Welcome Home

On May 27th a total of 4 large buses made their way through Esky on their way back from Iraq at 7am. We lined the street just before 6am. Oh yeah....My little brother Aaron Michael Munchkin Peanut Pepin was on the 2nd bus!!

Welcome Home 1434th Engineer Company!!!

Kenster's 33rd

On the 24th was my hotty's 33rd birthday. We went camping and hiked into one of our favorite areas along the Lake Superior shoreline we call "Paradise" This is also the area we did a carving for our babies. This place is beyond gorgeous and brings solitude and peace.

I'm one lucky gal that this guy chose me to spend his past 16 birthdays with.

She brings me Joy

This is my new sweet baby niece Joy. She was born on the 20th of May. Just saying her name makes me smile. I foresee a great many years spoiling her rotten. =)

Ok, so maybe we're not "normal"

I've never claimed to be "normal", in fact, the word normal is boring an to me insinuates the complete opposite of fun!! Anytootles, my sis & I went to the thrift store today to rummage around. It seems each time we do this we find ourselves doing something so off the wall goofy.



Sometimes our silly antics have us ready to pee our pants from laughing. Like when we find a hard baseball hat, a wiffle ball and a brand spankan new athletic supporter. Take a picture of the wierdo holding and wearing said items...minus the athletic supporter...and you have some free laughs!!

You could also go in the summer section and find yourself some out of this galaxy awesome face masks...now if they only had a ducky inner tube or arm blow up floater things.

Oh look!! They had these stylin goggles that really accentuated our...ummmmmm...yeah, I dunno!! But we did laugh so hard that we began snorting!

Move over Minnie Pearl. We're holding down the fort here in Esky with these glorious bonnets.

Who says you need money to have fun? Try on some hats, take some pictures and get laughing!!

An afternoon walk to the lake

I've had so much on my mind these past couple months. So many changes, excitements and hope of new possibilities. So many that my brain was complete mush yesterday. Usually when I get like that I hop on my bike and take a ride. Yesterday, however, I decided to take Arizona for a walk. We ended up by the lake. The water was actually great so I put my toes in. A good walk is good for the mind and soul...not to mention your health. Plus, seeing the doggie smiles on lil Arizona's face was well worth the pain of my shin splints. LOL
On the way home I meandered through various blocks rather than taking Main Street home. Gosh, am I ever glad I did. How often do you see something like this written in chalk on the sidewalk?

Talk about awesomeness!! Now that was one kid who put their sidewalk chalk to great use and put out a great reminder for all of us.

Have a remarkable day!! It's 75 degrees here and I am off to take my furry boy Brayden for a stroll. I wonder what I'll find today.

Celebrating and giving thanks to two of my Heroes

As many of my friends and family know, I was in a car accident when I was five days old. When I was found I was not breathing and a cop gave me CPR. Before the cops and other emergency personnel arrived at the scene there were a total of four men who were pivotal in saving my life. On April 1, 2010 I met Hank and the planning of having a party in his honor began. About a week before the party I was informed that I would meet one of the other men, Doug. We threw a surprise party in their honor down at Ludington Park on May 15th. This is a video of when they arrived. They were both surprised.

I am still pretty much in awe and at loss for words as to what all of this has meant to me. Once I get all my thoughts and emotions in order I will tell you all about this special day. It was a dream come true...and I am ever so thankful.

A sunrise bikeride

I woke up at 3am this morning with all sorts of ideas running through my head.

So, I went downstairs so Ken could sleep. I started the laundry, emptied the dishwasher and scoured through a couple cookbooks for a breakfast recipe.

I settled on making us pancakes, juice and coffee. Ken had to leave around 5am to go on a run for work.

I decided to hop on my peddle bike and head for the lake.

The sunrise was stunning. The birds were just waking from their slumber and singing. The air was calm and the waves were soothing. There were a few Canadian geese by the lighthouse that seemd to be following me. I met a couple other people who were out for an early morning stroll. I think I am liking this early morning thing.

