking how nice it was to sit together on the shoreline.  

So I tried explaining that it was hot out there and I didn't want to stick to Dad and after 24 years of marriage, you don't always have to sit on each other's laps in order to show your love.  She didn't get it and I don't expect she will for a very long time.

Sometimes love is some air space on a hot day in the sun, you know?

 

The Summer List 'O Fun

Last year at the beginning of summer, I made a list of fun things that I wanted to do.  I've spent the last few summers missing out on good stuff just because those warm sunny days disappear before you know it, and I was finding myself saying "Awwww, we didn't (fill in the blank)."  So, I didn't want that to happen, so I made a list of all those things I would like to do....and I started planning.

It was such a success, that I did it again this summer.  Here's a look at Lin's List 'O Summer Fun:

1. Visit Laura Ingall's-Wilder Home in Missouri
2. Meet up with blog pallies: Chuck, Vanilla, Rebecca, Sharkey, and Ann
3. Go camping with friends, Pete and Judy
4. Meet up with old Little League friends, Joe and Diane

Okay, so the list isn't too big right now, but add in things like vacation, the NYC trip, band camp, college visits and work, and you've got yourself a busy summer.  

So far, 2 of the 4 are on the calendar and I'm working on the other two.  The calendar is filling fast, I tell ya.

Camping is one of those things that we haven't done in years and we are going with good friends in a few weeks.  We have a long history of tent camping with Pete and Judy and it is usually pretty hilarious when we get together.  The best part is that we are heading out to Will Oaks Campground, run by our good friend and pally, Karen.   (I love when we can meet up with a good blog pally, don't you?)

While I love my tent, (believe it or not) I am not so sure I want to camp with two teenage girls.  We are seriously thinking of buying a wee pup tent to stick those two crabby-pants in.  Then they can do whatever teenage girls do, including complaining, in the privacy of their own nylon walls.  Or maybe with a little bit of luck a big bear will come and eat them while we sleep. 

There aren't bears in these parts. Rats.

Camping with Pete and Judy is interesting to say the least. They put up some rickety tent, throw some sleeping bags on the floor and eat cereal out of styrofoam cups on the picnic table.  We, on the other hand, have cots for our beds, sweep out the tent, make everyone take their shoes off before they come in and leave them on the rug outside the door.  We have camping plates and silverware and a screen room that features a camping stove and tablecloth. They pull their meager supplies out of their trunk--we are packed like the Beverly Hillbillies. 

We laugh at them, they laugh at us. And we all camp merrily together.  Sometimes I even let them in our screen room--but only if the bugs are really, really bad.

Now THAT'S some frog!

Frogs are my sign of change. I see them more as my life is about to change. Or maybe I just notice them more, I don't know.  Either way, I call them my "frogs of change." 

While I was in NYC, I turned a corner in the Museum of Natural History to find this guy.  Half frog, half alligator--I spied him..or he spied me.  And at the size of him, I think there is some change a-comin'.  Or he's just gonna swallow me whole.

I'm in a funk this summer--actually it's been for awhile.  I'm not finding stories in my everyday life. There is no hilarity in the backyard or in what my family is saying. Oh, we are still laughing, but it's sort of like there is a filter over it--a haze of sorts. There are just no stories--and that frustrates me.

When I first began to blog, I was very careful about what I wrote about. I would type my stories on Word and then cut and paste onto Blogger. Words were chosen carefully. Subjects were thought out and topics were delicately broached.  I wasn't as free back then and I felt that sharing through my blog was a "rickety limb of doom"--or so I thought.  I was afraid to post this or that for fear of judgement--even though I had little to no readership.

After awhile, and much encouragement from an author acquaintance, I learned to let go and put my "lips to the world and live," as poet Mary Oliver would say.  And I learned to be free in my thoughts and words in print.

Somehow, and I don't know why, I'm back to the filter.  And it's a heavy filter.  I don't write about family or friends, work, or my every day life.  I am, for some odd reason, worried about who will read what I write and fear repercussions. 

Why do I care? I don't know. Why do I suddenly feel like an opaque curtain has suddenly been dropped on the theater of my life--who knows?  It's just there and I'm barely functioning.  Call it Writer's block or whatever, I just need to get back to me. Why this sudden worry of who is going to think what is very new to me--I don't typically care. So why now?  Hmmmmmm.

I took a good long look at this frog/alligator and asked myself silently what was the message.  I mean, it was a frog the size of me for goodness sakes--there must be a major shake-up pending, right? So, I'm been on the search of what I need to change.Those frogs send a very powerful message when they appear and this one is particularly big--which is sort of scary. I mean, he looks like he's got teeth and claws and such. Yikes.

