Remembering those good ol' days

Winter, 2003

A friend recently posted on her blog, some memories she had of her childhood with her sisters. Reading through her post sparked off memories that my sisters and I have of when we were "knee high to a grasshopper".....

We led a pretty interesting life when we were little; favorite things to do included:

1. Playing cowboys, in which we would tape paper cow heads that we drew (we never could figure out why people couldn't tell right away that they were cows) to our bed posts and then have cattle round ups. Unfortunately, bed post cows don't move very fast.

2. Playing "Indians" which involved bows and arrows that were all constructed out of apple tree twigs and bright yellow yarn.

3. Catching Bumblebees and keeping them as pets in mason jars. At night, we would turn all the bedroom lights off except for one lamp and then watch our pet bees hover and buzz around the light. I think mom was blissfully unaware of what we were doing...

4. Playing town. It is really hard to play town with a total of three people. Emily was the banker (but never got any business since we didn't know what to use as "play money". I think Megan was the grocer, and our huge collection of Beanie Babies was used to fill her store. I was a detective and my job was to find out where all of our socks kept on disappearing to. I think I did occasionally get a bigger mystery, such as what happened to the Beanie Babies that were missing from the grocery store.

5. Having horse shows. All three of us were Certified Horse Delirious, and we would put all sorts of obstacles in our spacious backyard (everything from plastic lawnmowers to lawn chairs) and then pretend we were on imaginary horses as we ran at top speed jumping over our "fences" barefoot, and tried to avoid stepping on any bees that were hiding in the clover. If you managed to get over all the jumps without knocking any over, or getting stung by an annoyed bee, you won. ;)

6. Preparing to be Olympic champions. I kid you not, we did all sorts of stretches for about 1 hour every single day, preparing for stardom. Megan was going to be a gymnast, focusing mainly on being on the balance beam. We had no real balance beam, so we either used the 3' long edge of a bed's foot board, or we would unhook the ladder from our bunk bed, Em and I would hold it very firmly on its side and watch Meg precariously wobble from one side to the other. I was going to be an Olympic ice skater, but I can't remember what Emily wanted to be....

7. Go "spelunking" in the garage on rainy days. We would leave the lights off, and just use a flashlight as we pretended that we were in a dangerous cave that had hidden treasure in it.

8. Sing as terribly as possible and then laugh our heads off at whoever sounded the worst. Oh wait, we still do that...!

9. Start clubs that would disintegrate within two weeks. We still have a "secretaries notebook" from one of our clubs, and we laugh our heads off every time we open that thing. The dues were the funniest part. Here's a sample of what a club meeting looked like:

1 'o' clock p.m.: Old business discussed.

1 'o' 1: No old business

1 'o' 2: Dues counted. 13 cents.

1 'o' 3: Decided to use our funds to help homeless animals.

1 'o' 4: Changed our minds about the homeless animals. Not enough funds.

1 'o' 5: meeting adjourned.

We thought we were brilliant. ;D

10. Going "Ghost hunting". Now, I'm sure if mom knew what we were doing, she would have put a stop to it, but I don't think we ever told her. We painted smiley faces onto cotton balls and then hid them in our bedroom. Whoever got to be the "ghost hunter" had to use a flashlight and hunt down all the "ghosts" in our dark bedroom. We wanted to have spooky music playing while doing this, but since we didn't have any, the other two people who were not hunting would hum a song.

So there you have it. Now you know why we are who we are. Those of you who know us personally probably understand know why we are such a queer trio, but hey, those pet bumblebees sure were fun.

And you thought we were respectable... ;)

~Caitlyn

What Can I Say?

Other than it was past 10 'o' clock on a Sunday night. My family and I somehow got onto the conversation of Benjamin Franklin's Armonica, and playing music on drinking glasses. With a bit of googling, dad found this amusing You-Tube. Enjoy!

~Caitlyn

They say you learn one new thing every day....

And today I was informed by a younger sibling that:

Cheese is a fruit.

There! my education is now completed! Imagine what struggles in life might have arisen had I not known that cheese was a fruit!

~Caitlyn

Sisterly Affection?

Emily and I learned something today.

Bush beans, fresh from the garden, will stick to clothing when someone throws one at you.

Sisters can be dangerous....

Especially when in the kitchen with a huge bowl filled with fresh beans.

