What I learned in September

I am linking up with Chatting At The Sky on What We Learned in September. Check out what everyone else learned.

School is back in session.  My youngest started middle school.  He didn't even want me to drop him off the first day. He is so braver perhaps more brave than myself.  Momastery summed it up so perfectly in her post.

Every Garden needs a ninja rock. I have discovered that laughing while weeding is the only way to weed. Every time I water and weed, I see this and it makes me smile.

My best friend reminded me of my one little word.  She had been inspired by someone's post of  all their themes/word for the year in a wall grouping.  I was sad to say that I had temporarily forgotten what my one little word was.  That was a little sad.  My one little word is Evolve.

Have you discovered Nuestro Sabor Gatorade - Lime Cucumber. I am usually not a big fan of Gatorade but this stuff is pretty good. I have only seen it at the gas station. A picture of a empty bottle because it was that good.

I have decided to join Nesters 31 days of Writing.  I discovered I still have a lot to share. I have done several topics in the past.  I did a lot of pre writing for previous 31 day series  and for me that is the way to go. This is also how I know that I have the right topic.  I am doing the same pre-writing for my topic this year - 31 days of  Adventure.

Lastly, my husband and I celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary.  I feel so lucky to be married to this man.

31 Days of Adventure

I am linking up with the incredible Nester and joining many others in writing for 31 days on one topic for the month of October.  In the past I have done various homemaking topic such as, "You might be Homemaker If" and "31 Little Things".
 

This year I am taking it another direction with 31 Days of Adventure. I will be sharing adventures that my family and friends have taken, tips for frugal adventures, and inspiration for new adventures.

So, buckle up and join me for 31 days of ADVENTURE!

***Treat this post as a permanent linky to all the posts in my series. This series will go live Oct 1.

Day 1 Got Wanderlust
Day 2 Adventure in my DNA
Day 3 Adventure Van
Day 4 Finding Tupperware with Million Dollar Satellites
Day 5 Adventure Linky's
Day 6 Boundary Bay/Point Roberts
Day 7  Radical Adventures (Full Time Rving)
Day 8 Consider Volunteering
Day 9 Modern Day Treasure Hunting
Day 10 Low Cost Family Adventures
Day 11 One More Day
Day 12 Bucket List
Day 13 Documenting Your Adventures
Day 14 Multigenerational Outings/Trips
Day 15 Off the Beaten Path or Not
Day 16 Saving For IT
Day 17 Wrong Turn
Day 18 Advanced or Not So Advanced Geocaching
Day 19 Tourist in Your Own Town
Day 20 Girlfriend Trips
Day 21 Radical Adventures (Urban Adventures)
Day 22 Traveling with Asperger's
Day 23 Been Lurched?
Day 24 Doing with the Family
Day 25 Adventure on the Big Screen
Day 26 Haunted Forest
Day 27 Arm Chair Adventures
Day 28 Seeing the Unexpected
Day 29 Culinary Thrill Seeker
Day 30 Teen Spirit
Day 31 Flotsam

Celebrating 19 Years

It is hard to believe I married a guy who I met changing fluorescent light bulbs in a training building in the Army.  He was the soldier changing the bulbs because literally he was the only one tall enough to stand on the table and reach. 

I feel lucky and blessed to have this guy in my life as a friend and husband.  This journey of life wouldn't be the same without him. It is amazing that we have been married 19 years. 

Booking It September

I am linking up with Life as Mom Booking It.  Click on over and see what everyone else is reading.

I love a good travel story/memoir.  I read Going Somewhere by Brian Benson. It chronicled a bike journey from Wisonsin to Portland, Oregon with his then girlfriend.  I find that those that attempt these types of adventures such as the pacific crest trail or cross country treks are searching for something. I think Brian was too. I saw this quote recently and I think it fits this book and pretty much sums the book  up. This book was just OK for me. 

"We must take Adventure in order to know where we truly belong."

 



** Be advised there are some more racier scenes described in this book

Next I picked up the book, the smartest kids in the world; how they got that way by Amanda Ripley. I really enjoyed this book.  Education is a hot topic lately with common core. Amanda breaks down what 3 countries (Finland, Poland, and Korea) do to teach kids successfully and why these kids perform better than American Kids.  The ended up discussing this book with a lot of different people.  I generally don't find myself doing that.  There were several things I walked away with. One is we don't take education seriously enough. Secondly, we don't pay teachers enough nor do we expect them to be highly trained.  Lastly we have fallen behind other nations because we don't teach higher thinking skills.  We don't teach the language of math from an early age. In addition, most Americans don't consider math nearly as important as other skills. Amanda not only gives the facts but used first hand experiences from exchange students that lived and attended schools in Finland, Poland and Korea.

