quite contrary

maybe the actual 

doing of it

doesn't 

fill me with

joy

but, ah...

the fruits of the labor

do have their

appeal

whether a perennial

 surprised

me by returning and thriving
through the winter

in a questionable environment

(chives in a Terracotta pot)

or the
satisfying exhale released

at having my vegetables

firmly planted
in the ground

the seeds and the starts

are 

"in"

...on or around...

Memorial Day Weekend

which is 

"the green-thumb rule"

in these parts

when the fun begins

and  I make my little
front yard garden

cute

not because I have to

but because I want to

an old piece of picket fencing

that was taken down

carefully
stored

until a new use
was discovered

at a spot
 I visit daily

to sprinkle and tend

to prune and harvest

or just come 

to watch

my garden

grow.

nature's heartbreak

This is not for the faint of heart

or the weak in spirit...

this cleaning of outdoors

that will change with the wind

as the maple decides

like a little joke

that this is the night to drop its

seeds...
"whirlie-birds"
 everywhere.

Michiganders

have a rule...

Don't clean your windows

until the cottonwood

has dropped its

"cotton"...

Save yourself from doing the job

twice!

But as the weather warms

and the sun shines

its hard to hold-off

on some of the jobs you want to have done

before the heat of summer

saps your energy.

And so
you clean house
and invite unregistered guests

to come for a spell
with enticing accommodations.


They take the hint
but prefer their own
construction.

Thank you very much!

A good
sturdy
location for her babes
to grow until they're
ready to
leave the nest.

She chose wisely.

Another robin did not.
Unfortunately for her
she decided my dryer vent was an
ideal location
for nesting.

With care we removed the nest.
Gloved...
we gave it a relocation
with its 6 precious
robin blue eggs.

I was concerned.
As any good hostess would be.

"you live here now..."

Joe cleaned the air vent
but when he heard
a clunk and roll
was sure one of the
eggs got away.
I agreed that
this must have been the case
since
my clothes began to reek
as they came from the dryer.

We had a big job ahead
that involved
power vacs
leaf blowers
power tools.

No egg was found.

Warning!
This is where the story takes a turn for
the morbid.

After removing the back of the dryer
we found the stink source.

Let's just say mama bird
must have been in her
nest at the time
of our relocation
and flew away from the light.

It was a sad night here
at the Ondrus home.

Joe said he thought we should put a screen
over the outside opening
to prevent such a
horrid accident from happening again.

Good idea.

Or add to the waiting list
that has come from living in these parts:

Wait for the whirlie birds to fall
before cleaning the deck.

Wait for the cottonwood to fall
before cleaning windows.

Wait for the eggs to hatch
before clearing-out nests.

Learning the hard way.

vegan workshop 2013

The 30 Day Vegan Workshop begins today.
(Go to Beauty That Moves on my sidebar)

Day One.

Sat at the computer

with anticipation
for our first weeks recipes...
love building my repertoire.

As many of you know

I follow a

90/10 vegan lifestyle
which began last year with
this very workshop.

For the next 30 days

I am committing 100%.

This is a self-motivated goal.

Many others (from all over the globe)

are taking this course

with very different

aspirations...

or none at all.

As we each tell our story

we grow closer

and become an on-line community of

kindred spirits.

How wonderful is that?

So if you are joining me today

from Heather's

30-Day Vegan Workshop...

please take a moment to say hi

and tell us about your motivations.

My intention here

is to share my 

challenges and victories

as I take

this journey.

My family will

inadvertently

be tagging along

since I am the main chef of the household.

No Complaint Dept. here.

My theory

(homeschool in action)

if you don't like what I'm fixing

you better get

busy in the kitchen!

That's a form of
very-self-interest-led-learning.

As you've been reading

I have been building

a wrap

starting with hummus

I made last night with my Nutri-Bullet.

Next up...

slivered yellow pepper

mixed salad greens
spinach

carrot ribbons

sliced cherry tomatoes.

Paired with

a cup of 

Post Punk Kitchen's

Black Bean (and some white cuz that's 

what was in my cupboard)

and Quinoa Soup.

An apple for dessert...

and my husband has a delicious

lunch...since

he wants to get on-board with me.

Now I don't normally

pack his lunch

since I believe everyone

needs to 

make their own choices

but

I woke at an ungodly hour this morning

and decided to be loving.

