The Daily Grind | Love, Laughter, and Life

April 28, 2016
by Angie 2 Comments

Don’t Eat the Baby! ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

No one is going to eat his baby!

By Angie Quantrell Angie Quantrell

Don’t Eat the Baby!

By Amy Young

(Viking, 2013)

Don’t Eat the Baby! is a funny story about new babies, big brothers, and misunderstandings.

Tom is not sure he wants a new baby. In fact, he names the baby The Blob. At first he is jealous of all of the attention being placed on baby Blob. But soon, Tom hears people saying they want to eat the baby because it is so adorable.

What? They can’t eat his baby. Tom decides he has to save the baby. His baby.

Families with new babies will love reading this as they merge the new family member with older siblings. This book also provides humor as discussions take place about silly things adults say.

KID KANDY:

Baby Doll Play

Materials: baby doll, doll clothes and accessories, doll bed or toys

Do you have a new baby sister or brother? They are noisy, tiny, cute, and here to stay. While mom and dad are busy taking care of the new family member, this is your time to play and take care of your own baby.

Pretend the baby is your baby. Feed, rock, burp, and put the baby doll to bed. You can even give your baby a name. It’s fun to pretend, isn’t it?

You can also ask mom or dad how you can help with your new sibling. Maybe you can go get a diaper for mom or hand dad the blankie. Snuggle in close while baby is sleeping. You used to be that tiny!

Congratulations on being the big brother (or sister)!

April 27, 2016
by Angie Leave a comment

New Life

This is my daddy and I’m keeping him.

By Angie Quantrell Angie Quantrell

startled gasp for breath

mama’s trimphant labor

wrapping up daddy

Haiku by Angie Quantrell

Welcome, Autumn Nahara.

Born April 26 at 10:08 AM.

Another piece of Nana’s heart…

April 26, 2016
by Angie Leave a comment

The Plank – 10 Steps to Success

My idea of a perfectly-formed plank.

By Angie Quantrell

No. Not that kind. The exercise kind. Planks are hard to do.

I don’t like them.

Does anyone really like them? This is what it looks like when I try to do a plank.

1. Gear up. Avoid doing planks following a recent meal.

2. Collapse to floor level.

3. Set timer. Otherwise, I will be positive that 15 seconds is a full complete minute.

4. Start timer.

5. Assume position. Elbows and forearms on floor. Toes on floor. Nothing else on floor.

6. Tighten stomach, back, and buttock muscles.

7. Immediately begin to breathe harder. At 5 seconds in, notice trembling limbs.

8. Sweat.

9. Fight the feeling of giving up or falling on my face.

10. At 30 seconds, convince self to keep going. Or pause for a rest (I like that one better).

1 minute? DONE.

What a workout!

I’m sure I’m not the only one who experiences these physical manifestations of pain when doing a plank. I mean really, shouldn’t a 53 year-old be able to handle this?

True, I haven’t even done a sit-up since, well, I don’t know when. Maybe shortly after my last baby was born. She’s 25. Years-old. Wanna know an embarassing fact? When I started this new build-core-strength-workout-program I could NOT do one sit-up. Not one, folks.

But I digress.

Planks are not fun, easy, or pleasant. But I have to admit to a certain joy in knowing that I can hang in there and do a minute. On most days.

Care to join me? On to sit-ups.

What is your most hated, feared, or dreaded exercise? Let’s commiserate.

Planks AND flowers.

April 20, 2016
by Angie Leave a comment

Unexpected Gift Perfectly Suits

A purrfect gift. @AngieQuantrell

By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

We were recently given a handmade gift that perfectly suited our family.

As we served an appreciation luncheon for co-workers, a certain woman, well-known for her hospitality and kindness, walked up to me and delivered a gift.

Since this luncheon was for them, I was not expecting a gift. We were doing the giving. But in her thoughtfulness, she remembered us with a hostess treasure.

When time allowed, I dug into the package and discovered a large, white hand-embroidered dish towel. Beautiful!

The homemade varieties are the best sort, are they not?

I quickly went to her table to thank her for the thoughtful gift. That was when I discovered four reasons the unexpected gift perfectly suited our family.

1. We are facing a shortage of decent dish towels. I prefer to use them until they are rags. We are breathing down the neck of the rag stage.

2. The embroidery neatley featured a cat. We love cats and have two terrorist cats of our own.

3. The embroidered cat was gray. Aha! Both of our monsters are affectionately called the Gray Girls.

4. The towel design included a cat clock of the old fashioned sort. We have a cat clock, of the new fashioned type.

I decided to use the dish towel as a mini-tablecloth. For now. @AngieQuantrell

A simple dish towel delivered true joy and pleasure for the one who was trying to give appreciation.

Have you ever received a perfect, unexpected gift?

April 16, 2016
by Angie Leave a comment

When We First Met

The fridge, our friend

By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

I remember the day I first saw you. I mean really saw you.

