Ooh, that's a very pretty bird!

My childhood summers were mostly spent riding a bike around our tiny town and the surrounding countryside with our cocker spaniel following me around. Stopping for ice cream or soda and drinking cold, clean water out of garden hoses.

Now, I LOVE the smell of my kids after they've been playing outside. Yesterday, we went to one of the city parks that has a wide, low spot in the river with a beach. All the kids wade in, taking their nets and skimming for crayfish, frogs or turtles.

I hope they remember all these times as fondly as I will.

Not the way you want to get a good look at a stationary bird. I hope the hawk recovers on its own, Theresa, and if not that help does indeed come to the rescue.

I forgot to wish sara happy on the day, so I'll wish you a fantastic year ahead, sarameg.

And no hugs or hairpats, javachik, but I'm thinking of you.

That is a gorgeous bird. I hope it's ok.

Mel nauseates me. I hope he rots somewhere, alcohol-sodden and alone.

java, the 21 themed gifts are awesome!

I need to go make a peach pie. I'm drowing in peaches and they are not going to wait around forever.

Peace and strength, javachik.

Healthy brains ~ma to Theresa's hawk.

Summer memories. My mom futilely trying to get me to lie out and tan, finally acknowledging that lying in the sun was like torture for me. Lying in bed at night under the open window, listening to bullfrogs and crickets. Drinking water directly from the hose and then spraying it over my head in the heat. The taste of sulphur-infused water from our well. Smells of hay and drying tobacco and manure and feed and leather tack in the barn. Escaping the heat (and other humans) in the hayloft. Wading in the creek. Walking barefoot everywhere. Walking down the gravel road every day to get the mail. Honeysuckle vines on the fence down the gravel road. Eating honeysuckle nectar, drop by drop.

I miss the old farm. But even if I go back there, it's not the same; too much is gone or irretrivably changed. The place I loved is gone, even though the physical place remains. The grove of trees is cut down, the creek is dug out in a algae-choked pond, the magnolia tree and the snowball bush are gone, the smokehouse is long gone, the barn is falling into ruin and the house is barely livable. Reality is not as good as it once was, in this case.

For a long time I cried at the thought of having to sell the place, because I knew I'd never have 200+ acres to wander around in, blissfully alone, ever again. Now I'm making do with early-morning walks in the park.

dcp, I called the first number because that is only about 20 miles away. Got a recording but asked her to call me back. Thinking she would at least be able to tell me if that first information was correct.

Stoopid bird for making me care. The windows are dirty for a reason. Do not fly into them!

I'm drowing in peaches and they are not going to wait around forever.

These peaches aren't going to poach themselves.

My childhood summers were mostly filled by picking fruit and making jam, playing in the front yard, and going to beach every Sunday and playing in the surf while my dad played volleyball. And a car trip every summer, that always involved a long, winding drive up the coast on PCH.

So my weekend excitement is the purchase of an iPhone!! 3GS. Silly salesman tried to talk me into the 4G, not understanding that I don't have an ish with "outdated" technology. I've been playing around with it and would love to hear about desirable apps.

4 more boxes packed. I am up to 57 and rooms are starting to look really empty.

Burrell, I have that phone! Apps I love are mostly kid related, though I love playing Paper Toss and Katie is obsessed with Angry Birds. Another fave that Noah and Grace both crack up over? Talking Carl. We also have Brain Pop which is educational and fun (with quizzes!). Noah deleted Textropolis off my phone which makes me feel tragic because I was 61% finished with the whole damn thing. SO SAD and mad.

In other news, our Vitamix is here. I think for my birthday I should have you all come over and we'll have blended drinks of various stripes. We'll call it the Eat Like Grace party.