Meg's Lens

In case you missed it, Megin's got a new home now. She's snapping and writing about it at Through Meg's Lens. Swing by, won't you?

Going out of Business

I'm stepping away from MM. I'll continue the x365 project and might post it in its entirety eventually.

But now, You can find me at Through Meg's Lens. And I am still at GNMParents, too.

Maybe I'll see you there?

You Capture: Sweet

If you would like to see more You Capture pictures, please visit I Should Be Folding Laundry...

Sweet Feet:









Sweet Things:

37x365x151

Pencil written notes asking to meet after school
Sitting on concrete risers in front of a small town library
Awaiting our respective rides
Nervously joking and clumsily holding hands
Quite quick to release when a car passed.

You Capture: Colors

Today's You Capture topic is Colors. For more, please visit I Should Be Folding Laundry.



It might just be me, but my colors seem a bit more vibrant... more vavavoom now that I am shooting everything manually.



And the absence of color:

You Capture: Expression

Last week's You Capture topic was Expression. For more, visit: I should be folding laundry.

37x365x150

No excuses, no explanations. Just coming back.

********

Always with the video camera, chronicling every different day, tapes (now disks) labeled, organized, and stored in a box marked "someday."

And your kids, full of expectation falling short of entitlement, will love to have them, "someday."

Spring

This week's You Capture photo challenge was "Spring."

Our snow is finally melting (though I am thinking we might have 1 more good storm in store for us). This little guy was left out in the fall, buried before he could be brought to safety. He must be glad that spring is here:



And a missing whiffle ball:



You can see other spring photos at I Should Be Folding Laundry.

To Boston tomorrow, I am hoping to see more signs of spring there.

Sidebar

My friend ITFL got a new camera and is playing around with it a lot. She pointed me to You Capture which offers a weekly photo challenge.

I love my camera and decided to play along. But (you will be shocked) I am late. Maybe this week I'll be on time. Last week's topic was Reflections and here are my 2 shots:



and:




It's my goal to get back to posting here more this week. But more importantly, how are you??

Planning

I'm feeling swell and am back on the meal planning menu bus.

Exciting:

Mon- Whole Wheat Teriyaki pork wraps (with lettuce, cabbage, carrots, blanched broccoli, and an Asian inspired dressing). 2 of 3 kids? LOVED these.

Tues- homemade pizza

Wed- Make your own Cobbish salad with homemade rolls (butter lettuce, carrots, eggs, avocado, diced baked ham, feta, garbanzo beans, broccoli, apples, etc.).

Thur- Corn Flake chicken, sweet potato steak fries, crudite'

Fri- Puffy Pancakes with fruit (How good do these look?)

Sat- A lightened up version of: 3 cheese baked spaghetti, broccoli

Sun- Pork and apples over rice (crock pot)with veggies

Mon- Open (leftovers?)

Tues- Teriyaki steak wraps (variation on last Monday)

Wed- Lasagna in a skillet

Thur- Homemade Pizza

Fri- Veggie and cheese oven omelets

Sat: Open

I have to admit I was feeling completely uninspired and so I bounced around some of the 436 Menu Plan Monday links up at Organizing Junkie. Yeah, 436 at last check! The I figured if I liked reading what those folks were eatin', I should post my menu here again.

So, I did.

37x365x149

20 years ago you were the captain of everything.

Your gregarious ways are still the same.

And your girls... could be the same.

But they aren't.

They are two portly statistics who engage fully with magical boxes.

Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!

Excuse #356 I've been sick, but after 8 days of really feeling pretty bad and playing an exciting game of "stump the doctors," tonight I feel pretty ok.

Excuse #357 Is there a Brady in the house? This was taken about 15 minutes ago:



So, How's the lion that is the beginning of March treating you? Looking forward to the lamb leaving? Yeah, me, too. I'll be happy to change the clocks this weekend. It is a big step in the right direction.

Causes

Every year our family participates in the Big Brothers Big Sisters bowl-a-thon. It is always a very positive experience and the money goes to a fantastic program that improves the lives of children and families in a real and meaningful way.

$1, $5, $10... the donations add up and the sum goes towards changing children's lives. If you can, please consider making a small donation.

Aidan and Clay are also participating in the St. Jude's Math-a-thon. They each have set a goal to raise $35. They saw the video at school, and were very moved by the children at the hospital.

For all of the charitable giving that you do, thank you from the Hatches.

37!!x365x148

You may have been having an affair with a stripper when I knew you.

You may have received your marriage certificate before your high school diploma.

You may have been granted custody because she didn't want it...

**

Sheepish squirm. I'm fine thanks, and you?

I decided to switch to 37 words after my birthday. At this rate I might reach 50 by the time I finish this project. The good news is I am already planning my next x365. I wonder what technological advances will be made between now and then.

36x365x147

Such lightness, with a laugh that must be mirrored, a gentleness worthy of reverence, a shine in the eye and a wiggle in the hip.

Less than a challenge, Grace contained, we're lucky to know you.

36x365x146

I see your oft bent elbow and smoky aura.
I read your indecorous updates.
I expect to hear that your family rushed from the shadowed night into the too bright halls of the hospital.
Too late.

36x365x145

The strength of us was tested by the boy in the middle. How typically predictable. The integrity of the structure was severely compromised.

Before: beach volleyball, long talks and olives.
After: Christmas cards and occasional email.

***********

My birthday is this month... do I change to 37 words?

36x365x144

Your primly proper persona, Laura Ingalls inspired wardrobe, and Dorothy Hamilish hair were juxtaposed by your gift of making students feel dumb.

After I left your school, rumors escaped that your single self was with child.

**********************************

Oh, good gravy. Remember how I asked for banana bread recipes? My friend Nancy sent me one that must be shared. I should mention that I tweak recipes and rarely make anything exactly as I'm told. The recipe here contains my modifications. I might cut back the white sugar by 1/2 next time.

First off it was a muffin recipe, but I doubled the batch and made it in a 9x13 pan and called it cake. We had it for dessert.

Banana Cake

3 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

6 medium ripe bananas

2 egg

1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup applesauce

1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. In another bowl, mash the bananas; add egg, oil and vanilla. Mix well. Stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill greased 9x11 pan. Bake at 375 degrees of 18-22 minutes or until brown on top and a toothpick comes out clean.

36x365x143

We were 2 of the few left standing around the bonfire, listening to late guitars. I was soberly expecting my third, your son was sleeping soundly.

The 3 am call to you still leaves me laughing.

36x365x142

Some say that blogger "someones" are just plain folk. I watched you, bored with boredom, falling back to the comfort of your crew. Not exactly cruel, but less than kind. Like plain folk.

Who wants plain?

****************************************************************************

Nancy asked if I was having fun with this budgeting thing. I am. My kids are, which I find totally weird. But I'm making things I haven't made in awhile and most of these have been big hits. Now they want a say on deciding what makes it to the calendar, which is cool. And they've been helping to cook more, also cool.

***

CNN just reported 70,000+ jobs cuts were announced today.

***

The Total Money Makeover addresses the issue of keeping up with the Joneses. I know the Joneses. I'm related to a lot of the Jonses. I'm friends with some of the Joneses.

The Joneses stink. Mostly they stink because (many of them) are completely overextended and living off their credit cards and paying finance charges while projecting an aura of complete financial harmony. They are buying new cars and taking trips and yes, even saving for college, but they are doing so while paying high interest rates and overage charges on their credit cards.

But they are projecting harmony, which will make it hard to decline invitations and live within a budget. Except that progress is tangible. And hopefully, enough.