Gwen's First Softball Game - Ever

Gwen's team had their first softball game today. It was really fun. The girls have only had two weeks of practice and have come really far. And the coach is just wonderful. She completely focuses on athletics, sportmanship, and fun. It really isn't about winning and the girls really know that.

Here are a few pictures of Gwen warming up.

Dying Eggs - Yellow/Yellow Orange

I wanted to figure out how to dye Easter eggs using natural dyes. My first attempt this year was somewhat mixed so I wanted to do proper experiments to figure out the best formulas, or at least, formulas that work.

Here are the results of my experiment to dye hard-boiled eggs with yellow/yellow-orange dye from yellow onion skins.

1. Pour three cups of water into a small stainless steel pot and add a large handful of yellow onion skins.


2. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Strain out the onion skins. The resulting liquid was dark orange.


3. I divided the dye into three cups. The first one was the plain dye, the second one had 1/8 cup white vinegar added, the third one had 1/4 cup of white vinegar. To each cup I added one already hard-boiled egg.

4. After five minutes in the dye, this is what the eggs looked like. The left most one is the plain dye. It was a very light yellow. The eggs in the vinegar solution were light orangy.


5. Here they are after another five minutes.


6. After a total of 15 minutes here are the eggs.
Just the onion dye:


With 1/8 cup vinegar:


With 1/4 cup vinegar:



As you can see the eggs with the vinegar solution turned a darker orangey color, but the vinegar also started to dissolve the eggshell. It was easy to rub the color (and part of the eggshell) off the shell.

7. Final result after 20 minutes in the dyes:
So, the vinegar free solution was the winner.

Whew!

I had a harp gig at the Bowie Senior Center today that I was a little worried about. It has been really crazy at work with unexpected rushed deadlines and I haven't had time to practice as much as I'd like. In spite of that (and my persistent stage fright), it went really well. I think it was one of my most solid performances. And I enjoyed playing for the seniors and volunteers. They were a very kind and appreciative audience. Now, I have to knuckle down and get some of those tunes recorded here to share with you!

Spring Break Ice Skating

We signed the girls up for ice skating lessons this week. The girls really enjoyed it and learned alot.

Gwen knew how to stay up on her skates, but now she can really move.


Caitlin used to be very afraid of the ice. Now she can skate without holding anyone's hand.


She can even touch her toes while skating. Her instructor said she had great balance and flexibility.

All Creatures Great and Small

I was working in the garden today sifting the compost. Now, our compost is great. It has about equal portions dirt and earthworms. Earthworms are great for the garden, but the process of sifting the compost, however, is not great for the worms. Caitlin feels a personal obligation to rescue each and every worm from each scoop of compost that I put in the sifter. Every. Single. One. My daughter, the fairy-princess daughter, who judges clothing on its twirling potential, loves earthworms and cannot abide the idea of one becoming mush. And so, the sifting took a very long time. (At least while she was looking.)

I earned an exercise pass for the night as well. I took out our last thorny Japanese barberry bush, including the root. It was not easy. I am always amused at the gardening catalogs that show perfectly coiffed women in spotless pastel pantsuits kneeling on a padded bench amongst a bounty of blossoms holding a delicate pair of garden shears. Ha! In my yard, gardening is a full-contact sport. There is dirt, there is sweat, there is elbow-grease, there are mud-encrusted shovels and fearsome bypass loppers, there are shouts of challenge, of victory, and occasionally (especially when there are sticker bushes involved) there is blood.

And speaking of thorny bushes, what were the previous owners thinking!?! Who plants Japanese barberry? Those are some of the wicked thorns I've ever met. Needle-sharp and designed to pierce even the sturdiest garden gloves. Why? Clearly it was planted by people who hire lawn care services and spend the summer admiring their manicured yard from the comfort of their air-conditioned home. No one who actually spends time IN the yard, say playing baseball, catch, or soccer would plant child-hungry bushes everywhere.

Well, I'm done and I have totally earned the gorgeous chocolate mousse cup that Jeff brought me from Bonaparte Bread. And after I eat it, I may have to exercise anyway. Or find someone else with a Japanese barberry that needs taking down.

Easter photos

Whoo-hoo! The Easter bunny came!Ooh! What is this fun thing?
We are silly!
Easter egg hunt!
I think I see some!
Let's go to Uncle Dave & Aunt Judy's for Ben & Renee's baby shower.

And, of course, we should try out the trampoline and make sure it is still working.
Yep, works just fine. Whee!

This is what a ten year old looks like

Sorry I am a little behind on posting these. This is a photo of Gwen taken on the morning of her 10th birthday.

She has grown up so much but she is still my little girl. Hey Gwen, how old are you?

This many!