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hump day nuggets: looking down
September 26, 2012

hump day nuggets: bits of the season in photos and words about the last week

Margot ran out of her room, arms wrapped around her chilly shoulders. She wore a bathing suit and announced the day’s plan would be to swim in the creek. “Or, if you think it’s too cold we could fill up our baby pool and pretend it’s the creek. Or take a bath and pretend it’s the lake.”

We’re all feeling a little punchy and desperate for fun outdoor activity. Our forests are on fire. Smoke fills our valley, our eyeballs, our lungs. I wasn’t bothered a bit at first, knowing it would pass, still high on our wonderfully mellow, warm summer. Our forests burn, it’s part of where I live. But, getting into week two of this haze, I feel melancholy when I look up. They gray density is disorienting and boring. It’s like all of Missoula treads in paste.  Suffocating, white, slow, blah.

Last week, while Ruby and I picked tomatoes, she stomped her foot and said, “GRRRRR! This smoke! I am over it!” which made me notice how often I had said that in the last few days and notice that, no matter how consuming it felt, I didn’t want to focus on what I didn’t like.

So I decided that if looking up makes me feel like poop, I’d look down. There is a lot to feel thankful for on the ground.

:: Garden days are numbered, evidenced by low-slung, frost-kissed jungle in our backyard. Still, every day, we manage a basket full of something.

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:: New chalkboard wall in the studio.

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:: Scored a sunny chenille bedspread on ebay for a song.

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:: We canned Beet Carrot Soup.

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:: On one super smokey day we headed to our local nursery where perennials are buy one-get one. We ended up staying there for close to an hour because the kids had so much fun playing hide and seek. Ruby counts like this one, two, free, four, six, seven, eight nine, six, seven, eight, nine, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE!

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:: While I am third generation alum to The University of Montana, I am completely not into Griz football. Really, I don’t like football in general but I do like doing things with my family and I do like the energy of 25,000 people jumping up and down screaming MONTANA. We went to a game when family was in town. Ruby fell asleep on my back and we walked the perimeter of smokey maroon and silver. I don’t know what the score was and I absolutely didn’t approve of booing the other team (got a few looks when I applauded the opponents’ efforts. Come on! They were someone’s baby once.) and I had a fabulous time. Touch down!

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:: Tomato pie.

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I updated my recipe to include this variation

:: I love this window in our living space. The top of an outdoor garden bench atop two old apple crates hold toys and succulents.

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:: Ruby helps pin tags on clothes with Chelci.

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:: I did manage to get some exercise, although in an unlikely place. I danced Oula in a grocery store produce section with 50 women for a mamalode video. Say what? True. I was so excited about my new moves to Call Me Maybe that I performed for my daughters. I didn’t know Ruby had snapped this pic with my phone until I downloaded my photos. I am surprised to see this awkward hunched claw pose because when dancing I feel so smooth and rhythmic. Hmm.

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:: Getting there.

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:: Reason # 758 why we love Benson’s Farm: haven’t been in 2 weeks and walked in to find Ruby’s beloved zebra hanging by the corn. The entire Benson family cheered (and a few got teary!) when Ruby hugged her found friend. It was one of my favorite moments.

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:: Remember that dream I had where Olive visited me? Margot had one too. I wrote about it in this week’s mama digs: dreams of spirits.

:: And I leave you with an accidentally good peanut butter popcorn ball recipe. I was out of ingredients and late to a potluck so I made do and it turned out fab. Love it when that happens.

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:: peanut butter popcorn balls ::

15 cups popped popcorn
1 cup sugar
1 cup honey
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
a bit of canola oil

Mix honey and sugar in a pot and cook over medium heat until melty and boiling. Turn off heat, add peanut butter and vanilla and mix well. Pour a tablespoon or two of canola oil on a plate. Pour hot mixture over popcorn and mix. When you are able to stand touching the popcorn (it’ll be hot!), palm the oil with both hands. Grab a clump of popcorn and shape into a ball. Keep it up, dipping in oil as necessary (to prevent popcorn from sticking to hands). Makes about 20 three-inch balls.

