Remember the Travel Question I Asked Last Week?

I apologize, but today's post (My Glimpse at the Empty Nest, Part Two) will be published a little later than normal.

On April 10th, I posted a photo-collage and asked if anyone knew where the photos had been taken. Here's another look: 

Did you make a guess? 

The answer will be revealed in the post I publish later today!

This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out!

A Reassuring Glimpse of the Empty Nest

It is amazing how much brighter my future seemed after enjoying a delicious meal in a fun restaurant!

Regular readers of this blog know that my husband, son, and I were in Colorado for spring break a few weeks ago. We spent four days looking at college campuses and sightseeing. On Thursday morning we dropped my son off at the Denver International Airport, so he could go visit his sister on her college campus in Washington.

The weather in Colorado had been warm and sunny all week, but winter conditions and snow returned that morning.

After saying goodbye to my son, my husband and I were suddenly “empty-nesters.” The rest of the weekend would provide a trial-run of how our lives will be in just a little over a year! As we began the twelve-hour drive home to Montana, the car felt empty with no one in the back seat. As miles ticked by, I think my husband and I both began to make a conscious effort to ensure that our weekend alone went well.  We were seeking the reassurance that we would be okay with this transition next year!

Sheridan, Wyoming was about the half-way point of our trip.  A good place to take a break and get some dinner.  We reasoned that we could stop for a few hours, and still easily be home before midnight.

My husband's watch battery had died, so before going to dinner we stopped in Riddle’s Jewelry store on Main Street to get it replaced.  While we waited, we admired their beautiful merchandise and asked for dinner recommendations. From the several restaurants that were suggested, the one that sounded really good to us was Frackelton’s Fine Food and Spirits. It was located right next door.

We settled in at a cosy table by the window, with a view of the quaint main street of Sheridan. Our friendly waitress practically bubbled with enthusiasm about the menu and the beverages, and gave us excellent suggestions for both.  The restaurant was fairly empty when it arrived, but it soon began to fill up.  

We had just placed our order for appetizers and salad, when I blurted out to my husband,

Still Soccer Weather, But Now I'm Watching Track

A year ago, I wrote a post about spring soccer weather. In it, I provided a link to an article I wrote about things a spectator should take to a soccer game. 

Fifty-two weekends after publishing that post, I found myself at a track meet instead of on a soccer field. The sport was different, but the weather was much the same - variable with part of the day quite grey and wet.

The rain held off for most of the day of the track meet.

This is the first spring in many years that my son has not played soccer. He still loves the game, but decided to take a break to try some different things.  It is his first year as a member of the high school track team, and my first year as a high-school-track parent. 

I have no advice to give - just a lot to learn.

It's your turn: 

What information can you give a first-time high school track parent?

Saturday Spotlight 14: An Aurora - and I Missed It!

Today my "Saturday Spotlight" is shining on a rare phenomenon that occurred this week in the night sky of Montana.

About 1:30 am on Friday, April 10th, photographer James Ridle captured an amazing photograph of a colorful aurora over the Sleeping Giant mountain north of Helena, Montana.

You can view the photo and read about the solar storm that caused this beautiful light by clicking here.

The very same "Sleeping Giant" mountain that is in Mr. Ridle's photo is visible from our living room window. Had I been awake, I would have seen this incredible light show in the night sky.

A daytime view of the sleeping giant mountain from our house.

I wish so very much that I had seen and captured my own photograph of the aurora. There are many evenings when I am still up that late, writing. Unfortunately, however, Thursday evening was one night when I went to bed quite early.

Today I will be watching my son as he runs in a high school track meet. Later this evening, I will have an opportunity to take photos of him and a bunch of his friends before they set out for prom. While the results of a solar storm would be fun to see, these are the events I am truly grateful not to miss.

Whatever your weekend holds - I hope you don't miss out on a thing, and have the opportunity to make the most of all of it!

Just in case the aurora is visible again this weekend, I will be sleeping with my camera on my bedside table! If it happens again, I hope I wake up to see it! 

Have you ever seen an Aurora or the Northern Lights?

This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out!

A Vacation Hold for Newspapers - and Social Media?

If you have been reading this blog for a while, you may have noticed that I typically wait to write about my travels until after I am home. There are a few reasons for this.  

• First, I don't blog and travel well. I am just too busy exploring, having fun, and socializing with travel companions to spend the quality time necessary to write a post.  

Seeing Paul McCartney in concert in Missoula MT was fun for our whole family last year.

• Secondly, and more importantly, I have a bit of Internet paranoia.  It just seems like an unnecessary risk to announce to the whole world that I am gone from home. Not that I don't trust my readers - but common sense tells me that I don't know for sure who all is able to see what I post - or how much they may know about me.  Why would I take the risk of telling a potential thief that my house is standing empty?

