peaches.

Do y'all remember that song titled "Peaches" by the Presidents of the United States?! Here are some of the lyrics:


Moving to the country
I'm gonna eat a lot of peaches


Peaches come from a can
They were put there by a man
In a factory downtown


Millions of peaches, peaches for me
Millions of peaches, peaches for free
Millions of peaches, peaches for me
Millions of peaches, peaches for free... Look out!


My mother-in-law, Liz, is truly a peach! She sent us home with a $20 basket of fresh peaches! While they are yummy, this is a LOT OF PEACHES. So what to do? It is amazing that I only had to throw away 3! As frugal as I am, we had to figure out how to get rid of $20 of peaches before they went bad!

Here is what we did:

A dozen and a half went with Rob to work. - (Liz wanted to Rob to bring some to work.)

Random peaches consumed.

Peach cobbler - also sent to work for a night meal (we military gals know how to get rid of food - send it to the husband's work)

MORE random peaches consumed.

3 peaches had to take one for the team. :(

Peach ice cream - it was very, very yummy!

Another dozen or so peaches cut up and frozen in my freezer.

Another couple random peaches consumed.

3 yummy peaches in the refrigerator still waiting for consumption. - Not today though, I have already reached my 2 peach quota for the day.

And to quote the "Peaches" song: "Millions of peaches, peaches for me, Millions of peaches, peaches for free....LOOK OUT!"

And in the end, I get to keep the cute basket they all came in! Thanks, Liz for the summer yummies. We really appreciated it! For anyone interested in some recipes, here they are:

Peach Cobbler
4 C fresh peaches
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 C flour
1 C sugar
1 egg
4 Tbsp butter

Layer peaches in lightly greased oblong dish. Add the lemon juice to the peaches. Combine flour, sugar, and egg until it is a course meal. Sprinkle on top of peaches. Drizzle melted butter on top of that. Bake for 35 minutes at 365 degrees.

Ben & Jerry's Fresh Georgia Peach Ice Cream Recipe
2 c Ripe peaches - finely chopped
2 lg Eggs
1 1/4 c Sugar
2 c Heavy or whipping cream
1/2 Juice of lemon
1 c Milk

Ben and Jerry prefer small peaches because they have more flavor and less water than the larger ones.

Combine the peaches, 1/2 cup of the sugar, and the lemon juice in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, stirring the mixture every 30 minutes. Remove the peaches from the refrigerator and drain the juice into another bowl. Return the peaches to the refrigerator. Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more. Pour in the cream and milk and whisk to blend. Add the peach juice and blend. Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze following manufacturer's instructions. After the ice cream stiffens (about 2 minutes before it is done) add the peaches, then continue freezing until the ice cream is ready.

Makes 1 generous quart.

pictures from England.

This was taken in Charleston, upon leaving the States. I am including this shot, because I have never seen a full-grown frog so small!


And so our journey begins...




Bury St. Edmunds - visited a historical Abbey that was turned in to a park, while preserving some if its remains.
















The town of Bury St. Edmunds



A visit to Cambridge.










Duxford Imperial War Museum - what vacation would ever be complete without seeing airplanes?! :) There were four hangars complete with British aircraft, and one hangar devoted to US airplanes. I won't even begin to include all the photos taken there; I wouldn't know which ones to include!





And of course the a big, long day devoted to London.

On the train for a 60 mile trip to London. For an all day pass you get transportation into London, and use of the underground train and buses throughout the city! This pregnant girl loved it!




Our first sight of London - Big Ben.



Big Ben again, but you can see the London Eye ferris wheel behind it, which has a great view!



Westminster Abbey.



The day was really perfect by accident. We just happened to arrive right at Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guards. It was pretty neat to see a lot of the cliche things you hear about certain places.




At the gate.






"They're changing guard at Buckingham Palace -
Christopher Robin went down with Alice.
Alice is marrying one of the guard.
'A soldier's life is terrible hard,'
Says Alice."


From "When We Were Very Young" by A.A. Milne




Tralfager Square - located outside Buckingham Palace.



"Whenever I walk in a London street,
I'm ever so careful to watch my feet;
And I keep in the squares,
And the masses of bears,
Who wait at the corners all ready to eat
The sillies who tread on the lines of the street,
Go back to their lairs,
And I say to them, 'Bears,
Just look how I'm walking in all of the squares!'"



These A.A. Milne (creator of Pooh bear) references were very important to the husband. Rob always grew up having the Classic Pooh books read to him, and he has carried this tradition on with Ben. Ben loves talking about the bears when we walk anywhere, and is ever so careful to not walk on any cracks or lines. I have to admit that it is sweet, and kind of a breath of fresh air from the old "break your mother's back" reference I always remembered hearing.




In the London Eye. The view was beautiful!




A couple views from the London Eye.