It's growing

Yesterday I took some pictures of what we have growing in our raised garden beds here at home. If all goes well, we'll be up to our eyeballs in fresh produce.


We also have pretty tulips growing.

Look, it's a summer squash seedling emerging.

The strawberry plants are beginning to flower. Sadly, we will not get any fruit from them this year as they are a two year variety. I am so sad that I will have to pinch any blooms off of the plant this year to promote a nice harvest next year.

Remember that "tater tower?" We have a few spuds beginning to grow!!! I've never grown potatoes before so this is pretty exciting.

These will be small onions. The big ones are planted in the back raised garden bed. A meal without onions is absurd.

This pretty petaled friend just showed up in our little garden where we have rhubarb. I call it a mystery flower. Isn't she purtiful?

Pretty soon we'll be at our witts end and fully content with oodles upon oodles of leafy lettuce.

Lookie here!! The iris' are almost ready to burst. I can't even wait!!

Daffodils dance in the front flower bed.

Little stray blades of green are sprouting. Those will be carrots. Yum!!

The bush beans are doing well too. I can't wait to harvest a handful and sit on the bench and eat them raw.

This is something new I'm trying. Growing broccoli in a large pot. It looks like we're going to get some plants.

On the side of the front porch I planted a few blueberry plants. They are striving and a few little grows have formed.

I don't want to wish summer away but I am so beyond excited to harvest all these goodies and begin preserving and "putting up" home canned goods in our basement pantry. We went down there the other day and almost all of our home canned goods are gone. I refuse to purchase canned tomato soup, or salsa, or even stewed tomatoes. Nothing beats the homemade stuff. =)

Got some dirt for ya

This post is brought to you by Potato Planter Ken and Farmer Kathy. Don't worry, we won't be singing "the farmer in the dell" and doing a lil dance. We would, if this garden was in a secluded area but alas, it's right on the highway so it's not really a good idea...unless we want the local po-po to pick us up because they thought we escaped from the ward. You will see some dirt and the debut of my very first dirty video though!!

After lunch at Ken's grandparents house we went to our local hardware store and purchased a roll of snow fence. It's to hopefully keep the wildlife out, or at least deter them from eating our soon to be delicious veggies. We are the first ones to have our fence up and we planted most of our seeds.

In the far right corner we havd a 15' x 15' section for sweet corn. In front of that is where our potatoes get planted.

Here I am planting our assorted squashes. Acorn, butternut, yellow summer and zucchini.

Ken has the taters all spaced out and ready to be drilled into their holes. Wait till you see the video at the bottom of this post. It's exciting stuff Maynard!!

They even provide us with a porta pottie with harder than a paper bag toilet paper. I had to go check it out and of course Ken had to snap a picture...without me knowing. He was supposed to be working ;)

Planting the sweet corn...Can't you see it growing there already? I can. Yes, I am fully aware of the city slicker wanna-be farmer with her rear end in the air. I also see stalks 10 feet tall filled with ears of corn. Then, I see the stalks on our porch beams for fall decorations. It's going to be fantastic!!

The front area is the future home of dozens upon dozens of tomatoe plants. It's still a bit too cold to plant the tomatoes and peppers though. But look, the ground is ready and the carrots and onions are planted. =)

See my 15 foot double row of peas and beans? Those are going to be DEEEEE-LISH!!! We worked on the garden for almost 6 hours after lunch. It was a fantastic Mother's Day. =) I'll have to show you all the beautiful flowering bush Ken got for me and the sweet card. Have I mentioned lately that not only do I have a handsome hubby but he's so thoughtful, ooberously funny and one heckuva farmer!! LOL

And here is my first ever recorded dirty video. It stars "Potato Planter Ken" with "Farmer Kathy" behind the camera. We picked up this planter gadget last summer at the State Fair for $20. Talk about neato!!!

Mother's Day

Nana's roses last year for Mother's Day

Your Mother Is Always With You

Your mother is always with you...
She's the whisper of the leaves

as you walk down the street.

