Feeling gloomy this Monday morning.
I could easily climb back into bed and pull the covers over my head for the rest of the day - if only I didn't have to work.
Totally blaming it on the weather.
I look at the calendar, and see that it's May - but there is no actual evidence to support that assumption.
Blah.
I'm so tired of wind and rain and COLD!
A little springtime please, before summer comes in with a vengeance?
A few celebrations this week - Saturday was our 34th anniversary, hubby and I.
We usually head down south for a weekend vacation - but due to the downslide in the economy (the nations AND ours...) we spent a quiet holiday at home.
Believe it or not, I actually got him to scrapbook with me for the day on Friday. We enjoyed it too - (and nobody died!)
Yesterday was my youngest daughter's Seminary graduation. Came home and spent the entire day in the kitchen to serve an early lunch, but it was worth it just to see my baby shine.
Sat between the grans during the ceremony, enjoying loves from each - moments that I live for...
Later, while we were visiting, we caught Jeff's 2 year old eating the Nestle's Strawberry Quick right out of the container.
A little hyper tonight? ...Sorry.
Rumors going around that Ghost Whisperer is being cancelled this year.
That would be a sad day for our household - it's the only show we can all sit down and watch as a family.
)The girls and I like the ghost stories - I think hubby just likes Jennifer Love Hewitt.)
Back to the real world now, schlepping fabric to the masses.
x.o
Tah!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Finale
Endings are so bittersweet.
Yesterday we attended # 2 grand daughter's graduation from pre school.
She was so cute and proud - she's such a little lady.
Miles to go from here - but she'll do great. She's already reading, so the sky is the limit!
Miss Moo
Last night was also my youngest's final choir concert.
They should have charged for awesomeness, because they really rocked the house!
They just got back from the choir competition in Anaheim, where they took 4 gold medals and 4 trophies - sweepstakes winners being one of them.
Wow. It really showed last night, they were amazing!
Yenny girl - front & center
As we were leaving, grandma T made the comment that our baby will be the last grandchild to attend this school.
It's true - she's ending a long family tradition here.
She's also the end of my legacy - long list of lasts for me...
Payson High Concert Choir
.
Yesterday we attended # 2 grand daughter's graduation from pre school.
She was so cute and proud - she's such a little lady.
Miles to go from here - but she'll do great. She's already reading, so the sky is the limit!
Miss Moo
Last night was also my youngest's final choir concert.
They should have charged for awesomeness, because they really rocked the house!
They just got back from the choir competition in Anaheim, where they took 4 gold medals and 4 trophies - sweepstakes winners being one of them.
Wow. It really showed last night, they were amazing!
Yenny girl - front & center
As we were leaving, grandma T made the comment that our baby will be the last grandchild to attend this school.
It's true - she's ending a long family tradition here.
She's also the end of my legacy - long list of lasts for me...
Payson High Concert Choir
.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Salutations
It's been a quiet week here in Grannyland.
I've been busy trying to get photos from my trip tucked away in the scrapbooks.
Problems with that are many - broke the bank to print the photos - and that was only half of them.
Spent hours setting up the work station, only to find I lack something... the basic background papers to put them on.
...Two hours spent at the scrapbook store, trying to make decisions.
Finally ready to work - but no ideas pop into the head... two more hours searching for idea books.
By the time I was ready to go, the family was coming home, and had to leave it for other things.
Such is life.
(I did get 6 pages done this week, so that's something - right?)
...And I finally finished the above card. Just in time to put it all away for the weekend.
Today is a work day. Another day, another dollar.
(Quite literally. *Sigh*)
Happy Friday :-)
.
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Road Trip
My road trip with my sisters this past week was so much fun! We saw so many amazing things - and so many others that we still want to see... (road trip the sequel?)
I fell in love with Arizona all over again (or should I say for the first time?) ...I never thought it was pretty when I was a kid.
Background: My parents were both from Arizona. They moved to Utah when my dad decided to go to Utah State. He finished school and found employment here, and we have been here ever since.
The rest of both of their families stayed in Arizona, so all of our Summer vacations were spent there. My oldest sister was there in the Arizona days, so she was our link to that era.
I never lived there - but still have many memories of the place...
Anyway, the purpose of our trip was to attend the open house for the new LDS Temple in Central. (Dad's birthplace.)
We decided on the way down to stop and see some of the sights that we had always wanted to see. (Dad was always on a tight schedule to visit people "back in the day," so we never stopped to sight see.)
We stopped at Camp Verde - a military outpost from the 1800's. It's a museum now, and was an interesting place - lots to see, and the views were so incredible - Beautiful country!
Camp Verde
Seriously the coolest headdress I have ever seen!
After that, we stopped at Montezuma's Castle. It was totally different than what I always imagined it would be.
They were cliff dwellings, in the most beautiful peaceful valley - I can understand why the residents stayed there for 300 years...
(Although how they got up there to build it boggles the mind!)
Motezuma's Castle
By the time we arrived in Central, it was dark - but we had to drive by the temple anyway... In fact, we got lost trying to circle it.
(*Hint - there is no road that goes around the temple - we ended up in some poor unsuspecting fellow's driveway.) Luckily, he was a very nice man, and we had a fun chat with him and his cat. :-)
The next day we did the temple tour. We met lots of nice people who were (almost) as excited to be there as we were.
As you can see, the weather wasn't very cooperative. The wind blew the whole time (no such thing as good hair days!) ...and it was COLD!
(Where do AZ natives keep the warm during the day?)
This was the view out of one of the windows at our hotel.
I had to get a picture because it just spoke to me of my dad - the Arizona cowboy.
We filled the rest of the day visiting museums, past homes, and cemeteries (sadly, that's where most of the relatives are now.)
It was fun to see that some of our old family photos were in the museum (which was in my sister's elementary school building.)
We have an aunt and uncle who are still living in the area, so we stopped to say "hi." They were in good shape, considering that he is 99 and she is 97!
The next day we drove up to Heber. We took a different route, so we were able to drive through Sunset Crater and walk around the Wupatki ruins.
For some reason I always thought Sunset Crater was a single crater created by a meteor. I wasn't even close. What it actually is, is a series of small volcanoes.
Sunset Crater
Ruins
Canyon
We drove around Heber while sis told us stories about that location. It was so nice to have her there to fill in the blanks from that time. I have a sister buried there.
We spent the night, then drove around Snowflake the following day.
There is a Temple there now too. (Amazing!) We found a helpful grounds maintenance person who took the only photo of the 3 of us together. :-)
We could easily have spent a couple more days, but it was time to get home.
It got dark around Kanab, and everyone was tired and quiet, so I asked my sis if she knew any good ghost stories.
That opened a whole can of worms that probably should have been left alone on a dark road in the middle of the night...
I'm getting to wordy and boring - long story short - I'm home again - and planning the next adventure...
.
I fell in love with Arizona all over again (or should I say for the first time?) ...I never thought it was pretty when I was a kid.
Background: My parents were both from Arizona. They moved to Utah when my dad decided to go to Utah State. He finished school and found employment here, and we have been here ever since.
The rest of both of their families stayed in Arizona, so all of our Summer vacations were spent there. My oldest sister was there in the Arizona days, so she was our link to that era.
I never lived there - but still have many memories of the place...
Anyway, the purpose of our trip was to attend the open house for the new LDS Temple in Central. (Dad's birthplace.)
We decided on the way down to stop and see some of the sights that we had always wanted to see. (Dad was always on a tight schedule to visit people "back in the day," so we never stopped to sight see.)
We stopped at Camp Verde - a military outpost from the 1800's. It's a museum now, and was an interesting place - lots to see, and the views were so incredible - Beautiful country!
Camp Verde
Seriously the coolest headdress I have ever seen!
After that, we stopped at Montezuma's Castle. It was totally different than what I always imagined it would be.
They were cliff dwellings, in the most beautiful peaceful valley - I can understand why the residents stayed there for 300 years...
(Although how they got up there to build it boggles the mind!)
Motezuma's Castle
By the time we arrived in Central, it was dark - but we had to drive by the temple anyway... In fact, we got lost trying to circle it.
(*Hint - there is no road that goes around the temple - we ended up in some poor unsuspecting fellow's driveway.) Luckily, he was a very nice man, and we had a fun chat with him and his cat. :-)
The next day we did the temple tour. We met lots of nice people who were (almost) as excited to be there as we were.
As you can see, the weather wasn't very cooperative. The wind blew the whole time (no such thing as good hair days!) ...and it was COLD!
(Where do AZ natives keep the warm during the day?)
This was the view out of one of the windows at our hotel.
I had to get a picture because it just spoke to me of my dad - the Arizona cowboy.
We filled the rest of the day visiting museums, past homes, and cemeteries (sadly, that's where most of the relatives are now.)
It was fun to see that some of our old family photos were in the museum (which was in my sister's elementary school building.)
We have an aunt and uncle who are still living in the area, so we stopped to say "hi." They were in good shape, considering that he is 99 and she is 97!
The next day we drove up to Heber. We took a different route, so we were able to drive through Sunset Crater and walk around the Wupatki ruins.
For some reason I always thought Sunset Crater was a single crater created by a meteor. I wasn't even close. What it actually is, is a series of small volcanoes.
Sunset Crater
Ruins
Canyon
We drove around Heber while sis told us stories about that location. It was so nice to have her there to fill in the blanks from that time. I have a sister buried there.
We spent the night, then drove around Snowflake the following day.
There is a Temple there now too. (Amazing!) We found a helpful grounds maintenance person who took the only photo of the 3 of us together. :-)
We could easily have spent a couple more days, but it was time to get home.
It got dark around Kanab, and everyone was tired and quiet, so I asked my sis if she knew any good ghost stories.
That opened a whole can of worms that probably should have been left alone on a dark road in the middle of the night...
I'm getting to wordy and boring - long story short - I'm home again - and planning the next adventure...
.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Snowbird
I'm outta here - yesterday's news - gone.
My sister has arranged an impromptu trip down south where (I hope) the sun is shining, so I'm blowing this cold and dreary place for a few days.
Making a pilgrimage to the place of my family's origins...
Tell you all about it when I get back.
My sister has arranged an impromptu trip down south where (I hope) the sun is shining, so I'm blowing this cold and dreary place for a few days.
Making a pilgrimage to the place of my family's origins...
Tell you all about it when I get back.
Friday, April 23, 2010
*Poof*
You can always tell that good weather is here, because everyone immediately disappears from their computers.
It's been another quiet week here - (love it!)...and I've just been puttering and trying to get a little spring cleaning done.
It went from winter to spring overnight, so I'm feeling like I need to get my gardens planned in a real quick fast hurry.
Don't want to miss out on planting one again this year - I love having my own veggies out back, and the flower beds could sure use a remodel.
