Another Piece of the Pie

And ...

2011-04-14T23:07:00.000-07:00

... now we are six!

Happy Birthday Em!

One Year

2011-04-13T21:14:00.000-07:00

It's been one year since my Mom passed.

I was thinking about it yesterday. I looked at the clock and realized that one year ago at that time my mom and I were spending her last few hours on this earth together. I was holding my mom's hand for the last time. I gave her a final kiss. And I said goodbye.

Not forever. But for the time being.

Until we meet up again in heaven.

Knowing that we share the same faith, we both love our Savior, we have both been saved by grace and that we will be reunited once again. We will stand together before our Lord and rejoice.

This gives me comfort.

However, I'm still human, and I'm still vulnerable. And I still ache and hurt with the pain of losing my mother. Time does not heal all wounds. Whoever came up with that saying? No amount of time will make the loss go away nor will I ever miss her less. My mom will still be gone. And I will still miss her. And does anyone really ever stop grieving? I don't think so. I think you just learn how to live with it. You do not "get over it". Rather you learn how to create a new normal for yourself. And you slowly become able to smile more often than cry.

I have been reading through a book called: The Grief Recovery Handbook. I have learned many valuable things on this journey. How many times do you hear people say, "I know just how you feel" after you've lost someone? The truth is, no one can possibly know how you feel. All relationships are unique. Just because you lost your mom and I lost my mom, does mean that we know how each other must feel. We may have some general idea, but our experiences are profoundly individual.

Here's another truth:

Our entire lives we are taught how to acquire things. We are never taught what to do when we lose them.

Let that sink in a minute.

Well I could go on and on with bits of wisdom from this book. I still have a little ways to go before I'm finished reading it. Maybe I'll be able to share it all at some point.

But for now ...

... aren't these pansies beautiful? My mom loved pansies. She always made sure to help me plant some at each place I've lived. I was looking up the language of flowers and learned that pansies are actually the flower of remembrance.

Fitting isn't it?

No More TV!

2011-03-09T21:17:00.000-08:00

We got rid of our TV.

Yes we did.

Well, we didn't actually chuck it. It's still here.

We did, however, get rid of our DishNetwork.

So now we have no dish, no cable, just a TV.

We have an antennae and we can get local stations.

But really, there's not much on that's worth watching.

We weaned ourselves before we actually cancelled the dish. So for about 3 weeks prior we weren't watching TV. Can I just say, it was WONDERFUL!

It was so nice to not have the noise. The junk. The wasted time. We read books, we played games, we talked. Imagine that. I got some sewing projects done too.

Here's the thoughts behind getting rid of TV ... first, we're saving money. Second, most everything on television can be found on the Internet. But now that we've gone without, I don't really care to even find it on the Internet. Also, there are some shows (remember all my British tele posts?) and tons of movies that I check out from the library.

We all seem to be pretty good with this change.

So there ya go ...

Lists

2011-02-13T21:49:00.001-08:00

I make lists.

I make lists of lists.

I have lists here, there and everywhere.

I have handwritten lists in pretty notebooks.

I have scribbled lists on the back of receipts.

But my favorite list maker is here ...

On my iPhone.

I really never thought I'd be dependent on an electronic device. But I am. My iPhone can do everything. I can check email, I can surf the web, I get weather updates, I can access maps that show me exact directions to my destination (complete with a little blinking pinpoint of where I am to show how much farther I need to go), I pay my bills, I take photos, I can Facebook, I listen to music, I can prevent global warming and save the planet!

Well, not quite, I don't think anyone has invented an app for that yet.

Oh yeah, I can even talk on the phone!

In fact, we completely eliminated our home phone.

You heard correctly, there is no telephone or phone line at my house! When I tell people this, they are astonished and perplexed. But I don't understand why. We don't really need a home phone anymore. I have my mobile, hubby has his, oldest daughter has hers. Our Internet is through cable. We don't need a phone line. So I had my home phone number transferred to my iPhone. So basically, you're calling me, not my house. Doesn't that make sense?

