Remembering

Today was my grandpap's funeral. I wrote a little something to read at the service... I didn't think I would get through it, but I did. It's about all the things that I will remember about him.

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This won't be fancy or complicated, because my grandpap wasn't either of those things.

I can tell you what he was.

He was a hard worker - early to bed and early to rise.

He was honest.

He was a worry wart.

He was a hammer collector.

He was a storyteller - even if it was the same story over and over again.

He was a dog's best friend - he always had biscuits tucked into his pocket for Wally. Maggie loved to sit on the back of his chair.

He was the owner of a nice head of hair, at least I always thought so, but maybe that's because Grandma cut it for him.

He was simple and he had simple joys in life.

He loved riding his tractor.

He loved going to his cabin on the mountain.

He liked to keep a fire going whether it was in the cabin until everyone was sweating or in the fireplace at the holidays. There had to be a fire going at Christmas.

He liked to sit on the swing under the big maple in the backyard with my grandma.

He loved to go to auction, and he liked to go early, though he rarely bid on anything.

He liked getting a brand new pair of slippers for Christmas, and then put them away to keep them nice while he kept wearing the old pair with duct tape wrapped around them.

If you were wearing sunglasses, he liked to called you "Hollywood".

Whenever no one was around he liked to tell my sister and I how much our dad loved us.

Because he liked to say what was on his mind.

He liked to go on picnics with fried chicken.

He liked ice tea with lots of ice in his big beat up plastic Pepsi cup.

A beautiful life can be one most simply lived.

Most of all I think one of grandpap's greatest joys was to be useful.

While he thought my sister and I hung the moon… in fact he thought we all did…. we know that it was only because he held the ladder for us.

I am not sad for grandpap because I know that he is with our Heavenly Father, but I am sad for us, because we will all miss him so much.

We were so blessed to have him.

Pet of the Week

Floppy ears!

Luke #10501963

Luke is an energetic 5-year-old male Coonhound mix who weighs 58 pounds! He came to Lollypop Farm because his owners were moving and couldn’t take him along. This super friendly guy has been patiently waiting for a new home since May. Luke seems a little crazy in his kennel, but once outside he’s a calm fellow who does great on a leash. When let off leash in the play area, he sniffs things out, but comes back frequently for a little loving. Luke loves a good ear rub! He has spent most of his life outdoors so will need help adapting to the life of an indoor dog. Older kids are recommended, and he would do best in a house with no cats. Luke is waiting to meet you!

Paula, the cat from last week, is still waiting to be adopted.

Classic pug head tilt

Fireflies

Lesson learned today. It's very hard to take a photo of fireflies with
a cell phone camera.

Utah

It's too bad I had such a short stay in Utah. It's very pretty there.

Grandpap

Today my grandpap passed away. It was hard for me because I was traveling, but there are many things to be thankful for. He had a long, happy life. He went peacefully and it happened quickly.

It's strange how I always remember him looking the same. Even as I look at pictures from when I was a kid to my sister's graduation, he doesn't look that different to me. I'm so glad I will always remember him that way. He was the best ever.

Cat life

Oh, to be a kitty. What a life.

Pet of the Week

Five cats all rolled into one. What a deal!

Paula #10469055

Paula is a 4-year-old female cat, who weighs about 6 pounds. This unique looking girl comes with a very unique story…she was found in a heating duct in an apartment in Hemlock! So now she’s just stretching out and enjoying life. She’s a lovable girl, who’s happiest when people pay attention to her here at Lollypop Farm. She gets along well with other cats too! Can't decide between a calico, tiger, black and white, grey or tortoise shell? Then obviously she’s your girl! Don’t forget, June is Adopt-A-Cat Month at Lollypop Farm, you can adopt your next best friend just $25! Come meet Paula today!

Kida, the dog from last week, is still waiting for a her forever home.

Pizza on the grill

Our new thing is making pizza on the grill. What started it was this pizza grill pan I got at Wegmans. It's like a typical pizza pan but with a handle to help you get it on and off the grill.

We like to make a salami, red onion and mushroom pizza.

You just pop the entire thing on the grill. I have heard that you can also put a pizza stone on the grill or some people put the pizza right on the grill bars!

I love it because it makes a really crispy crust.

Nom nom.

Crunch Berry Frap

One evening after work Aaron asked me if I wanted a Crunch Berry Frap at Starbucks. i was shocked that Buck Bucks branded a drink that but turns out its an "underground" drink.

If you order a Strawberries and Creme Frap with a shot of hazelnut it tastes just like Captain Crunch Crunch Berry cereal! I have read on some sites that you should get a shot of toffeenut too, but i haven't tried that. With just the hazelnut it really does taste like Crunch Berry! It's amazing!

Summer Garden

We had to leave the raised garden bed Aaron built behind at the old house. We found kits for our garden beds this time.

Since the season has already started we decided to just do one square this year. We built one 4x4 bed and planted a rhubarb for Aaron, three tomatoes and a zucchini.