I'm gonna go back and start at the beginning.  I turn to Katz and Mary Oliver, again, to inspire me to tell my stories.


Mornings at Blackwater Creek

"For years, every morning, I drank
from the Blackwater Pond.
It was flavored with oak leaves and also, no doubt,
the feet of ducks.

And always, it assuaged me
from the dry bowl of the very far past.

What I want to say is
that the past is the past, and the present is what your life is,
and you are capable
of choosing what that will be,darling citizen.

So come to the pond,
or the rive of your imagination,
or the harbor of your longing,

and put your lips to the world.
And live
your life."

"You know what I'm doing right now? Mentally punching you."

Part of the itinerary in New York was "Phantom of the Opera" on Broadway--which was lovely, needless to say.  There is just something about Broadway, you know?  I think I could stay there for weeks going to shows.

I loved how excited the kids were to see the show--and how many of them had never been.  I guess that is the best part of the trip--introducing some of the kids to things they have never seen....and may never have if we didn't go with the band.   It always amazes me that some folks don't travel.

We went to the Museum of Natural History, which was featured in the movie "Night at the Museum."  We cracked up watching the kids run from exhibit to exhibit trying to find artifacts and displays that were used in the movie. And of course, I was guilty of the same. Except I walked--I was too tired to run.

Also included in the trip was some of the "touristy" things that we don't typically see or spend my money on--like Madam Tussaud's Wax Museum.  I went in apprehensively, but ended up having a bunch of fun posing with the likes of the Dalai Lama, Princess Diana and George Clooney.  I guess you have to add some cheesy stuff for the kids--and some of the adults too.  I know my roomy, Carrie, was pretty darn excited about going there on our last day of the trip. 

This trip was loaded with adventures and it pushed us all to the brink.  And strangely, the folks that were the most stressed by it all were the adults.  It is amazing how some people are just not comfortable with being out of their environment.  While Carrie and I were laughing our way around NYC, there were some folks with us who crabbed and moaned about everything--the food, the crowds, the lights, the sounds, the prices, the lack of rest.....and on and on.  I don't get that--why do they go?  I will admit to mentally punching a few folks just to maintain my sanity. 

I think that is a true test of who you are--traveling with someone.  And I was with 99 other "someones".

I wonder if anyone was mentally punching me when I had that non-stop fit of the giggles on the bus ride home one night?   Nah. I doubt it.

Commence recovery

After 4 days, 80 band kids plus 20 or so chaperones, endless walking and sightseeing, too many NYC potty stops to count and very little sleep, I am proud to say that I am still alive.  But just barely. If you have ever chaperoned a traveling school trip, you'll know why I say that.

Whether or you are 8 or 80, these tours are non-stop. Days are action-packed starting with breakfast at 7 a.m. and ending with a acquaintance with your pillow at 11 p.m.....IF you are lucky.  Sometimes, shows run late or traffic ties you up and you aren't back until later....much later.  Mix in corralling teens and wayward chaperones and it makes for some very long days.

And some very sore feet.

But then again, you see lovely sights like these:

 

Including an evening cruise to visit a certain lovely lady:

Performances at the Trump Tower atrium:

And the USS Intrepid:

Tour guides that are extra cute (Gary!):

And lots and lots of laughing.  We had four days of laughing.  Sometimes over funny things and sometimes just because we were so freaking tired that it was all we could do to keep from collapsing.

We had a great time--we went everywhere and saw nothing.  We were at as many exciting places as we could be in 4 days, which left us with exactly 7 minutes at each venue.  It's sort of  like speed dating, but with a city--a big, beautiful, incredible city. 

New York, New York!

By the time you read this, I'll be doing a "Gene Kelly" in the Big Apple--minus the sailor suit. Well...I will be wearing something though. Sheesh.

Needless to say, I'll be way too busy to post or blog hop, but I will have some stories when I get back.

In the meantime, here's a photo from my last visit to New York.  It was a  very different trip from this one with the band kids.

 Yeah, so we made a few friends--We are nice like that.

This trip is certainly going to be VERY different from that one. 

I'm not sure if I'm laughing or just creeped out

Dear God,

Please do not let my cat die while I am away in New York. And if, by some remote chance either of them does die, please do not let the boys do this to said dead cat:



And if they do anyway, even though you do not approve, please send a cow this way so I can buzz them with my dead-cat helicopter....because that part is hilarious.