Funny story ... last summer when hubby and I were in Vegas for his business meeting, my dad calls. He called the old home phone number, which caused my iPhone to ring. I answered it and caught him off guard. He says, "I thought you were in Vegas." I said, "I am." He replies, "but I called the house." I had to tell him, "um no, you called the old house number, which is now my new cell number and you're actually talking to me while I'm in Vegas." Hmmm, he pondered for a bit. Then jokingly says, "well I didn't want to talk to you, I was calling your house to talk to talk to your brother." (my brother was staying at our house with my kids) To which I countered with, "Well, then you have to call his cell phone."

I guess the idea of calling the person, instead of the location will still take some time to sink in. Anyhow, back to my original train of thought ... lists. If I don't make lists I forget things. Well, I don't totally forget, I just sometimes remember too late. Like when the kids ask, "did you get shampoo at Target?" And I say, "no it wasn't on the list." And they say, "but I told you, don't you remember?" And I say, "yes, I remember now, but since it wasn't on the list I didn't remember it when I was actually at Target!" To which I get the big eye roll in response. So now, the kids know to grab my iPhone and find the Target list and add their items.

I'm not sure if it's true, but somehow having lists makes me feel more organized. Plus I love the sense of accomplishment when I can cross something off of the list!

Here is a list of the current lists I have going:

*Target (duh!)

*Save Mart (groceries)

*Von's (more groceries)

*B-Alive (my vitamin/health supplement store)

*Outdoor chores to do

**sub list: garden plan

*Indoor chores (daily/weekly)

*Indoor projects (stuff that needs to be fixed/painted/redecorated, etc)

*daily school plan

*weekly school plan

*monthly school plan

*yearly school ... well you get the idea

*daily to-do list

*bills to pay

*drama prop list (for our upcoming play production)

*drama costume list

*drama weekly things to accomplish

Whew.

I'm sure there's more. But I can't remember.

Maybe I should have a Master List of my lists!

;-)

Hide the Dolphin

2011-02-09T22:51:00.000-08:00

My oldest daughter and I have an ongoing game ...

HIDE THE DOLPHIN!

Somehow, somewhere, at some point in time she acquired this tiny little toy dolphin. By tiny, I mean it's not even an inch long. I'm not even sure exactly when, or how, the game started. But it goes like this:

I hide the dolphin.

You find the dolphin.

Now it's your turn to hide the dolphin.

Then I find the dolphin.

And we keep going like that.

But there's a catch ...

We have no idea when the other one is going to do this!

For example ...

I open up my nightstand drawer to get a book, and there sits the little dolphin. So I hang on to it, wait for a day, or two, or 12, and then I hide the dolphin in her jewelry box. She may not open her jewelry box for a week. But eventually she does, finds the dolphin, and then starts plotting her next hiding place so I can discover the dolphin again. This has been going on for a couple of years now I think. Then all of a sudden the little dolphin stopped turning up. I assumed that one of us had hidden it so well that the other one never found it and the hider forgot where she hid it.

Well imagine my surprise a couple of weeks ago when I sat down at my computer and opened up the case for my glasses and there sat the little dolphin! I was so surprised. Then I started getting a whiff of mint. Hmm, this is odd. So I ask my oldest where in the world did dolphin turn up. She says, "remember Mom, you hid him in the cap of my toothpaste tube?" Oh yeah ... I had totally forgotten. She opened up her toothpaste, there was dolphin peeking out from the goo of vanilla-mint Crest and so she squeezes it to pop him out and he ends up getting sucked into the tube. She had to wait until the tube was empty to get him out. No wonder he smelled minty fresh.

So I hung on to dolphin for a few days and then I hid him in the back pocket of her new Build-A-Bear dog's blue jeans. I know she found it. So now I wait ...

... where will little dolphin turn up next?

I look forward to finding him!

My K Friends

2011-02-09T20:42:00.000-08:00

Let me just say ...