Lastly, I read Gone Feral; Tracking my Dad Through the Wild by Novella Carpenter. I have also read Farm City by Novella and I am glad to see this follow up though a very different type of book from Farm City.  It chronicles her search to learn about her father who lives somewhat a mountain man existence and how this is triggered by her want to become a mother. Novella is quite the character and that comes through in this book as well.

94 years Young

Pappy with a Paper Cake
with 94 candles

This past weekend we got to celebrate Pappy's 94th birthday.  We took a little trip to Elbe, WA just outside of  Mt Rainier National Park.  There is a restaurant in a railroad dining car.  Pappy really wanted an Elk burger so that is what he had.  The rest of us had various types of burgers including buffalo.

Enjoying an Elk Burger

Then we drove up into Mt Rainier National Park.  The weekend was really busy probably because it was such a beautiful fall day.  We stopped at Paradise and took the picture below.  It is in the lodge parking lot.

We finished the day with Pappy with a German Chocolate Cake complete with candle.

Emergency Prepardness Artwork

Last weekend, my youngest son and husband had an opportunity to go to an emergency preparedness event. A co-worker of my husband's was there setting up an improvised shelter.  My son was so inspired that he made a drawing of someone living off the land in a tent because the bridge over the river is out.  Sometimes, you don't know with kids what will inspire them.

Breaking Up With My Grocery Store

Dear Grocery Store,

IT is YOU not me. 

Sincerely,
ME


I think I might need to break up with my grocery store.  I have been struggling with this through the summer. My stock up and generally overall cheaper store Fred Meyer has been under going a remodel.  I hate it. I keep returning hoping it has magically improved.  At the end of the remodel, I find the prices higher and there seems less grocery product and selection.  The store having less product means that it is constantly being restocked in really narrow aisles.  Did I mention that this store is frequented by the Canadians as well. This makes this store an exceptionally busy store. IT is bad enough I have to travel to a nearby town to shop.  I do have plenty of choices in the nearby town for grocery stores so I guess I going to have to come up with a new grocery store game plan.

I recently got an email newsletter from Money Saving Mom - Crystal touting the benefits of keeping a price book and scouting out local stores.  The gist of the email was the time taken to do this had direct benefits to your bottom line. 

Anyone else broke up with their grocery store?

The Bandits Strike

This could of been titled, " Funny Messages My Family Left Me".  Well, the " I LOVE YOU BANDIT" has struck again.  I probably should dust my aloe plant.

The Drive Thru Bandit Was Here

I left my car in a grocery store parking lot while I shopped. I was struck by the "Drive Thru Bandit". You think they could of left at least one fry.

The 1st Day is in the Books!

Cody - 1st Day of 11th Grade

Well the boys aka The 2 Man Wrecking Crew survived the first day of 11th grade and 6th grade.

Lucky Chuck- 1st Day of 6th Grade

M.y kids were exhausted after their day. Anyone else get more than a one word answer about their day (fine)? I loved this blog post on 25 ways to ask your teens "How was your day?"

What I Learned in August

I am linking up with Chatting At The Sky What I Learned in August

My youngest has been watching again Ghostbusters.  As we were watching it with him, both my husband and I commented that it would be awesome to update the special effects.  Next morning on the radio, I hear that Ghostbuster III is going to be a remake with an all female cast.  I think it is an interesting idea.  August 28th was National Ghost Busters Day - Remember don't cross the streams. LOL

Because my son really wiped out on his bike, I was reminded that I too reminded that I wiped out on the hill in front of my childhood home.  I keep telling him scars have stories.  I use to have a great one on my elbow from that wipeout on the hill that I got falling off my bike..

The other day my son asked me to color with him.  He is 12.  I had things to do but I thought why not.  He starts middle school in a few days.  I loved slowing down with him. This might be the last time he asks me to do that.  Time passes too quickly. 

I learn so much from my kids.  My oldest (16) is EXTREMELY goal oriented.  He made a list of things he wanted to accomplish this summer and I think he did well at accomplishing his goals.  I think, often times as parents, we too reevaluate our goals as school starts. I have been using Life as Mom's Post It To Do/journal sheet. 

I found that I don't keep this in a 3 ring notebook until I finished the week.  So I put it in a sheet protector and place the post it on top of the protector.  I usually only cross off This Week Goals and This Month Goals once a day.  The sheet was getting ratty without the protector as I seem to carry it around.. All my little notes - grocery list, books to read, quotes I write on the back of this sheet. 
I made some tweaks and I find myself accomplishing more using this tool.  I am goal setting.  I needed that. I hate to give up my handy dandy notebooks but this is making sense to me right now.

Not Native
I call this photo "Geranium in the Woods"

We were out geocaching, imagine that, we came across a geranium growing under the tree.  We were pretty deep in the woods. It was unclear if someone planted or what.  I am pretty sure geraniums are not native Washington. This is reminded me of the saying, "Grow where you are planted."