Here's Johnny!

OK, just when I thought I couldn't get more excited about Johnny Depp playing John Dillinger in the new film Public Enemies I find out that he is possibly going to be in two more movies in the future. Public Enemies is set to release on July 1st of 2009. Unfortunately, a long time to wait to get to see the movie. As I was looking for release date and a photo for this post I discovered that he is also possibly going to play the Riddler in the next Batman movie. Wow, that would be completely excellent. Then I read the next line saying that he may also be playing the Mad Hatter in a Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland Movie. My 3 favorites: Johnny Depp, Alice In Wonderland, and Tim Burton. Even more excellent. He would be completely awesome in all roles. He is a genius and can play some very scary, dark, bizarre roles. These are only possibilities at this point but I'm sure he'll at least play one of the roles right? Wonder if Cheryl of Red Pens and Diapers heard much about how Depp was in Columbus, Wisconsin (not sure how far that is from Wausau). I definitely heard all about how he was in Aurora, Illinois shooting a scene at the Paramount Theater for Public Enemies. Just can't wait to see him on the big screen. Any other Depp fans out there?

Me And Little Buddy In Indiana

Hey Moms, Did You Know . . . . . .

Room Temperature Can Help Reduce the Risk of SIDS
Keep the room temperature where your baby sleeps around 68 degrees, unless you have a preterm or newborn weighing less than eight pounds; then you might want to increase the temperature by a few degrees.

* See label for link to article by: Shani Fennewald

Science Lesson For The Day: Avoid Drinking With Meals

Drinking with meals dilutes the acid and enzymes in the gut that dissolve food, impairing digestion in the process. Drinking should be done between meals.

Our Dwindling Dollar

OK, just a few more signs that our economy is in the toilet and many are struggling.

1) More people out scavenging on garbage eve.

2) Thrift stores alot busier and have less stuff because it's being bought up by new thrifters.

3) A lot more garage sales.

4) Freecycle in my area has nearly tripled in the last few months.

5) Stores and restaurants in my neighborhood (a VERY BUSY shopping area) aren't packed all the time like they were for the last 10-15 years.

6) Crime is up.

7) Less teenagers cruising the streets in their cars . . . . . . AMEN!

8) Many foreclosed homes in our neighborhood.

9) Less people traveling this summer.

10) You see people hanging out around their houses and neighborhoods more.

11) More people walking and bicycling.

What have you noticed?

Wordless Sunday

What's New In My Yard?

Here are just some shots I took of the new plants & work I've done in my yard lately. Some of the plants are old but are at their peak and I couldn't resist. It's hard to garden when I have to wait for nap time. Sometimes I get itchy fingers but have to wait. The mosquitoes are in rare form this year and I found three dead birds in my yard in the last two days . . . . . sad. The robins nest over my deck has been deserted. Not sure if the mother got spooked but it looks like one fell out and fried on the rocks around the deck. Maybe she was traumatized about that and left the other one in the nest too long without food or something but the one in the nest didn't make it either. Then I found a larger blackbird yesterday near the entrance of my gate. I went to get free mulch from the city today. I left little buddy in his seat and pulled right up to the pile and opened up all the doors. I didn't get much as you can see from the one picture of the dogwood bush. Not quite enough to make it around my newly extended planting bed. The small plants under the bush are wild violets that I got on Freecycle. That is the coolest thing when you get/give plants on there. I wish that there was a local Internet plant exchange website so we could all exchange stuff when we need some plants or need to get rid of some. There is also a picture of my glorious bee balm, my hydrangea (it's never bloomed so this is a big deal), clematis, some new plants from my Indiana trip like cactus, white yarrow, and some large coarse blue grass from my step-mother-in-law. Sorry if they are a bit blurry but I was taking pictures in the rain and trying to not get my camera wet. Then the thunder and lightening started. Enjoy!

Road Trip!

Sorry that it's been so long but Little Buddy and I just got back from a road trip to Indiana. This was our first trip anywhere. Daddy had to work a double at the pd so it was just the two of us. Some of my husbands family live out there and they invited us to a cook out. The trip out there went well because I scheduled it during his first nap of the day so he slept for most of the trip. Then he only squawked and squirmed for the last hour in the car. Then we stayed at my husband's cousin's house. She lives in an old Victorian farmhouse. It is the coolest place, she has it chock full of antiques and cute and interesting things from all over the world. She was a flight attendant and has "seen the world," until recently when she was laid off. Now the coolest part of the whole place besides the house is her fabulous gardened yards. It's not fancy and perfect either which is what I loved the best. She has rock steps and broken china and flower pots that she worked into the whole yard. I was amazed and in love with being in her garden. Staying there with her and her husband was like going to a bed and breakfast. The morning we were leaving we ate breakfast out on the deck with their huge golden retriever. Then the trip home . . . . . . not so smooth as the trip there. Little Buddy slept for 45 minutes of the 3 hour trip then squawked and squirmed if he had to sit longer than 20 minutes. Needless to say I stopped about 6 times various places so he could walk around. It was a long trip home. Overall though, I think I would definitely do it again. I am thinking of investing in a portable DVD player that can be attached to the back of the seat in case this happens again. He doesn't show much interest in TV and we do limit it, but it may help in this situation. I spoke with my aunt the other day who lives out in Dubuque right near Galena. She said we could come out and visit her for a night if all went well with the Indiana trip, which it did. That is our next venture but it would not be til the end of July or beginning of August. I am starting to get excited already. Hopefully we can go on a short family trip before winter, but we'll have to see how that works out with my husbands busy work schedule.

It's amazing how much stuff you have to pack to travel with a baby/toddler. OY!

Our Dwindling Dollar

Noticing more and more foreclosed homes in our subdivision. At first I had no idea what was happening. I'd/we'd discover a home that look unkempt with long grass, garbage all over the yard, stickers and papers stuck to the windows & doors. Now that we know what that means we have been seeing more and more of them. It's very sad. I could cry for these people. What went through my head one day when I saw sad signs of a foreclosure: Lego's on the driveway run over and dirty, weeds and garbage all over what was once a cute little yard and nice landscaping, yellow pages ripping out of the book and blowing all over the neighborhood . . . . . . dreams and the life of an everyday family. Have you seen any signs of the sad state of our economy lately? I see things all the time and thought it would be something to blog about.