Wonder if I can talk the grans into helping...
Work is slowing way down too.
It's amazing how fast people abandon indoor hobbies when the sun comes around.
I've been cut back again - from 3-4 shifts per week, to one or two!
I'm ok with it for now, because I have so much I want to get done, but it will sure make a dent if it goes on this way for long.
Any-who...
Just touching bases, 'cuz it's been a while.
You may have noticed (if you were one of the 2 people who ever looked at it - LOL!) that I have closed my crafty blog. I just haven't been doing enough to warrant keeping it up lately. I know how aggravating it can be to keep looking and never seeing any change. Sorry about that - I'm currently searching for my butt-n-gear. It must be around here somewhere? (Probably hiding out somewhere with my give-a-darn! LOL!)
Seriously though - I've been struggling a bit with the old identity. Not really sure who this middle aged granny person is, not the same one I used to be who loved trying new things and being crafty into the wee hours...
Got the weekend off for a change, hope it's a good one!
.
It's been another quiet week here - (love it!)...and I've just been puttering and trying to get a little spring cleaning done.
It went from winter to spring overnight, so I'm feeling like I need to get my gardens planned in a real quick fast hurry.
Don't want to miss out on planting one again this year - I love having my own veggies out back, and the flower beds could sure use a remodel.
Wonder if I can talk the grans into helping...
Work is slowing way down too.
It's amazing how fast people abandon indoor hobbies when the sun comes around.
I've been cut back again - from 3-4 shifts per week, to one or two!
I'm ok with it for now, because I have so much I want to get done, but it will sure make a dent if it goes on this way for long.
Any-who...
Just touching bases, 'cuz it's been a while.
You may have noticed (if you were one of the 2 people who ever looked at it - LOL!) that I have closed my crafty blog. I just haven't been doing enough to warrant keeping it up lately. I know how aggravating it can be to keep looking and never seeing any change. Sorry about that - I'm currently searching for my butt-n-gear. It must be around here somewhere? (Probably hiding out somewhere with my give-a-darn! LOL!)
Seriously though - I've been struggling a bit with the old identity. Not really sure who this middle aged granny person is, not the same one I used to be who loved trying new things and being crafty into the wee hours...
Got the weekend off for a change, hope it's a good one!
.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Milestones
It's tax day, which is always a bitter / sweet day around here...
Bitter, for obvious reasons, but also sweet because it is the birthday of my darling daughter Melissa.
This year is one of those "milestone" years for her.
We chatted about it the other night, and it seems like she's in a good place about it. Life hasn't turned out exactly how she planned, but she's content.
I'm so grateful for her - she's an awesome daughter - better than I deserve.
Happy Birthday Baby!
.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
~Closed~
Do you ever have one of those days where you just want to lock the door and hang a sign that says "This life canceled due to lack of interest"?
...yeah.
.
...yeah.
.
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Homeward Bound
I've been on vacation this week. Good times, good times.
My son and his family are here with us, and we've had fun hiking and sight seeing with them.
We came to the desert to escape the cold, but it's been pretty chilly here.
The wind hasn't stopped blowing, and, well, it could have been nicer - but according to the news, we'll be going home to 9 inches of snow tomorrow.
*Sigh* I'll take the wind.
We did some hiking today, and it was lots of fun, but I can see that granny needs to get in better shape before good weather is here to stay...
I had to come back and have a 3 hour nap.
(Ok, I'll blame part of that on the allergy meds, but still...)
I wasted valuable time snoring while everyone else went off and did their thing.
Hubby had someone hack into his bank account just before we left (luckily, the bank caught it and froze it.)
But my card isn't working today. (Different bank, different account.)
What goes on out there anyway? Can't a hard working slob save up to have a little fun any more without being burgled at every opportunity?
Sheesh.
All else is well, we're heading home tomorrow. Sure wish I could bring these palm trees with me.
.
My son and his family are here with us, and we've had fun hiking and sight seeing with them.
We came to the desert to escape the cold, but it's been pretty chilly here.
The wind hasn't stopped blowing, and, well, it could have been nicer - but according to the news, we'll be going home to 9 inches of snow tomorrow.
*Sigh* I'll take the wind.
We did some hiking today, and it was lots of fun, but I can see that granny needs to get in better shape before good weather is here to stay...
I had to come back and have a 3 hour nap.
(Ok, I'll blame part of that on the allergy meds, but still...)
I wasted valuable time snoring while everyone else went off and did their thing.
Hubby had someone hack into his bank account just before we left (luckily, the bank caught it and froze it.)
But my card isn't working today. (Different bank, different account.)
What goes on out there anyway? Can't a hard working slob save up to have a little fun any more without being burgled at every opportunity?
Sheesh.
All else is well, we're heading home tomorrow. Sure wish I could bring these palm trees with me.
.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
The Quest for Joy
A couple of weeks ago, I sent my writing buddy a couple of chapters of a story my son is writing for her critique. Her first comment was;
"He likes writing more than you do - doesn't he?'
That comment made me laugh out loud at first, (because it's just so true,) but the conversation that followed got pretty deep.
Basically she said to me; "if you don't enjoy doing it, then why do it?" She told me to find what it is I love and pursue that instead. ...But that's the whole problem - I don't know what I would enjoy doing anymore.
Back in the day, it was always crystal clear to me what
I loved, and I couldn't help myself from going after it.
Challenges? Bring 'em on - I loved it!
...But I'm just at a weird place in life now - all those things that I used to love, I've been there - done that - either eliminated it, or peaked at it, and am on the downhill slide.
I can't stand that. If I can't be excellent at something any more - I don't want to do it.
In a nutshell, I've lost the passion for it.
So, where does that leave me now?
My friend suggested taking classes, and trying new things... The question is, what is there left for me to try?
- But, at least that little conversation stirred me to ask myself "What is it that would bring me joy in life?"
And I've made a vow to myself to dig deep and try to find it - whatever it might be.
...So, off I go on that quest for joy - I may fall off my horse a few times, and have to joust a few windmills, but if I die trying, at least I will have something to show for my life besides all my properties and farms on facebook. (Ha ha)
Speaking of all that time I have - I am really learning to enjoy that.
I live for the peaceful hours when everyone is at work and school, and I can govern my own hours any way I want.
I have never been one who liked to be stuck home alone all the time - I would rather go and see and do - but I am learning to cherish the quiet and the freedom.
(Good thing, because I'm too poor to shop and too lazy to do anything else! LOL)
I could truly love every aspect of it.... if it weren't for the fact that hubby is working two jobs, and getting none of the rest and peace that I have. It just makes me feel so darn guilty.
Life is out of balance, and it's so not fair.
Enough for today - off in search of dragons. Sancho, bring me my horse...
.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Girl's Day Out
It's sure nice to break out and just have some girl time now & then.
My daughter in law and her sister took me with them to Scrapbook USA this weekend.
It's getting to be a tradition a couple of times a year. I had planned to be good and not buy much, but it was so hard to resist all the good deals they had!
We shopped until we dropped. (And yet, I still have a little cash in the bank, can you believe it?)
On the way home, we stopped off at IKEA.
It was a first for me - I could have easily played "kid in a candy store" there. (But then, where would I put anything else in this house? LOL)
Lots of fun stuff though, and lunch to boot!
Not much else new here...
My old high school class is gathering on facebook. It's so fun to see how many of them are jumping on the bandwagon and re-living old memories. I've found a couple of my good friends - I have missed them so much! (And they are still crazy after all these years!) Good times.
The nice weather has put me in a "Spring Cleaning" mood. It's time to de-junk, unclutter, and scrub the winter blahs away. (Have you seen those teasers for the TV show about hoarders? *Shudder* not going there, I swear!)
If I come up missing again, that's where I'll be...
(Cleaning, not buried under rubble - I hope.)
Well, I've been to church, had my nap, and the girls are cooking my dinner. Does life get better than this?
Happy Sunday
.
.
My daughter in law and her sister took me with them to Scrapbook USA this weekend.
It's getting to be a tradition a couple of times a year. I had planned to be good and not buy much, but it was so hard to resist all the good deals they had!
We shopped until we dropped. (And yet, I still have a little cash in the bank, can you believe it?)
On the way home, we stopped off at IKEA.
It was a first for me - I could have easily played "kid in a candy store" there. (But then, where would I put anything else in this house? LOL)
Lots of fun stuff though, and lunch to boot!
Not much else new here...
My old high school class is gathering on facebook. It's so fun to see how many of them are jumping on the bandwagon and re-living old memories. I've found a couple of my good friends - I have missed them so much! (And they are still crazy after all these years!) Good times.
The nice weather has put me in a "Spring Cleaning" mood. It's time to de-junk, unclutter, and scrub the winter blahs away. (Have you seen those teasers for the TV show about hoarders? *Shudder* not going there, I swear!)
If I come up missing again, that's where I'll be...
(Cleaning, not buried under rubble - I hope.)
Well, I've been to church, had my nap, and the girls are cooking my dinner. Does life get better than this?
Happy Sunday
.
.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
The Best Laid Plans...
For a day that started out with a clear plan of what was to come, things couldn't have gone more awry. Tuesday, I spent the entire day sorting and organizing my scrapbook paper, so today, I decided, would be a good day to actually use some.
When I cleaned up yesterday, I purposely left out some pre-cut cards that I found, and some of my 6x6 paper pads, and proclaimed St. Pat's day as "Card-a-palooza."
I was going to create something from the mess as a reward for all my hard work.
But, by the time I was up and dressed and done with my morning routine, my youngest was home for lunch.
She took a phone call just after she got in, and had her plans totally crushed by her friend, reducing her to a sobbing mess.
This has been a rough year for her. Besides the fact that it's spring, and Senior-itis is at it's all time high, she's having some serious growing pains too.
She's having to make those tough rest-of-your-life affecting decisions, and learning that life as an adult is a little more complicated than she imagined.
Today's situation was a pretty sad one. I couldn't stand to see her cry, so I grabbed the keys and told her to get in the car. We went to lunch, then I offered her a choice of going shopping or just for a drive.
Seeing as how we are both financially embarrassed (as my neighbor always calls it,) and she wasn't in the mood to mingle with the public, she opted for the latter.
We headed up through BYU campus and around the Temple, then up into the hills above (the high rent district,) and ooohed and ahhhed at the mansions there.
Then on a whim I decided that today was the day for the "Mommy tour".
I've been telling her for years (or threatening?) that I was going to take her around the town where I grew up someday, and tell her about my childhood.
(Hey, somebody's got to document it, right?) So, we did that.
Sadly, there are aren't many landmarks still standing, but it was fun to show her some of the places I used to roam.
We visited my birthplace, homes, schools and church buildings and visited my brother's grave. Then we drove up the canyon a little way (until the snow got deep, and we feared the road would end.)
