TravelingMel

Yesterday it snowed. I love snow as much as the next person, maybe more, but it did make me regret putting tomato and basil starts in the garden. I knew it was too early, but I wanted it to work. I think the tomatoes will pull through in their capsules of Wall O Waters. The basil, despite the green tubes, is probably a goner. No big deal, I'll wait until Memorial Day and plant more.

Experimental tomatoes and basil stand strong (I hope)in the storm.

The real bad news that arrived yesterday is our VW Passat needs a new motor. Even replacing it with an used motor will cost about $6,000. (I did not add an extra zero, that's the actual price; if you want to throw up a little go ahead.) The car is worth about $7,500, so I don't see us fixing it.

Part of me is glad that we will be a one vehicle household. Less expenses, less impact on the environment. Part of me is sad to give up the freedom to go where I want, when I want. There will be some shuffling, but we'll figure it out. And we can always rent a car for a day with all the money we are saving.

What sucks (sorry, mom), is that we had tossed around the idea of selling the car before it broke down and padding our coffers.

Anyhoo...I was feeling kind of down when a package arrived from my good friend Tiny Jen. Inside was a book:

Seeds! Seeds! Seeds! by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace

The book is about a little bear that gets a package from his gramps. Inside are five seed-related activities that help him learn about seeds, germination and life.

In addition to the book, Tiny Jen packed the stuff we needed to do the same activities as Buddy Bear. How freakin' cute is that? I just love seed activities and I LOVE Tiny Jen. I know it was technically for Anders (just like our ant farm), and he will have so much fun with it, but I'm going to have even more fun.

So much fun and potential in a little package, just like a seed.

It really brightened by car-saddened day to get that.

Anders asked, "Will you take a picture of I and Finn eating muffins?". Of course, I will.

** Did you know that if you click through one of my Amazon links and buy something from the site I get a (very) small commission? It's true. So, next time you want to make an Amazon purchase consider coming here or to Your Wild Child and clicking through--you don't even have to buy what I linked to. You know I need the money for a new car

Before we flew from winter to spring I knew we had to find ways to entertain the boys on the airplanes. I wanted to bring markers, but needed a handy way to carry and organize them. I looked on esty for a marker holder (a plastic bag just wasn't going to cut it). I saw a couple, but knew my friend Jeannine could make an even cuter one, plus I'd rather buy something from a friend than a random stranger. She agreed to make two for us.

You put the markers in...

...and then roll them up. Nice and secure, plus super cute.

I'll have to get some pictures of Finn's, too. Now we need to do lots and lots of traveling.

I'm sure you remember the awesome video H and I made as an application for "The Best Job in the World". You may also remember that I sent it in 30 seconds too late and was disqualified.

H's good friend, Tollini, recently sent him this piece of news. The dude who got the job got stung by a tiny jellyfish and almost died. Not sure they can call it "The Best Job in the World" now.

The man who landed what was dubbed "the best job in the world" as the caretaker on a tropical island off Australia has been stung by a lethal jellyfish.

Briton Ben Southall, who beat 34,000 applicants to secure the position, was stung during his last week in the job.

The culprit was the peanut-sized Irukandji jellyfish, whose venomous sting can be lethal.

In his blog, which he keeps as part of his job, he describes the incident as "a little sting on the beach".

But it was his progressive symptoms of fever, headache, lower back pain, chest tightness and high blood pressure that led doctors to diagnose the sting.

"I thought I'd done particularly well at avoiding any contact with any of the dangerous critters that consider this part of the world their home," Mr Southall writes in the latest update to his online diary.

"I've avoided being boxed by a kangaroo, nibbled by a shark and bitten by a spider or a snake - but then in my final few days on Hamilton Island I fell foul of a miniscule little creature known as an Irukandji," his blog continues.

The jellyfish - which struck as he descended from a jet-ski - is virtually invisible to the naked eye and can be deadly - in 2002 two tourists died after being stung.

It is so small it can pass through the nets that protect popular swimming spots in Queensland from larger jellyfish.

But Mr Southall - who has fully recovered after a dose of antibiotics and rest - admitted that he had been inadequately dressed for the excursion.

"It's not something to be messed around with. I really should have been wearing a full stinger suit, as is recommended at all beaches here this time of year," he said.

Mr Southall, 34, a charity fundraiser from Hampshire had to undergo a gruelling selection process to get the A$150,000 ($134,000) role - including swimming, snorkelling and one-to-one interviews.

Trees and branches litter the entire town of Livingston after Monday's storm. Up and down every street the parkways are filled with brush. After most of the snow had melted, Anders and I took a little walk around the block to survey the damage.

Some of the branches from our tree. Note the trees across the street.

Eighth Street.

The sidewalk on Lewis.

Heading up Ninth Street.

A little break to play in the snow.

Mogie: Anders, will you please teach Finn to talk? I'd like to have a conversation with him.

Anders: You say "ba ba ba ba".