{June 11, 2011}

I didn't get a chance to post this yesterday although I did take it last night. All four of us played poker until around midnight. Yes, I'm corrupting my children young. ;o)

Taken with my iPhone using the Instagram app with the X-Pro II filter applied.

On to the pic...{click to view full size}

{June 10, 2011}

All packed up and ready to go! I'm participating in a swap on Ravelry with the rest of the Project 365 gang and will be sending my swap partner's items out tomorrow. I'm really hoping she likes all the little goodies! Once she receives it and we've all opened our boxes, I'll post the photo I took of what's inside. Until then...ssssshhhh...it's a secret.

Taken with my iPhone using the Instagram app with the Poprocket filter applied.

On to the pic...{click to view full size}

{June 8, 2011}

Last year we had a moth just like this one that hung out on our front door. I looked up what type it was, but have forgotten. From wing to wing it is roughly 4-5" wide and about 3" tall. Definitely one of the largest moths I've ever seen. This one is "trapped" between our window screen and the window, however I did my best to convince it to fly free by leaving the window open...and tapping gently. It appears "she" has been laying eggs on the screen itself, so maybe that's why she refuses to go? I named the first one "Kevin." I think I'll name this one "Sheila." (That "line" of "stuff" on the screen is actually rust, but if you look towards the bottom right of the moth, you can see the eggs.)

Taken with my iPhone using the Instagram app with the Walden filter applied.

On to the pic...{click to view full size}

{June 3, 2011}

Ryan and I recently "built" a homemade incubator from a styrofoam cooler, a piece of plexiglass, some chicken wire, a 25W lightbulb, a thermometer that also measures the humidity, an egg carton, and--the best thing ever--a temperature controlled outlet that controls when to turn the lightbulb off and on to maintain the temp at 99-100 degrees. On Saturday I put in 11 Muscovy duck eggs that I had collected over a few days, and I've dutifully turned the eggs and watched the temp/humidity the entire time. Hopefully we have several that are fertile and will end up with baby ducklings in another 4 weeks. Tomorrow night I will candle the eggs to check on their progress, although I'll most likely check them tonight just for fun. :o) This is the first time we've ever hatched anything and I know the success rate isn't so great for duck eggs, but it's fun nonetheless! Plus, I've already told Ryan that if these eggs aren't fertile/don't make it, I'm throwing some freshly collected chicken eggs in there--I want babies!!

Taken with my iPhone using the Instagram app with the Sutro filter applied.

On to the pic...{click to view full size}

{May 31, 2011}

I'm behind a bit, but will post pics from the missing days later. Today was yet another doctor visit in a different place, so I captured it for posterity's sake.

Taken with my iPhone using the Instagram app with the Walden (if memory serves) filter applied.

On to the pic...{click to view full size}

{May 29, 2011}

I've been attempting to sew a costume for my daughter's school project since about 5 p.m. What should have taken me about 10 mins. has turned in to an all night issue. I have no idea why the machine isn't working, but tomorrow I'll be looking for a large bag of safety pins to use instead of sewing it, then hand sewing the rest.

Taken with my iPhone using the Instagram app with the Brannan filter applied.

On to the pic...{click to view full size}

{May 22, 2011}

We've been watching Arrested Development with the kids during the evening for the past week. Ryan and I have already seen the series, start to finish, and seeing as how we're constantly making inside jokes using Arrested Development references, the kids were begging to watch it. We're trying out the HULU+ for the XBox this month so each night we settle in and watch a couple of episodes. Tonight we hit one of Ryan and I's favorite scenes involving bees...and beads. I rewound it so we could watch it again and the laughs were just as loud the second time as they were the first.

Taken with my iPhone using the Instagram app with the Brannan filter applied.