How about you? Do you announce your trip on Facebook? (Or on your blog or other social media?) Sometimes we are so excited by a trip we have planned, it is hard not to tell everyone we know about it.  Or, even if we don't spread the news before you go, there is a significant chance our children might post family plans on Facebook.  This information, however, may not always be the smartest thing to share.

My Computer Wouldn't Whine In the Apple Store!

Last week during Spring Break, my husband and son and I drove twelve hours from Montana to Colorado. The main purpose of our trip was to look at several colleges; my son is a high school junior and is possibly interested in attending a school there when he graduates. Another goal of mine was to find an Apple store to have my laptop serviced.

The weather was absolutely gorgeous; sunny and warm enough for shorts and skirts! We had a lot of fun spending time together exploring the campuses and cities that we visited.

My laptop had been making funny noises for a while before we left, but there is not an Apple store where I live in Montana. I decided to take advantage of being near the one in Boulder,

Time to Play: “I Mustache You Some Questions”

A game of tag is being played by bloggers, and this is my day to play. Once tagged, the blogger is provided with a list of questions about themselves. 

I was tagged my my friend Lana, who writes the blog Two Teens and Their Mama.  She has been blogging for exactly a year. We discovered each other's blogs when both were in their infancy and have become good friends. Last summer I wrote a post about meeting each other in person.

The name of this game is "I Mustache You Some Questions."  Here goes - I will do my best to answer all the questions, and then I will tag four other bloggers!

Saturday Spotlight #13: A Miraculous Ability

Easter weekend seems a good time to remember that miracles do happen - every day. Especially when we make them happen - with determination, courage, effort, and stamina.  An example of this is the work of artist Paul Smith (1921-2007).

The intricacy and detail of Paul's work is mind-boggling. I was first introduced to Paul's art in a Facebook post, originally shared by The Idealist Revolution. The photo appeared to be of a black and white drawing of a lion and a cub. The Facebook caption read: 

“My jaw dropped to the floor when I realized what this image really was. Wow.”  

Not seeing anything out of the ordinary, curiosity go the best of me, and I clicked on it.

Here's the photo:

Recipe for Easy Mango-Peach Blackberry Pie

Last year I suggested making my Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie for Easter, and gave a tip for a pie crust short-cut. This year, I experimented with something different.

Earlier this week I mentioned impulsively buying a crate of mangos at Costco. When I got them home, I realized they were so ripe that it would be a challenge for us to eat them all before they spoiled. After using some of the mangos in smoothies and salads, I decided to make a pie with the rest.

I think fruit pies are fun, because it is easy to come up with creative combinations of fruit to put in them.  I was a little uncertain as to what the texture and taste of just a mango pie would be like, so I decided to add

Healthy Homemade Kale Chips

Happy (Healthy) April Fool's Day!

Today is April 1st.  The recipe I am publishing might be just the perfect way to “fool” someone into eating an extra serving of vegetables!  

I wrote yesterday about my escapades while making a green smoothie after purchasing a huge bag of kale. The same day I bought my fresh kale, I was also nearly tempted to buy a new snack: a big bag of dried kale chips.  I refrained, as I wasn't even sure my family would eat them, and it seemed like it would be easy to make my own. 

A little while ago I “pinned” a Kale Chips recipe from Angela Liddon's blog Oh She Glows on my “Cook!” Pinterest board.  With most of a huge bag of fresh kale still in my fridge, it was the perfect time to make some kale chips, and see if we even like them!

Angela's recipe was easy to follow, and the kale chips turned out well following her advice.   I made two batches  - one just with salt, and the other using her spice recipe.  We liked

An Abundance of Kale and A Messy Green Smoothie!

Impulsive Purchases.

Have you ever gone to a big box store, and made an impulsive purchase? A large quantity of something that you later realized there was no way your family could consume before it spoiled?  Usually, I am pretty good at sticking to my list - but last week I gave in to the temptation of buying a huge bag of kale and a crate of mangos.

Time to try a Green Smoothie.

I decided to use my abundance of produce to create some healthy things for my family - and to come up with some recipes for blog posts!  I have never had a green smoothie, but I decided to try to make one. 

Aside from a kitchen disaster, and a little concern about the texture - it turned out rather well...

Kale and Fruit Smoothie

Printable Recipe: Click here.

Ingredients:

2 cups washed, chopped kale

1 banana, frozen

1 cup mango pieces

2 kiwis

1 1/2 cups orange juice

1 cup plain or vanilla yogurt

2 TBSP honey

Method:

1. Peel fruit. 
2. Check to be sure blender is put together correctly and seal is in place 
3. Add all of the above ingredients into a blender. *
4. Blend well until smooth.
5. Wash the floor

What a mess!

Things were going well, until I decided I needed better lighting for my photos.  I carried the blender across the room  - and then realized I had dripped my way across the entire kitchen.  Ugh! 