Having mentioned the Pooh books, there was no way (as I found out) that Rob was leaving without finding A.A. Milne's home in London. I thought it was quite a good fatherly thing to do. Even though I was not in the least bit thrilled to walk any more. We really did a lot of walking that day!


Don't you have to get one of these shots?


Tower Bridge behind us - taken on the London Bridge. The newer one, that is - seeing as though the London Bridge was purchased and relocated to Lake Havasu, AZ.


A.A. Milne's neighborhood.


If you made it this far, I hope you enjoyed viewing the pictures. We really enjoyed our trip and while we missed Ben, we were so thankful to have this opportunity. We know Ben enjoyed his Gram and Grandpop in SC. We know this, because we could hardly ever get him to stay on the phone for more than 15 seconds. We also know that this trip would have been less enjoyable had he been with us. It was a tiring trip for an adult (I can vouch to this), much less a 3 year old. As you can see, we thought of him all the time!

the sewing machine and me.

A friend of mine told me about these easy to sew yoga pants using a large t-shirts. With pregnancy, I wanted some comfy pants to wear. I also figured I have so many large t-shirts that never get worn because they are too big. So I converted a 10K shirt into pants. Here is the link for anyone interested. They were super easy, and that is coming from a person with little sewing experience. http://community.livejournal.com/t_shirt_surgery/3597625.html


Here is my first rag quilt. I am fairly pleased with the results, however, I know that it isn't "well done" in the sewing world. I only had a finished product that I saw for a couple minutes at my mom's friend's house, and no really written instructions. So I know I was winging it. My mom sewed the baby bumper for our dear Lydia (I guess we have committed to her name), and the rag quilt is my contribution to her. These are the same colors and fabrics in the baby bumper, since her walls are currently a burnt orange. The back of the rag quilt is quilting flannel and the front are scraps that were left over from the bumper. I was skeptical of the washing machine actually "ragging" the edges, but it worked. And with time, the more and more it's washed, it will "rag" more.

teach a man to fish.

While I have joined the "uncool" club in my son's eyes this past weekend, I am so pleased and proud to see that Ben and Rob have done a lot of bonding more recently. Everything from riding on the lawn mower (tractor) to working with tools (putting his new big boy bed together), and now to FISHING!

Biding his time, until he can do the "real thing" with Dad. Here he is fixing his bubble lawnmower.

In his new big boy bed (we're still waiting for his headboard to come in).

This weekend (holiday 4 day weekends are great!), we spent a lot of family time together. While the family time was great, Rob also gave me a lot of time on my own in the house, while he and Ben were off doing guy things. See, sometimes we, moms feel like the only way to get away is to get away and leave the house. But what is sometimes needed so much more is that time in the house where you can just have quiet time. Obviously that doesn't happen as much when there are kid(s) around. When I mentioned joining the "uncool" club, I was referencing the fact that Ben had so much fun with his Dad, that any time I tried to do the motherly necessary things (ie. eating, napping, potty time), I got this look that seemed to say, "aww, Mom".

While Monday was the day to practice casting his fishing pole in the backyard, this evening was devoted to taking his newly learned skills to the small little pond across the road from us at our neighbor's house. Mr. Lemmerman (also Ben's preschool teacher's father-in-law) regularly feeds the many fish out there. Sometimes Ben and I bring a slice or two of bread out there.

All day today, I was mostly a drag to my Ben, because I wasn't Dad and Dad was at work. I even invited his friends, Trey and Meghan over to play while Wendy went for groceries. We did many things today that included: friends, his water rocket, coloring, reading and playing with cars. While all of this kept us busy, Ben kept asking when Dad was coming home. And at about 3 o'clock this afternoon he asked me if he can call Dad at work and see when he's coming home. He also had an idea to go up to the squadron to see if he was coming home.

So, alas, Dad comes home! (I'm thinking, "Oh praise God, will someone please take this boy fishing?!").

Here are the fruits of their labor...I think it can hardly be called labor though, considering it was all fun! He caught 3 fish in a half hour's time - all by himself. He had such a look of pride on his face.

Fish #1

Fish #2

Fish #3

And here is my attempt to become part of the "cool" club again. This is my first fish ever caught with my son's $9.96 Lightning McQueen fishing pole. (I honestly think that the fish was probably eyeballing my flabby pregnant arm and not the bread on the hook.)

How to know whether you're ready for children or not.

I have received this as a forward some time ago, and I love it. So in honor of all those who are parents and/or are going to be parents, I thought this was quite true.

I remember how idealistic I was before I had children, and then I became a parent for real. And from time to time, I hear parenting advice from non-parents, and begin to close my mouth and think, "someday they will understand."

Enjoy!

MESS TEST
Smear peanut butter on the sofa and curtains. Place a fish stick behind the couch and leave it there all summer.

