Author: Erin @ Cracker Crumb Life

Thursday Morning Coffee Catch Up

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn special needs child, special needs parentingLeave a comment

Hey all! I am soo happy to be writing this from home! I mentioned in my Sunday post that Wyatt was having a 24 hour EEG, overnight at the hospital this time rather than ambulatory here at home. For being so short of a time, really, it felt like an eternity! Probably because this hospital stay Wyatt was healthy and not wanting to stay confined to the room, and wanted to be a lot more mobile than he could be due to all his wires and cords.

However, lets back up! Alllll the way to Monday, Memorial Day. We spent the day with family, with Wyatt playing with his cousin Mermaid Girl and just having a fun holiday.

There was also a lot of sitting around on this blanket, chilling out in the shade. Tiny Bebe was giving her parents a run for the money, and not napping – she totally has FOMO. She slept maybe 10 minutes before she was up and wanting to sit up and look around.

I was glad that Wyatt had such a fun day since the next day we were up and at ’em early to head to the hospital. I packed our bag full of toys, books, drawing paper, crayons (thanks Cindy for this idea!), his favorite snacks, and his tablet – plus my own headphones for me.

Once we got there it was a never ending stream of doctors and nurses, and finally the EEG study team was in to hook little man up. He is actually really awesome at this part. They said a lot of kids fight it, but Wyatt doesn’t mind hook up. He was busy entertaining the nurses/techs with Peppa Pig which he was watching on my phone. Then after 15 minutes (I think) he was all ready. I was so happy that the woman who cuts his hair was able to fit him in last week because he still had a ton of hair for them to work around, despite having a ton cut off last week. He just has the thickest hair. That little ponytail cracked me up.

Billy was at work by this point, he pretty much dropped us off and left, and Wyatt and I just played and snacked and read all day. Well, he did. I did mostly his bidding. I did put him in his wheelchair for awhile to let him wheel around the room for some physical activity which was a bit challenging as I had to move the cord around as he went, but it wasn’t too bad and he got to get out of bed at least. We sat on the bed, we sat on the couch, back and forth, back and forth. I was pretty exhausted by the time Billy got there! Wyatt was doing great though, and was as happy as he could be!

Billy got there in time for dinner, and I took a little walk around the tower building, of course shopping in the gift shop, while he played with Wyatt for a bit. Neither Billy nor I really slept; I slept all curled and contorted with Wyatt upon his request, and I was glad that I did. He woke up at 2 am and didn’t know where we were and it scared him. At least I was right there, because the pull out couch/chair bed thing was actually pretty far away from his bed. It was big enough for two parents I think which is a change from most hospitals we have stayed at. Anyway, I feel like I have really gone on about the sleeping situation!

The next morning Wyatt got up pretty early, 6 am, but the staff started coming in not long afterwards and he was unhooked by 8:30 am. That was the hardest part and the first time he cried while we were there. That glue they use to attach the leads just really sticks in his hair and they had to pull pretty hard, which of course pulled his hair too. My poor kiddo. Soon though he was back to smiles and I took him for a walk around the floor a few times while Billy waited in the room for the discharge papers, and then we were free! Home, we bathed that kid good with Dawn soap to get the goop from his hair and then he promptly took a nap. I actually did too. Lol. Poor Billy had to get back to work but at least this time he worked from home.

We will know the interpretation of the results soon. We got them already in his online med chart but we do not understand all that neurological jargon speak so it makes zero sense to us. I did catch three confirmed seizures as push button events (when I think I see a seizure or seizure activity, I push a button and report what I see). Wyatt has very brief focal seizures – a lot of people would miss them. Sometimes his eyes just shift right for about five seconds and that is it. Sometimes it involves his eyes and his arm jerking up, and is longer, about 10-15 seconds. These breakthrough seizures are so frustrating. He usually has about 2-3 a day at home, and that is what he had at the hospital so we were glad to see what we see at home is pretty much right on.

Wyatt has also been having some difficulties lately, physically, that he hasn’t had before. He has been “noodling” when he tries to stand or walk, just greater weakness than was there before. However, he had a med increase soon after his shunt revisions and it is hard to say at this point which is causing it. We are hoping his epileptologist will be able to shed some light on this for us and if it is his meds, help him out. I guess one of his meds, Onfi, can cause these side effects. So, even though we don’t have all the answers yet, I feel we got some good groundwork laid to find them out.

Today we are going to take it fairly easy. We are going to get some outside time, and I am going to clean but no school today. In fact, I think we are going to segue into a new summer school routine, especially since Wyatt has a ton of appointments and fun things happening this month. I am looking forward to putzing around outside today, and I am sure Wyatt is looking forward to playing in the backyard as well!

And that my friends is it for today. I feel like I wrote a novel today!

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My Sunday-Monday Post

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized35 Comments

My Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date

Hello everyone! I hope you are all enjoying your weekend so far! We did so much yard work yesterday that Billy and I are feeling it this morning. Lol. Wyatt had a blast though, playing in the yard while we worked and we had a great time out there together. This morning though, I might need an extra cup of coffee to get moving again.