I can't even tell you how it started, but before I knew it, I found a long, skinny bean sticking to my shirt and a certain sister trying to pull the "ever-so-innocent" look. being the very mature older sister that I am, I, uh--well-- that is to say-- retaliated! ;)

Maturity went to the wind as Emily and I pelted each other with the poor vegetables. Laughing, throwing, feeling ridiculous, the war waged on.

Let's just say that after a few minutes, I ended up stalking, er, walking off, with seven green beans sticking to my shirt.

She may have won the battle, but I'll yet win the war.....

Sisters are so fun! ;D

~Caitlyn

Day # 1

A favorite song:

This one is actually super hard for me to answer! I am almost always singing something. Either out loud, in my head or perhaps humming a few lines. I like to joke that I have a song for every occasion. :)

But if I really had to choose just one song.... hmmmm.... I think I would probably end up having to choose two songs. A hymn titled: I'll Fly Away (Emily and I sing it as a duet while doing dishes!)

And then a different song called 'Ballad of the Fox hunters'. :)

Milking time is my favorite time to sing, as I can sing without bothering any family members; and the goats don't mind it either! :)

Emily and I love singing together. While doing dishes, while outside, while doing chores, while in the bedroom.... Pretty much anywhere. Hymns tend to be the main choice of songs, but we also enjoy singing celtic folk songs.

~Caitlyn

Because ya'll aren't snoring enough....

A found this list on a friend's blog and thought it might be kind of fun to do too! I figured that if nothing else, if might give ya'll a good excuse for some zzzz's. ;D

Day 1: A favorite song.

Day 2: A favorite movie.

Day 3: A favorite book.

Day 4: A favorite television program.

Day 5: A favorite quote.

Day 6: A moment you wish you could relive.

Day 7: Five things you couldn't possibly live without.

Day 8: A thank you letter to someone who has changed your life.

Day 9: A photo you took.

Day 10: A photo of you taken over ten years ago.

Day 11: A photo of you taken recently.

Day 12: A song that you want played at your wedding(or was played).

Day 13: A guilty pleasure.

Day 14: A vacation you would like to take.

Day 15: A person you admire.

Day 16: A song that makes you cry.

Day 17: An art piece.

Day 18: A time when you felt passionate and alive.

Day 19: A talent of yours.

Day 20: A hobby of yours.

Day 21: Something you know you do differently than most people.

Day 22: A website.

Day 23: A way in which you want to be remembered.

Day 24: A movie no one would expect you to love.

Day 25: A recipe.

Day 26: A childhood memory.

Day 27: A physical feature you love.

Day 28: A scar you have and it's story.

Day 29: Hopes, dreams and plans you have for the next 365 days.

Day 30: A motto or philosophy.

A "Big Grownup"

A few days ago, a little friend of mine came dancing up to me and jubilantly held up four fingers as he said: "Guess what! I'm a grownup now, because I'm this old!" (holding up the four fingers). ;D

Trying valiantly to hide my grin, I asked him if he thought I was a grownup too. When I told him my age (now 18), his eyes grew as round as saucers and his mouth dropped open as he breathed: "Yes, you're a BIG grownup!!" ;D

A BIG grownup, huh? I sure like little kids.... ;)

~Caitlyn

It became a family joke...

If you were to go into the girls room (the four of us share a room), and if you were moderately observant you might notice something that has produced smiles for others who have seen it...

On Megan's bed you would see a small, but thick book like this...

On Emily's bed you would see this ....

And on my bed you would see this!!

I'm seeing a pattern here... ;) And I'm afraid I'm at the bottom of this. On Monday, one of my alpacas went into labor, and I thought for sure that we were going to have a baby alpaca that day (alas, not yet). I get really jittery while waiting for my animals to give birth, so I wandered the house looking for a fictional book.

I rarely read fictional books, mostly because I'm always too busy reading non-fiction, but at this moment I needed something that would distract me. And a 'Lord of the Rings' book just happened to be laying about. It all went downhill from there.

I finished 'The Two Towers' in one day (waiting for that alpaca baby!), but the book cruelly leaves you hanging, so I was "forced" [wink] to get the last one and find out how it all ends.

