Author Archives: Tara

About Tara

Tara is a 30-something lover of Jesus, my husband, my children, and life itself. She giggles at all the humor in life and gulps at all the wonders God shows her. A passion for music and books completes the picture!

Randomness 90

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  • Oh, the randomness of family life.
  • I’ve given up on regular blogging and surrendered myself to the idea of random blogging.
  • So there you have it.  Irregular posts it will be.
  • As if you haven’t figured that out already.  Ha!
  • I went to get a manicure/pedicure for the first time in a million years this past weekend with a sweet friend, Kelly.
  • Ok, so maybe it wasn’t a million years…but it was about 4.5 years…since S had been born.
  • It showed.
  • My first klutzy move was to dump half of my purse contents into the foot tub thingy as it was filling up.
  • Oh yes, I know how to make everyone around me feel coordinated and classy.  It’s what I’m good at.  :D
  • Translations of services and language barriers were left to Kelly.  ”Yes, what she’s doing.”  Scent?  ”Yes, what she’s doing.”  Deluxe?  ”Uh, yea, sure, whatever she’s doing.”  I am my own person that way.
  • Then there was the awkward moment when Kelly was gone getting her eyebrows waxed and my lady (I think) asked me if I wanted mine done.  ”No, no thank you.”
  • Two minutes later, the lady next to her, thinking perhaps I misunderstood, asked in clearer English if I wanted my eyebrows waxed.
  • I was beginning to feel self-concious.
  • But firm in my desire that my hair dresser is best at this skill, I stated again,  ”No, no thank you.”  *big grin with my now big bushy eyebrows raised loud and proud*
  • I clearly need to get out more and do more girly things.
  • Kids are doing great, always keeping us on our toes.
  • We love G’s sensitivity and sweetness and S’s zestness for life is such a joy to behold.

Randomness 89

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  • It’s allergy season here.  Need I say more?  *sneeze, sneeze*
  • The weather has been stunningly gorgeous lately.
  • If only the pollen weren’t out to kill us…
  • I am already thinking about our homeschooling curriculum for next year.
  • It can be quite an obsessive pastime.
  • Chris bought me a nookcolor for Valentine’s Day.
  • Very.  Cool.  Toy.
  • I think I am ok with his love language being technology.  :D
  • Upwards Basketball season is now over.  The kids are very excited to start swimming lessons next.  Soon, but not yet.
  • S likes to make our bed in the morning.
  • I’m NOT complaining!
  • In fact, maybe I should record the momentous occasion for posterity.
  • I still don’t understand why it’s such a chore to make her small bed, but she loves making OUR much bigger bed.
  • And I’m ok with sleeping under a Dora blanket.
  • As long as I don’t have to make my own bed.  Ha!

Mexican Heather Plants

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I decided that if I am going to turn my black thumb more green that I need to do so by educating myself about these plants in our new butterfly garden.  Today, I set out to learn about this plant and actually got a 2-for-1 bargain in the process.  I’m such a nerd, I know.  And I’m ok with that.

Bat-faced Cuphea, or Bat Face Mexican Heather

The scientific or Latin name for this plant is the Cuphea llavea. We were delighted when the staff member at the garden center showed us the flower on this plant because it really does look like a bat face.  My picture above isn’t the best perspective but you can go to the University of Florida’s page here to see a better shot.  Apparently this is also called a “Mickey Mouse” plant and Disney makes use of them in their landscaping.  No surprise there!  Our kids and my piano students love seeing it.

What was also intriguing was that another plant we had chosen for our butterfly garden was in the same genus (or is it family? Wikipedia, if you please…) category as the bat-face plant.  Whew, having to remember my scientific labels is stretching the ‘ole brain a bit.

You may have guessed by now.

False Mexican Heather

Another type of Mexican Heather!  Who knew!  Apparently, not I.  This one is Cuphea hyssopifola. The plants are practically kissing cousins.  As to why it is called “False Mexican Heather” the UF site said that it is no relation to Wild Heather, which does not even grow in Florida.  Other Cuphea plants, most of which attract hummingbirds and butterflies, include the cigarette and cigar plants due to their tubular flowers.  We do not have any of those…yet.  Maybe some day.  If I can keep these alive and well…

My handy-dandy UF site also says that they  like well-drained soil and bright light to partial shade (my kind of flower) and not to plant it too deep.  They also don’t like water with high salt content so beware of well-water.

You’re welcome.  :D

For the List Lover

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You know this is the gift for you if the thought of a specially designed notepad-per-month just makes your heart go pitter-patter.  This gift did indeed make my heart go pitter-patter.  My sweet friend/mentor Barb got this for me for Christmas and I have thoroughly enjoyed every first of the month because it means….I get to get out a new note pad and list-away!!

Yes, I’m a little weird like that.

I did a little google search and you can find them here.

Butterfly Garden

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I decided, the black-thumb that I am, to put in a butterfly garden outside the homeschool classroom window (ie formal dining room window) for us to gaze upon and learn from as we work.  Read:  beautiful distraction.  I also have high hopes to turn my black thumb into a green thumb.  We shall see, but I am hopeful!  After all, we do have children now capable of pulling weeds.  Yea!   I am sure that our neighbors are THRILLED that the dirt pile that was in this particular flower bed now resembles something pretty and recognizable.  :)

This past weekend, now that Upwards Basketball is over, Chris did some research and then we spent a considerable amount of time at our local Ace Hardware Garden Center with a most helpful staff in their butterfly garden section (really!) and invested in some flowers and a bird bath and got to work.  Before you wonder about the bird bath, apparently butterflies need places to rest and some water.  More on that later…

Here are the results.  Keep in mind that we are no way gardening design experts and I will be super excited if these things grow and flower and stay alive, much less draw butterflies.  I really am determined turn my thumb from black to green.

 

One of the pretty flowers we put in...

This flower is my favorite - it'll have a pretty pink bloom and it smells like, hmmm, citrus tea I think? Love it.

Then this morning while doing some school work, we look outside and see not one but two birds enjoying the bird bath!  I ran to get the camera and got the following shots:

Our first bird visitor, preparing for his morning bath

I'm divin' in, I'm goin' deep, in over my head, I'm gonna be...

How fun is that?!  We had a ball watching the birds.  No butterflies yet but if I were a butterfly I’m not sure I’d get near that craziness.  Our plan is for Chris to get a couple of large rocks to put in the garden as well – warm resting places for the butterflies also.