So this week is a bit weird. Tomorrow is a holiday here in the States, and we are having some family over in the afternoon. Then Tuesday and Wednesday we have Wyatt’s overnight EEG at the hospital. I can never read in the hospital plus I will be trying to keep Wyatt entertained because keeping an 8 year old who feels fine confined to a hospital room is not fun, especially when they are hooked up to wires. And it will be just me and Wyatt for most of the day, since Billy will be working. He will joins us after work for the overnight part, but the daytime hours will just be Wyatt and I. Sleeping is bit hard too for kiddo. I saw this meme on the IG account Epilepsy Memetherapy and it is so true.

Read Last Week:

I REALLY wanted to read this book and I was hoping my hold would come in, so I was sort of avoiding reading anything in case it did. And on Wednesday, it came in! I practically raced to the library to pick it up, and it was definitely worth waiting for. It is a short, fast read, and I read it literally in one day. I LOVED it. I can’t wait to read more T. Kingfisher. It was both creepy and funny – the main character has a sense of humor very close to my own and I just couldn’t stop reading it.

Reading This Week:

I am not sure how much I will get to read this week! I do have a book all ready though in case I do get some time.

I also have a giant photo book to flip through.

Posted Last Week:

The Spring of Cary Grant: Operation Petticoat

Wednesday Morning Coffee Catch Up

The Spring of Cary Grant: Suspicion

Watching and Listening:

We have been watching the same things that we have been – Brokenwood and When Calls the Heart. Last night we changed things up though and watched Dungeons and Dragons, which was actually really good. It was just really fun and made me laugh out loud at certain parts. Chris Pine was great in his role, as was Hugh Grant!

As for listening, I have been listening to True Crime again after a long break. I am catching up on Morbid, Redhanded, and Going West. There was even a Morbid/Redhanded collab!

I am saving all my favorite YouTube channel updates for the hospital. Once Wyatt falls asleep Billy and I put on our headphones and watch stuff on our phones so we don’t wake him up. I will be watching lots of Darling Desi, Dainty Diaries, With Love Kristina, Alexis Dahl, It’s a Charming Life, and The Rambling Rose.

And that is from around here! I hope all is well in your world!

The Spring of Cary Grant – Suspicion

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn the spring of cary grant12 Comments

So when Lisa at Boondock Ramblings told me she was going to do a Spring of Cary Grant, I knew I wanted in on it. She introduced me to the legend that is Grant last fall, and I am woefully behind on his films. So I am tagging along on her journey, posting along with her as well.

This is double Cary week for me, since I got behind on the actual blogging part! But hey, look at me on time this week! Woohoo!

This week’s feature was Suspicion, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine. Warning: This post will more than likely include some spoilers.

This was Grant like I had never seen him before, as a villain rather than a hero. And he played the role insanely well.

Johnnie Aysgarth (Grant) and Lina McLaidlaw (Fontaine) meet by “chance” on a train. I have that in quotes because by the end of the movie I was suspicious of everything that had happened! Johnnie sweets talks Lina into covering the rest of his first class ticket as he only has a third class ticket but has moved into her train car. Lina is sort of bookish, which we know because they constantly remind us of this by showing her wearing glasses and being very meek. Lina becomes instantly enamored of the charming Johnnie, and has a hard core crush. She sees him a week later at a hunt, he sees her, he pursues her, much like the hounds do the foxes, driving her from her den, where she is quietly reading and he arrives with some pushy society ladies and they all go to church. But then they actually don’t. Johnnie and Lina go for a walk, where he unbuttons her top button (whoa what the heck) and she gets a little feisty. Good for you girl. He also decides he is going to call her “monkey face” and does the entire movie. I don’t think I would like to be constantly called “monkey face” as a term of endearment. I think that is just part of his cruelty and gaslighting that will be more evident later in the movie.

Unfortunately, Johnnie’s flash and winning ways continue to encircle her and when he leaves for a week, she practically stalks him, calling all over to try to talk to him, begging the post office if they have a message for her. Like, get some chill honey. Ultimately though Johnnie returns and meets up with her at her father’s ball and they get married.

After a whirlwind honeymoon they return to their new home which is all fancy and updated, and frankly, uggo. I loved her family home, but her new one is ew. Lina quickly learns that her new husband who she is completely infatuated with is in fact, broke. No job, no money. But that is ok, because we don’t judge on that. Except, Johnnie is a gambler, who loves the races.

His good friend Beaky shows up and Lina learns from him that Johnnie is a good time guy, very entertaining, and a very accomplished liar. Lina eventually decides she likes Beaky after being a little put off him at first by his comments regarding Johnnie – mainly because she learns Beaky is telling the truth about Johnnie.

