Landscapes

Well, Jennifer and i are planning a back yard redesign! We are planning on adding on a 25 x 16 foot patio attached to the existing porch and putting a few flowerbeds in, one with a fountain. Before, our back yard was just a porch with a yard. After, it will make a much nicer retreat.

We were going to attempt to do all this ourselves, but now we are leaning toward getting someone else to lay down the patio and we would do the flowerbeds and the fountain. Doing it this way will not kill my back! (But I will put my back at risk if they want to charge too much!)

Turning over a new leaf

I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna stay "in the zone". I've been at a high point before where everything seemed easy and right, and I want to get back there and stay there.

Here is my plan:
1. Take time for the "little-big" things. Little in that little time or effort is involved, big in rewards: taking walks with the family, playing games, reading.
2. If something is out of place, put it on place. Makes things feel right.
3. Calm down. No more yelling about little things.
4. Pray. I'm not going it alone.

I can do it, and I can stay "in the zone."

Today was a good day.

Today was one of those awesome days when you feel like anything is possible.

Cameron and I had some good father and son time in the morning.  We read some books on his bed,  played with trucks, and generally just took it easy.  Then, and this is something only a parent can get excited about, he used the toilet for the first time!  He just told me he had to poo poo, and I put him on the toilet and he went!  Amazing!

Later,  I installed outdoor speakers, and enjoyed a beer with Jen on the back porch. While we were back there, we planned out our landscaping project for the back yard. We had a good dinner at the Mellow Mushroom, where Grace really helped out by being an excellent big sister. This evening, I even cleaned out the closet. It was a day when it seemed like everything was good and anything was possible.

It's a rainy day here today, so we've been taking it easy. We watched My Dog Skip (it's a great movie if you've never seen it, and it's filmed here in Missisisippi), relaxed and had some coffee, and now I'm scanning old photos that my Mom left with me to scan.

It's kinda cool looking through these old photos. Some aren't so old, but all have memories in them.

I had to stay up last night and test out a change to our system. I was up untill about 2am, then they called me again at 5:20am. It's over now, and everything went well, but I think I'll just relax today.

Happy Father's Day!

FathersDay
Originally uploaded by JoeMoab

I got this nicely decorated stepping stone for my Father's Day gift! I think I'll just relax today and ignore the fact that the grass needs cutting.

Off to Camp

Off to Camp
Originally uploaded by JoeMoab

We dropped Little Bit off at camp this Monday morning. She was all excited about her first ever week at overnight camp. Jen was all depressed of course!

So we've been child-free. Jen was bored, so she decided to decorate the guest bedroom. I've just been chilling.

A new day

Sunrise
Originally uploaded by JoeMoab

I was treated to these nice colors when out walking Hershey this morning. I love watching the colors of the sky at sunrise or sunset, and I love it when I think to grab my camera.

It's been over a year since I last posted, and a lot has happened. Hershey has grown into a small pony (I'll post pics later), Little Bit has gotten another year older and smarter, and we've moved into a new house. I plan to most more again to my blog, but I'll make no promises.

Yesterday evening, Hershey decided he preferred the chimnea to his bed.

We got Hershey! He's got a cough, and wasn't very active on Saturday, but on Sunday he came around and was pretty active. I've got to bring him to the vet this evening because of the cough, hopefully it's not anything real bad. Isn't he cute?

Hershey

Hershey,
originally uploaded by JoeMoab.

We're taking a short trip Saturday to go adopt this little guy at an animal shelter. They named him "Mini Hershey", we think we're going to shorten that to Hershey. Isn't he the cutest? (Visit petfinder.com to find other animals to adopt.)

Audio Books Galore!

I've made a recent personal discovery: audio books. It's not like I never heard of them before, nor was it a recent discovery to find free audio books... it's just that I had the occasion to try them out. Recently my company started pushing excercise classes, and offers incentive to go to them. I got tired of listening to the same old music on my mp3 player, so I thought I would try out an audiobook. Once I tried, I found out I loved them and now I can't get enough of them! I've found Librivox, and audio books on Project Gutenberg. I'm currently finishing up Robinson Crusoe. Go ahead, download some, and if you don't have an mp3 player then burn a CD and listen to them that way. (Note that Project Gutenberg has ebooks as well, but I just linked to the Audio Book category.)