It's hilarious when a family member walk into our room, and notices that all three of us are reading the same series. I think our favorite memory so far is of big brother Chris. He walks into our room and first notices Emily reading a book that should have been on his bookshelf. He said nothing and turned to go out, as he turned, he looked at Meg's bed and noticed 'The Hobbit', yet another one of his books. It wasn't until he saw that I TOO had one of his books on my bed that he started to laugh as he continued to go out. ;)

Have you ever tried those funny quizzes that tell you "what character you are most like"? I always get a kick out of those. The downside to doing these is that my sisters and I are SO alike that we all always come up as the same character. Hmm.. We tried the LOTR quiz... And couldn't stop laughing!!

Meg and I came out as Frodo (Emily laughed good and hard at that), but Em came out as Boromir!! Meg and I totally lost it. Fuming, Emily asked what was wrong with that. "Nothing at all!" We replied in between gasps, "But the contrast is so funny!" Oh well, she laughed too in the end. :)

None of us have seen the movie, and after reading the books, we decided that we don't want to see it. We'll just be old fashioned and stick with the books.

Okay, I'll cease my endless chatter here and go make some bread.

Toodle~pip and cheerio my readers! :D

~Caitlyn (aka, Frodo ;D)

Reminiscing

On paper, er, screen that is, 'Reminiscing' looks like a very oddly spelled word. ;)

Today while doing chores I popped a favorite Celtic CD in our cd player, and listened to the lilting, joyful sounding music. Well, that was how it was at first....

It all starts with nodding your head in time to the music, then it leads to humming with it, then a sister comes along, looks at you, grins and before you know you are both setting to the music in tandem!

Meg and I love nothing more than to think back of favorite dances, or not so favorite, that we've done together. :) 'The waterfall Waltz', 'Mary's Wedding', 'Boston Teaparty'. [sigh] Good memories all about it....

We stopped attending the weekly ECD (English Country Dance), mostly because of the distance, and it's always hard to do when there are little ones to keep busy.

I remember during a masquerade ball that we went to, Meg and I danced together for almost the whole thing. There was one dance in particular (can't remember the name) that was reeeaallyy slow; Meg and I don't do well together during slow dances (she likes to go fast). So we started goofing around, oh, we still did the dance perfectly, but we added those silly things one would only do with a sister or sibling. :) We made faces at each other as we passed or did 'two-hand turns', added extra goofy steps to the slower parts, etc... We actually started laughing out loud! People started watching us to see what we would do next and I think perhaps some of them wished to join in our silliness. ;D That dance is now in our "list of favorites" despite its slowness; because Meg and I had so much fun together doing it!

Doing a fast. crazy dance with my sister Megan is the absolute best!! We both get to laughing and then we forget what the next step is; but then, during the fast ones, most everyone forgets the next part! Meg and I like to twirl each other (I looove being twirled!) while dancing too.

In our little kitchen is where Meg and I always seem to end up dancing. We set together, do favorite moves from favorite dances and choreograph our own dances to go with our CD's. 'Tis fun. :)

Poor Emily, the age limit for dancing was 13, and she was 12 when we were attending! Alas, we had stopped about a month before her birthday, so she never got to go to a ball and very rarely got to dance during the weekly dances. :( Meg and I always include her in our 'spur-of-the-moment' dances, and she got to do enough dances that she can reminisce with us.

I think our favorite thing to do (usually at night when we're in bed) is to ask the question: "If you could do any dance, which would you choose?" That's always a hard one to answer. The Dingle dance was fun. But short. The Gothic dance is fun and fast! But it's best if there is at least 70 people. How about the Contra dance? Very fun, but also very long. The Waterfall Waltz, Whip-the-Willow, Say-I-Do.... Which one does one choose? Personally, I think I like ALL of them, but if I got to choose just one, I think I would choose the slow dance called "Enchanted Place". Each move mirrors a part from the story of 'Winnie the Pooh'! I love the slow, graceful, trickiness about it!

Meg says she would choose the fast and crazy 'Contra dance'.

And Emily would choose 'The Gothic dance'. Another fast and crazy one. :)

Good memories all about it...

~Caitlyn

Contrast

Tee hee, I got a video of my little brothers making noise. I love the contrast between them.... ;)

~Caitlyn

Two year olds are so fun...

