7 Random Things

#1.

I've had over 20 different jobs in my life.  I started my first part time job when I was 14 years old at the Georgetown Library shelving books.  I rode my bike to work and would stuff the bike bag FULL of books.  For some reason, my mom didn't like that, but I never had an overdue fine!  Other jobs included a fabric store, two quilt shops, Herman Miller, emergency room, civil engineers office, bank, Johnson Control, nursing home, kitchen designer, gift shop, tour guide and teacher.

 My favorite job?  Wife and Mommy  =)

#2.

I had my wisdom teeth pulled two weeks after we got married.

It was a HORRIBLE experience!

Michael thought I was going to die and he'd be a widow.

#3.

If Abigail had been a boy, we would have named him William George.

William after Michael's grandpa and George after my dad.

William George is a very royal sounding name, isn't it?

#4.

I absolutely LOVE to watch You Tube videos!

It's how I learn how to do stuff.

Make soap.

Bake bread.

Build raised beds.

Fold origami.

#5.

I really, really, really like the paint color in our bedroom.

So much so, I'd like to re-paint the kitchen, dining room, and family room that color.

Do you suppose Mr. K would notice if I did that?

#6.

My friend Sarah had a baby girl last week and I decided to knit a baby sweater.

I have a LITTLE problem ... it fits Abigail!

Not to worry, not to worry ... I'll just make a smaller one.

That's the good thing about knitting.  =)

#7.

My favorite summer-time treat is an ice cream sandwich.

One summer afternoon, when we were kids, Sarah and I were playing with my cousins Marty and Tom.

It was hot, so we asked if we could have an ice cream sandwich.

Some how, we ended up eating a whole box of them.

I have NO IDEA how we got away with that but it's a GREAT childhood memory!

Baking Day - Oatmeal Cookies

A Sunday afternoon rainstorm ushered in BLISSFULLY cool temperatures.  What a relief from the 95-100 degree weather the East Coast has had for many weeks!  This morning I woke up extra refreshed and decided to do some baking today.

I decided on apple muffins and oatmeal cookies. 

The muffins were a necessity as I had a few mealy apples from sitting in the refrigerator crisper draw too long. 

The cookies, on the other hand, were pure nostalgia!

My Grandma baked these cookies just about weekly to have on hand when the grandchildren would visit.  My sister and I would sit at the dinning room table with a couple cookies on a napkin and a big glass of whole milk or a bowl of Hudsonville Vanilla Ice Cream from the round container.  If I have any Hudsonville, MI readers, you know what I am talking about ... that is the BEST vanilla ice cream in the world!

These aren't the fastest cookies to bake, but they are so TASTY and filled with really WHOLESOME ingredients.  Let me share the recipe with you:

GRANDMA'S OATMEAL COOKIES

1 cup water + 1 cup raisins

Boil until nearly dry.  Stir in 1 teaspoon baking soda.  Set aside to cool.

Add 2 teaspoons flour - stir to coat raisins

Combine:

1 cup chopped walnuts

2 cups rolled oats

3 cups flour

Cream:

2 sticks butter

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 eggs

Mix wet and dry ingredients together.

Fold in raisins

Bake at 350 degrees 

14-16 minutes

Why I Blog

It was a lovely surprise to find in my inbox  Sunday afternoon a "Blog with Substance" award.  Thank you Wendy! 

One of the requirements of accepting this award is to state in 10 words why you blog.  It took a bit of scribbling on scrap paper but I can do it: 

"I love to teach and share my creativity with others"

I started blogging in 2006, when I was the SAHM of a 2 year old, trying to figure out how to be both Mommy and Erin at the same time.  =)

Dutch Girl Diary has recorded all of my growing experiences - cloth diapering, knitting business, coupon shopping, yarn dyeing business, thrift shopping, menu plans, quilting, knitting, gardening, sewing ...

I'm coming up on my 4th year of blogging in September and I'm still working on the Mommy vs.Erin thing.  =)  The greatest thing I have learned from writing Dutch Girl Diary is I am who I am ... To Thine Own Self Be True!

Enjoy this new week wherever you are!

Summyer Style Blogging

Hello Friends!

I am having a WONDERFUL summer.

Swimming

Playdates

Light Cooking

Loose Schedules

Very Little Housework

Knitting

Reading to Miss Abigail

I really LOVE living like this during these sweet summer months.  

Soon it will be the season of book bags, uniforms, schedules and routines.

That will include a return to regular blogging.

Until then, Be Safe and Be Happy!

Frozen Blueberries

The perfect afternoon snack when it's 101 degrees outside.  =) 

It's also perfect weather for doing bed linen laundry ... sheets, pillowcases, mattress pad, and pillow covers.  They dry in no time and are extra sanitized by the sun and heat.  Hey, I'm trying to be a positive thinker!

Keep cool wherever you are.  =)

Alaska through my Lens~ Talkeetna and Fairbanks

  The land is rough, rugged, and amazingly beautiful.

The people are independent, self-reliant, very friendly, God-fearing folk.

I've fallen in love with Alaska!

I took over 300 pictures ... I'm sure you don't want to see them all.  =)

Here are my favorites:

Very "not PR" door handles at the Princess Wilderness Lodge.

Abigail decided Eskimo fairies built these stone towers using moosecraft.

Talkeetna, AK, home of the Roadhouse, local hang out for Mt. McKinley climbers.

Mr. K thought it was a dive ... I loved it!

We both agreed they served GREAT bacon.  =)

We took a jet boat ride in Talkeetna and made a stop at a recreated Athabaskan Indian camp to learn about how they lived hundreds of years ago.

There were lots of pelts to pet ...  check out the size of this bear paw!

My personal favorite ... our guide carried a 12 gauge rifle.
Like I said, I really like the people of Alaska.  =)

In Fairbanks we visited a working gold mine and learned about the Alaskan Gold Rush. 
This was our guide and he taught us how to pan for gold. 
I think he looks like Grizzly Adams.  =)

We tried panning ourselves and found some!  

Abigail had it put into a locket.

I really enjoyed the riverboat ride in Fairbanks.
We saw a float plain take off and land on the river -- very, very cool!
We saw saw lots of log cabins -- I love them!
We learned about sled dogs and how they are trained.
We saw many pieces of beautiful Athabaskan Indian clothing.

Happy July

What a wonderful relief ... June was full of unseasonably hot, humid days!  For the next few days here in DE we can look forward to windows-wide-open weather. 

Abigail and I took a quick trip up to New York to visit my sister Sarah and family.  We were there for only 3 short days but they were filled with gardening, chatting, swimming, fire-fly chasing, more chatting, baby snuggling, walks and general fine Summer living. 

Today is blueberry day!  My friend Sue drove to Lancaster yesterday and got blueberries at Centerville Bulk, our FAVORITE bulk food store.  Abigail and I will make a pilgrimage there today to get our blueberries and then perhaps make a stop at Fisher's Housewares.  =)  They sell the BEST nail brush for cleaning up gardening hands. 

Be safe and happy, my friends ... enjoy the month of July!