I think we’ll make mini balls for Halloween. Oh I am excited to share the girls’ costumes!

Looking down has helped my smokey blues. I can’t blow the haze away but I can shift my attention. And when the fires extinguish? Oh how I’ll appreciate blue sky, clouds and distant peaks. Until then, there is so much awesomeness to study on the floor.

Ruby: I love you Margot.
Margot: Awe, sis. I love you too. Want to play family?
Ruby: Sure.
Margot: You be the mom and I be the dad?
Ruby: No! I be the dad.
Margot: We could be two dads who take their kids to the creek?
Ruby: Ok!

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32 Comments


Baby By The Sea
September 26, 2012 at 4:53 PM

Love the rainbow of color in your canning and the image I have of you chanting, “Go, Griz!” in the stands where I last saw Pearl Jam. I once sat sidelined at a Celtics game and it felt so weird to be there, since I’m not a basketball fan. I did think about the players as family members to someone, too, and I got caught up the applause of it all.
Your plants have grown! Bet they’re glad they’re inside. Wildfire smoke is rough. I’ll send you a clear sea breeze (although we’ve got some residual Chelan County wildfire smoke in it).
Miss you! xoxo
P.S. Still waiting on Cowboy Bunny to appear,



Maggie
September 26, 2012 at 4:56 PM

Oh man, I feel you on the smoke. We are being hit hard here in Central WA. Our air quality index is marked “hazardous” and schools have been canceled because of it. It’s ruining my gleeful celebration of fall. Boo hiss.

Love the dialogue between your girls. They are such lovely creatures.



ctb
September 26, 2012 at 5:11 PM

Two dads. Smile. Love this generation of littles.



Brandi Shope
September 26, 2012 at 6:20 PM

Love the dance move photo! Thanks for the PB popcorn ball recipe! We can’t wait to try it out!!!



Jennifer Lake
September 26, 2012 at 6:35 PM

I am traveling home to Pennsylavnia for a week, thankful to escape that smokey haze. We’ve spent weeks trying to be thankful for the other wonderful things Montana offers us but anxiously awaiting our big sky and mountain views again!



bonjour, i'm rebecca!
September 26, 2012 at 7:09 PM

,,,i love that margot and ruby see human-kind as equal. i can’t wait to try my hand at making the popcorn balls. the colors of your bounty, so pretty,,,



mumofsix
September 26, 2012 at 7:29 PM

What a lovely, juicy post. Thank you.

Love Ruby’s broken record counting. Mine used to do that. So sweet and funny.

Hope the fires and the smoke die down very soon x



Meghan
September 26, 2012 at 8:01 PM

just love the zebra story! out of curiosity, are you using your big camera these days or relying more on the iPhone. i ask because i have an amazing canon that i’ve had for 5 years and i used to use it all. the. time… but lately feel like it’s daunting to bring it out.



Meghan
September 26, 2012 at 8:26 PM

and that guy behind you to the left in that football picture? that is what i refer to as a sweet ass soft shell. love his shirt.



Claire @ Scissors Paper Rock
September 26, 2012 at 8:31 PM

Yum, love the look of those popcorn balls.
I hope the smoke clears soon. Your shift in view is inspiring. A simple change in perspective is a powerful thing.

x

http://blog.scissorspaperrockdesigns.com.au/



dig this chick
September 26, 2012 at 10:45 PM

Meghan, I don’t haul it with me as much…on hikes, around town. But I do still take a lot of photos with my beloved camera! In this post, it’s about 25/75% phone/dslr.



Emily
September 27, 2012 at 12:45 AM

You are my main source of pinterest pins. I am so pointed towards joy from your blog!! Thank you!!

So on the tomato pie, did I miss the variation?



Sara Jakobs
September 27, 2012 at 2:54 AM

I love the girls way of thinking! Why shouldnt they both be dads??
Great post as usual..i find it so inspiring and real to visit..so thank you!