She has learned some unsettling facts about her Johnnie – he is a gambler, a liar, and now, he has sold her family heirloom chairs that were a wedding gift from her super rich dad. Later, she also learns that Johnnie was fired from his job because he embezzled, but won’t be prosecuted if he can pay his ex-employer (and cousin!) back the money. Lina is determined to leave Johnnie over this, but after writing a “Dear Johnny” letter, tears it up instead. At this moment, Johnnie walks in and Lina learns the horrible news that her father is dead. A little while later, Johnnie learns the horrible news that they were not left any money, only a gigantic portrait of the General himself.

Johnnie needs to still come up with the money to avoid prosecution. He talks his friend Beaky into a speculative land scheme, which Lina tries to talk Beaky out of later. Johnnie hears and gets really angry with Lina over it, obviously. However, she gives him the benefit of the doubt again. Then Johnnie calls it off anyway, and Beaky and Johnnie go to London together. A few days later, Beaky ends up mysteriously dead. The circumstances make Lina go hmm, especially after she is visited by inspectors inquiring into the death – they don’t suspect Johnnie, but she sure does.

It was here that Billy and I couldn’t stop seeing the web that Lina is in. Literally. The light and shadows in the shots form a web on the walls, on the floor, and once you see it, you can’t unsee it. It follows Lina and Johnnie everywhere, giving everything a much more ominous framing, like it needed to be more ominous. Lina discovers something that makes her fear for her own life, and when Johnnie brings her a glass of milk before bed, she doesn’t drink it. That scene, that shot, of Grant coming up the stairs with the milk is so freaky and so simple. Pure magic there. (also, see the web?)

The next morning, the glass is still there, undrunk, on the nightstand, but Lina is packing her bags to get the heck out of dodge. Johnnie finds her packing and despite her trying to convince him she is just going to visit her mom for a bit because her nerves need it, and he gets super mad. He tells her her will drive her and she is like no no, I can do it, but he insists.

So there they are, racing along the cliffs at high speeds. Grant reaches over, fiddles with her door. We see shots of how close they are to the edge, how one good push and Lina could go flying from the car and down the cliffside into the water and her certain death. It gets all creepy and intense and what is going to happen and Johnny swerves the car at the last minute and then there is chaos, the door is open, they are struggling – then next we know, Johnnie pulls the car over and they argue and Johnnie instead confesses he was going to take her to her mom’s and then go home and commit suicide. He tells her that he has since decided that it is the cowards way out, and tells her all sorts of things, like how he was in Liverpool when Beaky died, and gives an explanation to her about the final straw that sent her packing. She believes him, they get back in the car, head back to their home, driving off into the sunset.

And that’s it. That is the end.

We are left to decide what Johnnie is really like. Is he just a wastrel, a scoundrel, a liar, a cheat and a thief? Or is he a murderer too? Was he trying to kill Lina? Or was he trying to save her? Like I said, I looked back at all of his movements throughout the film with new eyes after a certain point in the movie, and thought to myself, did he kill her dad? I fully believed he was capable of murder. Billy however thinks Johnnie was just a jerkwad but not a murderer. (I think Billy might need to up his intuition regarding danger, quite frankly!)

I loved this movie. I loved seeing a different side of Grant, the dark side. His acting was impeccable, leaving so much room for doubt in the audience’s mind about his character. Fontaine was fantastic as well. Overall, a winner in my book.

Although I would never have gotten back in that car. I can guarantee that.

For Lisa’s thoughts, jump on over here! For Katja’s, visit her here!

Wednesday Morning Coffee Catch Up

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Coffee Catch UP15 Comments

Hello my friends! I got a new to me laptop (Billy’s new within the last two years but old to him) and all my stuff looks weird now. Is this font different? Why? I need to do some investigating! (update – it’s not, I am just apparently crazy)

Let’s see, what has been happening since the last time I chatted? Well. We moved my mom to her new place last week and that sort of consumed the entire week, outside of school and appointments. We are still working out details of what she needs, what she wants to replace, etc. All that nesting type thing, decorating, so it is not completely done but this is the fun part at least.

Saturday we had a day without work, and it was awesome. We went to Greenfield Village to celebrate my dad’s birthday and it was hilarious at first, just pure chaos. We had no idea prior to arrival (at 10 am, mind you) that it was Thomas the Thank Engine day, where they make the train look like Thomas, and everyone on earth is there to visit. So there were virtually no parking spaces at all. Then after we all finally found a spot, my brother realized they had forgotten their stroller! So while they were making the long trek to the village from the lot they had to park in, Billy and my dad went into guest services and rented a wagon to put the baby and her car seat in. By this point, it had gotten super cloudy and it was absolutely freezing – and I only had on a thinnish t-shirt. So my stepmom and I went into the gift shop and my stepmom generously treated me to a warm and cozy sweatshirt. Phew. By this point it was now 10:45 and we could finally enter the actual village. The good part- all of the Thomas people were now inside and on the train at least. Lol.

We had a great day, hanging out with my dad and stepmom, and my brother, his wife, Mermaid Girl, and Tiny Bebe. We ate, we walked, we laughed, it was a good time. I have decided I need a version of Camp Mohwak in my yard to retreat to. Although I would like a better view than the house behind me – instead, it should be woods and a river or something, more of a view like the actual cabin pictured has.

