Fixin' Leaks and Leeks

Venturing into highly dangerous dog poop territory means that I need to sound the craft alert—for myself.  I’m on high alert as I gather leaves from a red maple tree in the front yard that every dog in my neighborhood loves to claim as its own in so, so many ways.  I probably should wear… Continue reading Craft Alert: Setting the Dining Room Table for Fall

The Fixin’ Leaks and Leeks Team recently sent one of its most precious members to the hospital: Nate.  For many years, Nate has had the resting pulse rate of a full-time Olympic athlete who might also relax on the weekends by scaling the Scandinavian Mountains and lifting large bricks.  In reality, Nate is a thoroughly… Continue reading From Underpants to Fake Plants: The Dos and Don’ts of the Hospital Visit

Picking a pepper from the potted patio plants puts me in a perfectly perplexing position.  Nate has planted plenty of particularly identical peppers in one pot, so picking a pepper is puzzling.  If I pick the wrong pepper, the family salad becomes an overpowering ring of fire that sends everyone to the kitchen sink—fighting to… Continue reading Pepper Problems

The size of a suitcase is only limited to the size of my imagination, when I pack for the annual family Sun Mountain Lodge vacation.  I imagine that, if we’re staying four nights, I’ll need about four bags:  two big bags, a smaller bag, and a purse that’s stuffed to capacity.  The family Subaru is… Continue reading Reckless Packing

Blueberry muffin treats, in my house, have the power to transform my entire family into butter knife-wielding animals that make crumbs of defenseless baked goods. The primal sounds of “More butter!  MMMM” have alerted the neighbors more than once.  Some think we are watching a horror movie at full volume. Others think we are truly… Continue reading Gluten Free Muffins and Face Yoga

Watching a whopping number of exercise videos (five to be exact), led me to theorize that squats were the gold standard of low-impact fitness—and that perhaps, they were “safe” enough to do repeatedly in different variations for 30-40 minutes each day. Only part of this theory is true, for me at least.  I run on… Continue reading Create a No-Squat Zone

The red-colored stuff in the jar in the fridge smells like some kind of flesh-eating foot fungus—and I can’t get enough of it.  No— pickled radishes do not fill the house with heavenly aromas, but they taste wonderful.  In fact, I’m trying to figure out how to take them in my carry-on luggage for my… Continue reading How to Pickle Radishes Without Leaving the Dance Floor

Florida is a tropical, magical, terrifying place filled with alligators that get whipped into a frenzy whenever there’s a hurricane. (And there are lots of hurricanes—and alligators. So, the chances of this happening are like astronomically high.)  That’s what I learned from the movie Crawl, which Nate, Alex, and I saw yesterday.  The movie itself… Continue reading If Alligators Attack, Eat This: Crunchy Tropical Chicken Bowl

A violently shaking alarm clock that rattles the entire bed frame, is something I’d secretly hoped would be invented for teens in order to get them off to school on time. It would also make loud, howling noises that sound like a freight train coming straight for the house.  However, after experiencing my first real… Continue reading Earthquake! The Fixin’ Leaks and Leeks Team Learns What to Do

Sounding a craft alert on the Fourth of July in my neighborhood adds very little noise or sense of “alarm,” amid the loud, violent screams of fireworks exploding in the air, starting at 4 p.m. July 3rd.  However, I thought I’d try to sound the alarm anyway, because by noon, my nerves were sufficiently rattled.… Continue reading Craft Alert: “Baby, You’re a Firework” Wreath