It was on Halloween, October 31, 2009.

That was the day we moved out of the spare bedroom of my in-laws’ home and into our own space. Such a beautiful day.

I opened you, ready to put cold items in for storage. Oh, look! They forgot a lovely crystal glass bowl.

So I carefully washed the bowl and put it away.

The next day, you surprised us with a shelf and trays full of water.

THAT was why the bowl was left behind. For the leak. From the ice maker. Which leaked pretty much non-stop.

The picture became even clearer the more we got to know each other. We discovered that you really loved to have a dish towel beneath the bowl, just in case you spilled over the edges. And those spaces under the veggie bins? That was your favorite spot for letting water pool and become a lovely icky tan.

The bowl and dish towel

This went on, the emtpying of the bowl of ice and water, replacing the dish towel, and starting the cycle again and again, for years. Until finally, we couldn’t keep up.

So we had to turn off the ice maker. It must have made you sad, but we couldn’t keep up with the water.

Ah. Now we wouldn’t need the bowl. We could use the entire inside of the fridge for our food.

Not true. From somewhere, deep within your beige walls, you had the capacity and urge to leak. Still. Even without a water connection.

Back went the towel and the bowl. It became a game of sorts. Some days there were no drips at all. We thought we might be able to dispose of both bowl and towel. But others days, a deluge of water filled the bowl and the bottom of the veggie drawers. Even with no water connection.

The end came, at last, when even the second shelf was often filled with standing water. One dish towel became two, then three. It was too much.

Good-bye, my leaky beige-y drippy friend. It has been good. Interesting. Confusing. Frustrating.

But you have been faithful. Our food stayed cold, even frozen.

Thank you for your service. I will always have fond memories of our time together, the good times and the bad.

The new fridge – without bowl and dish towel

Hello, beautiful. I remember the day I first saw you. It was April 15, 2016. Tax day.

Here’s to a long, drip-free relationship. Without the bowl and the dish towel.

Thanks for stopping by.

I would love to hear your tales of appliances gone bad.

April 13, 2016
by Angie 2 Comments

The Inaugural Run

The inaugrual clothesline run. Success!

By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

It was a successful inaugural run…for my brand new recycled clothesline.

Until now, several factors have discouraged this celebratory occasion.

We have a tiny backyard.

The project resisted efforts towards completion.

Time kept on slipping, slipping, slipping.

Do you know how hard it is to find poles for clotheslines?

Today, may I introduce you to my tiny yard, brand new, recycled clothesline?

Pleased to meet you.

Our son had an old clothesline pole hanging out on their property. This treasure came complete with a cross bar (which my husband dropped on his head; his next gift is going to be a safety helmet – and I am not kidding) and rings for the lines.

We had to anchor the opposite side of the clothesline to the garage which required us to angle the entire clothesline. Do you now how hard it was to make it NOT square and straight? Using the garage as the second pole was due to lack of a second clothesline pole and a lack of space.

Our one available section of yard is only about 6 feet wide. It hides behind the garden shed and is almost beneath, gasp, the powerlines. Where the birds sit.

In spite of the challenges and possible necessity of rewashing bird-soiled items, I am so pleased and excited to use the clothesline.

Hurray for fresh air, crunchy clothes, and a lower gas bill.

Our angled clothesline connected between a pole and the garage.

Do you have a clothesline? What are your tricks for getting the cleanest and softest clothes?

April 11, 2016
by Angie Leave a comment

National Pet Day

Baby pictures – Monet and Mabel

By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

Today is National Pet Day.

Here are our two highly energetic and trouble-seeking felines, Mabel and Monet.

The sisters are camera shy and any attempt to take photos results in instant movement, waltzing away from the scene, aloof attitudes, or disdainful staring away from the camera. Loving eye shots are not allowed. No. Not at all.

Mabel of the gorgeous eyes

Our cats love to:

– climb the walls (literally)

– chase, capture, and bring in wildlife (birds, worms, mice, rats)

– pretend they live at the home of neighbors (your choice; we see them regularly lazing in the yards or coming home from 5 different yards – none of which are ours)

– leave hair everywhere

– recline on the kitchen table

– claim any unfurred piece of furniture until it is redecorated in white, gray, and tan fur

– play catch the lazer (or string, or cord, or feathers, or toes…)

– steal rubberbands

– eat daddy-long-legs

– try and potty in the garden beds

– tease the neighborhood bully cat with friendship, and then turn about squawling as if ripped limb from limb (this also results in the male boy spraying regularly on several key locations, house included)

– race loudly and wildly through the house

– be wherever we are

– sleep on fuzzy blankets

Monet with the striped tail

Oh, there is more. They are cats. You get the idea. We are not allowed cat fur free clothing, bird feeders, or litter free carpets.

But we love them. Entertainment, affection, company, lap warmers, snugglers. I guess we’ll keep them.