Today while at the grocery store, a grizzled old man with a long gray beard walked past us while on the dairy aisle( he reminded me of a trapper of old times), little Carver was fascinated for some reason and couldn't stop staring at the stranger. Finally after a few moments of silent awe, Carver looked at me and whispered:

"See-see (my nickname), look! It's Santa Clause!" ;)

Thankfully the man didn't hear the comment, but I did have a difficult time controlling my mirth...

~Caitlyn

If they could talk....

My alpacas are so funny..... They are each so different in personalties, quirks and habits. The other day Emily and I were thinking about what each of them would say if they had to write a letter; it was hilarious what some of the things we came up with were! So I decided to share the chuckle with y'all and share the letters....

First would be Bella Mia's letter. Mia is my drama queen; quick to spit at you, quick to give you a kiss, always getting her own way.... A true diva. ;) This is probably what she would say:

Hello? Heeeellllllooooo!? First off, why am I writing a letter to you? Shouldn't you be writing a letter to me!? Well, we'll settle that later. My name is Bella Mia; Which means 'Beautiful One', I think it fits me pretty well. I looooooove life! For fun, I like to try and stomp the barn cats, pull on Marina's tail, spit at Mira and roll in the dirt. Ah, life is good.... My owner is pretty nice too. She and I go on these walks every morning, and I get to choose where we go! The other day, we decided to visit the other humans who live inside the people barn (aka "house"), but they wouldn't let me come inside. That made me mad. Right now I'm mad at my owner. I don't know why; it's just fun to be mad. Well, enough said. I only do autographs from 10 am, to 1 pm, so if you want one you'll have to try and get to me sometime then. Chow!
~The all important Mia~

Life is never boring with Mia... Next would be Marina, my white Huacaya. 'Rina loves her food, and would probably continue eating even during a hurricane.

Ummm, Hi. My name is Marina. I like my name, it reminds me of food. do you like food? I like food. I like it how it's so munchy and crunchy and it usually tastes so yummy! With age comes wisdom, and I have both. Throughout life I have learned many a thing. One: Don't try and spit at your neighbor while you have food in your mouth, because you end up spitting all your precious food out and then you don't have it any more. Although, it is kind of fun watching them recoil in disgust..... Two: I've learned that if you suck your stomach in really hard, you owner will sometimes give you more food, because she thinks you're underweight. I'm pretty fluffy so this takes much talent to do well. And three: When trying to avoid getting your dose of dewormer, you should very sneakily put your tongue in the way and then merely spit the offending stuff out when you owner has turned away. Favorite pastimes? Eating grain, eating hay, eating grass, playing with the water in my bucket and sleeping. Speaking of eating.... I think I hear my food calling.
May the food be with you! --Marina

Yup, that's 'Rina. :) Salinda and Mira were pretty hard to do as both are pretty shy. Here's my sweet Sayla girl.

Hi there, I'm Salinda. What is an alpaca supposed to tell a human? Hmmmm, well for starters, I'm 12 years old, which is pretty old for an alpaca, and I've had quite a few babies in my time. I'm expecting another by the end of April too. My owner treats me like a queen! I get Raspberry leaf, and kelp powder, chamomile, peppermint and even Thyme! I think she worries about me having a difficult birth, but I'll show her. I haven't had nine babies for nothin'. Life is pretty quiet around here, which is nice. I enjoy standing in the sunlight, grazing with my friends and watching their antics together. Hmmmm, I can't think of anything else, really. So I shall end my little letter here.
Sincerely, Salinda

Lastly, but not leastly, Altimira.

Greetins', My handle is Altimira but most jus' call me Mira. I'm a bit of a plain Jane, never have cared for flounces and other such things. I'm the leader of the herd, which is pretty fun I guess. Although, of the late, Mia has been trying to be top in pecking order. But I squash her flat every time and then she goes off and sulks. Like Salinda, I'm gettin' on in my years, but I'm actually a year younger than her. I'm expecting my eighth baby in September. The weather's been pretty cold lately, lots of frost and rain. I'm not particularly fond of cold weather, because that means that the barn cats will be sleeping in our hay at night. And I don't like it when they do that. I spend my days watching grass grow and counting cars as they go past. It's a good way to spend one's day.
Well, look both ways before crossing a road, and always carry an umbrella with you when going out. ~Mira

I'm still trying to crack through Mira's shell, but I'll get her in the end....