That's a choice as well...

now isn't it?

Choose love.

For day one...

that may very well be

my greatest accomplishment.

Happy Monday!

quilt '13

Wouldn't it be marvelous

to make a yearly

quilt...

commemorating the

you

of that year...

with colors

patterns

and detailing

that 

reflected your newest season?

This season

I am drawn to a shade

of blue-green.

A color that invites

calm.

Stay with me here

as I take you on a strange little journey...

a path that will lead us

right back
to where we started.

Beginning

with a visit to mom

on a day that had her cleaning out

her linen closet

and thinking of me.

She knew I would find a use for these

old 

well-used

memory-filled

miscellaneous pieces.

I took them home

and forgot about them.

Or did I?

 I came across this lovely

quilt on soulemama
weeks ago.

Just knew
I had to save the picture.

Didn't know the

why or what 

of it...

until this morning.

Seeing with new eyes

the pile of linens

passed on to
me.

Those spa colors

I am so drawn to were

staring back at me

begging to be 

used

in a new way.

Like a puzzle

all will fall together

in a happy pattern

piece by piece

until

it can be fully realized

and seen by all.

Because beauty

can be found in the most

unlikely of places...

like

mom's linen closet.

Time to put the puzzle together.

oops :: my dressing

Yesterday

I shared an udon noodle salad

and forgot to post 

My Asian-Style Dressing

These ingredients

have become staples

in my

whole food kitchen.

This blend was a "happy mistake"

THAT MY FAMILY LOVED...

so I jotted it down

 returning to it

often

as a topper for my 

noodle salads.

I wanted to share it with

you yesterday...

hence the oops.

Here it is!

I hope you enjoy it as much

as my family does.

My Asian-Style Dressing:

5 T extra virgin olive oil

3 T tamari

2 T rice vinegar

1 clove crushed garlic

1 tsp chili powder

2 tsp peanut butter

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp maple syrup

1/4 tsp Shriracha

This is Shriracha.

It is a hot chili sauce

that is sold in the Asian aisle

and it adds just the right

amount of zing to the dressing.

Taste and adjust for flavor

but trust me a little goes a 

long way!

Mix all ingredients together

and pour over your salad

just before serving.

As I said in yesterday's post

this tastes 

even better for

 leftover lunch 

the next day.

Again...

Bon Appetit!

vegan minute meal

I'm talking tasty and fast...

for today's dinner

and tomorrow's

lunch.

Check your frig and freezer

for what veggies you have on hand.

I find I like to have at least

three colorful choices.

This day I used

grated carrots

shredded red cabbage

frozen broccoli

Think:

more veggies...less pasta.

I used udon noodles

and in the last 3 minutes of boiling time

I added the broccoli

Drain well 

and toss everything together.

Make a dressing.
Head on over to
Beauty That Moves
(see sidebar)
where Heather
has posted her recipe for Lunch Box Noodles
in a recent post...
 the very recipe I base this meal on.

Over time I have tweaked it
and used different dressings
by basically
using what I have available.

Top with nuts or seeds of your choosing

to give it a nutrient boost

and a bit of a crunch.

Then...

ring the dinner bell!

Bon Appetit!

(on the quick)

entry reveal

In that never ending quest

to make a house

a home.

A reflection of you.

The you of today...

not the you of
13 years ago...

(Me...13 years ago.)

A well used area of our home
known as the
backdoor entryway.

There were so many coats hanging
from those little hooks
attached to the mirror
that it was literally pulling the
frame apart.

Time for some heavy-duty hardware

that was up to the 

Ondrus Standard.

While we're at it
why not add some wainscoting
because that wall sees so much action
it's hard to keep up
with paint touch-ups and plastering nicks
 in the drywall.
Oh...
and let's lighten it up
with some fresh paint...
 a farewell to red and
a howdy-do
to my newest love
Shaker Beige.

Every time I step foot in this area

it is like a breath of 

fresh air...

even on an overcast day 

like today.

Ah...

and there's my little find

holding a vase of lilacs...

giving all who enter the sweet scent

of hello.

Carrying the look down the

adjacent wall

that gets the full brunt

of this heavily traveled area...

like armor for drywall.

I am still putting
the finishing touches
on the project...

A  splash of color

comes from the new

and very much needed

area rug.