On to the pic...{click to view full size}

{May 14, 2011}

The kids and I went to the New Hampshire Sheep & Wool Grower's Festival this afternoon and, just like last year, we had the most fun petting and fawning over the livestock. Naturally my favorites were the sheep (although truth be told I go ga-ga over pretty much any animal) and I spent plenty of time loving on any who would allow it. Megan's favorites were the goats although sadly there weren't very many of them. Ian dug the bunnies, so I kept telling him to stick one in his hoodie. Alas, he's too upstanding to do that. ;o) We also thoroughly enjoyed watching the various types of dogs herding sheep around a large paddock. The intelligence, focus, and speed of those dogs is just amazing. One thing that surprised us was that alpacas make a sort of whining baby sound. There were two of them in a fenced booth that kept making the noise, almost as if they were talking to each other. I wasn't sure if it was an "I'm upset" noise or just what they do. I did take a short video of it and will post it later.

Despite being surrounded by literally tons of gorgeous fiber, I behaved myself and only purchased one skein. Course the fact I still have a huge bag of fiber just waiting to be spun, and plans to take spinning classes so I can actually spin the stuff, may have had something to do with my restraint.

These two ridiculously cute lambs (one ram, one ewe) were a mere 9 weeks old. Their wool was thick and soft and their pink noses totally did me in. I met their owner, a lovely woman, who told us the mother had died shortly after giving birth. The lambs have been bottle fed and hand raised by the family, thus making them extra friendly. We chatted some more about keeping sheep, then I finally said goodbye to the little darlings (to say I could have stayed with them all day would be an understatement). Naturally it just made me want them all the more...naturally.

Taken with my iPhone and edited with the Instagram app with the Hefe filter applied.

On to the pic...{click to view full size}

{May 12, 2011}

I tried to post this last night but Blogger was down--go figure. Anyways, this pic is of my laptop with one of my favorite sites displayed...Ravelry.com. If you're a knitter or crocheter I can't recommend it enough!

Taken with my iPhone using the Instagram app with the Poprocket filter applied.

On to the pic...{click to view full size}

{May 10, 2011}

Today is Miss Lexi's 8th birthday! She's been sung to and spoiled pretty much all day...and man is she loving it. Not only did she get bits of scrap food here and there (something we don't do often to keep their tummies normal), but she also indulged in one of her favorite things--sugar snap peas. Both of our dogs go nuts for the outer shells and end pieces, so while I scrape out the peas for me, I pass along the rest to the dogs. Their tails could hardly contain their joy as they chowed down. Tonight Lexi will get some chicken "jerky" to cap off a love and food-filled day. Needless to say, she's had a very good birthday!

Taken with my iPhone using the Instagram app with the Earlybird filter applied.

On to the pic...{click to enlarge}

{May 5, 2011}

New favorite item from Mrs. Meyer's...Honeysuckle Hand Soap. The smell is divine, the scent lasts forever (seriously), and it actually makes me hands nice and soft. If only they had a bar soap in this same formula. I would buy them by the ton!

Taken with my iPhone using the Instagram app with the Toaster filter applied.

On to the pic...{click to view full size}

{April 29, 2011}

I had a hard time falling asleep last night and even after I finally dozed off I woke up several times. Then this morning our guineas were being especially loud, our open bedroom window letting their irritating "We're being MURDERED!!" (even though they were completely fine and safe) screeching drift through at an obnoxious level. I gave up trying to catch anymore rest and got out of bed around 9 a.m., which sounds like total luxury to some--I know--but again, I was only going on a few solid hours of rest here. Seeing as how I had a doctor's appointment at 10:30 a.m. I jumped in the shower, grabbed a light snack, called the office to make sure that the address listed on the doctor's website (Hooksett) was indeed correct, was told they were in Hooksett, and drove the 25 minutes south. When I arrived they found me in their system...but wait...the doctor I was scheduled to see didn't work in that office. She was in Concord. Where I'd just driven from. A quick phone call to the Concord office to explain what happened, some hastily explained directions, and I was off again. I should have asked for more clarification as to where exactly I was going, however.