I am blessed with some wonderful girlfriends.

I was thinking about this today. About my wonderful friends. And I started noticing that I have several friends who's first names start with the letter K. I even looked on Facebook and I have 22 female K friends. And check this out ... my middle starts with K. Not only that, my middle name actually is Kay! I don't know why, I just thought this was pretty amazing.

So I started thinking about all these K friends. I want to share a bit about a few of them. Pay attention, you may recognize yourself here ...

KK ... I've talked about her here before. In fact, there may even be some photos of her on my blog. I'm thinking of a particular photo that goes back about 25 years. This is noteworthy, because we've been friends for a long time. And there is nothing else as treasured as a long time friend. This is the friend who knows how silly and irrational I can be at times. And she knows she can be the same way with me because we totally get each other. I can tell her anything and not fear judgement. I can scream and shout and whine and cry to her. She knows stuff about me ... and she still loves me!

KR ... is truly one of the sweetest girls I know. We met through homeschooling. I love her gentle and kind nature, her willingness to help, her devotion to her hubby and daughter. Every time we see each other we can just fall into conversation about absolutely anything. I admire her love for the Lord and the radiance she projects because of that love.

KB ... is one of my most favorite people in the world. She just makes me happy! Her smile and laugh are so infectious, you just want to be around her. We have a lot in common. In fact, there are times we can just look at each other and know exactly how the other one is feeling without saying a word. I think we have talked about practically everything at some point, yet when we get together it just seems like there's never enough time because we could talk on and on forever. She is also very thoughtful and kind. I've found little gifts dropped on my doorstep. As well as dinner for my family at a time when I needed it most. She's definitely a blessing in my life. And she has a huge tea collection. ;-)

KB ... I have another KB friend. We used to be neighbors. But thankfully our friendship has survived their move across town. Our families have hung out together ever since our oldest kids were little. Then we both ended up pregnant with our youngest at the same time. Her son and my Emma are a month apart. I have so many great memories of spending time with this friend. Most of our get-togethers revolve around the pool and the BBQ. Or at least food of some sort. (And the occasional margarita ;-) We love to get together and eat and chat for hours. Which reminds me, we're due for a date!

I recently lost a K friend. She was a scrapbooking buddy from way back. We met when our middle kids were babies. In fact, her daughter and my son share a birthday. Despite the distance across country, we managed to keep in touch all these years. She was a great mom, a loving wife, a devoted friend, and a very talented gal. She was such an inspiration to me. Sadly, she passed away on Christmas Eve.

Kelly ... you will be missed.

I love you K friends!

Dinner Conversation with an Almost-6-year-old

2011-02-02T19:44:00.000-08:00

Our family is pretty good about all of us sitting down to dinner together. Granted, there are a couple of nights a week where some of us are off playing floorball, or are at drama rehearsals. But for the most part, we are a family that sits down to dinner together on a regular basis. It is one thing I love and treasure about my family.

Tonight however I had the pleasure of dining with just one of my children. My husband was busy treating a patient and my older two kids were so engrossed in their homework I didn't have the heart to tell them to stop and come and eat. (translation: one kid didn't want a full stomach before floorball practice and the other was busy on the computer and chose not to come when the dinner bell rang).

So my almost 6-year-old and I dined together. The dinner conversation was fascinating.

Below is the transcript:

Emma: So whatta you wanna talk about?

Me: I don't know. Do you want to talk about something?

Em: Well yes. That's what you're supposed to do. You sit down, you eat, and you talk.

Me: Ok, let's talk. You go first.

Em: Well ok. Did you know that Tom loves Becky?

Me: Yes, I think I heard something about that.

Em: Tom, he's so handsome. He sat down with Becky and asked her to go 'gaged.

Me: You mean, engaged?

Em: Yeah, that's what I said. He said, Becky have you ever been gaged before? And Becky said no, what does it mean to be gaged. And Tom said I think you have to kiss. And he gave her a ring. And he said something about some other girl and Becky got mad and said she didn't want to gage him anymore.

