Moving to the Country, Gonna Eat Me A Lot of Peaches

I know that's not what the Presidents of the United States meant in the lyrics of their song Peaches, but it's relevant in my case.

For an early Mother's Day present, Lorne bought me a peach tree. Unfortunately, our little tree looks a little sad.

At first, we blamed all the rain we had last month. 

HA! Upon further inspection we found this:

Buggs & Co. have been snacking.

 My tree doctor skills. 

Hope it helps.  If not... relocation is the key. 

 

We've caught and released seven so far. We would have released eight, but the little bugger tried to escape and lost his head. I decided it better not to add that photo after the Armadillo blog incident of 2014.

LGBTQ

I saw this report on PBS. It supports what so many LGBT individuals have been saying for the past forever. That homosexuality is not a choice.

Over the years bipolar disorder has been studied and given legitimacy as a proven mental struggle and brain dysfunction. How lucky I am to be able to live in a more excepting society than had I been born fifty years earlier. Before mood swings were blamed on PMS, or nationality stereotypes, or whatever. I hope gender-identity continues to be studied, understood, and given the respect and acceptance it deserves.

I'm not saying LGBTQ's are mentally ill. I'm saying their feelings and behaviors are biological, and studies like these are important for everyone.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/biology-gender-identity-children/

The Decomposer Part One: Fallow

I just finished a book sci-fi novel titled Fallow by C. Sonberg Larson.

It is the first book in The Decomposer series. Here is a brief summary: 

Jonathan Thornton Flynn owns a billion-dollar diamond corporation, has a strong marriage, and two children. He's at the top of the proverbial 'food chain' of human society. A backfired scheme costs Johnny the person he loves most, and he decides to end things once and for all. His plan goes off without a hitch... until Auster finds him. Now Johnny has a new body, a new life, and a new purpose, whether he likes it or not. Johnny struggles to discover who, or what, he is now, and why Auster brought him back. 

If you are a fan of the supernatural, dark humor, an a great story line, I would recommend this book. 

Haus of Elle

Lauren Roberts, my son's girlfriend of seven years, is a talented artist and clothing designer. Haus Of Elle on the ESTY website allows her to feature her made-to-order fashions. I'm both impressed and proud of her talent and ingenuity.

The logo was designed by my son, and as his mom I think it's very cool; however, Lauren's website is cooler. I hope everyone will check it out.

Homemade Fruit Leather

When I was a kid, my grandma would make homemade fruit leather. Feeling sentimental, I decided to try to make some myself. Thanks to the wonderful Mother's Day present my husband bought me--the Nutribullet food extractor--the recipe process took lest than two minutes.

I threw 4 cups of fresh strawberries along with 1 cup of water into the blinder. I added a tablespoon of lemon juice, and I added sugar (less than 1/4 cup) to taste. Once pureed--about 8 seconds in the Nutribullet--I poured the mixture onto some wax paper I laid on a cookie sheet.

Cooking temperature is 140 degrees for 8 to 10 hours to dry. Our electric oven's lowest setting is 170, so I watched to see if the higher temp would make a difference. Due to thunderstorms, our electricity went out and the heated mixture cooled overnight in the oven. The next morning we resumed cooking because the mixture was a little bit sticky. After a few hours, the puree had set and we had a nice treat.

What's Your Fortune?

Dress Up

Having a daughter is a wonderful thing. Every year, since age eleven, I'm amazed that my daughter still likes to spend time with me. We stay up late, share stories and gossip, give each other make-up tips, and yell at each other for borrowing scarves, shoes, and over-sized tee-shirts with out asking.

This school year has been especially tough on Lucy. Poor kid can't get away with anything her brother did (or didn't do) in regards to school work only ten years earlier. Technology is a wonderful thing. Lucy grew up with a Gameboy, e-readers (both the Kindle and Nook), computers, and smart phones. Yet, the same technology that instantaneously brings her texts, emails, and information from the internet superhighway, sends her parents grade reports each time she fails to turn in a homework assignment or does poorly on a test.

Why would she choose not to do her school work? It's not like we demand straight A's, but we do expect each assignment to be completed. (sigh)

What can a parent do to motivate their child? Taking away all electronics didn't seem to work. Maybe it's a 10th grader problem because many of her friends have also lost their technology privileges. (sigh)

Maybe it's teen angst, feminine hormones, and chemical lapses in brain synapses causing bouts of depression that make her feel the whole world is against her. I can only speculate, but I think I hit the jackpot on the third one.

With my son, I remember saying to my husband, "I just want him to graduate." Several of his youth football team mates never made it past their junior year of high school, so my concern was valid.

Now, with Lucy, I find myself saying, "I just want her to live past eighteen." Several of her friends have attempted suicide. I have many theories on this, but that is not what this blog entry is for.

So, I'm back to my original question... what can a parent do to motivate their child?

Only love her, I guess. Not to be confused with catering or placating her. She still doesn't have her phone back, and she won't for the summer unless she passes her classes with at least a C. It seems crazy that we must to enforce these rules when the semester before she made honor roll.

How can I communicate what a great person, a great daughter, she is? She's witty, creative, beautiful, and caring. She doesn't smoke (pot or cigarettes), drink, or behave promiscuously. Unfortunately, those praise speeches get lost between the loud lectures on "Why didn't you do your chemistry homework?"

There's a loss of innocence from a year ago, and I don't think it's only a result of our move to Texas either. Six months ago was excited to cos play as her favorite characters: Sherlock and Castiel from Supernatural.

 

Next week, we have an appointment with her doctor. I fear medication just as much as I fear depression. She's a great kid, and it is my deepest prayer that she grow to be a great adult too. I'll take her innocence over graduation any day.