Little Picasso

Can you see what's in the picture below? You might need to make the picture larger.  J drew a big heart then wrote his name inside it.  He did this on the wall of his bedroom at my house.  Yes, on the wall!  At 4 1/2 years old, he's never offered to do this before, which is why the crayons were located in his room.  

I couldn't get too mad at him.  He didn't do it out of anger or spite.  He did it because he wanted to draw a heart on the wall for me.  We made sure he knew he was NOT supposed to be drawing on the wall, took the crayons out of his room, and then gave him the baking soda, sponge, and water to scrub it off the wall.  

Big Bedroom Declutter

We are having new flooring put down throughout most of our house very soon.  It's something that's been a long time coming.  In anticipation of needing to empty out the bedroom furniture and the closet, I pulled everything out of there and Mr. GV and I went through it.  Most of it belongs to Mr. GV because I've already been through it all numerous times trying to pare down my things.  

We had two tubs full of random electronic items when we started.  By the end we had narrowed that down to two gallon size bags full!  And one of those bags are things we are holding on to temporarily, until we figure out for sure what they go to and if we really need to hold on to them.  

So thrilled to get rid of all that miscellaneous electronic junk!

There were just a couple things that needed recycling---the box and some papers.  And there were a few things that had to be thrown in the trash.  Paintballs that had a melted appearance and some plastic items.

A few things that left/are leaving the house.  (The clothes and some other things I took to Goodwill.  The DVD went to the library.  Some of the other items I gave away to family, and there are still a few things here at the house that I am putting in my mom's yard sale in September.

More random items that are gone.  Amazing the variety of "stuff" that you acquire through the years!  There are a couple travel clocks there, a bank, toy whistle, things from geocaches, and a bit of rope.

The clothes, mostly items that Mr. GV cleared out.

Electronic items that we decided we didn't need anymore.

A few items that won't be sold because they are completely worn out and of no use to anyone.

July 4th Fun

We did something different for July 4th this year.  We skipped going to my cousin's house for the family BBQ and instead went out to the lake to see the big fireworks show and listen to music.  Mr. GV and I came back from the BAM, took a nap, and then it was time to head out to the lake.

Mom and I listening to the music

Just relaxin' 

NaNa had flicked ice on him I believe, and he was getting even.

Enjoying his watermelon

Amusing ourselves as we waited for it to get dark.  At this point, he was shouting "Bazinga!" and popping out from behind me.

The fireworks were great.  I'm so proud that our small town was able to put on such a show.  This is just a small sampling of what we saw that night.

When they played the national anthem,  J's mommy told him how to stand and cover his heart.  It was such a sweet, sweet thing to see him standing like that.  He stood there so well the whole time, it was almost as though he knew that the song was something special.  (And on a funny note, when the next song started he did it again.  We had to let him know that you only have to do that for that one song.  lol) 

BAM!

We were up early July 4th in order for Mr. GV to participate in another organized bicycle ride known as the BAM.  

Getting ready by setting one of his monitors.

Going to the starting line.

Visiting with a friend from our town.

Comparing bike stuff, no doubt!

Part of the crowd for the early start.  There was a late start too.

Bunches of Bowling

Our family (minus Mr. GV, unfortunately, since he had to work) got to go bowling together one day this summer!  I haven't bowled in a few years.  I have a bad shoulder and it was somewhat aggravated for bowling, but it was still a lot of fun!

J asked me to draw a zombie as we approached my sister's house.  And then he hid behind it.  

J with one of his first bowls.  Sometimes he used the ramp, sometimes he rolled it, and a couple of time he dropped it.  Now that will get you some attention from nearby bowlers!

Yours truly.

Uncle B

NaNa

Sister S, also known as RaRa

Sister K, also known as J's mommy

Concentrating on getting it just right...

There's an arcade in with the bowling alley, so of course we had to have some fun there too.  

Peach Crumble and a Movie

My mom's peach trees did very well this year.  She brought several over to us, and I made my first ever peach crumble.

I used a recipe I found on the internet, and it turned out great. 

We took J to see Brave that night.  He was very excited to see it.  There were a couple of scary scenes and he asked to leave the theater, but we stuck it out.  In the end, he was glad we stayed, and so was I. 

Front yard water fun

We had more water fun here in our yard one day this summer.  We even convinced Mr. GV to get out and play too!

Mr. GV and J carry the bucket and water squirters to the front yard.

Mischevious-looking Mr. GV!

A little water in the eye.

Having a fun time!

Mr. GV practicing his aim.

When we were finished, J suggested we pour the remaining water over each of our heads.  He got to go first!

A fun time was had by all!

Travel supplies for the car

When we travel by car on vacation, I like to keep certain supplies with us.  I'm not talking about a fire extinguisher or tire gauge, although we have both of those in our car too.  No, I'm talking about supplies to make eating out on the road a little easier, and hopefully a little more ecological.  

In a reusable bag I keep plates and bowls that are made of more ecofriendly materials than regular paper supplies.  The utensils are reusable.  Often we have reusable bowls with us as well.  

I also take napkins (paper left over from fast food stops, and cloth if we are just gone for a weekend), a can opener, a clothespin for closing open food bags, some packets of sweetener, and some dish soap.  Generally I have a couple of rubber bands, a dish rag and towel, and a small knife with us as well.

Do you carry eating supplies with you when you travel?

Tour de Corn

Mr. GV was able to ride in the Tour de Corn this year.  The ride is in Missouri in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by corn fields and mostly flat land.  

Naturally the bike has to spend the night in the room with us.  

Me posing in front of the giant ear of corn.  Zoom in and you can see that the kernels are made of recycled milk cartons.  

Mr. GV gets ready for the long hot ride.

I hung out in a nearby town's library.  It's a small library, but has a fantastic reading room.  I relaxed on a couch with comfy pillows, slipped off my flip flops, and enjoyed reading through People magazine, perusing the local newspaper, and planning our fall vacation.

Decluttering sad memories



Sometimes decluttering helps free us from bad memories.  And sometimes it's difficult to even think about sorting through those past memories.

The first picture below (taken in the guest room after I had stripped the sheets) involves some unpleasant memories for me.  Here you see several syringes and needles, the leftovers from a 14 month period when I was taking injections.  That was a bad time in my life, and I hated seeing that box full of supplies each time I opened my guest closet.  But I just didn't know what to do with them.  I didn't want to dump them and I didn't want to offer them up on Freecycle, because who knows what kind of use they would have seen?

And then it dawned on me:  animal rescue!  I contacted Pearl's former foster mother, who is actively involved with her county humane society.  They were glad to receive the smaller ones, and she found a horse rescue that was absolutely thrilled to receive the bigger ones.  And it did my heart some good knowing that they would all be put to good use. 

And here you see several pet supplies that I let go to the humane society that same day.  The dog house, cat toys, and cat bed didn't bother me much.  They were all things that just weren't being used around here.  Gabby the cat prefers to sleep in a tray that's on the blanket chest at the end of our bed.  Naturally. 

But the big yellow kitty cube?  That was where my old kitty Callie, she who was born in a box in our first little apartment, resided much of the time, with the sunshine streaming in on her though the office window.  It was another thing that made me sad, knowing she wasn't here with us anymore, and so I was ready to turn it loose so that some other kitty who had no home could appreciate its coziness. 

Looking at these pictures makes me a bit sad, not because the things are gone, but because of the sense of loss associated with the items.  But now that they are gone, I won't run across them accidentally.  These pictures are posted here, but deleted from my pictures.  I can't delete the bad memories, but at least I've made it a little easier not having to dredge them up each time I open a closet.