Then Sunday I met my friends at the garden center for our annual flower shopping day!

We all had our specific goals, mine being to buy plants to spruce up the toad abode, to make it prettier and to give shade. I ended up buying a few ferns, a hosta, some tomatoes and basil and cucumbers for the garden, and then some petunias and snapdragons for fun. I also picked up a crazy foxtail fern, simply because it is called a foxtail fern. I have no idea where to put it but I love it so much. Lol. Our next garden task is to get more topsoil since we are still working on getting rid of that darn ivy our previous neighbors planted, and sprinkling wildflower seeds down. That will end up being in the area behind the toad abode and it will look so pretty when it is finally all done. But, that is gardening isn’t it? You can’t hurry it, it is something that requires you to slow down and take your time. Or at least, that is the way that I like to do it. My friend Kelly is my total opposite pretty much in all things (I call us Grace and Frankie on here all the time) and she powered through and had everything in place that she bought in like an hour and had her entire yard done in a few days. I am more of a meditative gardener, I guess. I like to think about where something is going, maybe change it, maybe do this… I am just very slow. Neither one of us does it better than the other, it’s just our ways.

Speaking of Kelly…she and her sweet daughter E. supplied the “toads” for our toad abode! Well, sort of. I have to raise them first. E. and Kelly went to a vernal pond near the railroad tracks near their house, and E. collected ten little tadpoles all by hand just for Wyatt!

They brought them over to us and hung out for a bit, and it was so fun. We exclaimed over the cute little tadpoles zooming around, E. enjoyed meeting all of our creatures, from the geckos to the isopods (although I think she liked Applejack the best). I was reminded of those summer nights when I was a kid, where time stood still for a while, the weather was perfect, the kids were laughing and playing, and it was just one of those perfect, everyday moments in time. We gave her an old praying mantis ooth to take home for her own nature collection, and for some reason it just really made me happy, tadpoles for an ooth.

So that is about it for me – I need a refill on this coffee, and I need to get ready for a big day of school with Wyatt. He is also getting a haircut, and hopefully we fit some time in for the library and then later tonight, time in the yard.

How are you all doing?

The Spring of Cary Grant: Operation Petticoat

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized13 Comments

So when Lisa at Boondock Ramblings told me she was going to do a Spring of Cary Grant, I knew I wanted in on it. She introduced me to the legend that is Grant last fall, and I am woefully behind on his films. So I am tagging along on her journey, posting along with her as well.

I have done absolutely terrible at posting my thoughts on these movies – things have been a bit crazy around here for weeks. Months even. I am hoping I am entering into a quieter and easier season. However, I have been watching!

Last week’s feature: Operation Petticoat (1959)

I have to admit, when I first looked this movie up to stream I looked up Petticoat Junction and was SUPER confused. Lol. Then I realized my mistake. Then I thought, I am not going to like this movie. I am not usually into military themed movies as a general rule. Then about ten minutes in I was hooked. Or maybe after Tony Curtis first stepped onto the screen, because wow what a looker! I don’t think I have ever watched a movie with him in it before and he was quite the good looking guy. I can see the resemblance between him and his daughter Jamie Lee as well – and I totally had no idea she was his daughter until I googled him.

Basically, for those of you who haven’t seen this movie, Cary Grant plays a navy officer who has become an Admiral. The movie starts with him returning to an old submarine he spent some crazy times on, and he is reminiscing about that time as he waits for the next officer to come and take the Sea Tiger away. The old Sea Tiger’s time is up, and is about to be scuttled but is having a last journey out before being retired.

Anyway, that time on board the ship – I think the date was Dec. 10, 1941 that Grant, or Admiral Sherman, is looking back on and the time that follows. The ship needs heavy repairs after being destroyed in an air raid, but finding parts was very hard and difficult. Enter Tony Curtis, or Nick Holden. His appearance on the scene draws some laughs from the rest of the men, as he arrives all in white like the “Good Humor Man” and expecting more of a luxury cruise than active duty on a sub. However, they all soon learn just how useful Holden really is. He can talk his way in or out of anything, and is quite good at his job of finding what the ship needs – no matter how he gets it, which is mainly through scavenging or theft. It is quite humorous honestly, what they say he and the men are managing to scavenge!

They get the sub mobile again and things are seemingly a bit back to normal although a bit untraditional in areas. And then things become very untraditional, when a contingent of Army nurses are evacuated from their situation and brought aboard by Holden. And all the jokes and hijinks and overtly sexualized gags that you can imagine begin, from ladies undergarments to showering situations to women in the engine room, to the men pretending to be ill so that they can get nursed by the women. Of course, while all this is going on, there is still a war happening out there! Grant is a Lieutenant Commander at the time, and he tries valiantly to keep things sane and normal onboard his sub, and tries like heck to get the women to a safe port. But no one will take them. Later Holden even adds more women and children from an island they stop at, who need to get to safety as their island is a heavy target, just adding to the confusion and crazy onboard. It was a silly funny movie, and the ending made us both smile. It was complete, that ending.