Me: That's interesting. How do you know about Tom and Becky?

Em: You know, from the movie.

Me: Oh yes. Well wait until you read the book. Did you know it's a book?

Em: Of course. Just like Huckberry. He's in the movie too. But the movie is much better than the book.

Me: Really? Because I usually like the books much better than the movies.

Em: Hmmm. So when did you get gaged?

Me: In 1989. By the way, do you know what engaged means?

Em: Of course. You have to kiss and get married. It's very romantic.

Me: You think so? What does romantic mean?

Em: Mom, you know. When he's handsome and everything. That's romantic. And do you remember when the 2 kids across the street moved away? I was like 3 years old.

Me: I remember. What does that have to do with romantic.

Em: And then Riley moved in?

Me: I think you're changing the subject here.

Em: Riley is my friend.

Me: Yes, I know. What do you like about Riley?

Em: She's nice. Can I have dessert?

Me: You have to finish your dinner. You've been talking so much you haven't eaten.

Em: Well I'm done.

Me: Eating or talking?

Em: Yes!

The End

Lessons on Artists

2011-01-31T16:06:00.000-08:00

Instead of an art lesson today, I had a lesson on artists.

I just finished watching a very impressive series called The Impressionists.

This is a story of the great painters of the Impressionists era. The story is told by the old Monet looking back on his life: how he got started, his friendships with fellow artists, his inspirations, the struggles, the vast locations and subjects of the art. It is truly a visual feast. The landscapes and scenery are stunning. The colors are amazing. A scene will show one of the artists painting one of his famous works, then will still shot into the actual finished painting with the name captioned. It's really like seeing the life behind the artwork.

This is the younger Monet ...

Played by, you guessed it ...

Richard Armitage!

I just love a chance to put his photo on my blog again. Can you blame me?

Now, it's tea time and I'm off to brew my new favorite:

I know it sounds like an odd combination ... chocolate and jasmine ... but it's quite lovely. So I'll sip my tea and reflect on art for a while.

oooxxxooo

My Latest Discovery

2011-01-26T21:33:00.000-08:00

I'm not a huge fan of housework.

But it has to be done.

I've flirted with Flylady for years. She's very motivational, but I tend to get distracted or simply annoyed by the pressure and I don't keep up very well. But occasionally my house looks, feels and smells pretty good. You know, when all the stars align, I'm on a cleaning kick, and the kids have willingly and cheerfully completed their chores, above and beyond my impossibly high expectations. Yeah, then. It doesn't happen often, and the results are very brief before the mess starts up again. But for a tiny bit of time, it's pure bliss to have a clean house.

Part of the bliss comes from these fine products ...

At one point I was going to start making my own cleaning products. I was going for that non-toxic, healthy approach. But seriously, I can only do so much. I know it's not terribly time consuming to make your own products. But I get such joy out of not having to do that one extra thing. Mrs. Meyer's claims to be "earth-friendly, biodegradable, phosphate free". Good enough for me. The products work just as good as any others I've tried. But what sold me was the smell! They contain essential oils and smell absolutely divine. My favorite scents are Basil, Lavender, and Lemon-Verbena. I can't believe how often I'm cleaning my counters and kitchen table now.

I have no affiliation with Mrs. Meyer's. Other than I will be a forever customer now. I'm sold!

Look Who's 17!

2011-01-25T15:14:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Selena!

Sharing

2011-01-21T20:42:00.001-08:00

So today I had a clandestine meeting with some guy I met on the Internet.

We've been exchanging emails for a couple of days.

He was offering me something I couldn't refuse.

So today we met.

And he delivered everything he promised me he would. And more!

Ok, ok ... so it wasn't as secretive and illicit as all that. Don't be letting your minds wander.

Really, what kind of a girl do you think I am?

The truth is, I recently joined my local Freecycle group.

Are you aware of Freecycle.org?

