Writing In Kansas

Blessed

2010-12-02T13:33:00.002-06:00

I darn well know I'm blessed materially. We have more than we ever dreamed we would have when we married over 26 years ago...but I am continually AMAZED at how blessed I am as a Mom.
My sweet girl is such a delight to me. She is loving and kind and continually surprises me with the woman she is growing into. Last night she drove all the way back home from college with two friends to pick up a teammate who had flown into Wichita. That is a six hour round trip drive. They didn't get back to college until after 1 a.m. She is really a great friend to her friends.
I love how she calls me to check in every morning or texts with a "Good Morning Mommy". That makes my day.
I adore how she has been best friends with the same sweet girl for over 15 years. How they are thick as thieves and have such a fun shared history.
My sweet Miss M is such a good girl too. I know that other college kids are fiddling around with drinking and bad behavior but she is not into that and I really admire her for standing strong in her convictions.
Every day I thank the Lord that he allowed me to raise a daughter like Maggie. She is truly the icing on my cake and makes me so proud.

REALLY BACK to BLOGGING!

2010-11-30T09:20:00.002-06:00

This is it...do or die time on the blogging business. Ha! I don't know where the last few months have gone. Guess I just haven't had a lot to say. My sweet girl left for college and my darling boy went off to high school and life got SUPER busy.

Miss M's volleyball team finished SECOND in their conference for volleyball! We were so proud and spent many evenings traveling to games and tournaments. So much fun to be a volleyball parent. We truly love it.

Big D's so involved with our church that it feels like it might be his second home. He loves it and loves the people and that makes me so happy. He also has spent hours learning (self-teaching really) himself to play his acoustic guitar. He is such a great musician.

It is exciting to be heading into the Christmas holidays. I have the tree up and decorated, the mantle decorated and my centerpieces made for the coffee table and dining table. Gorgeous if I do say so myself.

My projects this fall have included organizing my VAST collection of books. Ugh. That has been a labor of love (and sometimes hate!), trying to pull off life as the Mama of a college girl and high school boy, attending the bestest Bible Study ever at my sweet Carole's house and trying to write. The writing is proving the hardest. I just don't think I have a lot to say right now or at least a reason to say it. My biggest project has been writing letters to my immediate family for Christmas. I'm excited about that.

Okay..that wasn't so hard. I love my blog. Truth be told, it is the pictures and loading them to it that do me in. So maybe the goal here is not so many pictures and more words.

Glad to be back!

I'm ALIVE!!

2010-08-20T16:16:00.001-05:00

So much to say....not enough time today to say it but I feel horrible guilt over the way I let my little blog flounder and collapse. So many things have happened over the last few months..my baby has gone to college and my babiest baby is a highschool freshman. Anyway..this is just to say "I'M BACK!" elipses and all! Ha!
Can't wait to start blogging again on Sunday.

Dogs, Neck Pain, Headache

2010-04-15T09:39:00.003-05:00

Those three words so describe my life today.
Dogs: I am having to have the carpets cleaned in my downstairs today because the house smells very doggy and my parents are coming this weekend. It looks and smells ALOT better. As a matter of fact, they just finished and it looks INCREDIBLE!!
Neck Pain: I have either slept goofy on my pillows or have a sinus infection or an inoperable brain tumor but MY HEAD IS SPLITTING and has been for the last three days. I know seasonal allergies are VERY bad right now but it feels like it's in my upper back. I don't know...it's bad.
Headache: Explained above.
I have lost the cord for my camera/computer link up and need to load the pictures of Maggie's signing on my blog and facebook. That's the next order of business today.

Dodge City!!!

2010-04-13T08:43:00.003-05:00

This has been the biggest whirlwind week of our lives! Maggie signs her letter of intent for Dodge City Communty College today! We are so excited for her! Jim is in Seattle so will miss the big moment but I am planning on taking TONS of pictures. We have cookies from Connie's, a cookie cake, punch and all the purple and gold and white accessories we could find! After this morning she will officially be a Dodge City Community College Conquistador (or Conq for short).

This is a picture of the campus. It looks very brown in this picture but it really wasn't this unattractive in real life.

And this is her wonderful Coach, Shaun Pohlman. He's going to be a great Coach for Maggie and so encouraging and nice. We love him and his sweet family!

After today...my baby girl will be college bound. I plan on celebrating with a lot of chocolate and my bed tonight. I'm worn out from all the excitement!

Spring is Here!

2010-04-05T05:51:00.002-05:00

These were the shoes I wore for Easter. I think they are SO cute! Best yet..they were pretty comfy. I can't wait to wear them all summer long...I just think they are wonderful and I love that metallic silver. I desperately need to update my capri's and t's wardrobe. Plus I love having a few cute flowy skirts to wear in summer. Oh! I just can't wait until summer really hits.

I know spring has really sprung when I start seeing these in my garden. Peony shoots.

It won't be too long until they look like this...

It's almost always right before Memorial Day here. Even though they are always covered in ants..I always bring them in and enjoy them in bouquets. I have a system for getting rid of the ants. I drown them. Fill your kitchen sink with soapy, warm water and then submerge the peony heads for a few seconds. This kind of stuns the ants and you can shake them (or they float) right off. It takes care of all but the most stubborn little stinkers.

My kids are off school today (yahoo!) so we are going to enjoy our long weekend together with mowing and cleaning up. I will enjoy that..I'm not sure about them.

Easter

2010-04-04T17:09:00.002-05:00

We have had a fabulous Easter! What a great day! We got up this morning and thoroughly enjoyed church. Joe and Maggie came with and we all enjoyed the incredible music, sermon and whole experience. It was so worshipful. I was in tears the whole time, overcome with the sovereignty of the service.

We came home and I cooked a ham, hashbrown potato casserole, asparagus, peas, broccoli/cauliflower salad, rolls and lemon pudding souffle cake with whipped cream for dessert. We colored eggs..the kids ate alot of chocolate and it's been an all around great day.

Happy Easter dear friends. I hope you all have a moment to recognize the brevity and joy of the day. The chocolate eggs are pretty yummy too!

Good Friday

2010-04-02T06:47:00.002-05:00

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
the emblem of suffering and shame;
and I love that old cross where the dearest and best
for a world of lost sinners was slain.
Refrain:
So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
and exchange it some day for a crown.

2. O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
has a wondrous attraction for me;
for the dear Lamb of God left his glory above
to bear it to dark Calvary.
(Refrain)

3. In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
a wondrous beauty I see,
for 'twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
to pardon and sanctify me.
(Refrain)

4. To that old rugged cross I will ever be true,
its shame and reproach gladly bear;
then he'll call me some day to my home far away,
where his glory forever I'll share.
(Refrain)

I love this old hymn. It was one that we sang at my Grandfather Hauck's funeral and it was precious to him. The words all bear reflection.
I hope everyone takes a moment (at least) today to reflect on the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross. God loves you. We say that often meaning God loves mankind but I don't mean that today. God loves you in particular. Enough that if you had been the only person on earth...he still would have sent Jesus to rescue you.

John 3:16-18....This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyones who trusts in him is acquitted. (The Message)

March Meals

2010-03-31T17:20:00.004-05:00

Daniel is participating in March Meals at our church this month. He is working with the youth group team to serve this delight......spaghetti, garlic bread, salad and CUPCAKES for dessert. Oh my! I love cupcakes. They were delish. We were so very proud of him and the way he helped out. He's such a great kid.

It's almost GORGEOUS weather here in Kansas. It was in the mid-80's today and absolutely beautiful. I love having the windows open and the fans on. I can't wait to get my pots planted and have a little color on my back patio and at the front door. Some of my favorite flowers are peonies, geraniums and roses. I have quite a few rosebushes, about five peonies and I always plant pots of geraniums. I also have a lilac bush that hasn't done to well the last few years so we will see what this summer brings for it. It might be time to yank it out and start over.

The rest of the week I will be doing a little spring cleaning. I just got a NEW supply of Mrs. Meyer's products in the mail (geranium scent) and can't wait to spiff this place up.

A Little More About Nuthin'

2010-03-29T18:00:00.000-05:00

After watching the movie, The Jane Austen Book Club, which we absolutely LOVED...I decided I'm missing out be never having read Jane Austen. So, I am starting with Sense and Sensibility and am enjoying it greatly.

I am making this DELIGHT tonight for dessert. I can't wait. I love lemon things and so I'm sure this will be divine! I'll post the recipe later although I'm just taking it off the Food Network website.

I can't WAIT for summer. I love grilling out and sitting in the sun. I love my flower garden when it is in bloom and I'm hoping I can convince Daniel to help me plant a veggie garden this year. I think it would be fun to grow some tomatoes and zucchini at least.

REDEEMED

2010-03-28T06:00:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking alot about this word. Redeemed. Do you know what it means to you?
The dictionary defines it the following ways:
re·deem (r-dm)
tr.v. re·deemed, re·deem·ing, re·deems
1. To recover ownership of by paying a specified sum.
2. To pay off
3. To turn in and receive something in exchange.
4. To fulfill
5. To convert
6. To set free; rescue or ransom.
7. To save from a state of sinfulness and its consequences.
8. To make up for.
9. To restore the honor, worth, or reputation.

Which one (or ones) define your life?
I especially love #6 and #9.
Awesome!

Cleaning Up

2010-03-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

This is probably VERY pathetic to admit but one of my favorite days of the month is the day that The Cleaning Authority comes to clean my house. They come every other week and it is just such a blessing that I can barely stand it. It makes me love my husband immensely that he pays for it! Of course, every day there is picking up and maintenance...I still have to clean the toilets a couple times a week, wipe up and vacuum BUT I don't have to scrub the bathrooms and I barely have to dust anything. It's wonderful.

There is just one little problem. I hate being HERE when they come to clean. I feel like I distract them and it always makes me feel guilty and bad about myself. So..I used to just hang out in the laundry room and catch up on laundering and read but NOW..I almost always go and have coffee and a bagel at Panera. It's like my twice a month treat and I really love it so much! I take my Bible, whatever Bible study I'm working on at the time and spread out and spend two hours really paying attention to it. It's wonderful and the longest stretch of time I really have to devote to study.
I always feel like it's my mini-vacation. Sometimes I take a couple cookbooks and do some menu planning for the week. Coming home to a perfectly clean house is a delight that I do not take lightly!

Here I Am

2010-03-26T06:00:00.001-05:00

One of my most favorite songs is "Here I Am" by Downhere. The lyrics are so awesome.

Downhere - Here I Am
From the album Ending Is Beginning

Sometimes Your calling, comes in dream
Sometimes it comes in the Spirit's breeze
You reach for the deepest hope in me
And call out for the things of eternity

But I'm a man, of dust and stains,
You move in me, so I can say

Chorus
Here I am, Lord send me
All of my life, I make an offering,
Here I am, Lord send me
Somehow my story is a part of Your plan,
Here I am

When setbacks and failures, and upset plans
Test my faith and leave me with empty hands
Are You not the closest when it's hardest to stand
I know that You will finish what You began

And these broken parts You will redeem
Become the song that I can sing

Chorus

Overwhelmed by the thought of my weakness
And the fear that I'll fail You in the end
In this mess, I'm just one of the pieces,
I can't put this together but You can

Chorus

Here I Am, all my life an offering to You, to You
Somehow my story is a part of Your plan
Here I am

That just does me in...somehow MY story is part of HIS plan. My story feels so small and insignificant. It's heartening to think that MY story is not for naught. Even my broken parts He can redeem for good and His glory! That's the best!

Ten Things

2010-03-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

I got this idea on the LPM (Living Proof Ministries) blog and decided it was kind of fun. Here's ten things you might not know about me:

1. I have almost ZERO hair on my legs naturally. Freakishly really.I really never have to shave them.
2. I love hot weather, especially humidity.
3. I ADORE reading. I'll even read the back of the toilet cleaner bottle.
4. I'm very random when completing tasks which bugs my Type A hubby.
5. I ADORE animals and always wanted to be a vet.
6. I have been "saved" quite a few times. Once for real and several others "just as a safety net". LOL
7. I adore aprons and anything from the 1940's.
8. I love reading about simplifying but my life is actually quite complicated.
9. Sometimes when I cook, I pretend I'm taping a show for the Food Network so I'm not so bored.
10. I grew up near the ocean and the smell of it always makes me cry. I miss it.

Little Bit of This, Little Bit of That

2010-03-24T18:11:00.002-05:00

This little high jumper is my Maggie! We recently went to Crossroads National Qualifier volleyball tournament in Denver. Maggie's team came in FIRST PLACE in the Silver Select 18's division. We were SO proud and it was an awesome way to end her club volleyball career. She has two more tournaments and then we are through with this season of life which is a little bittersweet. We have had many great trips with volleyball...Omaha, Oklahoma City, Denver, Topeka, Salina, Kansas City and many little towns around Kansas. Good times. How can you not love this face? My Mags is known for her engaging personality and her enthusiasm! Do you get that from the picture below?

This sweet boy is at Training Camp. He was a naughty, wicked fellow and now there is hope. His breeder is training him in obedience and hunting. We have visited him and he is doing so well. It did about break my heart to leave him but it will be worth it to have a well behaved dog. He's just too big and strong to handle if he doesn't obey.

These days, however, seem like a distant memory. Wasn't he the cutest! I think he's so handsome now but what a little honey!

Speaking of dogs...if I had my perfect life I would be enjoying lunch at a sidewalk cafe just like this picture. The only difference would be that my dogs would be tied to the chair. If Shadow comes through his training like I think he will, it would mean that he would be lying next to the table instead of dragging it down the street! Ha!

Enough for now..

Blogging Again!

2010-03-23T06:21:00.002-05:00

Yep. I'm back to blogging. I've been so busy lately with my daughter and college and volleyball that I haven't had a moment to think a thought of my own. That is the excuse but I also just haven't felt like saying anything. I have a lot of ambivalent thoughts about my Maggie going away to college. On one hand..it's a new adventure and I want her to experience life to the fullest. On the other hand...I'm scared for her. It's so much easier to feel confident that she's safe when she is under my roof. I love making sure she's comfortable and well fed. How will I do that when she is hundreds of miles away? She's my first born. My baby girl.