Thus ends this post. ~Caitlyn

Places to hide Christmas presents from nosey kids

Christmas is almost here! But where to hide those presents so no one will find them? Here are a few places that should work....

1. In the oven. Just please make sure that you take the gift out before baking!

2. Up the chimmney. This is an especially good spot; if you don't mind a little bit of soot on your gift.

3. Inside the turkey. Come on, who on earth would think to look inside the Christmas turkey for their present!

4. Underneath the cat. Just give him lots of food and try to keep him in one spot. You can't go wrong!

5. On top of the mantle. No one would look there because it's too easy.

6. Underneath the car hood. I guess it would have to be a smaller sized gift to fit in there....

7. Inside the piano. Just don't let anyone tune it for a few weeks.

8. Inside a tissue box. If you try this one, let me know how you managed to get the gift in there and then put all the tissues back in. ;D

Merry Christmas!

~Caitlyn

I found the culprit...

I have been finding mysterious, inky splatters and footprints dribbled over some of my papers at my desk. They pitter-patter around the paper in crazy circles and splotches and suddenly trail off, only to reappear on some other paper.

Hmmmm...
I had my suspicions.

And then, when I was writing yesterday I heard a tiny little 'scritch-scratching' on the shelf.
Pop! Out came the culprit from between two journals.
Don't freak out, yet. He won't bite, on the contrary, he's really quite tame. :P
Let me introduce you to Mr. Samuel Whiskers, believed to be a decended from his notorious namesake in Beatrix Potter's story 'The Roly-Poly Pudding'.

He and I get along quite well. I actually like most rodents (except for rats and shrews and as long as they're not skittering across my bedroom floor. :P) and he doesn't mind me.

Above is him in his favorite alcove where I keep my pens. He's splendid company and is very cheap to keep. ;D
Just thought I'd introduce my little friend to you. :P

~Megan

Warning: the following may make you laugh.....

Have you ever read the warning labels on the items you buy? Dad found a huge list online, of ridiculous warnings that are actually on the items. Mom, my sisters, and I read through these last night and were laughing so hard that we all had tears streaming down our faces. :D

So I thought I would share them with you.... I will warn you though, there's a lot, and they will make you laugh.

Liquid Plummer Warning: Do not reuse the bottle to store beverages.

Windex: Do not spray in eyes.

Toilet Plunger Caution: Do not use near power lines.

Dremel Electric Rotary Tool: This product not intended for use as a dental drill.

Arm & Hammer Scoopable Cat Litter: Safe to use around pets.

Bowl Fresh: Safe to use around pets and children, although it is not recommended that either be permitted to drink from toilet.

Endust Duster: This product is not defined as flammable by the Consumer Products Safety Commision Regulations. However, this product can be ignited under certain circumstances.

Hair Coloring: Do not use as an ice cream topping.

Wet-Nap Directions: Tear open packet and use.

Dial Soap Directions: Use like regular soap.

Stridex Foaming Face: Wash May contain foam.

Hairdryer: Do not use while taking a shower.

Zantac 75 :Do not take if allergic to zantac.

Sleeping Pills Warning: May cause Drowsiness

Christmas Lights Warning: For indoor or outdoor use only.

Bic Lighter: Ignite lighter away from face.

Komatsu Floodlight: This floodlight is capable of illuminating large areas, even in the dark

Fire Extinguisher: Caution: Non-Flamable

Earplugs: These ear plugs are nontoxic, but may interfere with breathing if caught in windpipe

Mattress Warning: Do not attempt to swallow

Matches Caution: Contents may catch fire.

Pepper Spray Caution: Never aim spray at your own eyes.

Auto-Shade Widnshield Visor Warning: Do not drive with sunshade in place. Remove from windshield before starting ignition.

Fix-a-Flat WARNING: Do not weld can to rim.

Rain Gauge: Suitable for outdoor use.

RCA Television Remote Control: Not Dishwasher Safe

Pine Mountain Fire Logs Caution: Risk of fire

Triops Fish Food Warning: Not for human consumption

Home Depot Treated Lumber: Do not consume

Hair Dryer Warning: Do not use while sleeping.

Camera: This camera will only work when film is inside.

Superman Costume: Wearing of this garment does not enable you to fly.

Air Conditioner Caution: Avoid dropping air conditioners out of windows.