That was the first time I've been up there since I moved away decades ago. It felt strange and unfamiliar to me. I didn't recognize anything at all.
She actually enjoyed the tour, and came home feeling much better.
I've gotten carried away, but there is a point to this tale. We have a dear friend who has dubbed our family the "no-plans-Taylors" (that's a very long story for another day) ...but now you know why.
If we take the trouble to plan out our day, you can bet that all plans will change completley before the day is over.
That's just the way it is.
On the other hand, we took a disastrous day, and turned it around.
Huzzah.
Happy St.Patty's
.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Food Challenge # 1: Evil Chicken
I mentioned last week that I was reading a novel called Devil's Food Cake, and that there were a few recipes inside...
We decided to try one of those for our challenge today.
The recipe we chose is the one called Evil Chicken.
I have family members who have issues with spicy food, so I had to promise to tone it down a bit. I only added 1/3 of the chili powder that it called for.
In that case, I suppose you could say that my chicken wasn't evil, it was only slightly naughty.
Here's the recipe:
The chicken turned out rather tasty.
I think I could have added the whole amount of chili powder and no one would have noticed, because the sweetness of the sauce coveres it up. It didn't taste spicy at all to me.
I have to say, I'm a little skeptical about the part where it one chicken breast is enough for 6 servings. I used 4 to serve my family (9 were here today) and it was just enough.
I served it with brown rice, a garden salad, and some sweet potato french fries.
Yum!
***
My brother in law starts his cancer treatments this week.
My husband called a family gathering tonight at his house to offer our prayers and support. Grandma estimates that there were about 79 of us in attendance.
If numbers count at all in prayers, then he should be well covered.
Best wishes to his family.
Happy Sabbath.
.
We decided to try one of those for our challenge today.
The recipe we chose is the one called Evil Chicken.
I have family members who have issues with spicy food, so I had to promise to tone it down a bit. I only added 1/3 of the chili powder that it called for.
In that case, I suppose you could say that my chicken wasn't evil, it was only slightly naughty.
Here's the recipe:
Evil Chicken
(The book says dieter's beware!)
1 pound bacon, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 to 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped into bite-size pieces (one large chicken breast will usually do the job)
1 tablespoons chili powder
1 cup brown sugar
up to 1/2 cup water, as needed
Cooked rice
In a large pan, cook bacon over medium high heat until nearly done. Do not drain.
Stir in chicken and chili powder. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until bacon and chicken are fully cooked.
Add brown sugar and cook until sugar is dissolved and sauce begins to thicken, about 4 to 5 minutes. (Be careful once the sugar is added not to let the sauce turn into toffee.) Add water if necessary to thin the sauce, but keep in mind the sauce is more of a coating.
Serve mixture over hot rice.
Serves 6
The chicken turned out rather tasty.
I think I could have added the whole amount of chili powder and no one would have noticed, because the sweetness of the sauce coveres it up. It didn't taste spicy at all to me.
I have to say, I'm a little skeptical about the part where it one chicken breast is enough for 6 servings. I used 4 to serve my family (9 were here today) and it was just enough.
I served it with brown rice, a garden salad, and some sweet potato french fries.
Yum!
***
My brother in law starts his cancer treatments this week.
My husband called a family gathering tonight at his house to offer our prayers and support. Grandma estimates that there were about 79 of us in attendance.
If numbers count at all in prayers, then he should be well covered.
Best wishes to his family.
Happy Sabbath.
.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Chocolate 911
It's been one of those weeks again.
Everyone at school and work for all hours of the day...
My youngest takes the car to school most days, so I'm stuck in this house staring at the walls 24/7.
Most of the time I don't mind - I love me some peace and quiet, but there are also those days when I just can't take it anymore.
Have you ever been imprisoned at home during a serious chocolate emergency?
It's not pretty my friends.
Meet my newest addiction:
This is some serious life support baby. Won't be home without it.
While we're on the subject of Chocolate...
I escaped long enough to run to the nearest bookstore the other night, and grabbed me a copy of this:
My sister mentioned this was out a few weeks ago, and I've been dying to get my hands on it ever since.
It is the third in a series of 'culinary mysteries' (complete with recipes.)
The heroine is a middle aged lady, (much like myself) who just can't help herself from getting involved in all kinds of crazy cases, much to the dismay of her detective 'boyfriend.'
I'm loving this one, just like the rest.
Ahhhhh - I may just make it through the week after all...
.
Everyone at school and work for all hours of the day...
My youngest takes the car to school most days, so I'm stuck in this house staring at the walls 24/7.
Most of the time I don't mind - I love me some peace and quiet, but there are also those days when I just can't take it anymore.
Have you ever been imprisoned at home during a serious chocolate emergency?
It's not pretty my friends.
Meet my newest addiction:
This is some serious life support baby. Won't be home without it.While we're on the subject of Chocolate...
I escaped long enough to run to the nearest bookstore the other night, and grabbed me a copy of this:
My sister mentioned this was out a few weeks ago, and I've been dying to get my hands on it ever since.
It is the third in a series of 'culinary mysteries' (complete with recipes.)
The heroine is a middle aged lady, (much like myself) who just can't help herself from getting involved in all kinds of crazy cases, much to the dismay of her detective 'boyfriend.'
I'm loving this one, just like the rest.
Ahhhhh - I may just make it through the week after all...
.
Monday, March 08, 2010
Time Keeps on Slippin'.....into the Future
Happy Monday my peeps!
I had a whirlwind weekend, my head is still spinning a bit.
I have an early work shift today, so I'm trying to pull myself together, but I had some thoughts I wanted to share today.
I've been thinking a lot about TIME lately...
Some of my high school class members fouond me on facebook recently.
I had mixed feelings about adding them as friends- it's been a few decades since I saw most of them last, so I've wondered - what could we still have in common? I've felt the need to be very careful what I say - can't be myself you know - still the class geek...
I do have to say though, it has been fun hearing from people who share some of my history for a change. (I've lived in hubby's hometown since graduation, so I've lived his life for a very long time.)
Like I said, I haven't seen most of these people since they were fresh-faced teenagers, so to see pictures of them as they are now was a bit of a culture shock.
I study their pictures, and try to match it up with the memory of bygone days...
One day, I called my daughter over to the computer and asked her - "do I look as old as these people?"
Of course she said "no," after all, I still have the power to ground her - but since, I've spent some serious time studying myself in the mirror, and yes, yes I do look that old.
Time has caught up with me in a big way lately.
That really bothers me - this brutally honest self image.
A couple of weeks ago, as I got dressed and was applying a layer of spackle to the cracks in my face, I had to ask hubby (because it baffles me, you know,) "Whatever possessed you to marry such an ugly old woman?"
Bless him, hubby tries, but it doesn't always come across the way he'd like it too - he always replies something like; "I married a very pretty girl" ...which I always interperate as: "You didn't look like that when I married you." ...as you can see, it goes down hill a bit...
(I also have the power to deflect compliments.)
Anyway, Time, my friends, is no friend of mine.
***
In other news, we were watching the Oscars last night. (Not because we wanted to, just because it happened to be on that channel...) and I must say, it was an anti-climax.
I've never seen a crowd so underwhelmed with each other's accomplishments. The dresses, which are always all the buzz, were basically all the same - huge and billowy on the bottom, and microscopic on the top. I couldn't help but notice that most of the women were slouched and hunched over, as if either trying to breathe, or trying to keep the top of the dress up (?)
Is Joan Rivers red carpet job open? ...I'd like to apply.
...And what was up with George Clooney? Every time they showed his face, he was shooting crusty looks at someone.
...Just a few quick observations, better get ready for work now.
Happy Monday.
.
I had a whirlwind weekend, my head is still spinning a bit.
I have an early work shift today, so I'm trying to pull myself together, but I had some thoughts I wanted to share today.
I've been thinking a lot about TIME lately...
Some of my high school class members fouond me on facebook recently.
I had mixed feelings about adding them as friends- it's been a few decades since I saw most of them last, so I've wondered - what could we still have in common? I've felt the need to be very careful what I say - can't be myself you know - still the class geek...
I do have to say though, it has been fun hearing from people who share some of my history for a change. (I've lived in hubby's hometown since graduation, so I've lived his life for a very long time.)
Like I said, I haven't seen most of these people since they were fresh-faced teenagers, so to see pictures of them as they are now was a bit of a culture shock.
I study their pictures, and try to match it up with the memory of bygone days...
One day, I called my daughter over to the computer and asked her - "do I look as old as these people?"
Of course she said "no," after all, I still have the power to ground her - but since, I've spent some serious time studying myself in the mirror, and yes, yes I do look that old.
Time has caught up with me in a big way lately.
That really bothers me - this brutally honest self image.
A couple of weeks ago, as I got dressed and was applying a layer of spackle to the cracks in my face, I had to ask hubby (because it baffles me, you know,) "Whatever possessed you to marry such an ugly old woman?"
Bless him, hubby tries, but it doesn't always come across the way he'd like it too - he always replies something like; "I married a very pretty girl" ...which I always interperate as: "You didn't look like that when I married you." ...as you can see, it goes down hill a bit...
(I also have the power to deflect compliments.)
Anyway, Time, my friends, is no friend of mine.
***
In other news, we were watching the Oscars last night. (Not because we wanted to, just because it happened to be on that channel...) and I must say, it was an anti-climax.
I've never seen a crowd so underwhelmed with each other's accomplishments. The dresses, which are always all the buzz, were basically all the same - huge and billowy on the bottom, and microscopic on the top. I couldn't help but notice that most of the women were slouched and hunched over, as if either trying to breathe, or trying to keep the top of the dress up (?)
Is Joan Rivers red carpet job open? ...I'd like to apply.
...And what was up with George Clooney? Every time they showed his face, he was shooting crusty looks at someone.
...Just a few quick observations, better get ready for work now.
Happy Monday.
.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Sleep (Or the Lack Thereof)
My oldest gran had to go in for surgery yesterday. (Tonsils)
We had her two sisters sleep over the night before...
Need I say more?
We split them up, and put the youngest in my bed with hubby, and the middle one on the living room floor with me. I zonked first, so Millie got up and left me, and climbed in bed with her sister.
Hubby didn't get much sleep with the two of them - and I sure didn't on that cold hard floor!
Arilie's surgery went well, and she's doing ok (as soon as the anesthesia is out of her system - it's making her sick.)
Speaking of Sleep...
It's been a very active month for dreams, and I've had some doozies lately.
Last night, for instance, I walked out of a school where I had been struggling all night to find classes and learn something - and having missed my ride home, I attempted to walk.
I wasn't completely sure of the way, but I knew if I turned on just the right street, I would end up at my mother's house.
