Spring books

Do you have books that you can only read at certain seasons? Like, books to read in the winter, books to read in the spring, and so on.

I've been wanting to read my Spring books, and I might just collect them and start chugging through them. Here's my list:


The Secret Garden. Oh man, this one is TERRIBLE if you have spring fever, because you want to get out in the dirt so BAD. But it's a lovely spring book.

The Four Story Mistake. For some reason I read the various books in the Melendy series seasonally. Winter is The Saturdays, spring is the Four Story Mistake, summer is And Then There Were Five, and fall is Spiderweb for Two. If you've never read the Melendy books, treat yourself and pick them up. Just fun, funny, beautifully-written kids books about a squirrely family and the adventures they get up to.

The Dalemark Quartet. This one is a recent addition to my Spring books, probably because I first read it in the spring a few years ago. Or maybe it's because the first book, Spellcoats, takes place in the early, early spring. Oddball fantasy juvenile fiction with almost no magic, and yet has a great deal of magic. And the last book has time travel! What's not to like?

Lord of the Rings. This is more of a winter book, but usually it's almost spring by the time I finish. I like to read it when it's dark and cold, because then I can imagine that I'm out with Frodo and Sam in the cold, and when it's cloudy, it seems like that cloud of darkness that comes from Mordor in the last book. Not something to attempt if you have issues with depression, though.


Gray Dawn. Another of my favorite spring books, because it starts out in the springtime when Gray Dawn, a collie puppy, is the lone survivor of an unfortunate litter. And he goes on to be an absolute terror, and it's so very hilarious. You go the whole book wondering if he's a really smart dog, or a really stupid one.

I know there's more, but that'll do for now. Do you have any books you read seasonally?

Kid's eye view

Imagine you are this goofball almost-four-year-old.

Imagine Mommy has taught you how to take pictures on her camera, and then tosses you outside with it.

There were a lot more pictures than this, but they were either very blurry or extreme closeups of mystery objects.

Like this.

He just adores my camera. He runs the batteries down in it every time I lend it to him, and that's with the flash turned off, too. I think he has the makings of a real good photographer.

Attack of the giant centipede

I was checking our weather satellite to see if the valley fog was letting up any.

See that big long chunk of white? That's the fog sitting in the basin of the San Joaquin valley.

Anyway, as I looked on it, I noticed this. Click the picture to see the GIANT CENTIPEDE.

Look at it! Coming ashore to attack California! And nobody even noticed it!

Sunshine

Munchkins enjoying their breakfast of oatmeal and cut up bananas. They like having their picture taken, too.

It's been horrendously foggy lately, but sometimes the sun comes out in the afternoon, and it warms up to about 60. I've taken to pitching the munchkins outside, for my mental health and theirs.

They found a muddy spot in the grass and turned it into a nice hole.

This is them putting sticks and bark into it. A nice afternoon.

What do you get when ...

What do you get when you cross Pioneer Woman's Eggs-In-A-Hole recipe with the Sizzler Cheese Toast recipe?

Happy munchkins!

And even happier mom and dad, who thought it tasted divine. Here's our reaction:

(Original pic here)

*heavenly choir*

Special chicken pockets

I wanted to make chicken pockets for dinner tonight.

Chicken pockets (or packets, depending on your recipe) usually involve some cooked shredded chicken, mixed with cream cheese and something like onion or garlic salt, then folded into the middle of some kind of bread, usually canned crescent roll dough.

I've made them a few times, and my husband has complained that they're too bland.

So I was trying to think of a way to jazz them up. I decided to make one of his favorite recipes, chicken and stuffing, and turn that into a chicken pocket filling.

Recipe as it turned out:

A pound or so of cooked, shredded chicken
1 half can of cream of chicken soup (or more depending on your amount of chicken)
1 box of Stove Top stuffing
Dough of your choice, canned or homemade

If you're making homemade dough, make it ahead of time and let it rise. I just used a general Dinner Rolls recipe, doubled, because I was making orange rolls, too.

Cook your chicken and shred it up. Mix it with your cream of chicken soup. Prepare stuffing according to package directions and toss it with the chicken and soup mixture. Mix it just enough to distribute the stuffing throughout the mixture, but not enough to turn it into mush.

Drop a large spoonful of filling into flattened triangle of dough. Pull corners of dough up and seal together at the top, forming a funky little ball. Place on greased jelly roll pan and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

My husband pronounced them a success. I thought they would have been nice with some kind of dipping sauce, maybe a chicken gravy. They were a bit dry, I thought.

Then I also made orange rolls, using orange marmalade instead of juice and zest on the inside.

Seeing as this was blood orange marmalade and blood orange juice in the glaze, they were this pleasant fruity, citrusy sweet roll.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY
Outside my window... Dark and gloomy. I had hoped to see the sun today, but alas, it was not to be. It's not very cold, thankfully, just dark.

I am thinking... about whether the kids are in there fighting quietly or actually going to bed. About making my requests known to God, and delighting myself in Him, and he will give me the desires of my heart. To date, he's given me everything I ever asked him for, and more. So I'm composing my next list of heart's desires for Him to look over. :-)

I am thankful for... our finances working out so that we have food this month. The past few Januarys have been dubbed "Starvation Januarys" and I'm so thankful we didn't have to go through that this year.

From the learning rooms... If I do what I want, my kids turn into little grouches. But if I put aside my own wants and attend to them, they get so happy, and are much better at obeying their dad and me.

From the kitchen... I tried making a banana bread recipe, but substituted a half pint of peach butter for the bananas. It came out surprisingly good, and this way I can get rid of some of that horrid peach butter before next summer.

I am wearing... pajama pants and a sweater. When you're pregnant, sitting at the computer in jeans is just uncomfortable.

I am creating... nothing much at the moment. Trying to get my writing mojo back on by doing this survey. None of the voices in my head are talking these days, and it's hard to think of stuff to write without them. Must be a hormone thing.

I am going... to try to walk every day this week. It'll be busy with school starting this week, though. Gotta get Ryan out the door early.

I am reading... Enchanted Glass by Diana Wynne Jones. Gosh, I love that book. I'm missing my Melendys books, though. Someday I shall repossess them from my mom, bwahaha!

I am hoping... many things pertaining to this year and the next. I want a house, but many, many dominoes have to fall over, first.

I am hearing... soft music, and finally silence from the bedroom. The kids must be asleep at last.

Around the house... the house is grungy. House cleaning tomorrow! At least it's fairly well picked up.

One of my favorite things... sitting down with a cup of sweet coffee, a plate of some kind of snack bread, and a good book. This doesn't actually happen that often.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Make menus, do the grocery shopping, watch Inception, start work on at least one commission picture. Remember to drink my nettle tea every day.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing: Blue sky, something we have not seen in days.