Updates! 3 years, huh? Well, we've been very busy! Nicky changed schools, Mom and Dad opened a restaurant, we got a new dog who is a holy terror but really cute and sweet. We've lost loved ones and had other loved ones who have been battling severe illnesses. We lost Joker and the pasture hasn't been the same without him. We have been blessed beyond measure but we are so busy it is madness. I think maybe the next few years will be a bit crazy but it looks like fun!!

Top Secret Recipes | T.G.I. Friday's Dragonfire Chicken Recipe

Top Secret Recipes | T.G.I. Friday's Dragonfire Chicken Recipe

So, I was talking to a friend about blogging. And I told her about my Compound blog...and realized that I had not posted anything since March of 2011. What a total loser! So I am updating a little at a time. You can tell by all of the completely bizarre farm and child references that Mark and I may have accidentally grown up and matured a little bit. Don't let it scare you...we are still whackos and the new pool should be ready in time for a little summertime fun by 2012!



The King of the Compound graduates from PreK. I cannot fathom how this kid got this big this quickly.
May 2011


OMG!!! Elrod's getting the band back together! Hahaha, we actually sort of managed to get together for Jules birthday. Some of us. For a little bit. Cy and Cole were there but Cy threatens my life when I point a camera at her. I miss seeing my friends.
May 2011



Picking strawberries, we made jam and smoothies and picked a ton of strawberries this year. Strawberry jam on the stove will make your nose think it has died and gone to heaven.
May 2011


Our first garden. I personally would have researched, plotted, sketched, planned...and never actually accomplished anything. Mark churned up some dirt and horse manure and threw some seeds on the ground and made a beautiful garden! Once again, action wins out over intention.
May 2011


Our blueberry bushes coming into bloom
May 2011


Nicky with the windup, playing at Providence with our friend Stephanie and her puppies.
May 2011



Chilling in the Hammock with my baby boy
May 2011


Sweet picture of my boys
April 2011

A wonderful month

What a beautiful month it has been. I had such a nice birthday, it was peaceful and enjoyable and I appreciate the time everyone took to make me feel special. Here is a wonderful card Deana sent me that just perfectly suits my mood at this point in my life.



How to make a Beautiful Life

Love yourself, MAKE PEACE with who you are and where you are at this moment in time.

Listen to your heart. If you can't hear what it's saying in this noisy world, MAKE TIME for yourself. Enjoy your own company. Let your mind wander among the stars

Try. Take chances. MAKE MISTAKES. Life can be messy and confusing at times, but it's also full of surprises. The next rock in your path might be a stepping-stone.

Be happy. When you don't have what you want, want what you have. MAKE DO. That's a well-kept secret of contentment.

There aren't any shortcuts to tomorrow. You have to MAKE YOUR OWN WAY. To know where you're going is only part of it. You need to know where you've been, too. And if you get lost, don't worry. The people who love you will find you. Count on it.

Life isn't days and years. It's what you do with time and with all the goodness and grace that's inside you. MAKE A BEAUTIFUL LIFE....the kind of life you deserve.

Fishing!

Ok, so all of my days start here, but none more so than a day on the lake. For all of you that know about my unfortunate coffee jones.....
Shhhhhhh!!
I


Meet our weekend guest, Cam the Crab. Cam came home from preschool with a cage, feeding regimen, instruction booklet and a journal in which "Nicky" could record Cam's adventures. Well, mom doesn't really need additional homework so thanks for the thought but....
We did let Cam go to the park, and ride on the boat...


and since I am kind of a jerk sometimes, I stuck Cam on a fishing hook and played keep a way from Nicky. Dear Ms Tabitha - Sorry! I thought you guys got my number with last year's Take Home Teddy incident!!






Happy Birthday to me! My fabulous Cuz who I never get to see enough of came along!



As well as the Beautiful Jeanette (she is the little girl child of my heart). Isn't she fabulous? She is my neighbor's baby, but I borrow her at every opportunity.





My NikNak Paddywack






Now that was a good day on the lake...

Spain!!

Ok, I am going to begin at the end. These are my last two pictures the last evening in Spain. I think when you don't speak the language very well and these are the pictures you are encountering, it is time to find your plane and go home.


So, you are dying to stop here for a cocktail, right?






Look, it's my alter ego...you know, the cosmopolitan jet setter with the fabulous penthouse apartment in a European city that is architecturally fascinating and possibly haunted...






Oh my God, you guys are soooooo right! Disney is trying to take over the universe!!!!







This picture makes the beach look sort of industrial and unattractive, but it is very pretty. The cranes in the background are for the shipyards of the Americas Cup. Each team has it's own museum and shipyard and Gerry shared a good bit of the history of the Cup and the drama over it's location. It is really interesting if you are a history nerd (I totally am) and the $$ they spend on this will completely knock your socks off!!!



Whatever, I like turtles.















This is the Hotel Los Arenas Valencia, where the event was held. It is beautiful and has a neat history. The staff is unbelievable there, I was asking for some pretty crazy stuff for the party and they didn't bat an eye...























Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències



































St. Vincente, Patron Saint of Valencia












"If you want what we have..." You had better either bring a damn good map or have a friend who is travel agent because things are well hidden in Spain and they definitely don't answer the phone!! :)





Chris and Gary, our new "blokes". Great stories about the driver's license and a joy to meet them both. Someday Gary and Nicky can go out to dinner with Gary's kid and they can all fight over the butter.


Our fabulous servers, she was cute as a button and he was definitely iffy on what a pint looked like! Mark, Chris and Gary quickly set him straight. You don't try to talk the Polish or the Brits out of their beer!





Old Town was so beautiful

















Dinner with Mark and Bree outside at the fountains. I could carry on for days about the food but that would make me sad. I may spend the rest of my life trying to perfect a paella...


























Finishing up with a few landscapes and the giant purple thing, It was a lovely trip to a great country. We hope to make it back strictly for fun in the near future.