Uh oh. We're in trouble here. We have made the most wonderful gin and tonics! Thank you California. Thank you for your more reasonable prices on liquor. Thank you that a bottle bigger than my head is sold at Costco - which my not be best for us. Thank you California for growing wonderful limes that are yellow that I can not remember the name of... they are delightful. I got them at our local farmers market and now I want my own tree.







I also found a new tonic to try at the grocery store. We used to get Schwepps in the little glass bottles. I didn't like the fact that they used high fructose corn syrup. I try to avoid the stuff since reading the Omnivore's Dilemma. Well I was delighted to see that Hansens had small cans of tonic using real cane sugar. They taste great and they have 20 less calories, 3g less sugars, and no sodium. I like to use the Livestrong website now and again to look up nutritional information.








We like to serve them up in our his and hers glasses. Jess has the mustache and I went with the octopus. I thought the octopus was a good representation of motherhood and the need for eight arms. They were very nice. I think my favorite so far. We are in trouble.

I have a thing for unusual fireplaces. Not sure what it is about them. Of course, once I get into the place I then have the challenge of arranging furniture around it and decorating the mantle and such. It is a difficulty. I am having some issues now.


This was the fireplace in the house in Everett that I just had to have. The rest of the house was not so hot but this fireplace made me go "Ooh!". It was so unusual and big. It needed some paint. I even had a brief moment where I considered stripping the paint off the brick. That lasted all of one hour of internet research before I knew that was not going to happen. After three years there I had it how I liked it... and then we sold.


All of the furniture, except the coffee table which will never leave us, has been sold on craigslist. I have also replaced it with new, to us, pieces off craigslist. In most cases the items are sold for more than I bought them for and the new stuff costs less than I sold the old for... I love this! I guess you could call it a hobby. Jess might call it annoying at times. I get carried away and sometimes the things I purchase are a shade of yellow that is somewhat abrasive to the eyes. Most of the time he is very proud of my shopping savvy and I know he appreciates my thrifty ways.


So now we are at a new place down here in California. It is a rental so I am limited in what I can do. I have an all new, as in direct from 1981, fireplace. I am having some issues figuring out how to work it. It's big and off center.... and again it was one of the main things that I liked about the place.


I need help.

So I'm still working on the whole layout thing here on the blog world or blogisphere or whatever it is referred to as. Not really sure what I really want to put on here either. I don't expect much as far as readers but I do like to practice my typing and use my camera and this seems to be a good way to accomplish both of those.

Living in California has been wonderful. We have been here just over a month and I like it. There a couple little things that I still have to get used to.... mostly... ants and hard water. Drinking water has been purchased. The brita filters water to cook with. It's the showering that I'm working on here. My hair just won't come clean. It's icky. I don't like it.


After a bit of internet research I found a nice simple recipe for a vinegar and herb hair rinse. I chose to use rosemary because I have a rosemary tree in the front yard of our rental. I believe it was a bush at one time but it has taken over and so I will refer to it as a tree. I used some locally purchased apple cider vinegar.



After washing with my favorite rosemary mint shampoo I poured the rinse through my hair and left it in. It did smell quite a bit like vinegar for just a little while. When my hair was dry the smell was gone and my hair and scalp felt wonderful. It combed through easy and had a nice shine. I will be doing this again soon. Maybe you should try it too. Even if you don't have hard water.