Overall, this movie was lighthearted and funny and we both really enjoyed it. We had a long difficult week and it was perfect. It is definitely one of those movies that would be hard to remake now, I would think, but we had a laugh while watching it. We also tried to recast the movie, but not for now, but for the 1980-early 90s. We decided Harrison Ford could have played Grant’s role, or maybe Michael Douglas which would have been cool since Kirk Douglas had a very small itsy bitsy role in it. Holden’s role could have been played by Rob Lowe. The Prophet character who was a singer maybe could have been Sean Penn, and Melanie Griffith as Lt. Crandall, maybe?

Anyway, we thoroughly enjoyed this movie! Next up is Suspicion- and I have my fingers crossed I get my post up Thursday!!

To see Lisa’s post, look here! To see Katja’s post, check here!

My Sunday-Monday Post

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized29 Comments

My Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date

Hello everyone! I am actually sitting at my new/old desk this morning, drinking my coffee and typing this up and it is pretty awesome! It was a very busy week. We moved my mom from her condo into a senior living apartment building and it consumed almost all of my time that wasn’t spent with Wyatt. I hope to catch up on lots of things this week, including blog posts and visiting blogs – especially since I may not have a car! We were on the expressway a few weeks ago when we were hit by another car. None of us were injured thankfully, but my Jeep took some damage! It has been functional and the damage is mainly cosmetic but I still need it to be fixed. It was all down the driver’s side of the car too, and I was told it will take 7 days to fix. And somehow I don’t have rental on my car insurance! You know I am definitely adding it now! The auto repair place said they may have a loaner we could use but we won’t know until we get there tomorrow. Fingers crossed!!

Read Last Week:

Wow this book really sucked me in!!! I mentioned last week that I found it somewhat rambling, and I continued to feel that way, but as the story started to really pick up I was totally absorbed and had to know just what happened that night! It has been a while since I read a mystery/thriller type book and this was excellent.

Reading This Week:

Well, I didn’t make it to the library and I very rarely buy books so it is off to my Kindle I go! I do have a book on hold; if it comes in this week I will be waiting by the door for Billy to pull up from work so I can race off to the library before it closes. (although, I may do that even if it doesn’t come in!)

I am in the mood for a creaky old spooky house book. I blame The White Hare, which I STILL have book hangover from.

I have A House with Good Bones on hold, and I found Accidental Magic on Kindle Unlimited.

Posted Last Week:

Not much!

Tuesday Morning Coffee Catch Up

Watching/Listening:

Billy and I watched Operation Petticoat, which we both absolutely loved as part of my Spring with Cary Grant that I am doing with Lisa from Boondock Ramblings – although, I am doing abysmal at actually posting!! Look for my review on it Monday.

We also have been watching Murdoch Mysteries, When Calls the Heart (such a fall back for me when I am stressed and overwhelmed!), and the Brokenwood Mysteries. We are hoping to watch Dungeons and Dragons tonight!

As for listening, Wyatt had been learning about Kentucky last week, so we listened to a lot of Bluegrass music. I also started catching up with some podcasts, like Going West (true crime) and The Night Owl (ghosts).

And that is it from my part of the world! I hope all is well with you!

Tuesday Morning Coffee Catch Up

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Coffee Catch UP14 Comments

Hello everyone! I am just about to take my very first sip of coffee, and I can’t wait. That is always one of life’s best small moments, that first sip of coffee in the morning. At least for me. And I am still missing my percolator!

This past weekend was a pretty good one. We have been running like crazy people for weeks and weeks and we wanted a super chill weekend. It was our citywide garage sale so we headed out in the morning to slow boat around town and just browse what people were choosing to sell. I am super nosy that way; I love to see what people had owned and what they are choosing to not own anymore. However, after two stops we were done, but for a very good reason. I found the perfect desk for my office! I have been looking for three years for something that just spoke to me, and Saturday I found THE ONE. Lol. It was marked $75 but Billy talked the lady down to $50, and I feel like it was a steal!

However, getting this home was a bit of a challenge! We had Wyatt’s wheelchair, which takes up all the room in the back of my SUV. So we thought we would head home, get Billy’s car, we would both drive back (like 4 blocks), Wyatt would stay in the car while Billy and I loaded it into Billy’s car…. but thankfully our neighbor was out and he agreed to help Billy instead – plus, he had a pick up truck! So Neighbor Eric came to the rescue! Billy spent some time on the porch with it, cleaning it up, since it was pretty dirty and then Billy and I moved it to the office. I LOVE it. And Miso does too! I love that it is a double desk, and can hide all my crap in there. Lol. It is the perfect Mother’s Day gift! And it is special for another reason as well. Billy and I met in third grade, when we shared a double desk. It was not as cool as this one of course. They sat us next to each other because I never talked and Billy never stopped. He would ask if I was going to finish my lunch, and I always said no because I was shy, and so he would eat my sandwich or whatever and then draw me pictures. So I am thrilled to have this desk that also makes me think of little Billy and Erin.

