More visits

Sorry, today isn't going to be very literary. More of a square filler day . . blech. I don't like to post them, but hey, I'm almost done with this darn challenge. I WILL beat you, NaBloPoMo!! We went and visited the kid's other great-grandparent. I counted it up, and my kids have all four of their grandparents and six of their great-grandparents. That's pretty impressive! I think it's because Spencer & I are the oldest in both of our families. The senior kids in the family get that sort of advantage! ;) And at this point in our life and theirs, every visit is precious.

And a sneak peek at tomorrow's yummies?

Cravings

I have been having withdrawals for the last 7 years. That's how long it's been since I've had anything from Butte Creek Mill. This mill was built and began operation in 1872. On the banks of Butte Creek, pioneers erected a central mill where farmers brought their grain to be made into flour, cereal and cornmeal. And the stone has been grinding along in Eagle Point ever since. I grew up with their buckwheat pancakes and steel cut oats wherever my family lived. My grandmother would send my mom the mixes monthly. Those pancakes slathered with applesauce, steaming in a lovely pile on my plate; best foodie childhood memory, hands down. My sister and I ventured to the Mill and were catapulted back in time. Pushing opening the squeaky spring-loaded door, warm drafts of cinnamon enveloped us with open arms, welcoming us home. The black wood-burning potbellied stove crackled in the corner with a pan of spiced apples bubbling away on top. The amount of goodies had grown over the years. Rough hewn shelves groaned under their burdens of cracked wheat and cornmeal. Sacks of oatmeal, spelt flour and soup mixes lay in orderly rows while jars of spices sat behind the century old plank board counter. We both loaded our arm baskets with an assortment of goodies; hoping it's enough to tide us over. For how long? Definitely not 7 years.

Baby Taylor update

Who's ready for Turkey day?

I thought I'd throw up a couple of pictures of baby Taylor and let you see how big she's growing. Since Katelyn is a pretty busy mama, I'm doing some double duty blogging for her to keep the extended family loaded with their new baby picture fix! Enjoy.

Yep, nothin' like some bath time with mama.

And the oh so elusive smile. We caught a good one!

Who's taking my picture? Put your head down, baby. You're too tiny to do that!! (she's six weeks old)

Making Memories

I'm so thankful to have grandparents that can still take kids 'on adventure' like when I was a kid. We found some huge sugar pine cones up on the mountain yesterday. And we get to take these babies home! Just in time for Christmas.

Mairyn & her great-grandpa on the back porch

Zip begging for scraps and Jacqueline being the willing enabler

And finishing the day by making hot chocolate and homemade whipped cream with Great-grandma. Yum.

Long time gone . . .

It has been 7 years since I've been in Southern Oregon. I am ashamed it has been so long. I love this area. We stopped about 25 minutes away from Grandma & Grandpa's house to take a roadside potty break (Mairyn couldn't hold it ANY LONGER!) When I opened the car door, the fresh smell of wet pine and earth came flooding in and I was almost in tears. Oregon, my Oregon, I am home. Having always had a very mobile life (Dad, 20 years in the Air Force) we moved a lot. The saying goes, "Home is where your household goods are delivered", and my Mom did a wonderful job of creating an oasis in the middle of whatever state we moved to. But when we would go to Grandma & Grandpa's, we went HOME. H-O-M-E, home. Familiar places, food and faces were around every corner. We would spend every summer in Southern Oregon. Going to the dairy to buy squeaky cheese (cheese curds), visiting the Jacksonville Children's museum, picking blackberries; I could go on and on. I am practically giddy with warm fuzzies! It rained our first night, and in the morning, with the mist slowly rising out of the valley and the sun peeking through the pines, the Rogue River flowing along, I could hardly stand it. I am home!

When you give a girl a camera . .

This is what she does . . .





Pretty productive for spending 14 hours in the car! We all made it safely to Oregon!

Chinese Water Torture

According to Wikipedia Chinese Water Torture is not as awful as everyone says it is. Actually, the Chinese never even used it. The phrase may have come from Harry Houdini's Chinese Water Torture Cell; a feat he created for an act in Berlin. Mythbusters investigated the "torture" itself, not the origins of the title, and found it was plausible for a person to be driven insane, but not definitive. No one was willing to be driven insane.

The misnomer of Chinese Water Torture; something probably not that bad, but nobody is willing to try. Sounds like Jacqui's opinion of everyday ordinary grooming habits. Jacqueline is opposed to anything that has to do with trimming her nails, washing her hair, combing or fixing said hair or washing any part of her body that needs it. Cute little pigtails are positioned on either side of those kissable ears and *yank* "No, I no like dem." Ooookay.

We can usually avoid the nail clipping encounters for about 2 weeks at a time. Sometimes, I can surreptitiously peel a pinkie fingernail off without her noticing while we read a book. But it always comes down to the weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. You'd think I was pulling the nails out instead of just trimming them so she wouldn't have to register those daggers as concealed weapons.


An Unexpected Client Comes for a Manicure - Watch more funny videos here


I really can't wait for her to be out of this stage. Her hair hanging in her face, catching any debris that doesn't make it to her mouth. I do keep it short, but it doesn't solve everything. Seriously, would I want to have to explain this in 15 years.

"Why Mom, why did you make me look like Scout?" I don't even have the excuse of "It was popular then."

So until Jacqui decides to cooperate on the grooming front, please don't mistake my little girl for some abandoned orphan. Or an extra from Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. Thank you.