I won't mention any names, (I suppose it could have even been me!) but someone put the blender back together incorrectly the last time it was used. The seal was not working. 
(Note: I added Step 2 in the recipe so you can avoid Step 5 (Wash the floor)! 

I did get some photos of the preparation process, though not quite the shots I wanted. I took the finished smoothie outside to take a picture of it, to avoid including the mess I had created in my photos - and then I washed the kitchen floor! 

I really liked the flavor of this smoothie - but I'm not quite sure I got the texture right though.  There were still a lot of little bits of kale that had not pureed, that stuck to my teeth after I drank a glassful! Not sure if my blender was just not powerful enough, or if all green smoothies are this texture? 

I still had a lot of kale left!

The bag of kale still looked like I had hardly touched it. Later this week I will be writing about what I did with the rest of the kale - and the mangos! I hope you stop back and check out the recipes!

A question for Green Smoothie Experts: 

Do I need another blender? 

Or do they always leave green pieces in your teeth?!

* 5-14-15  UPDATE: I just learned a trick from Domestically Speaking that might make the texture smoother: First blend the kale with the orange juice, (until the kale becomes quite fine) and then add your other ingredients and continue blending.  

Saturday Spotlight #12: Supportive Bloggers

If the only writing you do is with a pen, instead of reading this post about blogging, you may prefer an article I wrote exactly a year ago: The Sharpie Marker, An Indispensable Modern Convenience. 


Even non-bloggers however, might enjoy this glimpse into what it is like to be a blogger.  (Truthfully, I'd be flattered if you read both posts!)

If you have been following the most - - of every moment for long, you will have noticed some changes to this blog over the past month.

For example:

- the title banner is now a collage of photos.
- the photos in my posts are larger than before.
- I'm now publishing my recipes with a “printable version” available.

A few people have asked me where I learned to do these things. I am going to “shine my Saturday Spotlight” on my answer, which is  . . .

. . .  practically everything I know about blogging I have learned from other very supportive bloggers!  

Bloggers are an amazing community.  On some level we are all competing with each other for readers. Yet, rather than selfishly just promote our own websites, bloggers really tend to help each other out.  And from what I have learned, the more a blogger helps others, the more quickly that helper's blog actually grows.

Thank goodness for Pinterest!  Using Pinterest is like keeping a huge scrapbook. I have a “Blog Tips!” board stuffed full of links to helpful articles.  I am constantly pinning valuable information that I find. Without these tutorials written by other bloggers, I wouldn't have known how to do anything at all when I first started blogging!

In the year since I began this blog the most - - of every moment, I have received far too much help to give credit here to everyone who deserves it. I can at least tell you though, how I learned to make the recent changes I mentioned above. Perhaps you will find these tips helpful too.

Making a Custom Header Banner

Although I use the photo editor Ribbet instead of PicMonkey (and therefore didn't follow the tutorial exactly), the post How To Make Headers For Your Blogger Blog - Using PicMonkey from The Blog Guidebook provided exactly the motivation and information that I needed to create my blog header.

Making Photos Larger

My blogger friend Heather (heatheronhertravels.com) gave me a tip about how to change the width of my photos before inserting them into my blog. I then realized that on the Blogger platform, photos can be published as "original size" (somehow I had never noticed that before?!)  ... and in Ribbet, photos can be changed to a size that works! 

I found the post Auto-sizing Photos to Fit Post Area In Blogger by I Can Build A Blog really helpful. I'm too nervous to make any changes to the CSS code of my blog, but these tips worked well enough without having to do that right now.  

Making a Recipe Printable

I have always offered an option to print any part of my blog (once you click on a post title, the print button shows up under that post). This method still seems a little cumbersome for recipes though, so I was thrilled to discover the post How to Make Your Recipe Printable on Blogger by Confessions of an Overworked Mom.  It was a really easy tutorial to follow, and I like the print option I can now provide.  I hope you do too! 

I had been toying with switching from the Blogger platform to Word Press.  
I really like Blogger, but I was feeling limited by my inability to do some things on it.  A couple months ago though, I discovered Kim Six Blogger Support. 

Kim specializes in the Blogger platform, and at the time was offering to do free blog reviews for blogs hosted by Blogger.  I signed up immediately - and her review was unbelievably helpful and detailed. I have implemented a lot of her suggestions, and I am looking forward to working with her to get a little help with some changes I am unable (or too intimidated!) to do myself.  

Thanks to Kim, at least for now I am perfectly content to remain on Blogger! She just had new business cards made, and she posted a photo of them on Instagram. Pretty creative, don't you think? 

To everyone who has ever given me any blogging advice, information or support - I'd like to express a huge thank you!  

 I hope I can pay it forward.

What is the best tip from another blogger that you have ever received?

Did you remember to click the link and read my previous post about Sharpie markers? I learned a lot of fun facts about them when I wrote the article.  They can be used for all sorts of things; I even used one to make this wallhanging.

This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out!