Slush Puppy Cup: This ice may be cold

Nabisco Easy Cheese: For best results, remove cap.

Hershey's Almond Bar Warning: May contain traces of nuts

Heinz Ketchup Instructions: Put on food

500-piece puzzle: Some assembly required.

Beach Ball CAUTION: It is not a life saving device.

Chainsaw: Do not attempt to stop chain with hands.

Sears hairdryer:Do not use while sleeping.

Bag of Fritos:You could be a winner! No purchase necessary. Details inside.

Bar of Dial soap Directions: Use like regular soap.

Hotel provided shower cap in a box:Fits one head.

Tesco's Tiramisu dessert: (printed on bottom of the box) Do not turn upside down.

Packaging for a Rowenta iron:Do not iron clothes on body.

Sainsbury's peanuts:Warning: contains nuts.

Korean kitchen knife:Warning keep out of children

Helmet mounted mirror used by cyclists:Remember, objects in the mirror are actually behind you

New Zealand insect spray:This product not tested on animals.

Blanket from taiwan:not to be used as protection from a tornado

Infant's bathtub:Do not throw baby out with bath water.

Package of Fisherman's Friend throat lozenges:Not meant as substitute for human companionship.

Disposable razor:Do not use this product during an earthquake.

Bottle of shampoo for dogs Caution: The contents of this bottle should not be fed to fish.

Curling IronWarning: This product can burn eyes.

Hair Dryer:Do not use in shower.

Hand-held Massaging Device:Do not use while sleeping or unconscious.

Pair of shin guards made for bicyclists:Shin pads cannot protect any part of the body they do not cover.

Aim-n-Flame fireplace lighter.Do not use near fire, flame, or sparks.

13-inch wheel on a wheelbarrow:Not intended for highway use.

Novelty rock garden set called "Popcorn Rock":Eating rocks may lead to broken teeth.

A toilet bowl cleaning brush:Do not use orally.

A birthday card for a 1 year old.Not suitable for children aged 36 months or less.

Heated seat cushionWarning: Do not use on eyes.

Microwave Oven:Do not use for drying pets.

Electric Cattle Prod:For use on animals only.

Can of air freshener.For use by trained personnel only.

Silly Putty:Do not use as ear plugs.

Rat PoisonWarning: has been found to cause cancer in laboratory mice.

Portable stroller Caution: Remove infant before folding for storage.

Sign at a railroad station: Beware! To touch these wires is instant death.Anyone found doing so will be prosecuted.

Shipment of hammers: May be harmful if swallowed.

Manual for an SGI computer.Do not dangle the mouse by its cable or throw the mouse at co-workers.

6x10 inch inflatable picture frame: Not to be used as a personal flotation device.

Small print from car commercial which shows a car in the ocean:Do not drive cars in ocean.

Credit card statement.Payment is due by the due date.

Box of Pills: Take one capsule by mouth three times daily until gone.

Instructions on the packaging for a muffin at a 7-11: Remove wrapper, open mouth, insert muffin, eat.

Can of black pepper.Instructions: usage known.

Bag of cat biscuits: Simply pour the biscuits into a bowl and allow the cat to eat when it wants.

Car Manual:In order to get out of car, open door, get out, lock doors, and then close doors.

Toilet brush:Do not use for personal hygiene.

Furniture Wipes: Do not use for a baby wipe.

Bottle of bathtub cleaner: For best results, start with clean bathtub before use.

Box of household nails: CAUTION! - Do NOT swallow nails! May cause irritation!

Microwave popcorn, packaged so that the directions cannot be read unless you open the plastic and unfold it Direction #1: Remove plastic.

Woolite carpet cleaner:Safe for carpets, too!

Box of Frosted Cheerio's: The logo, "Tastes so good this box never closes," is located just underneath another announcement: "To close: place tab here."

Hose Nozzle: Do not spray into electrical outlet.

~Caitlyn

Errands

I just realized that I have some urgent shopping to do. I've got some pantry needs and stuff to finish projects. Here's my list;

1. A can of striped paint

2. A set of waterproof towels

3. Dried water (good for trips. Just add water!)

4. A can of elbow-grease

5. A bucket of steam

That's all I can think of for now. I'd better take my list with me in case I think of anything else.
I'm off for a fool's errand. :D

~Megan