Aaron won a Topsy Turvy at his company picnic last year so we decided to try it out. We planted it with a yellow plum tomato... can't wait to see how it turns out.

Awesome olive oil

We haven't been to the Public Market for awhile, so when we went last weekend we found a few new vendors. One of them was Cosimano e Ferrari Olive Oil Company.

They had samples out to taste and we were blown away by the different flavors. We went home with a bottle of Mandarine Orange Olive Oil and Peach Balsamic Vinegar. The Balsamic Vinegar is amazing - tastes like concentrated peach!

I loved the big cans of oil they're in at the stand with the glass bottles lined up in wooden crates. All part of a great product experience.

New NY plates

I've started noticing new license plates cars around lately. The NYS license plates have been redesigned... its called Empire Gold. I really like the retro design... not sure when I will need new plates but I'm looking forward to it!

4th of July t-shirts

After there weren't any of the cute t-shirt designs at Target for Easter, I thought maybe they were over.

But no... there are a bunch of designs for the Fourth of July.

I got a few of them.

I still don't understand why they cover every holiday but Easter, but really I probably have enough t-shirts at this point.

Dog Dentures

Aaron and I spent too much time putting teeth on Oscar and making him say things on the DentaStick Denture Your Dog site.

You can check out Oscar with dentures here and here and make your own! You can use one of their dogs or upload your own dog. There are different teeth to choose, pre-recorded audio or you can type in your own audio.

Oscar had no idea what we were laughing at. Oscar likes DentaStix by the way and since the vet said he already had plaque buildup just a few months after his teeth cleaning we have been trying to give him these regularly.

Pet of the Week

I am thinking if you have some unruly cats - Kida may be just what you need to herd them up.

Kida #1106979

Kida is a beautiful Australian Cattle Dog/Lab mix who suddenly found that her family didn't have time for her. She is just a few weeks shy of her 7th birthday. She is a little timid, but most likely because she isn't sure of what‘s going on. Considering her breed mix, she would love an active family that will give her lots of attention and exercise! She weighs 47 pounds and is eligible for our Seniors-for-Seniors program, so adopters age 60 and older can take her home free of charge! She is an active girl, so a home with children over the age of 6 is recommended. Come out to meet Kida today, she is ready to become a member of your family!

Beshu II, the cat from last week, is still patiently waiting for a new home.

Mud Gloves

I didn't think it was possible to love a pair of gloves as much as I love these, but it's true. We had a lot of gardening and landscaping to do this weekend and I told Aaron I couldn't stand my old gloves anymore. I picked up these Mud Gloves because they actually came in different SIZES and I love them!

I have little hands and other gardening gloves come in "one size fits all". It is so hard to pull weeds and plant things when you have an extra inch of glove at the end of your finger tips. Not a problem with Mud Gloves. Look how well they fit!

The palms have a rubbery waterproof coating and the backs are breathable. They cuffs are fitted so dirt doesn't fall in. I put them through their paces planting this weekend and they worked like champs! Best gardening gloves ever!

Strawberries

It's strawberry season and we headed out to the fields to pick some for eating and baking.

We had a few friends join us.

And one strawberry squisher.

It was overcast and drizzly but we stuck it out.

Aaron has a knack for finding the monster berries.

We picked 9 quarts... I see lots of strawberry shortcake in our future.

Landscaping the new house

My potting bench saw a lot of use this weekend. I had to leave a lot of plants at our old house and start from scratch at the new. There really wasn't much landscaping at our new house.

We planted grasses, hostas and flowers in the beds to the left and right of our front porch/patio/terrace thingy.

Then I spread mulch around everything. It's amazing what a difference mulch makes.

I planted the window boxes for the second floor. The theme this year is pink and green.

I also planted some herbs in pots to set out front. Rosemary, dill, sage, chocolate mint and basil.

So this is what the house looked like when we bought it.

And this is what it looks like now. You couldn't even see that side porch before!

Jarritos taste test party

I was pretty excited when I got an email from Jarritos soda asking if I would like to try some sample of Jarritos soda! They sent me 11 different flavors to try out...

... and a Jarritos music CD (perfect for a party)...

... and a Jarritos t-shirt.

It was a lot of soda to taste so I had some friends over for a Mexican cookout and Jarritos taste testing! I was happy to use our front porch/patio/terrace thingy for a get together.

We had Mexican grilled corn (grilled corn with butter, mayo, cojitos cheese, cayenne pepper and lime juice) to start with.

And grilled shrimp tostadas.

We all tasted the sodas and drew little smiley faces for the ones we liked the best. The favorites were the Mandarin, Fruit Punch, Strawberry, Grapefruit and Pineapple. We thought the Tamarind would be weird but it actually was pretty normal. The Jamaica and Guava threw us all for a loop - crazy flavors.

I was really pleased to learn that all Jarritos is made with 100% natural sugar and not high fructose corn syrup!

If you save up the Jarritos soda cap lids, you can use them at Club Jarritos and redeem them for prizes.

You can also check out Jarritos Nation where you can enter to win prizes by claiming your location on the map with a photo.