Monet depositing hair and cat litter

Do you need some great ideas of things to do on National Pet Day? I found a Web site that shared several suggestions. Just click this link. National Pet Day

What kind of pets do you have? I’d love to see and hear about them.

Mabel claiming the center of the bed

Happy National Pet Day!

April 8, 2016
by Angie Leave a comment

National Garden Week – 2nd Week in April

You have no idea how happy I am to see this many blooms on the blueberry bush! The weight of winter snow broke off at least half of the plant.

By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

Next week is National Garden Week –

the 2nd week of April.

Fading beauty. I’m so sad to see my tulip season conclude.

I am so onboard for this celebration. It’s time to plant my garden!

The strawberries are looking future-tasty.

Actually, I cheated. I’ve already started to plant seeds, since we are expecting highs in the mid to upper 80’s today, it may be past time for new sprouts. But I think that is a freak of too-hot-too-early weather and it should drop back to the 60-70’s.

Half planted beds. Waiting for seeds.

Here are some National Garden Week photos from my yard.

Garlic, parsley, and sage – all repeat visitors from last year. Plus a cat tail of one who wanted to be featured.

Oh, each new bud, flower, and sprout is so exciting.

We even planted a tree trunk for the cats to scratch and climb. It won’t grow…but it is part of our garden.

I’m already dreaming about tasty blueberries, sweet-tart strawberries, exquisite raspberries, and savory herbs and vegetables.

Dabbling to pretty-up a very hot corner of the yard.

Join me. Let’s celebrate our gardens.

The dogwood is just beginning to burst into bloom.

I would love to see photos of your garden.

April 6, 2016
by Angie 3 Comments

Meet My New Sewing Machine ~ Old Reliable

Meet my new Singer Slant-o-Matic 500

By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

Meet my new (old) sewing machine.

My old (old) machine, one I’ve had since the early days of our marriage, has finally bit the dust. Kicked the bucket. Is kicking up daisies.

At a loss, and with pressing sewing needs, I borrowed my daughter-in-laws’ machine. It worked great except for one thing. It wasn’t mine and I had to return it.

Back to no-sewing-machine.

And then I remembered the old Singer in the cabinet that we had stored in the garage. At the time of my mother-in-law’s move to a nursing facility, I couldn’t bear to part with it. So there it sat.

Hmmm. Could it be? Would it work or even turn on?

Yes, yes, and yes!

May I introduce you to my Singer Slant-o-Matic 500? Heavy as an elephant and sturdy as rock, this baby can stitch with the best of them.

After a quick online search, the terms antique and vintage were both used. According to the copyright date in one booklet, the latest year of print was 1941. Which would make this machine vintage.

And, oh what a pretty sight, the vision of that vintage Singer Slant-o-Matic 500 whipping through my stitching to beat the band.

Thank you, mom and Singer. Quality lasts.

What make of sewing machine do you have? Have you ever used a Singer?

March 30, 2016
by Angie Leave a comment

My Favorite Play Dough Recipe

Pumpkin spice black pepper orange play dough – lots of fun!

By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

Play dough is one of the absolute best toy/manipulative/sensory activities available to kid-dom!

I kid you not. Snicker, snicker. And not the snicker of the famed chocolate and peanut variety.

This is the best and most versatile recipe I’ve found. I have used it for over 20 years and have only rarely uncelebrated failure.

Tools make all the difference. Cutting, chopping, manipulating, and making prints are great activities for little hands.

Best Ever Play Dough Recipe

3 cups flour

1 cup salt

2 T. oil (vegetable or baby oil)

1 T. alum

3 cups boiling water

Paste food coloring (add to boiling water to melt and mix it)

1. Put dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir well.

2. Drizzle oil over dry mix.

3. Stir food coloring into boiling water. Pour over ingredients.

4. Stir well with a wooden spoon and spatula.

5. Turn out onto a counter. It will be hot, but you have to knead the dough while it is hot to activate the ingredients. Knead the dough and scrape off sticky bits with a spatula. Don’t worry, it will get less sticky as it cools. If it is horribly sticky, add tiny bits of flour as needed.

6. After the mixture is well mixed, cool completely and store in a lidded plastic container.

7. Enjoy!

This is the basic recipe. I often add spices or textures like pumpkin spice, cornmeal, or cocoa. Play with the recipe. It’s worth the mess.

Today Donavyn and I made play dough. He wanted orange, so we made orange. I wanted a scent, so I added pumpkin spice. He also wanted to dump pepper, so we added pepper!

Old tires make great tracks.

Together with play dough, tools and toys add to the experience. Be creative and grab things that make patterns, cut, chop, shape, and can be used to interact with the play dough. Avoid using anything you truly love. The salt and necessity of a good wash can potentially destroy special items. Stick to the eventually-disposable toys and you can dump your worries in the trash.