Sunday, we worked in the yard. Everything is a big giant mess out there, we are just so behind. Everything has been so crazy – even my seedlings died due to neglect. So we put some time in on Sunday cleaning things up, getting ready for planting. At least, Billy and I did. Wyatt played.

I joked that Wyatt might have been the camp cook in an old logging camp in a past life. Lol.

I worked on this garden bed, which is mainly flowers and strawberries – and formerly dandelions as well. Billy worked on constructing our toad abode! It is still rough right now, I am going Sunday to buy some plants to plant around it, and grab some more rocks. I would like to attract toads to our yard because they are just so cute. Right now though, it looks sad still. Lol. It’ll be spruced up soon. I am going to add some hostas behind the wood logs, and then ferns and smaller plants closer to the water area. I didn’t want a giant pond to maintain, but I was reading that we just needed a small water feature so we went for petite. So this is our petite bijou toad abode. I am also getting a small water aerator (it should be here tomorrow!) to keep it not super gross or stagnant, because mosquitoes…

Yesterday I met my besties (minus one) plus baby for lunch! It has been ages and ages since I had lunch out with them and we had such a fantastic time. I got there early and made sure we got a table in the shade for the Bebe, and by the time everyone arrived I was starving!! Lol. I ordered an avocado three cheese sandwich with a side of brussels sprouts and it was delicious. But the main attraction of lunch was this wee one. Her first girls lunch! She will be two months on Thursday and she was so funny. Her mother had thought she would nap during lunch, but instead she wanted to be part of the group and action. We all had a great time.

And that is about it for this morning! I hope you all had a good weekend!

My Sunday-Monday Post!

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized41 Comments

My Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date

Happy Mother’s Day! I hope everyone has a lovely day! The sun is shining here, I have a hot coffee, a little chatty boy with hair in his eyes, and my husband making breakfast. Billy just asked what I wanted to do for Mother’s Day and quite honestly, I am content with this. I would like to get our outdoor furniture out of storage and put in back and build a toad habitat in the backyard though, so maybe we will do that too. And of course, we are going to see our own mothers for mother’s day so that will be nice as well!

What I Have Been Reading:

I have been reading all over the place lately. I was having a hard time finding something I could really get into. I’ve started and not finished so many books these past two weeks! A few I am keeping to finish up, but the rest I am marking DNF. And, I did finish one!

I am halfway through the Moth Keeper, and it is a beautiful book. The illustrations are gorgeous but I have actually never read a graphic novel this long before so it is a new experience, and sort of a strange one for me. I do plan on finishing it but it has been sitting neglected on my nightstand for a while now.

I abandoned The Wild and Free Family. I loved The Call of the Wild and Free by the same author, but this one was not what I was expecting and really not what I was looking for. There was a lot more talk about healing past trauma, etc then I was prepared for and it wasn’t what I wanted from this book. So, I am not finishing it.

Mandy is cute, I just haven’t picked it back up after getting halfway through. When I need something quick to read and light and easy I will grab it again.

Finally, Thornyhold! The book I actually did finish. Mary Stewart is a favorite of mine and I think after reading The White Hare by Jane Johnson I was in the mood for another like it – so Thornyhold it was! I have read it before so it is definitely a comfort read.

Currently Reading:

So far I am pretty immersed in this one! It is a bit rambly and I am not sure if I like the writing style, but I am enjoying the overall story and the descriptions that remind me of my own youth in the 90s. Lol. Plus, true crime and podcasts!

Posted the Last Two Weeks:

The Spring of Cary Grant: Holiday

Mini-Trip Part 1

Mini-Trip Part 2

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas for Mother Nature Lovers

Book Review: Shady Hollow by Juneau Black

Tuesday Morning Coffee Catch Up

Watching/Listening:

We haven’t watched too much this week. Billy was busy late every single night this week which was not fun for either of us so we didn’t have a whole lot of television time. Brokenwood is back on, and we love that so we are definitely watching that. When we need something fun and camp, we have been watching Murdoch Mysteries. We also watch at least one episode of Newhart a night, and it cracks me up because Wyatt loves watching it with us too. Lol. And then of course, we watched Holiday with Cary Grant.

I have been listening to more audiobooks lately! I have been picking them up to listen to from Libby, Hoopla, and Scribd. A few weeks ago I mentioned I was listening to Braiding Sweetgrass and I highly recommend listening to it then reading it. I don’t have one I am listening to right now but I plan on looking today for a new one to listen to. Sometimes I like to read and listen to the same book, if it is available. I can read when I am able to read, and then listen while I do chores around the house or before bed quietly, resting my eyes and body.

And that is about it from around here! I hope all is well in your world!

The Spring of Cary Grant: Holiday

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn movies, the spring of cary grant7 Comments

So when Lisa at Boondock Ramblings told me she was going to do a Spring of Cary Grant, I knew I wanted in on it. She introduced me to the legend that is Grant last fall, and I am woefully behind on his films. So I am tagging along on her journey, posting along with her as well.