My first tomato!

My tomato plants are doing great! They’re about two and a half feet tall now, and I’ve got my first tomatoes forming! The tomatoes are about the same size as the tip of my little finger, but they’re there. I can’t wait until they’re ready to pick and eat.

See more progress on: grow tomatoes

Cookies!

Lifehacker had a link to this article about stress management today, and I like it. I already used to keep in mind that the situation is temporary whenever I'm under stress, but this article stated it well.

Ave Maria, FL

I just heard about the "Catholic Town" being built in Florida. According to some reports, the Domino's pizza founder is building a town which will be strictly catholic. Of course, the ACLU is sticking their nose in, and stirring up controversy. So, I ask, what is the big deal?

They're building a catholic university, and plan to build a town around it based off of traditional family values. First comes the university. Won't most (if not all) the students there be catholic, and hold to strict moral and traditional values? In theory, they will comprise most of the population anyway. So, they won't have a problem with it.

Next comes the town. I just saw an interview with the principal investors on the Today show. They say that it's a misconception that certain things (contraception) will be banned. Yes, it will be discouraged, but not banned. Again, in a town comprised of mostly catholic people, it stands to reason that it would be discouraged by belief alone, not by some governmental statement. Also, anyone can move there of course, you don't have to be catholic.

So, again, I ask... what's the big deal? If I wanted to start a community where everyone is a movie star, or works with movie stars, then more than likely the whole community will hold to similar values and have similar views on things. No governmental restrictions are needed because nobody else would want to live there very long anyway... oh wait, that's Hollywood huh?

I think as the cell phone became more prevalent in our society, people's attitudes have changed. I was at a stop light yesterday and I noticed a "Hang Up and Drive" bumper sticker on the truck in front of me. As the light turned green, I happed to notice the driver in his side view mirror... an old gray haired man gabbing away... with a cell phone stuck to his ear. So, does this mean that it's gradually getting more acceptable to talk on the phone and drive at the same time?

The answer to life, the universe, and everything is forty-two. I thought of this tonight while reading Matthew chapter 1:

Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.

Yup... the answer is forty-two... the number of generations from Abraham to Christ. That's the answer to life, the universe, and everything. (Reading the Bible is one of my 43 Things goals, I'm starting with the New Testament for now.)

One of my 43 things goals (click on the "My 43 things" link to the right to see my goals) is to take more photographs. I also thought it would be fun to take photos regarding each of my goals I've set for myself. So, here is a photo of me accomplishing my goal of taking more photographs! I know... I'm kinda weird... but then again, I like me that way. Visit my photo stream to see more interesting photos I've taken lately. (Note: I can't figure out which I like better, Flickr or Zoto, but for quick photos I like Flickr and for lots of photos with the same subject [i.e. albums] I like Zoto. That's why in my links to the right, when you click on "My Photo Galleries" you'll go to Zoto, but if you click on "My Photo Stream" you'll go to Flickr.)

Come on. You know you want some. Everybody does. If you can resist these puppies, either you have some sort of weird gene that makes sugar hurt your tongue or you have the willpower of the Dalai Lama. I always end up buying a bunch and eating them all up within a week.

I was on the phone with my dad today, and he asked about my tomatoes I'm growing. He also asked about the bell peppers and why I was growing those. I said that we use them a lot, they're good sauteed with onions on hot turkey wraps, and we also eat them stuffed with taco meat and potatoes and topped with cheese. He just groaned... obviously he hates bell peppers.

Anyway, this got me to thinking... I've heard before that they're not all that nutritious anyway, and that pigs won't even eat them! So I looked 'em up (gotta love the internet!) Well, bell peppers do have nutrients, but they're not as good as broccoli, or lima beans, but they do have onions beat! And about the pig thing, it's not true according to this site about potbellied pigs.