On my mind. . . .

So many, many things to blog about--so very little time. Some things on my mind lately:
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. The hubby and I watched this the other day. We let our four year old watch with us. My finger was on the controls in case of a yucky part, but we were all OK with everything--that doesn't often happen in a video these days! What a great movie! There was some fantasy (it's a magical toy shop, after all), but I believe in magic. I believe God put magic, some magic, into our lives because He can. If you don't think there is magic in a baby's first smile, or the first blossom of spring, or a Golden Retriever puppy, or an amazing chocolate truffle--well, perhaps something inside you is just not functioning properly :) You know when the magic starts to get defiling, if you listen to your gut. This movie had a good lesson for all of us, but wasn't "preachy". It also had a sad part, which is obvious if you read the label and see that Mr. Magorium leaves his shop to a young lady because he's, well, leaving. As in permanently. It was tastefully done--my four year old didn't actually know when it happened. Now, the movie was funny and very visually interesting, so don't let this one thing stop you from watching it.
The weather: Summer has finally decided to grace us with it's presence. Every single year, people around me are "stunned" that it's so cold in June. Well, it happens every single year, folks--why are you surprised? It's called "June Gloom", and it stays around for all of June and usually we are wearing coats for the 4th of July fireworks. Then, in July, August, September and parts of October, it gets hot-hot-hot. Around Halloween, we all put our coats back on (which can really mess up your Halloween costume, believe me).
Food: This is always near to my heart--I'm with Paula Deen, food is fun! Lately, I've been making my own buttermilk (which has finally turned out GREAT), and using it in lots of recipes, even when it's not called for. I use it in place of milk or water, and the results so far have been delicious. I've also made sourdough bread (complete with homemade sourdough starter), with varying results, pickles (also with varying results), and kombucha (always yummy). I'm getting into the whole "agrarian" lifestyle, and would like to grow a huge garden soon. We are currently gardening in pots, and the results have been--you guessed it--varying. One type of tomato is putting out (Stupice), but the others are slow-going. See comments on weather :) The strawberries are disappointing, and the cukes died :( The green beans are ok, but I planted "only" 6 plants, and they so far haven't put out enough for us to make a meal. Sigh. I suppose I should read up on this a little more before I do this next year.
Jon and Kate + 8: Is anyone else sick, sick, sick of hearing about this family? Kate should read The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands and be completely honest with herself: she's not doing everything for the kids; if she were, she'd quit the show, fix her marriage, and let them be kids again. She's not stupid, but neither are we: those kids couldn't care less about getting $$$ for college, or going to see all the wonderful sights they've seen so far. They just want mommy and daddy to be home, and stop fighting and be a happy family. You know it, I know it, and Kate knows it, too. Jon's no angel, but he's been asking for an end to this madness for months, and wants his life back. So what's stopping Kate? Money--pure and simple. It's difficult to lay aside the million dollar house, the new clothes, the hair, the lifestyle. But lay it aside they must--FOR THE KID'S SAKE. Case closed.
Wee little kids doing beauty pagents: This is vomit-inducing to me. Mothers, fathers, wake up--you're killing your kids emotionally, no matter how much they "just love to do it!". They'd love to eat ice cream for breakfast, lunch and dinner, too, but only a dork would let them do that.
My own wee one just got up--motherhood calls!