Well, I didn't (turn on the right street), and I ended up in back alleys with scary people, walking through stranger's living rooms (which, by the way, had dirt and rocks and looked very much like the landscape outside - but with doors.)
Long story short (or am I too late for that?)
I ended up on the mountain behind my mother's house - climbing up the rock face (in a dress and bad shoes - with school books in hand) and crawling through endless tunnels, constantly dropping my books and folders full of loose papers - each time having to gather them all up.
Occasionally along the way, I would meet up with a friendly stranger, or a group of boy scouts who would give me directions to the next destination.
I did get to where I was getting closer to the goal, and could recognize familiar places - but as of this moment, I never did get there.
...After a night climbing mountains, one does not wake up feeling rested.
I feel like that relates to my preparations for the speech that I'm preparing...
(Our Bishop finally caught up with hubby and I, and asked us to speak in church.)
I've found and printed out a lot of background material, and I have read it all - but I can't seem to get my head straight enough to organize it and compile it into one coherent whole.
(Much like an impossible climb, with sheaves of important papers to keep track of.)
Just hoping I can arrive there without dropping the ball...
About the Challenge...
I know you've been watching and waiting for the results of our food challenge.
I'm sorry to disappoint, but it's been a killer trying to find a full day to do it. (We printed out the recipe, and read that it takes 12 hours to prepare!)
We haven't yet had a 12 hour day together to work on it. I'm afraid that recipe is going to have to be put on the back burner until school is out, and we have long summer days to fill...
In the meantime, we are in search of another recipe to try.
I saw an interesting one on the news the other day - and there are some in a book I read (if I can only find it,) that are supposedly classic English fare - (such as crumpets and scones.)
So, we haven't given up completely - just slightly delayed.
Sorry.
Anyway, it's Saturday, and have much to do, so - Later...
.
We had her two sisters sleep over the night before...
Need I say more?
We split them up, and put the youngest in my bed with hubby, and the middle one on the living room floor with me. I zonked first, so Millie got up and left me, and climbed in bed with her sister.
Hubby didn't get much sleep with the two of them - and I sure didn't on that cold hard floor!
Arilie's surgery went well, and she's doing ok (as soon as the anesthesia is out of her system - it's making her sick.)
Speaking of Sleep...
It's been a very active month for dreams, and I've had some doozies lately.
Last night, for instance, I walked out of a school where I had been struggling all night to find classes and learn something - and having missed my ride home, I attempted to walk.
I wasn't completely sure of the way, but I knew if I turned on just the right street, I would end up at my mother's house.
Well, I didn't (turn on the right street), and I ended up in back alleys with scary people, walking through stranger's living rooms (which, by the way, had dirt and rocks and looked very much like the landscape outside - but with doors.)
Long story short (or am I too late for that?)
I ended up on the mountain behind my mother's house - climbing up the rock face (in a dress and bad shoes - with school books in hand) and crawling through endless tunnels, constantly dropping my books and folders full of loose papers - each time having to gather them all up.
Occasionally along the way, I would meet up with a friendly stranger, or a group of boy scouts who would give me directions to the next destination.
I did get to where I was getting closer to the goal, and could recognize familiar places - but as of this moment, I never did get there.
...After a night climbing mountains, one does not wake up feeling rested.
I feel like that relates to my preparations for the speech that I'm preparing...
(Our Bishop finally caught up with hubby and I, and asked us to speak in church.)
I've found and printed out a lot of background material, and I have read it all - but I can't seem to get my head straight enough to organize it and compile it into one coherent whole.
(Much like an impossible climb, with sheaves of important papers to keep track of.)
Just hoping I can arrive there without dropping the ball...
About the Challenge...
I know you've been watching and waiting for the results of our food challenge.
I'm sorry to disappoint, but it's been a killer trying to find a full day to do it. (We printed out the recipe, and read that it takes 12 hours to prepare!)
We haven't yet had a 12 hour day together to work on it. I'm afraid that recipe is going to have to be put on the back burner until school is out, and we have long summer days to fill...
In the meantime, we are in search of another recipe to try.
I saw an interesting one on the news the other day - and there are some in a book I read (if I can only find it,) that are supposedly classic English fare - (such as crumpets and scones.)
So, we haven't given up completely - just slightly delayed.
Sorry.
Anyway, it's Saturday, and have much to do, so - Later...
.
Monday, February 15, 2010
The Art of Conversation
My 5 year old grand daughter loves to help me in the kitchen.
I'm great with that, because she loves to talk, and I love to pick her brain and find out just exactly what she thinks about things. She is always totally honest (sometimes brutally so,) and I love that!
Saturday, I spent the evening with her, making spaghetti and meatballs.
As always, the dog came up and started sniffing around at the smell of meat. My little Moo looked at him and commented on how old he is looking.
"He's almost as old as you grandma."
So, I asked her - "How old do you think I am?"
She looked embarrassed and fumbled with that, so I threw out a number just to get her started...
"Do you think I'm 100?"
Then she smiled and said - "No - maybe 300"
Oy, better stop using that Tales From the Crypt makeup.
Something came up on TV about a place I've been wanting to see, which brought up the subject of travel. I told her about some of the places I have been wanting to go, to which her eyes got big and she replied "I want to see everything!"
Ah, a kindred spirit! I've always had that secret wish, which I know I'll never be able to achieve in this life (since the pockets are shallow, and hubby doesn't like to leave his chair...). The deepest secret wish of my heart, is that after my spirit leaves this earthly body - I want to circle the entire globe and witness all of God's creations before I'm called home.
Later, I went back upstairs to make some fudge. All of the kids were home, so it would be my Valentine treat for them, but I found that I was out of sugar.
I told Millie that I had to run to the store, and she gleefully offered to go with me. On the way home, she was telling me that her favorite grandma day was the one where I took her and let her try on fancy dresses. I told her I liked that too, and I asked her if she ever watched the show "Say Yes to the Dress."
She said, "Sometimes - I like to see all the pretty dresses - I like all of them except the fat girls."
Then I said, "You mean, like grandma?"
She laughed and said, "Well, a little bit... but anyway, grandma's don't wear wedding dresses."
I just love her - she's so cute.
***
I had a nice Valentine weekend.
We went to dinner - who, bless her, kept up the conversation practically by herself.
We went to Sizzler, and it was crazy busy (Friday night.)
I still had my hearing aids in from being at work, and the background noise was making me crazy.
Later, we dropped her off and went to a movie. (Valentines Day)
I wasn't sure what to expect from that - it seemed at first to have too many things going on, but as the film goes along, the stories all start tying in together... It was actually pretty cute, and left me feeling all warm and fuzzy.
***
Saturday, I had a one on one with her (my youngest). We went on a little shopping spree to the local media stores. I enjoy spending time with her too - I learn all kinds of valuable things, and it makes me feel good that the lines of communication are wide open between us.
When she was younger, and I would take her on these outings, I told her that I used to do that with my mother a lot, then she would always treat me to lunch at the Arctic Circle that's there by the shopping center. She liked that idea, and since, it's become a tradition with us too. I love the feeling of sharing a fun tradition with my girls.
***
Being spoiled by Hubby $$$$
Shopping with baby $$$
V-day dinner with the fam. $$
Treats for all $
Prezzies from the grans and bear hugs from my children - Priceless.
Hope you had a good V-day too.
.
I'm great with that, because she loves to talk, and I love to pick her brain and find out just exactly what she thinks about things. She is always totally honest (sometimes brutally so,) and I love that!
Saturday, I spent the evening with her, making spaghetti and meatballs.
As always, the dog came up and started sniffing around at the smell of meat. My little Moo looked at him and commented on how old he is looking.
"He's almost as old as you grandma."
So, I asked her - "How old do you think I am?"
She looked embarrassed and fumbled with that, so I threw out a number just to get her started...
"Do you think I'm 100?"
Then she smiled and said - "No - maybe 300"
Oy, better stop using that Tales From the Crypt makeup.
Something came up on TV about a place I've been wanting to see, which brought up the subject of travel. I told her about some of the places I have been wanting to go, to which her eyes got big and she replied "I want to see everything!"
Ah, a kindred spirit! I've always had that secret wish, which I know I'll never be able to achieve in this life (since the pockets are shallow, and hubby doesn't like to leave his chair...). The deepest secret wish of my heart, is that after my spirit leaves this earthly body - I want to circle the entire globe and witness all of God's creations before I'm called home.
Later, I went back upstairs to make some fudge. All of the kids were home, so it would be my Valentine treat for them, but I found that I was out of sugar.
I told Millie that I had to run to the store, and she gleefully offered to go with me. On the way home, she was telling me that her favorite grandma day was the one where I took her and let her try on fancy dresses. I told her I liked that too, and I asked her if she ever watched the show "Say Yes to the Dress."
She said, "Sometimes - I like to see all the pretty dresses - I like all of them except the fat girls."
Then I said, "You mean, like grandma?"
She laughed and said, "Well, a little bit... but anyway, grandma's don't wear wedding dresses."
I just love her - she's so cute.
***
I had a nice Valentine weekend.
We went to dinner - who, bless her, kept up the conversation practically by herself.
We went to Sizzler, and it was crazy busy (Friday night.)
I still had my hearing aids in from being at work, and the background noise was making me crazy.
Later, we dropped her off and went to a movie. (Valentines Day)
I wasn't sure what to expect from that - it seemed at first to have too many things going on, but as the film goes along, the stories all start tying in together... It was actually pretty cute, and left me feeling all warm and fuzzy.
***
Saturday, I had a one on one with her (my youngest). We went on a little shopping spree to the local media stores. I enjoy spending time with her too - I learn all kinds of valuable things, and it makes me feel good that the lines of communication are wide open between us.
When she was younger, and I would take her on these outings, I told her that I used to do that with my mother a lot, then she would always treat me to lunch at the Arctic Circle that's there by the shopping center. She liked that idea, and since, it's become a tradition with us too. I love the feeling of sharing a fun tradition with my girls.
***
Being spoiled by Hubby $$$$
Shopping with baby $$$
V-day dinner with the fam. $$
Treats for all $
Prezzies from the grans and bear hugs from my children - Priceless.
Hope you had a good V-day too.
.
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Crash!
My computer is chronically ill.
It caught a nasty virus, and is pretty much unusable until we can figure out how to clean the poor thing up...
I'm at the mercy of my hubby now - have to wait till he gets home at night to share his laptop.
If I'm MIA - that's why...
.
It caught a nasty virus, and is pretty much unusable until we can figure out how to clean the poor thing up...
I'm at the mercy of my hubby now - have to wait till he gets home at night to share his laptop.
If I'm MIA - that's why...
.
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Groundhog Day
It's here again - it snuck up on me this year...
It's been a pretty mild winter here so far - hoping for good news today from Gobbler's Knob.