Well I wasn't until just a few months ago.

Basically, it's an email group. You join a group that's local to you. Now you're a part of a community privy to items people are looking to give away. Or you can post items you would like to pass along. It's all free. The idea is to share things you no longer want or need instead of tossing them. And it creates a community of sharing and caring.

I love that!

I have noticed all sorts of items up for grabs. Everything from furniture and exercise equipment to baby formula and boxed mac and cheese.

Today, this is what I scored ...

A very nice gentleman was sharing his abundance of purple potatoes, ready for planting!

This is what I'm talking about ...

the whole sharing and caring community thing.

He grows potatoes, had way more seed potatoes than he needs for his own use, and is thoughtful enough to want to share with others. What a blessing.

He even threw in some garlic too!

I can't wait to get my garden tilled and ready to plant!

Now I know sometimes things like this can go sour, and there are people who don't join the group for the right reasons, and others that flake on their promises, and all that. But I have faith that by and large people are going to play nice and be fair. Besides, I made sure my family knew where I was going. And I took my now-taller-than-I-am, with-a-developing-deep-voice, son with me just in case.

And I met a new friend! And I gained some valuable knowledge about growing potatoes and garlic. And even a tip on a good source for baby chicks whenever we get our backyard coop ready.

Next step, cleaning out my garage so I can pass along some things we no longer need. What's that saying ... one man's trash is another man's treasure. Then I'm sure we can bless many people out there with our bounty!

Random Ramblings

2011-01-17T20:30:00.000-08:00

It's cold here.

Sun didn't show itself all day.

I've been coughing for 2 weeks.

Last night I made a home-remedy recipe for cough syrup.

It has ginger, honey, apple cider vinegar and cayenne pepper.

The cayenne pretty much makes your throat numb. So in essence you could say it works in an odd way.

My son cut off his long golden red locks today.

My son is also now taller than me and closing in fast on his dad.

Sometimes I hear my son's voice from another room and wonder who the strange man is in my house.

I sat in our pool today.

It didn't have any water in it.

But I still froze.

Kids and I are working on a 1000 piece puzzle of San Francisco.

A perfect activity for a cold, dreary day.

I was surprised at how well my almost 6-year old does with a puzzle like that.

I assumed she wouldn't be able to focus long enough on it, but she shows great concentration. And she's very good at finding the exact piece I'm looking for.

She amazes me on a daily basis.

Same daughter also talks non-stop.

Chatter, chatter, chatter.

I just had to pause between typing those last 2 sentences because she had something to tell me.

I'm still watching British tele.

Last series I completed was called Berkeley Square.

Quaint little show about the divide between upper class society and their hired help. Sadly the show only ran for one season. It was good costuming homework for me though as we'll be using some turn of the century styles in our upcoming play production.

I'm now watching BBC's Robin Hood.

I'll have to do a separate post on that one since a certain Richard Armitage stars in it.

Yep, Mmm-hmm.

I don't like doing posts without photos.

So here's a random shot ...

Something warm and inviting to day-dream about.

Look at the color of that water!

I want to paint my bathroom that color.

That's it.

I'm done rambling.

For now ...

Memories of Mom

2011-01-13T21:25:00.001-08:00

Isn't it interesting how memories can be linked to a specific smell? Anytime I smell raisin pie I'm taken right back to my grandma's kitchen. The smell of Coppertone reminds me of the summers of my youth. And star jasmine in bloom reminds me of buying our first house. Which we still live in, by the way, yet the star jasmine no longer grows along the front walk.

This is the smell of my mother.

Her signature fragrance was Estee Lauder's Youth Dew. She preferred the bath oil over the spray. She would dab it on her wrists and neck and behind her ears.

She would always purchase her Youth Dew at Gottschalk's department store. Many times she would splurge and get the dusting powder too.

I now have the last bottle of Youth Dew my mom owned. There is about half of a bottle left. I keep it in my dresser drawer. Every time I open the drawer I get a subtle whiff of my mother. It's the smell of warmth, security, reassurance, tenderness, confidence, strength, compassion and love.