I thought I had the right place, parked, went through the first building...then the second...then on to the hospital...and still was unable to find the office. There was no one at the information desk so I thanked my lucky stars for owning a smartphone that allowed me to look up the number and call the office directly. Better instructions in hand, I walked back through all three buildings, got in my Jeep, drove to the correct parking lot, and was greeted by a lovely woman named Rosie who approached me and said, "Are you Laura?" When I answered in the affirmative, she smiled and said, "We've been expecting you!" Together we went upstairs where I got checked in, waited a bit in the waiting room where equally lovely staff members asked how I was, and then was taken back to see the doctor. The nurse, the doctor, and the rest of the people I came in contact with were all wonderful, warm, and caring. Plus I got the extra bonus of seeing my favorite Phlebotomist when I had my blood drawn. Seriously, the guy cracks me up and you can't hardly feel the needle stick.

When the appointment was done, the clock was approaching 1 p.m. I hadn't eaten anything, save for the light snack at 9:30 a.m., and it was over two hours past the typical time I have coffee, so a headache was starting to set in. I still had to drive home, pick up my daughter, and take her to a friend's house before I could eat or have my daily cappuccino. By the time I got home I was more than exhausted. But here's the thing... The doctor I saw today is an Oncologist/Hematologist. I do not have cancer, just a rare, weird blood disorder that only Hematologists really know about. So even though my day sounds really crappy, it's nothing compared to what the people I saw in both office waiting rooms have to endure every day. At the Oncology/Hematology place in Hooksett there was a woman who was around my age, maybe younger, talking to (presumably) her husband about an upcoming wedding they had to go to. I don't know if she was the patient, or if he was, or if they were waiting for someone, but it came across to me as if she was the patient. And I couldn't help but think that the shoe could have been on the other foot. Rather than me walking out at the end of my appointment knowing that what I have could only kill me in some rare circumstance--and even then it looks like I have a mild variant of it as is, making it even more unlikely to happen--I could be fighting for my life. If that doesn't make you look at your crappy day in a completely different light, I don't know what will. Granted, I have some serious health issues of my own, but those are of the "wait, watch, and monitor" variety. Much different.

Naturally, given my penchant for photographing waiting rooms I had to snap one of the chair next to me. It's a bit closer than I would have liked, yet I didn't want other patients to assume I was taking a photo of them...or that I was crazy...or a combination of both. Still, the fabric is pretty cool and it was in the Concord office where the people had me smiling the entire time, which just goes to show that it takes a special person to work in healthcare.

Taken with my iPhone using the Instagram app with the Earlybird filter applied.

On to the pic...{click to view full size}

{April 27, 2011}

Steelhead salmon with dill and lemon...mmmmm. We were introduced to Steelhead when we lived in Oregon and fell in love with this trout. Ryan went fishing for Steelhead a few times, only to come up empty. They're not the easiest fish to catch. This particular fillet came from Chile. Totally not as good as Pacific Northwest Steelhead, yet tasty nonetheless. I paired it with fresh sweet corn on the cob, and coupled with the warm, humid day, it felt as if summer had arrived.

Taken with my iPhone using the Instagram app with the 1977 filter applied.

On to the pic...{click to view full size}

{April 25, 2011}

Moss covers a lot of things out here, especially in the woods. I love the different textures and colors, and although this pic is a bit blurry (I took it at dusk) you can get a sense of what I see on a daily basis.

Taken with my iPhone using the Instagram app

On to the pic...{click to view full size}

{April 23, 2011}

My dad recently purchased a new Outback and because he is super awesome, he gave us his Jeep Cherokee so we finally have a vehicle big enough to cart around the kids and the dogs. Given I drive a sedan and Ryan drives a 2WD, 2-door truck it's been damn near impossible to get the four of us, and our two dogs, anywhere together. That will no longer be an issue--yay!! The downside is that owning an SUV means it cost more to fill the thing up. I found out exactly how much today. My dad had warned me that the last time he had filled it up it set him back about $60, so while I wasn't completely shocked, it still hurt. lol For now I'm calling it "The Beast" and may end up driving it a bit less, even though I really enjoy being in a higher-up, bigger vehicle.