...And now a word from our sponsor:
(Shameless plug)
My son's band, Charging Frederick is playing at Velour! Wed. February 3rd. With A Failsafe story and Morning of the Season. Show starts at 8:00 P.M. and is $5.00 at the door. 135 North University Avenue in Provo
- Just thought you'd like to know... :-)
It's been a pretty mild winter here so far - hoping for good news today from Gobbler's Knob.
...And now a word from our sponsor:
(Shameless plug)
My son's band, Charging Frederick is playing at Velour! Wed. February 3rd. With A Failsafe story and Morning of the Season. Show starts at 8:00 P.M. and is $5.00 at the door. 135 North University Avenue in Provo
- Just thought you'd like to know... :-)
Friday, January 29, 2010
Weekend Warrior
Weekends are never my favorite because it seems like I lose control of my time. Busy doing all the things my family wants me to do...
Not that that's a bad thing, but it's just a deviation from the quiet and complete freedom I've become accustomed to during the week.
I got called to cover for someone at work on Saturday, because of a funeral in the girl's family - and not 10 minutes later, I got a call from my in-laws saying that a great aunt had died, and her funeral is also on Saturday!
...So, I will be working through it, while the other girl attends hers. Is that weird or what? I can't help but wonder if it's the same funeral? How freaky would that be?
In other news today - I think I've found the first recipe for our cooking challenge.
My daughter seems to be hung up on one they talk about in the film, so I looked it up online and found it - Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon (which they always pronounce *Boof* Boor-gun-yone, probably the proper way to do it in French, but it sounds pretty funny in English - and makes me giggle every time.)
Anyway, not sure exactly when we'll get to it - the budget has been pretty tight lately, and we're basically living on rations and love (both pretty scarce - ha ha!)
But we'll try to get on it as soon as we can.
Drama, thy name is Teen
Got a Romeo & Juliet situation going on in the house. Sad, sad day.
I'm not so old that I don't remember how that feels - it's pretty hard to go through, and it's pretty hard to watch too...
The joys of parenting.
5000 views
I've been watching this number climb on my sitemeter for some time now, and planned to celebrate the 5000th visitor when the number was reached, but apparently, it was a lurker, and I have no idea who it was...
Anyway - Yay, Congrats - and here's to 5000 more! (?)
Happy Weekend.
.
Not that that's a bad thing, but it's just a deviation from the quiet and complete freedom I've become accustomed to during the week.
I got called to cover for someone at work on Saturday, because of a funeral in the girl's family - and not 10 minutes later, I got a call from my in-laws saying that a great aunt had died, and her funeral is also on Saturday!
...So, I will be working through it, while the other girl attends hers. Is that weird or what? I can't help but wonder if it's the same funeral? How freaky would that be?
In other news today - I think I've found the first recipe for our cooking challenge.
My daughter seems to be hung up on one they talk about in the film, so I looked it up online and found it - Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon (which they always pronounce *Boof* Boor-gun-yone, probably the proper way to do it in French, but it sounds pretty funny in English - and makes me giggle every time.)
Anyway, not sure exactly when we'll get to it - the budget has been pretty tight lately, and we're basically living on rations and love (both pretty scarce - ha ha!)
But we'll try to get on it as soon as we can.
Drama, thy name is Teen
Got a Romeo & Juliet situation going on in the house. Sad, sad day.
I'm not so old that I don't remember how that feels - it's pretty hard to go through, and it's pretty hard to watch too...
The joys of parenting.
5000 views
I've been watching this number climb on my sitemeter for some time now, and planned to celebrate the 5000th visitor when the number was reached, but apparently, it was a lurker, and I have no idea who it was...
Anyway - Yay, Congrats - and here's to 5000 more! (?)
Happy Weekend.
.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Big News
Yesterday my Church announced that they will be building a temple - not just here in my little town, but practically right in my neighborhood. There have been rumors going around about this for several months - but now it's official.
The site they chose surprises me for multiple reasons - it's not on a hill, as per usual, it's not the prettiest spot in town, and so on...
But it is right off the freeway, and will be easily seen and easy to access.
My girls have both been stunned by the news - their reaction was; "Why here? This is such a grungy little town." LOL
...I can't argue with that - even the nicest neighborhoods here would be considered pretty average anywhere else... But it is also central to a lot of the small towns around here, and I have no doubt it will be a busy place.
I could argue both sides till the cows come home - but I really don't care what the reasons are. Whatever the case, I'm just delighted and thrilled - it will be walking distance from my house.
Why Mormons Build Temples
Not all the news was good though...
We got some serious news about my husband's only brother's health.
Don't really want to discuss it here, but the family is all very concerned.
.
Sorry about this weekend's blog closure - I am getting pretty paranoid about the internet, so whenever something funky goes on - I have to check it out.
Thanks for your patience. :-)
.
The site they chose surprises me for multiple reasons - it's not on a hill, as per usual, it's not the prettiest spot in town, and so on...
But it is right off the freeway, and will be easily seen and easy to access.
My girls have both been stunned by the news - their reaction was; "Why here? This is such a grungy little town." LOL
...I can't argue with that - even the nicest neighborhoods here would be considered pretty average anywhere else... But it is also central to a lot of the small towns around here, and I have no doubt it will be a busy place.
I could argue both sides till the cows come home - but I really don't care what the reasons are. Whatever the case, I'm just delighted and thrilled - it will be walking distance from my house.
Why Mormons Build Temples
Not all the news was good though...
We got some serious news about my husband's only brother's health.
Don't really want to discuss it here, but the family is all very concerned.
.
Sorry about this weekend's blog closure - I am getting pretty paranoid about the internet, so whenever something funky goes on - I have to check it out.
Thanks for your patience. :-)
.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Yeah, about that...
So, I've been looking up gourmet recipes online trying to find one that my daughter and I could start with for our challenge.
After browsing several websites, and finding only dishes with names I can't pronounce, and ingredients I've never heard of - I think we might have to set our sites a little lower...
Ha ha
I got called in to work yesterday, and oh my gosh - I wasn't prepared for how busy it was!
I didn't get a breathing break until a half hour before my shift was over.
The good news is - it makes the time go by fast, the bad news is, Ouch.
My shoulders are still killing me. (Measuring, cutting, folding, lifting.)
In other news - a quiet day today.
I love quiet days! I almost wish it was snowing...
Almost.
.
After browsing several websites, and finding only dishes with names I can't pronounce, and ingredients I've never heard of - I think we might have to set our sites a little lower...
Ha ha
I got called in to work yesterday, and oh my gosh - I wasn't prepared for how busy it was!
I didn't get a breathing break until a half hour before my shift was over.
The good news is - it makes the time go by fast, the bad news is, Ouch.
My shoulders are still killing me. (Measuring, cutting, folding, lifting.)
In other news - a quiet day today.
I love quiet days! I almost wish it was snowing...
Almost.
.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
The Challenge
I had a nice day with my girls yesterday.
My youngest came & chatted with me while I made a batch of cookies yesterday morning.
I have a time-worn recipe that I used to have memorized, but my brain being what it is these days, I had to have her remind me of a few of the measurements along the way.
She ran and got my copy of "Julie and Julia," telling me that she likes to watch it while she's working in the kitchen, and that she'd like to learn to cook gourmet type recipes like they do in the film.
I told her I had always wanted that too - which brought on the challenge...
We made a pact to try at least one new recipe a month to try to improve our skills.
You heard it here first folks.
It should be interesting, because I really don't like to cook, and she really doesn't like to eat!
I'll let you know how that works out...
Later that same day -
The three of us (both of the girls an I) went to the mall, because I've been cooped up in this house too long, and I needed an "airing," as my mother in law would say.
It was really fun - the girls found a clothing store that they really liked, and my youngest even tried a bunch of things on! ...on purpose!
It was fun to just sit back and watch the fashion show, and see how excited they got over each new outfit.
I didn't buy much myself, I even went to Archivers, and came out with nothing!
(I think that's a first!) I just enjoyed looking at fun things with my girls.
(We even went to the bridal shop and played "Say Yes to the Dress.")
My only purchase (other than a couple of things for my youngest) was a pepper grinder from Tai Pan Trading, and a miniature purse from Build a Bear.
Don't laugh - I saw these when I was there with the Grand kids a few weeks ago, and they are Oh my gosh cute! They're going to be my new collection for the year. (As if I need another collection.)
Anyway, it was a good day all the way around - I found that I can still shop till I drop...
I just drop a lot sooner now! Ha ha!
Ciao.
.
My youngest came & chatted with me while I made a batch of cookies yesterday morning.
I have a time-worn recipe that I used to have memorized, but my brain being what it is these days, I had to have her remind me of a few of the measurements along the way.
She ran and got my copy of "Julie and Julia," telling me that she likes to watch it while she's working in the kitchen, and that she'd like to learn to cook gourmet type recipes like they do in the film.
I told her I had always wanted that too - which brought on the challenge...
We made a pact to try at least one new recipe a month to try to improve our skills.
You heard it here first folks.
It should be interesting, because I really don't like to cook, and she really doesn't like to eat!
I'll let you know how that works out...
Later that same day -
The three of us (both of the girls an I) went to the mall, because I've been cooped up in this house too long, and I needed an "airing," as my mother in law would say.
It was really fun - the girls found a clothing store that they really liked, and my youngest even tried a bunch of things on! ...on purpose!
It was fun to just sit back and watch the fashion show, and see how excited they got over each new outfit.
I didn't buy much myself, I even went to Archivers, and came out with nothing!
(I think that's a first!) I just enjoyed looking at fun things with my girls.
(We even went to the bridal shop and played "Say Yes to the Dress.")
My only purchase (other than a couple of things for my youngest) was a pepper grinder from Tai Pan Trading, and a miniature purse from Build a Bear.
Don't laugh - I saw these when I was there with the Grand kids a few weeks ago, and they are Oh my gosh cute! They're going to be my new collection for the year. (As if I need another collection.)
Anyway, it was a good day all the way around - I found that I can still shop till I drop...
I just drop a lot sooner now! Ha ha!
Ciao.
.
Thursday, January 07, 2010
It's a New Year
And the holidays are slowly making their way out of our house.
This year's clean up was rather painless and it was nice for a change. I almost hated to see the tree go so soon, but I must say, now I don't miss it! LOL
...As my sister says - "There's nothing more over than Christmas"
Amen!
I was asked a while ago to help out with an activity for the young women's group in our neighborhood.
I stressed and stressed about what to do - until I went to visit my neighbor. She showed me some adorable necklaces that she has been making using scrabble tiles.
I went online and ordered the supplies (I found some glass tiles so I wouldn't have to mess with epoxy - it scares me!) ...and sat back confidently, just to wait.
