SUNDAY POETRY: "OCTOPUS FLOATING"

Octopus, Victor Hugo. Image courtesy Wikimedia CommonsOCTOPUS FLOATING by Bill Knott Octopus floating in earth’s ink-ore core whose arms extend up here as trees may your branches squirt their black across my pages please UPDATE: Not long after I posted this poem I heard from Bill Knott with a heads-up that all his books of poetry can be downloaded free via his blog. Awesome. Thanks, Bi...

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THE SECRET OF BUOYANCY

 Wonderfully interesting news out of science this week about the buoyancy control of the travelling octopuses known as argonauts, or paper nautiluses. Aristotle himself wondered about their talents—and no one since then has  deciphered just how these little bobbers move through the water column... Until now. Here's the abstract of the findings from a new paper in Proceedings of the Royal Society B:Argonauts (Cephalopoda: Argonautidae) are a group of rarely encountered open-ocean pelagic octopuses with benthic ancestry. ...

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Mornings and Lunch Dates

Every morning, my husband has a special time with one of our children individually. There’s never been a complaint at being woken up earlier than the rest. They each look forward to their special morning of the week with Daddy.   The meeting place is the kitchen table and they talk over coffee and hot cocoa. It doesn’t take anything fancy to connect with a child... just time and attention.  And lots of it. They’ve had this tradition now going on 8 years, and I’m betting it will continue into adulthood. A few years ago...

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Magic Spray

Today I lined up the dining chairs outside in a sunny spot...and tried out (for the first time ever) a fabric protector spray that promises to:repel stainsspillsand water.Afterwards, I baked up some blueberry muffins with the girls.And enjoyed munching them out on the porch... waiting for the spray to work its magic...with the hope that one day, blueberries and white upholstery will peacefully coexi...

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Homemade Apple Crisp

Last week, I celebrated my 26th birthday!!!!  I had a great day just hanging out with my kids.  That is my favorite thing to do in the whole world!     I wanted to share my favorite dessert with you- Apple Crisp!!! I love it and this recipe was my moms that her mom gave to her and it is EXCELLENT!  Yummy!  I am pretty sure that my mom made this for me on most of my birthdays because it is my fav!!!! Apple CrispTopping1/2 cup oatmeal1/2 cup brown sugar1/4 flour1/2 teaspoon cinnamon1/4 cup softened butterPre...

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ELSEWHERE IN THE OCEAN IT'S SPRING

The phytoplankton are blooming again in the North Atlantic. These iridescent swirls—captured by NASA's Terra satellite on May 22, 2010—are arcing across hundreds of miles of ocean between Ireland and the Bay of Biscay.Phytoplankton need nutrients to reproduce, and blooms are often tied to events that bring nutrients to the ocean surface, such as dust plumes. Volcanic ash can also contribute needed nutrients. The 2008 eruption of the Kasotochi Volcano in the Aleutian Islands generated a massive phytoplankton bloom in the Northeast Pacific....

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Tips for a Safe and Happy Summer

Tips for a Safe and Happy Summer Summer's back—and so is fun in the sun! But before you hit the beach or stage a friendly water gun fight in your backyard, keep in mind that ultraviolet rays from the sun can do a number on your skin; in fact, they are the most common cause of premature aging. Here are some simple ways you can protect yourself—and your loved ones—and still have fun in the sun.   Reduce Sun Eposure During Peak Hours UV rays are strongest and most dangerous between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., so the less time you spend...

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Colors and Paint Cans

Paint colors.  I've gotten lots of emails about them.  Two of my colors have names.  The others are custom, so I have pictures of my paint cans.  It's the best I can do!  The first color with a name is "China Moon".  It's from Valspar's "Seaside Retreat" line from Lowes.  To me, it's a lovely neutral.  Not too brown and not too gray.  I have it in my kitchen, dining area, living room, and our little master bedroom (above the wainscoting).  I probably would have...

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Get Clean Testimonial from a Stay-at-home Mom and 10 WINNERS announced!

Happy Wednesday!!! I can’t believe that it is already midweek!  Do you notice anything different today?  I changed my header! How do you like it?  I have been wanting to change it for a long time now.  I also want to add drop boxes.  I just need to make time to actually do it. Anyway, thanks to everyone who linked up to my Twice Owned party yesterday.  If you haven’t checked out the links yet, go here.  I thought that I would share a short testimonial from a stay-at-home mother, named Kristen, with you….....

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My Houzz

So have you ever visited Houzz.com?  I've been spending some time there recently.  After decorating magazines and blogs, it's the next best thing.  You can create your own "idea books", which are basically a collection of home design images that appeal to you.  And you might surprise yourself!  Here is one image I chose for my idea book.  There's just something I like about this:eclectic kitchen design by other metros showroom Jeanne ConnollyContrast that one with this, which is also in my idea book:eclectic kitchen...

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My Decorating Niche

Everyone has a decorating “niche.” I think that mine is “plants/flowers”  because I just noticed that I have like a billion around the house.  I have at least one flower or greenery arrangement in almost every room of my house.   I find it very relaxing and fresh! And I am ALWAYS changing them out with the seasons!!!! I thought that I would go room to room and take pictures of all my plants/flowers to show you. I will show you my front porch first.   This is a corner in my kitchen. This is an end of the countertop. ...

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