Once you get me started

it's nearly impossible to stop me

(sorry, babe...although he can't

complain too much 

since I'm a do-it-myself kind of gal)

But...

 now I'm dreaming of a

 spa bedroom...

in shades of Whythe

another color that has me

exhaling

and inviting calm

into my world.

What are you doing 

this weekend?

this moment

road warrior

Spent the weekend in

Indiana

for my nephew's graduation

with Mom and the two boys.
Hubby stayed home. 

Enjoyed some fun family time

with hikes

good food

parties

and

a bike ride

that took us (me & my bro-in-law, Ed) through

Indianapolis.

The day was rainy and cool

the trails were wet and muddy...

(who ever decided that

back fenders were a bad thing?

we need to talk!)

 I felt every bit

the road warrior

at the finish line.

I have always been an advocate

of what I call

functional fitness.

Basically 

having the necessary strength to

haul mulch

run across the street

carry in groceries

get up those flights of stairs...

completing with ease those daily activities that

cross your path...

and when all is said and done

you aren't left huffing and puffing

as you try to recuperate.

Functional Fitness

means keeping your body well tuned

well fed

and ready for just about anything.

To achieve that

it is key to

include activities

that you enjoy...

not just those that you 

think you should do
(aka...going to the gym)

but those that call you from bed

and you can't wait to get at.

Mine change with the seasons.

Right now I am walking/jogging

with James

who has started a fitness and nutrition plan
all on his own accord...
the best/only/successful way
  if you think about it.

I keep free weights handy

for when I'm just

sitting around

and I can bust out a few

curls.

Followed by some crunches

push-ups

squats.

I have stopped by

Tone it Up!

with Karena and Katrina

who offer fun encouragement

with videos

and nutrition tips.

I was there yesterday and found

last night's dinner.

Bikini Taco Bites.

Loved this idea.

Serving taco "stuff" in lettuce leaves.

First make
 quinoa taco filling

Mine included cooked quinoa

sauteed mushrooms and onions

black beans

cilantro

taco seasoning

Offered traditional toppings

which included

tomatoes

avacadoes

black olives

"vegan" nacho cheese sauce (PPK)

chunky salsa

The first "taco"

got a bit messy since I was

using romaine.

The solution

to put all your fillings in a bowl

and place spoonfuls in the leaves...

as-you-go style.

Had to post this one

because of its rave reviews.

Go visit

Tone it Up!

for the full recipe

and while you're there

get in a quick arm workout

for the

tank top days ahead.

(you'll find more on You Tube)

Because you never know

when you'll be required

to bike 21 miles...

hike hilly terrain

or 

scrub a deck!

So 

you better be ready.

Stay Strong.

:)

step one

For Mother's Day

Mom requested that her

children...

me and my six siblings + spouses

(so I use that word loosely)

stain her much loved 

deck and gazebo.

I signed up the Ondrus Gang to do the prep work

otherwise known as 

cleaning the deck.

After careful research 

and amassing tips

I have decided on a homemade solution

to get the job done in the most 

safe and effective manner.

It's recommended to do this project

in the Spring or Fall

on an overcast and cool...

rather than sunny and hot

day...

giving the cleaning solution

ample time to 

do its thing

before drying too quickly.

First,

sweep and attend to 

problem areas...

then

give the wood a good 

hose-down...

as well as nearby plants

to protect any delicate foliage.

Now 

let the fun begin!

In a 5-Gallon bucket mix:

2 Cups Tide

1 1/2 Cups Oxy Clean

2 Gallons Warm water

Use this cleaning solution to scrub

all surfaces...

I read it is a great all-purpose

cleaner for outdoor furniture

as well.

Allow solution to sit for about

15 minutes.

Scrub again...

if needed.

Hose down

with a regular garden hose

thoroughly.

(power washes can

damage wood.)

Allow to dry completely

(3 days)

before following with

stain and sealer.

(The brothers are doing this portion)

The cleaning can be done up to

one month prior to

staining.

Today 

is overcast 

with temps in the mid-60's.

All supplies are being gathered.

The necessary

"get-it-done"

attitude is going strong

with dreams of including my 

much neglected deck.

Today 

is the day!

Wish me luck.

this moment

Something you don't see
everyday...
a vision that had me wondering
if this stranger traveled
through time

ripped from the pages

of our 

history books

to give us a glimpse

of what used to be.

A most splendid moment!