Well, with one day to go, I still hadn't received everything - so I started to sweat.
I contacted the seller of my missing items - and after some investigation, she told me that they had been destroyed in shipping, and had been returned!
Full panic mode now - I ran to my neighbor, and luckily, she had a few to spare.
Whew! (Thank goodness for angels)
The activity was last night - and I think it went fairly well. The girls kept saying how much fun it was - so, I'm thinking that was a good sign.
I've taught this group of girls off and on in Sunday School for most of their lives - they are great girls, and I love them to pieces. I was glad to spend time with them again.
I think I can finally relax a bit now - holidays over, stress over, time to think about the future...
I've never been one to make resolutions
(Commitment issues.)
But there are some goals I am anxious to set this year.
I've read that there is power in writing goals down in black & white - so here we go - jumping in with both feet...
One of the things I want to accomplish this year is to learn to bake bread.
Some of the happiest memories I have are coming home from school and walking into the house with the yummy smell of fresh bread billowing from it.
I loved tearing into it (mom always let us do that to the first loaf) and devouring it, with melted butter and honey dripping down my elbows - yum!
...Or sometimes, we'd take some dough, flatten it into patties, and fry it in butter on the grill.
Good times!
I have tried to learn many times - in fact, when I was a BYU, it was my job in our branch to find someone each week to supply the bread for the Sacrament.
My Branch President wanted to encourage the girls to use their homemaking skills - so he asked that the bread be home made.
I would call a dozen girls every week, but no one would ever do it - so I ended up having to make it myself every time.
Unfortunately - I never did get it right. It was always heavy and tasted of yeast..(Embarrassing!)
Cooking just isn't one of my gifts!
...But as the ghostly chef says in Ratatouille - "Anyone can cook."
Really? Well, I guess we shall see...
Other things I want to accomplish are to start sewing and painting again.
Not huge challenges (except the bread!)...but it's something to strive for.
2010 will be great!
(I hope)
.
This year's clean up was rather painless and it was nice for a change. I almost hated to see the tree go so soon, but I must say, now I don't miss it! LOL
...As my sister says - "There's nothing more over than Christmas"
Amen!
I was asked a while ago to help out with an activity for the young women's group in our neighborhood.
I stressed and stressed about what to do - until I went to visit my neighbor. She showed me some adorable necklaces that she has been making using scrabble tiles.
I went online and ordered the supplies (I found some glass tiles so I wouldn't have to mess with epoxy - it scares me!) ...and sat back confidently, just to wait.
Well, with one day to go, I still hadn't received everything - so I started to sweat.
I contacted the seller of my missing items - and after some investigation, she told me that they had been destroyed in shipping, and had been returned!
Full panic mode now - I ran to my neighbor, and luckily, she had a few to spare.
Whew! (Thank goodness for angels)
The activity was last night - and I think it went fairly well. The girls kept saying how much fun it was - so, I'm thinking that was a good sign.
I've taught this group of girls off and on in Sunday School for most of their lives - they are great girls, and I love them to pieces. I was glad to spend time with them again.
I think I can finally relax a bit now - holidays over, stress over, time to think about the future...
I've never been one to make resolutions
(Commitment issues.)
But there are some goals I am anxious to set this year.
I've read that there is power in writing goals down in black & white - so here we go - jumping in with both feet...
One of the things I want to accomplish this year is to learn to bake bread.
Some of the happiest memories I have are coming home from school and walking into the house with the yummy smell of fresh bread billowing from it.
I loved tearing into it (mom always let us do that to the first loaf) and devouring it, with melted butter and honey dripping down my elbows - yum!
...Or sometimes, we'd take some dough, flatten it into patties, and fry it in butter on the grill.
Good times!
I have tried to learn many times - in fact, when I was a BYU, it was my job in our branch to find someone each week to supply the bread for the Sacrament.
My Branch President wanted to encourage the girls to use their homemaking skills - so he asked that the bread be home made.
I would call a dozen girls every week, but no one would ever do it - so I ended up having to make it myself every time.
Unfortunately - I never did get it right. It was always heavy and tasted of yeast..(Embarrassing!)
Cooking just isn't one of my gifts!
...But as the ghostly chef says in Ratatouille - "Anyone can cook."
Really? Well, I guess we shall see...
Other things I want to accomplish are to start sewing and painting again.
Not huge challenges (except the bread!)...but it's something to strive for.
2010 will be great!
(I hope)
.
Friday, January 01, 2010
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
All is Calm - All is Bright...
Christmas 2009 is now a thing of the past - to be filed away with so many others.
It turned out to be a pretty nice one, in spite of the last minute preparations (and the mild panic attack.)
My oldest daughter did most of the shopping (it's one of the things she does best!) It was fun to be able to sit back and have a few surprises again!
We were able to squeeze in some fun activities this month - like attending my youngest daughter's choir concert.
It's her first year in the choir, but her last year at school - bittersweet for us - the last High School concert we will be attending for one of our children...
It's been a long time tradition here, that the last number performed is always Handel's Hallelujah Chorus, and they always invite any and all former members of the choir who are in the audience to come up on the stage and join them. It's always very powerful and touching.
My other daughter went up to sing with them - a two-for-one night!
We also attended her choir concert at Temple Square. It was so beautiful there!
I love the old Assembly Hall, where the concert was held.
Isn't it amazing that back in the day when the tools and technology were more primitive, they still built places like this?
Now that we have every tool and convenience known to man, all you ever see are boring straight lines.
Walking in a Winter Wonderland...
It's no wonder people come from all over the world to see this sight...
Hubby's family party was a big hit - as usual (organized chaos)...And, as always, Santa was there:
Christmas Eve dinner went well too, in spite of all my worry and my absence from the kitchen.
(In fact, I think they did better without me! *Making a note for next year...)
New Jammies were had by all...
If you'll excuse me for being corny - I went to bed that night with a very full heart. I have a wonderful family - I feel very blessed.
The Christmas morning breakfast was nice, (or should I say brunch? It was a little more laid back this year.)
Elmo was late.
"Hey - where did everybody go?"
Hubby and the girls have this week off, so they are keeping me busy, but just wanted to share.
Leaving with this parting thought - my favorite Christmas Message:
Hope your Holiday was Happy too - and wishing you the Happiest of New Years!
.
It turned out to be a pretty nice one, in spite of the last minute preparations (and the mild panic attack.)
My oldest daughter did most of the shopping (it's one of the things she does best!) It was fun to be able to sit back and have a few surprises again!
We were able to squeeze in some fun activities this month - like attending my youngest daughter's choir concert.
It's her first year in the choir, but her last year at school - bittersweet for us - the last High School concert we will be attending for one of our children...
It's been a long time tradition here, that the last number performed is always Handel's Hallelujah Chorus, and they always invite any and all former members of the choir who are in the audience to come up on the stage and join them. It's always very powerful and touching.
My other daughter went up to sing with them - a two-for-one night!
We also attended her choir concert at Temple Square. It was so beautiful there!
I love the old Assembly Hall, where the concert was held.
Isn't it amazing that back in the day when the tools and technology were more primitive, they still built places like this?
Now that we have every tool and convenience known to man, all you ever see are boring straight lines.
Walking in a Winter Wonderland...
It's no wonder people come from all over the world to see this sight...
Hubby's family party was a big hit - as usual (organized chaos)...And, as always, Santa was there:
Christmas Eve dinner went well too, in spite of all my worry and my absence from the kitchen.
(In fact, I think they did better without me! *Making a note for next year...)
New Jammies were had by all...
If you'll excuse me for being corny - I went to bed that night with a very full heart. I have a wonderful family - I feel very blessed.
The Christmas morning breakfast was nice, (or should I say brunch? It was a little more laid back this year.)
Elmo was late.
"Hey - where did everybody go?"
Hubby and the girls have this week off, so they are keeping me busy, but just wanted to share.
Leaving with this parting thought - my favorite Christmas Message:
Hope your Holiday was Happy too - and wishing you the Happiest of New Years!
.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Myth Busted
The Perfect Christmas. Does it exist?
In all the years I've been doing them, I've never had one.
If such a thing does exist - it's out there roaming around with Sasquatch and the Lock Ness Monster.
There's always something more I wish I could have done -
if only I had more time, or more money - or just the brains to organize and plan better.
In my mind I imagine sparkling dinner parties, with everyone in best dress - and food that even Chef Ramsey would
approve of.
Instead, I usually serve meat that is a little dry, vegetables that will probably be luke warm, and the same old tired pink salad.
Instead of a candle lit dining hall - we'll be setting up the folding tables in our cramped living room - and invariably, something will end up spilled on the carpet or the furniture. (OK - sometimes even by me...)
This year will not be one for the books (at least, not in a good way) - there won't be many gifts, and I won't even be able to make dinner myself - I'll be working.
Still, I have much to be grateful for; a daughter who is willing to sacrifice her income to help buy the gifts, a family who all live within a few minutes of home, so they can be here to share the day with us.
Hubby will have time off to spend at home, most of the debts will be up to date (for a change.)
...And there are three little grandchildren who's excitement and joy bring all the magic back again.
No, it won't be the perfect Christmas - but it will be good enough.
Merry Christmas!
In all the years I've been doing them, I've never had one.
If such a thing does exist - it's out there roaming around with Sasquatch and the Lock Ness Monster.
There's always something more I wish I could have done -
if only I had more time, or more money - or just the brains to organize and plan better.
In my mind I imagine sparkling dinner parties, with everyone in best dress - and food that even Chef Ramsey would
approve of.
Instead, I usually serve meat that is a little dry, vegetables that will probably be luke warm, and the same old tired pink salad.
Instead of a candle lit dining hall - we'll be setting up the folding tables in our cramped living room - and invariably, something will end up spilled on the carpet or the furniture. (OK - sometimes even by me...)
This year will not be one for the books (at least, not in a good way) - there won't be many gifts, and I won't even be able to make dinner myself - I'll be working.
Still, I have much to be grateful for; a daughter who is willing to sacrifice her income to help buy the gifts, a family who all live within a few minutes of home, so they can be here to share the day with us.
Hubby will have time off to spend at home, most of the debts will be up to date (for a change.)
...And there are three little grandchildren who's excitement and joy bring all the magic back again.
No, it won't be the perfect Christmas - but it will be good enough.
Merry Christmas!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Epic Fail
...That's a phrase I borrow from my daughter, but it certainly fits the way I'm feeling today.
What a cruddy Christmas this will be. Besides being behind on everything, and having to last minute shop because no one gets paid until next week - I found out last night that I work Christmas Eve until 6 PM!
...I've got 15 people coming for dinner, and I won't be there to cook it!
(Hubby and my daughter have generously offered, but I'll miss putting in my touches.)
That's all today - just feeling bummed.
.