I got behind though, and Lisa was gracious enough to allow me the time to catch up! We started Holiday last week, then didn’t finish it before our trip, then when we got home things were crazy busy, so we finally finished it last night (and just ended up watching the whole thing again because I can’t just go back to the middle of a movie and start watching again). So this post was supposed to be up last Thursday! But better late than never!

This one was a hit in our house! Billy declared it his favorite, while I am still deciding if I like it better than To Catch a Thief. But it makes sense that Billy loved this one, because Billy is a bit like Cary Grant’s character, Johnny Case. A bit silly, a bit of a free spirit, a guy who likes a good time. And Johnny is a good time guy, no doubt.

The movie begins and Johnny is wildly in love with a woman named Julia, and is head over heels for her dimples. They met on a trip and fell madly in love and decided to get married. But Johnny still needs to talk with Julia’s family and when he shows up to their house, is knocked off his feet in a different way by their wealth and enormous museum of a house, impressed but also..not impressed if that makes sense. He meets Julia’s sister Linda first, played by Katherine Hepburn, and the two instantly hit it off. There is a bunch of coming and going with Johnny and where he is and he ends up in the room designated the playroom with Linda. The playroom is an ordinary room, an oasis of normalcy in the palatial fancy mansion. And it is so cozy and just normal, with a blazing fireplace and comfortable couches, as well as musical instruments and yes, leftover childhood toys. Linda explains that her late mother wanted a room that was a room that could be comfortable and a retreat, and it is evident that the playroom is Linda’s favorite room in the whole gigundo house.

Linda and Johnny get to spend some time in the room getting to know each other while waiting for Julia to talk her father about her intention to marry Johnny. The difference in financial status might get messy though, and Linda and Julia know it. However, Johnny is good at his job, and so Julia has high hopes that her father will see his potential and give him a job. Then they can settle down and live a nice, upperclass, privileged life together just as she wants. However, is that what Johnny wants?

Linda knows Johnny’s heart way better than Julia does. She knows that the life Julia has in mind is not the same as Johnny’s plan for life. He wants to be a free spirit, he wants to explore and wander and have fun, and make only the money he needs. He is not a slave to the almighty dollar with aspirations of wealth. It is quite evident to the audience and most of the other characters that Linda is in love with Johnny, and that the two are way more well suited than Johnny and Julia. Linda is the black sheep of the family, and we see that Julia and her dad dismiss her as silly most of the time, behind her back.

Linda loves her sister though, and after their dad approves the marriage, requests that she throw the engagement party, just something small and intimate, not a big to-do. She tells Julia that if she is not allowed to do this, then she won’t attend the big party. Well, Julia and her dad sort of poo-poo this idea of Linda’s, and plan to have a big party anyway. And true to her word, Linda doesn’t attend, despite it embarrassing Julia. Linda instead hides out in the playroom with Johnny’s good friends the Nick and Susan Potter, Linda and Julia’s brother drunk brother Ned, and finally Johnny as well.

Anyway, long story short. Julia wants Johnny to give up his life. Johnny wants Julia to give up hers. Neither want to, and the two break up and Johnny leaves on a cruise (that he tried to get Julia to go on). Linda realizes that Julia doesn’t love Johnny at all, and knows this is her chance to escape her gilded prison and see the world with the man she loves. So she runs out to chase down her man. It was pretty clear that Johnny had been feeling the same confused feelings and in the end, the right two characters end up together.

I feel like Julia’s hat here should have tipped us off right from the beginning about her true nature.

Katharine Hepburn is fantastic in this movie. She is simply insanely gorgeous too. Damn. Cary Grant was so saucy in this movie as well – so much physical humor and fooling around and carefree. I loved it. He has such a range, doesn’t he? And apparently so does Hepburn, because I didn’t know she was so funny!

So what would you do? If you had a chance to live a life of wealth and privilege but had to give up your dreams to do so, would you? In my twenties I was totally Johnny. Forget about settling down and wanting stability, enjoy youth while we can, that was Billy and I in our twenties, so we would probably have 100% turned down any offer that did not align with our world view. In our 40s? Hmmm. That would take a little more consideration…. lol.

We loved this one, and we are looking forward to the next in the line-up, Petticoat Junction!

Lisa’s post is here! I am grateful she allowed me time to catch up since I am enjoying these posts and I didn’t want to be too behind! Katja from Breath of Hallelujah is also joining in, and her post can be found here!

Mini-Trip: Part 2 – Wolves!

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn travel21 Comments

I left off yesterday just as I got to the wolves, because this part of the trip deserve its own post.

I had made reservations for Wolf Park way way back at the beginning of the year. Our original plan was to go for Wyatt’s birthday trip and as his gift – however, Wyatt ended up having three emergency shunt revisions instead. Both the Airbnb and Wolf Park rescheduled our dates for us and were amazing to work with. I had purchased the insurance for the Airbnb on a whim, and I am glad that I had that little nudge from within to do that because otherwise I would not have been able to do so. Anyway, our trip changed from March to May, and to be quite honest, the weather was a million times better than it would have been, although we could have done without the surgeries obviously!

