Lisa Zahn

Doesn't spring just remind you of how important the little things are?  In central Minnesota the leaves on the shrubs and trees are just popping out and all those little pokes of bright green make me so happy. Besides leaf buds, I've been noticing swingsets, and juncos, and daffodil stems poking through the ground.  I bought this little daffodil plant at the grocery store for $2.99 yesterday.  That 3 bucks and my pretty little pot is going to make me so happy for a couple of weeks. I wore my new (to me) cowboy boots yesterday as the weather was just cool enough to get away with it. Kenneth Cole Reaction, 20 bucks at Ragstock! I have vowed that my cowboy boots and I will never be apart.  We are "till death do us part, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer..."  I love them so much.  George thinks I'm a little crazy to want cowboy boots, but I think he's just jealous of my new love. And these roses?  I bought them for me. ...

You may know our son is on the autism spectrum.  This is not an easy thing for our family.  We love him dearly.  He is a wonderful, intelligent kid with the best sense of humor, but his autism presents challenges which are often beyond our understanding. There are many controversies currently raging in the world of autism.  "What causes it?" seems to be the number one question.  Then there is: "is there really an epidemic going on or are we just getting better at diagnosing this condition?"  And also: "What can be done about it?" I'm not about to answer any of those questions, though of course I wonder about and read about them all the time.  You will not find me cheerleading at any Autism Awareness Day events, or fundraising for research, or doing much of anything but daily.living.with.autism. right now. I just want to share a couple of really excellent links that I read today, about autism and Autism Awareness Day. The first is from The P...

I thought it would be fun to post a list of the most-read posts on this blog.  Every day I see several of these posts come up after someone has found them via Google or another link or somewhere. Here they are, in order: Basement Redo--Clothesline and Pantry Shelving Too bad our basement is still nothing special. This post probably disappoints the Googlers. The Salmon Patty Recipe Using The Solar Cooker and Rice Pudding Recipe My Whole Wheat Bread Recipe and Tips (by popular "demand"!) I never make bread anymore because I find I can't really eat it without negative health repercussions, sadly. and finally... On Family Meetings and Chores I think it's interesting to see what people find on my blog.  There might just be a LOT of households making those salmon patties.  I wonder if we've inspired anyone to have a family meeting?