Love and Hugs,

Lin

Grab the Kleenex...

It's with great sadness, and much boo-hooing here at the Duck and Wheel, that we report that our theme song guy has passed. We honor him with yet another appearance here--including the words so you can sing along!  



*sniff*

Gees, I love that song, don't you? Don't worry, he'll live on here and in your memories for a long time to come.  You can thank me for that.





On another note, for the first time in 4 years of blogging, I'm actually going on vacation this week. Really. I'm turning off the computer while I'm in New York and I'm not posting ahead or nuthin'.  I'm feeling frazzled after a crazy month of May and I just feel empty.  Even my mom told me that she's noticed a lot of cat photos on the blog lately.  Sheesh.

So, I'm hoping to get around my blogroll before I leave and then enjoy a couple of days just tooling around the Big Apple with, oh....100 of my closest teenage friends for the remainder of the week. Sounds relaxing, doesn't it?  Yeah/no.  Kill me now.

And while I'm killing myself in NYC, it's good to know that the boys will be holding down the fort here. Why do I think there's gonna be a whole lot of nuthin' going on here?  Well, nothing productive, anyway. Hobbes is already setting the pace...

Oh, brother...

The Kautz Boys

To add to the craziness that is our trip to New York City this week, we also had a family wedding in Milwaukee on Saturday.  Because Joe's family is out of town, we don't see them as often as we like, so this was a good excuse to see everyone again--even though it meant packing before packing for New York.  Yeah, that makes me head spin too.

Joe comes from a large family--he is one of 5 kids--4 boys and 1 girl.  Now that everyone is married and has children and grandchildren, the family get-togethers are sorta crazy.  And those boys are still that....boys.  I don't care how you dress them up, they can still revert back to those wild "brother days" all too easily while we sit back and roll our eyes.

But silliness aside, it is nice to see them together and having such a good time.  Joe's mom and dad thoroughly enjoy these times--even if all the rowdiness is a tad too loud. I don't know how that woman survived all 4 boys sharing a bedroom all those years ago. I shudder to imagine.

The thing that amazes me most is the "out-laws"--you know, the spouses of each family member.  I'm not sure how often this happens in families, but we get along amazingly well.  The non-Kautz members just somehow all fit in and get along, laughing and comparing notes of how to live with them.  My sisters-in-law are hilarious and we just have a hoot when we are together.  I guess we are lucky to have such a rapport--or we are just clinging to each other in support.

The photo includes the brothers, some of their sons and a grandson.  There are more elsewhere, but time and distance isn't always conducive for a family reunion--we just sort of do what we can to get everyone together.   And the fun begins...

I don't wanna know

I found Grace sitting in the yard the other day, perched directly over the hole for my clothespole.  I'm not sure she thinks it's a throne or if she's peeing in the hole.  Maybe she's just cooling her butt on the concrete. 

Some things are like that, you know?  You aren't sure if it's a rose or a weed.  I'm gonna go with "throne" 'cuz  I don't wanna know if she's doing otherwise.

Happy Weekend, pallies.  Find the roses and the thrones in your day.

Hydrangea Calling

Em and I are headed to New York City next week with the band.  That's part of the reason I've been so harried these days--trying to get ready for that adventure. Yes, I'm chaperoning. Yes, I know that's crazy--but it's NEW YORK! How do you pass that up?   And no, Joe and Colin are not going--they aren't up for adventures like us gals. They are staying home to protect the fortress from weirdo blog stalkers--if we had any.

While packing is never fun for me, it's been made worse by the fact that our luggage is leaving 3 days earlier than we are--it's traveling on a school truck with all of the band equipment.  When you pack up over 100 kids and chaperones, it's just easier to send the luggage ahead to avoid all that mess at the airport. So, that means I have to try to pack for a trip 3 days ahead of time, while hanging on to a few necessities  (like make-up and such) in order to survive until we leave on the plane.

Ugh. Nothing is ever easy.

In the midst of this, plus other madness, I've sort of forgotten to slow down enough to enjoy the garden.  I stepped out to feed the fish this morning and noticed the hydrangeas starting to bloom.  I love hydrangeas--every blossom from beginning to end is lovely.  So, I stopped and took a few minutes to just appreciate the beauty.  Nature has a way of doing that, doesn't it. Thank goodness, otherwise I'd run myself ragged these days.

Thank goodness for hydrangeas, I say.  They are my reminder to stop and breathe a bit.

This one is for you, Diane.  I know that you love them like I do.  :)