TOY TEST
Obtain a 55-gallon box of LEGOs (or you may substitute roofing tacks). Have a friend spread them all over the house. Put on a blindfold. Try to walk to the bathroom or kitchen. Do not scream because this would wake a child at night.

GROCERY STORE TEST
Borrow one or two small animals (goats are best) and take them with you as you shop. Always keep them in sight and pay for anything they eat or damage.

DRESSING TEST
Obtain one large, unhappy, live octopus. Stuff into a small net bag making sure that all the arms stay inside.

FEEDING TEST
Obtain a large plastic milk jug. Fill halfway with water. Suspend from the ceiling with a cord. Start the jug swinging. Try to insert spoonfuls of soggy cereal into the mouth of the jug, while pretending to be an airplane. Now dump the contents of the jug on the floor.

NIGHT TEST
Prepare by obtaining a small cloth bag and fill it with 8-12pounds of sand. Soak it thoroughly in water. At 3:00 p.m. begin to waltz and hum with the bag until 9:00 p.m. Lay down your bag and set your alarm for 10:00 p.m. Get up, pick up your bag, and sing every song you have ever heard. Make up about a dozen more and sing these too until 4:00 a. m. Set alarm for 5:00 a.m. Getup and make breakfast. Keep this up for 5 years. Look cheerful.

INGENUITY TEST
Take an egg carton. Using a pair of scissors and pot of paint,turn it into an alligator. Now take a toilet paper tube and turn it into an attractive Christmas candle. Use only scotch tape and a piece of foil. Last, take a milk carton, a Ping-Pong ball, and an empty box of Cocoa Puffs. Make an exact replica of the Eiffel Tower.

AUTOMOBILE TEST
Forget the BMW and buy a station wagon. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there. Get a dime. Stick it into the cassette player. Take a family size package of chocolate chip cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car. There, perfect.

PHYSICAL TEST
(Women)Obtain a large bean bag chair and attach it to the front of your clothes. Leave it there for 9 months. Now remove 10 of the beans.

PHYSICAL TEST
(Men)Go to the nearest drug store. Set your wallet on the counter. Ask the clerk to help himself. Now proceed to the nearest food store. Go to the head office and arrange for your paycheck to be directly deposited to the store. Purchase a newspaper. Go home and read it quietly for the last time.

FINAL ASSIGNMENT
Find a couple who already have a small child. Lecture them on how they can improve their discipline, patience, tolerance, toilet-training and child's table manners. Suggest many ways they can improve. Emphasize to them that they should never allow their children to run wild. Enjoy this experience. It will be the last time you will have all the answers. :)

two miles.

So yesterday, I made it two miles in 19:18. Not too bad considering the circumstances I am in! :) And this morning, I am not even sore. Rob came home from work yesterday, so we headed up to the 2/3 mile track up in Caledonia. Rob was pushing Ben in the stroller, and was very good about not leaving me in the dust, while I kept telling him to just go, and not let me hold him up. He wouldn't leave me, which was quite humbling, because in my faster days, I can't say that I would do the same. Actually, I know that I wouldn't do the same. But, that is what I love about Rob. The last 10K we ran "together", he cut me loose, so I could place 2nd overall among the women. He ended up making great time anyway, he wasn't more than a minute behind me. And he, too, placed receiving 1st for men in his age group!

Recently, Ben has gotten really good at coloring, which is great, except that he gets frustrated now when he colors out of the lines! I guess ignorance really is bliss! So I color out of the lines to show him that it is OK and that "practice makes perfect". Anyway, there was a point in our run yesterday where I fell behind a little bit, and Ben kept asking Rob where I was. When I finally caught up - read Rob slowed down for me - Ben told me that "practice makes perfect". I loved that he sees that concept in other areas. And I definitely need to practice more! :)

airfare. air force style.

We are back from leave, and slowly getting in to the groove again. After traveling to SC to drop Ben off with his grandparents (Rob's parents), we spent a night in Savannah visiting the Winslows, and then took a Space A (Available) flight out of Charleston AFB on a C-17. Here are some pics. While there were minor setbacks, you can't much complain, since you don't pay a dime for the airfare (except $3.85 for a box lunch).


The C-17 Globemaster. On the way out to Mildenhall AB, England. We are the only two passengers on the plane.



At least we know we won't lose our luggage! :)





This was taken on the way back to the States from Ramstein AB, Germany. How we got to Germany from England is a whole other story. A much busier flight! The whole of it is that when we wanted to leave England, there were no flights leaving, so we flew commercially (also another story) from London Stansted to Frankfurt Hahn, and then shuttled over to Ramstein, where there is so many more flights available. While we were waiting to see if we could get on a flight we happened to meet the nephew and his wife (who had flown from Turkey to "hop" home to MS) of our previous home owners! Very weird to say the least.




Here is your boxed lunch...not bad for $3.85 USD - especially after we spent our USD in British pounds! :)