She's the smell of bleach in

your freshly laundered socks.

She's the cool hand on your

brow when you're not well.

Your mother lives inside your laughter.

She's crystallized in every tear drop...
She's the place you came from,

your first home..

She's the map you follow with every step that you take.
She's your first love and your first heartbreak....

and nothing on earth can separate you.
Not time, Not space...Not even death....

will ever separate you from your mother....
You carry her inside of you....
- Sherry Martin

Today is Mother's Day and to be quite honest, it is a day I despise and have a horrible time with. I lost my Mom when I was 10 years old, the babies I carried for a couple short months are in heaven and we lost Ken's Nana ,who I was very close to, last June. This is our first Mother's Day without her. I am very blessed though to have shared some extraordinary times with Nana. I treasure the time we had with her. There are so many times I feel Nana is just a phone call away. I want to hear about her day and share mine with her. I miss her asking about her "grand dogs" and the hours we'd spend talking about crocheting. I just miss her.

It didn't seem right not buying her a Mother's Day card yesterday when I was at the store. For the 16 years Ken & I have been together I have picked out 15 Mothers Day cards for her. This was the first year I haven't. Each year we would scour the stores for "Nana" cards. There would be 2, maybe 3 Nana themed cards...all of which looked like they were from a 2 year old grandchild. But every year she got a Nana card. Well, yesterday while picking out Ken's mom's, his grandma's and my step mom's card I ran across at least 12 Nana themed cards. I actually had to leave the aisle before I lost it. What can I say, Hallmark knows how to get the waterworks working on me.

Yesterday in Nana's memory I purchased one dozen pink roses and put them in the vase we bought for her last year. We filled the vase with two dozen pink roses last year. Our dining room table looks so cheery and remembering how much Nana enjoyed pink roses brings a smile to my face. I am also honored that I was given Nana's Mother's Ring after she passed away. I wear it daily and am honored the family chose me to have it.

We will be going to Ken's grandparents house for a steak dinner. It's usually a great time with amazing wonderful people. I find myself wanting to stay home or work in the garden. Last year the ladies were all in the house while the guys manned the BHG (big honkan grill). Well, Ken's aunt told me that I should be outside cooking with the guys, that this day was for Mom's and I wasn't one...Yeah....ouch!! It's not like I chose for our babies to go to Heaven... Tears welled up and I went out of the house faster than a bullet speeding out of a gun. You can see why I don't want to go...but I will, for Grandma and my mother in law. Might need to wear some earplugs or take separate vehicles.

I never thought I would find myself missing my Mom so much after not having her for 24 years...but I do. I wish I had the opportunity of cooking side by side in the kitchen with my Mom. The house we own used to be owned by my parents very good friends. My parents have many many memories in this house. I feel close to them somehow by living here.

I wish she could see the things I crochet now. She put the love of yarn into my soul and then years later Ken's Nana inspired me to pick my hook back up. I owe a lot to those two amazing ladies. I wish Ken could have met my Mom. I am certain she'd love him and he'd feel the same. She was one heckuva lady. Classy, yet down to Earth. Who else could lift their butt up and let one rip. Yes, my Mom did that.

There are so many times I could use her advice and her guidance. She inspired me. There have been so many events and things that have happened that I wish she could have been there. I missed having her talk to me about boys, helping me get ready for a school dance, teaching me how to curl my hair, attending my track meets. teaching me how to put on makeup, doing laundry, first boyfriend, breakups, teenage awkward years, braces, prom, graduation, Ken, my wedding, being pregnant and then to be there when we lost our babies. I would have liked my Mom there for that. I know she was in spirit though and there have been so many times I can feel her presence and I know she is with me, guiding me and her memory, along with Nana's continue to inspire me. I can still to this day hear Mom say "Katherine Marie" and that makes me smile.