It always makes me smile.

Life with Luna

2011-01-12T21:41:00.000-08:00

This is Luna.

She's the indoor cat.

Looks pretty sweet and innocent, doesn't she?

Deep down, I think this is who she really is ...

She's been a naughty kitty.

She wasn't always that way though.

Luna is about 7 years old. We got her at the SPCA after our beloved Calorie died. I've always had a cat in my life. I can't imagine not having a cat. The kids and I went and looked at all the kitties at the shelter ... and Luna chose us!

That's how it works you know. Unlike a dog, you don't chose a cat, they chose you.

Well Luna settled right in and took over the house.

And we all got along fine.

Then we did the unthinkable, inconsiderate act of having a baby and actually bringing it home. To live in Luna's house.

She was not happy.

A few years later we err again and bring home a dog.

A DOG!

Into a house dominated by a cat who was barely tolerating a baby at that point.

Well, we took it a step too far last year and really blew it when we adopted 2 stray cats living behind our garden shed.

These 2 cats are outdoor girls. But it doesn't matter.

Luna's had enough.

So guess what she does now to show her disapproval?

She pees on the carpet!

Eeeeegads ... there is nothing worse than cat pee on the carpet. She has one spot in the hall that she returns to whenever she's feeling stressed.

Now I'm the one that's about to blow a fuse over her behavior.

I've tried everything to deter her. I have used the enzyme products and cleaners. I have ripped up the corner of the carpet to get all the way down to the concrete foundation to deodorize and clean it. I bought her a new litter box that she loves. She gets plenty of attention and food and treats and toys. She certainly acts like life is good. And yet, she still does it.

Arrggghh ...

Cold January Randomness

2011-01-10T13:55:00.000-08:00

It's freezing here!

Ok, I'm exaggerating. It's 46 degrees. Not quite freezing. But I am COLD! I'm wearing a knitted scarf in the house.

It's 10 days into the new year and I still can't seem to get myself in gear.

I made chicken and dumplings for dinner last night.

We've started rehearsals for our spring play production.

The kids are doing a fabulous job!

My oldest daughter will turn 17 in a few weeks.

I'm planning my summer vegetable garden.

I'm wondering if I can get away with planting some veggies in the front yard. Seems like such a waste of land for a lawn and shrubs that don't produce anything useful.

This photo pops up on my desktop from time to time ...

I have no idea where this is, but it always makes me smile.

It looks so peaceful.

This guy makes me smile too ...

I finally watched North and South. My daughter has been bugging me to watch this for months. I can't believe I waited so long. Look at what I was missing!

Tea

2011-01-08T21:16:00.000-08:00

I recently revived tea time at my house.

Every afternoon,

we take a little break for tea.

Everyone has their favorite.

My oldest daughter likes Coconut Chai.

My son likes a fruity Swedish blend.

My youngest daughter likes any kind as long it has sugar and milk.

I'm an Earl Grey lover.

But my current favorite has to be Jasmine.

And I'm with my youngest, I have to have sugar and milk too!

For Christmas my sister-in-law and her family gave me one of these ...

It's the cutest little tea pot with those blooming flower teas. You pop that little pod in there and it blossoms into this sea urchin looking thing.

It's quite fascinating.

No, I haven't given up coffee. It still starts my day.

But around 3:30 in the afternoon you'll find me putting on a pot of tea.

Feel free to stop by and I'll share a cup!

Kid photos pt. 2

2011-01-03T17:07:00.000-08:00

Early in December, I took the kids to my dad's for a "country" photo shoot.

You know ... every year, round 'em up, make 'em tolerate the elements -

and mom's quirky photo op ideas

- for the perfect Christmas card photo.

I think they had fun.

Or at least they didn't complain too much.

And I loved the results ...

Reviving the ol' Blog!

2011-01-02T20:41:00.000-08:00

Yeehaw ... I'm starting this thing back up!