Anyway...through the last months we have visited colleges and attended alot of volleyball tournaments. We have been to Topeka for a long weekend and just recently to Denver for a four day tournament. Daniel went to a youth retreat over the weekend so we were in Denver with just Maggie. It was a really special time. We stayed two blocks from the convention center in downtown Denver and walked everywhere. We shopped, ate out at incredible restaurants, rode the tram back and forth and watched ALOT of volleyball. Maggie's team came in FIRST in the Silver Select 18's division. We were so proud of her! She's a machine. Coach Pohlman stayed to watch her and so on Friday following our return to Kansas...we headed to Dodge City to check out Dodge City Community College. We all loved it! It's the perfect place for our Maggie and so this Fall...she will be a D3 Conquistador! She's going to be playing a starting position as a Right Side Hitter and she is very excited. Now we are in the throes of picking out dorm decor and trying to figure out how to get everything she will need to Dodge. Very exciting times!

Daniel has been busy with physical therapy for his knee, church youth group and guitar lessons. He is a guitar playing wizard! He has missed Shadow (his black lab) who has been at training camp so much! Shadow has four more weeks of training before he comes home but we visited him and he is doing so well. It's amazing how much he has changed from a big brat into a well behaved boy.

I feel horribly bad about abandoning my sweet blog but life has been so overwhelming with sick me, sick kids, sick parents, my Uncle Bill's death, etc...isn't life just like that sometimes? My sweet friend, Katie, encouraged me to keep writing and I know that daily writing is the key. So here's my commitment to keeping my blog current. It's a great journal and I'm going to write more regularly.

Cold in Kansas

2010-01-06T06:00:00.002-06:00

It is so cold in Kansas and it is supposed to get even COLDER! One little tidbit about me...I HATE cold weather. If the temperature stayed in the 80's and 90's forever...I'd be very happy. When it is in the 20's and even worse..the teen's...oh, baby! It just hurts my body!

I have my prayer group to go to today. I look forward to this group of five women who meet together to pray for our children. Our kids range in age from thirties to six years old but each child gets prayed for every day. We choose a card representing that child, their Mom shares a request that has been on her heart, we pray immediately for that child and then for the next week, we pray daily for that request. It's really interesting to hear someone else pray so intimately for your children. Besides my BFF, Tia, I didn't know any of these gals before this group. It is humbling to think that they are willing to invest their time praying for my children.

It's neat because our kids are all at such different ages and stages in their lives. Everything from the militairy and weddings to early elementary to college decision. It's a great melting pot of ideas and care!

A Good Morning To You!

2010-01-05T08:20:00.003-06:00

Doesn't this just make the day wonderful? Coffee is the way I always start my day. Jim loves regular coffee so that is what I make first but if we drink that down then I make a pot of Trader Joe's Wintery Blend. It is SO good with a dash of Peppermint Mocha creamer. A little spicy, a little creamy and sweet. Yummy!

This last semester of Maggie's senior year she has a strange schedule. She doesn't have to go to school on Tuesday's until 12:00 and the other days are weird too. It's kind of nice for her. She never gets enough sleep so this is a good opportunity for that. Anyway, since she didn't have to get up until later today...I stopped at Panera for bagels on my way home from taking Daniel to school.

Maggie will love waking up to a Panera bagel with cream cheese. I already had my very yummy Gingerbread bagel with honey walnut cream cheese. Daniel will enjoy a warm bagel with butter and raspberry jam when he gets home tonight. If I remember...I can toast it before I go pick him up and wrap it in foil so it is waiting in the seat when he gets in to come home. He would LOVE that! Maybe a little hot chocolate to go along with it!

While drinking my Wintery Blend..my favorite thing to do is read my Bible. I started reading through the Bible in a year again and I like the consistency of it. Today is Genesis 13-15 and Psalm 5. I especially like to read it out of my NIV and then out of The Message. It really is interesting to hear it in modern language but the NIV is like an old friend and I have to read it there too. :)

A book I am currently reading that I think SO many people would enjoy is called A Praying Life by Paul E. Miller. It's just a really great tutorial on incorporating a prayer life. It's full of everyday analogies and situations. Really good!

Resolutions

2010-01-04T12:25:00.002-06:00

I have to admit that I hate the word...Resolution. I would rather use the word...Goals. I like to set goals for myself. I like to make lists and check off lists and strive to make things better. This year, I decided to make a list of everything my little brain could think of and hopefully review it regularly and achieve at least some of it! So here it is...my list for 2010.

Resolutions 2010

Read my bible everyday and learn one new thing from it
Memorize scripture (I'm horrible at remembering it!)
Pray for my immediate family every day
Plan meals for a week at a time so I only need to grocery shop twice a week
Establish a great repertoire of recipes
Bake more cookies!
Master making pies!
Use freezer and fridges more effectively
Repaint living room.
Think through decorating style…what’s really important
Help kids with homework. Check on them more.
Church - pick one and stick with it.
Plan one thing a month with friends.
Participate fully in volleyball and plan better for tournaments.
Read more! Read one fiction book a month. Re-read all the Mitford books in order.
Work on scrapbooking pictures
Really learn how to use my camera and to use photoshop
Learn how to use my sewing machine
Reduce, reuse, recycle
Walk Shadow and/or The Littles five days a week (The Littles are our tiny dogs)
Spend time on our yard
Take a kid out for breakfast, lunch or dinner at least once a month (Listen to them!)
Watch the Anne of Green Gables, the Marples and all the As Time Goes By, DVD’s
Try to live a little more consciously.

Some of these things I already do every day of my life. Some things I'd like to incorporate into my life. I like new beginnings.

Happy New Year 2010!

2010-01-02T15:22:00.004-06:00

I feel like it has been forever since I've given any time to my little bloggy world and it surely HAS been. The holidays were just so busy and I can truly say that since Thanksgiving...it has been one whirlwind day after another. We had such a nice Thanksgiving celebration...just the four of us and really enjoyed time being together. We put up our tree that weekend and started the Christmas shopping. This year Jim and I both ordered a TON of stuff online and that was the most stressless shopping I've ever done! I can't say enough about shopping online!

I think my kiddos had a pretty lucrative and wonderful Christmas. Since my 45th birthday was this year on Christmas Eve..we celebrated the whole day long! Christmas Eve we prepared everything for the next day and then spent the rest of Eve opening gifts and watching Christmas Vacation on t.v. It snowed about 3 inches and we enjoyed that so much! Christmas Eve night we went to dinner at Savute's and had a wonderful birthday celebration. Maggie and I enjoyed their insanely wonderful filet mignon, Daniel had a t-bone and Jim had spaghetti and meatballs (he did say it wasn't as good as mine! Ha!).

Christmas Day we enjoyed the Hans' family. We just kicked back and enjoyed turkey and ham and all the trimmings. Between Christmas Day and New Year's we decided to have a very fun week of hanging around and enjoying one another and our house. VERY FUN and relaxing. Jim and Daniel went hunting and shot six pheasants and by New Year's Eve we were ready to cuddle up around the fire and hang out. We hosted a New Year's Eve party for about 15 of Maggie's friends. It was really sweet to know that our 18 year old and her friends were content playing Scattergories, eating pizza, drinking Martinelli's Sparkling Cider and eating Butterfinger dessert. They had a WONDERFUL time and ended it about 2 am. Not too bad for a high school party!

WE are welcoming the New Year with lots of excitement. Maggie's last semester of high school, prom, club volleyball season and Daniel's learner's permit and last semester of 8th grade and 14th birthday!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T05:54:00.002-06:00

I don't think I've been this busy at Christmas EVER. I haven't had one free moment between Thanksgiving and Christmas when I haven't been cooking, taking care of kids, shopping or sick. What a frantic season. I'm ready to settle down today and enjoy Christmas Day with my family. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and remembers that it is about more than just presents and Santa. The creator of the world came down to earth and chose to be born as an infant so that he could save us from our sins. Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace and goodwill toward men.

Have a Merry Christmas.

So Thankful!

2009-11-25T19:44:00.002-06:00

I am so very thankful this Thanksgiving Day for all the wonderful blessings in my life. I have a husband that loves me very much, two great kids and my sweet pets. I have good friends, wonderful extended family and a home I love. My life truly is very blessed.

This Thanksgiving we are going to stay home and hang out...just the four of us. We decided this when we thought Jim's family was all going to be gone for Thanksgiving and decided to just keep it that way when their plans changed. I am making the whole Thanksgiving shebang even though it's just us four.

So we are having turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, two kinds of cranberries, homemade rolls, green bean casserole, noodles and pumpkin pie. Lots of times we have even more side dishes but as a nod to Mom (me) my sweeties decided they could "make do" with just a few. Ha!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I hope each one of you has something wonderful to be thankful about.

What I've Been Up To

2009-11-14T09:52:00.002-06:00

I have been so busy that I haven't even had a chance to look at my blog let alone update it.
If you came to my house today you would celebrate Jim (the wonderful hubby's) birthday with us. He always gets the short end of the stick because tomorrow is my darling daughter's birthday and it is her 18TH BIRTHDAY! Yes....she is all grown up!
So this weekend is one massive push through birthday celebrations and alot of CAKE.
Sweet Baby M is having her BIG party next weekend with her friends and family so it will be another big fiesta!
Got to run...she just got home from a slumber party!

Faithful Friend

2009-10-28T12:13:00.005-05:00

This fine looking automobile has been mine since 2000. That's right, we have been together for almost 10 years! We bought her new from the dealership, first and last time we will ever do that. This isn't her actual picture, just a representation because I'm too lazy to go out and take her picture. She's actually much more beautiful to me and she wears a racy black bra on her hood. Got to keep everything contained.

We have been through so much together and even though she now has over 105,000 miles that she has adventured with me, I love her as much as the first day she came home. She has been through most of Sweet Baby M's grade school, middle school and high school years. She taught Sweet Baby to drive and spent some time sitting in the lot at the high school. She thought she was so COOL then! She has held carseats and kindergarteners. She has made more trips to the pumpkin patch then she cares to count and has carpooled to museums, zoos, state fairs, lakes, mountains, and other interesting destinations.

This dear van and I have been all over Wichita. She has hauled home more bags of groceries than I can calculate. She's moved plants, furniture and mulch. She has been to many other states too. She's driven to Minnesota more times than I can count, to Nebraska, Oklahoma, Missouri and Colorado. She loves the open road and is careful to keep us all safe when we are cruising along.

When I think of all the things we've experienced together it makes me very melancholy. She has practically driven herself when I've cried so hard I couldn't see the road after dropping my kids off for their first days of school, sped to the emergency room, hauled 4-wheelers and boats, driven all the way up to the Continental Divide and back down with nary a groan.

This wonderful machine always seems to hold just what we need. Need a pen, we've got it. Need a straw, yep we got it. Need a kleenex, a safety pin, a needle and thread, a tampon, a drink, a snack, a blanket or a hoodie, a coloring book...got it. It truly is a wonder van!

My van is candy apple red with the most luscious deep gray interior. It's been barfed in, had every sort of fluid spilled in it including an entire Route 44 Diet Limeade with extra lime, and has contained more crumbs than you would ever believe. Jim just takes a power washer and hoses it out and it comes back as good as new. She's just like Nanny McPhee, that great movie where Nanny McPhee gets more beautiful the longer she's around.

That's just the way I feel about my sweet van. We've shared so many experiences together that I can't imagine life without her. Hopefully she will go on for a while longer with me and see the Big D through high school too. With her big blinky headlights and her huge smiling grill, I imagine she will be the proudest van in the lot when we visit Sweet Baby at college. And when my dear van and I drive away, I know my faithful friend will whisk me home just as she has for the last 10 years, pull into the garage and wait patiently...ready for the next adventure.

What I've Been Up To

2009-10-14T05:09:00.002-05:00

Sweet Baby M recently celebrated her Senior Night for volleyball! What a fun event that was. The Juniors on the team make each girl a collage board filled with pictures from their lives and quotes they love. They are very cute. During the half-time, each girl and her parents are announced and walk in and are presented with flowers by a player on their team. The announcer talks about their future plans. We made it through without any emotional breakdowns (on my part) and all in all it was a success.

My sweet Great Niece, Annabelle, came to celebrate the night and sat in a big desk at her Mimi's alma mater. Everyone in Jim's family graduated from the same highschool, as did I. We think that's pretty neat. And now our children will graduate from that school. She looked very small sitting in the desk.

During the half time the girls ran up to an empty classroom with family and friends to cut their DARLING cake. I think this is such a cute group of girls.

Maggie had such a nice group of family come to see her. From left it's Grandma, Cousin Missy, Uncle Mike, Auntie Beth and Annabelle.

The cake really was a masterpiece with their picture scanned on it.

What a fun night! Just one of many in this journey through Sweet Baby M's Senior Year!

Volleyball and Sweet Baby M

2009-10-06T05:12:00.002-05:00

Never before has volleyball ramped up to such a fevered pitch. We've always been involved in volleyball but with practice everyday, games twice a week and tournaments all day Saturdays...it's a bit overwhelming. Throw in the fact that our almost 18 year old Sweet Baby M has numerous college coaches calling to recruit her and you have a glimpse at our lives.

So far she's heard from about 8 colleges. We've narrowed it down to 5 but it's still a lot to manage. I don't know how kids that don't have an EXTREMELY involved parent do it. I suppose they don't. They must miss out on alot of great opportunities. We want Sweet Baby M to choose a good fit for her but we would LOVE it if it was close to home. We like being involved in her life and sports and would be pretty sad to see her end up far from home.

TGIF!

2009-10-02T05:34:00.003-05:00

I am so glad that it is Friday! I don't really know why...it's just the same old thing...volleyball and more volleyball but I am ready for a nice Fall weekend.
One thing I love EVERY morning (and some afternoons) of my life is this

Oh how I love coffee with cream. I like it made in my very own kitchen and drank in my big brown leather chair. Sometimes I like drinking it out of a mug that I bought from a potter in Minnesota and sometimes I like drinking it from a cup with a saucer. Just depends on my mood. I hate drinking it from a plastic travel cup or a foam cup. Yuk. It just doesn't taste as good.I love plain coffee with raw sugar and plain cream but I adore this

I drink this in coffee almost every morning of my life. It's pretty neutral tasting and if I add it to coffee, I don't need sugar. I love it and not the powdered stuff either. Only the liquid. In the winter months, Coffeemate comes out with this flavor

which I usually stockpile while it is in stores. It lasts a LONG time. The best thing about coffee and mornings is that while you are drinking it you can read this

I have read this book so many times I can't even count. Most of my original book is underlined, highlited, written in...suffice it to say, it is WELL used! I have worked my way through 4 workbooks and am getting ready to start it again with my BFF, Tia. I am so excited. I have always learned so much about myself and my relationship to God through it. I love reading back through the journals and seeing how I've either changed or stayed the same. LOVE IT! I think John Eldredge is sheer genius and such a wonderful interpreter of both the bible and feelings. Two things that usually don't really get talked about in the same breath. John is all about breaking out of the mold of the life you've created and living the life GOD created YOU for. I love that! When I've gone through the exercise that lists what your life would look like if it was your heart's desire...I've been so befuddled. Obviously some of it is perhaps unattainable (not really for me though because I'm pretty simplistic) but why don't we strive to obtain what we really want. It's like we just live in defeat instead of in victory. I don't ever want to come to the end of life on earth and think that I lived it all in defeat. That's my ode to John Eldredge and here he is. Doesn't he look like someone you'd want to hang out with?