Mother's Day brings mixed emotions but there is still reason to celebrate. I have an amazing Mother in law and Ken's grandma is one amazing woman as well. I have a step mom who loves me no matter how much heck I gave her. I may not have humanoid children to make Mother's Day seem possible for a gal like me, but I do have the best furry, reptilian, swimmy "children" a gal could ever ask for. =)

Hug your Mom, tell her how much she means to you, pamper her, make those memories that will last a lifetime and bring you inspiration and carry you through the years.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all my beautiful friends. Aunties, sister's and all you wunnaful ladies....whether you have human, furry, reptilian, fishy or whatever "children" you have, enjoy your day. It was made for you =)

Diaper Cake

I had a baby shower to go to today and I pondered what on Earth I could give to her. I already had made the baby a little dress. I knew I wanted to pick up some diapers. Let's face it, babies go through plenty of diapers. Sure, I could have bought a box of diapers, spent $7.99 to wrap the box, a pretty bow & whatnot...Or, I could make a diaper cake! I chose to let my imagination take me places and I made a 3 tiered diaper cake. I bought a large box of diapers and I then shoved baby type items in each layer. There were lotions, baby oil, shampoo, baby wipes, onesies, a crocheted dress, bib overalls, sleepers, pacifiers, pants, a bottle brush, a fleece blanket and some other odds and ends the baby needs. I'm pretty sure if I get invited to a baby shower this will be my gift of choice to give. This was way too fun!!!

Foodie Friday: Spinach Pesto

A couple weeks ago I made my very 1st spinach pesto...and I fell in love. Like, how on Earth did I go without such a delectable thing. Seriously, the stuff is devine. Actually, it's better than devine. It may be close to Heaven on Earth!! My next 34 years will absolutely positively include this yumalish necessity...at least once a month!!

I made another batch tonight, took out a bottle of some Door County Wine, put on some soft music, lit Nana's candle and enjoyed the pink roses I picked up today and put in the vase we filled with pink roses last year for Mother's Day. It makes me smile thinking of her and how much she loved pink roses.

Here's the recipe I used as a guideline for this yummo necessity. I say guideline because I never follow a recipe to a T... cuz I'm a rebel like that.

Spinach Pesto
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed & squeezed well (I used fresh spinach)
1 cup fresh parsley
2/3 cup freshly grated parmesean cheese
1/2 cup walnut pieces, broken (I omitted this)
4 flat anchovy fillets (again, I omitted this yuckoid ingredient)
2 garlic cloves, mashed to a paste ( I used 4...we like garlic and we are frim believers in garlic)
2 TBSP basil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground fennel seed ( I omitted this because we didn't have any on hand)
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup olive oil (the first time I made this I used the one cup and it seemed to be a bit much. In tonight's batch I cut it down to 3/4 cup and it was superbaliffic!!!

In a food processor, using steel blade, blend spinach, parsley, cheese, nuts, anchovies, garlic, basil, salt, pepper and fennel seed until smooth. With motor running add olive oil in a steady stream. Makes about 2 cups. Keeps for a week or so in the refrigerator and may be frozen.

Make this!! It's phenomenal on top of chicken. That's what we did the first time. This time I just made up some angel hair pasta and served it on that. This stuff is totally awesome on crackers too.

We bought our plot today

You know what's really exciting? When you go to bed at night hoping to sleep but you can't seem to squeeze a wink of it in because you are just too excited. You're much like a child on Christmas Eve, but multiply that times 100000000000000000!!


Today is May 3rd and for the past month I have been waiting as patiently as possible for this day to come. At 8am I had to be at the MSU extension by the College to hopefully secure a plot at our Community Garden. Don't tell me you thought I meant a plot at the cemetary. lol

Well, folks, you're going to be seeing a lot of dirty posts because this here 30x30 plot of land that I paid $25 for is MINE!!! Yup, I secured a plot for the season and that makes me happier than ants on sugar!!

I will be able to keep this plot for years to come should I choose to...which I totally anticipate we will. It's cheap cheap cheap! $25 for the season and it's already plowed and disk ed. Now the weather just needs to stabilize so we can get planting. I'm gonna be up to my eyeballs in produce this year!! It's going to be fantastic!!!! Bozinga!