Taken with my iPhone using the Instagram app with the Lomo-fi filter applied.

On to the pic...{click to view full size}

{April 19, 2011}

Today, along with my son, I sat on a wooden bench in a set of bleachers that are probably 100 years old, for over three hours, in the cold and rain, to watch my daughter run the 200 yard dash--which took all of about 40 seconds. Totally worth it, yet I have a feeling these will be coming in handy over the next day. I've used them on my aching shoulder blades to help curb, what they think are, occipital nerve headaches. I don't work for Tylenol (obviously) and I'm not making any money off of them, but they do work well.

Taken with my iPhone using the Instagram app with the Brannan filter applied.

On to the pic...{click to view full size}

{April 16, 2011}

Finally! We had every intention of watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part I in the theaters, but never got the chance to do so. At first it was due to being crazy busy, then we went to one of the last theaters showing it, on a Thursday night, only to find it completely sold out...months after the movie premiered. Yesterday Ryan picked up HP7 on Blu-Ray, much to our excitement. I thought they did a terrific job with this movie and could easily watch it over and over. Plus, we got to see the first few minutes of Part II on the Special Features disc. Can.not.wait.for July! Oh, and that's one good thing about not watching it in theaters...instead of having to wait eight months for Part II, we only have to wait three!! Bonus!

Taken with my iPhone using the Instagram app with the Gotham filter applied.

On to the pic...{click to view full size}

{April 15, 2011}

I pulled this tick off of my son's back tonight. Judging by the size of it I'm fairly confident it's a Deer Tick. We're pretty sure it's been there for at least 2-3 days given that's when Ian plowed through brush trying to figure out where the guineas are (potentially) laying. There is already redness where the head was, which means I'll be calling the doctor come Monday--sooner if I see a bullseye rash. I had Lyme's Disease when I was pregnant with Ian (ironic, no?) after I was bitten by a Deer Tick without even knowing. What we thought was a rash from a spider bite was luckily diagnosed by a diligent OB. A same-day, "emergency" visit to the dermatologist and blood tests confirmed their suspicions. Two weeks on antibiotics with Ian inside, and another 2 (or 4...can't remember) after he was born for both of us, and they pronounced us "cured." Whether or not that's true remains to be seen, but needless to say I know what to look for and I know not to play around with it.

Taken with my iPhone using the Instagram app with the Toaster filter applied.

On to the pic...{click to view full size}

{April 4, 2011}

Ryan and Ian have a ton of games that have various types of figurines used to play the game...this is one of them. I have no idea what it's supposed to be, or what it does, or if it's powerful, or weak, or anything. I do know it goes with the game Space Hulk and what I thought was a black figurine is actually blue. Also, I know that the game takes up a ton of space, even though the figurines are only about 1-2" high. This is why we rarely eat dinner at the dining room table because the area is usually occupied by at least one game in progress. So instead of having nice family dinners we have this thing to look at.

Taken with my iPhone using the Instagram app with the Walden filter applied.

On to the pic...{click to view full size}

{April 1, 2011}

Nom, nom, nom...chocolate chip hazelnut cookies. This just about makes up for the snow we received last night through late morning today. They canceled school, which just means the kids' year has been prolonged, and the saddest part was that the roads were completely clear. Go figure. Plus, to top it all off we're all fighting a nasty head cold, each of us with varying degrees of nastiness (Megan bearing the brunt). At least we're capping off this day right with tasty cookies and milk.

Taken with my iPhone using the Instagram app with the Earlybird filter applied.

On to the pic...{click to view full size}