I love etsy.com because the items for sale are handmade, and I can always find something I love. I bought my bridesmaid’s necklaces from the site and the girls loved them. If you’re looking for something unique, check it out. Here are a few of my favorite items right now:
funky headband, pink and orange “harf,” earrings, neck warmer, leather headband, and a felt flower hair pin
Yes, I am aware that I have not blogged all summer! Why? Obviously, I have been busy. Doing what? I’m not quite sure why or how I have been so busy this summer, but I have been; therefore, I decided to do a large update on things that I have corresponding pictures to.
Ooooh, my dad and the Yankees. He is a big Yankees fan, so as a Father’s Day gift, we took him to a game. My dad has never been to NYC before, either, so I wasn’t sure how cranky he would be because of the rush of the Big Apple. We took the train from Harrisburg on up, then got on the Subway for Yankee Stadium. It wasn’t too bad. There was a really nice guy talking Yankee stats with my dad who was from the Bronx, so he told us which Subway trains to take. When we got to Yankee Stadium, we started walking down the block because I wanted to eat at this Jamaican restaurant that I had looked up online. The same man from the Subway came running up to us and said kind of nervously, “Where are you going?” I told him, he showed us where The Feeding Tree was, and warned us not to go any further; he then ran off down into the Bronx. The Feeding Tree was cool; my dad tried goat meat, I hesitated about ordering it for myself and decided not to, but I wish I had because it was soooo good! There isn’t much to say about the game because the Yankees sucked… I told my dad that it figures because whenever I am around him when the Yankees are playing, they play poorly, I’m an omen or something. Anyway, my dad was just happy to have made it to Yankee Stadium, and here are the pictures (remember, you can click on the photos to make them larger):
This is Betsy, Andy’s one and only sister. She graduated from Upper Dauphin Area High School this year. She’s off to Indiana University of Pennsylvania today, actually. I wish I had more pictures from my graduation day, so I made sure that Betsy had plenty. I kind of get a little camera happy… I have 400 plus photos from the Yankees game; yeah, I get that camera happy. Have fun at college, Bets!
Aren’t we cute? Ha! I bought an old dresser for $10. I saw it on Craigslist weeks earlier for $60, and it slowly came down in price. I need a dresser for school, so I thought what the heck! It is a nice, solid dresser, but it was covered in white paint that was flaking off. I decided to refinish it. There were so many layers of paint on this thing! The last image is where I’ve stopped. My dad is supposed to help me finish it, but we’ll see how that goes. I’m off to school in a week, so I don’t think it’s getting done in time. Oh well…..
Landon is such a smart little guy. He’s very animated and happy, and has a contagious little laugh. Landon was invited to be our ringbearer in October, but Melinda is going to have another little guy, Jacob Lee, in November! Melinda is gonna have her hands full, but I can tell she couldn’t be happier! Johnny, Melinda, and Landon came over from Germany for a little bit this summer, and I had a blast following Landon around. Enjoy!
My Uncle Bob has a picnic at his house around Memorial Day every year, and there is always lots of food and fun. Today was a beautiful day for a picnic. Dusty roasted pork and grilled fish, while lots of people brought beer and covered dishes. All of the food was delicious, and it was nice to chat with people that I don’t see very often. The best part of the day, however, was a surprise helicopter ride! Odie Snyder, from Trevorton, was flying around in his helicopter and landed in the baseball field behind my uncle’s house. My dad, Andy, and I walked across the creek to the field and watched Odie take off. First, he took Lori, who used to be one of the “lunch ladies” in the cafeteria when I was in elementary school, for a ride. When she came back, I hopped in. Odie flew partway over Trevorton, then down to Troy Stiely’s car lot, and back. I even got to take some aerial views of the party at my Uncle Bob’s. In one photo, you can clearly see my grandma waving, which really made me smile. My dad and Andy were too scared to go, but I took plenty of pictures for them to see. Andy and I put the pictures on CDs for Lori and Kyle, who also went on helicopter rides, so they had a keepsake. Mouse over the images for a description.
If you click on the image below, it will enlarge, then click on it again and you can see my grandma waving to me.
When everything around us begins to bud and flower, I often wonder why spring isn’t my favorite season. Then, the sneezing fits begin, and I remember exactly why I hate this time of year. Some days, I choose not to leave the house because I know I won’t be able to breathe or see clearly due to watery eyes. The two choices I have for allergy medicine aren’t that great, either. I can take a non-drowsy medicine, which never works for me, or I can take something else which will cause me to pass out for the rest of the day.
Tonight, while trying to peel potatoes for dinner, I remembered exactly why I hate peeling potatoes. Every time I attempt to do it, I start sneezing uncontrollably, my eyes flood with tears, and I start wheezing. The only other time that my reaction is as bad as when I peel potatoes is when I open any fish food.