Two Things

2009-10-01T17:52:00.002-05:00

Alas, I will never return to this establishment again. After too many chances...El Patio has let Tia and I down yet once more. So...suffice it to say...we won't be returning. It's just too stressful to be faced with bad Mexican food time and again. El Patio has become like a roulette wheel...we never know when our luck is going to turn.

On a happier note..a new Baskin Robbins has opened up near our house. It is DELIGHTFUL! The Big D and I are committed to trying all 31 flavors. I mean..who can resist this fun looking character?

Doesn't this make you want to run out and grab a Lemon Custard on a Sugar cone or a Chocolate on a waffle cone or a Very Berry Strawberry on a regular cone? Or even better..a bubblegum ice cream cone! A blast from the past.

I'll keep you updated on our quest through the 31 flavors.

Some Randomness

2009-09-30T16:11:00.003-05:00

This is a picture of my Great-grandparents, Christian and Stella Hauck. Aren't they cute? I suppose they had their share of troubles but somehow I don't think they were as overscheduled as my sweet little family seems to be right now! This college athletics recruiting thing is KILLING me. It's all so complicated and the logistics of managing all the paperwork is daunting, to say the least. That combined with Sweet Baby M's schedule and volleyball makes for busy days and then throw the Big D and his activities on top of all that. My poor husband gets lost in the shuffle.

This makes me smile and lightens the load. Sweet Shadow thoroughly enjoyed licking the spatula for the cake I was making. I love how his eyeballs look as if they could pop right out! I think he was amazed at his good luck.

And finally, why oh why can NO ONE in this household reload the toilet paper roller? It is beyond me why they can't just move a roll from the back of the toilet (I always stack LOTS of extras there) to the roller. Usually it's carefully balanced on top of the roller but not loaded on ready for the next potty-er. Annoying.

Yawn....

2009-09-28T19:44:00.002-05:00

I'm here...I'm just too busy and tired to post anything. We were busy all weekend with Cross Country meets (in the VERY rain soaked park) and Volleyball tournaments. Then my wonderful husband wanted to go see a movie (Love Happens...very cute!) and out to dinner. Today was a major catch-up day and "pull the house back together after the weekend" day. I'm just exhausted...more later.

Celebration Time, Come On!

2009-09-19T07:05:00.003-05:00

Is that the CORNIEST title or what! Today we are celebrating this lovely woman's 70th birthday! She is my wonderful Mother-In-Law, Susie. I love this picture of her taken just about a week ago with my sweet Sister-In-Law. They are both so sweet and I can't imagine any better family. My Mother-In-Law put herself through college after the sudden death of my husband's dad to become a paralegal and then went to work for a prominent immigration attorney. She was truly MORE than the right hand man for the office. She was the driving force for so many people in their quest for citizenship. When she retired she moved out to the country to run a tree farm with my husband's stepdad.

This year she treated her whole family (5 kids and their spouses and grandkids) to a three day adventure in Bennett Spring, MO. We had so much fun being together and relaxing away from home. Since the untimely death of her only sister, she has become a surrogate Mom to her nieces and their families. They are always included in everything our family does and it makes it all so fun. She is the glue that holds it all together. Susie is a hard worker. She loves yoga, reading, cooking, gardening and her dogs and cats. She adores her family.

I love this picture of Susie and her hubby looking out over the waters at Bennett Spring. This place holds special memories for her family and it was so fun to experience it this year with her. She loved watching her "boys" fly fishing together....they are a true Band of Brothers and watching the grandkids and great-grandkid and great-nieces and nephews scamper through the shallow water gave them so much pleasure.

Susie, or Mom as she is known to all, is one in a million. She is a lionness when protecting one of her family, has the tenderest heart when faced with any problem and is one of the most intelligent people I know. If you have a problem....she will find a solution.

Mom, I love you! I hope your birthday today is everything you thought it would be. We have been so blessed to have you as the Matriarch of our family.

Heights Falcons Thump the Competition

2009-09-16T05:02:00.002-05:00

Heights volleyball team is doing so well this year! They have only had one defeat and that was from their bitterest rival, Bishop Carroll. Because they had such a strong Senior team last year, they were not slated to do well this year but they have rocked the court! Just look how high these two can jump!

That's Sweet Baby M on the right with her good friend Perri in the middle! What an awesome block!

Of course, it helps when you have cute little fans like Annabelle to come and cheer you on!

These girls are a great team and good friends and that's exactly what we want to see this year!

Little Dog...Strange Ways

2009-09-12T15:11:00.004-05:00

This little brat is Sweet Baby M's pet. She is not my pet, no matter that she sleeps in my bed, I feed her and hold her and her fur is usually covering every bit of my clothing. Even though I LIVE in a house with 5 pets...none of them are TECHNICALLY mine! Tiki (the chihuahua)is my husband's dog, Shadow (the wicked lab) is the Big D's dog, Leo (the gecko) again...Big D's. Zippy the Cat is Sweet Baby's and this naughty Pommy is Sweet Baby's. If I had pets, they would be only good, trained to behave and they wouldn't rip and chew everything up. So HA!
For some reason this little twerp (who is named Pup Pup but is also called Baby Butters) likes to pick up one piece of dog food in her mouth and carry it all the way across the kitchen to eat on the family room rug. She does it at least 15 times...back and forth, back and forth. I think it's kind of weird.

9/11

2009-09-11T19:25:00.002-05:00

I have really mixed feelings about this post because I don't want it to be misinterpreted as weird and I certainly don't want anyone who's on the fence about Christianity to be put off. Please don't use my thoughts as your barometer. But I wanted to document it so I don't forget it.
The morning the planes changed my generation's idea of safety forever, I had just dropped off my Kindergartener and 4th grader at school. My Dad called me on my cell and said, "Don't turn on the radio...something has happened and the kids don't need to hear it." Since I always obey my Daddy...I didn't turn it on or think anything of it. You see, I was on my way to First Evangelical Free Church to lead 50+ women in a Beth Moore Bible Study, "Jesus, The One and Only". That is why I will NEVER forget that it was Tuesday..because it was Bible Study day.
When I walked in the church, the t.v.'s were on in the foyer and the pastoral staff was gathered around them. In one second, my joyful, carefree morning changed. I had 50+ women congregating in the church basement, some who were just hearing the news for the first time. At that moment, before we started the welcome time...I felt absolutely stunned and brain-dead.
After a time spent processing what had happened and dismissing anyone who felt they needed to get home, we decided to carry on and start our time together with worship and prayer. Everyone stayed. I decided we would open with prayer and felt very compelled that I should lead but I didn't even know what I would pray. I stood up in front of this group of ladies, some who were sobbing...and I FELT the Spirit of the Lord fall on me. Now...................
I don't want this to sound creepy or weird. However, for one of the few times in my life...I felt absolutely loved, absolutely at peace and I had the right words. I prayed naturally and from the heart. The words were right and true. When I opened my eyes, our lead Pastor...Tom Macy...was standing beside me. I really barely knew him personally but he squeezed me and proceeded to reassure the ladies.
We went on to study "Jesus, The One and Only" and it will always be one of my favorite studies. Who else but Jesus could heal the heart of our broken nation? Who else but Jesus gave the tragedy perspective and who else but our sweet Jesus would step in and meet some Midwestern ladies in the basement of their church and make them feel as crucial to his work as the most respected evangelist? He became something more than just "God" to me that day. Although I know I received Jesus in my heart when I was a little girl in Awana's, that day I felt like I really "got it". It was all about feeling him meet us in that place. He came down and dwelt amongst us that moment and I really truly believe that.

Later, someone told me that Pastor Macy said that when he walked in the room as I was praying, he truly felt the spirit of the Lord amongst us too. I felt that was just a validating gift that God graced me with. :)

When Bible Study was over, I actually had the presence of mind and peaceful spirit to see each dear lady out the door and then RAN to my car and SPED to the school to grab my babies. I wanted them physically in my arms and with me. Then I broke down.

That day changed alot in our household. My husband works in the aircraft industry and it had a HUGE effect on business since planes were grounded. We have financial holdings in aircraft so we definitely were financially affected. That said, I hope I never, ever forget that feeling of God drawing near. Although I loved Him before...it made me adore Him.

Okay...there's nothing more I have to say.
That's it.

Ten Things I am Loving this September!

2009-09-10T10:23:00.003-05:00

1. The State Fair. I am not even sure we are going to get a chance to go (it starts on the 11th...) but the idea of it is worth pondering. I love the fair but it just always falls at a horrible time for us right in the middle of Fall sports and bad weather. However, the Kansas State Fair and all it's wonderful taste tempations and freebies is #1. The pronto pup is worth the admission and drive alone.

2. Cheese and apples. I love apples! Right now the store is getting a new shipment of good apples and they are crisp and yummy, especially with cheese (my fave combo).

3. Haagen Daz Coffee Ice Cream. It really is the best. I don't know why I ever deviate into any other brand or flavor.

4. The Cleaning Authority. This is a total spoiled indulgence but I love having cleaning people. Mine are two of the most wonderful ladies that you would ever meet and they clean like whirling dervishes. I always go down in the laundry room and talk on the phone and do laundry and babysit the little dogs while they are here and when they yell down the stairs "See you next time", I venture up to an immaculately clean house. Heavenly!

5. Walking Shadow. Even though we have three dogs, Shadow is the most ill-behaved and hardest to control. The last few weeks he has really come around and is behaving much better on the leash. I attribute this to my compulsive following of "It's Me Or The Dog" on Animal Planet. I am a big fan of Victoria Stillwell!

6. Touched By An Angel. Where was I when this first showed on TV? It's in re-runs on the Hallmark Channel and I love it! And the Hallmark Channel should be it's own number anyway! It is one of my all time favorite channels.

7. Estate Sales. I adore them. There is nothing that gives me such a thrill as digging through someone else's old junk. More often than not, I walk away with nothing but I adore finding a bargain and it's always very heartwarming to see that other people have more junk than me. :)

8. "Ladies of the Lake" by Haywood Smith. Just started this book but I am LOVING it. I adore the library (which could have also been #8). Every time I ever go and leave with a bag of books it amazes me that they are just letting me TAKE them. I can not understand why everyone doesn't utilize the library. The VERY best part is that if you HATE the book, you can fling it down...unread...and then return it without feeling the least bit guilty that you wasted the money buying it.

9. John Eldredge's "Walking with God". I have read this book before and started the workbook but for some reason this time it's really clicking with what's going on in my life.

10. Fall Sports. I love volleyball season, cross country meets and Friday night Heights High School football. I like packing the cooler, making sure people have cold gatorade and clean sports uniforms. I LOVE packing the sports duffels and organizing the snacks. It's all fun! This year we want to tailgate before one of the Heights home games for the Seniors. Fun!

Ravioli Lasagna

2009-09-08T17:07:00.002-05:00

I'm not quite sure what to call this stuff but it is YUMMY! Here's a loose adaptation of the recipe which I made up.

1 bag frozen cheese ravioli, unthawed and uncooked
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup spaghetti sauce
1 package fresh spinach, sauteed (could also use frozen, defrosted and drained)
5 links Mild Italian Sausage, squeezed out of casing and browned and drained
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup flour
garlic
2 cups milk
1 cup parmesan cheese

This is not for the faint of heart calorie and fat wise.

1.Brown sausage and drain.
2.Saute' spinach in a tiny bit of olive oil with a clove of chopped garlic and -set aside (you probably could get away with just throwing it in unsauteed and it would work).
3.Make the parmesan white sauce by melting the butter and whisking in the flour to make a roux. Then slowly add about 1/2 cup of the milk stirring continually. When it is thick and incorporated, add the rest of the milk and then bring it to a simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add 3/4 cup of the parmesan cheese. Stir to make the cheese sauce.
4.In a 13 x 9 pan lay the 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of spaghetti sauce (kind of depends on how wide your pan is) and then lay a layer of the cheese ravioli nice and evenly on top. Top with the sausage and spinach. Layer on 1/2 the cheese sauce. Lay the rest of the ravioli on top and then top with the other 1/2 of the cheese sauce, sprinkle with the 1/4 cup of parmesan and bake covered with foil for 1 hour on 350* then remove foil and cook for another 15 minutes to brown parmesan on top.

YOU DON'T NEED to thaw the ravioli or cook them prior to using them.

I Love Fall!

2009-09-07T11:55:00.003-05:00

It's not even that Fall-like here but I sure am anticipating it! Next to summer, fall is my favorite season. Mostly because I am always so cold everywhere in summer. Too much air conditioning. All summer long I wear long sleeves or three quarter sleeves and finally in fall I can wear them and not look like a freak! Ha!
Today just seems like a fall day so I made chili for my gang. Chili with crushed up saltines and cheese just sounded very fall like and yummy. Plus it was what I was going to make last night for dinner before we decided to go to Carraba's and I already had the hamburger thawed and the onions diced.

This chili powder makes such good chili. I love Penzey's spices and if you have never tried them YOU MUST! Just go to http://www.penzeys.com and order away. We love almost every single one. I just placed a big order for vanilla, cumin, chili powder, Chesapeake bay seasoning (for shrimp) and Brady Street Cheese Sprinkle (for garlic bread). It's too die for.

Doesn't that look yummy! Okay...I just looked at my PREVIEW and it doesn't look so yummy but trust me, when it's all stirred together and simmered for a bit, it will.

I think I will whip up a batch of these too! I made some of my Mom's famous Marie Callender's Cornbread but pumpkin muffins sound so good. Plus my Grandma Baker used to always say that pumpkin was one of the very best things to feed children. It's just so good for them. That and molasses were her tricks to raising healthy kids.

Pretty soon it will be time to go and pick up a few bushels of apples and create one of these beauties!

I can't wait! I love apples and everything apple related. Apple pie, apple crisp, apple turnover, apples with cheese, applesauce. Yummy!
I think this looks like the perfect combo for apples though. Two of my favorite things...apples and cheese. Now I just need a fondue pot.

