Adventures of a Stinkier Sort

"Tagged" - like as to a butterfly (or a cow)

So I have to admit, being new to this blog thing, when I learned that I had been "tagged" by amazing Jen of Ivy-Rose fame, I had a sudden, vivid and somewhat disturbing image of me, huddled among bovine behinds, wearing cattle tags for earrings.

Having since been relieved of this concept and informed of the true nature of "tagging", I follow with the prescribed "Posting of the Rules":

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.2. Share 7 facts about yourself: some random, some weird.3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).4. Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.

1.   I was neither born, nor even a glimmer in my mother's eye when my husband graduated from highschool.

2.  I have enormous potential to be that eccentric old woman that lives back the lane.

3.  I am NEVER lost, only "adventuring" (on a side note to this #3, yesterday, the gal and I had to attend my nephew's birthday party at some way back, god forsaken camp.  Our Stink, as our trip began to extend past the promised "1/2 hour drive" asked, "Mom, are we lost?"  "psshaw", I scoffed, "of course not!  We're only on an adventure!"

She was quiet for a bit, our girl, before she said, thoughtfully, sweetly, "Mom, have I told you how much I hate adventuring?"   - Obviously her father's child. thpppt.

4.  Due to directional challenges and unforseen calls to adventure (see #3), I am, almost compulsively, late.  (I am not proud of this, and have really, genuinely tried to change; I tell you in all truth, the whole darn universe conspires against me, and I have since given up the plight.)

5.  I cannot, for any amount of money, eat lima beans.

6.  Though I hide my wart well, I am an evil stepmother.  My two "big kids" introduce me this way when I allow them out of the locked attic. Further, if I  feed them something other than burnt toast and water (Please see #7), they threaten to report me to the ESA (Evil Stepmothers Assoc.).  Rotten brats. *snort*

7.  I am a DREADFUL cook.  I burn EVERYTHING!  I have melted tea kettles, charcoaled bake goods, and asked my poor family to ingest meals that were, depending on the food, somewhere between inedible, and complete toxic waste. blech.

So, one of the downfalls to this "new kid on the blog" thing is... tagging seven?!  I'm not even sure that many folks READ my blog! ;) 

Nancy, Susan, Teri, Susan, Lisa and new blog friends,  Nicole, and Kristen

I think that about covers it - I am now taking the tag from my ear - thanks Jen - that was kinda' fun ;)

Tag! You're IT!

Those of you that have known our gal for a while, will remember the various causes that she has taken on over the years.  We remember with fondness, "The Great Toy Drive" (when she decided that the children in her school should unite in cleaning their playrooms of unused or pre-loved toys and donate them to an organization in our community that benifits children in need.) Sounds noble huh?  If you have ever attempted to do this sort of purging accompanied by your child, you may smile knowingly as I report that even our philanthropic miss was loath, once all was said and done, to have too many of her toys pried from her little fingers and stuffed toy room.

You may recall what we affectionately remember as the "Moosic for Moola" idea (when Stink and several friends had the ill-fated idea to play recorders on the sidewalk of one of the girl's neighborhoods hoping to raise donations for the heifer project).  After fifteen minutes of tooting their own horns *snort* they decided that cows were too big to send out anyway.

This summer, our gal learned of the "Monarch's Plight".  In short, Monarch butterflys, once plentiful are dwindling in number due to a shortage of their preffered food (mostly weeds) that they require to complete their migration South.  This time, she was determined. Here was the result:

click here for Monarch Watch

In addition, she "shared" with her class about building a Monarch Habitat (that entailed convincing the gentle fellow that farms our fields to leave some go to seed- which he did - bless him.) and registering it with Monarch Watch.  Then she invited her WHOLE CLASS (yes, that is 28 children and their parents) to our house to help her "tag" them.

Monarch Watch sends teeny weeny stickers that you place on the lower wing of a captured butterfly.  You record the information, the gender of the butterfly (identified by either scent sacs -that's the fellow, or no sacs - that'd be the gal) and set it free to go about its journey perhaps slightly traumatized, but more or less, unaffected.

Now, had I known of her party plans, I might have been a bit more prepared when the parents of these enthusiastic bug catchers called for directions.  Oh I moan a bit, but it really was fun, and we tagged a bunch! The Great Huntress Got Milkweed?  You Betcha!Have a Monarch Story?  Send it along!I was inspired to blog our Stink's Winged Adventures by this blogger and her amazing photos and her October Monarch Post!