When I lived with my dad, I had a beautiful fish tank full of cichlids. Whenever I would feed them, I would have the same reactions, but my dad always thought I was crazy. Then, I got sick of him not believing me and made him watch. He then agreed to feed my fish for me, but that didn’t work out because he began having the same problems.
Tonight, I decided to google sneezing when peeling potatoes, just to see if I was whacky. It turns out that I’m not the only person with this problem. I read about something called Oral Allergy Syndrome. I am always skeptical about labeling any issue I have as some sort of medical syndrome, but I really think this is a real thing. And, there’s not anything to do about it, which I wasn’t planning on doing anything anyway, so it’s okay. I have often mentioned to my family that my throat itches and my lips burn and crack whenever I eat certain fruits, especially peaches and more recently, apples. I always attributed the problem to pesticides or wax, but since I always wash fruit before I eat it, I wondered if that really could be a problem. Anyway, I’m just comforted to know that I’m not the only person who has an insane allergic reaction when simply peeling potatoes. Usually, taking a shower takes care of the problem, and if that doesn’t work, I just go to bed and wait for tomorrow. Nothing usually helps with the reaction to fruit, but I don’t plan on not eating any fruit unless something major happens.
As Andy and I were getting showered and ready yesterday morning, Lady began her usual whining, crying, and sniffing of her leash. We put on her new dog boots, which we bought since her foot pads are still healing from the last time we tried to walk her in town instead of at the park, and we also put on her new halter. It is a Sporn Training Halter, which is supposed to stop dogs from pulling. We have tried so many things to get her to stop pulling, but everything just caused her to get even more worked up and anxious, causing me to get frustrated and angry. The result was Lady not getting the exercise she needs and deserves, along with me feeling guilty and inadequate. After a comment Doug left on my blog stating that he had the same pulling problem with his dog, I began looking for solutions once again. I watch Cesar Milan, the dog whisperer, quite often and try to emulate his ways, but it never works. I came across the training halters and figured, what the heck?
If you are thinking, “Get to the point already,” I am. The Sporn Training Halter works! The halter gave me the control I needed to remain calm and actually work with my dog. I’m not saying that Lady did not lunge and pull because she did; however, the halter really discourages her from doing so and after a few minutes, she calms down. Because the training halter gives me enough control to remain calm and patient, I am able to work with Lady and teach her to walk the way I want her to. Today, Andy and I walked Lady two times for about 40 minutes each time. Lately, we were lucky walk Lady twice a month for 20 minutes because she was so psychotic and out of control. Unfortunately, the safest route for us involves walking past a loud barking dog that is always outside. This is a problem because Lady does not seem to ever have been around other dogs. She gets really nervous/excited/anxious when she sees or hears another dog and seems to want to run to get away from them (or if they are too close she goes for the kill). I believe she just doesn’t know how to handle other dogs because once, I left Lady out back on her chain and was inside doing laundry. I looked out the window and saw a loose dog in our yard! Of course, I ran downstairs because I thought there was going to be a dogfight, but when I looked out the glass door, Lady was jumping away from the dog. She looked like she did not know what she should do! Anyway, I keep only walking Lady a little further down the road at a time. I am doing this because I want her to get used to walking by the other dog and to be able to walk by calmly. I believe that it is going to take a lot of time and patience, but I am now confident that we are going to be able to enjoy our walks with Lady!
If your dog constantly pulls, try a training halter for fifteen to twenty bucks, you can always take it back if it doesn’t work.
This video shows Lady and I walking with the Sporn Training Halter. She had been walking for about 30 minutes before we shot the video, so she is tired out, but you can see how well she is walking.
Lady was so tuckered out that she crawled to her water bowl and drank while laying down.
After a day that involved two walks and Lady dragging all of her stuff out of the dog bin, she sure looked pooped.
Some things are just so cute that one cannot be angered by them. Such was the case for a little stunt Lady pulled last night.
Many weekends, Lady goes along with us up to my dad’s house. This weekend, we decided not to take her, but she thought we should. When we got home, this is what we found:
Lady had gotten into her dog container and gotten out all of the things we have used to take her for walks or car rides. She did this once for Andy, but I got to witness it for the first time. I could not help but laugh!
Admittedly, Andy and I are both dissatisfied with how out of shape we have become. Also admittedly, we never really do much about it. Beginning this week, we’ve both decided to live a little healthier, and we are both excited about it.
I have two different eating/exercising lifestyles: While I’m at school, I do not eat very healthily, but I exercise more often. While I’m at home, I eat fairly healthily but exercise less. I always look forward to the end of a semester because I can go home and cook my own food; however, next year, I’m living in an apartment with my friend, Julie, therefore I will be able to continue eating well since I won’t be forced to have a meal plan on campus.