Buttons and Yo-Yo's

2009-09-07T06:05:00.000-05:00

I am addicted to these.
I am not a good sewer. I have NEVER been able to master a sewing machine. My last attempt ended in a thread ball that was as big as a jawbreaker. Suffice it to say, it didn't go well.
Yo-yo's require no true sewing skills. You just have to be able to cut a circle of fabric, thread a needle and sew a running stitch and then gather the thread. Tie a knot and you have a yo-yo. Super simple. You can use the yo-yo's to make a coverlet which is something I'm working on (it only takes like 1000!) and use them for accent on other things. I am using 14 of them on the neck of a cardigan sweater. It is going to be "too die for" cute! I saw the original on the Country Living website.

I think this is the version I am going to use on my sweater. With the darling buttons in the middle.

This is the deluxe double yo-yo with button model. Haven't tried this yet.

This week I went to a wonderful estate sale and picked up two gorgeous, never used pillowcases. They have beautiful embroidered monograms and at least 8 inches of crocheted lace on the edge. Gorgeous and they washed up beautifully. I also found a crocheted throw which came from Dublin Ireland and washed up soft and sweet. But the find of all finds was a whole shoebox full of old buttons for $3.00. I snatched it up and sorted it out at home. Lots of wonderful jars! I love jars of buttons.

Toast

2009-09-06T10:41:00.003-05:00

Yes. This is a complete post about nothing more than my love of Toast. My whole family loves Toast (except my husband who really detests my love of it). I will eat just about any toast, even that made from cheap white bread, but the preferred toast of all time is made from this......................

San Francisco style sourdough bread. I love it toasted just to the burned point. It can even be a little burned. Toast is meant to be dark. Not floppy and light in color. It has to be a little charred to be really good. Most of the time it has to be flipped in the toaster after it's done toasting and toasted for half the time on the other side. Then immediately spread with butter. Not margarine. Yuk..who eats that anyway? Real butter, preferrably with a low water content so it doesn't get all yukky and soggy. Then a smear of this glorious substance..........

Bonne Maman...in a variety of luscious flavors, the only jam I will buy. First, who can resist the jar? Is it not the cutest thing? I love to reuse them for homemade salad dressing or for storing buttons. Too die for. The jam is yummy too though. We adore the Four Fruits but also love the blueberry. The cherry is good too. I don't think we've had one we hated. That is about the perfect snack or breakfast. Sourdough toast, spread with buttter and smeared with four fruits jam.

I also have a cookbook about nothing more than toast. The title is (what else) "Toast" and the author is Jesse Ziff Cool which I happen to think is one of the "coolest" names around. Jesse Ziff would have been wonderful but add the Cool and it's over the top. The recipes are yummerrie (are you familiar with that word) and easy! She's the owner of the Cool Cafe and the Flea Street Cafe in Menlo Park near Stanford. Since I adore Menlo Park...I'm sure I'd love her in person.

On another note. One time I read an article on Wolfgang Puck and he was asked his favorite comfort food. His reponse was, "baguette fresh from the bakery. Sometimes I have to buy two just so I can tear into the first one in the car, yanking off chunks and eating it and still have another one left when I get home". I loved that!

Another use for toast that I adore is Crostini. Beautiful little pieces of baguette or whatever bread you choose to use, toasted up and topped with some wonderful substance. Even just melted cheese. Don't get me started there...toasted cheese and paninis are a whole other post and obsession.

That's it for now. Just my ode to toast. Enjoy!

This, That and The Other Thing (revisited)

2009-09-04T09:07:00.002-05:00

Oh dear bloggy world! What in the world have I been doing that I haven't blogged since August 22? Well...suffice it to say, I've been busy. So here's what I've been up to:
1. Letting Shadow in the house and out of the house. He is the perpetual "inny-outy" dog of all time. If he's in, he wants out and if he's out...in. He truly has some annoying ways about him. Oh and this..for some BIZARRE reason, when he wants to go out, you have to step out and hold the door open for him. As if I'm a doorman at the Ritz! It doesn't matter if it's 3 in the morning, pouring rain, sunny or if he has to poop so bad he's going to explode. Then he walks through as if he's entering Narnia for the first time. Tentative. As if it's a whole new backyard, not the same one he has been frequenting for 8 months straight. Like we are sending him to a gas chamber...which very well might happen if he doesn't quit chewing on the outside of the house. Ahem.
2. I've spent countless hours shuttling the Big D's forgotten items to his school. His ID badge, planner, books, running clothes. Luckily it's a 10 minute drive round trip but still....the only place to park is the faux handicapped slot. This is the parking stall that USED to be handicapped as referenced by the wheelchair painted on the pavement which has been eradicated in blue paint. It always freaks me out though...does that mean it isn't for the handicapped anymore and I can park there without repercussion or does it mean someone's stencil slipped when they were repainting the slot and everyone is going to think I'm a jerk. All this over a forgotten pair of running shorts.
3. The oven repair. My oven on my brand new stove quit working about 6 months after we purchased it. It only heats on Convection and only to 350 degrees after about 1 1/2 hours. SO....finally 6 months later I called the repair man and he came out and said the broiler element was burned out. He would order a new one and it would be in after a month. It's been two weeks and it's in (hallelujah) but the only time frame they can give me for installation is a 5 hour span. Can you be available between 8 and 1? I can't fathom that they can't pin it down to a shorter span. It is like saying...can you be home non-stop, never leaving, never having to go run an errand, never walk away from the phone because you just might miss our 15 minute prior to arrival courtesy call....for a whole day? That's bizarre to me.
4. Volleyball which has never NOT been the focus of our lives, has ramped up to become our very breath. The gatorade, inhalers, clean sox, clean spandex, uniform which CANNOT go in the dryer and stinky knee pads are never ending. If the washer isn't running and damp volleyball clothes aren't hanging, their is a problem.

I guess that's the long and short of it. Today I finally feel like I can take a breath. The long Labor Day weekend is going to be nice. Tomorrow we have a Cross Country meet (Big D) in the morning and then it's nothing until Tuesday. Should be wonderful!

My Children's Rooms

2009-08-22T12:13:00.002-05:00

I am suffering the consequences of allowing Sweet Baby M and the Big D to become uncontrollable messes. Their rooms are both so bad. Jim has hit the ceiling and of course we all know who suffers the wrath then....Me. It is so hard to force them to clean them up and keep them that way. Sweet Baby M has SO many clothes and the Big D is just sloppy. There are not enough hours in the day to keep this all running like a well oiled machine AND deal with the unexpected. If somone has the answer, please fill me in.
Signed,
Defeated in KS

RIP Timothy

2009-08-21T17:23:00.003-05:00

This sweet little baby, whom I have named Timothy, flew into a window today and perished. I saw him fly into the window and drop to the ground and quickly went over to see if he was just stunned. Unfortunately, he was dead. Because I didn't want anyone to just kick him to the curb or sweep him into the trash, I picked him up and wrapped him in a kleenex in my purse. He rode around to lunch with Tia and I and on our plethora of pressing errands while lying in repose in the back of my car. Now he has been carefully placed on a Sweet Life doily and laid in his little coffin. Poor little Timothy will be laid to rest tomorrow morning in the flower garden. Perhaps we will bury him in front of my statue of Jesus holding his heart (which is my FAVE statue) and say a little word. Wouldn't it be nice if Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal flitted in for the funeral (they live in the neighborhood, you know) and since he is a dignatary in the Catholic church being a cardinal and all.
This is in memory of little Mr. Timothy.

A Bird Came Down the Walk
by Emily Dickinson

A bird came down the walk:
He did not know I saw;
He bit an angle-worm in halves
And ate the fellow, raw.

And then he drank a dew
From a convenient grass,
And then hopped sidewise to the wall
To let a beetle pass.

He glanced with rapid eyes
That hurried all abroad, --
They looked like frightened beads, I thought;
He stirred his velvet head

Like one in danger; cautious,
I offered him a crumb,
And he unrolled his feathers
And rowed him softer home

Than oars divide the ocean,
Too silver for a seam,
Or butterflies, off banks of noon,
Leap, plashless, as they swim.

The service details are below:
Private Service for Mr. Timothy Sparrow
Saturday, August 22, 2009
7:00 a.m. (daybreak)
Family only
Birdseed breakfast to follow.

GOOD BOOK

2009-08-20T10:40:00.003-05:00

I just finished reading such a great book. It's "Home Safe" by Elizabeth Berg. I have read another of her books..."The Year of Pleasures" which I also enjoyed. I like her style of writing. It flows easily and her thoughts are so similar to just what I was thinking. I like that. Sometimes I like to read books that jar my mindsets and make me think but for right now, this was perfect.
I must say...I love the cover. It's a bluejay sitting on a large egg. So simple and yet so perfect. The main character is a 59 year old woman with a daughter she is always trying to "mother" and the daughter doesn't like the mothering so much. I can relate to that. She is also a writer. She writes mainly fiction but I love that she makes up stories about the people she sees in her life; the old woman at the bus stop, the waiter, the cabbie.
I think that is what I loved most about my previous job. I got to write about people's lives as they were living them. Got to explore who they were and what made them tick. If you were lucky, the person you were interviewing actually let you see their insides. What made them tick. For lack of a better word...their soul. That was such a gift and a responsibility. You had to be careful to represent exactly what their essence was without reading your own likes and dislikes into it.

I miss writing. I thought maybe this blog would placate that need but it really doesn't. Unfortunately, I feel about this blog kind of like I feel about scrapbooking...if it's not perfect, I don't want to do it. I'm trying to get beyond worrying about it and just keeping it as a sort of journal but I always have the desire to clean it up. To delete things that I don't like and change things around. I need to commit to a set time to just write each day and let it be. I have so many ideas rattling around in my head...I'm just lazy about putting them on paper.

Back to Blogging

2009-08-16T08:04:00.002-05:00

What a week we've had! Between Maggie not having a car (minor accident), getting everyone ready for school (Monday) and Jim's VERY early work schedule (getting up at 4:30!) it's been a big week with not alot of free time.
School starts tomorrow and hopefully everything will stabilize a little. I'm ready for the routine again. I have a lot of projects planned (closets and the like) and can't wait to get started on it all.
My biggest challenge is planning out all my meals really well and shopping efficiently so I'm not continually at the store. Both my kids need breakfast and then something Maggie can take to have mid morning. Both need lunch packed (as does Jim) and Maggie needs something to munch on between school and volleyball practice. She needs a lot of little meals all day. Planning dinner is easy, it's all those other things to keep everyone fueled up.

I thought we might have a great jeep ride today to blow all the cobwebs out of our brains...but alas...this is what it is doing right now.

Monotonous Monday

2009-08-03T06:55:00.004-05:00

I wish this post wasn't called Monotonous Monday but alas, it is. I just can't get excited today about a new week. For one thing, it is now the final two week countdown to school for the kiddos. Ugh. I like having them home and hanging out for summer. Soon we will start the whole huge year of homework and volleyball games and rushing to get to school, rushing to pick up from school, rushing to volleyball, dinners on the run, rushing home to fall in bed. My only consolation is that at least this year I won't be working and will have more time to keep everything together at home and everyone well fed and happy.

So much has changed for us this school year (Jim's new STRESSFUL job, Maggie's Senior year, Daniel's new school) that I think it will be wonderful to be at home during the day to focus on keeping our home base as stress free as possible. They all need a comfortable place to take a breath and I'm hoping home will be that this year.

Now for some random thoughts:
*I'm wondering if my hair can wait two more weeks until my peeps are back in school for color. Probably that is going to be PUSHING it.
*I want to get rid of my hideous mini blinds that are EVERYWHERE in this house. I want to replace them with matchstick blinds but it seems overwhelming. I guess I just need to jump in, measure and price them.
*If I die of the swine flu, I beg of you (my family and friends)....just call it something else. I can't imagine anything worse than forever being remembered as having died from "the SWINE flu". It's gross. Just say I died of a virus.

I'd best get to the never ending laundry pile and I also forgot to run the dishwasher last night before bed (double darn!) so need to start that up. Baked Spaghetti for dinner tonight (super easy!) and I'm still scanning in slides (more on that in another post). Here's a preview pic though. This is an old slide of me when I was about three years old at Avila Beach in California. I think my arms look freakishly short for my body. My arms aren't too short now. It's weird looking. Maybe it's just the perspective the picture is taken from but it seems strange.

Saturday

2009-08-01T08:03:00.005-05:00

Shadow is INSANE this morning. It rained in the night and I think it has affected his brain! He's running through the house like a madman...all 60 lbs of him! He's not happy outside and so is barking endlessly but he's not real happy inside. It's not a pretty sight and the only thing that is keeping him calm right now is a big glob of peanut butter in his Kong. It's a momentary peace.

What a week we've had! Got both kids enrolled in school. Whew! Sweet Baby M has a full load of classes this semester plus volleyball plus college prep. She is going to be a busy girl. We still need to find a couple of pairs of jeans for her but in the school shopping found these coach shoes. Not quite this pattern...she got the ocelot but I'm too lazy to take a picture and I couldn't find the exact on the web. Actually they are nothing like this...they have laces but just squint and imagine.

They look so cute on her. We also found the darlingest dress for Homecoming in November. It is one she looked at for prom back in April but it was just too spendy. Well, lo and behold, it was on sale at Von Maur for about half off. She grabbed it up and we bought it and it is hanging in my closet encased in plastic to await it's debut. Not really the things she needs to start school but with that Von Maur you have to strike while the iron is hot, so to speak.
She will probably want to go to Deb's in the mall or Gordman's for jeans...they always seem to have her size (tiny!) and fit her well in both the waist and hiney. She is the hipless wonder. She also needs a few cute t's to perk her up and a new backpack/schoolbag/carrying case. Whatever's cool for Seniors to carry. Ha!

The Big D is all enrolled in school too and we have most of his supplies. We have his new shirts and just need pants. He is going to love his new school and I hope he is very happy there. I think he will be. He doesn't require as much as his sister!

I'm not ready for it to be two weeks 'til school starts. We've had a good summer and I don't want it to end. Once they start school I have to figure out lunches and schedules and what to do with MYself. Ugh!

On a random note...when Shadow wants something or is bored he has a high girly bark but when he's mad he sure sounds like a big boy. Right now he is lying beside me licking the kitchen cabinets...so sanitary! He's a big lug of a mess. Poor little Pup pup and Tiki are still tucked in tight in bed with Jim.

It's a rainy day here today...all my plans of jeep rides and garage sales are probably going right out the window. I did find this little Kate Spade gem at a sale last week.

The gal wanted $8.00 and it was like brand new. I couldn't resist and simply paid full price. Took it to Von Maur to authenticate it and comparable Kate Spade's are going for $175 to $250. Yikes! I've carried it a little and I like it but it is PETITE. I still love this big bad boy the best...my sweet black leather Coach. It's huge and I can stuff everything in it including a notebook and calendar. I just can't fit my camera in it. I need a cute camera bag.

Guess that's all the rambling I can do this morning. I need to jump in the shower and start the day and wake up all these sleepyheads!

The Big D

2009-07-27T06:04:00.000-05:00

If I wasn't this child's mother and already in love with him...I would fall in love just looking at this picture. Is this a handsome boy or what? He's so sweet too.
Although Sweet Baby has me in a lather just because of her Senior Year...this boy is still in my evil clutches for at least five years! Bwah ha ha ha! Thankfully he's only going into 8th grade. I'm sure I'll feel differently when he enters High School next year but this year I only have to deal with the trauma of Sweet Baby and her inevitable emancipation.

He is so good and while I'm sure he does a multitude of naughty things that I have no idea about...I just see all his good traits. I love living in denial! He truly is a good kid, though. I absolutely adored him on sight and he attached himself like a monkey to me for two years solid. I wouldn't have changed that for the world. No one gets my humour like Big D. He would DIE if he heard this but he is very much like his Momma!

NEW MUSIC!!

2009-07-26T06:00:00.001-05:00

I love, love, love my blog and especially my music feeder. The songs on my music feeder are my FAVES especially now that I have limited "Oklahoma" which was beginning to annoy me. I thought it was a fave but upon repeated listenings OVER AND OVER it is not. It's just mildly amusing.

Sweet Baby M

2009-07-25T10:25:00.004-05:00

This shall be the post in which I admit my insane behavior and slightly psychotic bend. I am UNDONE by Sweet Baby M starting her Senior year of high school. I can't take it. I cry every time I think of it and sometimes even when I don't think of it outright, something reminds me of it...and I cry. I am not going to make it through registration, let alone the first day. When did she grow up? Wasn't she just kicked out of Kindermusik last week (for marching too exuberantly, no less)? Didn't I just leave her in Kindergarten yesterday? I thought we attended her Freshman orientation last night? Where did all those years go? I try praying about Sweet Baby's Senior Year and just end up crying...so I have to say "Lord, you just have to handle this without me", I try talking to friends about Sweet Baby's year and can't even get the words out, I don't even want to think about it.

Sweet Baby and I have designated this the "Year of Sweet Baby". That means that starting in September...life must revolve around her desires. So, September we are having a State Fair Fandango..in which I will let myself be drug to the State Fair which I hate and spend hundreds of dollars entertaining my children with fattening fair food and overpriced rides. October will be the Horribly Haunted Halloween party. November we will celebrate Thanksgiving on the beach in Florida and more importantly my darling child will turn 18! December (I almost can't type at this point) will be Sweet Baby's LAST Christmas as a high schooler so we are going all out with an old fashioned theme in which Sweet Baby's dear father will have to face climbing on our steeply pitched roof to hang Christmas lights. On and on it shall go until we reach Spring Break and her Senior Trip which we will celebrate in New York City and then on to her graduation....wherein I shall be melting in a puddle of tears at the Coliseum or whatever venue they decide to have the graduation in. When she was a toddler she promised me she would stay my baby forever and she has broken her promise.

My fave singer, Brad Paisley, has a song "I Thought I Loved You Then" which I have changed to suit my own purposes...which I know BP would not mind because I am such a devoted fan. Everytime I hear this song I think of my Sweet Baby M.

I remember trying not to stare the night that I first met you
You had me mesmerized
And 3 weeks later in the pale moonlight taking 45 min to kiss you goodnight
I hadn’t told you yet but I thought I loved you then

Chorus
Now you’re my whole life now you’re my whole world
I just can’t believe the way I feel about you girl
Like a river meets the sea
Stronger than it’s ever been
We’ve come so far since that day
And I thought I loved you then.

I can just see you with a baby on the way (this is the part that kills me!Someday my baby will be a Mommy)
I can just see you when your hair is turning gray (I hope I'm dead before that)
What I can’t see is how I’m ever gonna love you more
But I’ve said that before.

Now you’re my whole life now you’re my whole world
I just can’t believe the way I feel about you girl
Well look back some day at this moment that we’re in
And I'll look at you and say and I thought I loved you then
And I thought I loved you then...

This is so incredibly pathetic...I can just read the words and I'm bawling. It's going to be a heck of a long year.

Our First Case!

2009-07-24T12:06:00.007-05:00

Update: Sweet Baby M's boyfriend was NO HELP which really peeved me. He's going to put the word out on text to all his peeps...see what they can flush out. Don't you love the police lingo. I KNEW all those marathon hours of watching Law and Order CSI, SVU and all the other L & O entities would serve me well. Now if I could just figure out how to recreate that music they play on my blog! Dang..I wish my partner was Elliott Stabler (L & O SVU) instead of Tia. He's SO gorgeous. He would have my back if trouble went down, Tia would probably pee her pants. Oh well...I have to settle for my dear little friend Gwendolyn Snoop. Back to the chase.

The Snoop Sisters are in business. We have our first case..The Case of The Vanishing Wallet. This incredible glass artist, Scott Hartley, had his wallet stolen from his OFFICE yesterday. Unfortunately he was on his way to the bank to make a deposit.
This man is one of the neatest people I've ever met. I met him while doing an interview for the magazine I worked for. He is an incredible artist, a sweet person and his WIFE! I am in love with his wife just through Facebook! She is a hoot! They also have a darling family consisting of a handsome son and two sweet girls who have special needs. They DO NOT deserve this.

That said, Tia and I are on the case. I will be interviewing Sweet Baby M's boyfriend as he attended the same school as the suspect SAID that he attended. He was ballsy enough to come in looking for a job! and then went on to steal the wallet out of the front office. We need this kid's name so we can pass it on to the police. They have his fingerprints as he stupidly touched a lot of the glass pieces in the showroom.

Isn't Scott's work absolutely beautiful? You can find him at Infinity Art Glass in Benton, Kansas. He's an amazing artist.

2009-07-23T17:14:00.007-05:00

These two dear ladies are the Snoop Sisters. Their names were Ernesta and Gwendolyn. Ernesta is the frumpy one and Gwendolyn the more svelte and stylish one. Aren't they wonderful? Don't you just love the one on the left in the hat? That one would HAVE to be my BFF, Tia and I'm sure I'd be destined to be the frumpy one on the right. We are the modern day equivalent of these two dear souls. Snoop Sisters 2009! Whilst (I adore using whilst any chance I get because I think it's completely underused) we were driving from our fabulous lunch at Taqueria La Paisa yesterday, we came upon a huge police shakedown at the bait shop on 21st street. We decided we need a police scanner so we can keep abreast of what's going on around town. The ultimate Snoop Sister scanner. Then Tia remembered a cute old police car (although I don't think it was THIS cute)

for sale downtown. We decided we need it for our new Snoop Sister jobs if only for the siren and lights. Since we will be busy listening to the scanner...wouldn't it be awesome if we could have HER

as our chauffeur? She was the chauffeur in the original Snoop Sisters show. She might be dead...I'll have to check that out. Doesn't she just look like her name would have been Gert or Hazel or Myrtle? Some old fashioned name that NO ONE names their children anymore? She looks like she doesn't take any flak off anyone.
Then Tia thought it would be best if we had some sort of uniform...perhaps a cape.

This cape was too fabulous not to mention but might hinder our easy entrance and exit from the "scene of the crime" so we thought we would opt for something a bit less dramatic, but yet still classy like this shorter model.

I think we could use this as a ministry opportunity. Kind of unofficial chaplains. Yep...I think this is going to be our one-big-thing.

The Crime Spree Continues

2009-07-20T19:27:00.002-05:00

Mom, I tell you...I'm completely innocent. Look me in the eyes. I look completely innocent.

Mom, do I look like the kind of pup that would do ANYTHING bad? Mom, I love you, Mom.

Hmm...must be some mighty big termites. Either that or Shadow needed a little fiber in his diet.

Poetry Sunday

2009-07-19T10:30:00.004-05:00

Who couldn't love this:
Sea Fever by John Masefield
I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a gray mist on the sea's face, and a gray dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

That poem just makes me think of Pismo Beach and the smell of the ocean. It's my all time favorite poem.

Anything by Edgar Allen Poe is fabulous. He is the master of suspense of all time. His poetry grabs you at the first line. Who can't help but love The Raven and of course, Annabel Lee? Just reading the words on paper your mind can't help but picture poor Annabel in her horrible sepulcher by the sea.

When I was a little girl I had a book called "A Child's Garden of Verse" by Robert Louis Stevenson. It included so many wonderful poems and there is a version now that has illustrations by Tasha Tudor. It doesn't get much better than that. Her illustrations are the best ever. Can you ever look at the moon the same again after reading this....

The moon has a face like the clock in the hall;
She shines on thieves on the garden wall,
On streets and fields and harbour quays,
And birdies asleep in the forks of the trees.

The squalling cat and the squeaking mouse,
The howling dog by the door of the house,
The bat that lies in bed at noon,
All love to be out by the light of the moon.

But all of the things that belong to the day
Cuddle to sleep to be out of her way;
And flowers and children close their eyes
Till up in the morning the sun shall arise.

Bennett Spring, MO

2009-07-13T15:08:00.003-05:00

Truly Bennett Spring State Park near Lebanon, Missouri has to be one of the most charming places ever. Built around a natural fresh water spring, the Niangua River which flows off the spring is icy cold in the hottest of weather and crystal clear. It is also filled with trout. The State Park is mostly unchanged from a very '40's looking lodge and cabin type park. The dining hall includes a huge fireplace and rustic timber ceiling. It is very charming.

This is the picture I love most...my sweet husband fly fishing...major studly!

Good Book Alert!

2009-07-11T07:44:00.000-05:00

This is one book by Sarah Mason. She is a British author of major Chick Lit which I usually hate (chick lit, not British) but I really love this author. The books are full of British humour and colloquialisms which make them utterly charming.
I found them at my local public library (where ALL GOOD BOOKS come from!!!) and I'm sure you can find them there too.

Family Reunion

2009-07-10T18:00:00.000-05:00

We are here! Lake Pomme de Terre (aka Potato Lake) for the Hans family reunion. Be back Sunday!

Scones!

2009-07-10T05:00:00.000-05:00

Complete breakfast yumminess! This morning I made Cream Scones for the kiddos for breakfast and they thoroughly enjoyed them with strawberries and whipped cream. I think they make the perfect summer breakfast.

Cream Scones

2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup (76 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (120 ml) whipping cream or milk

Glaze:
Cream

Preheat oven to 375* and grease baking pan. Mix dry ingredients, cut in butter. Mix egg, cream and vanilla and add to dry ingredients. Knead until combined. Roll out and cut with 2 1/2 inch cutter. Makes about 10 - 12.
Bake 15 minutes or so.

Slice berries and sprinkle with sugar. Delish!

The Lilies by my Garage

2009-07-09T07:34:00.001-05:00

Earth laughs in flowers...Ralph Waldo Emerson

Magazines

2009-07-08T04:51:00.000-05:00

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this magazine. I love magazines in general but I've honed my love down to a few faithfuls that I just can't do without. My fave of all times is Country Living UK. I am not all that fond of the American version of Country Living but the British one...oh, it is delightful!
So many of my favorite magazines have ceased production (Hallmark, Mary Engelbreit, Country Home, Cottage Living) but there are still some goodies on the market.

Mary Jane's Farm is a really neat magazine that includes alot of How To's within the pages. The articles are more in depth than you usually find. Interesting stuff like how to keep bees, vintage campers, etc. It's very much focused on organic and is used as a bit of a vehicle for Mary Jane Butters (its founder's) business but still it is a good publication. And how could you not love someone named Mary Jane Butters...I mean, really.

I like Southern Living MOST of the time. It has interesting articles and AWESOME recipes but sometimes the articles are too short and it feels like they settle for a lot of small bites of information. I think the layout of this magazine is a bit crowded and overdone...

that said...the most beautiful magazine I've ever seen is...

this one. Life: Beautiful, is just a quarterly publication but it is absolutely stellar. It's printed on heavy, matte stock and the photography is breathtaking. It has a religious bend so it's obviously a niche publication but since I am religious...I love it and that's all I care about.

I do love my magazines and the hardest thing is getting rid of them. I have stacks that I say.."I'll go through and discard." Who knows if I ever will. I love going back and reading them all over again in their entire form.

Get Your Kleenex Ready

2009-07-07T20:09:00.003-05:00

My Montage 7/7/09

Click on the link above and turn on your sound. I love these kids! You do have to close my window after you open the link to hear the sound right.

My Ode to Ramen Noodles

2009-07-07T06:56:00.000-05:00

This is one of the cutest movies ever! I have to admit that I love Asian movies and foreign films. The premise of this is so cute. Brittany Murphy (she's SO cute) moves to Tokyo to follow a boyfriend and ends up without the boyfriend and without a job. Out of desperation she takes a job in a noodle (ramen) house and while doing every grunt job there is decides she wants to learn to make the ramen. She sees the joy the ramen brings to people and wants to give them that too. It's a charming movie with fabulous clothes and set styling. I HIGHLY recommend this movie, The Ramen Girl, with only a few little warnings. First..there are a few love scenes (minor), one of the people she meets calls herself a geisha (she's actually a hooker) and there is some profanity (although it had been dubbed on the version we rented). After you have rented and watched this..seek out "Eat, Drink, Man, Woman". It's such a great movie...all subtitles. There is a Hispanic Version of it too. I THINK it is called Tortilla Soup.

That all just fuels my love of these. Ever since they first appeared on the scene at our Long's Drug Store in Santa Maria, California, I have loved them. I used to eat Ramen Noodles every single Sunday night while I watched Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys on t.v. I still love ramen noodles...much to my darling husband's chagrin. He hates them. I like to crack an egg into them when they are boiling and let it cook to soft set. Then when you eat them you can stir the yolk in and it is really yummy.

Don't these make your mouth water? Pure childhood comfort food.
This post has made me think of all the other comfort food I remember from childhood like my Gran's chicken salad, Gran's chow mein, Mom's Thanksgiving stuffing and gravy, corn casserole, Dorito's Mexican Chef Salad, Chewy Cocoa Brownies to name a few. All delish!

Julie and Julia

2009-07-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

A great book...hopefully a great movie! I loved the book. Such a great and interesting concept for someone like me who loves cookbooks. You would use one book and make EVERYTHING in the book. I have to admit that I have some books I only use for one recipe. That is why I am looking forward to unloading some of the at my garage sale. Meryl Streep and Rachel McAdams star in the movie. I can't wait to see it with some haute' cuisine popcorn and hot tamales..eaten together. Yum.

Great TV

2009-07-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

Those who know me best know that I adore British TV shows. A couple days ago I mentioned Rosemary and Thyme which is shown on British PBS and on select PBS stations here in the U.S. but can be found on DVD. It's so good. In the murder mystery vein, Miss Marple is also good and so is the brand new Miss Marple, Geraldine McEwen. She makes such an interesting character.

A complete favorite forever has been Keeping Up Appearances. It's so funny and the characters never fail to come through with GREAT appearances. The lead in that show, Patricia Rutledge, has another series..the Hetty Wainthropp mysteries. I can't wait to watch those. I just requested the complete disc series from the library and I'm dying for it to come in.

One of my favorite shows of all time is the British "soap" called As Time Goes By. It stars Judi Dench and it's so good. I bought it on ebay a while back and have watched all the episodes many times. The scenery is so neat and I love the glimpses inside the house they live in. My brother was just in England and took a picture of the door of the house that is THE house they used as a front door in the show.
One of the greatest shows of all times is All Creatures Great and Small based on the books by James Herriott. My parents have those episodes and they are really fun to
watch.

I don't know why the Brits seem to have the corner on great shows but I sure am glad that between the library, ebay and Barnes and Noble..we can find them all.

4th of July Fun!

2009-07-04T21:28:00.005-05:00

After a great 4th of July spent eating hamburgers, lighting fireworks and this hideous fellow slithering through the living room......

I'm ready for it to be over. How in the world did a snake get in the living room?
Update: The police are so going to take this whole crowd to the jailhouse. There is no way these fireworks are legal in the city limits. They are shooting up higher than the second story on the house. My little criminals!

Happy Independence Day!

2009-07-04T08:00:00.001-05:00

Mussels

2009-07-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

Jim and I went to Bonefish Grill the other night and had these and I can't stop thinking about them. They were delish!

With a nice big glass of this...too die for.

Hola from Mexico

2009-07-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

My brother, Uncle Dee, is jetting off to fabulous Mexico to spend 7 weeks as the speaker coordinator at Rancho La Puerta. He is a college professor, off for the summer, and got a gig through his experience as a food writer to come to luxurious Rancho La Puerta and coordinate the speakers they have come in weekly to speak on all things healthy cooking related. What a great job!

This is one of the pics from the resort. Doesn't it look fabulous! It looks like a dream vacation come true..although he will be working. What working conditions though!

He will get to eat lots of yummy stuff and help coordinate the menus while the speakers are there. What a lucky duck!
The desert around Tecate' looks pretty too.

What A Cute Couple

2009-07-02T18:31:00.003-05:00

These two kiddos are the cutest couple. I do adore that Sweet Baby M! She's such a special girl and it's a really bittersweet summer. It's her last summer before her senior year. Next summer we will be preparing for college and she will have graduated from high school. This feels like her last summer of childhood. It's KILLING me. I am so glad and so thankful that I am not working and can just enjoy every day with her and her friends. It's so fun to watch them interact and listen to their chatter. They are really pretty wise kids. I am so thankful for such a great daughter. She has never been anything but a joy to us and we can't imagine what it would have been like without her wacky presence. She adds the spark to our fuse. She ALWAYS is the excitement behind every activity. She makes us complete. I love you Sweet Baby M and I'm glad you are my girl.

Books and all things lovely

2009-07-02T06:00:00.001-05:00

Tia, my bestie, and I went and saw this yesterday. It is My Sister's Keeper based on the book by Jody Piccoult. I loved the book (maybe not the ending) and liked the movie. If you only see the movie...you will be doing yourself such a disservice! The book is SO MUCH BETTER. The layers are all there to uncover and dream about. The movie is very one dimensional in comparison. However, we did cry all the way through but more because of Tia's Mom's situation than actual sympathy for the characters. It was just too real life to what's going on in her life right now. We went to Northrock and saw it at 10:40 a.m.! Can you believe they show movies then? It's so early but because of that we were one of only 6 patrons in that particular theater! Awesome so we could talk and cry and be silly. Just like we besties love to be. I love that girl and I love that our relationship doesn't even need words.

This is the book I just finished. It was a great book. Really different and would make an absolutely AWESOME movie if they stayed true to the story. I love Judith Hendricks. She also wrote two of my other favorite books...one being...

After reading it I only wanted to make these....

always and forever. It just made me want to knead dough and have lots of starters and pans and flour laying around.

Isn't that what books are supposed to do? Inspire us to live and see things a little differently than we did when we opened the first page? I love it when I read something and my whole world opens up from the printed font on the page. Books..yum!

MURDER!

2009-07-01T09:17:00.004-05:00

Doesn't this fellow look happy? He's such a sweet little garden gnome...enjoying his domain. He lives with his two little friends in my garden under the lilac bush. They had recently relocated there after a year of sitting at Jesus' feet by the rosebush. While they were happy by the rosebush, they wanted a little privacy and shade for the summer, thus their move to the lilac bush. Unfortunately, it seems "someone" didn't approve of the move.

This dear little fellow was found this morning in the grass. Gentle readers, if you can't take a little grim reality...stop reading right here. He has been murdered! Decapitated and dismembered. Truly a gruesome sight! A proper burial and memorium is planned for this afternoon on the far side of the garden. The remaining gnomes would like to go back to living in the protection of Jesus by the rosebush. There are only a few suspects.

Sadly, this shifty character is once again suspect. He had the means and the motive. He walks by the garden gnomes daily. He's taken the gnomes for "walks" against their will and left them in unfamiliar territory so they have had trouble finding their way back home. DNA testing from saliva found on the deceased gnomes face is being tested.

This fellow was seen in the area. He chatters incessantly but probably would have had to have super-human strength to detain the gnome and then carry him up in the tree and push him off the tree house to his inevitable death on the patio.

While mild-mannered looking...this skittish suspect was recently seen hob-nobbing with the gnomes. Could a disagreement have taken place and poor little garden gnome's death been the result?

The will is slated to be read this afternoon after the burial. Because his lantern was crushed in the crime, poor little garden gnome has not another worldly good to leave to his friends. Hopefully they will inherit a wariness about going off with strangers.

If you are in the mood for a more interesting murder story, although I find the death of my poor garden gnome to be quite sad, there is a series from British TV that is delightful. It's called Rosemary and Thyme and you can get the series on DVD or it's on some PBS stations. I am totally addicted to them!

Exciting News!

2009-06-23T18:55:00.003-05:00

I am so incredibly excited! My wonderful husband OF MY DREAMS just bought me this awesome beauty! I can't wait to get it. I want to learn how to use it really well so that I can take awesome pics! I haven't had a good camera since the days of film. My last digital camera was one of the first ones and just doesn't take good pics.

He also bought me this awesome lens to play with.

Of course...I have to have cute accessories. I think this camera bag just might be the one!

My Dream Car

2009-06-21T11:04:00.002-05:00

Is this the best advertisement ever? This little sweetie is my dream car! I have wanted one for so long and someday...I'm going to make that dream come true.

This would be the preferable version.

This is a secondary choice. Not big on orange...but I'll take what I can get.

My Dad

2009-06-21T07:24:00.002-05:00

My Dad has always been my hero. He has such an interesting life story. He was born the second eldest of eight boys to a truck driver father and a homemaker mother. They lived in a tiny house with no indoor plumbing for many years. Right after high school he enlisted in the army. He told us once that basic training was like the boy scouts but with more exercise. I always thought that was so funny. I wonder if recruits now would say that. I guess he was used to hard work and brothers.
When he was in the army, he was stationed in Germany. He was the crew chief on a large helicopter. His crew was responsible for maintaining the helicopters and while he saw no combat, he had many friends killed as a result of helicopter accidents. After he was discharged, he worked for a short time in a machine shop and went to college. He also married my mother. After college he went to work for the Boeing Company and worked for Boeing at Vandenburg Airforce Base near Santa Maria, California where I was born. He worked for Boeing his entire career, hiring in as a Mechanical Engineer and retiring as Vice President of the Militairy program. He met Kings and Prime Ministers, Secretaries of Defense and even has a personal congratulations from then President Bush (the first). He traveled around the world. Pretty good for a guy who grew up in a family that really never left the town they were born in.

Growing up, my Dad was a quiet, stable force in my life. He didn't talk much...but he didn't have to. He has never used his words frivolously. Sometimes that makes him hard to understand for the rest of my family who tend to talk continually. He is a thinker and a doer. He usually consider the best way to do something, figures out the plan beforehand and then implements the idea. It's interesting he chose mechanical engineering as his career path because his whole brain is wired as an engineer. He is good at compartmentalizing, whether that be a technical problem or a relationship.

When my daughter, Sweet Baby M was born, he was the first person to hold her. He was so excited about that little grand daughter and thought she was just about the best thing ever. She nicknamed him Poppa first which has become Pops. I can remember her always urging Pops for "faster"...whether that was on a bike, a swing at the park, or tubing behind his boat on Lake Carlos. When the Big D was born, he was out of town and wanted to only talk to Sweet Baby M to hear what SHE thought of her baby brother. It's so fun to see Big D grow up and share so many of his grandfather's qualities. Big D is quiet and thoughtful just like his Pops. He likes figuring things out, just like his Pops.

My whole life, I only remember my Dad taking care of our family and accomodating the needs of everyone else. He took care of my little Gran (my Mom's Mom) most of her life. He has always been the source for good advice and a stable sense of self.

Happy Father's Day, Daddy. You are the best and I love you.

Mommy

2009-06-20T07:56:00.003-05:00

Yesterday these people both called me "Mommy" but for different reasons. I don't get called Mommy all that much anymore. Most of the time it's just Mom.
The volleyball player happened to have her cell phone stolen from her yesterday while swimming at the YMCA. That led to a panicked phone call from a friend's phone..."Mommy, I've been robbed!". It scared me clean out of my skin. Hours later the stolen wallet was recovered with everything still inside but the phone is gone. New phone purchased, crisis resolved. She feels violated but she's safe and that's all I care about. I'm glad Mommy was on call to swoop in and save her.
The big boy with the dog just said it (and in front of a friend even!) when I was walking by his bedroom. "Hey Mommy, what's up?".
I love that!
I want to be thought of as Mommy forever, even if they don't verbalize it. I have loved every step of being these two's Mommy...even more so now that they are older.

Continuing the Day......

2009-06-18T10:51:00.004-05:00

I am so lucky to have this kid as my child! He is such a neat kid. Today he was mowing and he came to the garage door and yelled for me. When I went out he said, "Stand back Mom". I moved back and a tiny frog, no bigger than a dime, jumped from his hand. "I found it in a wet spot on the lawn while I was mowing and wanted you to see it." Isn't that the best? I love it that he knows how much I love living things and wants to share them with me. He carefully picked the TINY frog back up and set him back in his damp spot. Too cool.

The other day he was taking Shadow for a walk and came running home with something in a box. It was a perfect bird's nest made out of a lot of mud and "stuff". He had found it abandoned and lying in the grass and knew I'd love it. Nothing makes my heart happier than when I think that my child was thinking about how he could share something that special with his Mom. It makes me feel that in all the wrong I'm sure I've done with my kids...I must have done a couple of right things too.

It's Already Thursday!

2009-06-18T08:48:00.002-05:00

Jeepers...it's already Thursday! Where did this week go? Oh, I know! I spent most of the time FIXING my bad hair decisions! Ugh...8 hours wasted on that! I have got to kick it into gear and get my closet cleaned out for the garage sale that I'm alledgedly having soon! The goal was June but it may slide into July. When I'm done with that closet and the hall closet, I am going to reward myself tonight with a glass of this on the patio.

I've finished the Psalms of Ascent Beth Moore that I was doing with Tia. I found a deal on Beth's Esther DVD's by STALKING ebay but until we can start that I am enjoying this study. It's called Live Deeply: A Study in the Parables of Jesus and is written by Skip Heitzig's wife, Lenya. I'm enjoying it so far although I've only done a couple lessons. I read once that parables are considered earthly stories with heavenly meaning. Stories that the common person could relate to regarding fishing or nature or farming but that had a context for spiritual development.
Anyway....good so far.

Maggie went to a friend's birthday party last night at Sumo and she looked SO cute. I wish I had taken a picture of her. She wore some darling jean shorts with a cute little top and a really soft grey sweatery thing over the top. She looked very casual chic'. She is so tall and can really wear just about anything and look darling. With her new little bob haircut and those big blue eyes...she's a knockout.

I decided I really need to walk Shadow more so he burns up some of his energy...especially with it being 101 right now. It's too hot for him to run around all day so he needs to walk early in the morning and blow off some steam. We went on a long walk this morning through the parks and on the trails that run through old Comotara neighborhood. Whoever designed that was genius. It's such a great idea to have those hidden passages running behind the houses. You almost (if you squint and REALLY use your imagination) can feel like you are strolling through a little village of houses or somewhere quaint like Balboa Island. Of course, then you come off the trail into the street and realize your just in your same old neighborhood.
Anyway, Shadow was horrible at the beginning of the walk but by the middle he had calmed way down and was actually responding to commands. He came, sat and walked at heel very well. He really tries to please and be a good dog. He is passed out on the kitchen floor, very sweaty right now. By the end of the walk we looked like this...minus the hairy man's leg.

If you happened to see us at the BEGINNING of the walk. I think we might have looked like this. Just substitute the white dog for a black one three times the size.

Okay...I have to get on this. Jim will be so disappointed if it doesn't come to pass. I have to haul stuff out of this house like no tomorrow. Otherwise I won't be able to go to other people's garage sales and buy their things. Ha! I loved this sign...I think my signage needs to include the statement at the bottom! If you can't see it, it says..."Your Treasure Awaits".

GREAT Recipe

2009-06-12T07:34:00.002-05:00

This is a made-up recipe but it is so good that I think I could eat it happily every day for the rest of my life. Right now the zucchini and yellow squash is so good in the store. So here's the scoop:
Take one smallish red onion and dice it finely. Saute in a bit of olive oil or if you are really living large, butter. Next dice two zucchini and one yellow squash. I like to cut them in half lengthwise and then cut them again so they are a smallish cube sized dice. Throw them in with the onion with a little more butter. Next slice the mushrooms. Use as many as you like. Cook this all until all the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms and squash have become a bit carmelized. While this is happening, cook 1/2 lb. penne pasta. Reserve a bit of the cooking liquid from the pasta and drain.
When squash mixture is tender, add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of cream. Yes...I said cream. Cook until heated through and slightly thickened. Salt and pepper well. Then add the pasta with any additional cooking liquid if the pasta doesn't get well coated in the creamy vegetable mixture. Top with lots of parmesan cheese and fresh basil chiffonade. Yummy! Perfect with a nice glass of white wine. Cheers!

Feeling A Little More Rational but Random

2009-06-11T19:19:00.004-05:00

I love this book! I found it at Perfect Peace and it is a summation of my theology on parenting. It's what I would parent like in a perfect world. I like the concepts and theories on children and relationships and think it's right on the mark. I love the concept of Grace anyway. It's my favorite doctrinal truth.

I love this cutie! She feels like a friend although I've only seen her in person one time. No other human being (okay...maybe Ruth Bell Graham) has had more of an impact on my spiritual life than Beth Moore. I have done all her studies except Esther and Tia and I are just finishing Psalms of Ascent. Before I quit working, I purchased the DVD's on Ebay for her and I to watch. It was a stroke of genius. I could resell them and make my money back or hang on to them. Haven't decided yet what to do. I'd like to resell them and then buy the Esther series. There is nothing as good as watching Beth speak. You just don't get the same umph from just the written study. I love how she ministers to women.

Speaking of Tia...oh how I love that girl! We went to El Patio today for lunch and had our "usual". We love the nachos with beans and jalapenos and the tacos. Yummy. She is the only person I know that I could talk to for hours, days, weeks, months, decades straight and never say it all. We have been talking for a decade almost and we still talk every day for at least an hour. She is my bf and I don't really have too many of those so it's not something that I take lightly. I am sure we are like Lucy and Ethel to many people. She is my partner in crime in so many ways and I do adore her. Life would be vile and boring without her presence. It helps that we love all the same things like movies and books and Hot Tamales and Mexican food and Diet Dr. Pepper.

Don't you love these pics of Pops and Shadow and of my family (minus my precious Sweet Baby M who was working) at the Indian Center. Great pics. I can't believe until I see it on the screen how tall my Big D is! What happened to that tow headed little man in the flag overalls who never left my hip? Boo hoo! Can I say, however, that the green on green ensemble' that I have on is hideous? Yikes! In what universe was that a look? It makes my hair look green too and noone should ever wear a camera around their neck. It does not a fashion statement make. Good reminders...good to see. Won't make that hideous mistake again. Now that I see my white sunglasses in my hand, I am much more sketchy on them. They may be way too mod-squad.

I am so excited about a show on Channel 43 (Discovery?) tonight called The Hoarder. I'm hoping it will help me break my garage sale obsession and then have my own garage sale. Either that or it will just make me envious of all the good stuff The Hoarder has. It starts at 9:30 so I have exactly enough time to clean up the kitchen, throw some clothes in the dryer and settle in. Shadow is going to bed early tonight so I can watch it from the comfort of my nest upstairs without his panting presence. Oh...that makes me feel mean

look at this happy go lucky little guy. He's one of a kind and I adore his panting presence. I guess he can watch The Hoarder too.

Sometimes I hate Blogger!

2009-06-11T19:06:00.002-05:00

Darn it...I had the BEST post all prepared and I did some sort of keystroke that lost it. UGHHHHH! That is SO frustrating. I had great pictures to post, etc. Oh I could just cry.

Sunday Morning

2009-06-07T06:41:00.003-05:00

We have had a good visit with my family. They arrived on Thursday and we have sat around visiting and eating for days. Yesterday, Jim took us on a driving tour of Wichita. We visited the Mid America Indian Center monument with its LARGE statue of The Keeper of the Plains by Black Bear Bosin. It's really neat. The city has done a magnificent job of making it a place that people want to come and given the statue the honor it deserves. Then we drove to Juarez Bakery and picked up a few treats to eat while driving around town looking at the old houses. We stopped at a couple garage sales along the way and the fam found a few treasures to haul back to Minnesota.

We celebrated my Mom's birthday (early) last night at Il Vicino. They loved it and it was as yummy as it always is. Everything always tastes so fresh and homemade there. We also enjoyed Tiramisu for dessert. It is heavenly there! Then home and everyone kind of went into a food induced stupor.

Today (Sunday) we will open gifts and then the In-Loves are coming for dinner! I am excited. It is blazing hot so I think instead of heating up the oven we will probably do a sandwich buffet with side dishes. I just need to decide what those are going to be. I wonder if I can buy something edible somewhere instead of cooking it...I want to spend time shopping with Sweet Baby M and my Mom instead of cooking all day. Maybe we will pop in at the big Dillon's Marketplace or Piccadilly. Anyway...I am excited to have a fun night tonight with family and then we have to start our busy week all over again on Monday. I have prayer group at Tia's, Big D has guitar lessons, Sweet Baby M has volleyball conditioning and Jim has work. I have a stack of laundry again and things need to be tidied up. The fam leaves at 4:00and I have a load of writing I need to do for a new project I'm helping with.

We get to shop here today! I'm so excited!

I've actually never been to our T.J. Maxx (well maybe once) and we enjoyed it so much in Palm Bay that I am excited to go. No better shopping partner in crime than Sweet Baby M so.....hopefully we won't do too much damage. We need to remember that we have a garage sale coming up and all the things going into it already! No more junk!

Whew...what a weekend

2009-05-31T20:15:00.002-05:00

We have had a whirlwind week and weekend here at our gray house in Kansas. We ended last week with such a fun Memorial Day weekend...our anniversary, a great time at my In-Love's burning limbs and cooking hotdogs (not to mention a SNAKE sighting) and then out to eat with family and a bbq at my sweet niece's home. Whew...it felt like it went on forever. In the course of it all we also got my flower garden all weeded, preen-ed and mulched. It looks fabulous.

Last week was the Big D's first full week of no school and he kept himself very busy with activities, walks and chores. Sweet Baby M finished school on Thursday and ended with a very hard earned 3.0 gpa. She had some really hard Advanced Placement classes in addition to Chemistry and Psychology. We are so proud of her...she worked very hard for those grades along with pulling a full volleyball and club volleyball schedule. She is glad to be finished but starts volleyball conditioning again tomorrow and is taking her Government requirement this summer. She will be a busy girl.

In anticipation of the cleaning people starting again tomorrow, Big D and I moved furniture around and tidied up. This little exercise in furniture moving took us three days to complete. We made a hang-out space in the basement for the teens and turned the unused office into a library. We also switched my living room and dining room back to their original purposed spaces. It was a lot of heavy work and I NEVER could have done it without Big D. He is the muscle in this equation. He was such a complete delight to work with. He has a funny sense of humour and a great personality. It is a revelation how alike we are. I love discovering that. I hope that my children only get all Jim and my best qualities and just forget all the other junk. They are both so delightful. I get such a thrill out of being their Mom and enjoying watching them grow up.

Sweet Baby M and I have decided that our big project this summer will be redecorating her room from it's tomboy look into a more sophisticated college style. I love that she's actually considering staying here for college and living at home. I get to hang on to her just a little bit more.

Jim and I attended our darling great niece, Annabelle's, dance performance tonight. She is so cute and smart. She was the star of the show and made all the other little Jitterbugs look silly and like they didn't know what they were doing. She was absolutely precious. It made our hearts so happy when she recognized us and got excited to see us. She is a doll!

What Happened?

2009-05-29T16:01:00.002-05:00

Where did the last week go? It vanished into thin air in the course of an anniversary, Memorial Day, kids out of school, etc. I have a lot of blog catching up to do but first my peeps and I need to finish the house re-arrange that I've started and am pooping out on completing. We just have a couple more bookshelves to move and then we can start compiling our garage sale stuff. This is going to have to be billed as the "best garage sale ever" in the paper. We need lots of signage! I can't wait to see all these things I'm so sick of...hit the road.

Random Summer!

2009-05-22T06:46:00.005-05:00

*This picture looks exactly like what I want out of summer. Lots of books and reading time. Lazing around. Sounds heavenly.

*When I was a little girl...my favoritest thing was joining the Library Reading Club and then checking out huge quantities of books. I still love checking out huge quantities of books. Who couldn't love the public library...all the books you could ever want for absolutely free. It's awesome. And the best part is that if you pick a dud..you can return it and not worry about money wasted. Love that!

*I also can't wait for our trip to Minnesota. Lake Carlos is so pretty and it's fun for us land locked Kansans to wake up on water. The sound of the lake hitting the shore, the sun rising up over it, the loons calling to their mates on the water, it's all so magical. We are looking forward to a lot of fun.

*The Big D had his last day of school yesterday. He's so big...eighth grade and all now. My poor Sweet Baby M still has a week left. It's just brutal.

*Hubs and my big 25th anniversary is Monday. We will have been married 25 years on the 25th. Weird. Of course, since it falls on Memorial Day we can't get a reservation at the restaurant we wanted to go to. Ugh. I don't know whether to just settle for something else or wait until the next weekend. I think we should wait but he wants to celebrate. I just don't want to think back on it and have it be mediocre because I can never let that go. That's one of my MANY fatal flaws! LOL. I like perfect. Not necessarily perfection but I like memories that are perfectly what I wanted the event, person, etc., to be. A decision will have to be made, I guess.

*We are looking forward to so many things this summer. I'm stealing an idea from a bloggy friend...and making a wish list of summer activities and dreams. So far we have about 24 items on it. Maybe I'll post it when we are done.

*In other news (and the most important of all), my Darling Husband earned an incredibly generous promotion. He is now referred to as Mr. BigWig, The Kingpin, The Preferetti....really I'm kidding. He did get a major promotion. He is very wonderful. We've always thought he was a bigwig even when he was a "not very bigwig" and I'm so proud of him! Now I just hope he doesn't disappear for the summer and we actually see him a little...he will be VERY busy.

Great Weekend!

2009-05-17T19:12:00.004-05:00

We had the best weekend! Friday night we went out to eat (under tornado warning) at Savutes...which is turning into one of our favorite hangouts. Jim had the steak and catfish this time and I had a filet mignon. It was so wonderfully tender you could have cut it with your fork. It's so fun to go there because it is a dive, which we love. The cutest cocktail waitress EVER who had to be about 80? was in attendance.
IT was wonderful!
Pair that with the fact that they play Frank Sinatra and you just have to love it.

At one time I'm sure she looked exactly like this.

On Saturday we drove out to look at some property at Eureka Lake. Decided it wasn't for us. We don't want to buy a property that requires us to spend even more time mowing and maintaining. We like to be hangin' out and doing fun things in our down time. On Saturday night we went and saw Angels and Demons, the movie with Tom Hanks. It was awesome! I loved the book and really loved the movie (although not as much as the book...that would be a sacrilege!). I adore the rituals and history of Catholicism (although I'm not Catholic) and so really appreciated all the history and symbolism. We sat in the balcony at the Warren Theater and I have to say...I love it! They have waitstaff in the balcony and so you can order from the diner and also order cocktails. Loverly. The seats, however, leave something to be desired. They are couchs with tables and heaters but they are too kicked back for people with short legs.

Today I woke up early and enjoyed all the birds in the backyard singing and flitting about. Sooo cute! Jim and the Big D headed to Ark City to the Kansas Badlands with the ATV's and Big D's dirtbike. They take a cooler and have so much fun..gettin' down in the dirt. I stayed home with Sweet Baby M and we snuck to Cracker Barrel. Oh my...it was so good but I have to say...we were stuffed. We ate more breakfast than two humans should be allowed to eat. We were positively ill. It looked pretty much just like this and was positively yummy. We loved looking through the doo-dads in the gift shop too. I actually found a really great black tank and sweater that wasn't hokey at all and was on clearance. Great for summer. Our breakfast feast looked exactly like this plate.

I made the trip to Walmart after that and stocked us up on a new crate for Shadow, dog food, undies, ham, all the random stuff you buy at Walmart.

Tonight I made yummy chicken enchiladas for dinner which we ate with Spanish Rice and a tossed salad. It was really good. When we were sitting on the back porch, Jim told me it would be okay to get The Cleaning Authority to come and clean again. Yahoo! I had them when I worked but since I'm not working...felt kind of bad about it. But Jim said, just get them so I'm jumping on that like termites on wet wood. I hate cleaning bathrooms, etc. I hope they don't feel as put upon as this poor soul in this picture.

Okay...gotta run. Shadow just ate the stub of Jim's cigar out of the chimenea. He's not the smartest tack in the box...but we love him!

A Great Read

2009-05-15T16:12:00.003-05:00

I am just finishing up a book that has been a great read. It's entitled, "A Year on Ladybug Farm" by Donna Ball. The premise is that three ladies (of a certain age) agree to buy a rundown mansion in Virginia and rehabilitate it. It's all about their adventures that first year. It is a great, fast book and completely enjoyable. I love books about homes and this one gives great descriptions of the interior of Ladybug Farm. Only two criticisms. One is that I don't think the characters are really ever developed fully. You just don't feel as if you really "know" them. Secondly, there are too many bit characters introduced that you just never hear about again. Too many loose ends...that's my criticism. Other than that...it's fabulous.

Shadow aka BIG BIG Dog

2009-05-12T19:59:00.002-05:00

I took Shadow to the vet today for his 12 week checkup and shots and he weighed in at a whopping 29.7 lbs!! He is not fat. He is just going to be a VERY big dog. The vet said he thought he'd top out at about 130 lbs. YIPES! He is so beautiful right now. His fur is soft and silky and so very shiny. He's got a cute personality although I'm not sure he's the most brilliant dog in the world. He has a big deep voice and huge feet that he spends a lot of time tripping over. He has done so well on housetraining. His only flaw is that he seems to like to dig and he also likes to pre-clean the dishes before I run the dishwasher. Tonight he was actually standing on the dishwasher door with his body inside the washer. Funny dog.

Summer is just a breath away!

2009-05-12T19:43:00.002-05:00

Summer is my favorite time of year and I can't wait for my kiddos to be done with school for this year. They only have about a week left and it is going to be wonderful to have them out. I love everything about letting them sleep in and going to bed late if we so choose. I just loved that kicked back feeling.
My top ten for summer are:
1. Reading, reading, reading. Having time to read lots of books and go to the library. Reading in the backyard, in the air conditioned living room, at the lake, etc.
2. Going on walks early in the morning or late at night. I love that hot weather!
3. Working in my flower garden early in the morning while it is still a bit cool.
4. The ice cream man and popsicles. I love going on spontaneous ice cream runs and getting Sonic cherry limeades during happy hour.
5. Grilling out!
6. Picnics and going to the lake. Roasting marshmallows and hotdogs.
7. Lighting my chimenea at night and smelling that wonderful pinon pine.
8. Riding around in Jim's jeep with the top off. Feeling the wind blowing in our hair and just enjoying the sights and smells of the area.
9. Eating light and enjoying salads, farmer's markets, lemonade and all the things that just taste better in the summer.
10. Summer vacation. Packing up the car, kids, dogs and heading off for a week of fun.

Absolutely Random Monday

2009-05-11T08:24:00.003-05:00

This gorgeous arrangement of pink roses and lilies was part of my wonderful Mother's Day weekend. I am loving gazing upon it as I read my chapter of Esther this morning. The lilies smell so sweet and the roses are opening up beautifully. All arranged in my estate sale hobnail pitcher...it's heavenly!

I was looking through some pictures and realized that these pictures of our baby birds were still on my camera. Weren't they just the cutest things? It was such fun raising them from just hatched babies and seeing them fly away. They were very sweet. I hope raising those birds is a memory my kids never forget. I will never forget them riding on the dashboard all the way to Minnesota.

I had such a wonderful Mom's Day. We were so tired from Saturday that we all slept in quite late and then got up to coffee, croissants and fresh strawberries. Yummy! We decided to run out to my Mother-in-Love's house (she's more a love than a law!) and they still had no electricity from the storm that raged through their area on Thursday night! They were holding up well but yipes...that's a long time! We had a great visit and got to see some recent auction treasures they had purchased. They had quite a bit of tree damage, so the boys are already planning to take the ATV's out with chains and drag limbs to the burn pile.

After we got home, the kids went upstairs and played X-Box and napped. I made a berry cobbler for dessert and then after gifts (a darling cherub bird feeder and the movie Enchanted April along with a significant Barnes and Noble gift card), Jim bbq'd steaks on the grill. We enjoyed them with mushrooms, baked potatoes, garlic bread and creamed spinach. Jim and I enjoyed the creamed spinach...I don't think Sweet Baby M and Big D tried it. I set the table with all my sweet old estate/garage sale finds like a nifty 50's tablecloth, cloth napkins, Blue Willow dishes, etc. It looked very cute and retro. Then we played a new game that I bought while we were in Denver called Gloom. It's very Edward Gorey in theme but a lot of fun.

A good day all in all and now on to a very busy week. School is coming to an end! Yahoo!

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T09:04:00.004-05:00

I love this picture of my Sweet Baby M and her volleyball friend. This picture is so indicative of her effervescent personality. She is bubbly and fun and always pretty happy. When Sweet Baby M was a baby, I thought she was the most challenging child I'd ever known. I so wanted her to be well behaved and submissive...and for the most part...she wasn't. She was a ball of fire, always ready to run in the street, climb to the highest point on the jungle gym and pet any strange and vicious looking dog. She spoke to any human, took candy from strangers and generally disobeyed more than obeyed.
Oh, how I loved her! She was a complete breath of fresh air in her obedient Mother's life. She fascinates me always with her boldness. She has taught me so many things over the years. She's taught me that family comes first, how to live for the moment and that what people think is just what they think...I can't change it...I can just live life the best I can. She definitely taught me that unconditional love exists! She's everything I could ever want in a daughter and then she continues to surprise me and be even more.

Once I had a darling daughter, I could think of nothing better than a strong and handsome son to adore forever. I certainly got that gift also in the Big D. He was the sweetest baby I'd ever laid eyes on. He was chubby and had the wispiest blonde hair...and he was so quiet. I spent the first two years of his life just holding him and never regretted one minute of time spent with undone "things". He was worth it. Big D spent the first half of kindergarten chasing my car around the circle drive at drop off yelling, "Mommy..don't yeave me heaw!". He broke my heart. The number of days that I spent sitting in my car at the school for those 3 hours a day of kindergarten outweigh the number I actually got to go home. Now he's a big seventh (almost eighth) grader and quick to jump out of the car and join his friends at school. I still like to think he misses me a bit. Driving my kids to school has been one of the joys of my life. Time spent in the car with them has always been special. Whether we listen to the radio together, talk or pray..it seems like it's always a good time to connect. Now this big guy is into dirt bikes, atv's, raising a dog, camping and all boy stuff. Once upon a time though, he was his Mom's boy and I hope he remembers those times fondly.

My children have been the delight of my life. God gave me such a tremendous gift when He gave them to me. I had longed for them for eight plus years and the day I became a Mommy was it for me. I finally felt like I had fulfilled my destiny. I've never loved anything more than being a Mother and caring for my children. They make me who I am and I adore them.

Once Upon a Time...........

2009-05-03T08:21:00.006-05:00

........this little Princess went to the prom.

Oh...my! Sweet Baby M went to the prom last night with her boyfriend. They looked so glamorous and gorgeous. Sweet Baby had a dress that was actually once full length that we had cut off to short and bubbled on the hem. It was too die for on her. That hot pink color set off her tanned skin and dark hair to perfection. She wore the gorgous triple string of pink, ivory and white pearls her Daddy bought her in Japan and my diamond studs in her ears with silver sandels. Yummy!

The evening began with pictures and proceeded to the event location with a sit down dinner and dancing. Then a party followed, culminating in a breakfast which ended at 2:30. She spent the night with a friend and now is coming home soon to work. What a trooper!

She's a beautiful girl and looked so happy and gorgeous last night that it was a real night to remember.

Sleepy Saturday

2009-05-02T08:04:00.004-05:00

Jim is getting a cold. He's horrors with a cold! He can't bear being sick and it will be a misery for all...that's my prediction. The yard needs mowing...it's way too wet, the garden needs weeding...it's way too wet, the laundry needs doing...it's way too...oh, I guess it just needs doing. UGH! I hate the laundry.
Tonight is the big Trinity Prom which Sweet Baby M is attending with her boyfriend. It's technically not a prom since they don't endorse dancing but since they dance and do all the normal prom stuff...I guess it's an unofficial prom. It certainly requires all the preparation of a regular prom. She hits the road at 9:00 a.m. for mani and pedi and doesn't stop until pictures at 5:00 p.m. She is such a sweet girl and we are so excited to see her mani'ed, pedi'ed, make up, and hair wearing her very beautiful pink dress with the pearls her Daddy brought her from Japan. She will look like an angel I'm sure! Expect pictures posted tomorrow!

On another note, Oklahoma is playing on my blogplayer and that always reminds me of The Surrey with the Fringe On Top song. Then the next thought is owning a rickshaw which I have ALWAYS wanted since I saw one at an estate sale that I should have bought but passed on. I like the charm of the one in which a person runs in front or bikes with it but it might be hard to convince someone to do that while I rode in back so maybe I need the motor driven one.

Okay...we are off to start the prom festivities...

Friday Night Date

2009-05-02T07:50:00.002-05:00

I finally talked(convinced, conned, begged) Jim into taking me out for dinner. It was awesome! We went to Savute's, a complete hole in the wall on N. Broadway that we haven't been to in forever. I don't remember liking it the last time I was there but this time...it rocked! We were by far the YOUNGEST people in the place which is saying alot because we aren't very young. Jim ordered a T-Bone steak and I had the steak and catfish because I live in KS and have NEVER had catfish. They make their salad dressing from scratch...but I'd better start at the beginning.
The water glasses were filled, we were seated at a table with a slight tilt and the bread basket was delivered. Both french and pumpernickel bread and butter and those wonderful little packages of breadsticks. Can't beat it! Then we ordered drinks. For Jim a Boulevard Wheat and I ordered a glass of Cabernet which oddly enough was served in a juice glass. It was great wine however but it was strange to see it in such a stubby glass. The antipasti plate was a strange saucer of iceberg lettuce, salami and pepperoni, an orange cheese and a white cheese (of indeterminate variety), pickles, anchovies and banana peppers. It was delish!
Salads were either the Italian variety or normal with homemade dressing. I chose the ranch and it was icy cold and creamy. Very good.
I have never had catfish and so decided to order the steak and catfish. Jim opted for the T-Bone as I stated above. The T-Bone was cooked to perfection and served with a side of Spaghetti. Both were really good. I expected my steak to be a sirloin or some cheap cut since it wasn't defined on the menu but it was a ribeye and very tender. The catfish was too die for with homemade tartar sauce. Delicate and crispy with a just right fish taste. This also came with a side of spaghetti.
I'd give Savute's five stars. It was a big side of kitchy with a major serving of yummy! I'd definitely make it one of our "go-to" spots. I kept thinking the whole evening of how much Big D would love it!

I Just Want to be your Friend

2009-05-01T13:08:00.003-05:00

Poor Shadow. He just wants to be Pup pup's friend but unfortunately she doesn't want a friend. She thought she could sneak into her little bed but alas...he flopped down and proceeded to STARE at her. She retreated to back under Jim's chair.

Rain, Rain Go Away

2009-05-01T10:28:00.003-05:00

A Few Things
1. I am so sick of the rain. I have to keep reminding myself that I will be thankful we had all this rain in July when the ground is so dry that it is cracked. It is wonderful that the trees and all my plants are getting this LONG drink BUT please...rain...end.
2. Rainy weather is not conducive to housetraining a new puppy.
3. Shadow is testing my patience with his continual persecution of the little dogs. He is under the impression that Pup pup is a stuffed animal and needs to be carried around by the tail. She is not amused.
4. Shadow spends ALOT of time trying to get up on the couch and be "pals" with the little dogs. They spend ALOT of time trying to get away from him. He finally figured out how to climb up. Happy, happy, joy, joy.
5. I need to go to the grocery store but I don't want to get so wet. I have stuff for dinner tonight and the only other thing we needed were new baseball pants for Big D. It's not looking like that game is going to happen tonight anyway unless they are playing in a swamp.
6. Did I mention yet that I'm sick of rain?
7. Big D and I are so excited about signing up for our Compassion International kids this weekend. He has earmarked a little guy from Rwanda and my little girl comes from Indonesia. We are ecstatic! What a gift to us that we can make a difference in someone's life AND get the extra blessing of hearing about it. Too much!
8. If it doesn't quit raining when my peonies finally bloom I'm going to be so mad! I don't want to bring them in all waterlogged! I have to get out in the garden and make sure all the fragile stems are protected in the peony cage.
9. Soup for lunch? Sounds good.
10. I'm trying to get into a new book. No luck. I've picked up a couple and thrown them aside halfway in...which is very rare for me. I usually finish no matter what. I just haven't found one that kept me interested in a while. I want a book I can lose myself in that I won't want to put down.
Okay....that's it for now. Back to mediating dog fighting, lurking in the basement with my laundry and watching the rain.

Ironing and Baseball and Random Thoughts

2009-04-29T13:00:00.004-05:00

My day today has been spent making up for Jim's day off from work yesterday. Isn't that the way it always is? Instead of keeping my usual schedule, I let everything go and lazily sat around with him. We did take Sweet Baby M to Applebee's for lunch which was a treat and then Jim took her to get her first checking account! Big times!

Today I have done nothing but washing and ironing. I miss the days when I dropped shirts off at the dry cleaners and never paid them any attention until I picked them up and hung them, freshly ironed, in the closet. This ironing is painful! I love ironing flat things, but shirts...ugh. I need a better iron for sure!

Tonight Big D is supposed to have his first baseball game of the season. We will see if it happens since it has been drizzly all day. I think it's going to be too wet. He won't be too sad as then he can go to youth group. He has just begun to attend and really loves it. He is reading his bible in his room (makes my heart so happy!) and is such a good boy. He needs good friends and a group to interact with.

I need to return library books on my way to pick up Big D. Hopefully baseball will be called off and we will have a quiet night at home.

Monday Morning Blahs

2009-04-27T07:18:00.002-05:00

Oh my goodness, I have the Monday Morning Blahs. Last night was stormy and no one slept well except maybe Jim. He could sleep through anything! Shadow spent his first night ever in Big D's bed. I was glad he slept the night through and didn't have to go out in the rain. I love having the little dogs sleep on my bed (and in Tiki's case, IN my bed) so I'm so happy that Big D has a friend to snuggle up with.
Sweet Baby M needs to take her prom dress to be altered today and so that is high on our agenda! She doesn't have school and I was so looking forward to shopping and lunch but OF COURSE she has plans with friends for lunch. How did she grow up so fast? There is a 50% chance of more rain today so maybe it wouldn't have been a very nice day for shopping anyway. Better to stay in and tackle the laundry.
At least Big D's baseball game will be canceled. They weren't ready to play a game yet anyway...not enough practice.
Onward with the day. Lots to do...

Benton Garage Sale Finds

2009-04-25T16:51:00.002-05:00

After dropping the ATV's off in El Dorado, we took a little side-trip through Benton on the way home. Benton was celebrating 100 years as a little town and having a city wide garage sale event! We only stopped at a few but I got my entire load of merchandise for $3.50!!

Four wine glasses, three cordial glasses, a really unique square pitcher, a small (one person) teapot, a milk glass vase, wonderful plate marked Germany on the back, a really cute, never used dishtowel and a fabulous heavy crystal egg-shaped candy dish. The fabu purchase of the day was the pale green enamelware teapot!

Saturday Morning

2009-04-25T07:25:00.005-05:00

The Big Galoot (def. is an old word used, primarily in Scotland, that means a person with an ungainly, cumbersome, and clumsy personality. ...) is growing by leaps and bounds. Shadow is a nice dog but he has his moments. He still sleeps in Big D's room but is outgrowing the crate he's been sleeping in. It's actually a cage. Why am I calling it a crate? Crate sounds more gentile then cage. We keep our dog in a crate. We keep our dog in a cage. Yep...crate it is.
This reminds me of Shadow's first visit to the vet. She asked if he was on "large breed" food. Uh..no. Since both my other dogs don't even weigh enough to constitute a breed between them...I didn't know there was such a thing. Of course, because she asked me like I was a complete ax murderer if he wasn't...I answered yes. And then quickly ran to Petco to get Large Breed Puppy Food.
Right now, The Galoot's favorite activity is to drag poor Pup pup around by the tail! She doesn't exactly resist but she doesn't seem to enjoy it either! He loves that big fluffy tail. Then he will go stand by the couch and bark at Tiki. Usually though, he can be found laying under the kitchen table watching me cook.

It's definitely time for more coffee and I think I'll make a quick batch of pumpkin muffins for breakfast. My pumpkins will love that!

Bird Dog

2009-04-18T09:14:00.004-05:00

These funny ducks decided to hang out in our front yard. They obviously don't realize that we now have a bird dog in residence. When they tried to walk around in the back yard, they got a bit of a surprise. Shadow chased the intruders back out front. Then they decided to take a siesta under a tree. Of course he doesn't look too intimidating sitting in his flower pot!

A Moment of Peace

2009-04-07T08:44:00.003-05:00

After four hours of non-stop barking, biting, bathrooming, eating, drinking and playing...it looks like we just might have a moment of peace. I'm practically tip-toeing around so they stay sleeping and happy and it's only 8:45 a.m.!