What a cruddy Christmas this will be. Besides being behind on everything, and having to last minute shop because no one gets paid until next week - I found out last night that I work Christmas Eve until 6 PM!
...I've got 15 people coming for dinner, and I won't be there to cook it!
(Hubby and my daughter have generously offered, but I'll miss putting in my touches.)
That's all today - just feeling bummed.
.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Shifting into High Gear
I was sitting in the kitchen, minding my own business Sunday, when my daughter came in and exclaimed - "Merry Christmas.... in about a week."
My stomach dropped to the ground floor as I realized - it really is that close.
*Ahem* ...We started shopping like - two days ago.
We have never waited this long, or been so unprepared!
It's time to shift into high gear (or in other words - panic mode) and get moving!
I did some shopping today, and finished making my Christmas cards, hopefully to go in the mail tomorrow - started that hand-made gift that should have been finished months ago... the list is longer than my arm.
Wish me luck - I need it.
.
My stomach dropped to the ground floor as I realized - it really is that close.
*Ahem* ...We started shopping like - two days ago.
We have never waited this long, or been so unprepared!
It's time to shift into high gear (or in other words - panic mode) and get moving!
I did some shopping today, and finished making my Christmas cards, hopefully to go in the mail tomorrow - started that hand-made gift that should have been finished months ago... the list is longer than my arm.
Wish me luck - I need it.
.
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Mind if I Regress?
Sometimes my brain goes off on tangents, and gets stuck there...
Lately I've been spending a lot of time with my gran-girlies, and I think how fun it would be to share with them little things from my childhood that they will probably never experience.
Just the little things like the games I used to play - jacks, hop scotch and jump rope... and favorite memories like holiday times, and the fun children's' fashions from times gone by...
For instance, I took little Millie for a ride the other day, and I was trying to tell her about when we used to use a "muff" instead of gloves to keep our hands warm. How do you explain something like that to someone who has never seen one?
I found this picture to show her - but she just thought it was funny.
(I've been playing with the idea of making her one just for fun.)
My mother was a lovely seamstress, and she made most of my clothes back in the day.
At Christmas time, we always fell asleep to the drone of the sewing machine in the other room, as she created new cozy flannel nightgowns, beautiful ruffled dresses, or outfits for our dolls.
Back in "my day" (don't you hate when old people use that line?)
*Ahem*, anyway - we weren't surrounded by the huge chain stores that carry everything from toothpaste to tires.
We only had the little local mom & pop department stores.
They didn't have the floor space to carry toys all year through, but at Christmas time, they would often open up a corner of a storage room, fill it with toys, and call it Toyland.
We always thought it was such a magical place - our own little glimpse into the North Pole.
...We were always anxious to see if the toys we craved were there.
I love this painting by Tricia Romance - it reminds me of those days...
My thoughts had me Googling vintage patterns from the 50's and beyond. I found several sites selling vintage patterns, and I had a lot of fun browsing those sites - viewing fashions from other, more glamorous eras.
One site carried a variety of wedding gown patterns, from the 30's on down through the 80's. That site was particularly fun - and guess what? I found the pattern that I used for my bridesmaid dresses!
I remember it clearly, because I had a LOT of bridesmaids, and I had to cut out each and every one of their frocks, just to make sure I could get them all out of the amount of fabric that I had...
By the time I finished looking at all those dresses, I looked at the clock and it was 3:30 A.M. I had gotten carried away again!
When I went upstairs to go to bed, I looked out the window, and it was so light outside. There is nearly a foot of snow on the ground here - and the street lights played off it like a white sheet on a clothes line. It was glowing and beautiful, like a Thomas Kinkaid painting (my son would argue with that one...)
I tried to get a picture of it, but the window screens blurred the picture - and just as I was debating whether to venture outside - the battery died.
Just as well - a body does have to go to bed sometime. Especially an old body.
Here's that feeble attempt:
...Now I'm going to head upstairs to bed, before it's the wee hours again...
'Night!
.
Lately I've been spending a lot of time with my gran-girlies, and I think how fun it would be to share with them little things from my childhood that they will probably never experience.
Just the little things like the games I used to play - jacks, hop scotch and jump rope... and favorite memories like holiday times, and the fun children's' fashions from times gone by...
For instance, I took little Millie for a ride the other day, and I was trying to tell her about when we used to use a "muff" instead of gloves to keep our hands warm. How do you explain something like that to someone who has never seen one?
I found this picture to show her - but she just thought it was funny.
(I've been playing with the idea of making her one just for fun.)
My mother was a lovely seamstress, and she made most of my clothes back in the day.
At Christmas time, we always fell asleep to the drone of the sewing machine in the other room, as she created new cozy flannel nightgowns, beautiful ruffled dresses, or outfits for our dolls.
Back in "my day" (don't you hate when old people use that line?)
*Ahem*, anyway - we weren't surrounded by the huge chain stores that carry everything from toothpaste to tires.
We only had the little local mom & pop department stores.
They didn't have the floor space to carry toys all year through, but at Christmas time, they would often open up a corner of a storage room, fill it with toys, and call it Toyland.
We always thought it was such a magical place - our own little glimpse into the North Pole.
...We were always anxious to see if the toys we craved were there.
I love this painting by Tricia Romance - it reminds me of those days...
My thoughts had me Googling vintage patterns from the 50's and beyond. I found several sites selling vintage patterns, and I had a lot of fun browsing those sites - viewing fashions from other, more glamorous eras.
One site carried a variety of wedding gown patterns, from the 30's on down through the 80's. That site was particularly fun - and guess what? I found the pattern that I used for my bridesmaid dresses!
I remember it clearly, because I had a LOT of bridesmaids, and I had to cut out each and every one of their frocks, just to make sure I could get them all out of the amount of fabric that I had...
By the time I finished looking at all those dresses, I looked at the clock and it was 3:30 A.M. I had gotten carried away again!
When I went upstairs to go to bed, I looked out the window, and it was so light outside. There is nearly a foot of snow on the ground here - and the street lights played off it like a white sheet on a clothes line. It was glowing and beautiful, like a Thomas Kinkaid painting (my son would argue with that one...)
I tried to get a picture of it, but the window screens blurred the picture - and just as I was debating whether to venture outside - the battery died.
Just as well - a body does have to go to bed sometime. Especially an old body.
Here's that feeble attempt:
...Now I'm going to head upstairs to bed, before it's the wee hours again...
'Night!
.
Sunday, December 06, 2009
December
Can't believe I haven't been here since Thanksgiving.
I didn't even realize until several days after it was over, that
I didn't even think to take any photos that day.
I guess I was more concerned about having it go over well (and having to work the next day) to even think about it.
*Sigh* Maybe next time.
It snowed here over the weekend, and it's cold. I have a feeling it's going to be a long winter...
I finally saw New Moon this weekend. I liked it ok. If I have to pick a team though - I'm going with Jacob. The boy is just too cute - but seriously - can't that girl find any normal guys?
I think her father missed the boat by not putting her in therapy - she is messed up.
Anyway, the house is all decorated now (prayers of thanks) and now we just have to figure out the Christmas list (or who's been naughty or nice.)
'Till then...
.
I didn't even realize until several days after it was over, that
I didn't even think to take any photos that day.
I guess I was more concerned about having it go over well (and having to work the next day) to even think about it.
*Sigh* Maybe next time.
It snowed here over the weekend, and it's cold. I have a feeling it's going to be a long winter...
I finally saw New Moon this weekend. I liked it ok. If I have to pick a team though - I'm going with Jacob. The boy is just too cute - but seriously - can't that girl find any normal guys?
I think her father missed the boat by not putting her in therapy - she is messed up.
Anyway, the house is all decorated now (prayers of thanks) and now we just have to figure out the Christmas list (or who's been naughty or nice.)
'Till then...
.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Carnage
The other day when I got home from work, hubby was outside waiting for me.
He told me to pop the hood before I could get out of the car, and he looked over the engine. I got out and asked him what was wrong, and he showed me a puddle of blood on the driveway with chunks of fur and little bloody paw-prints leading away from it.
I had gotten up really early for work, and I guess he assumed there was a cat hiding in my engine.
I think if that had been the case, I would have heard, felt, seen (smelled?) something. It wasn't me - I swear.
...And yet, Ick.
I think that creature that attacked my dog and the neighbor's kitten must still be roaming out there - and claimed another victim.
Yeah.
...Speaking of carnage...
My husband has begun the annual Christmas decorating.
Heaven help us all.
.
He told me to pop the hood before I could get out of the car, and he looked over the engine. I got out and asked him what was wrong, and he showed me a puddle of blood on the driveway with chunks of fur and little bloody paw-prints leading away from it.
I had gotten up really early for work, and I guess he assumed there was a cat hiding in my engine.
I think if that had been the case, I would have heard, felt, seen (smelled?) something. It wasn't me - I swear.
...And yet, Ick.
I think that creature that attacked my dog and the neighbor's kitten must still be roaming out there - and claimed another victim.
Yeah.
...Speaking of carnage...
My husband has begun the annual Christmas decorating.
Heaven help us all.
.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Thankful
Thanksgiving is over - it was a long day, and lots of work - but so worth it.
Other than spilling my punch all over my mother in law, everything went perfectly. All my family were there - and I feel very blessed.
I'm so thankful that they are all close by and that they are healthy and doing well.
I don't deserve how good they are to me.
Life is good.
Today, however, was another story.
Whoever thought up "Black Friday" should be dragged out into the street and shot.
I'm beat, and I have to do it all again tomorrow.
'Nuff said.
.
Other than spilling my punch all over my mother in law, everything went perfectly. All my family were there - and I feel very blessed.
I'm so thankful that they are all close by and that they are healthy and doing well.
I don't deserve how good they are to me.
Life is good.
Today, however, was another story.
Whoever thought up "Black Friday" should be dragged out into the street and shot.
I'm beat, and I have to do it all again tomorrow.
'Nuff said.
.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Scattered Brain Cells
...Just a few disconnected thoughts today -
Murder most foul
There was a heinous crime in my little town on Monday. The perpetrators are still at large, and it has my community on edge this week. Things like that just don't happen here.
Signs & Wonders
The other night, I was up later than I should be (as usual), but just as I had finished dousing all the lights in the house, I started to climb in bed when there came a light so bright - it was as if a freight train was headed straight at my window.
I jumped up and looked through the blinds - but saw nothing.
My little block was sound asleep - nothing was out of place, not even any traffic.
What the heck? I wondered.
Yesterday on the news, I learned that I wasn't the only one who saw it.
Apparently a meteor exploded somewhere - they are speculating that a piece of it may have fallen somewhere in the West desert.
Cool.
Interesting that it happened right after the release of 2012. The news said there were a lot of nervous people coming home from viewing that film...