KWQR
September 27, 2012 at 3:05 AM

Popcorn balls sound totally yum with the peanut butter dimension… wish we could do nut things at kids school… those would be great. Am drooling at your stash of peach butter… very impressive how much work you do to preserve your harvest! Hope you soon wake to clear blue skies.
xo
Kate



Happiness is...
September 27, 2012 at 3:25 AM

Oh sweet Jesus! The Popcorn Ball recipe. You know that I’m going to give that one a try.

Grateful once again for your generosity of spirit, words, inspiration, and recipes. Here’s wishing for blue skies.

-Jennifer



TRB Holt
September 27, 2012 at 3:43 AM

Just saw this….off to bed…back to comment!

Love the photo of you at the Griz game…..GREAT sunglasses, maybe they are great because they look great on you where did you get them….. 😉



cloves corner
September 27, 2012 at 4:21 AM

I feel for you on the smokey skies. We’ve had a bit of rain recently, so our skies have finally cleared. But I have to say, despite the sore throats and itchy eyes, the smoke in our valley was beautiful. I love those blood-orange red sunsets only a good wildfire haze will produce.



Martha Rule
September 27, 2012 at 7:02 AM

One, two, free – I have one counting like that right now and we’re also hearing R, S, T, U, Beeeee…really want to make beet/carrot soup again now!



If These Walls Spoke...
September 27, 2012 at 4:02 PM

Thanks for the popcorn ball recipe, going to try it this afternoon with my crew!



6512 and growing
September 27, 2012 at 4:43 PM

Such sweetness here. Kids snuggle-loving on the floor, dancing Mama, the popcorn balls that I am quite sure I’d gain a few pounds on.
Hoping some fall rains blot out those fires.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxxxxxxooooo



Volpe Family
September 27, 2012 at 7:58 PM

thank you for writing about your uniquely human experience of loss. i recently lost my father (and dog last year) and have been struggling with all the questions. i had a lot of dreams about my father during his sickness and after he left the earth and it is nice to see that someone can openly describe their process. i do think that your cat and dog also feel the loss and will help your family transition. enjoy this time of understanding and feelings and connections to new energies and experiences.



Ellie
September 27, 2012 at 9:50 PM

I’ve missed the hump day nuggets! My favorite this time: the lost Zebra.



FinnyKnits
September 27, 2012 at 10:20 PM

POPCORN BALLS YES.

When October happens in a few days, I’ll be ready with my newly found coconut peanut butter spread and lots of popcorn.

Mmm…



Guru Girl
September 28, 2012 at 12:34 AM

I have a confession. My friend, Sara, turned me on to your blog a few months ago. She’s one of your friends too. I peruse your postings and fantasize about living in Montana! I grew up there too but now live in a crazy busy metro area. My hubby and I fantasize regularly about Bozeman or Missoula. Your blog gives me the thrill of living there vicariously. Thank you!
Susie (aka Guru Girl; I am not so web savy and i think all my comments post from my online alter ego, guru girl)



Stacie
September 28, 2012 at 4:08 PM

I missed saying good bye to my Gramps in person by less than a month. A few after he died and I was grief sticken and sad I dreamed that I woke up and he was standing in the doorway of my bedroom. He told me that he had to go (as if he’d just been visiting and needed to head home), and I told him good bye. I will never forget that. Although it was almost five years ago, I still get emotional just thinking of that dream. I know he visited me.
Stacie/BikiniBY30



dig this chick
September 28, 2012 at 4:39 PM

Stacie,

That gives me chills all over. Love it. Dreams are such wonderful, powerful forms of communication for us! So happy for you that you had that experience.

Nici



dig this chick
September 28, 2012 at 4:39 PM

Finny,

Coconut peanut spread??! Do tell.

xo
n



Jacki
September 30, 2012 at 6:07 PM

I completely adore the “we could be two dads…” moment. I love that their play is instinctively open and inclusive like that – two dads? Cool, let’s go to the creek. Children are so pure and wonderful.



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