Andy has decided that he would like to walk every night. I am very pleased by his decision because it is an activity that is healthy and enjoyable for Andy, Lady, and myself. So far, it is going very well. Andy usually gets online and plans a route for us, so we know exactly how far we have walked. I’m not much of a planner, so I find the fact that Andy plans a simple walk hilarious, but that’s just Andy for you! For myself, I would really like to do Pilates a few nights a week, as well. I took Pilates twice at school, and I really saw results; I’m not setting any goals for weight loss, I just want to be happy knowing that I’m living healthier. Last summer, we started hiking together, which is another form of exercise that we both really enjoy, so we’ll be doing that again this summer.
As far as eating goes, I think Andy and I both have two major problems. We eat too much, and we eat when we’re bored. Last summer, my mom gave me a whole pile of old Cooking Light magazines. I’ve tried a few recipes and thought they were great. So, this summer, I’m going to try to use recipes from Cooking Light almost every night. Using recipes from Cooking Light is great because there is such a variety of a food; the magazine often takes “down-home” recipes and finds ways to lighten the fat and calories. Andy and I have both decided to measure out the proper serving sizes to ensure that we do not eat too much. I have no problem eating the foods from Cooking Light; I actually prefer using those recipes because everything is fresh and flavorful. If you think that’s a silly statement, it is not; I actually know people who have described my cooking as “weird” and spicy because they grew up on and prefer bland, processed foods doused in catsup. My mom always had a garden and cooked many different types of foods, so I’m used to fresh and seasoned foods, and I am grateful for it.
Although we do not have enough room for a garden, Andy and I bought a few planters and put them out front. We planted parsley, chives, basil, thyme, dill, and mescaline salad mix and anxiously await the sight of bright green sprouts amongst the dark soil! When I first started cooking for him, Andy was hesitant to try anything new, but now he is a lot more open. He was very excited and helped plant the herb garden! I think we are finding a newfound appreciation for fresh foods and healthy living.
Here is the front of our house. We planted herbs in the two square planters on the landing, the two rectangular planters, and the small wheel barrel planter.
My dinner consisted of grilled chicken, summer herb pasta, and cranberry walnut salad.
Summer Herb Pasta Recipe:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)
View from the “scenic overlook” in Marysville.
A sidewalk that I spied on one of our walks.
Flowers from a Marysville resident’s planter.
Lady watching me water the plants.
She’s too cute. Lady loves to sunbathe; Lady will lay in any spot the sun is shining in the house, even if it is only a few inches.
Every semester, when everything is coming to a close, I seem to freak out about how unorganized my house has become. Andy thinks I’m obsessive compulsive, but I would like to think that I’m just detail-oriented and clean. Andy’s dad has been graciously helping us finish our basement, but the process is slow considering that he is a busy guy and that we are busy, too. Needless to say, not having that storage space has been eating away at me. Well, this semester is coming to a close, so I had my oh-so-predictable freak-out. Andy and I spent an entire day enduring what I dubbed “Mission Organization.” Andy was not too thrilled about the idea, but thankfully, he obliged. We were up until two o’clock in the morning going through all of the stuff that has piled up in closets, in the basement, and etcetera. The next day, Andy’s dad came down and built a shelving unit in the laundry room. The shelves are huge, and are just the right height for plastic storage containers. I then spent the entire night putting all of the containers that we had organized the day before on the shelves. We also put the desk upstairs in the bedroom, where it can actually be used, and now I’m in the process of organizing everything else you can imagine (dressers, closets, food cupboards, junk drawer, you get the idea…). It feels like a breath of fresh air, a soft summer breeze, a sigh of relief, just to have things neat and organized. Obsessive compulsive or detail-oriented: You decide.
I love to take my dog, Lady, to the park and hiking. However, it can be frustrating because Lady pulls incessantly and yelps and carries on if you do not let her go anywhere. Another frustrating thing is that Lady freaks out if she sees another dog, or animal for that matter. Well, a few weeks ago, my afternoon class was canceled and the weather was amazing, so I drove home and took Lady to the park. It was a perfect day. No one was at the park because it was the middle of the day, and I was excited to see that there was a fence up around the one baseball field. Because no one was around, I took Lady inside the fence, blocked off the entrance, and let her run around. I’ve never been able to let her run around anywhere, I would always have to run around with her on the leash, which is not fun because then I really cannot play with her. Afterward, I let her swim around in the creek. She could not have been happier!
A few months ago, Andy and I updated his family’s business website, www.blylerfruitfarm.com. The website still isn’t quite where I hoped it would be, however, it will get perfected eventually. As a part of the new site, I would like to have a photo gallery. I would like the gallery to include pictures of the orchard during different times of the year, pictures of the market, pictures of the Blyler’s homemade products, and some pictures of the generations that the farm has passed through. I have started the process of walking around the farm and taking pictures, and it is quite relaxing and fun. Here are a few of the pictures:
