Wilborn-White News

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T09:36:00.000-08:00

Just popping in to extend best wishes for a Merry Christmas and Prospero Ano Nuevo from my family to yours. I've been busy working nights and finally finished my rotations through nine med-surg units. As of January 1, 2012 I'll be in my "permanent" position...a floor to call my own at last! I will continue working nights and trying to manage the rest of life in the few waking moments during the day when I'm not trying to catch up on sleep.
All is well. The hubs had minor knee "surgery" last month (arthroscopy) which confirmed a torn meniscus from so long ago the missing part was no longer in existence. He was off work for three weeks, returned for a few days and was off on vacation for nine days after that. Now he's back to work...the well-recuperated knee is doing fine.
The kiddoes are well...excited to be out of school for the next week. Commercial Christmas is very low key this year. We didn't even put up a tree (Bad Mommy moment #217). I felt a little guilty and went out and purchased a tiny cypress with red bows attached to set on the coffee table. I'll plant it outside once the weather warms up. It makes the Charlie Brown Christmas tree look like the majestic tree adorning the White House lawn.LOL!
The kids are watching "A Christmas Story" as I type. I picked up a copy at Costco last week just because it was on sale and the family had never seen it. I think it will become part of our holiday tradition along with the Grinch and all of our Christmas CDs which are loaded into the player the day after Thanksgiving. There is a potato, ham & cheese "breakfast pie" in the oven. It's a concoction I came up with after watching some chef on Good Morning America a few weeks back. If it turns out well, I'll try to remember what I did and post the recipe : ).
I still have a bit of baking to finish (I tried my hand at gingerbread biscotti and failed...will have to make some adjustments next time) and some sleep to catch up on before I go in to work tonight, so I'll close for now.
May the love of Jesus which is so apparent during the Christmas season extend throughout the new year!
Until next time...

2011-10-09T00:17:00.000-07:00

Well, folks, I meant to get online and blog all about my birthday (2 weeks ago) and everything that's been going on, but I got side-tracked visiting other blogs. Now, it is almost 1:30 a.m. and it's raining, and my bed is calling my name. I have church at 8:00, so I'll cut this a little short and promise to get back sooner than a month from now. Sound like a plan?
The day before my birthday (which is actually my SIL's birthday) we tried Five Guys' Burgers and Fries, and it was a fun evening out. My parents, sister & her family and my brother and his wife (the actual birthday girl du jour) joined us. The kids didn't have school on my birthday, which was Friday (not because I'm just that special but because it was a teacher in-service day), but the high school still had a Friday night football game, so I got to sling nacho cheese with the Band Boosters on my actual birthday. My SIL gave me a copy of Cupcake, a book about Vanilla cupcake who feels plain next to his fancy friends, then his friend, Candle comes along, and they look for a special topping for cupcake. It is the story of my life, and I loved it! I'll have to let you all know how the recipe in the back of the book turns out...when I get around to making them! My mom gave me some nice clothes which means I can purge a few more outfits from my "over-crowded-with-out-of-style-digs" closet. Woo-hoo!
On Saturday, the hubs, the kids & I tried a Jamaican restaurant not far from our house. They had a live band (not because I'm just that special, but because they always have live music on Friday and Saturday nights ;-). The short version of the long story behind that decision was: I bought a $25 fundraiser card from the Athletic Boosters from my daughter's school where several different participating restaurants give you freebies and discounts when you show the card. Well, the bigger deal was you go online and register for a $25 gift certificate for any of the participating restaurants. I decided to do it then and there, and the Jamaican restaurant (which we'd been thinking of trying anyway) was one of the choices. Win-win. My adventuresome son tried the special of the night: curried conch. I had jerk chicken; the hubs had jerk pork and curried goat. The daughter played it safe with "Rasta Pasta" which looked pretty good. I had a great time.
To close out the weekend of celebrations, we attended a jazz orchestra concert at the wonderful outdoor pavilion on Sunday evening. The weather was just perfect. We set up a couple of chairs and spread a comforter on the ground. I'd made baked chicken quesadillas and loaded them in my insulated carrier along with a cooler with salsa, chips & guacamole. My sister and her two kiddoes joined us, and she brought a birthday cookie and miniature wine bottles. Did I mention the weather was perfect for a concert under the stars?
My cousin took me to lunch at Mimi's Cafe a couple of days later and gave me a gift bag filled with my favorite snacks and guilty pleasures. Thanks, B!
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention all of the phone calls, texts and messages posted on my facebook wall from friends and family members that made my day, too. Thank you all for helping me celebrate!
As far as work is concerned, I'm working from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. now. I love the (sometimes) more relaxed pace of the nights, but am still finding it a little difficult to adjust my sleep schedule (which is why I'm up at 2 a.m. blogging on a night I'm not at work!). In a couple of hours I'll get up and go to 8:00 mass and Sunday school for the kids (I'm not teaching this year because my schedule is far from set in stone. I never know when I'll be working or not, and that's just not fair to the kids and other teachers). Then, I'll come home and sleep from 11 a.m. until around 3:30, and get up and fix dinner and head off to work around 5:30. The kids do not have school on Monday, and Mike is on vacation, so I'll let them hold down the fort while I sleep from 9 a.m. until around 3 p.m. and do it all over again. At first I was concerned about doing that three days in a row, but I have found that I actually prefer 3 days in a row. Then, I can flip back to my regular sleep schedule (sort of) for three days and revert back to my wakeful nights the night before I go back. I'm thinking I may stay on nights whenever I interview for my "permanent" position at the end of the year...just a thought. I'll see how it goes on other units and let you know.
Until next time...

Long, hot summer

2011-08-24T08:23:00.000-07:00

Welcome friends, family! I realized it had been a while since I've been online, but didn't realize it had been almost two months. I've tried to switch my background to reflect the transition from summer to fall. It's a little plain, but I didn't want to spend too much time hunting around for backgrounds this morning. Let's see, where do I begin...?
Work is going well. I'm on my 5th of 9 rotations through medical-surgical units at the hospital. So far, I much prefer the medical patients over the surgical ones. I survived 5 weeks on the palliative care unit and actually enjoyed the serenity of caring for those near death. Sounds kind of morbid, and it really is difficult to explain. I'm currently on an orthopedic-trauma unit, and it is tough. We get 'em, fix 'em, get 'em up and moving and out the door. Patients are constantly coming and going, and it's pretty tough to keep up. I'm doing my best. While I have loved the opportunity to rotate from floor to floor and experience different areas of med-surg care, I am looking forward to being assigned to one unit where I can really learn the ropes, the doctors, the medications, etc. and "settle in." That will come later this year or January 2012. Meanwhile, I start working nights next month. I'm already trying to prepare myself mentally for staying awake all night. I'm generally a night owl anyway, but it'll be different having the responsibility of five or six post-surgical patients in my care the entire time. Wish me luck!
The kids started back to school this week, and it has been quite the transition for them. We started back on vitamins and allergy tablets a couple of weeks ago, but they've continued their summertime practice of staying up late and sleeping in up until Sunday night. Tsk, tsk (that's intended for me and them).
If you've been keeping up with the Texas heat you know that it really was a long, HOT summer around these parts. I lost count of how many consecutive days of temps greater than 100 degrees after 35 or so. You walk outside to the car and feel as if the heat will blister you before you can get the a/c going. Aaron still attended a couple weeks of band camp and participated in the 4th of July parade with the high school marching band. Alisa attended a week of dance camp and a week of band camp. My parents took them to Holly Lake, Texas for a little R & R at their time share. All in all, we didn't do much.
We did manage a couple day's get away to Corpus Christi, TX back in July. The hubs has always wanted the kids to see a "Texas beach" and everything worked out so we took off. I'll post a separate blog about that a little later with a couple of pics.
I'm trying to distract myself from the kitchen for the time being. I have my annual exam this afternoon and have to fast for blood work. I called the doctor's office to see if I can just run to the lab around the corner and have them draw blood so I can eat. My stomach is rumbling and I haven't quite gotten to the "over the hump where I'm no longer that hunger" point. It doesn't help that the house still smells of pancakes and bacon because I got up and fixed breakfast for the family! Talk about sacrifice. My tall glass of ice water just isn't hitting the spot.
I'm off to hop around the blogosphere for a bit before I head out to run errands. I have missed blogging and catching up with what's going on with my fellow bloggers. I plan to poke around at least once a week to see what everyone is up to. Until next time....

Sunrise Blueberry Muffins

2011-06-23T13:09:00.000-07:00

Ever since I saw a commercial on television for Denny's all-you-can-eat pancakes for $4.00 per person, I have been craving breakfast foods. Since I started working I don't really get up early on my off days and make breakfast like I used to. On days I do work, I choke down dry cereal in the car or nibble on a breakfast sandwich or something equally portable on my way to work. Who in the world is hungry at 5:30 in the morning?!

Anyway, today was a nice lazy morning. The hubs is on vacation so he didn't get up early shuffling around the bedroom. I worked yesterday and will be back at work tomorrow, but I'm off today. Naturally, the kids are on summer vacation and have no extra-curriculars today. Woo-hoo!

I rolled out of bed a little after 9 a.m. Delivery men showed up between 9:30 and 10 to deliver my husband's birthday gift (way long overdue living room furniture!). They were done in no time, so I headed to the kitchen with a "rumbly in my tumbly" and food on my mind. Hmmm, I pondered what to make? Potatoes and onions with cheesy scrambled eggs? Pancakes and sausage patties? Muffins and fruit salad? Ahhh, breakfast sweet breakfast. I finally decided on Cajun breakfast rice, sunrise blueberry muffins and a fruit salad with minted green tea or orange juice for brunch since morning was almost over. Anyway, here's my version of the recipe for the muffins...

Sunrise Blueberry Muffins

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

2 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 cup vanilla yogurt

2 tsp (or so) grated orange peel (zest)

Glaze (optional)

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbsp milk

2-3 drops almond extract (lemon or vanilla would probably work fine, too)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease bottoms only of 12-cup muffin pan (I sprayed with baking spray just before filling them).

Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, beat eggs and add oil, yogurt and orange peel. Mix well. Add to flour mixture stirring just until moist. Gently fold in blueberries being careful not to crush them.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake 12 to 14 minutes (until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean). Cool slightly (I removed the muffins from the pan and placed them on a cooling rack with wax paper underneath)

Meanwhile, prepare glaze by combining powdered sugar, milk and flavor in a small bowl and mixing with a rubber spatula until smooth. Drizzle over cooled muffins. Enjoy!

*I normally split a warm muffin and slather real butter on it, but I refrained since these have the glaze drizzled on them.

Two in One Fun

2011-05-28T22:39:00.000-07:00

Today is May 28, 2011 and I have not posted a thing since Easter Sunday. Shame on me. Today was busy but in a most fun way. My friend Angie texted me earlier this week that a couple of our friends were coming in town for the weekend and asked if my schedule would permit me to join them for brunch, dinner, drinks, or whatever else they were getting into. My work days this week were Sunday, Monday, Friday, so I texted her back that I was not working on Saturday. I got my hopes all up just thinking of a "girls day out." I honestly cannot remember the last time I've been out with just the girls. In all honesty, it was probably when we went to Cancun for Chermain's 40th birthday a ~~couple~~ few years back. Then, I got home and remembered that Saturday would be Alisa's dance recital beginning with a dress rehearsal from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. then a return by 5:30 for the show from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. I figured Sunday was out of the question, too, since I've worked every Sunday since I started working back in February. I told Angie to keep me posted on whatever plans were brewing but I let her know that my chances of participation were getting slimmer by the minute...

(L) Gina, Angie, Melissa; (R) Sandi, Chermain & me

The next generation of besties!

Well, as it turns out I got to meet "the girls" for Mexican food (they chose a restaurant near my house and all came my way) between the dress rehearsal and the recital. I didn't know the "mini-me's" were included or I would have brought Alisa. Then, I enjoyed an evening of tap, jazz, ballet and contemporary dance at the recital...Alisa had already changed out of her costume after her last performance, but we took a couple of pics anyway.

Here are Alisa's faithful subjects: Aunt Shannon, Leyla, Aaron, Xavier and Tia. Her dad and I were in attendance as well. I was behind the camera. Don't know where the hubs ducked off to. Below are Alisa and her brother and cousins again. She did a great job in both of her numbers. I'll have to try to post a couple of her costume pics on here at some point. For now, I must turn in. Tomorrow is my first Sunday off since I began working back in February, and I need to be well rested so I don't fall asleep during mass. Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. Until next time...

He is Risen!

2011-04-24T20:04:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a most blessed Easter holiday. I had to work and we were short staffed because several employees called in, but it was a good day. I sure miss attending church services, and will be so glad when I can schedule my own work days!
Here is an "oldie but goody" frm Sandi Patti that I always think of when Easter rolls around. I hope you click on the link and enjoy it as much as I do year after year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpIC0d_3bWo&playnext=1&list=PL4BC645F0CB6D37A7

Best day yet!

2011-04-21T13:01:00.000-07:00

Well, folks, I knew the day would come when I could actually blog about a GOOD day at work. Actually, any day is a good day at work since I truly love taking care of my patients. Sometimes it's just frustrating because I'm not great at time management and prioritizing tasks and such so it feels like I'm running all day long without food, drink or potty relief only to still be behind at day's end. Yesterday, was no such day, let me tell you!
I wasn't working with my preceptor because she took on the role of charge nurse, so I was with another nurse. We had four patients between the two of us. I took 3 and she took one. (That's the brakes folks when you're a newbie resident!) I was actually able to get all of my assessments done and charted and morning meds passed before my lunch break, which was around 1:30 (vs the 3 and 4 o'clock lunches I've been taking). I returned from lunch and discharged one of my patients and was actually caught up enough to admit another, but that patient ended up going somewhere else, so I just had the two patients at the end of the day. I clocked out around 6:55 p.m. versus 7:10 or even 8:00 I clocked out one day last week! Aahh, did that feel good. I'm so looking forward to many more days like that and even better. I needed that little boost of confidence because it's time for me to move up to four patients, and before yesterday, I could barely manage with three. Keep those prayers coming, friends. I've come a long way, but still have so far to go.

Five Question Friday -15 April 2011

2011-04-15T12:05:00.000-07:00

Aaarrrggghh! It's tax day! Only not really because for some reason the government has extended the deadline to Monday, April 18th...go figure. I also don't really have to panic because my taxes are already done (as of Wednesday, that is LOL!) Seems like last year we had already filed, received and spent our income tax return well before April 1st. Anyway, I digress...
Fridays just don't seem complete without those five little questions from Mama M at My Little Life! Feel free to join the fun if you please. The rules are simple: copy and paste the original questions to a new post on your blog then answer them. Pop back over to My Little Life and add your blog to the list so others can check out what you have to say about the questions...here goes. Feel free to answer any or all of the questions in the comments below.

1. What is your favorite sign of spring?

That's a toss up between all of the trees budding and the winter weather giving way to warmer breezes characteristic of spring

2. What was your best birthday ever?

My sister might be offended if I don't say the surprise "prom" birthday party she threw for my 40th birthday, but I think my 25th birthday was definitely one of my favorites. I was back stateside from my Peace Corps assignment in Honduras. I decided to travel out east via Amtrak to see some of America and visit friends I had met in Peace Corps. So, I spent my 25th birthday footloose and fancy free doing the things I loved: traveling and spending time with friends. They even hosted a potluck dinner on my behalf and someone brought home-made cinnamon ice cream! A perfect segue into the next question...

3. What is your favorite dessert?

Cake (7-up cake or white cake, white frosting) and ice cream. I'm not ruling out all of the other scrumdiddylumptious affairs...I love a good cheesecake, cookie, cupcake, pie or cobbler, too!

4. What is the best excuse you've ever used to get out of a ticket?

Remember that question some weeks back about being superstitious? Well, I'm going to knock on wood before I answer this one. I've never had to use an excuse to get out of a ticket. I did get pulled over once by Officer Jack, the police that had just visited the Parent's Day Out program where I worked. I thought if I painted a big smile on my face and greeted him with a sweep of my open-palmed hand in a circular motion and a "Hi, Officer Jack" like he taught the kids, he may have mercy on me. He was only pulling me over because he noticed my registration was expired. I had the new tag in the car with me and was waiting until I went to the dealership to get my oil changed so they could deal with the sticky mess of removing the old one and applying the new one. Officer Jack reached in, swiped the old sticker off in one swoop, stuck the new sticker on and sent me on my way. No ticket (or need for excuses) involved!

5. Do you wake up before your alarm, with your alarm, or after hitting snooze several times?

I've recently discovered that I like the nice soothing alarm tone on my cell phone so I've been setting that. However, I usually wake up before my alarm(s) go off then doze back off until I hear the chimes.

Five Question Friday -08 April 2011

2011-04-08T20:19:00.000-07:00

It's late, but it's officially still Friday in my neck of the woods, so I thought I'd go ahead and post/answer the questions for Mama M's Five Question Friday. I won't bother with all of the rules and links and such as it's pretty much a done deal (well, okay, I'll link <this space> back to Mama M's blog just in case you want to pay her a visit, which I highly recommend). Anyway, tomorrow is a work day, so I shan't tarry. Here goes...

1. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?

I could write a list of things I'd change, however, in the interest of time (and the fact that the question clearly states ONE thing)...I'd change my "tendency-toward-procrastination-poor-time-management-disorganization" flaw.

2. Write about a time when you got lost.

Years ago, I learned on PBS that homing pigeons have this thing in their brains that lets them go out on a mission and find their way back home. Well, thank goodness I'm not a pigeon because I don't think I have one of those. I can get lost going in and out of stores in the mall--not that I subject myself to that torture very often. When I was in high school, a friend got me a temp job at DFW international Airport. The day before I was to report to work I decided to take a test drive so I'd know where I was going. Thank heavens I did. Not only did I NOT realize there was a south entrance and north entrance to the airport, but I didn't know which one I had used to get where I was. I found where I was supposed to go without incident, but on the return trip home I must have looped back and forth for an hour before I finally got my bearings and made it home trembling, broke and out of gas.

3. Camping or 5 star hotel?

Each has it's place. On the whole, I'm kind of a country girl at heart and really enjoy camping with my kids (in my parents' pop up tent if that counts).

4. Have you donated blood?

I donated blood many moons ago when I was in college and received a follow up letter informing me that my blood had been destroyed because it contained some antibodies or something and I was ineligible to donate ever again. Many moons later I went with my hubs to give blood and they asked if I'd like to donate, too. I explained my predicament, but they let me donate anyway. I got a similar letter in the mail and have not donated blood again since.

5. Do you have a budget or do you 'fly by' most months?

For the past umpteen years we haven't had enough money to budget. I just paid what bills I could and then rolled the unpaid ones over to the next month and prayed for the hubs to work some extra shifts or something. Now that I'm working and we're crawling out of that downward spiral and looking toward college planning, etc, I foresee a budget in our near future.

Whew! That was fun and now I'm done...in about 30 minutes. That may just be a blog record for me! Good night my friends. Until next time...

Not so fond memories

2011-03-23T21:45:00.000-07:00

Ever had one of those "accidents" where you know you'd laugh if only you could have seen yourself in slow motion? Well, I had one today, folks! It had to do with the swimming pool in our back yard, but first let me give you a little background on said pool.
When we bought our house, we were NOT looking for a home with a pool in the yard. We just happened to like everything else about the home and thought the pool would be an added bonus. Well, years later we have come to see the pool as a bonus all right: Biggest Old Nuisance Under the Sun! Sorry if it sounds like I'm whining to all of you who have pools and love them or those of you who wish you had a pool but don't. We actually love the pool but hate the expense and maintenance mainly because money has always been tight. Hopefully, we'll enjoy it a lot more now that we can better afford the tools and things we need to keep it running smoothly.
Anyway, let me get back to today...We had Ray, the one and only "pool guy" that has served us well over the years, out to replace a pipe that was cracked in the big snow storm last February (as in 2010 - we didn't even bother cleaning or running the pool all last summer if that gives you an idea of how much grunge was on the bottom of the pool). Ray brought his pumps and helped us drain the water from the pool. There was no way we could think of turning on the pump and attempting to suck water through the filter at this point. I had on an old pair of shorts and a t-shirt and flip flops. Well, I walked down the steps into the now empty shallow end of the pool with a five gallon bucket and a plastic dust pan in hand to scrape the algae/decomposed leaves/marine life mixture off the bottom of the pool. When my flip flop hit the sludge, it refused to stay in one place. I cannot even recount with any degree of accuracy what actually happened. All I know was my flip flop slid and so did I and the next thing I know I'm flat on my back in the gunk and Mike is asking if I'm okay. I'll recount my injuries and have you figure out the rest: I scraped the skin off of the top of my right foot (almost like a burn), bumped my right knee, scratched my right forearm, hit my left elbow and the back of my head hit the bottom step on the way down. Ouch! Now, I do remember that part. Luckily, nothing was broken or in need of stitches. I marched inside, showered the gunk off, applied some antibiotic ointment and a couple of band-aids to the scrapes, took an Advil and strapped an ice pack to the goose egg on the back of my head before heading back outdoors to resume helping with the "Project Let's Get this Pool Up and Running." I took the less hazardous job of spraying down the gunk from the safety of the deck around the pool, thank you very much.
This is yet another story I can add to my "not so fond memories" of our swimming pool. Another story involved me vigorously brushing the deep end when all of a sudden the pole I was using decided to telescope into a shorter version of itself throwing me off balance. I didn't let go in time and ended up doing a cartwheel over the pole into the deep end. I somehow scraped something on the edge of the pool that time, too, but I wasn't seriously harmed. I remember thinking, "Good thing the neighbors didn't see that!" as I emerged sputtering from the water and dragged myself out of the pool.
Shouldn't I have fond memories of kids with paddle boards and goggles playing Marco-Polo and me floating lazily on an inflatable raft sipping a root beer over Sonic ice? Maybe this summer...maybe!
Until next time, my friends

Five Question Friday-18 March 2011

2011-03-18T08:12:00.000-07:00

T.G.F.F. I mean seriously, people Thank God for Fridays...as Friday seems to be the only day I even think of blogging. Actually, it's not the only day I think of it, but it does seem to be the only day I actually sit down and do it! I thank Mama M over at My Little Life for the inspiration in the form of five little questions that give me something to gab about.
Work is going relatively well. I often think back to when I read Thomas the Train books to my kids. We had a pop up book where Thomas crashed into the station master's house as he and his family were eating dinner. As dishes and food flew everywhere, someone exclaimed, "Thomas! You great clumsy ox!" That's kind of how I feel at the hospital. I'm slow and still trying to find my "groove." I look up drug compatibility and watch the clock as I administer "slow push" IV drugs. I like to be very thorough, but unfortunately it throws me behind and I feel like the "great clumsy ox" when I've spent most of my shift trying to catch up. I didn't eat lunch until 3:40 the other day, and I still had 3:00 meds to give one of my patients. My preceptor finally said, "Eastlyn, stop. Go and eat. We will catch up when you get back." Boy was I thankful for that break! In the hospital, we have codes for everything: code blue means someone stopped breathing, code red means fire. I teased that they'll have to implement a new code: "code resident" meaning a resident somewhere in the hospital has collapsed outside a patient's room with a handful of syringes and pills, an empty stomach and a full bladder.
Anyway, back to 5QF...feel free to join the fun. Just click <here> to hop over to Mama M's blog and get the original questions and official rules. It's a blog hop so you can also see what others have to say in response to the questions! It's a lot of fun.

1. Have you ever testified in court? For what?

I'm thinking probably not. That's something I would remember, right, like the whole swearing in and vowing to tell the whole truth so help me God?

2. Do you still have your wedding dress?

Yes I do, but I don't know why. My sister-in-law who is smaller than I was when I got married used it and had it altered. My one and only daughter is already bigger than I am now, so she probably won't want to wear it (not to mention poofy long sleeves probably wouldn't suit her taste). What do you do with a wedding gown once the wedding is over?

3. Is there a special place you like to go when you're happy, sad, stressed, etc.?

Sadly enough, I don't think I have any "special place." It is a goal of mine to one day establish a little uncluttered corner of the house where I can go to hang out in peace and quiet, pray, meditate or whatever. In the meantime, I guess the comfort of my snuggly bed is my refuge/sanctuary.

4. If you have kids, do they sleep with you? If you don't have kids...will you let your kids sleep with you when/if you have them?

When my son was born, I was so nervous about having a tiny little helpless human being entrusted to my care that I kept him practically attached to me at all times...including bedtime. His bassinet was within arm's reach of my bed, but usually he was in the bed with me and the hubs. When he was about 9 or 10 months old, I tried placing him in his crib in his nursery, and he stretched out and slept...well, like a baby. He seemed to be glad to have his own space. When my daughter came along, she might have slept with us for the early nursing days, but she slept in her own crib, too.

5. Do you watch late night TV?

I used to watch Jay Leno on occasion, but because (1) he's no longer on and (2) the TV in my bedroom doesn't work, and (3) I'm exhausted whenever I crawl into bed, I have given up on late night TV.

That was fun, now I'm done...gotta run a few errands, cook a couple of meals and get ready to work all weekend long. Have a great weekend. Until next time...

Five Question Friday-11 March 2011

2011-03-11T08:10:00.000-08:00

Oh my, it's Friday again already. Everyone knows that means time for Five Question Friday, hosted by Mama M at My Little Life. Click <here> or on her name to visit her blog and get the rules and original questions to copy and paste on your own blog. You can also link your blog to hers so others can read what you have to say in response to the questions. Too much trouble? You're welcome to answer the questions in the comments below, also. Have a great weekend.

1. Do you know what your REAL hair color is?

It's whatever color my hair is now: mostly black with an ever increasing number of grays in the mix. Although at times my hair turns a little lighter shade of "so dark brown it looks black" in the summer with pool chemicals and sun and such, I've never colored my hair.

2. Do you plan ahead for summer, or fly by the seat of your pants?

Unless there's something for which we must plan in advance, like a family reunion, it's usually the fly by the seat of our pants "planning" in the White household. Money is always the deciding factor, and there's usually not a lot of it to do much with. Mike and the kids both have summer birthdays so we do "plan" how they'll celebrate. Maybe that counts for something.

3. What is your favorite meal to cook?

Oh, gosh, I love to eat, so practically every meal is my favorite meal. If I had to choose one favorite meal that's not too much work but still feels special, I guess it would be smothered pork chops, sweet potatoes, cabbage & cornbread. Soul food = comfort food.

4. Do you get offended by not receiving thank yous?

I'm a little hypocritical here, and I'll tell you why...I do enjoy receiving thank yous, but sometimes I forget to write them myself. Years after my hubs and I were married, I was "cleaning out" some old boxes and found a box of thank you notes from our wedding. Mostly, they were blank notes and envelopes, but some were written and addressed, but apparently never mailed! Imagine the horror! Oh, Miss Manners would be so displeased as it was well past the allotted 6 week grace period for accomplishing such a task.
I truly dislike shopping. So, if I've taken the time to grab my purse, trudge to the shopping center or heaven forbid the mall and browse through racks and shelves of stuff looking for just the right thing for someone, I am offended if they never so much as acknowledge receipt with a thank you. It can be a phonecall, an email or an old-fashioned note in the mail (which I probably love the most to break up the monotony of bills and ads),

5. How did you meet your best friend?

Well, I met my traditional BFF when we were in grade school. We're nine months apart in age, so she was a year ahead of me in school. Our families had been invited to a cook out at a mutual friend's house, and that's where we met. She was tall and thin and had a long ponytail, not to mention she was the "older sister" I never had. We became fast friends that summer, and we still keep in touch today. I loved the sanctuary of her quiet "only child" home, and she loved the chaos and confusion of my childhood home shared with a younger sister, two brothers and a dog. Although we aren't as close as we once were, we always pick up where we left off, giggling uncontrollably as we bring each other up to speed on life's ups and downs.

I met my more recent BFF, with whom I chat, rant and rave, listen, share recipes, etc., when my brother introduced us several years back and then married her in 2006. Guess I'm a lucky girl to have several "besties."

Fix Me, Jesus, Fix Me!

2011-03-09T21:37:00.000-08:00

For some reason today was an emotional day for me. Every now and then, I think my cup (and eyelids) overfloweth. I'm still trying to find the balance between work and home. It doesn't really help that my 12-year-old pleads with me to stay home and take her to school which is exactly what I'd do every school day if I could continue to do so. I explained to her once again that we all have to give up things in order to keep moving forward financially. Also, there was a fatal accident on the interstate near my house, and I was late to class this morning. Then, I get there and one of today's speakers was a nurse talking about palliative (end of life) care for our patients. Now, keep in mind I get all bleary-eyed when I discharge a patient home after caring for them for a day or two. I can only imagine how I'll react when I have to deal with losing a patient. The presenter this morning did say it was okay to cry with the patient's family...it shows you're human and that you cared for their loved one. However, she also warned us not to cry harder than the family and have them consoling you instead of vice versa. Uh oh. My eyes were wet with tears during her entire presentation. As she spoke of the palliative care unit at our facility and signs of "active dying" and having difficult talks with patients and their families, I was reminded of my beloved father-in-law. Palliative care is where he spent his final days before he passed the weekend after Thanksgiving last year. A flood of emotions washed over me, but I tried hard to keep the tears from spilling over for fear that they wouldn't stop. I was seated on the front row staring at the presenter face to face. I could practically count her teeth as she spoke. If a single tear fell and she made some compassionate remark, I would have had to excuse myself and ball my eyeballs out for the rest of the presentation.
A few rogue tears did spring forth afterward as I shared with my coworker seated behind me that the presentation made me so sad I didn't know how I'd possibly deal with a "near death" patient any time soon. And here I thought I had gotten over being such a big marshmallow! I told him I was a little embarrassed that I felt like crying when no one else in the room seemed the least bit bothered by the content of the presentation (didn't mention the whole FIL bit because that would have been too much for me to verbalize and bear). He said the only reason I didn't see more tears was that I didn't turn around. He was a little tearful, too, because he is currently working on the palliative care unit and has already experienced death and dying patients..
If all of that wasn't enough, I went to church tonight to have ashes smudged on my forehead in the shape of a cross to remind me that I'd come from ashes and to ashes I would someday return. The season of Lent or the 40 days leading up to Easter Sunday is a time of spiritual reflection, a time of sacrifice in memory of God's ultimate sacrifice (John 3:16). Then the choir sang Fix Me, Jesus, Fix Me. Did I ever feel like I needed some fixing today...

Fix me with a starry crown. Fix me, Jesus, fix me
Fix me with a long white robe. Fix me, Jesus, fix me

Anyone familiar with this song? Want to take a guess at the next refrain?
Fix me for my journey home. Fix me, Jesus, fix me

I thought of the victims of the car accident this morning. I thought of my patients and their families. I thought of my father in law, and I couldn't hold back the tears. Oh, how I tried to stop them! I took a deep, cleansing breath (which was kind of shuddery as I exhaled), I tried blinking my eyes to "clear" my eyeballs like windshield wipers on a drizzly day...to no avail. Realizing I had no tissues in my tiny little purse, I dabbed at my eyes with the tail of my jacket and prayed that my nose wouldn't run, too. My daughter handed me a tissue from her purse and looked the other way. I'm sure it's rather embarrassing for a pre-teen to have one's mother balling in public for no apparent reason.

Five Question Friday -4 March 2011

2011-03-04T08:52:00.000-08:00

Well, it's that time of the week again. I'm going to get right to the point so I will not be beating myself up later that I spent "all morning" on my blog and neglected to get done the stuff I need to do today in order to be prepared to work this weekend. This is a fun blog hop. You visit Mama M at My Little Life and copy and paste the questions on your own post so you can answer them, too. Then you add your name and info to the link on Mama M's blog so others can pay you a visit and see what you have to say. You're welcome to hop around to some of the other participants' blogs as well. It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers...

1. Have you ever forgotten your child in a store or at school?

I can't say I've actually forgotten a child as in hopped in the car and drove off without them present, but I did forget to communicate where to meet back up with my daughter when I sent her with a coupon to the dairy section to grab a package of cheese. I "found" her at the checkout as I was heading to customer service to have her paged.

2. Where did you go on your very first date? (Like...first first, not first with your spouse or current significant other!)

I want to say it was to the movies to see "Halloween" (as in the original one a way long time ago). If I remember correctly, it was a double date with my brother and his girlfriend (who was the sister of my date). Nothing like keeping it all in the family. My date's dad drove us there.

3. What's your "silly" fear? (We're not talking water and heights.)

This fear might just win the "silly fear" award of all times. I have a fear of losing my teeth. As in, those old episodes of Tom and Jerry where Tom gets his head slammed in a piano and when he smiles, his teeth look like wobbly piano keys hanging from his gums. I've had recurrent dreams where I awake (in the dream) with my teeth wobbling in my head just like old Tom cat. You asked for silly...

4. Confrontation: do you cause it, deal with is as it comes, or run far far away?

I am not a confrontational person by nature, period. I'm certainly not going to initiate a confrontation with someone without cause, but I will do my best to "hold my own" and defend my point of view if I feel I'm in the right. Some certain family members may beg to differ.

5. Wood floors or carpet?

Ditto Mama M's response. I could just copy and paste it here and change "white" carpet color to "dusty brown" (formerly dusty rose...very 1980's flavor for those of you who might not remember). In a nutshell, we have carpet throughout the house (awful linoleum in the kitchen and baths), some of which was recently damaged by a hot water heater leak (all of which has been damaged over time by kids and pet accidents as well as grown up fumbles, too). I love the look of hard wood flooring and some of the ceramic tiles, but at this point am unsure of just how much more "work" they may create-dust mop, wet mop, scrubbing grout, etc. For now I haven't got the money for carpet or hard wood or ceramic or anything else, so I'll just stick with my sickly carpet, do a little research and squirrel away my pennies until I can decide what I want. So maybe that was a coconut shell...

You know you're getting older when...

2011-03-02T21:55:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking of this post for some time now, and wanted to do my very own "Top Ten" list. Alas, I haven't managed to come up with 10 ideas. So, I'll start with what's been rattling around in my head and let you all help me out. Feel free to add your own observations in the comments section below! Meanwhile, you know you're getting old when...
You run into your high school teacher at the grocery store and she mistakes you for your mother!
You spend way more time in the get well and sympathy sections of the card store than the "Congratulations on your wedding/new baby" section.
Some of the people you work with were born AFTER you graduated from high school and they're old enough to be done with college and in the workforce right along with you.
You can totally relate to the Three Little Pigs' retort to the Big Bad Wolf: "Not by the hairs of my chinny-chin-chin..."
One of those hairs on your chinny-chin-chin has the audacity to be GRAY!
Mention of shows you watched growing up (on your non flat screen, black and white TV with foil or a wire coat hanger on the antenna and no cable, digital whatever) draws blank stares from the younger crowd.
You remember when TV dinners came in an aluminum tray and had to be warmed in the real oven for 45 minutes versus the microwave for 5 minutes.
I sure hope this was worth at least a little chuckle. Let me know how YOU know you're getting older. Until next time...

Five Question Friday 2/25/11

2011-02-25T08:08:00.000-08:00

Hip, hip hooray! It's Five Question Friday. I've missed this for the past couple of weeks. Sometimes feel like I don't have much to blog about; then along comes Friday and Mama M over at My Little Life offers up questions that are simple to answer and give me an excuse to blog--woo hoo! If you'd like to join the fun or find out what others have to say in response to the questions, click <here> to visit Mama M and copy and paste the original questions for yourself. This blog hop is a lot of fun. Here goes...

1. Can you drive a stick shift?

Bet your bottom dollar I can drive a stick shift. An old boyfriend (former sounds a lot nicer, but that was a long time ago and he probably is old by now anyway) tried teaching me on his little blue Chevette. I remember stalling out every time I tried to take off before I got the "feel" for it. My first car (as in the one for which I was responsible for making payments) was a 5-speed Toyota Camry. I loved Katie Camry with a passion, and she was an awesome vehicle. Alas, I had to trade her in once I had kids and needed electric locks & windows and more space and such.

2. What are two foods you just can't eat?

I can only think of one and that's "chitlins" or chitterlings if you want to get all formal. They're pig intestines and I've never been able to get past the "what" they are and the smell. I'm told I'm missing out on some good eatin' but I'll gladly take someone else's word for that.

3. Do you buy Girl Scout Cookies? What is your favorite kind?

Because Girl Scout Cookies now cost $3.50 a box (versus the 75 cents a box when I was a Girl Scout) I don't buy them all that much. Growing up we all loved the thin mints (especially right out of the freezer where of course we stored them so as to enjoy them beyond the month of February). I'll usually try all of the new flavors, but if I were to only buy one box (which is all I bought this year 'cause my little neighbor was just so stinkin' cute) I'd go for the Caramel Delights...the one that's like a Twix bar with a little toasted coconut on top.

4. How do you pamper yourself?

I run right over to the massage school and get a full hour massage. The students cost half of what the instructors charge and they're really pretty good since they're trying to get good marks for their portfolios. I'll also escape to a weekend bed and breakfast scrapbook retreat once or twice a year, finances permitting.

5. What is your nickname and how did you get it?

I don't really have a nickname, per se. When I taught the 18-month-old class at Parent's Day Out, I introduced myself to my babies as "Miss E" and they shortened it to "E" so that's what lots of people call me now. The Hubs calls me "Sue-Sue" although it has nothing to do with any of my names.

Well, that was fun and now I'm done. Gotta link up and skedaddle to an appointment. I can't wait to get back and see what everyone else has to say about these questions. Have a great weekend. I'll be working, which is a good thing!

My House Stinks!

2011-02-17T18:54:00.000-08:00

Hey, Everybody! I am so ready for spring. I thought that maybe changing my blog background my help expedite the change of seasons. We've enjoyed weather in the 70's for the past few days, but I think I heard a meteorologist saying something about rain and a cold front, so I don't think winter is quite over for good.
Anyway...I've survived three days on the unit--two days shadowing other nurses and one day taking care of a patient of my own. My preceptor (akin to a mentor) will assign me two patients Saturday which will be a bit more of a challenge, but I'm ready! I must follow my preceptor's schedule, and she works Sunday, Tuesday, Saturday, which suits me just fine except that I have to miss church and teaching my Sunday school class for the next 7 weeks :(. I keep telling myself it's only temporary. The Hubs is off on Tuesdays so we're able to get the kids to and from school without a lot of shuffling and drama. My daughter, who feared she'd never see me ever again, is thrilled about this schedule. Kicking the student mentality is still a challenge for me. On my days off I feel as if I should be looking up medications, preparing paperwork for "class" or practicing putting together care plans or SOMETHING! It feels strange to just show up on the job and go from there.
On Wednesdays, we have classroom time scheduled for half a day. This week a chaplain from Pastoral Care briefed us on where their office is and what they do for patients and staff alike. I never thought of them being available to us (the nurses) as well as the patients and their families. The chaplain dispersed prayer beads which I wear on my name badge. I'll have to take a snapshot to share; they really are quite pretty.
This week's other speaker was a diabetes educator. Diabetes is one disease that just confounds me and I'm always open to more information on the subject. Nurse D actually made us all give ourselves an injection! I was a little wary at first. My hands were really shaking, but she contends that we'll be a little more sympathetic toward our diabetes patients who have to give themselves insulin injections if we've experienced it ourselves. She said we could always demonstrate this for our patients...ummm, the verdict is still out on that one. I guess I would if I really had to but I'm not too anxious to flush normal saline (salt water) into the flab on my belly in front of my patients.
Even though I don't have to go to work per se tomorrow, I do have an appointment with a plumber. The carpet in my hallway is squishy wet from the hot water heater leaking (hence the title for today's blog). Tomorrow is my first payday and guess where that check is going? *sigh* At least I can rest assured that more checks will follow and one day I'll even be caught up (with bills, anyway).
Now that I know my schedule and all, I'll try to incorporate more frequent updates and get back to visiting you all. I feel like it's been forever since I've been blog hopping and I miss hearing what's going on with you. I know better than to log on and get started because a few minutes quickly stretch into several hours, and I have a hard time breaking away. Thank you all for hanging in there with me. I look forward to visiting you all soon. Until next time...

What a week!

2011-02-03T21:18:00.000-08:00

Well who wishing for those snow days last week? Because we sure got them here in Texas. Actually, I should clarify that what I'm really referring to are "ice/cold" days. My kids have been out of school all week! Monday they went to school; and early Tuesday morning that storm blew in dumping rain and sleet all over the metroplex. I debated about going in to work. My educator told us we'd follow the local school district as far as school closings go, but then she said we'd be really behind if we lost a day so we should try to make it in if at all possible. She gave us a number to call to verify whether or not classes would be cancelled, but admonished us not to call before 7:45 a.m.. The roads were icy, but I had a route mapped out that didn't involve any highways or overpasses. I figured I'd just take my time and get there when I got there. I made it about halfway driving 20 miles per hours before I decided to turn around and head back home. Seeing an ambulance pulling away from a scene that looked like bumper cars at Six Flags with several tow trucks thrown in the mix should have been enough. Then I made it to a stop light where a car was having trouble getting traction. The truck beside me was spinning his wheels and I was just praying that I'd be able to move forward when the light turned green. Before then, a small white car turning left in front of me lost control and came sliding sideways toward the hood of my car. All I could do was keep my foot on the brake (so as not to be pushed backward into the cars behind and beside me), try to brace for the impact and pray that my van would still be drivable. Luckily, his front tires hit the median beside my van and he stopped a couple of feet away. He and I were able to go on our merry little ways. I was so thankful to make it home safely...what was I thinking trying to get to work in that mess? About a mile from my house the educator reached me by my cell phone and informed me that classes were cancelled. Good enough for me!
Needless to say, schools have been closed all week and will remain closed tomorrow. My kiddoes couldn't be happier--they have a 6-day weekend. Unfortunately, I don't think the temperature has risen above the 20's all week and the ice just isn't going away (well, except on the highways and roads that affect Super Bowl Traffic, that is), so it's not like they can go outside and "play" in the ice. I did go to work on Wednesday and today. I'm supposed to report tomorrow as well. We were informed that hospitals are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and nurses are considered essential employees (translation: get your buns to work no matter what even if it means driving in the night before and crashing on a cot somewhere until your shift begins or spending the night after your shift if you're supposed to be right back the following morning. I have an extra set of scrubs and toiletries in my car even as I type this!
Training is going well so far. I'm getting a little antsy to get to the business of patient care, but will gladly accept whatever skills reviews they have to offer to help me keep my patients safe when I do finally get to work with them.
I'm guessing there will be no Five Question Friday this week as hostess Mama M. over at My Little Life has experienced an unexpected tragedy in her family. Please keep her and her family uplifted in prayer. Click here to visit her blog and let her know you're thinking of them in their time of grief. Until next time, my friends...stay warm and snuggle with the ones you love.

Day One is done!

2011-01-31T21:44:00.000-08:00

Well, ladies and gentlemen, I have officially completed my first day on the new job, and all went well. It was a lot of sitting around and listening to people from different departments welcome us aboard and talk about patient safety, expectations, benefits, protected health information, employee health, etc. There was a minor mixup with lunch so we had a choice of pizza or a box lunch with a sandwich, chips, fruit and a cookie (the pizza was supposed to be delivered for lunch tomorrow, but accidentally came a day early.
Although it was literally in the 70's on Saturday, now, some big storm is supposedly heading this way (remember I don't watch much news so I'm just going by reports of those around me) and bringing us snow and/or sleet. Our instructor says they follow the local school district as far as closings or late openings, but she hopes we can all make it on in. The temperature has currently dropped from the high 50's to 48 degrees. That doesn't sound like much, but the low is supposed to be 11 degrees for tomorrow with a high of 27! That's what we here in Texas call a drastic change even though I admit it's nothing like 27 degrees below zero (but it feels like that to us Texans, especially when we were wearing shorts and flip-flops only 48 hours ago! The temperature is not so much the problem as the precipitation. It was just pouring down rain a few minutes ago, so when the temps continue to drop the roads will be nothing but ice. *gulp!*
It's getting late, and I may just have to get up and go to work all over again tomorrow. Naturally, the kids are hoping for a snow day...
Thanks for all of your prayers and words of encouragement as I embark on this new ~~chapter in my life~~ career. Until next time...

Five Question Friday-28 January 2010

2011-01-28T07:37:00.000-08:00

Wow, this is actually my third post this week. That's exciting (well, to me anyways since I was getting so lacksadaisical [you English teachers help me out with that one, please!] about posting). I have tons of quirky little stories and fabulous new recipes rattling around in my coconut, but I just can't seem to get them posted on this blog. I'll try harder. Anyway...let's get on with Five Question Friday, a blog hop hosted by Mama M at My Little Life. This is a fun way to learn more about your blog buds as well as hop around and explore some new blogs you might have overlooked before. Stop by My Little Life for the official rules and original questions and join the excitement. Here goes...

1. If you had $1,000 to donate to a charity, which would you choose?
Probably Heifer International since it's roughly based on the philosophy that "if you give a man a fish, he eats for a day; if you teach a man to fish he eats for a lifetime."
2. Snow days: Do you welcome them happily or are they a pain in your butt?
Deep in the heart of Texas here we don't get many snow days, so we happily welcome them when we do get them. It's never more than a day or two, and they don't become a "pain in the butt" until we have to tack on extra days at the end of the school year or go to school on a Saturday or whatever to make them up.

3. What talent did you wish you had and why?
I'd love to be able to sew; then I could truly be that much closer to becoming the Proverbs 31 woman. I've always been impressed with people who can look at an outfit and recreate it with or without a pattern. I was in 4-H as a kid and took home ec in high school, but to this day "make it in one day" patterns still take me a month to complete-LOL!
4. Are you a news, politics or celebrity gossip junkie?
No, no and no. Sometimes I think it would behoove me to pay a little more attention to the news so that I'm not caught totally off guard when someone mentions what's going on in Korea or what a shame about the Arizona victims. I rarely turn on the TV on my own volition. The hubs just called from work to report that there is a bomb threat at the Cowboys' Stadium where the Super Bowl is supposed to take place next weekend. That's not good, but I never would've known had he not called. Because it's about 15 minutes from my house, I suppose I should tune in to the news and see what's happening. Anybody heading to my neck of the woods for the Big Game?

5. What is your favorite "cocktail"? (Are you a beer person, a kiddie cocktail junkie, or perhaps your more the "Cosmo" kind?! Anything flies...doesn't hafta be alcoholic!)
Wow, ummm...hmmmm I'd have to think long and hard about that. I can say I am NOT a beer person at all, but I do like the sweet and fruity stuff: a combination of pineapple juice, cranberry juice & Vodka works for me! I've never been too big on traditional martinis or bloody marys & such.

Well, that was fun and now I'm done! Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend. Until next time...

Chicken in Red Wine

2011-01-27T12:11:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a while since I've joined Mama Hen for Thanksgiving Thursday, so I think I'll list a few things before I proceed with posting my recipe for Chicken and Red Wine that I tried earlier this week...

I am thankful for checks and balances...you know the system that allows you to eat breakfast twice because you exercised in between. Today, I went to drop off my dad's truck. I threw my bike in the back so I could ride it home and not have to disturb anyone. With each push of the pedal, I was thinking of the biscuit with homemade strawberry preserves I was going to enjoy when I got home (I'd already had a plain one when I first took them out of the oven, but that was hours before). En route I decided to stop by my sister-in-law's house for a brief visit. She and her husband were just sitting down to coffee and breakfast burritos, and she insisted that I share hers. I tried to decline (I was still thinking of the biscuit, you see) but was unsuccessful. The burrito was tasty as were the coffee and orange juice. See what I mean about 2 breakfasts? Yesterday, since I had to walk to the mechanic's shop to pick up my car, I figured it was time I treated myself to some Jack in the Box tacos and an eggnog shake (I got it all for $1.07 because I had a coupon for a free shake with any purchase...can't beat 2/$.99 tacos!). I guess another title for this particular phenomenon could be expressing gratitude for the gift of rationalization *smile*.

I am thankful for checks that increase balances...Just when we were wondering how we were going to pay our regular bills plus car repairs (Mike just had engine work done and my brake pads had to be replaced) after barely surviving Christmas, we received an unexpected check in the mail. Isn't God always right on time. We still have a couple of outstanding bills and a couple more that we'll have to pay a late fee on, but these should be the last of their kind!

I am thankful the start date for my job is finally here! Monday is the big day at long last. Yes, Carol, it does seem like we've been waiting for this day to come forever.

I am thankful for my family and friends (including all of you who are reading this) for all of their support.

I am thankful for http://www.allrecipes.com/ where I can go and find all sorts of fun recipes. I once saw a bumper sticker that said, "If you are what you eat, then I'm fast, cheap and easy." I love to cook but don't always have the time or resources to get really fancy. This website has recipes for all different experience levels, degrees of complexity, and varieties of cuisine. Plus, you get to read tips others who have tried the recipes came up with before you try the recipe. And, speaking of recipes...

Here's my recipe for Chicken in Red Wine Sauce (click on the title to see the original recipe from http://www.allrecipes.com/ and the member reviews)

1 T. olive oil
1 T. minced garlic
2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, pounded to about 1/2 inch thickness
1/2 T. paprika
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup red wine*
1/2 t. cornstarch (optional)
green onion, sliced (optional)

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic in oil until tender (fragrant and lightly browned). Place chicken in skillet and cook about 5 minutes on each side until no longer pink and juices run clear.
Drain oil from skillet (I had liquid but not oil. I drained it into a measuring cup but never ended up using it). Return chicken to pan. Season chicken with paprika, salt and pepper and sprinkle brown sugar on top. Pour all but 1 tablespoon of the wine around the chicken. Cover and simmer about 15-20 minutes, lightly basting with wine sauce while cooking. Mix the 1/2 t. cornstarch with the 1 T. wine and add to the sauce to thicken if necessary. Serve over hot cooked pasta with green onion garnish if desired and a tossed salad on the side.

*I used Cabernet Sauvignon and it worked quite well.

My review: This recipe made a nice glaze on the chicken, but there wasn't much sauce to actually spoon over the pasta. Next time I will use 1 cup of brown sugar and 2 cups of red wine and maybe bump up the cornstarch to 1 teaspoon for thickening.

Bon apetit! Until next time...

What a Wednesday!

2011-01-26T20:34:00.000-08:00

The tune "just another manic Monday" is rolling around in my head...the only thing is it's Wednesday, not Monday. Although everything went quite smoothly, it was just one of those days when there's never a dull moment. I'm currently at my mom's house staying with my grandmother while the folks are at Bible Study. The upside is she has already turned in for the night, and I have no dishes to wash or laundry to fold so I have a little time to hop on my blog! Woo hoo!
I have been cooking like crazy...life is so much easier when you just take the time to sit down and plan out your menu. My goal is to have a few weeks of meal plans all lined up (or at least have some meals that are simple to throw together) before I start work next week. I really wanted to post a new recipe for Chicken in Red Wine Sauce I tried on Monday for "Tasty Tuesday"...I took a picture and everything, but I realized today is Wednesday. Where in the heck did Tuesday go? Oh yeah, I remember. Mike and I spent the entire morning washing dishes and putting them away. Then, we had to deliver my car to the mechanic for brake work and run some errands (this is what always happens when Mike is off work...my days disappear!)
Today was just as much of a whirlwind. I had to borrow my dad's old truck to shuttle kids back and forth to school while my car is out of commission. Then I had an appointment to get my hair cut...my ears are cold as I type, but whew what a relief that was to finally get it cut! I stopped by the grocery store to see if they had the ground turkey breast that was in last week's ad (so I could use my raincheck while I was thinking about it) to no avail. I then received a call from the mechanic who said my car was ready. Mom was at Bible Study Fellowship and Dad was home with my grandmother, so I had no one to take me to pick up my car. Instead, I drove the truck home, grabbed my fannypack and walked to the mechanic's shop (just under 2 miles) to pick up my mom-mobile. I returned home, showered (to rid myself of the hair clippings), grabbed a bite to eat, brushed my teeth and headed to the dentist.
Once done there, I accompanied my cousin to an appointment for which he needed a family member present. Once I left the doctor's office, I had 30 minutes before it was time to pick up Alisa from school (she stayed after for percussion lessons), so I stopped by Big Lots! to see if there was anything I absolutely couldn't live without. Actually, I was told that was a good place to buy lawn & leaf bags. I spent $2.40 on two loaves of bread and went to pick up Alisa.
By the time I made it home to start dinner, I called to see if I needed to watch Grandmom while the parents went to Bible Study, and now I've come full circle. I've been home long enough to try the chicken pot pie I made for dinner and tuck my younguns in the bed. The sound of my husband's snoring is making me sleepy, but alas, I'm supposed to be online in search of a quick and simple muffin recipe for Teacher Snack Day tomorrow *Yawn!* I forgot they bumped it up to tomorrow because Friday is a big field trip and lots of the teachers and students will be off campus. If I find a good recipe, I promise I'll post it tomorrow!

Five Question Friday-21 January 2011

2011-01-20T19:20:00.000-08:00

Okay, I'm thinking this is pretty sad. The only time I ever blog these days is for 5QF. Maybe I'm trying subconsciously to wean myself from the blogosphere so I won't be tempted to log on and blog while I'm on the clock. (Like those nurses I witnessed so engrossed in their facebook pages that they didn't realize their patients were calling for them). It's like a proactive diminished activity type thing...kind of like women with cancer who shave their heads before their hair falls out from treatments. I'm just babbling, really. I am anxious to find out what my schedule will look like once I begin working. All I know is three 12-hour shifts per week. That should leave time to blog at some point, wouldn't you think?
Anyway...if you need the original questions or would like to link up and check out others who are participating with Five Question Friday, hop on over to Mama M's My Little Life for all of the details. Meanwhile, here are my answers to this weeks' questions...

1. Where did you meet your spouse and did you instantly know it was love?

I met my husband at a New Year's Eve party hosted by mutual friends, John & Chermain. Actually, he was introduced to my parents while I was out of the country in the Peace Corps, so it was kind of an arranged marriage type deal. Just kidding! Mike really did meet my parents before I ever met him, though. The New Year's Eve party was a big sleepover. Most everyone there were newlyweds. We played typical party games like Pictionary, watched the apple drop in NYC, drank champagne into the wee hours of the morning when everyone crashed. I remember the next morning, Mike went outside to warm my car and scrape the snow/ice off of my windshield. I thought that was the sweetest gesture! Months later, when I finished my Peace Corps service and returned stateside for good, my aforementioned "mutual friend" John kept asking me what I thought of Mike, had I spoken to him, gone out with him, etc...I kept telling him Mike was TOO OLD for me (mainly because he had bunions and walked like a weeble-wobble until he had a bunionectomy, but that's another story for another day). Well, eventually, as I settled back in to life in North America I needed a car and guess whose brother just happened to work for a dealership? Mike and I test drove cars all over the metroplex. Eventually, we had lunch after a morning of test driving cars. Then, we'd catch a show later in the evening. We drove to Houston to visit a friend of mine and the subject of marriage came up. The next thing I knew I was invited on a cruise with the New Year's Eve crowd and Mike and I bought wedding bands in St. Thomas. A year and a few months later we were married. It was not love at first sight but rather a gradual onslaught of love and affection that has grown stronger over the years.

2. What is your favorite room in your house?

If "favorite" room is defined as where I spend the most time then the kitchen is my favorite room. If it's defined as where I'm most comfortable, then I'd have to say my bedroom. If it's defined as the place where I do what I like best, then I'd have to say my craft room. However, my craft room is a work in progress and not quite functional or set up to my liking just yet, so that's why I avoid it rather than spend precious moments there...for now.

3. Can you wiggle your ears?

I can shift my scalp which gives the appearance of wiggling ones ears. Does that count?

4. What is your evening ritual?

Wash dishes til my fingers are all wrinkled and "shine my sink." Go over daughter's homework. Log on to computer to check e-mail and see what's up in the blogosphere. Stumble into dark bedroom trying not to wake the snoring hubs, wash my face, brush my teeth, shower (if that's one of the things on my to-do list that I didn't get around to earlier in the day), Crawl in bed and snuggle up against the snoring bed warmer with my cold legs pressed to the back of his. Asleep before my head hits the pillow good. How boring was THAT? I should have at least fibbed a little and thrown in a glass of wine or hot tea while I'm on the computer or chat with my girlfriend or something!

5. How many hours of sleep do you need to function?

I can "function" on relatively little sleep, like 3 to 4 hours in some cases, for brief periods of time. However, it catches up with me after a while. I function best on 6-7 hours of sleep per night (and a nap in the afternoon IF I can swing it!).
That was fun and now I'm done. Happy Friday to you all. Have a great weekend...until next time!

Five Question Friday-14 January 2011

2011-01-13T21:00:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to get ahead of the game so I can post this on Friday and get linked up with everyone else for a change. I hope you all had a warm and wonderful week. It's been c-c-c-o-l-d around here. Remember, folks, I'm a native Texan so don't laugh when I say low 30's with a wind chill factor in the 20's is nearly unbearable. I just finished reading Sixty One by Lee Child, and the main character Jack Reacher was in North Dakota. I shivered the entire time I read the book as he described the snow and temperatures in the teens below zero! Let me get back to 5QF...if you want to join the fun, swing by Mama M's My Little Life to get the original questions and link your blog to the hop. Now, let's have some fun...
1. What movie could you watch over and over again and not get tired of?

Call me crazy (or shallow or warped), but I absolutely love Oh Brother Where Art Thou, and I admit I have watched it over and over. I even play the soundtrack from time to time.

2. What's your biggest pet peeve right now?

Gosh, I have so many and they seem to be multiplying exponentially as I get older. I guess one of the main ones right now is people talking loudly on cell phones in public places, especially check out lanes at the grocery store.

3. If you had to describe your best friend in five words or less, what would you say?

Sweet, sassy, creative, gorgeous and crazy-sense-of-humor

4. If you did not have to worry about money or go to school what would you do for a living?

Oh, I never know how to answer this question because throughout the course of my life I've contemplated so many different things. Today, I think I'll say I'd be a massage therapist. I truly believe there is healing power in touch. I know how great I feel after getting a massage and would love to make other people feel that way, too.

5. What is your one "splurge" item, that you will always buy, no matter the cost?

I never knew there were items people buy no matter the cost until...One day, a friend of mine mentioned buying grapes in the middle of the winter because that was one fruit her husband and/or kids would eat. Thinking I'd eat grapes in the winter, too, IF they were on sale (which they normally are not), I asked how much she paid for them (I must have overlooked them in my sales ads, right?). Her response: "I don't even know how much they cost. I just buy them because that's what they eat." My jaw dropped. That meant she was probably paying almost $3.00 per pound. I eat grapes when they are 99 cents per pound in the summertime, thank you very much! Anyway, all of that is to say, I don't think I have any specific splurge items unless you count gasoline for the car which just jumped from $2.83 per gallon to $2.99 per gallon overnight. I have to buy it anyway...or walk in the cold which I just can't seem convince myself is a better idea!
Well, that was fun and now I'm done. Until next time...

Crockpot Enchiladas

2011-01-11T23:24:00.000-08:00

Lately, I have been all-consumed with http://www.allrecipes.com/. I signed up for their daily dish e-mails and I love how simple and tasty a lot of the recipes are. Plus you get to read reviews about how others "tweaked" the recipe to improve it. I'm making a concerted effort to plan meals at least a week in advance and doing a little "freezer cooking" where you make double a recipe and freeze half to enjoy later. The hope is that once I start working (in 2 1/2 weeks!) I will not be coming home to fast food wrappers strewn about the house on a regular basis. You know the saying, while the cat's away the mice will play, right? Anyway, I'm almost certain I've mentioned my weekly menu-planning theme, but just in case you are new or you missed it, here goes again:
Soul Food Sunday (Roast, chops, meat loaf, etc. with all of the trimmings), Mama Mia Monday (Italian cuisine), Tex-Mex Tuesday (beans, rice, tacos, enchiladas, burritos), One-dish Wednesday (stir-fry, casseroles, quiche, pot-pies), Thrifty Thursday (leftovers [if there are any] or something simple like breakfast for dinner), Finger Food Friday (hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza), Soup/Sandwich/Salad Saturday.
Last week I discovered a recipe for Crock Pot Enchiladas and thought it would be perfect to add to our Tex-Mex Tuesday rotation. I made a few modifications from the original recipe, and my family quickly agreed the recipe was a keeper. So, I wanted to share it with you all, too, in case you're looking for something quick and easy to make with ingredients you probably have right in your house as we ~~speak~~ ~~type~~ ~~read~~ chat!

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef (or turkey)
1 packet taco seasoning (or visit http://www.nickiwoo.com/ (June 14, 2010) and make your own
3/4 cup water
10 6-inch corn tortillas, quartered
12-oz jar picante sauce or thick & chunky salsa
1 10.5-oz can cream of mushroom soup (I used reduced fat)
3 cups four-blend Mexican cheese, divided use

Brown your ground beef/turkey and drain any excess fat. Add taco seasoning and water and simmer according to package directions (about 15 minutes). Meanwhile, cut tortillas into quarters and set aside (cover to prevent drying). In a medium bowl, combine picante sauce, undiluted cream soup and 2 cups of the cheese; mix well. Layer 1/3 of the tortillas, half of the seasoned ground meat and half of the salsa mix; Repeat layers and top with last 1/3 of the tortillas. Sprinkle 1 cup of cheese on top of tortillas. Cover and heat on high for one to one and a half hours. Serve with Mexican rice and salad (I tossed together romaine lettuce, tomato, whole kernel corn (drained & patted dry), sliced black olives and green onion). Buen provecho!

*This recipe lends itself to modifcations to suit your own taste. You can use whatever cream soup you like and more or less cheese to suit your taste. Next time, I may try chicken breasts, green salsa and cream of chicken soup with whole wheat tortillas and see what happens.

Five Question Friday (Monday edition)

2011-01-10T18:52:00.000-08:00

Last Friday I logged on to Mama M's "My Little Life" to get a sneak peak and realized it was already Friday and not Thursday! Shame on me. I answered the questions on her blog and decided to post the answers here as well. It has taken me until now to get around to "editing" this post. One of my greatest fears about going to work full time outside the home is I'll NEVER get back to my blogging! boo-hoo-hoo. I'll just have to try hard to squeeze in a post or two on my days off. Anyway, back to the whole 5QF deal...

1. What is your current favorite book, and why?

I love all of Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta novels. Just finished Port Mortuary. Scarpetta is a medical examiner and Cornwell's detail to medical attention (not to mention all of the wonderful Italian food she describes in detail) fascinates me and keeps me coming back for more.

2. Do you go to the dentist regularly?

I do go to the dentist every 6 months like clockwork. I don't know what I'll do when my dentist retires, but I'm sure I'll have to think of something soon since I've gone to Dr. Bridgwater for over 30 years!
3. What is your worst memory from High School?

Worst high school memory involved flubbing my illustrated talk on child car seat safety at the Future Homemakers of America conference (talk about uber-geek!) The only thing I really remember about it is I got really nervous when I tried to quote some statistic about the number of infants and children who are injured in automobile accidents annually. I started spouting out a number and couldn't stop myself. It went something like this: "652 million thousand kazillion hundred billion children are injured every year..." Hopefully it was at that point that I glanced down at my trusty 3x5 notecard and quoted the correct number. My public speaking skills are much improved, thank you very much!
4. What do you hope to be remembered for in your life?

I want to be remembered as a compassionate person (mom, wife, daughter, friend, nurse, etc.). I truly believe the words of the hymn "If I can help somebody as I pass along...then my living will not be in vain." I tried looking it up on YouTube but didn't quite know how to post the link or add it to a "playlist" so I hope you know what song I'm talking about.
5. Are you superstitious or do you have any superstitions?

Finally, I stopped at the grocery store for a couple of items. My total was $6.66 and I almost flippped out and grabbed a pack of gum I didn't want just to change the total, so I guess I am a little superstitious LOL! I have been known to knock on wood to avoid jinxing myself in certain situations. All in all, I don't really consider myself to be superstitious though.
That was fun and now I'm done. Have a blessed night blog buddies and I'll try and get back soon or stop by your blog for a visit. Until then...

Happy 2011!

2011-01-03T21:26:00.000-08:00

Howdy and Happy New Year from deep in the heart of Texas. And a very Happy Birthday to my niece, Keidra about whom I've been thinking all day but I forgot to call nonetheless! I know I've been MIA for a little while (it's only been since just before Christmas, but seems like forever)...thanks for all of you who've left warm wishes and comments on my "old" posts. I still log on and check for comments even if I'm not so busy with new posts. Right now I'm supposed to be reviewing my daughter's math homework and finishing the dishes so that I can get my buns in bed by 11:30, but I don't think I'm going to make that deadline.
Tomorrow is my "post-hire assessment" for my new job which will begin on the 31st of this month. I'm excited and anxious and rrying desperately to get a few more things in order (like my entire house and life-LOL) before I'm a once again a working woman. I take comfort in knowing that my life was much more "structured" shall we say when I worked full time outside of the home simply because it HAD to be. Of course, I only had one little child at the time and a grandmother who helped care for him when the Hubs and I couldn't. Boy have things changed.
I'm still working on getting organized. I have to renew my zeal for the Fly Lady and get back into her routine and make it my own. I treated myself to a couple of her products for Christmas and have yet to break them out and put them to use.
Here's hoping you all had a wonderful Christmas holiday and your year is off to a splendiferous start with pleny of new and exciting opportunities (and recipes) before you. Until next time...

Merry Christmas, Everybody!

2010-12-24T19:41:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to post a quick hello to wish everyone in the blogosphere a very Merry Christmas. It was my intention to have my semi-sort-of-annual newsletter posted here and a cheery photo greeting card with the link printed across the bottom so I could kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. Alas, I haven't given much thought to a family newsletter or photo greeting card and Christmas is already here. *sigh* C'est la vie, my friends. C'est la vie!
I thought I was doing a great job of being on top of shopping, wrapping, baking, etc. Still I found myself out in the streets for 5 hours this morning wandering about from one store to the next in the rain. My list of things to finish for tomorrow's dinner at my brother's house is still quite extensive and I'm pooped! I will probably bake a little then lay it down and get up and go to church and come home and bake a little more and call it a day!
For family gifts I baked cranberry orange bread, peppermint meringue cookies and made rum balls. I still have spicy cheese straws and sugar cookies to add to the baskets. I made a fudgy peppermint cake to take to my brother's and will probably do a potato salad as well (I know that's not the "usual" fair for Christmas, but he's "doing meat" so I'm assuming it will be smoked or barbecued.)
I'll be back to let you know how my baking turns out. I'll even try to remember to take some photos since my internet explorer is back up and running. What sweet treats did you leave for Santa?
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

2010-12-16T21:51:00.000-08:00

One thing I LOVE about the blogosphere is the inspiration we gain from others' creativity and ideas. Carol over at Knee Deep in Mommahood pens the most extraordinary letters to her husband and daughters. I am always in awe of her talent as a writer and how well she expresses her feelings. I know her family will treasure her words for years to come. Today my husband and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary, so I decided to try Carol's approach with a letter of my own. Here's what I came up with...

Dear Michael,

Happy Anniversary. How is it possible that 15 years have flown by so fast? Or was that fast at all? Sometimes it seems like light years ago and sometimes it was only yesterday that I walked down that aisle on my father’s arm mesmerized by all of the guests who had come from near and far to celebrate our special day with us. We had our share of bloopers and blunders that day, but they were life lessons in and of themselves: our wedding day was not picture perfect but it was lots of fun, and we all survived. Just like in life itself.

When Shawn escorted Aunt Martha to her seat, he took one look at the crepe paper draped across the pews, glanced around and ripped it off so Aunt Martha could enter the pew. I guess he was supposed to escort her around to enter from the other side, but we didn’t go over that at the rehearsal the night before-I wouldn’t have know what to do either. I remember my cousin easing out of her pew to get a shot of me gliding toward the altar. She stepped on the train of my dress bringing me to a screeching halt. John, our cupid and lector, fumbled a bit searching for his place and finally read the wrong reading and the show went on. After all was said and done, as we collapsed, exhausted in the limousine, I looked at you and noticed for the first time that you were wearing your mother’s 3-rose corsage instead of your single rose boutonniere. What did your mother have on? Then there was your dad who was in almost all of our wedding photos until Chermain pointed out that he was still standing there while everyone else was rotating in and out of the photos. Ahh, the laughs!

I know I don’t tell you often, but you are my rock and I love you.

I sometimes complain that I have to do everything myself. We often have difficulty synchronizing our productivity: I’m tired when you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and get to work. You’re exhausted when I catch my second wind and feel productive. I realize you put in long hours to provide financially for your family. I am grateful for every dish I don’t have to wash and every piece of clothing I don’t have to iron because you pick up my slack when I desperately need you to

I know I don’t tell you often, but you are my rock and I love you.

I once scolded that parenthood changes women much more than men (because we women do everything, of course). Men would continue to work, eat and sleep whether they had a family or not. I have come to realize that parenthood changes men, too. You may not act all warm and fuzzy with the kids or wear your feelings on your sleeve as I do and get all crazy and emotional about things, but I can see how deeply you love us all. It is evident when you quietly ask me if I thought I might have been a little rough on one of the kids when I snapped at them for one thing or another. It is obvious how happy you make them when you surprise them by stopping by Wendy’s for an after school “snack” that mean old mom surely would have vetoed. Your love for us is evident when you come home after working your shift plus someone else’s and tell us you had a good day and then get up 4 hours later and start all over again.

I know I don’t tell you often, but you are my rock and I love you.

You, my friend, are a lesson in patience from which I would do well to study and take notes. Your ability to remain as cool as a cucumber no matter what is going on astounds me. You are like an island in the midst of a storm. The water and wind may swirl around you, but you are calm and laid back, steady and unchanging. You balance out my excitability and quick temper. You are the yin to my yang.

I know I don’t tell you often, but you are my rock and I love you.

We never chose “our song” or “our special place” but we have 15 years of memories of us as a family: the good, the bad, the happy, the sad. I love you for eating whatever I put on the table without complaining. I love you for holding your tongue when you come home to chaos after working long hours. I love you for wanting me to be happy. I love you for appreciating the things I do for you and our family. I love being close to you at the end of the day. I love your hearty laughter that can lighten a tense mood in an instant.

I know I don’t tell you often, but you are my rock and I love you. Happy Anniversary.

A Christmas parade

2010-12-12T11:00:00.000-08:00

Every day seems like a busy day although for the life of me I cannot account for where my time goes. My house is not tidy, so I'm not cleaning all day long. My meals aren't planned months in advance, so I'm not organizing daily/weekly/monthly meal plans and coordinating grocery shopping lists. Neither my kids nor I are not well-dressed, so I'm definitely NOT spending my time shopping. Where do my days go?
Anyway, yesterday was a usual busy day around here. It started with a one-mile run at the park. For all of you in-shape mamas out there, don't applaud me just yet. I normally do not run, period. I'll walk all over the neighborhood for over an hour, but I've never been much of a runner. Yesterday's "circumstance" came about as the result of a fitness program to which our pediatrician referred my daughter. Because she is overweight and we have a family history of high cholesterol and hypertension, etc. Alisa qualified for the program as "high risk" for health issues later in life. Anyway, the one-mile "run" was to establish a baseline for Alisa's performance, and since I was there along with another mom, we decided to walk the mile to encourage our kids. The other mom asked if I wanted give running a try, and I agreed to try and run one lap around the park (5 laps make one mile). We ended up doing a walk one lap, run one lap type thing, which wasn't so bad.
After that we returned home to scoop up my son and take him to All-Region band try-outs. The school was literally down the street from the dealership where my BIL works, so I dropped off my son and then went to get my oil changed. When we returned to the school, Alisa and I waited a bit longer for Aaron to finish up. There were 44 trombones trying out for about 9 spots, so we'll see how Aaron faired tomorrow. He doesn't think he made it, but there's always next year when we can afford for him to take the private lessons the school offers.
Later in the evening, my sister dropped off my nephew and we made our way downtown for the lighting of the Christmas tree and the Christmas parade. The temperature had really dropped, and it was cold outside, but the parade didn't last too long, and it was a lot of fun to see the cars, trucks, trailers and Elvis impersonators riding mini-bikes all decked in holiday lights! Sorry, I would've taken pics, but (1) I forgot my camera; and (2) ever since I've had to resort to logging on with googlechrome vs internet explorer, I can't upload images to my blog. If anyone has any tips about how to resolve that I'd love to hear them!
When I returned home I was supposed to stop by my mom's to help her put together a craft for her Parent's Day Out students. My sister and BIL were there so I delivered my nephew to them and ended up staying a bit longer than I expected to finish the craft.
Finally, after I returned home, I mushed together sausage, baking mix, shredded cheddar cheese, minced onion, garlic and celery and shaped them into balls for another "potluck" the hubs was having on his job. 'Tis the season! I'll try and post some of the recipes I've tried recently as soon as I figure out the attaching a picture thing.
Speaking of recipes...back in August or September around the beginning of the school year, someone posted on their blog a recipe for homemade granola bars. They wrapped them in wax paper, sealed them with a sticker and ribbon for their child to take to school (first day of school treat maybe?). Anyway, my cousin asked me for a recipe for granola bars, and that one came to mind only I cannot remember who posted the recipe! If you are that person or remember that post or just have a great granola bar recipe, please leave a link in the comment section if you'd be so kind. Thank you! Until next time...

Christmas Spirit

2010-12-08T10:30:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays, everyone. I'm off off to brave the crowds at an outlet store with my mom. Shopping is so hard to do when the "holiday spirit" hasn't hit you. Well, the spirit has certainly hit (at least I've got my holiday blog up even if my tree isn't, right?), but the paycheck hasn't hit the bank yet! Here's hoping all of you have your trees up and lit and you're experiencing an extra helping of holiday cheer right about now. I'll let you know how I make out with the shopping!

Five Question Friday 12/03/10

2010-12-03T11:14:00.000-08:00

I thought since it is now December and I don't ever want you to get bored visiting my blog on Five Question Friday, I'd woo you with my very own rendition of my favorite Christmas carol. ::clearing throat:: Mi-mi-mi-mi. La-la-la-la. Eh-hem. That was just the warm up folks. Here goes...What? You can't here what I'm singing? Well, according to my cousin, maybe you're luckier for it. I will let you know that although I usually sing alto (or whatever the people next to me sing, really), I CAN hit that really high note at the end of "O, Holy Night."
Anyway...moving right along to the real reason I'm sitting at my computer when dishes and dust are calling me by name: Five Question Friday blog hop hosted by Mama M over at My Little Life. Please hop over to her blog to get the official rules and original questions to post on your very own blog. Don't forget to link up so others will know to check out your answers to this week's questions.

1. What's on the top of your holiday wish list and why?!

I try to encourage my family to write down on a wish list things that they want/need throughout the year. This it to include mundane stuff like socks and underwear (obviously needs) and all of the extras. It's like the ongoing grocery list stuck on the fridge, and everyone understands that these are suggestions only--some will be purchased some will not. This way when birthdays, Mother's days, Father's days, etc. roll around or a little extra cash trickles in I have a clue as to what to get. I started this tradition some years ago when my daughter fell hook, line and sinker for some "video now" electronic toy that she just had to have for Christmas. She used it for about two weeks and you could no longer buy the little discs by the next time Christmas rolled around! My idea doesn't work very well in my household b/c people take their lists off of the bulletin board in the kitchen to add something to them then they get lost in the mountain of bills, ads, mail and graded school papers that clutter my kitchen table never to be seen again! Or, as is my husband's case, he just mentions things he wants at random times and expects me to remember 6 months later. Anyway, I just put that idea out there for those of you organized folks that may benefit from such a system. Back to the original question, what's at the top of my holiday wish list? I'd have to say as of a couple days ago, a food processor is at the top of my list. Laura at "Home is where the heart is" posted a great recipe for Korean meatballs that involves chopping up chicken breasts in a food processor. I've found so many recipes that require one. I'm wondering how I've lived this long without one. A new vacuum would be pretty close to the top, too. My husband refuses to buy me "tools" as a gift. I think it's just because he doesn't want to come off as a male chauvinist to his friends: "What'd you get your wife for Christmas?" "I got her a vacuum cleaner." "Dude, you should have gone to Jared's!"

2. What is your favorite Christmas gift from the past?

I'd have to say a Christmas wedding was probably my greatest past Christmas gift. I don't usually ask for much (you can never go wrong with a Target or craft store gift certificate IMO), but I love the Christmas season and we had an absolute blast getting married in December.

3. If you had life to do over, what would you be when you grow up?

I remember back in high school I considered going to medical school (ob/gyn). I took 3 years of Latin for crying out loud! In my not-so-infinite 18-year-old wisdom, I decided 8 more years of school was simply unreasonable. I was also discouraged by malpractice insurance rates for ob/gyns and having to look "down there" when there wasn't a baby crowning (you know, the gynecology part of the business). In other words, I completely talked myself out of becoming an ob/gyn. I still love all things labor and delivery, and would probably be a nurse-midwife when I grow up if I had to do it over again. I've got the "nurse" part out of the way, so I may still be able to manage the "midwife" part. I'll just have to change "when I grow up" to "when I grow old."

4. When do you put up your tree?

We don't have a set tradition for putting up the Christmas tree. Now that the kids are 12 and 14 we should probably be better about stuff like this so they have a sense of tradition before the fly the coop! It usually gets put up about 2 weeks before Christmas (and has been known to stay up past Spring Break--in my defense, I live in an older home when everything was built with walls and doors unlike today's homes where rooms blend together and are spacious and open. The tree was in the dining room which has no dining room table or any other reason to go in there except to look at a Christmas tree, so it was kind of out of sight out of mind). One year, I stopped by the grocery store the day before Christmas eve for a couple items and dragged home a real tree that was drastically reduced for obvious reasons. You'll be glad to know we did not leave that one up until Spring Break! Now, I feel a little guilty, so maybe we'll put up our tree this weekend.

5. What is your favorite Holiday?

Is this one of those questions where you ask several questions whose answer is "stop" and then you ask what do you do at a green light? You asked about Christmas gifts and Christmas trees and then expect me to say "Christmas" for this question, right? Maybe not, but my favorite holiday is Christmas. I love the lights and music and warm fuzzies derived from helping those in need, the giving spirit, the family time, the reunions with friends I haven't seen all year, the baking, etc. I also love the Advent preparation (our hearts, our homes) that leads to Baby Jesus, the Word made flesh. I love it all!

Thanksgiving Thursday

2010-12-01T21:50:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've joined Mama Hen over at Mama's Little Chick for Thanksgiving Thursday. I didn't even post how thankful I am on Thanksgiving Day! (Shame on me.) This will be brief as I have "miles to go before I rest" and rest I must for a change.

I am thankful for this Advent season as we prepare our hearts and homes and families for the birth of Baby Jesus.
I am thankful that I have a little gas in my car, a little money in my checking account, food in my pantry and fridge (in particular the baking goods!), and a roof over my head this holiday season when not everyone can say the same.
I am thankful that my FIL slipped away peacefully with family nearby and that he will be "home" for the holidays.
I am especially thankful for all of the blog love you all have shown me over the past few trying weeks. Thank you and I appreciate you.
I am thankful for my family, especially my hard-working husband and children who do their best in school. I don't tell them nearly enough how proud I am of them. Also, I am thankful for my two SILs upon whose shoulders the burden of making all of the final arrangements for my FIL fell.
I am thankful for a God who keeps blessing me over and over and over again until my cup overflows.

What are you thankful for as we delve into this holiday season?

My friend is hosting a give-away

2010-12-01T11:59:00.000-08:00

I haven't done any giveaways yet...I'm just not that sophisticated. However, I think it's always fun to enter and win something, so I wanted to let you know that my friend Cam over at "A Woman's Place" is hosting her Full of Grace Creations Monday morning giveaway. The prize is a beautiful, hand-crafted fresh water pearl bracelet as shown here. Please hop over to her blog (click here) hfor a chance to win. The rules are quite simple and the deadline is 12 noon (California time) on Sunday, December 5. The winner will be selected next Monday, December 6th, so it will probably arrive in time for Christmas. Even if you're not into jewelry, this will make a nice gift for someone who is! You can always visit Cam's Etsy store at Full of Grace Creations (click here ) to check out more of her hand-made jewelry.

Have a great day, and may the "blessed" blogger win!

Free at last

2010-11-27T23:58:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, my kids and I made our final visit to room 1312 on the hospice unit where my father-in-law resided for his final days. My youngest SIL (I'll call her "D") and her family were already there keeping vigil at the bedside. My FIL had complained of pain in his left arm and was given morphine earlier in the day, and had been unresponsive ever since. The nurse had explained that he was already showing signs of dying: his ears had relaxed (I'd never heard of that, but I guess it makes sense), his hands were growing cold, his heart rate was slowing down, etc. A glance in my FIL's direction let me know he wasn't "long for this world" as the old folks say. D was dabbing at her eyes while her two young daughters sat on the other bed in the room quietly reading and drawing on paper. What to say at a time like this? I spoke gently to my FIL, letting him know we were present and that we loved him. I imagined how dry his mouth must be since he was breathing with his mouth open and his lips appeared to be stuck to his teeth giving the appearance that he was bearing his teeth. I wet a sponge-tipped swab with tap water and applied a little "mouth moisturizer" to it before gently rubbing it along his lips. FIL responded to that since his lips were no longer stuck. He puckered up a bit and tried to suck the moisture from the sponge. Funny how that survival instinct just kicks in. His eyes opened briefly but were quite groggy and unfocused from the medication. I know it was very difficult for my kids to see their grandfather like this, but I'm glad they were with me.
I read Psalm 27 to my FIL and almost couldn't finish between the tears distorting my vision and the fact that I didn't have my glasses with me. I held his balled up hand, rubbed his emaciated shoulder and kissed his cool cheek for what I figured would be the last time.
My plan was to take the kids to my mom's house so they could attend mass with her and then tell my husband about the latest development and return to the hospital with him after he made it in from work. The hubs chose to avoid the hospital and remember his dad from our visit the day before when he was at least a little responsive, so we didn't return to the hospital. My SIL "P" called just after 10 p.m. to let us know that Famous Granddad had quietly slipped away surrounded by a miniature lit Christmas tree, quiet music and several family members. All choked up but trying to keep my voice steady, I relayed the information to my husband who simply acknowledged my words, finished watching whatever game he was watching on TV and went to bed. Thankfully, I didn't have to make all of the calls. I don't think I could have if I wanted to. I'm okay as long as I don't have to say it out loud. I called my sister and my mom and let them know, swallowing around a lump that felt like a walnut wedged in my throat. Then my kids and I prayed the Rosary before turning in for the night. I know the Bible tells us not to mourn like those who have no hope when we lose a loved one, but hot tears are still stinging my eyes now that everyone has gone to bed and my house is quiet . I'll close with the words to a song a lady from my church used to sing so beautifully. The words are fitting for the occasion. I'm guessing the title is "I'm Free" but I do not know to whom to credit the lyrics:

I'm free, praise the Lord I'm free!
I'm no longer bound;
There are no more chains holding me;
My soul is resting
And it's a blessing
Praise the Lord, Hallelujah
I'm free!

Good night and thank you for your continued prayers. Until next time...

Comfort measures only

2010-11-21T20:39:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a tough day for our family. After being discharged from the hospital a week ago Saturday and placed in one rehab and then another two days later, my FIL was readmitted to the hospital with unexplained bleeding from the rectum late Thursday night. The GI doctor came in to speak to three of my sisters-in-law and me yesterday evening. He explained that the cause of the bleeding was unknown and he could do any number of diagnostic tests such as a colonoscopy or endoscopy, but that they may cause more discomfort for my FIL than benefit. After all, even if they found cancer or another problem would we, the family, want to take extraordinary measures--chemotherapy, radiation, surgery--when they more than likely wouldn't do much to improve his health? Anyone looking at my poor, frail shell of a father in law knew the answer was "no." Tears stung my eyes, but I blinked them back. I have seen the signs of disengagement for weeks now-dramatic weight loss, refusal to eat, difficulty getting around, loss of independence, disinterest in dialysis. At age 84, my FIL, whom I simply adore, has accepted that he has run a good race and is ready to cross the finish line. He’s not interested in another lap around the track, and I don’t blame him. He longs to hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Well done." My mind wants this for him, too, but somehow my heart is a little slower in accepting the reality that lies ahead. My sisters-in-law made the decision to transfer him to the hospice unit of the hospital this evening where he will receive comfort measures only. No more dialysis means death is surely imminent. The doctor said it may be a matter of days or a matter of weeks...no one can know for sure. I'm praying that it is only days if not hours because I want my FIL’s last days to be peaceful. I don't want him to get to the point that he is suffering and in undue pain and totally dependent on morphine around the clock to be at rest. Please keep my FIL, Mendola White, and our family in your prayers during this most "mixed up feelings" of times.

Five Question Friday strikes again! 11/19/10

2010-11-18T23:19:00.000-08:00

First of all, let me start by saying "Happy Birthday" to my mom and my good friend Estella M. I love you both and hope each of you enjoys your special day.

Having said that, let's move on to...

Welcome to newcomers and faithful followers alike. If you'd like to join the fun visit Mama M. at My Little Life to copy the questions and link to the blog hop. The questions are usually lots of fun. Here goes...

1. What Christmas song do you loathe?

Can’t say that I "loathe" any Christmas songs. Even the corny or annoying ones grow on you after a while. I may change my mind after seeing what others have to say on the matter.

2. Do you and your significant other cuddle at night or sleep on opposite sides of the bed?

We “spoon” always.

3. Have you ever had surgery?

Not unless you count the time I had a really bad blocked duct of some sort in my lower eye lid and they had to lance it. That was my one and only stitch, too!

4. When do you typically have your holiday shopping done?

Never. I do not shop, people! Okay, so sometimes I am forced to brave the mall, shopping centers, and department stores around this time of the year. I’m usually done by the ~~week~~ day before Christmas. It’s totally a money thing…buy a couple of gifts this pay period, a couple more the next, etc.

5. If money were not an issue (and you HAD to pick something), what would your ultimate luxury item be?

That cute 2-seater convertible Mercedes. There are some numbers that better define it, like 250 series or something, but I’m not that into cars! I’d also love a beach house on an island somewhere…IF money were not an issue.

It is in giving that we receive

2010-11-15T20:34:00.000-08:00

My goodness! All weekend I was thinking of posting about my trip to the grocery store last Friday, and I never got around to doing it. Today, I logged on to see that I was a featured blogger for my friend, Danielle, at My Life in Jenga for her Sunday blog hop, Swing by Sunday. If only I had updated my blog! Well, here goes...
With the holidays fast approaching, everyone's in need of donations to help those in need. My daughter's band director e-mailed a list of needed items for Thanksgiving baskets. On Friday I needed cash to purchase tickets to the high school playoff game so I stopped by the grocery store near my house. At this particular store you can get cash back in any amount, not just increments of $20. I went down the baking aisle since I needed a cake mix anyway and noticed apple pie filling was on sale, too. I added a can to my basket since that was one of the items on the band director's list. When I went to check out, the pie filling rang up regular price instead of the sale price. It was only 20 cents difference, but 20 cents is 20 cents, right? I didn't want to hold up the line, so I completed the transaction, paid for my things, doubled back down the baking aisle to make sure I hadn't read the sign wrong, and finally skipped over to customer service where there was no line. I explained the mix-up, and the customer service rep went to check for herself. Sure enough she brought back the tag and refunded my money--not just the 20 cents, but the full amount for the pie filling. I tried to explain that I still wanted the pie filling, and she explained that if it rings up the wrong price then it's free! Woo-hoo, score one for Team Charity.
This experience reminded me of my cousin who had a minor "accident" in her new car when she skipped school one day. The only words she could remember as she tried to figure out how she was going to explain this to her parents was her father telling her, "When you do bad things, bad things happen." Well, I just want to put a different spin on that phrase, "When you do good things, good things happen."
My next trip to the grocery store I picked up a couple canned vegetables and instant mashed potatoes to go in the baskets as well. Times have been very tight this year as I finished my schooling without working. I came pretty close to needing one of those baskets myself! I think it is oh so important to give what you can when you can to help another because you just never know when you may be the one in need. God is so good-my family and I haven't gone hungry yet!

Speaking of hungry...I am so sorry about the candy corn cookie recipe I have been meaning to post. I started the post but have been having technical difficulties with my computer at home, so I haven't finished the post. In the meantime, you can check out the Land O' Lakes site where I found the recipe (click <here>). I made them for Halloween, but they'll be cute for your Thanksgiving table, too.

A night of jazz

2010-11-09T21:21:00.000-08:00

I feel as if I'm always writing posts about how hectic life is and it's true-life does get (stay) busy a lot when you''re a wife and mother (and daughter, granddaughter, sister-in-law, friend, etc.). Just wanted to slip in a post where I tell you about what a wonderfully relaxing day I had. Enjoy this rare gem not often found on Wilborn-White News.

My day started as usual: rustling kids out of bed and fixing breakfast and lunches. After getting kids off to school, the Hubs and I dropped off paperwork at the doctor's office and proceeded across town to check out a health and rehabilitation center to which the hospital would like to discharge my father-in-law who can no longer live by himself. (Long story short: my FIL fell again on Friday and was hospitalized to determine if there is a neurological cause for the frequent falls. He is doing all right but not eating well and very weak physically.)

My brother-in-law treated me and the Hubs and their "play sister" to lunch at a local barbecue joint, which was nice-good company and good food. Next, I took a nap before time to pick up Alisa from school. It was pretty brief, so I crawled back in my bed after I returned from picking her up.

The highlight of my day was that our tickets to the jazz concert at my son's school included dinner! I didn't have to figure out what was for dinner or prepare it. Boudreaux's Cajun Cafe catered the event and served tossed salad, blackened chicken, red beans and rice, green beans, rolls and bread pudding for dessert. The jazz band was awesome, too. I'm sure that concert was all the incentive Aaron needed to consider trying out for the jazz band next year (possibly next semester).

Now, I'm back off to bed so as not to completely negate the "extra rest" my earlier naps afforded me. Good night to all. Until next time...

p.s. I did make the "sparkling candy corn cookies" over the weekend. I remembered to take pics and will post them along with the recipe soon.

Five Question Friday 05 November 10

2010-11-05T17:06:00.000-07:00

Anybody ever heard the saying "better late than never"? Well, that's the principle upon which I'm operating this evening as I submit this post. This morning, my "plan" was to deliver kids to their appropriate schools, then drop some clean laundry off at my FIL's place in time to go with him and my SIL to see where his new dialysis center is located. And, finally, back home to bake a cake a toss a pound of beans in my crock pot for after my nieces memorial service tomorrow. (And squeeze in a nap and clean my toilets.) Well, I called to let my SIL know I was on my way. As we exchanged the expected pleasantries, she told me she wasn't too good because her dad (my FIL) had fallen last night and they were taking him to the hospital. I told her I'd meet them there. So, that's where I ended up spending my day...until my son called to say he missed his bus. I picked him up on the way from the hospital; then the Hubs picked up Alisa from school. Somewhere in the midst of all of this my mom called to say my 5-year-old niece needed me to check out her heart because when she took a deep breath something had popped. Once I made it home, I grabbed my stethoscope and mosied over to my mom's to see about my niece who was snacking on apple slices and running around the house. She turned out to be just fine. We read a couple of books she'd purchased at her school's book fair, then I left to pick up my son's friend and get home to get Alisa to dance class. I called the hospital for an update on my FIL, and he was still in the ER! They were waiting for a bed to on the telemetry unit (once a heart patient always a heart patient, I guess). I just delivered my daughter to dance class and now it's finally time for 5QF! Whew! How dare I think I'm going to make it a quiet movie night at my house! You can visit Mama M at My Little Life if you'd like to get the rules/questions or just see who all else is participating this week. I'm guessing it's not too late to link up until midnight. We'll see...

1. If you could have any talent and turn it into an occupation, what would it be?

Once upon a time ago, a professor explained in his lecture that people would lose interest in their favorite hobbies if they had to do them for money. Back then I begged to differ. My thinking was that would be the perfect partnership: getting paid for what you love to do. Nowadays, however, I think I have a better understanding of what the prof meant. There’s something about deadlines and expectations and such that take the fun out of doing what you love. Having said all of that I would have to say, if I could get paid to do something I feel like I have a little talent for, it would be blogging. I would have to be able to do it on my own terms, though.

2. Would you rather have a house at the beach or a cabin in the woods?

I think my husband and I would both choose a house at the beach—we’re sun, surf and sand loving people!

3. Is there any meaning or reasoning for the names you chose for your child/children?

Oooh, I love name stories! I’ve got to hop around to hear about everyone else’s. Here’ how mine goes… When I met my husband I think he already had names in mind for his future children. Prentice for a boy (after an uncle); and Ashley Nicole for a girl (just because he liked the name). I didn't like either one. I could see Prentice being teasingly called "princess"; and it seemed that every 3rd female child born in the 90's was named Ashley. I had a cousin named Ashley Nicole and our friends had just named their daughter...(you've probably guessed it already) Ashley Nicole. Our son was born first and didn't have a name for the first few days of life. I kept asking him, "What is your name, Sweet Baby Boy?" but he didn't answer. When the midwife returned for a follow up visit we needed a name for the birth certificate. I chose Aaron (b/c it's one of the first listed in all the baby books I thumbed through over and over; and b/c my grandmother had a friend by this name, and I thought it was a great "old man" name, too). The hubs agreed without a fuss, and we used his first name, Michael, for the middle name.

Since I named the firstborn, the hubs had dibs on baby #2 who turned out to be a girl. I didn't really want Ashley for a first name even though it is a pretty name, but it was the hub's final decision. We had a short list of first names: Elena (After Aunt Helen), Alana (after my mom), Elizabeth (just liked that one), and Aliya (hubs didn't care for this because of the singer by this name but spelled differently). Even though I hoped he would come up with something other than Ashley, I was okay with either of the above names with Ashley as a middle name. When I gave the final chin-to-chest push and baby girl entered the world, all eyes were on the hubs. He proudly announced that her name was Alisa Ashley. Everyone did sort of a double take, but it is what it is-no coming back three days later to fill out the birth certificate.

4. What is your guilty pleasure? (I know we've done this one before, but I'm guessing people's "guilty pleasures" change frequently. At least, mine do!)

I should ask for clarification on this question, but if we’re talking about sweets, then my answer is Bridge mix. I love that it’s a variety of centers dipped in chocolate, so it’s like a box of chocolates only in bite-sized pieces. There are chocolate covered peanuts, raisins, almonds, filberts, crème centers, caramels, toffee, etc. Walmart used to sell the “movie theatre” boxes for a dollar, but I haven’t been able to find them recently. Hobby Lobby sells bags of bridge mix near their check out counters. I only bought one bag because I had a 40% off coupon, and I ate the entire bag (over several days, mind you).

5. Do you live in a house that is deep cleaned or straightened?

Neither. Enough said.

Trick or Treat!

2010-10-30T12:28:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick and easy "treat" idea for you all. I made this jack-o-lantern cheese ball for the teachers at my daughter's school. It was too easy and I thought it turned out pretty cute. I have no idea what it tasted like. I just followed the recipe from Kraft foods and send it on its way. Guess I could have sampled a bit before I shaped it into a ball, but I didn't. If anyone else tries it, be sure to let me know how it tastes! Have a great weekend and happy trick-or-treating (or trunk-or-treating if you prefer). You can click <here> to go to Kraft Foods and look around for more recipes or click on the above photo for the original recipe.

Jack-o-Lantern Cheese Ball
3 green onions, divided
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 pkg. (8 oz.) KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided
1/4 cup finely chopped red peppers
2 slices pepperoni

Make It

CUT 4-inch length from green end of 1 onion; slice remaining onions. Beat cream cheese and 1-1/4 cups Cheddar with mixer until well blended. Stir in sliced onions and peppers. Refrigerate 1 hour.

SHAPE into ball; roll in remaining Cheddar. Cut pepperoni into shapes for the jack-o'-lantern's eyes, nose and mouth; press into cheese ball to make face. Insert green onion piece into top for stem.

SERVE with RITZ Crackers.

Eastlyn's tips
I substituted "habanero" shredded cheese for part of the cheddar for a little added pizzazz and rolled the cheese ball in the habanero cheese, too, because it was a little more orange.
I also used yellow bell pepper for the mouth and eyes in place of the pepperoni only because I didn't have pepperoni on hand.
I mixed together the ingredients with my handy silicon spatula vs. an electric mixer and refrigerated the mixture over night. The next morning it was easy to shape into a ball. I wrapped the mixture in plastic wrap, shaped it into a ball then rolled the ball in shredded cheese in a bowl.
Bon apetit!

Five Question Friday-29 October 2010

2010-10-29T08:27:00.000-07:00

Howdy folks, it's the weekend all over again! I'd love for you to join me and Mama M at My Little Life for Five Question Friday blog hop. Check out her blog to get the official rules and copy and paste the questions. Then, you can link up with other bloggers who are participating. It's a lot of fun and the questions aren't all that hard. If you'd like you can also answer the questions in a comment below, too. Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend. Here we go...

1. If you could be a fly on any wall, which would you choose?

I am nosy by nature and would want to be on a lot of different walls...my kids' bedrooms so I could hear what they and their friends are talking about. I'd like to be a fly on the wall in a bakery or restaurant and find out about secret ingredients and techniques used to create culinary delights. Then again, a food preparation work area is no place for a fly! Furthermore, I might learn some things I wish I hadn't.

2. Do you budget your Christmas shopping or just get it done without budgeting?
Everything is budgeted around here, sort of (in my mind anyway). The hubs and I usually decide on a set amount we’re going to spend on Christmas, and I set out to take care of as many gifts as I can on said amount...practically down to the penny. Then, on Christmas morning some big ticket items miraculously show up for the kids. I have learned not to be the Grinch about such thing because it only dampens the Christmas spirit, but I’m the one who will have to find a way to juggle paying all of the regular bills when there is no longer an extra “cushion” in the savings account! Bah humbug!

3. What is the craziest fad diet you have ever done?
I can honestly say I’ve never done a diet, fad or otherwise, of any kind. Diet is a four-letter word, and I was taught early on about the perils of using those-anybody else remember the taste of the original orange bar of Dial soap? It’s also “die” with a t tacked on for good measure. I like food from all of the food groups and I couldn’t see myself surviving for long on just rice and grapefruit or all meat and no carbs. I get super cranky when my blood sugar gets too low—you know, kind of like whatever sets off the Incredible Hulk only I don’t turn quite that green. Muscles may pop out on my neck and I may scream and roar, though, so dieting is generally not a good idea for me.

4. Is there a TV show that you have seen every episode/season of?
I must say I was quite the Miami Vice fan back in the day and probably saw most of those episodes. I’m sure I have a drawer full of episodes recorded on VHS tapes from the Fridays when I was babysitting or otherwise occupied. Nowadays, though, I don’t really watch much TV so I haven’t seen every episode or season of any of the new stuff. I love The Office, and my daughter checks out the DVDs with episodes from an entire season recorded back to back. I sometimes see a little of that (as in “Mom, come here…watch this part!”)

5. What one song always pulls at your heart?
Maybe if you’d rephrased the question to say what song doesn’t pull at my heart I could answer it more succinctly, but since you asked…I’m going to go with “I Can Only Imagine” by Mercy Me. Every time I hear it, I can’t help but sing along (usually in a very loud voice much to my children’s chagrin) and wonder how I’ll react when I am in God’s presence in Heaven. Another good one is “How Great Thou Art.” I’m usually balling by the last verse that talks about Christ coming (with shouts of adoration) to take me home…Oh wait, there it says in this verse how I’m going to respond, “Then I shall bow in humble adoration, and there proclaim ‘My God, how great thou Art!’” I guess I don’t have to “only imagine” anymore. All kidding aside, any song that reminds me of Jesus dying on the cross for me, a lowly sinner, will tug on the old heartstrings and bring tears to my eyes.

Thanksgiving Thursday 10/28/10

2010-10-27T22:47:00.000-07:00

For the past few days, Lionel Richie and the Commodores'song Jesus is Love has been on my mind. I thnk it takes me back to my junior high days and a much more innocent time. In spite of all of the heartache my family has experienced, there's always something for which to be thankful. So, once again, I'm joining Mama Hen for Thanksgiving Thursday. This week my list includes...
Thanksgiving for cool wind in my face as I ride my bicycle downhill. Don't 'cha just love that feeling?! It almost makes the uphill climb worth it...almost!
I am thankful for dedicated friends who never cease to amaze me with their support...in good times and in bad.
I am thankful for books on tape/CD from the library that allow me to "read" so many of the latest novels for free while I'm doing other stuff like laundry and dishes. (Well, almost free until you check out so many that you forget when to turn them in, and the due date slips past, and then you have to pay a fine.)
I am thankful for stolen moments with my Hubs who works ridiculously long hours. Usually the kids and their myriad activities come first. Recently, we have made it a point to spend a little time together on Mike's days off, and I admit it has been nice. At first I wanted to whip out my list of "Honey do's" but soon realized he needed the down time after all of the long hours he works; so I've had to learn to relax a little, too.
Finally, I am thankful for the life of our niece, Kizzy Richardson, and for all of the songs and scriptures that remind us that everything litttle thing is gonna be all right.
Thanks to everyone who has stopped by my blog, left a comment, said a prayer or just wished us all well over these past couple of weeks. I am encouraged by your warmth and generosity. I love you and appreciate your thoughtfulness. Until next time...

Tragedy strikes again

2010-10-26T21:33:00.000-07:00

Dearest Blog family, please keep my family uplifted in prayer. One week ago my brother in law called to tell me that our niece (my husband's sister's daughter) who is a truck driver was missing. I received news from my brother in law this afternoon that her body was found. She suffered a blow to the head which fractured her skull and was badly burned, but a positive identification was made with DNA and finger prints as no dental records were available. Specifics are sketchy at best, but the suspect believed to have committed this crime is in police custody. I don't know what to say to my poor sister in law. It just isn't the natural order of things for the elders of a family to bury their young. Here, we've experienced just that very thing for two weeks in a row.
I am okay, but my husband's grief is so very nonexpressive that I wonder where he stores all of his tears and sadness...surely he feels these things, too. One of the hardest things for me is watching my children try to understand the cruelties to which life sometimes falls prey. They are still reeling from the unexpected death of a classmate who was buried just last week. This is very tough for them. They were not really close to their cousin because there is a considerable age difference, but family is family, and when one member hurts or suffers, we all do to some degree. I only hope that my faith is sufficient to get us through the next couple of weeks. Until next time...

Five Question Friday-22 October 2010

2010-10-22T06:44:00.000-07:00

Good Friday morning to you, folks! I can't believe I'm actually getting this posted before lunchtime. If this is your first time stopping by, welcome. This is a blog hop hosted by Mama M at My Little Life. Click <here> to visit her blog where you can copy and paste the questions, read the rules and link up with other participating blogs. Here goes...

1. Who is the better cook, you or your spouse?

Wait a minute! Are there spouses out there who cook?! Do you mean to tell me I got a defective model? How am I just finding this out 15 years later? Actually, I was reading someone’s blog recently and she said her husband could boil eggs and cook rice. I was impressed. I have a hard time cooking rice on the stove every time. I rely heavily on my vegetable steamer/rice cooker. If you want to know how to boil an egg to perfection, visit my IRL friend Nicki Woo the Home Guru. The hubs does not cook unless he is on the brink of starvation and according to the scales at his last physical that won’t be happening anytime soon! I have tried to encourage him to just try to make someting as simple as Hamburger Helper: here’s the hamburger (which I felt compelled to specify does not come in the box), here’s the “helper” part; here’s the measuring cup; and here’s a can of green beans—Got it? I come home to a box of Popeye’s fried chicken (complete with fried apple pies only ‘cause they were on sale 2/$1) and hungry people waiting for me to add some sides. The Hubs fries himself an egg from time to time, but that’s the extent of his “cooking”; therefore I win by default. I am the better cook.

2. How often do you talk to your mom?

I talk to my mom almost every day. She lives less than 2 miles away. Sometimes, she pops in while doing her morning walks. Sometimes I return the favor t replenish my water bottle and take a potty break when I’m walking. Occasionally, we’ll miss each other for a day or two, but that’s not too often, especially with cell phones.

3. Are you adventurous in the kitchen or stick to the recipe?

I love trying new recipes. The first time I try one, I follow it line for line. The next time, I’ll tweak it to suit my personal taste. I usually follow recipes, but I have gotten a little more adventurous with creating soups and casseroles without a recipe. If it turns out well, I try to remember what all I put together. Just as I admire people who can look at an outfit and make it without a pattern, I have great respect for folks like Lisa at Korean American Mommy with a God-given talent for knowing how to combine this and that and come up with a spectacular culinary delight or as we lay people call it: a recipe.

4. Is your second toe longer than your big toe?

Nope. My big toes are the longest and they stair-step down to the pinky toes.

5. Do you dress up for Halloween? (Bonus question: What will you be this year?)

I do not dress up for Halloween. I have a tall pointy witch’s hat that I wear when I take the kids around the neighborhood, but I usually just throw on a solid orange t-shirt or my “itsy, bitsy spider” Halloween t-shirt. This year I am desperately in need of a haircut and there seem to be more and more gray hairs sprouting up along the front of my hairline, so I’m considering a bride of Frankenstein look!

Have a great weekend! Until next time...

Thanksgiving Thursday 10/21/10

2010-10-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I posted on the things for which I am thankful. I think it is so important to follow Mama Hen's example and take a little time each week to reflect on the many blessings we have in our lives in the form of people, experiences and physical things.
(5) I am thankful for Fly Lady and her do-able routines and encouraging baby steps approach to home economics that are helping me slowly but surely move my home out of its present state of CHAOS (can't have anyone over syndrome). I don't think I'll be ready for any hard-core entertaining this holiday season, but I have every confidence that one day I will.
(4) I am thankful for other parents who volunteer their time and resources to care for groups of kids involved in extra-curricular activities. I have volunteered to help the Band Booster Club raise money by selling concessions at the Friday night football games as well as the Ballpark where the Texas Rangers play. This Tuesday, however, was my first time to "chaperone" the kids on the bus headed to the UIL competition. It wasn't a bad gig, but bumping around without a seatbelt (I felt so naked!) on the old yellow school bus is certainly not something I'd want to do week in and week out! I am thankful for the parents that volunteer to do this so the same people don't have to do it over and over again. Bus #6 had a pretty good group of kids, if I do say so myself. The night before the competition, a large group of parents, including myself descended upon the band hall to decorate their children's lockers with streamers, curly ribbon, posters, candy, etc. You could tell the parents of the juniors and seniors-they came prepared-Christmas garland, mardi gras beads, pipe cleaners.... I had a sheet of white cardstock, some tape, glitter glue and markers. By the time we left, there were 200 green and white helium-filled balloons floating overhead, too. The parents made sure to adorn every locker so the kids whose parents couldn't make it wouldn't feel left out. Thank you Band Booster Parents!
(3) I am thankful for homemade caramel corn. Nothing says Fall to me like caramel anything: caramel apples at the fair, homemade caramel corn, caramel apple cider, miniature candy bars with caramel passed out to trick-or-treaters. I have a great microwave caramel corn recipe I will share next time I make a batch and remember to take pics along the way!
(2) I am thankful for community. It really does take a village to raise a child...and to mourn the loss of one, too. The Williams family has been engulfed in prayers and support this week as 13-year-old Kelsee was laid to rest following a car accident last weekend. Organizations (like our PTA) have rallied together to arrange for families to volunteer to prepare meals during their time of loss. Kelsee's classmates have had grief counselors present on campus this week to help the students cope. For many of them, this is probably the closest they've come to death in their young lives. That's what community is all about--rallying together in good times and in bad. (click on older post below to view my previous blog about Kelsee-"In an instant").
(1) I am thankful for understanding dance instructors who tell me I had better keep bringing my daughter to dance class even though we don't have money for tuition or to replace her pink tights with holes in them right now.
*Bonus: It goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway...I am thankful for my husband, my kids, my extended family and everything that goes along with them all. I am thankful for all of my wonderful blog buddies who keep me uplifted with their inspirational and entertaining posts and comments and who value my opinion and help validate who I am. I love you all.
Now, I'm off to make my own "spirit shirt" for the band. I've been "borrowing" my son's shirt, but as I knew would happen eventually, the day has come that we both need a spirit shirt at the same time. I scored a t-shirt at Hobby Lobby on sale for $2.00 and purchased $1 worth of fabric and $.50 worth of Wonder Under fusible web. I'll let you know how it turns out! Until next time, dear friends...

In an instant

2010-10-18T09:33:00.000-07:00

My heart is heavy this morning as I mourn the loss of someone I didn't even know. Let me explain. My son played in a marching band festival on Saturday. I did not attend for several reasons: (1) it was an all-day ordeal; (2) Mike was working a double shift which meant; (3) Alisa would be left alone or "pawned off" to another family member all of whom were busy. I decided Alisa and I would hang out while I entrusted Aaron's care to the band directors and other parent chaperones in the Band Booster Club. Aaron returned that night and casually mentioned that a band member had been hit by a car after Friday's game and killed and some of the other students were crying. He didn't know the name of the student or any further details. I asked if the band director mentioned it to the students. He simply said, "No."
Fast forward to this morning. When I dropped my daughter off at her school there were crepe paper ribbons tied around the trees in front of the school. As I drove slowly down the street, I noticed one tree had an "In Loving Memory" poster affixed to the trunk and cellophane-wrapped bouquets of flowers encircling its base. Traffic was not heavy, but people were still dropping off students so I couldn't really stop and see what had happened. I went back home, changed out of my flannel pants and into walking shorts and my shape-ups, grabbed a water bottle and set out again. On my way I noticed someone had put red Solo cups in the chain link fence to spell out "R.I.P. KELSEE." Two young ladies by that name came to mind. The walk around the block seemed to take an eternity. I neared the crepe paper-clad trees and read the full name with the date 10.15.10 beneath the torn and weathered photocopy picture of the 8th grade student. The student whose face I recognized as she has gone to school with my kids since kindergarten: a year older than my daughter, a year younger than my son. The same face I'd seen with pigtails on the playground across from the elementary school years before. The same face I'd seen adorned with sparkly make up as she danced with her girlfriends at the talent show. The same face I'd just seen at the football game a couple weeks ago...I saw the vice principal comforting a student in front of the office. I saw teachers in small groups crossing from the cafeteria back into the main building. What had happened? Was Kelsee the same student who'd been struck by the car Friday night?
As I turned the corner continuing on my walk back home, the choir teacher with an entourage of male students dressed in black t-shirts were loading boxes into her car. I'm guessing these were Kelsee's things that would have to be delivered to her family.
Hot tears began to glide down my cheeks as I mourned the loss of the same face a mother would no longer kiss good morning or good night. Did I kiss my girl this morning? Yes I did and she has warm brown sugars that rival everything Bath and Body Works has to offer!
I called my mom on my way home to see if she had heard anything about an accident involving this student. She'd look it up on the internet and let me know. I asked the assistant band director when I went back to drop off Alisa's instrument. I was only getting bits and pieces: she was not hit by a car but thrown from a car and suffered a head injury. My mom called back. Yes, she remembered the newscast: 16-year-old driver, car full of teenagers (only supposed to have one other teen in the car), returning from a game Friday night; dark road; no one wearing seatbelts; Kelsee the only casulaty. How does a mother make arrangements to bury her child before she's shopped for prom dresses and made arrangements for college? How does a mother give herself permission to let go of the child to whom she never gave permission to date? How do you say good-bye to a child who has barely said Hello to the world? As a mother my heart aches for Kelsee's mother. I can't even imagine.
We live in a world where we have so much at our disposal in an instant. We speak a name into our cell phone, and the phone dials and connects us in an instant. Car-pooling to work? Hop in the HOV lane and bypass the traffic jam to arrive to work in an instant. We snap a photo with our digital camera or cell phone and see an image in an instant: no waiting around to finish up a roll of film then drop it off for processing which used to take several days. Days like today also remind us that what we have and who we love today could be gone in an instant.
Please join me in praying for the family of Kelsee R. Williams and remember to cherish the ones your love while you can. Until next time...

Five Question Friday-15 October 2010

2010-10-15T06:23:00.000-07:00

Is anyone besides me having trouble with their blog lately? I typed up a post late Wednesday night for "Thanksgiving Thursday" and received a message just below my post that "an error occurred while saving" or something to that effect. I didn't think much of it because the blue "save now" box kept flashing gray to "saving." When I attempted to "publish post" it never gave me the "okay, you're done; view blog" option. I was tired so I just logged off thinking I'd publish it Thursday morning, but then Thursday morning there were two "drafts" saved but it was only part of the title and nothing in the post box! I'd lost my post. The same thing occurred last night as I typed my 5QF answers, but this time I saved to a word document so I could cut and paste this morning. Is this a user-related problem or are others experiencing technical difficulties, too? Anywhoo....here's today's post as I saved it last night:
Hip hip hooray for Five Question Friday! It's after midnight in my neck of the woods, so I'm going to go ahead and post this as if it is Friday already. Anyone wishing to join the fun can visit Mama M at My Little Life and link up with us. This really is a fun way to learn more about others in the blogohood, and I always enjoy answering the questions. Here goes...

1. What is your favorite Halloween candy?

I am by all means a seasonal candy eater. I’m a far cry from a chocoholic, but in February I have been known to eat the assorted chocolates that come in the heart-shaped, red cellophane-covered boxes…to a certain extent (I actually cut them all in half and eat the ones with caramel and/or nuts and “share” the rest). Around Eastertime I like jelly beans, especially the black ones, and “whopper eggs.” Christmas brings cravings for old-fashioned hard candies (ribbon candy), candy canes and red hots. As for Halloween…have you guessed yet? Candy corn, of course! Even though Brachs sells them year round, they just don’t have the same appeal in the spring or summer. I also like those horrid peanut butter flavored taffies wrapped in orange and black wax paper. Again, this is a delicacy in which I only partake IF my kids bring it home in their trick-or-treat bags!

2. Do you fold your socks?

If they are anklets (which I mostly wear), I just match them up and criss-cross one flat pair over the other in my drawer. For the few pairs of crew socks & trouser socks I own I do line them up and fold them over. I do not tuck one inside the other like my mom had us do when we were growing up.

3. What is something that you wish you had been warned about?

I wish I'd been told how closely tied your own emotions are to those of your children. Maybe someone tried to explain it, but it just didn't hit home until I had kids of my own. When one of them experienced even just a simple scrape or “boo-boo” my throat would close up as if I wanted to cry right along with them. I really came to understand the pre-spanking admonition, “This is going to hurt me more than it’ll hurt you!”
On a completely different note, I wish I’d been warned about the true (hidden) costs of home ownership. When the Hubs and I bought the house we’re in, we planned on having more kids, but since we stopped at two I have often wondered if we should’ve “downsized” right away to save on taxes, utilities, (clutterability) and upkeep. Now that we’re close to paying it off, we might as well stay put, but it has been a financial nightmare for me (the bill-payer) month after month after month. I'd much rather have had a smaller home with less financial stress.

4. What is the most significant difference between you and your significant other?

I sometimes wonder if anything between the two of us is the same! I’d have to say the biggest difference is: he’s laid back and I’m ~~high-strung~~ passionate. My job is ~~constantly lighting a firecracker under his behind~~ gently motivating him to get in gear and do things; his is attempting to get me to kick back and relax a bit. I’m hoping that the kids will find a happy medium between the two when they grow up. I can always hope, right?

5. What are three words you would use to describe yourself? (And, just for fun...if your significant other is around, ask him/her what 3 words they would use to describe you!!)

I would describe myself as loving, passionate and au natural/genuine (think of Aretha Franklin singing, “You make me feel like a na-tu-ral woman!): what you see is what you get! I asked my Hubs who chuckled when I asked him to tell me three words that he would use to describe me and said, “I can think of one word: HOSTILE!” He chuckled some more at his own humor and then was snoring by the time I got back to my computer to finish this post. He has obviously mistaken my passion for hostility toward the kids when it’s an hour past their bedtime and I’m yelling at them to go to bed right now! I’m definitely going to ask for the other two words tomorrow!

Mean Old Mama

2010-10-12T23:44:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, the Hubs had a doctor's appointment scheduled for 9 a.m. about 45 minutes from where we live. I always go with him because I am concerned with his health and I like to help him recall all of the past year's complaints: What about the pain in your hip? Did you mention the heartburn? etc...Actually, I just like the satisfaction of the doctor confirming that losing weight would take care of about 90% of his "ailments." The Hubs tends to believe it if anyone other than me says it! Anyway, I digress, this e-mail is supposed to be about Alisa, my 12-year-old daughter.
Because the Hubs had the appointment, and I was accompanying him, and my mom had to work and her car was in the shop anyway, Alisa had to walk to school by herself for the first time ever. We had discussed this fact earlier in the week when I scheduled the appointment. Now, keep in mind we live less than a mile from her school. Even lugging all of her stuff, it would only take her about 15 minutes tops to get from our front door to the school's front door-that's walking at a snail's pace. I can make the walk in about 6 minutes. Nonetheless, I was almost as nervous as Alisa was. I had to quell the urge to call the attendance clerk and verify that Alisa had made it and e-mail each of her teachers just to get the confirmation that she was in class. I figured there might be more of the same once I begin working in January, so this would be good practice for Alisa.
Fast forward to the afternoon. After the appointment the Hubs and I stopped for a late breakfast, ran a few errands and returned to the house to select medical benefits for next year and complete some other paperwork we'd been sitting on for a while. Around 3:45 the Hubs asked if we shouldn't cut off and go get Alisa from school. I reminded him that she stays after school until 4:30 to practice her instrument in the band hall so she doesn't have to drag her percussion kit back and forth. I was standing in the kitchen washing up dishes, peering out of the window and waiting for 4:30 to roll around when I saw Alisa ~~marching~~ stomping down the street! I was overjoyed to see her and shocked just the same. I smiled and shouted through the open window, "Lu-Lu!" I glanced at the clock wondering if time had gotten away from me. It was only 4:20...that's when it dawned on me: The kids were out for a 4-day weekend. Friday was a teacher in-service day, and Monday was Columbus Day/State Fair Day. There.was.no.staying.after.school.to.practice! Alisa glowered at me and then burst into tears. My poor baby girl not only walked to school but had to walk home from school, too, because her mean old mama had forgotten her! Her feelings were hurt and she was furious that I had abandoned her-not just that morning but that afternoon as well. I felt bad. I really did. Alisa said she fully intended to hold this one over us for the rest of our lives; and trust me I believe that!
Thank God one of our errands that morning had been going by the hardware store to get a sample of "key lime green" paint to test on her bedroom wall. If that act alone wasn't worthy of forgiveness, then surely the french fries and micro-size Frosty from Wendy's would get us out of the doghouse!
Alisa knows how much I love donut holes, so I e-mailed her this image: it's a donut hole running toward a donut, both with outstretched arms. The caption reads, "You complete me." {I couldn't upload the image for whatever reason, but if you click on either italicized words above you can see it.} I think she even found it in herself to forgive us because she baked us these yummy cupcakes on Monday:

Good job, LuLu! You really do make my life complete. I love you. -Mom
Until next time, Blog Buddies...

5QF-Saturday Edition

2010-10-09T06:50:00.000-07:00

Well, yesterday was Five Question Friday, and I was trying really hard to get this posted in time. There was just too much going on so I didn't get a chance to "link up" and play with everyone else, but since I took the time to answer the questions, I thought I'd post them anyway! Have a great weekend blog buds. I have a busy one, but all is well...

1. What do you listen to while driving?

I always have a book on CD going; sometimes I’m “reading” two at a time. I keep one in the kitchen while I wash dishes and cook, and one in the car while I’m out and about. If I forget my book, then I usually leave the radio off and enjoy the solitude. On the rare occasions that I turn on the radio, I mostly llisten to classical music or contemporary Christian.

2. What is your least favorite thing about Fall?

I don’t like for it to be dark when I get up in the morning. The getting dark early in the evening I don’t mind so much, but I need at least a little daylight to really feel awake.

3. What does your dream house look like, inside and out?

Let’s see, now. My dream house is called “Harmony House” and has a place for everything and everything in its proper place and everyone knows where those places are and puts things there when they are finished. That, my friends is my dream house. It could be a single-wide mobile home for all I care as long as it meets the above criteria. Just kidding…well, sort of. My dream home would definitely have lots of large, bright rooms with fresh cut flowers on my non-cluttered dining room table. Right now, I feel like we live in a bat cave b/c the Hubs likes a dark, cozy room with the TV being the only source of light! I’d have a “mother-in-law” suite around back that would house no mother-in-law but my well-organized, spacious craft room (It would be big enough for several 6-foot tables so I could invite friends over for our own personal scrapbook retreats every once in a while). I’d have a huge kitchen complete with state of the art appliances where I could cook, bake and decorate cakes and store my supplies to my heart’s content. I’d be sure to include a media room with lots of wood, leather and oversized comfy chairs for the Hubs. He deserves his own personal “man cave” space. I’d like a laundry room with a table for folding clothes and hanging rack. I’d like one of those built in doggy bath/showers in the mudroom. My boudoir (is that French for bedroom?) would be a cozy, romantic sanctuary for the end of long days at the hospital: big comfy bed with lots of decorative pillows (and somewhere to put them when I crawl in bed at night), wall sconces with candles. I can’t even burn decorative candles on the bathroom counter right now for fear of the whole house going up in smoke (check out domestic godlessness’s pics & comments if you don’t believe me!). The master bath would have a Jacuzzi/hot tub and separate 2 or 3 person shower. Although I rarely have guests, I’d like my dream house to have a guest room that I could decorate and “stock” like a hotel room. This would also double as my “prayer room” with an old-fashioned desk where I would have my Bible, a candle, and some religious articles for daily meditation with God. I’m getting carried away—should’ve dedicated an entire post to this question alone. The outdoors would sport a well-manicured lawn, shade trees, a walkway lined with solar-powered lights, and flower beds with a low-maintenance yet attractive mixture of greenery and colorful blooming plants. The backyard would have a great big tree my grands could swing from on an old tire swing, a more conventional swing for me to enjoy a glass of mint iced tea and a good book when the weather permits, some bushes that attract butterflies, bird baths, a small garden plot, wind chimes and an outdoor fireplace (chiminea). We don’t currently grill all that much, but I bet we would if we had a slammin’ grill, so I’ll throw in one of those in the backyard, too. I would want a year-round sparkling blue swimming pool complete with someone who knows what they’re doing to maintain it. We have a gravely neglected pool now that looks like the swamp thing may rise up out of it any moment now and devour us all. All of that would make up my dream house.

4. Would you ever own a minivan?

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Honda Odyssey minivan. I only have the two kiddoes, but there’s always someone else in tow: a cousin or two, a neighbor, my grandmother, my parents, etc. Now that the kids are getting older, I’ve considered downsizing (I’m sure my kids would greatly approve of me in something smaller and sportier only because they’re thinking of getting behind the wheel when they start driving in a couple more years-Ha! We’ll have to see about that…maybe I’ll keep my handy minivan after all.)

5. Do you wash new clothes before wearing them?

This one depends on how big of a hurry I’m in. I always wash my kids’ things first. After all, who knows who has been trying them on, right? If I’ve gone to the trouble (and I do mean trouble because shopping is akin to bamboo under the nails torture tactics in my opinion) to “shop,” it’s because I needed an outfit for something I’m going to attend that.very.day! (Did I mention I don’t like to shop so I put it off ‘til the very last minute just about every time?) For this reason, I usually don’t have time to wash my outfits before I wear them, but I do think it’s a good idea to do so.

That was fun, now I'm done, folks! Have a great weekend. Until next time...

Kitchen pics

2010-10-07T22:15:00.000-07:00

Pic number one is how my sinks have looked every night since 10/3/10 as FlyLady's first step is "shine your sink." Pic number two still looks a little cluttered, but do you notice the whole strip of exposed countertop that even has a little shine to it (right by the stand mixer)! This is sooo exciting to me-you all have no idea. I have to do a little more rearranging and tossing to make space in all of those cabinets for some of the larger appliances, like the George Foreman grill (yes, it is duct taped together r/t a little "accident" my daughter had mistaking it for a step stool to reach something in the cabinets! I'm just waiting for sparks to come flying out one day while I'm grilling burgers or chicken breasts). I may have to toss my vegetable steamer/rice cooker because it's not acting right. The reason it's on the counter is that I have vinegar sitting in the well with the heating element to see if that will remove some of the "hard water build up" and improve the performance. If not, it's gotta go! I haven't really tackled any other major areas, but I have to get on board with FlyLady's "getting rid of paper clutter" habit for this month. In FlyLady's words: "I am not behind! She doesn't want me to try to catch up; She just wants me to jump in where I am. O.K.? Okay, FlyLady, I'm with you all the way. Until next time...

Update on the kitchen...

2010-10-05T10:29:00.000-07:00

Hello, blog buds-just wanted to update you all on the progress in my kitchen...I know a picture is worth a thousand words, but I haven't had the time to post new ones yet. I'll suffice it to say I am pleased with the progress, and I will post pics a little later. I'm nowhere near where I hope to be soon, but there is improvement. Adrienne of Stories from the Shoebox left a comment last week suggesting that I pay the FlyLady a visit, and friends it was love at first sight. She teaches you how to quit living in CHAOS (can't have anyone over syndrome)! I am on day 3 of her 31-day challenge. As you have probably surmised, my house will not by any stretch of the imagination be completely clean or clutter free by that time, but at least I will be establishing some ongoing routines and habits to help me through the process! I am so excited. Click <here> or on her name to learn more about FlyLady.
Also, if you want to see the extent of my daily horror (beyond the kitchen), visit Domestic Godlessness where I was ~~honored~~ humilitated to receive 4 out of 5 hearts rating for my mess! (I'm not bragging, really. I just feel like the more people who see my mess, the more people I'll have to hold me accountable for getting my act together!) My plan is to incorporate FlyLady's tips into a daily routine and post updates as "stuff" is dealt with (ooohhh! that sounded kind of ganster/mob-like, didn't it *tee-hee*). Well, that's all for now. I will try to get some "improvement pics" posted this evening. Until then...

It's Now or Never...

2010-10-02T01:10:00.000-07:00

And, I'd frankly prefer the "never" half of that phrase, but here I go. The first pic of my kitchen as of 9:33 a.m. today, Friday 9/24/10. I thought better of posting this after my Five Question Friday blog hop. I'd hate for my messy kitchen to be anyone's first impression of me! So, I'm working today but will post on Saturday or Sunday. I am going to add a pic every couple of hours and hopefully see some improvements. I figure I have a good stretch before the Hubs rolls in from work and it's time to pick up kids from school. I'm going to refrain from answering phonecalls and checking to see what's going on in the blogosphere, so I can work uninterrupted. It'll be just me and my latest Stephanie Plum adventure (Finger-licking Fifteen by Janet Evanovich) compliments of books on CD from my local library. I may, however, need a nap after a little while. I'm even going to forego my morning walk to get this project underway. Here goes...photos #1 & 2

I tried to leave the mixer in both so you could see the layout

My kitchen counters are like a big horseshoe

Here's photo shoot #2 taken at 11 a.m. --not much progress to report r/t a phonecall from my sister and an unexpected visit from my mom to deliver my b-day gift!. I'm headed back into enemy territory for now.

Okay, friends, let's fastforward to Saturday, October 2, 2010. I did end up taking a nap. Then, the hubs came home. Then the kids came home. Then we went to the high school football game, etc... My kitchen still looks about the same, or dare I say it? even worse! Gives a whole new meaning to "Hell's Kitchen" doesn't it?! This snapping pics every couple hours is a real distraction. Then, I have to download the pics from my camera to my computer and import them into my blog. It is just too much! I sent my pics to "domestic godlessness" and will let you know if they get published. In the meantime, I just wanted to get on with my blogging and cleaning update.
On Thursday, I spoke to my friend John who has a bit of a clutter problem himself related to packrat tendencies. (I loved Jinnia's comment about being a "recovering packrat" last week. I look forward to the day that I, too, am a reformed/former packrat!) We are challenging each other to conquer the clutter by November 2, 2010. We didn't line up specific guidelines, but the gist is this: we e-mail each other photos of our respective clutter areas. We call one another for progress reports and moral support. Finally, we compare our accomplishments at the end of one month's time.
Switching gears...In the nursing world, one of the rules about documentation is: if you don't document it, it didn't happen. Well, I feel almost the same way about my blog--so much happened this past week, but I can barely remember since I haven't blogged in a while. Other than the clutter, here's what's been happening in my neck of the woods since my last post over a week ago:
Saturday, 9/25/10 I watched my nephew and two nieces while their parents all went to dinner for my SIL's birthday which was the day before mine. I was invited to the party, too, but since it was a "couples" thing and my other half was working (as usual) I decided not to attend. Instead I got to watch everyone else's kids.Sunday I attempted to make homemade whole-wheat rolls to go with my smothered pork chops, brown rice and salad for dinner. The rolls didn't turn out all that great, but they were okay fresh out of the oven with a dab of butter, and the kids and I indulged ourselves a little. Monday and Tuesday were a blur. I just remember running lots of errands with the hubs since those are his off days and listening to him comment on how quickly his days off fly by.
Wednesday morning, I ended up watching my 2-year-old niece for a couple of hours while my mom attended a luncheon. Later that evening the hubs and I attending a college planning workshop. It was one of those things like going to the doctor knowing he or she's going to tell you to eat right and exercise. The main idea of the workshop was that college is expensive and you have to know what you're doing in order to tap into the monies available to help you fund your child's education. Of course, the facilitator of the workshop just so happens to be in that very business! Well, will wonders never cease!

When I returned home after the workshop, I had a message from my other SIL. I returned her call to learn that my 5-yr-old niece is recovering from pneumonia and still had a bit of fever. Because they could not send her to school until she was fever-free for 24 hours, my brother and SIL needed somone to watch her Thursday. I was just the woman for the job (do you see how I never get around to doing the stuff I'm supposed to be doing? Have you all noticed a pattern of being utterly unable to say "NO"?)
Here I thought my poor little niece would be "puny" and napping most of the day. I pulled out the hideaway bed in the living room so she could sip chicken noodle soup in bed and watch her favorite VeggieTales (okay, so maybe they were MY favorite VeggieTales!) while I was a few steps away in the kitchen doing my thing. But, nooooo! She was obviously feeling much better and marched right in with her art kit in hand and a request for me to help her make some "signs" and posters for her room. I'd try to linger in the kitchen, but she'd call me out in a minute, "E-ee! (that's the two-syllable version what she calls me) I'm rea---dy." We ended up making and reviewing Kindergarten sight word flashcards and trying our hands at scratch art as seen on Nicki Woo's blog. We read books and poems and finally took a quick nap before it was time to pick up my daughter from school. Sasha's appetite was poor, but that was about all that was wrong!

Thursday evening, I went to hear my nephew sing in a choir concert at his school. My nephew had a solo part and sounded really good. I love to see his choir perform. It is so obvious that the music teacher at his school loves what she does. The kids all seem to have fun up there on stage.
For some reason I was exhausted by the time I returned home. I went to bed "early" (as in around 11:30 p.m.) without ever even logging back onto my computer. I even forgot about Five Question Friday, so you know I was tired.
Friday morning, I hit the ground running. Had to get the trash out and get kids off to school in time to intercept my grandmother while my mom attended a meeting. Then, I was up to my elbows in celery, carrots, onion and stewed chicken making chicken noodle soup to serve for lunch for the Women's Cursillo (this is like a semi-annual women's retreat in the Catholic church). I worked the concessions stand to raise money for the band booster at my son's high school last night and got stuck on "nacho duty" once again. Nachos aren't so bad, really--just messy and very popular!
*sigh* Ahhh, now I can feel that I did indeed do something with my entire week!
Now, it is after 3 a.m. and I'm about to fall into the warm spot my husband just vacated in my bed and catch some zzzz's I will probably snore because I've been sneezing all evening and my nose is a little stuffy-welcome to fall allergies in Texas. Lucky for the hubs, he'll be off to work and won't have to be bothered by it! Good night all. Until next time.

Pictures as promised

2010-09-25T12:12:00.000-07:00

Here are the pics of my birthday cake. It tasted yummy even if it didn't look it so much. I need input from you baking pros so I can do better next time around. I baked lemon cake (Duncan Hines lemon supreme to be exact) and then lined the cake pan with plastic wrap and "spread" softened vanilla bean ice cream in the pan. I covered it with another layer of plastic wrap and returned it to the freezer for several hours. I leveled one layer of my cake then layered the ice cream between the layers of cake and attempted to frost the cake with buttercream frosting. You can see that it didn't spread on all that smoothly on the sides and then the ice cream began to melt and that really messed up the frosting effort. I stuck the whole thing back in the freezer for a spell while I contemplated how to make the cake look presentable. I tried slathering a bit more buttercream on the sides but it just wasn't meant to go on smoothly. I quick piped a border, added sprinkles (what's ice cream and cake without sprinkles?!) and piped Happy Birthday with the bright blue frosting leftover from my cousin's cake last week. Ta-da! Surely, there must be a frosting specifically for ice cream cakes--maybe something a little lighter than buttercream like a whipped cream frosting? The cold buttercream was a bit too rich, in my opinion. If anyone has any suggestions or tips I'd love for you to share them!
You might have noticed the six candles. For all of you mathematicians out there: 4 represented the tens place and 2 the ones place!

Five Question Friday-24 September 10

2010-09-24T04:39:00.000-07:00

Hello, blog buds! Happy Friday to you. When you only post a couple of times a week and you follow a meme or blog hop of sorts, it seems like every other post is the same..."Can't believe it's time for Five Question Friday again!" but it is. Hop over the Mama M's "My Little Life" for the official "rules," link up and original questions. Here are my answers for this week...(oh, and I did snap a few pics of my birthday cake from yesterday; I'll post them later today.)

1. If you could speak with a different accent, what would it be (i.e Australian, Scottish)?

I love the whole Aussie-accent thing, but I’d go with French-sounds sexy to me. (Okay, maybe I’m misinterpreting the question just a little and am thinking of speaking another language vs. just speaking with the accent now that I think about it.) Of course, the French accent may be unrecognizable coupled with my Tex-Mex Spanglish accent!

2. Can you fall asleep anywhere? (i.e floor, couch, deck)

Yes, I can fall asleep pretty much anywhere-even sitting up in front of my computer like I’m doing now while I’m waiting for PE and Band uniforms to finish washing so kids will have them for school tomorrow.

3. Do you use public restrooms? If so, do you sit on the toilet?

I use public restrooms only when I absolutely have to. I prefer when they have those disposable seat covers, but if not I sometimes sit on my hands—the idea being I can always wash & sanitize my hands immediately after using the public restroom. If it’s really disgusting I’ll cop a squat over the toilet bowl and try not to touch anything with any part of my body.

4. If you were stuck in an elevator for 24 hours, what celebrity would you most want to be stuck with?

Umm…are there hidden/security cameras in the elevator? Let me just play this safe…I’d want to be stuck with Steve Carrell. I LOVE his wacky sense of humor and think he’d do a great job of keeping me entertained enough to stave off a claustrophobic panic attack for 24 hours.

5. Where did you & your significant other go on your 1st date?

My hubs and I met through a mutual friend. My now brother-in-law works for a car dealership and I was in the market for a car after my return from Honduras. So, the hubs (with the encouragement of said mutual friend) volunteered to take me car shopping. One day we left the dealership and headed down the street to Chilis for lunch. We consider that our first “date.” I remember I ordered baked potato soup and a wine cooler. I know the Hubs thought I was up to something, but he quickly learned that that’s how I roll. He was obviously smitten by the thought of having a frugal wife!

That was fun; now I'm done...H ave a wonderful day and a great weekend

Happy Birthday to Me!

2010-09-23T18:19:00.000-07:00

Today is my birthday (no, I didn't create the above masterpiece-found it on google images, but it appears to be right up my alley: white cake, white frosting and purple script). I just found out that I share my special day with Cassiopeia at http://cassiopeiachats.com/ so hop over and wish her a happy day, too! It's getting late and I still have dinner to finish (bad mommy! The family took me out for Mexican food last night) and homework to review, so I can't stay long. I also am going to attempt to assemble an ice cream cake with lemon cake and vanilla ice cream and buttercream frosting. I probably should have checked with some of you seasoned bakers/deocrators for some tips, but this was kind of a last minute craving. I'll let you all know how it turns out. In the meantime, I wish you a pleasant evening/night. Until next time...

Sound familiar, anyone?

2010-09-21T11:03:00.000-07:00

I just love the Baby Blues comic strip. I could always relate to poor Wanda, and this one is no different. I found it in a folder with some papers from the early years of my marriage when my son was an infant. It still holds true today. (Does anyone but me find it disturbing that I still have a file folder of papers from 14 years ago that I'm just now getting around to going through? Hmmm? Please tell me I'm not the only packrat in the blogosphere!) I could have taken this straight from any one of my many tirades about never getting ahead with housework. And the Hubs would say something sweet and encouraging just like Darryl and make me not so crazy and still crazier at the same time. I am gearing up for a series of "before and after" posts about the various hot spots in my house (okay, so my entire house is one huge hot spot-I'm not going to lie to you, but I'm going to go a little at a time so as not to overwhelm you all). Two things are causing me to drag my feet: (1) It is as embarrassing as I don't know what; and (2) I can't even figure out where to start.
How did my house get this far gone? you might ask. Well, at first I used the excuse that I had small children. My chief decorators were Little Tikes and Fisher-Price. I'd rather spend my time playing with my kiddoes than doing housework. Those small children are now 12 and 14 and bigger than me, so there goes that excuse! Then, I was busy working outside of the home (albeit part-time) and volunteering at the kids' schools. Then, I was back in school myself. Well, I have been out of school for months now, and I have several months before I will start working full-time. I want to take the time to seize the moment and try literally to get my house in order so I can come home to a place I love after working 12-hour shifts at the hospital.
I would LOVE to hear how you all manage to stay on top the daily grind AND find the time to get to the big stuff, too. Do you just throw away everything or have some elaborate system for dealing with "stuff"? I tried doing household chores like my menu planning and designated certain tasks on certain days of the week, but I never could stick to it: Mondays were for mail & paying bills; Tuesdays tubs and toilets (i.e., cleaning the bathrooms); Wednesdays were wash day; and Fridays were floors (sweep, mop, vaccuum). Don't remember what I had going on for Thursdays. Nowadays, it's Monday-read blogs; Tuesdays-read blogs; Wednesdays-read blogs, etc...Housework is still falling by the wayside, but I'm frustrated more and more about it. Won't you please, please help me?

I am Thankful, cont...(and 5QF)

2010-09-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

I mentioned yesterday that I was going to finish my list of things for which I am thankful, but then I got super busy yesterday afternoon making this cake for this little cutie cousin of mine whom I just met for the first time on Wednesday, so here goes now.

(5) I am thankful for my friends and family, even the ones who live far away and only get to come for a visit every once in a blue moon. My cousin, Micah and his family: Jennifer and Cian (pronounced Kee' ahn) are visiting from Wisconsin.
(4) I am thankful for all of the support and encouragement I receive each and every day from all of my friends in this incredible network of bloggers. I am truly amazed at how God puts just the right people in your life at just the right time so we can learn from one another and uplift one another. I just love that!
(3) I am thankful that my bills are almost caught up. Okay, so maybe they're still not quite where I'd like them to be, but at least I'm not as far behind as I was this time last month!
(2)I am thankful for my hard-working husband who puts in lots and lots of hours and still has to listen to me complain that we need more, more, more.
(1) I am thankful for prayers answered (namely the job offer that I didn't want to expound upon yesterday in the event that any family members read that post. It was Cian's day, and I didn't want the discussion to be about me and my new job). I've told my Hubby and kids, but haven't even shared the good news with the rest of my family yet...I'm about to go do that now!

In the meantime...you all can kick back and enjoy my Five Question Friday answers. If you'd like to participate, hop on over to Mama M's blog "My Little Life" and copy and past the questions then link your blog to hers. This is a lot of fun, and your readers get to find out the little things about you that you might not otherwise think to share.
1. What is the first nightmare you remember?

The first time I remember waking up scared, I thought snakes were crawling across the curtain rod in my bedroom in the middle of the night. I was so convincing in my hallucination that my sister and I were sitting up in bed clinging to each other and screaming bloody murder in the middle of the night. It must have scared the daylights out of our parents. (A little food for thought, here: Ever stop and wonder why we use the sayings we use? Why in the world would daylight be lurking inside my parents in the middle of the night; and why would my screaming force it out of them? Just wondering out loud.) Looking back I wonder what in the world I ate before going to bed that night?!

2. Even if you're not a sports fan, what's your favorite sport to play/watch?

I probably watch more basketball than anything simply because I have a husband and son who watch them. If I had to choose a sport I like to watch and play, I’d probably have to say baseball because I understand this sport. If the pitcher pitches too high or low, it’s a “ball” and you don’t swing. If he pitches just right and you don’t swing or swing and miss it’s a “steee-rike!” You do your best to hit the ball and run around 3 bases and make it back to home plate-plain and simple. There are no downs, first, second or otherwise, and constantly changing yard lines or 3-point shots vs. 2-point shots or fouls that get you to the free-throw line or fouls that get you thrown out of the game. I’m pretty much sports illiterate.

3. If you could pull off one piece of trendy fashion, what would you want it to be (jeggings, hats, thigh high boots, etc.)?

Okay, ladies, I’m going to let you in on a little secret: I am fashion-challenged (and that may very well be the understatement of the year). My entire closet could be featured on “What NOT to wear-ever.” This, my friends, is why I chose nursing for a career: mix and match scrubs, people (and you thought it was because I’m a caring person)! I have no idea what piece of trendy fashion I would want to pull off. I could probably settle for anything that doesn’t make me look like the schlumpadinka that I am!

4. Did you make good grades in school?

I’m pretty certain I was on the A/B honor roll from kindergarten on-even managed to pull it off in nursing school (even though all of my exam grades were not always A’s or B’s!)

5. What magazines do you subscribe to?

I do not currently subscribe to any magazines. My most recent subscription was All You which I purchased from one of my kids’ band fundraisers in lieu of the overpriced chocolate and gift wrap. When my kids were younger I always subscribed to Family Fun for the awesome craft and kid-friendly recipe ideas. I am a packrat by nature, and until I learn some techniques for “letting go” and getting rid of stuff I do NOT need anything else coming my way that I will be tempted to keep forever and a day (ex: I only recently got rid of an entire stack of Parenting magazines from the late 1990’s when my kids were first born). I do enjoy thumbing through Southern Living, Family Circle and Better Homes and Gardens at the dentist’s office. He even allows me take the older issues (I am partial to the December issues with all of the great holiday baking recipes).

Well, as always, that was fun. Now I'm done. Have a great weekend dear blog buddies in case I don't make it back here until sometime next week! Until then...

I am Thankful

2010-09-16T11:11:00.000-07:00

Today I am thankful that I.HAVE.BEEN.OFFERED.THE.JOB!!! I am doing the happy dance over here (well, actually, I have two left feet, so not really, but it sounded like a good thing most people could probably relate to). I called one of my interviewers to let them know I speak Spanish (minor detail I forgot to mention in the interview...very handy here in Texas!), and she said she was glad I called her back because she was going to call and offer me the position anyway but got busy. So, I have officially accepted but not spoken with Human Resources and hammered out all of those details yet. I have to drop off my Grandmother before my folks think I've kidnapped her, so I'll be back to tell everything else I'm thankful for a little later. Thank you all for your prayers and support! Until next time...

How Sweet it is!

2010-09-13T13:10:00.000-07:00

Good day, friends! I am home from my interview, and I feel like it went well. It was a panel interview, so I sat at the head of a large table in a conference room with four people to my left and three to my right. ::insert sarcasm here:: I wasn't at all intimidated. Almost asked if I got to pray since I was seated at the head of the table (is that how it works in your household, too?). Anyway, they took turns asking lots of "Tell me about a time when...what was the outcome...how did you feel?"-type questions. They then opened the floor for any questions or concerns I might have. Of course, I was thinking of the little 3x5 notecard that was tucked away in my purse and trying to remember what I wrote down. Better yet, I strained my poor brain to recall what all of the job interview books said NOT to ask (Ex: If I'm hired, when's my first vacation?). I asked about whether or not all units had 12-hour shifts, for further clarification of the residency program and about access to their onsite fitness center for employees, and that was that. I was told that they would be in touch by week's end but that the residency doesn't start until the end of January. I knew that going into the interview, but was sure hoping that maybe there was an off chance that they could squeeze me into the residency that just started this month. This means that even if I get the job, we still have to make it through Christmas, the New Year and property taxes coming due before I ever even start. *sigh* That makes me sad because last year was truly a blessing because of the actions of angels here on earth (click here to read about that). I just knew I would be able to pay it forward and help someone else this year, but it looks like that might not be the case. Then again, I could still get the seasonal job giving flu shot that I applied for last week. I am awaiting word from them. I have faith that in the end it will all work out.

Shifting gears for a moment, you might have noticed the cuddly teddy bear on my sidebar. He represents the "Sweet Blog" award presented to me by Annette over at Mommy Spirit. Thanks for that, Annette. Now I have to pass it on to 10 other blogs I think are sweet, so here goes...in no particular order. (Okay, so it's alphabetical order. I just can't help myself sometimes.) Feel free to click on their blog name below to pop over for a visit.
Big Fat Mama @ Cooking Up Faith
Carol @ Knee Deep in Mommahood
Cassiopeia @ Cassiopeia Chats
Charlene @ Adventures in Mommyland
Jinnia @ JinniaLow.com
Kirsten @ Soaking Up the Sunny Side of Life
Rachel @ Cupcake Sprinkles of Life
Ruth @ Underneath His Wrapping
Sassy @ Dancing in the Rain; and
Stephanie @ Ecstatically Pregnant

Hello!

2010-09-12T21:44:00.000-07:00

Hola, blog family. I just wanted to pop in to say how much I appreciate all of you who take the time to stop by and/or leave comments. I have been busy this weekend preparing for my interview on Monday. I would love for you to say a little prayer that all goes well and that God's will be done. I think this is just the right job for me, but what I truly want is the job God thinks is right for me. I'm excited and about to turn in "early" (it's not quite midnight) so I'll be on top of my game. When I get back I'll acknowledge my "Sweet Blog" award and pass it along to some of you fellow bloggers. Good night. Until next time...

Five Question Friday-10 September 10

2010-09-09T21:33:00.000-07:00

Anybody out there saying TGIF or is that just me? Because Friday has rolled around once more, that means...(drum roll please) it's time for Five Question Friday. Thanks to Mama M and her crew at My Little Life for the new questions every week. Click here to visit Mama M and get the official rules and questions. So, here goes:

1. Do you feel guilty spending money on yourself?

I most certainly do not feel guilty about spending money on myself because (1) I don’t do it often; (2) when I do spend money on myself it’s usually not that much; and (3) I feel I deserve it when I do.

2. How well do you know your neighbors?

I am sad to say that I have lived in the same house with mostly the same neighbors (give or take a few) for over 15 years, and we only know each other on a casual basis. I have only been inside two of my neighbors’ homes, and only one of my neighbors has ever been inside my house. We all wave at one another, and we’ve even received invitations to their kids’ high school graduations and weddings. Many of our neighbors are “senior citizens” and have already “been there done that” with block parties and such when their kids were young and still at home. The only reason I even know their last names is that I often do neighborhood campaigns for various charitable organizations, and they send me a list of my own neighbors' names and addresses!

3. What age are you looking forward to being?

The Big 5-0 is what keeps coming to mind, so I’ll go with that. Half the time I can’t remember how old I am; it’s just a number in my opinion. Both of our kids will be in college (*sniff* that makes me a little sad; but just a little). Maybe by the time I’m 50 money won’t be so tight (yeah, right, with 2 kids in college?!), and the Hubs and I can finally make it to the south of France or Hawaii or somewhere equally fun to celebrate in style.

4. Do you get excited when the mail comes? Why?

Heck NO! It’s all bills and “junk mail” these days. Every now and again I’ll get a handwritten letter from my dear cousin who is in her 50’s but suffered a nervous breakdown in high school and has had the mentality of someone much younger ever since. I enjoy that correspondence just because who handwrites anything anymore?

5. What is your earliest childhood memory?

I had to write about this in a paper once upon a time ago. I was about 2 years old. The only way I know I was that young is my mom told me we moved from that house around the time I was 2 or 3. Anywhoo…I had received the Fisher Price school house with the little wooden peg people that are now chunky plastic people. (I never choked on one of them, but I guess someone must have so the FP people of my generation really are a thing of the past). The school house came with playground equipment, namely a swing set with 2 swings on it. Anybody out there remember this toy? The side of the school house opened and had a chalkboard on it? The roof had a little bell on top to ring indicating school was in session? Sorry, I digress. So, my cousin (who was older than me so much so that I called him “Uncle Bob”) placed the little FP people on the swing and then proceeded to flip the top of the swing set so hard the swings flipped completely over the top bar and the little people flew out of the swings. For the longest time, I had what I thought was an irrational fear of swinging too high on the swings at the park. Turns out it was just as rational as could be!

Once again, this was fun, and now I'm done. Good night. Until next time...

Thanksgiving Thursday 9/9/10

2010-09-08T22:08:00.000-07:00

I feel so ashamed, blog family! I haven't posted anything since I was featured on the Nestwork almost a week ago. I have been reveling in all of the wonderful comments and new followers as well as my tried and true followers, but I feel sort of like the kid who made out like a bandit on her birthday and forgot to write thank you notes. Then, I was reading Pioneer Woman's latest post about tips on blogging (click here to read for yourself), and she says to tell your readers you love them often and to blog every day! Yikes! I have failed twice over. So, I stand before you humbled and contrite hoping that you will accept my sincerest apology for dropping the ball. If you're a new follower and I haven't been by to visit, or if you're a veteran follower and I've been by your site and commented but not said "thank you" please be patient with me. Let's move on, shall we...
This Thanksgiving Thursday, I am thankful for...
(1) Mama Hen and the Nestwork for working so diligently to keep things moving forward in spite of the fact that she has a very sick little girl who needs her attention. Thank you Mama Hen for all you do to keep us motivated and connected in the blogosphere.
(2) As the school year is well underway now, I am thankful for the teachers all over the world who dedicate not only their time from 8 a.m.-ish to 3:30 p.m.-ish Monday through Friday, but also stand in the rain before school to ensure kids get into the building safely and stay after school to sell sno-cones and pickles (and sometimes pickle juice sno-cones-blah!) for the Math-Science Team, and stay after for open house and PTA meetings and contribute their own funds for such endeavors as fundraisers and extracurricular activities for the students. Thank you, teachers. I have a little "story" I'd like to share here based on an e-mail I received, but it will make this post extremely long, so I think I'll post it separately.
(3) I am thankful for all of you reading this post or anything else I've typed in this blog. I am uplifted, encouraged, and inspired by your comments. Thank you and I love you, blog buddies!
(4) I am thankful for the rain we received (torrential though it may have been!); and I am so thankful that although I had one little leak that I couldn't tell where in the world it came from, that my house was not flooded like people about 6 miles away whose 1st level apartments were completely engulfed in water.
(5) I am thankful that I finally have a job interview at 10 a.m. on Monday morning!!! Even if it is a bust, I'm stoked that I can finally say I at least had an interview! I am now motivated to continue on and apply for other positions as well.
I think it goes without saying (but I feel like saying it anyhow) how very grateful and thankful I am for my family; especially that big cuddly guy who is in my bedroom next door calling hogs or sawing logs, whichever you prefer, as I type (that's snoring for you city folk!), the two amazing kiddoes down the hall, the sister who peddles fundraiser candy to her coworkers and always supports her niece and nephew, the Mom, Dad and Grandmother a couple miles down the road, the inlaws, the SIL who is just plain sweet, the cousin who encourages and expects great things of me. I could go on and on, but alas it is after midnight, and I think I've got some hogs to call myself. Good night, all. Until next time...

The little things in life

2010-09-02T18:56:00.000-07:00

Welcome friends, old and new alike to my blog. I’m glad you stopped by. I am so pleased to be a featured “inspirational” blogger on Mama Hen’s Nestwork. Grab something to drink and a snack and get comfy. I’d like to share a little story with you.

First of all, let me say that for years and years I’ve learned to appreciate the little things in life (being on an extremely tight budget will do that for you). Actually, that may have all started when I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Honduras. Living in a “room” built with mud and straw bricks and a dirt floor without indoor plumbing has a way of making one humble. As crazy as it sounds, I absolutely loved it. One of the locals really explained to me just how less is more. She told me, “The more you have; the more you have to worry about what you have.” That point has really stuck with me. Anyway, the point of all of that was to say that I consider myself a simple woman, and it doesn’t take much to please me. I think once my husband figured that out after the first few dates, he dropped to one knee on the spot and asked me to marry him! Just kidding; let me get on with the story.

Tidal Wave Silver Hedge Petunia

camera doesn't do this justice!

For the past couple of years for Mother’s Day I’ve given my kids a couple of bucks a piece and asked them to choose flowers from the local hardware store to plant in my flowerpots in the backyard. Voila-Happy Mother’s Day to me! I do not have anyone’s green thumb, but I figure even I can manage to transfer an already grown and blooming flower from the 4-inch pot it’s sold in into a larger pot with some dirt with relative success. I love the thoughtfulness that goes into my kids’ choices, and they have a good time handling the money and mixing and matching the varieties and colors of flowers. Last year, they selected an absolutely beautiful variety of petunia called a Tidal Wave Silver hedge petunia. It was the palest shade of lavender with deeper purple veins because purple is my favorite color. I planted it in a small pot all by itself. It was just that beautiful! The little plant really showed off and bloomed and bloomed through the summer.

See how much it grew?!

When the weather turned cooler and the plant quit blooming and dried up, I pulled up the brown stem and abandoned the barren looking terracotta pot on the patio in the backyard where it sat through winter’s wind, rain, sleet and snow. Yes, snow! You see, I live in North Texas so we really don’t see much snow, but this year did we ever see snow—like 12 inches in 24 hours. I know that’s not much to you northerners, but just to put things in perspective, schools and businesses close around here when there’s a threat of 2 or 3 inches of snow, so 12 inches in one day was a HUGE deal for us.

that's the little pot with a mound of snow on top!

When the kids and I went out to play in the snow, I noticed first of all that my little pot looked like a giant snow cone. Secondly, after all of the snow had melted, I also observed that the pot was cracked in two. Oh well, I thought, I’ll deal with that in the spring. Then winter gave way to spring, and the days were filled with blue skies and warmer weather once again. From time to time I’d go past the little pot in the backyard and think I should do something with that before someone bumps it and gets hurt or makes a mess. Still, I left it. Then one day I noticed a little green shoot sticking up. It looked similar to the leaves on the petunias my kids bought me for Mother’s Day this year, so I let it be to see what would happen. Sure enough my Wave petunias were back as beautiful as ever-cracked pot and all.

As I reflected on this phenomenon, I considered all that little seed had been through: too much water; not enough water; too much cold, not enough sunlight. Even its home had given way to the freezing temperatures; yet still it survived. Isn’t life just like that, friends? We deal with all sorts of adversities, but they are balanced with good times and sunshine. The best part is, just as God protected that tiny little seed buried in the dirt because it still had work to do and its beauty to share, He is with us on our journeys, too. Whatever you may be going through, He is with you. Psalm 62: 8 says we have but to: “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”
Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope I didn’t keep you too long. You’re welcome to come back anytime! Until next time…

This is the gift that kept on giving this summer

Thanksgiving Thursday 9/02/10

2010-09-02T08:31:00.000-07:00

Wow, happy second day of September to you all. I had a post rattling around in my head all day yesterday. I was going to call it "Make a Wish Wednesday" and list some of the things I wish for (probably inspired by Mama Hen's post a few days ago). Anyway, it never came to fruition, so I'll save it for another day. Moving right along to things for which I am thankful this week.
(5) I am thankful for peanut butter. My high school student son refuses to carry a lunch box to school--not that I'm trying to convince him to carry the old metal lunchbox with Superman flying off to save the world. No insulated lunch box means no way to keep cold stuff cold and hot stuff hot. Thank God he likes peanut butter because I feel much more comfortable with him eating that in place of a lukewarm ham and cheese sandwich!
(4) I am thankful for fluffy new pillows. I bought a "two-pack" at Kohls with the kohl's cash a while back and just now got around to using one of them. I got that "oooh, aaaah feeling" and slept like a baby.
(3) I am thankful for temperatures in the 70's and rain, glorious rain! My 92-year-old grandmother and I went for a walk after I dropped kids off at school this morning, and it was oh-so-nice to not be drenched in sweat after the first ten paces from my driveway! I had to slow my usual pace and not walk as far or long, but it was nice to get out with her. I just love that woman.
(2) I am thankful that my 84-yr-old father in law was not seriously injured when he fell in his apartment last week. I went on Friday to take him to his dialysis appt, and he told me through the door that he had fallen and couldn't get himself up off the floor to get to the door. I had no key, so I called two of my sisters-in-law only to get their voice mails. I called the Life Alert number posted on my FIL's apt door, and they were not much help either suggesting that I call 911. They told me to call them back and let them know how things worked out. I told my FIL to hang on and I drove around to the apartment office where I explained the situation and burst into tears. I was so worried about my poor, frail FIL. The maintenance man was given a set of keys and I followed him back to the apt where the key didn't work. I could hear my FIL still struggling to make his way to the door. The maintenance man brought up the fact that even if we had a working key, the dead bolt was still on from inside the apt with no key access from the outside. I gave my FIL a little more time, he was now jiggling the doorknob but couldn't reach the top dead bolt. I called 911 and again explained the situation. They dispatched the fire truck, and I waited. Meanwhile I told my FIL to take off his shoe and try to reach the lock with his shoe. I grabbed the doorknob and pulled toward me to take the pressure off of the dead bolt. Thump. thump.thump. thump. Click! He did it! Of course, he was sitting in front of the door so I couldn't get in right away. I called 911 to tell them I was in the apt. They said the fire truck had already been dispatched, and that was fine with me because I still didn't know if I would need EMT assistance. I couple of minutes after my FIL scooted far enough away from the door for me to get in the firefighters arrived with that huge ax and some ramrod thing and were surprised to see the door was already open. They asked my FIL where he wanted to sit, and two of them hoisted him up and plopped him on the couch before turning around to leave and bidding us a good day. Weren't they supposed to ask pertinent questions like if he'd lost consciousness or check him out for broken bones or something? After they left, I checked him out for myself. I went into the kitchen and the oven door was off of its hing and gaping open. This alarmed me because I kept thinking of how badly he could have been hurt if he had hit his head or anything else on one of those sharp metal corners. My FIL said he grabbed the oven door when he was falling. As best as I can figure, my FIL must have fallen shortly after I phoned him just before 10 a.m. to tell him I was on my way. By the time I was able to get into the apt, it was almost 11:30. The poor man had been on the floor a good hour and a half! I don't think I've ever felt so helpless in my life as I was listening to him on the other side of that door and not being able to get right in to him. Needless to say, we didn't make it to his dialysis appt but rescheduled for Saturday morning. I fixed him some lunch, gave him his meds and pulled his walker from behind the door and observed him using it. I asked him if he would please come home with me just for the night and I could bring him back in the morning for his dialysis. He looked at me with the sweetest smile and said, "Maybe another time," as if he were politely turning down an invitation to go out on a date or something. Turns out my FIL had a house key in each of his pants pockets, so I took one and told him NOT to lock the top dead bolt anymore until we could get him another one with a key access from outside. He is doing okay. His other daughters have been seeing to it that he gets to his appts this week.
(1) I am eternally thankful for friends and family who support and encourage and share and help and say "I love you" when you need to hear it most.

Top Ten Tuesday: These shoes were made for walking...

2010-08-31T08:25:00.000-07:00

My friend, Annette, over at Spirit Mommy posts a Top Ten Tuesday theme each week. I thought it was a cute idea, so I decided to join her this week. If blog and addiction go hand in hand for you, then you'll love her post. Mine is nowhere near as entertaining, but her goes...

10. You beat the heat. Even in Texas walking is bearable early in the morning when you can still catch a “cool” (I use that term very loosely) breeze as you walk

9. My mom bought me a pair of the Sketchers Shape-Ups for graduation, and I certainly don’t want them sitting around collecting dust

8. Walking offers a 30-60 minute reprieve from dishes, laundry, hungry children, etc.

7. Weight-bearing exercise: important for bone health especially for those of us over 40

6. Gives me something to say other than, “Does running behind the kids and chasing the dog count?” when the doc asks about my exercise regimen at my annual exam.

5. It’s an opportunity to explore my neighborhood and really look at some of the houses I’m accustomed to whizzing past in my trusty mom-mobile as I shuttle kids from one place to another.

4. I can easily consume 32 of the 64 ounces of water I’m supposed to drink each day during the walk

3. I can catch the rainbows from my neighbors’ sprinklers which have to be turned off by 10 a.m. (city-wide ban: watering prohibited between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.)

2. I can sing loudly and freely without bothering anybody…well, maybe except for those dogs that try to join the fun with their barking (I said barking not howling…I’m not that bad!)

1. It’s my quiet time with God: “And He walks with me and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own!”

That was fun, folks, now I'm done. Until next time...

Smile, it's Sunday!

2010-08-29T11:06:00.000-07:00

Good ~~morning~~ afternoon, friends. My day is sneaking away so fast. I thought I'd join Mama Hen and Little Chick for Smile Sunday today because despite all of the chaos of the past week, I've had several reasons to smile. When I worked the concession stand at the BallPark last week, a handsome young man (I'd say about college age) called me "sweetheart" when I handed him his order. Do you know how long it's been since anyone called me "sweetheart"? Okay, so he probably called everyone sweetheart since we don't have nametags, or it might've had more to do with the fact that he had a half-empty cup of beer in his hand. Either way, I was flattered just the same. Another patron stopped by in search of jalapeno peppers for his nachos which he had purchased elsewhere. I gladly offered him a cupful of peppers. He asked how much, and I told him "just your gratitude." (People aren't used to getting anything for free at the ballpark!) He was overjoyed and thanked me profusely. I couldn't help but smile. Then, my Hubby just cracks himself up sometimes and emits this crazy belly laugh at his own jokes. That cracks me up and makes me smile, too. My son's high school football team (which I might add is also my alma mater) won their first football game of the season 49-48 in overtime Friday night. I might have done a little more than smile at that one. Woo-hoo! I'm sure there's more to write about, but in the interest of time, I will share a recipe that is sure to make you smile:

Sunrise Scones
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter or margarine
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp grated orange peel (optional)
Additional sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a small bowl whisk together milk and sour cream; set aside. In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a pastry blender or 2 butter knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in raisins and milk mixture. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface, roll out to 1/4 inch thickness. Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter or cookie cutter, cut out desire shapes; place on greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with additional sugar. Bake 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm. Yields: 12 tender, slightly sweet scones.
**Eastlyn's tips:
I always type the recipe as I found it then add my own 2 cents...I poured about 1/2 cup hot water over the raisins before I started and let them soak to "plump" back up. Then, I drained them, patted them dry and chopped them (My daughter doesn't like raisins, so I thought if they were fine enough, maybe she'd at least be willing to try them--no such luck, even after all the extra work!)
The dough was a little sticky when I first turned it out of the bowl so I sprinkled some extra flour on top of it before I started to knead/pat it on the floured counter. If you're using a dark pan, you may wish to lower the temp by 25 degrees (my scones browned a little on the bottom). How do you call something "sunrise" and not have a hint of citrus flavor in it? I added some grated orange peel to the milk/sour cream mixture, and it added just the right touch of "sunrise" flavor. You could probably substitute lemon zest. Instead of using a biscuit or cookie cutter, I used my pizza cutter to cut the dough into squares & then on the diagonal to make triangles. I sprinkled some of the scones with cinnamon sugar prior to baking and some with powdered sugar after they came out of the oven. A powdered sugar & milk glaze would probably have worked well, too.
Bon apetit and Happy Smile Sunday to you all. Until next time...

Five Question Friday

2010-08-26T22:58:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, it's Friday again already! That means it's time to link up with Mama M at "My Little Life" or at least click on the button to the right for more information (and to copy and paste the questionss to your blog). Let's go...:
1. How many pets do you have?

One rotten dog names Missy (short for Mischievous), two fish

2. If you could switch places with anyone in the world for one day, who would it be?
Wow, this is a tough one, but Oprah Winfrey was the first person who came to mind, so I'll stick with her. It'd be nice to experience a day in her life: getting to meet famous people (or make not-so-famous people famous) and give away lots of stuff that makes people happy and go home to a beautiful home complete with dogs and a personal chef, weight trainer, etc.

3. What is your favorite money saving tip?
Tip #1 Use your noodle! Does it really "save" money if you drive 10 miles out of your way to get gas for 3 cents cheaper per gallon than the five stations you passed on the way? My tank holds about 15 gallons of gas which would mean about 45 cents savings when I've probably burned up an extra gallon of gas going out of my way and back home. Tip #2 If you can't afford it, don't buy it. That's a difficult one for many people, but it's pretty easy for me since I don't like shopping anyway. My husband sometimes ~~loses his mind~~ gets carried away and wants to take the kids on some spur of the moment trip and then come home and work exrra hours to make up the expenses. Do you see anything wrong with this picture? I sure do. Why not let's work that overtime first and set the money aside and then take the kids somewhere? Not quite as fun and spontaneous, but I'd hate to have to grit my teeth and glare at him the entire time we're "having fun" spending money earmarked for the housenote or electric bill! We haven't been anywhere yet because we depend on any overtime going toward living expenses for the time being.
4. What do you want your kids to be when they grow up?
Oh, this is a great question, but I really don't know. My daughter is very quiet, artistic and introverted. I could totally see her as a writer and mom. She just turned twelve and she has already named my three grandchildren-to-be (that's kind of scary, huh?). When my son was about four years old, a vacuum salesman stopped by to "clean our carpet for free" as a way to peddle his wares. He asked my son what he wanted to be when he grew up, and my son's reply shocked me...He said he wanted to be a priest! That was fine by me; we need more good and decent priests. To this day, my son remembers saying that, but he no longer wants to be a priest. His passion is with cars. He wants to get an MBA and own/operate an automotive shop. I guess I can see him doing that IF he decides not to pursue the priesthood.

5. What is your favorite quote?
"I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something I can do." I often use this when I'm talking to parishioners about joining a ministry at my church. It sums up the philosophy of ants: teamwork makes everyone's job a little easier. A lot of people doing a little beats a few people doing a lot, in my humble opinion.

Well, that was fun, and now I'm done! Have a great weekend...until next time.

Thanksgiving Thursday 8/26/10

2010-08-26T12:24:00.000-07:00

Well, friends, it is almost two o'clock on Thursday afternoon. I cannot believe I haven't blogged since Sunday. So much has happened since then: first day of school, volunteering at the hot dog stand at the BallPark, a visit with my father in law, a pep rally, but alas, I'll have to catch up a little later. I sat down some four plus hours ago to blog about things I'm thankful for and got wrapped up in reading everyone elses updates. One link led to another and so on and so forth, but here I am. I think I'm going to abandon my nursing aspirations and just look for a job that pays top dollar for reading blogs! I'd be rich in a matter of months. Just kidding...let me get on with this before my kids trickle in from school and I have to get busy with dinner and open house!
(1) I am thankful I am able. My FIL celebrated his 84th birthday last week, and he is on dialysis three days a week for End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD aka chronic renal failure). My SIL called to see if my Hubby could take his dad to dialysis yesterday, and I was able to do it instead because Hubby had to work. It was good spending time with my FIL whom I rarely see even though he's less than an hour away. Later that evening I was able to volunteer at the BallPark to raise funds for the band booster club. It was quite the long day, but I'm really thankful for my health and strength.
(2) I am thankful for space. The fact that every little bit of it in my house is cluttered is beside the point. If' I'm complaining about clutter then that means I have lots of space (to get cluttered) and lots of stuff to clutter it up. I am thankful for both because I realize so many people are less fortunate although they could gladly have some of my clutter if they really wanted it, which I doubt they do!
(3) I am thankful for my family and friends, especially those who are helping to make me accountable and offering encouragement with this job search business.
(4) I am thankful for a quiet house. The only sound I hear right now is the ticking of the clock on my office wall. I'm about to crawl in my bed because I have one hour and a couple of minutes before school out and the peace and quiet will be replaced with the rattle of dishes as after school snacks and dinner are prepared, chatter about how everyone's day went, ~~television~~ (maybe not since they're supposed to get on homework first!)--not that any of the sounds are negative; just better tolerated by a well-rested mom!
(5) Last but not least, I am thankful for overtime and a husband who willingly works it. I think we are both looking forward to my income so Hubby can just work his regular shift and come on home for a change instead of working "from can to can't."

Sunday Stealing-22 August 10

2010-08-21T21:54:00.000-07:00

Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it? Actually, it is one of these "get to know you better" question-filled posts from Sunday Stealing blog. Thought I'd give it a try even though I have no idea what a "meme" is:

1. Are you happier now than you were five months ago?

Yes and no. Yes, because 5 months ago I was finishing up nursing school, and life was hectic as I prepared for graduation and tried to fulfill my family's needs as well. No, because now I have no focus and am having a difficult time finding a job.

2. Have you ever slept in the same bed with anyone that you shouldn't have? Sure, sure.

3. Can you sleep in total darkness?
I desire to sleep in total darkness. Hubby likes having the TV on or music. I prefer dark and quiet and sometimes have to accomplish this with one of the those satin masks and ear plugs.
4. Your phone is ringing. It’s the person you fell hardest for, the one who got away, what do you say?
She's not available; may I take a message? Anyone I fell for that hard and didn't marry I wouldn't care to hear from ever again!
5. What do you think about the weather this summer?
I live in Texas. It's still hot, hot, hot!
6. How many people do you trust with everything?
None. Not even Hubby. Not even my girlfriends. Not even my mother.
7. What was the last thing you drank?
Water with a slice of lemon. Boring, I know, but water is usually going to be the answer to that one.
8. Is there anyone you want to come see you?
Yes, those people from Clean Sweep. My house could use a de-clutter makeover!
9. Name one thing you love about winter?
Comfort food.
10. Have you ever dated a Goth?
No. (Not 100% sure what a Goth is)
11. What are you looking forward to tomorrow?
Tomorrow is my kids' first day at new schools. I'm looking forward to it even if they are not.

12. Name something you dislike about the day you’re having?
Way too much to do to get the kids ready for school and get my house in order to relax and enjoy my Sunday.
13. What's the longest that you have committed to one person and one person only?
14 years 8 months 3 days ago I married my Hubby. That's by far the longest commitment to one person I can claim.

14. What’s the first thing you did when you opened your eyes today?
Peeped my clock to make sure I wasn't oversleeping.
15. Has anyone ever told you they never want to ever lose you?
My daughter in a roundabout way.

16. Is there anybody that you wish you could fix your relationship with?
Yes, God. I feel like He gets the short end of the stick in our relationship. He's always there for me, but I'm not always there for Him. I know I let him down sometimes.
17. Could you go out in public, looking like you do now?
Yep! I went to my friend's graduation party tonight and haven't changed out of my dress and heels.

18. Do you think things will change in the next 3 months? How?
Lord knows I hope things will change. I will have a job. Unpaid bills won't be stacked to the ceiling on my dining room table. My kids will be back in the routine of going to bed and getting up at reasonable hours. My dining room table will be free of clutter so we can sit down as a family and actually be able to see one another. Oh yes I think and hope things will change in the next three months!
19. Do you believe that you never know what you got until you lose it?
Definitely. Once upon a time ago when I lived in Honduras as a Peace Corps Volunteer, a main pipe in my community broke and we didn't have running water for several days. I had to walk to the river to collect water and boil it to drink and cook with, etc. It seemed like everything I decided to do required water: washing laundry, washing dishes, cooking, bathing, washing my hands, etc. I really missed it and appreciated it all the more once that pipe was repaired.
20. Do you have a friend of the opposite sex you can talk to?
Yes. Unfortunately, any of my friends of the opposite sex also happen to be friends of my Hubby; so I couldn't talk freely about everything.

Five Question Friday August 20, 2010

2010-08-19T22:15:00.000-07:00

Here we go again, friends. Time for Five Question Friday. For more information and/or to copy the list of questions, click on the link to the right or click here on My Little Life. This is a fun way to learn about other bloggers and maybe rediscover some things about yourself in the process! Let's begin...

1. Do you have any nicknames and if so how did it come about?
With a name like "Eastlyn" I always wanted a nickname because no one could remember or pronounce my name correctly. It's just Ees'-lin; long "e", silent "t" for the most part. My cousins called me "Ees-tuh-lin" (this, my friends, is why phonics warns against teaching the "t" sound as "tuh"). Telemarketers often ask for "Es-tuh-lene" (short e). I'm often referred to as Evelyn and once was called Caitlyn. I guess "lyn" was all they remembered. Anyway, the question asks about nicknames, so here are some names I have been called over the years: Easi (pronounced "E-C") was given to me from a friend in Junior High. My sister and a couple of friends call me "Eastchurn" (your guess is as good as mine on this one); a college buddy coined the name "Eastwood" (as in "go ahead...make my day"). When my siblings had kids I became "Auntie" (On-T) and "Aunt (pronounced "ant" in the true southern tradition) Eastlyn, and my favorite plain, old "E." When I taught at Parent's Day Out where my nephew attended, he would call me Auntie out of habit, and his classmates would call me "Miss Auntie." I thought that was the cutest thing! To answer the question succinctly, no I do not have a "Hi, my name is Michael, but everyone calls me 'Mike'" sort of nickname. Not really.

2. What is your birth order amongst your siblings?
I am the middle child: one older brother and a younger brother and sister who are twins. I think we all fit the typical birth order descriptions. I'm not the outgoing, all-star first born or the doted on baby of the family, just the quiet one tucked safely in the middle of the family not rocking the boat, minding my own business.

3. In a movie of your life who would play your significant other?
I know you're not supposed to answer a question with a question, but is this a wistful thinking kind of movie of my life or am I supposed to choose someone who is like the significant other I already have? Hmmm, let's see...in the "real life" version I'd have to say Kevin James (chose this image b/c of the facial hair)-big guy, funny and oh so lovable or Ice Cube (sans the "bad boy" reputation and with a few extra pounds). My daughter just added Cedric the Entertainer, and come to think of it she may be closer to the mark than any of my choices. In my wistful thinking movie of my life I'd probably choose Lenny Kravitz or Boris Kodjoe. ::fans self::

4. What is currently your favorite song?
::tempted to bite nails and pace the floor:: This question totally feels like a pop quiz! If only I listened to more music! It's probably a bad thing to not know your own favorite song, huh? I'm a little weird in that I rarely watch television or listen to the radio, but I sing all of the time-just not about anything in particular. I'm either on my computer or listening to a book on CD as I go about my day. I think I'd better just come clean and confess that I don't have a favorite song. I could ramble on and on about my favorite kind of music or my favorite Christmas carol or church hymn or something, but that is not what the question is asking, so I shall spare you all of that.

5. Are you saving your money for anything right now? Big or small purchase?
No, but as soon as I get a job I will be saving money to throw a big bash for my parents' 50th anniversary in November 2012. I don't want nachos and meatballs in bbq sauce at my sister's house. I don't want pulled pork and potato salad at my brother's house. (Don't get me wrong, folks. Those types of get togethers have their place.) I want a fancy hotel and real linens and china and glass water goblets and appetizers and good food that I won't have to prepare and a beautiful tiered cake that I won't have to decorate. I want to be able to sit down and dine with our guests and soak up the moment with my parents and family and friends not be hustling all night long to ensure that everyone else is taken care of. Should my parents decide they don't want that, I'll send them on a trip for two somewhere. Lord knows they deserve it!

That was fun. Now, I'm done. Good night, fellow bloggers. Until next time...

I am Thankful

2010-08-18T22:48:00.000-07:00

I started not to participate in this week's Thanksgiving Thursday. I just didn't feel up to it. Then, I thought better of it and figured the very time you're feeling the least thankful or the most down is the time counting your blessings may just uplift you from your blue funk. So, I'm going to keep this short and sweet (I think).
(1) I am thankful for my friends, especially Francesca whose birthday is today. Happy Birthday, girlfriend! I know I owe you some cookies. I haven't forgotten you (although for the life of me I can't remember which recipe you liked the most).
(2) I am thankful for the institution of marriage for the stability it offers much of society. Congratulations to my sister and brother-in-law on their 11th anniversary tomorrow and my BIL's parents who celebrated 40 years earlier this week.
(3) Words alone cannot express how thankful and grateful I am for teachers everywhere who are working to prepare their classrooms and themselves for a new group of students arriving next week in my neck of the woods. I baked an Almond Cream Cheese pound cake for the teachers' at my daughter's school "Welcome Back" luncheon tomorrow. I need to go flip it out of the pan so it can finish cooling. Okay, done! I love, love, love my new Wilton Bundt pan (Thanks SIL!)
(4) I am so very thankful for my family who keep me afloat amidst life's storms.
(5) I am thankful for the small bonus check my Hubby brought home; unexpected income is always a blessing! I believe this is God's way of telling me to quit sweating the financial difficulties. He meant it when he said he would provide for us all that we need.
(6) Oh, and one more while I'm at it. I am thankful for kind neighbors. In particular my neighbor who edged my whole yard for me b/c Hubby has been working lots of hours and hasn't had a chance to do it.

And now, because I have mentioned Almond Cream Cheese Pound Cake in two different blogs, I thought I'd include the recipe. It's quick and easy and tastes divine. Best of all, it starts with a mix!
Almond Cream Cheese Pound Cake

1 pkg (18.5 ounces) butter recipe golden cake mix

1(8-oz) pkg cream cheese, softened (room temperature)

4 large eggs

½ cup water

½ cup sugar

½ cup vegetable oil

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp pure almond extract

Place rack in the center oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly mist a 10-inch tube pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour. Set the pan aside.

Place the cake mix, cream cheese, eggs, water, sugar, oil, vanilla and almond extract in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look well-blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place the pan in the oven.

Bake the cake until it is golden brown and springs back when lightly pressed with your finger, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Run a long sharp knife around the edge of the cake, invert it onto a rack, then invert it onto a serving platter so that it is right side up.

Slice the cake while it is still a little warm. It's great with fresh berries and whipped cream, too.

*Store this cake, covered in plastic wrap or under a glass cake dome at room temperature for up to one week. Or, freeze it wrapped in foil for up to six months. Thaw the cake overnight on the counter before serving.

Eastlyn’s tips:

I used 1/3 less fat cream cheese and it turned out fine; I also used “imitation” vanilla and almond extracts because that’s what I had on hand, and they worked well.
I used the nonstick Bundt pan and only sprayed it with plain cooking spray with no flour. I also reduced my cooking temp to 325 because my pan is dark. The cake fell right out of the pan. I think it did take the full 40 minutes for the cake to test done. I tried dusting with powdered sugar after the cake was completely cooled, but the powdered sugar just soaked into the cake within minutes.

Time for a change

2010-08-16T16:28:00.000-07:00

Howdy, folks! I've been visiting blogs all day long and am inspired by the beautiful blog designs out there. I really liked the blue background I had before but found it difficult to read, so I went in search of something a little "lighter" (and hence easier on the old peepers) but still "summery." Well, this is what I came up with but to me the green splotchy background is almost just as difficult to read from as the other was. I'm tired of sitting at this computer and my kids will be hollering for dinner soon, so I must skedaddle for now. I'm still working on the makeover, so don't be surprised if you see something different tomorrow. I'm usually from the train of thought, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" but I felt like either my old background was broke or my eyes were, and I'd rather go with the former explanation.
This attitude has presented a certain dilemma in my job search, too. Some of the "inventories" or assessments I've been doing online so that prospective employers can "get to know me" (Ha-I sure do miss the "old-fashioned," meet face to face, hand over a resume, shake hands and have a seat conversations/interviews) have posed statements similar to this: I prefer things to stay the same in the workplace. Answer options are: strongly disagree, disagree, not sure, agree, strongly agree. I felt stuck. I am a creature of habit and like for things to stay the same, but I didn't want a prospective employer to deem me inflexible because I'm not THAT much a creature of habit that I can't change and adapt to a changing environment or new ideas. What is one to do when you can only click on one answer and offer no explanation?! Sheesh.
I do like to change my blog background from time to time, usually to match the season or a special occasion. I'm not that technologically inclined, but I've at least learned to "install" the different backgrounds. Because I am unemployed and have no money I have to go with the freebies for now. I have visited www.shelsscraps.blogspot.com, www.thecutestblogontheblock.com, and hot bliggety blog (always have to google them b/c I usually get an error message). If anyone knows of fun free blog backgrounds that are easy to install and designed for "mature" eyes like mine, let me know! Thanks for your help. Until next time...

Licking the beaters

2010-08-15T12:03:00.000-07:00

"A friendly look, a kindly smile, one kind act, and life's worthwhile." -Author unknown

Today, I'm joining Mama Hen for Smile Sunday. It all started when I found a new blog I'm now following earlier in the week, Falling off a high-heeled life, one woman's incredible journey to restored health after a debilitating accident. (You can click on the "Falling..." link to check out her blog.) She posted a scrumptious recipe for chocolate frosting and made me smile thinking about memories of my own mom baking us treats. Growing up with four kids, when mom baked a cake, two of us got beaters, one got the mixing spoon, and the luckiest one got "the bowl"! We all survived the raw eggs and refined sugar, too. Nowadays, when I bake a cake, my two kids get the beaters and I get the bowl and the spoon! Now, if I were a really organized mom like some of you out there, I would insert a picture of my toddler daughter with a mouth rimmed in white buttercream frosting licking one of said beaters with a huge smile plastered on her sweet, sticky face, or my nephew with chocolate lips doing the same. I know these pictures exist, only they were taken before I had my first digital camera, so Lord only knows where they are. I'm racking my poor little brain trying to remember if I've actually scrapped the pictures and if so which pizza box the unbound pages are stored in, and it's just too much! I give you permission to insert your own favorite memory of licking the beaters and hope it brings a smile to your day. Until next time....

Five Question Friday-13Aug10

2010-08-12T20:03:00.000-07:00

Well, folks, it's that time of the week once again. I just love these theme days that make it so easy to blog! Just click on the Five Question Friday button to visit Mama M. and get the questions and rules for joining the fun. You can also link your blog with her linky and visit others who are participating in 5QF.

1. Have you ever visited another country?

I have been on a couple of cruises, but since the other countries were just ports of call I don't really consider that "visiting." I have been to Mexico, Jamaica, Grenada (Eastern Caribbean). I lived in Honduras, Central America for 2+ years as a Peace Corps Volunteer working a rural health education assignment. I also had the good fortune to visit Costa Rica (by way of El Salvador and Nicaragua) after I completed my service.

2. Where is the strangest place you have ever been?

I think the strangest place I've ever been would have to be the Bay Islands off of the northern coast of Honduras. It was primitive in a candles and outhouses sort of way, and I thought the native people were speaking another language. It turned out they were descendants of some Dutch culture and they were speaking English with a very strange lilt to it. I had to pay close attention to understand what they were saying!

I have to tell you a little story about this question and why it cracks me up. *WARNING: Crude humor to follow; skip to question #3 if you feel you may be offended.* Anybody remember The Newlywed Game? It was a game show back in the 70's and 80's where host Bob Eubanks brought three newlywed couples on the set. They had to answer questions separately and then come together and compare answers. The winner was the couple whose answers matched the closest. Making whoopee was the euphemism for you-know-what. Anyway...on one episode the host asked, "Where is the strangest place you've ever made whoopee?" (see the similarity to this question?). The one husband answered, "I'd have to say, 'up the butt, Bob'!" My Peace Corps buddies and I got a lot of laughs from that silly phrase. I think the contestant might have misunderstood the question. Then again, maybe not. LOL!

3. What is your favorite season?

I love spring and all of its signs of new life-rain, baby animals, budding trees, blooming flowers. It is such a welcome change from the cooped up, cold days of winter. Okay, okay, so I live in Texas and we sometimes don't have a "real" winter per se, but I'm sure those of you in colder climates might be able to relate to my love of spring. Don't hate!

4. What song will always cheer you up?

Time for confessions of a closet country music lover. I love "Keep on the Sunny Side" from the soundtrack to Oh Brother Where Art Thou? I don't know if it's considered blue grass or country music or what, but I love wailing right along with the CD in my finest Texas twang (much to my kids' and cousin's chagrin). Most people would never have guessed that I listen to that let alone know every word.

5. What disney character do you resemble most?

Although Tatiana from the latest Princess and the Frog movie might be the "obvious" answer since she's the only African-American Disney princess, I don't think I have as much spunk, vision and gumption as she does. Furthermore, Lord knows I don't consider myself a princess. I think I'd have to be Jiminy Cricket because he was always hopping around trying to get Pinocchio to follow the rules and do the right thing.

Thanksgiving Thursday 8/12/10

2010-08-11T18:59:00.000-07:00

Make it a habit to tell people thank you. To express your appreciation sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return. Truly appreciate those around you, and you'll soon find many others around you. Truly appreciate life, and you'll find that you have more of it. -Ralph Marston

Welcome back for Thanksgiving Thursday. Each time Thursday rolls around, I remember an exercise from junior high school P.E. class. We had to divide a sheet of notebook paper into two columns and write down things we like about ourselves on one side and things we didn't like on the other side. Naturally, being self-conscious, teenage girls, it took about 1 minute to fill the "negatives" side and several minutes to think about the positives and come up with two or three things. I think life is often like that--we are tempted to focus on all of the negatives that surround us and miss the positives unless we purposefully turn our attention to all of the blessings in our lives for which we should be thankful. All of that is to say, I am thankful for this opportunity each week to reflect on my many blessings and say "thank you."

(1) Thank you to my husband for making me laugh and helping me (read: forcing me) to lighten up and not take life so seriously when I'm about to lose my mind over something I have no control over anyway.

(2) I am thankful for the little silver cross my mother gave to me for my birthday several years ago that is a physical reminder of Jesus' love for me and the perfect sacrifice he made on my behalf.

(3) I am thankful for my son who has blessed our family with his sense of humor, laughter, hugs, positive attitude, willingness to try new things and kisses to pay for his dad's haircuts for 14 years. Where has the time gone?! Hubby asks me to cut his hair and then tells Aaron to "pay your mama for my haircut." Aaron brings me his upturned, dimpled cheeks to smother with kisses as payment for the haircut. Iused to tell him I had to get as many sugars as I could before he turned into a crusty "old" boy. Just for the record, this has not happened to date. His sugars are still sweet, and he's not too big to share them with his mama. I'm thankful for that in and of itself.

(4) I am thankful I didn't get the job at Baylor Dallas because I really didn't want to have to make that commute anyway. I know there is something just around the corner.

(5) I am thankful for support and encouragement from friends and family (especially my blog buddies) who stop by or call just to ask how I'm doing. Thanks, y'all!

That's all for now. Until next time....

Share the Love

2010-08-09T08:58:00.000-07:00

Hey, fellow blog buddies. I just stopped by Megan C.'s "Infertile Myrtle" blog and she is doing a product review for an awesome all-clad baking sheet and a giveaway for a sexy apron. Rest assured that this is no June Cleaver apron, I'm telling you! I'm encouraging you to hop on over and see for yourself by clicking on this link: Infertile Myrtle or Megan's badge to the right. I think the apron would make a nice gift even if you're not the apron type. Hope your week is off to a great start! Until next time...

Smile Sunday-Happy Birthday, PaPa!

2010-08-08T13:08:00.000-07:00

Here are 5 smiles for you: Baby sis, Big Bro, Dad, me, Baby Bro

See what I mean about being the "shorty" in the family? Yesterday was my dad's birthday, and we all headed to my Baby Bro's house for a cookout. Baby Bro and Baby Sis (both wearing dark on either end of the group) are the twins. Baby Bro is all about grilling and smoking meat these days so we let him have at it. We had ribs, brisket, pulled pork, chicken, potato salad, tossed salad, cole slaw, baked beans, jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese & little smokies, wrapped with bacon and smoked along with the meat. I baked a coconut cake (Dad's request) and an almond cream cheese pound cake (my son's request for his birthday which is coming up this Tuesday), and vanilla cupcakes with buttercream frosting. My SIL made more of those absolutely deliciosos key lime cupcakes. Sorry for all of you who are vegetarian or on a diet. I am very easily overwhelmed by such large quantities of food. As much as I'd love to sample a bite of everything, it's just too much for me, but I managed to sample most of it, and it was good! I brought home a doggy bag, and that's what he had for lunch after church this afternoon.
Although pulling all of the arrangements together at the last minute can be a royal pain in the behind at times, spending time with my family makes me smile.

Five Question Friday-August 6, 2010

2010-08-06T01:54:00.000-07:00

Is it really Friday again so soon? Click on the Five Question Friday button to the right to join in on the fun or for more details. OR you could always join the blog hop sponsored by simplystacie and my wee view by clicking on the Fun Follow Friday button. Here goes...

1. Are you a neat sleeper or a messy sleeper? It totally depends. I think I'm a pretty neat sleeper. Sometimes it seems as if I haven't moved at all throughout the night. Other nights I know I toss and turn a lot but not to the degree that the covers are on the floor and the pillows are at the foot of the bed or anything like that. I sleep with covers, Hubby sleeps without so sometimes the sheets get a little tangled and twisted.

2. Fill in the blank: I wish I was more _____
Picture Ursula the Sea Witch from The Little Mermaid clasping her hands and saying, "Oh this is just too easy. She's fallen in love with a Prince!" Now picture me saying, "Oh this is just too easy! I wish I was more organized!" I can think of some other words to finish that statement, but "organization" wins hands down.

3. What is something you wish you had been warned about?
Umm ... err...uhh. Let me just spit it out already: marital "expectations." Let me preface that by saying sex education in my parents' household consisted of 6 words: don't do IT until you're married. Well, we did have access to the Life Cycle Library, too, which was a collection of about 3 or 4 volumes that was probably published before I was ever born. They mainly talked about puberty and "petting" (archaic word for making out). Sometimes demands of married life and parenthood are overwhelming--a little warning would have been nice.

4. What was the best thing you ever found at a garage sale/flea market? Just for the record, I don't really shop much, not even garage sales and flea markets. I can remember being dragged from garage sale to garage sale with my grandmother one summer. She bought me and my sister purses made with a cool whip tub for a bottom with holes punched around the top and a drawstring top crocheted to the cool whip tub. Maybe not the greatest find, but definitely unique and "memorable." More recently I bought a bike rack for the back of my van from my next door neighbor (which I have yet to use--best laid plans, right?!).

(5) If you could have any meal brought to you right now, what would it be? Ahhhh, food, my favorite subject! This is probably the most difficult question of all because it's after 4 a.m. and I'm hungry, so really a bowl of cereal would probably do. As long as I'm dreaming though, let's make the most of it. I'd start with a chilled fruit soup-like they often serve on cruise ships. My SIL thinks this sounds totally gross, but a few spoonfuls served in a beautiful piece of crystal or china would be a nice start in my opinion. Next, I'd have a lobster tail along with a filet of fish with more seafood -crab, shrimp, spinach, wine & butter-piled on top (I'm thinking Pappadeaux's Seafood Kitchen here) with a house salad and onion rings on the side. As if that's not a recipe for gastrointestinal distress in and of itself, I'd have some yumscrumptious variety of cheesecake for dessert with a splash of decaf coffee to wash it down.

Well, folks, that was fun and now I'm done. Until next time...

Thanksgiving Thursday 8/5/10

2010-08-06T00:49:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been quite a week in the Wilborn-White household. Way too much to elaborate on here. It's officially Friday morning, but I'm still up so it still seems like Thursday to me. I'm going to go ahead and post my Thanksgiving Thursday. This week I am thankful for...
(1) A job prospect. Everyone seems to think that nurses are in demand everywhere. Let me just correct your thinking. Apparently, experienced nurses are what's in demand. I'm steady looking for graduate nurse positions where I can hone my skills and gain that experience everyone is looking for. I found and applied for one such residency at a hospital not far from my house (about a 30-minute commute is all). My fingers are crossed, but it doesn't begin until February 2011.
(2) Pharmaceutical reps. Strange, huh? These are the well-dressed, briefcase on wheels pulling individuals we usually don't think too highly of when our little ones are running fever, in pain from an ear infection, and waiting to get in to see the doctor (or worse yet perfectly healthy and only in the office for shots with other kids who are sick). They walk up to the nurse at the window, schmooze a bit, pass out some cool freebies, and go right back. We stare at their backs, mumble under our breath and throw a nasty look at the nurse behind that glass window because we know it's going to be a little while longer before our child gets seen. Well, I'm thankful for my friend, Randy, who is one of the said legal drug pushers. He has lots of connections with hospitals and doctors' offices in the area and is passing out my resume everywhere he goes.
(3) Forgiveness. Last night my kids and I were walking around the neighborhood. My daughter is a little heavier than she should be, and I've been trying to encourage her to move more, mainly since the "eat less" approach just doesn't seem to appeal to her. I'm actually at a loss as to how to deal with her weight. She is self-conscious about it. Her feelings get hurt whenever my mother tells her outright that she needs to lose weight and she has stretch marks because she eats too much. (Way to preserve that self-esteem, Grandma! I just told the girl she grew so fast her skin couldn't keep up, which is true) Well, she was tired and didn't want to keep walking after about 15 minutes. She was getting an attitude and talking back. I finally asked her who she thought needed the exercise more. She zipped it and we walked around the block one more time. Later, I was in the kitchen washing dishes when she came in with puffy eyes. I knew she had been crying, and it was because of what I had said to her--bad mommy :-/ I apologized and got on the step stool so I could kiss her tear-streaked face (well, maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but only slight--the girl is tall!). And she forgave me.
(4) Cake mix. My dad's birthday is Saturday and he requested a coconut cake. So, I made the coconut frosting, shoved it in the fridge and grabbed yellow a cake mix from the cupboard. I got real fancy and substituted coconut milk for the water in the recipe because I was out of coconut extract. Then, I proceeded to ruin my cakes. It's a long story that involves putting the cakes in the oven, plans to zip to my mom's house to pick up kids and come right back, getting way-laid by my neighbor who just needed someone to talk to because he got fired from his job after 11 years (trust me when I say I heard ALL of the details of the circumstances surrounding his "wrongful" termination) and a husband who fell asleep. I was so disappointed when I came home and found two buckled down, humped up, shriveled cakes sitting in their pans on the stove, but I am thankful I had the ingredients to make another cake from scratch. The house note is due and there will be no trips to the grocery store for more cake mix! I guess I ought to be thankful my house didn't burn down, too!
(5) I am thankful for my family and friends whom I love and who love me in return (even when I'm a bit less than deserving of it). This week I'm especially thankful for my Comadre (my daughter's Godmother) who made my daughter's day when she sent a card inviting Alisa to spend the day with her and do some shopping next Friday.
BONUS: I am thankful for Cassiopeia at http://cassiopeiachats.blogspot.com for creating my personalized button. Didn't she do an awesome job?! Thanks again.
Good night. Until next time...

Five Question Friday

2010-07-29T21:07:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a great week. I can hardly believe it's time for Five Question Friday (5QF) once again. If you'd like to join the fun, just click on link to the right for more details.

1. Did you have a favorite blanket or toy as a kid? If so, do you still have it?

Oh, I have a hideous stuffed monkey with plastic "hands" that used to hold a banana. The banana is long gone and there is some pitiful residue where the damage was repaired with tape. He is stuffed with those tiny styrofoam beads like bean bags, which I'm certain would not pass anybody's child safety standards in this day and age. I am speaking in present tense because I do still have the thing. He has been banished to the shelf of my daughter's closet (she was scared stiff of it when she was little and just thinks it's plain ugly now that she's older). Poor monkey! I guess I should put him on the curb for err, uhh "pick up" tomorrow. Is there some ceremony for getting rid of cherished lovies that are filthy dirty, a safety hazard and no longer so special?

2. Do you dream in color? When I can remember a dream I think it is in color. I've never really thought about that, though. I'll have to pay more attention next time.

3. How tall are you? Do you wish you were shorter or taller?

I am 5'6" which I think is about average for a female. I am the shortest sibling in my family, but I'm okay with that. Don't think I'd rather be any taller or shorter.

4. If you could have anyone's (celeb or other) voice as the guide on your GPS, whose would it be?

I don't even have GPS, but I'd probably have to say Peter J. Fernandez. I listen to a lot of audiobooks, and always love when he's the narrator.

5. Do you return shopping cart to the corral or just leave it wherever in the parking lot?

Oh, I always make it a point to return the shopping cart to the corral or sometimes I'll return it to the front entryway of the store if it's closer than the corral from where I parked. To this end I usually make it my business to park near the cart return, but shhh! don't tell my "don't-you-know-you're-more-apt-to-get-a-door-ding" husband about that! If I find a stray cart on the lot on my way into the store, I'll take it in with me and just use it if it's not one of those pull to one side or wobbly, squeaky wheel varieties.

I guess that's all for now, folks. Until next time...