Wolf Park was started in 1972 by Dr. Klinghammer who wanted to study and research wolves’ behavior, and create a dictionary of human to wolf behaviors, called an ethogram. Over the years, the methods and research has continued to evolve and grow, and the park is currently home to six wolves, a herd of bison, two red foxes, two gray foxes, and a box turtle named Clementine! There is also acres and acres of protected land surrounding the Park, and this is home to many other wild species of birds and animals.

In addition to all of the scientific observation and conservation efforts, Wolf Park is open to the public, so that we all may learn more about these magnificent creatures, become wildlife advocates, and to dispel the myth of the “big bad wolf”. They offer so many different programs, from the evening wolf howls, photography tours, field trips, birthday parties, bison tours, and private tours, as well as many more. Because Wyatt loves wolves and this was his gift, we made reservations at the wolf howl in the evening, and then also a private tour.

Our first event up was the wolf howl! Guests have the option to explore the grounds, shop in the gift shop, poke about in the buildings, and hike a little on the trail in certain areas before the program starts, which we did. We stopped and looked at the foxes and I exclaimed over how adorable they are, we ducked into the nature center building where we learned about the different wolf howls, depending on the number of wolves (solo, duet, rally, chorus). Then we decided to check out the seating, since kiddo was in his wheelchair. They have stadium type bleachers in front of where the program is held, but also had a few regular benches as well, and those worked perfectly for us. Then we just had to wait for it to start! Waiting was way easier than it normally would have been, because the wolves were front and center, walking a path around the front of the enclosure, getting ready for their demonstration and the howl. And probably the treats they knew they were about to get!

Want to see the wolves?

The howl started with educating the crowd a bit on wolves, wolf behavior, wolf howls, and what they do at the park. It was very interesting, but Wyatt loved when the howling began, as did just about every other kid (and maybe adult!) there. Sometimes the wolves howl, sometimes they don’t. It just depends on their mood, and when we were there, the wolf in front of us, Khewa, was giving a low howl, and it was so adorable. She was so close to us that we were clearly able to hear her.

We ended up leaving half an hour early, but not because it was boring, but because Wyatt was tiring out and we still had an hour drive back to our rental – then we had to get up early and do the drive all over again! That was ok though, because the next day was our private tour!!

After a solid night of sleep and dreams full of wolves, we returned to the park for our private tour. Nikki, our education docent, met us at the door and they were all ready for my little guy. Since we were the only people there, we were able to just leave his wheelchair in the gift shop while we were on the tour, since the gravel path was too much for its wheels. However, Nikki had secured the use of a golf cart (also reservable with the tour) and had it all backed up and waiting for our little family. We were all so excited, but no one was as excited as Wyatt.

Wyatt is a loud kid, but only with people he loves and trusts. Generally, when he is with new people or in new situations he is pretty shy and quiet. So that is what Billy and I expected when we booked this tour. We were absolutely shocked however when Wyatt was a wild child on this tour. I think Wyatt just had a lot of excitement going on! He loved the golf cart, he loved Nikki, and would not stop trying to talk to her and stand up to be near her. He seriously did not pay too much attention to the tour, but Billy and I did and it was fascinating. Nikki drove us around all the enclosures, stopped and shared information, answered our endless questions, and handled Wyatt’s chatter all very well. She definitely has a gift not just for animals but with children as well, the sign of a very good person in my opinion. She gave off just a very calm, upbeat vibe. Nikki was brought in to work with the bison, so they are her favorites on the property. We learned not just a lot about the wolves, but also about bison! It was really cool.

Our tour finished up at the foxes and with Clementine. When we pulled up at the foxes, we were just in time for the keepers to work with them so we got to watch the feeding and working demonstrations and I loved it!! Wyatt could not get over how stinky they were, because dang, foxes stink y’all. Very musky. We also got to see Clementine and learn about box turtles!

What a great place to work!

After our tour we shopped, and since we were the only people there, had the shop to ourselves which was neat too. We picked a few souvenirs for ourselves and then for our four nieces as well.

Overall, this was 100% worth the effort and money spent, even if Wyatt did not get the “full experience”. He was just so very overstimulated and excited I think by being there, but it is still an experience he will remember forever, his vacation with the wolves. Billy and I got a lot out of the tour, which was amazing and I highly highly recommend booking the private tour if you are visiting, especially if you are driving a distance to get there. If we lived in the area, this is a place that we would visit all the time and probably visit for all the fun different events they have, like the upcoming picnic and the more seasonal holiday type events, as well as the howls.

The staff was amazing, from start to finish, including when I was emailing back and forth to ask about accommodations for Wyatt, rescheduling, and then finalizing our reservations. Just a great all around experience!!!

You can see the wolves and other ambassadors here, and then explore the website for more information, because if you are a wolf lover, or know one, then this place is a definite must visit!

You can read about the first part of our trip here.