(No, I'm not going to see that film - I've already been told it's way too stressful for me!)
Escape
I had a full day off yesterday, so I fled the borough and went shopping.
It started out fun, but by the time I came home, I was exhausted, frustrated and depressed.
I went with a very specific list of what I wanted, but as usual - what I want doesn't exist. At least not in this valley.
I spent money that I shouldn't have, and came home with nothing that I needed.
Poo.
Babe in the Woods
My youngest has ventured to the big city today, to job follow her big brother and do a report on the state judicial system.
Poor thing, she worked last night until almost midnight - then she had to be up at the crack of dawn to catch the train.
I hope she can stay awake long enough to see what goes on out there.
Flu
I'm finishing my second week of this crappy flu bug, and not feeling any better yet.
Yesterday, I thought I was on the improve, but I had a rough night last night.
I'm at that stage where I'm so stuffed up that it feels like I'm suffocating in my own fluids. (Sorry for that image.)
Yesterday was a glass was half full day, and I felt that life would be better soon.
Today, it feels like this will never end, and I'll just have to learn to live with the gagging, the muffled cotton in my head, and the cold sores.
I don't like life on this side of the looking glass.
(I know, too many metaphors.)
That's about it today from my little town - aren't you glad you stopped by?
Make it a good one. :-)
.
Murder most foul
There was a heinous crime in my little town on Monday. The perpetrators are still at large, and it has my community on edge this week. Things like that just don't happen here.
Signs & Wonders
The other night, I was up later than I should be (as usual), but just as I had finished dousing all the lights in the house, I started to climb in bed when there came a light so bright - it was as if a freight train was headed straight at my window.
I jumped up and looked through the blinds - but saw nothing.
My little block was sound asleep - nothing was out of place, not even any traffic.
What the heck? I wondered.
Yesterday on the news, I learned that I wasn't the only one who saw it.
Apparently a meteor exploded somewhere - they are speculating that a piece of it may have fallen somewhere in the West desert.
Cool.
Interesting that it happened right after the release of 2012. The news said there were a lot of nervous people coming home from viewing that film...
(No, I'm not going to see that film - I've already been told it's way too stressful for me!)
Escape
I had a full day off yesterday, so I fled the borough and went shopping.
It started out fun, but by the time I came home, I was exhausted, frustrated and depressed.
I went with a very specific list of what I wanted, but as usual - what I want doesn't exist. At least not in this valley.
I spent money that I shouldn't have, and came home with nothing that I needed.
Poo.
Babe in the Woods
My youngest has ventured to the big city today, to job follow her big brother and do a report on the state judicial system.
Poor thing, she worked last night until almost midnight - then she had to be up at the crack of dawn to catch the train.
I hope she can stay awake long enough to see what goes on out there.
Flu
I'm finishing my second week of this crappy flu bug, and not feeling any better yet.
Yesterday, I thought I was on the improve, but I had a rough night last night.
I'm at that stage where I'm so stuffed up that it feels like I'm suffocating in my own fluids. (Sorry for that image.)
Yesterday was a glass was half full day, and I felt that life would be better soon.
Today, it feels like this will never end, and I'll just have to learn to live with the gagging, the muffled cotton in my head, and the cold sores.
I don't like life on this side of the looking glass.
(I know, too many metaphors.)
That's about it today from my little town - aren't you glad you stopped by?
Make it a good one. :-)
.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Monday, November 09, 2009
Again...
Here I am again - another week has gone by...
This one is a good one to have over with.
Went in for the routine colonoscopy today. (Scream)
This was my second try - I was scheduled to do it a couple of weeks ago, but had to change venues for insurance reasons. (Way too much information, sorry.)
The thing is, that I've had to stress over this twice this month.
Everything went well today - no cancer this time.
(Good News)
What was weird though, is - I don't know if I was dreaming this, or if I was not all the way under - but I could feel excruciating pain. I kept screaming and grabbing at things for help, but I wasn't making any noise.
...Weird - that's never happened to me before.
I woke up feeling fine, and have slept the day away - happy ending after all...
***
I may have mentioned before, that my favorite organist has moved from the neighborhood.
I am so sad - he was just the nicest guy. One of those people who would do anything for anybody.
I've been in denial all week, until Saturday night, when I realized I hadn't talked to my other two organists to see who, if anyone was going to fill in for him.
Needless to say, I had nightmares all night (again) that I got to church and had no organist to play the hymns.
Bless their little hearts - they had worked it out amongst themselves, and everything went off without a hitch.
I should have known.
***
I've been reading the book Mayflower this month.
I've been curious about this book ever since it came out, and my sister was kind enough to loan it to me.
Very interesting so far ...much different that what we learned in grade school!
***
My brain has been playing tricks on me again lately - I keep getting my work schedule mixed up. I went in Friday only to learn that I was supposed to have been there Thursday instead.
They kept me all day, because it was pretty busy, but sheesh, things like that are so embarrassing! I want to be a dependable worker - not somebody who just wanders in whenever she feels like it to do the job!
I can't figure out what I'm looking at to get those days wrong - I'm writing them down off her calendar, but it seems like every time I look at it, it's different.
This is my first job since the stroke and the hearing loss, so I'm paranoid about everything anyway. I really want this to work out.
Woe is me - am I really getting this old?
I'm not supposed to drive today, but I really really REALLY want some ice cream.
...Ssshhhh, don't tell...
.
This one is a good one to have over with.
Went in for the routine colonoscopy today. (Scream)
This was my second try - I was scheduled to do it a couple of weeks ago, but had to change venues for insurance reasons. (Way too much information, sorry.)
The thing is, that I've had to stress over this twice this month.
Everything went well today - no cancer this time.
(Good News)
What was weird though, is - I don't know if I was dreaming this, or if I was not all the way under - but I could feel excruciating pain. I kept screaming and grabbing at things for help, but I wasn't making any noise.
...Weird - that's never happened to me before.
I woke up feeling fine, and have slept the day away - happy ending after all...
***
I may have mentioned before, that my favorite organist has moved from the neighborhood.
I am so sad - he was just the nicest guy. One of those people who would do anything for anybody.
I've been in denial all week, until Saturday night, when I realized I hadn't talked to my other two organists to see who, if anyone was going to fill in for him.
Needless to say, I had nightmares all night (again) that I got to church and had no organist to play the hymns.
Bless their little hearts - they had worked it out amongst themselves, and everything went off without a hitch.
I should have known.
***
I've been reading the book Mayflower this month.
I've been curious about this book ever since it came out, and my sister was kind enough to loan it to me.
Very interesting so far ...much different that what we learned in grade school!
***
My brain has been playing tricks on me again lately - I keep getting my work schedule mixed up. I went in Friday only to learn that I was supposed to have been there Thursday instead.
They kept me all day, because it was pretty busy, but sheesh, things like that are so embarrassing! I want to be a dependable worker - not somebody who just wanders in whenever she feels like it to do the job!
I can't figure out what I'm looking at to get those days wrong - I'm writing them down off her calendar, but it seems like every time I look at it, it's different.
This is my first job since the stroke and the hearing loss, so I'm paranoid about everything anyway. I really want this to work out.
Woe is me - am I really getting this old?
I'm not supposed to drive today, but I really really REALLY want some ice cream.
...Ssshhhh, don't tell...
.
Monday, November 02, 2009
November
Halloween is over - it was a pretty fun day for everyone (except hubby, who hates it.)
He had to work until 11 that night. I heard him drive up after his shift, but he didn't come in the house for a while...
What was he doing out there in the dark?
Wrestling the inflatable pumpkin decoration to the ground.
That's the rule around here - all Halloween comes down before his birthday November first.
We had a birthday party for him Sunday - and I had the dirty dishes to prove it. It will take me a couple of days to clean up this mess!
It's always a shocker when you start totaling up the years (I don't know about you, but we only do that once a year around here.)
Both of us are getting a little too close to that next milestone - how did that happen?
Hope our ship comes in soon, otherwise retirement will be spent in a cardboard box.
Hmmm.
Speaking of age, I sure have been noticing some not-so-fun symptoms. I get confused so easily these days, and the memory is worse than usual. Maybe I'm just noticing it more because I have a schedule to keep track of now - but whatever the reason, I don't like it.
Sunday was a sad day because I learned that my favorite organist is moving. He is such an awesome person, and so dependable. I will miss him and his cute little family in our ward.
Some photos to share today...
Grandpa's Birthday - the girlies love to help open presents.
I actually dug out my old cake decorating supplies, and tried to get fancy this year...
My cute little girlies all dressed up for Tricks and Treats
My youngest still likes to go out on the town Halloween night - this year she and her friends dressed as pirates to loot and pillage...
My oldest daughter got in the party mood for work - she was the fortune teller for her department's carnival (they won the office pizza party!)
Jenny wore her Anime Banzai outfit to work - Tifa from Final Fantasy
That's it for our Holiday Festivities - at least this year they didn't start playing Christmas songs on the radio Halloween night (they have done that for the last two years!) ...But I'm already seeing Christmas commercials on TV!
Ready or not - here we go into the Holiday Season!
.
He had to work until 11 that night. I heard him drive up after his shift, but he didn't come in the house for a while...
What was he doing out there in the dark?
Wrestling the inflatable pumpkin decoration to the ground.
That's the rule around here - all Halloween comes down before his birthday November first.
We had a birthday party for him Sunday - and I had the dirty dishes to prove it. It will take me a couple of days to clean up this mess!
It's always a shocker when you start totaling up the years (I don't know about you, but we only do that once a year around here.)
Both of us are getting a little too close to that next milestone - how did that happen?
Hope our ship comes in soon, otherwise retirement will be spent in a cardboard box.
Hmmm.
Speaking of age, I sure have been noticing some not-so-fun symptoms. I get confused so easily these days, and the memory is worse than usual. Maybe I'm just noticing it more because I have a schedule to keep track of now - but whatever the reason, I don't like it.
Sunday was a sad day because I learned that my favorite organist is moving. He is such an awesome person, and so dependable. I will miss him and his cute little family in our ward.
Some photos to share today...
Grandpa's Birthday - the girlies love to help open presents.
I actually dug out my old cake decorating supplies, and tried to get fancy this year...
My cute little girlies all dressed up for Tricks and Treats
My youngest still likes to go out on the town Halloween night - this year she and her friends dressed as pirates to loot and pillage...
My oldest daughter got in the party mood for work - she was the fortune teller for her department's carnival (they won the office pizza party!)
Jenny wore her Anime Banzai outfit to work - Tifa from Final Fantasy
That's it for our Holiday Festivities - at least this year they didn't start playing Christmas songs on the radio Halloween night (they have done that for the last two years!) ...But I'm already seeing Christmas commercials on TV!
Ready or not - here we go into the Holiday Season!
.
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