I've really missed blogging.

So let's get going again ...

Thought I would start off with photos of my kids.

Here are the shots that made the 2010 Christmas card ...

I'll post a few more tomorrow and maybe chat a little bit too.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Summer

2010-07-26T20:22:00.000-07:00

This year I decided that I would actually take the summer off.

In the past I've used the summer months to host classes, to take on projects around the house, to tackle previously put-aside crafts, or to catch up on schoolwork with the kids.

Not this year.

After losing my mom this past spring I decided that I wanted to use these few months to just rest.

To think.

To remember.

To reflect upon.

To write.

To read.

To watch.

I really believe that sometimes we just need a season to rest and regroup.

So that's exactly what I've been doing.

I've been reading old favorites (deserves a post of its own), writing down my thoughts and memories (not quite ready for public display though, sorry) and watching some awesome television series.

And just what have I been watching?

Remember how I was drawn to British TV shows and free DVDs from the library?

Well I have some more to share with you!

here we go ...

Foyle's War. You may be familiar with this one if you're a fan of Masterpiece on PBS. This show has everything I enjoy. Mystery, history and engaging main characters. I love the setting and costuming of the WWII era. And Michael Kitchen as Detective Foyle is outstanding!

I always love a show that has a good mix to it. The drama keeps me interested and the comedy makes me laugh out loud. Cold Feet is a show I stumbled across at the library and I'm so glad I did. It reminds me of Friends with a British twist. And I found another favorite actor to follow in James Nesbitt.

I don't even know how to describe the show Cracker. And I don't know why my typing is now showing up underlined. ???? I don't know how to make the line go away. I hope it's not linking to something. Eeek!

Cracker, yes that is Robbie Coltrane, aka Hagrid from Harry Potter. He plays a psychologist who smokes too much and drinks too much and messes up his own life in many ways but is so brilliant he can tap into the mind of even the darkest of criminals and help the police solve cases.

I must issue a parental warning here though ... this show isn't for my younger readers. The subject matter, language and violence are pretty intense.

Clatterford ... ok another one of those shows I happened to stumble across. Talk about cute, heartwarming, charming and hysterically funny. Do not try to drink iced tea when you're watching this or you risk blowing it out your nose! This show has an assortment of women brought together by the local woman's club. You just have to get to know them and see what I mean.

And of course I couldn't leave out a Scottish pick for you. Rebus is the series based on Scottish author Ian Rankin's detective books. My mother's maiden name was Rankin, so I could quite possibly be related! I'm looking into that. I've read a couple of his books but I love the series even better. Mainly because actor Ken Stott is exactly how I saw Rebus in my head when I was reading. I love when they get casting right. So again, a little mystery, a crime to solve, an endearing yet flawed main character, and it's Scottish ... need I say more?

And finally ... Murphy's Law. Remember James Nesbitt from Cold Feet up above? Here he plays an undercover detective with a very sad past. He is charming and witty, but also tough and troubled. I've only been able to get Season 1 from the library, but it was enough to suck me in and wanting to see more.

Disclaimer:

(viewer discretion advised for all of the above mentioned shows ... teens have your parents preview first, and parents don't call me to complain ... be cautious is all I'm saying if you have young 'uns in the house)

So that's what I've been watching this summer.

Oh and I started doing Yoga too!

Yes, another post for another time.

:-)

Happy Summer!

Where oh where ...

2010-06-11T20:22:00.000-07:00

... has my little blog gone?

Yes, I'm still here.

But I haven't been keeping up on this blog very well.

Life got busy.

Big time.

The last few months have been difficult. I'm doing OK though. Don't worry. I just haven't had the desire or the time to really think about my blog. And when I did, I really didn't know what I wanted to say. I still don't. But I'll be thinking about it.

And I'll get back to you.

In the meantime ...

Enjoy your summer.

Enjoy time.

Enjoy the time you have with those that are with you.

Make memories.

Take pictures.

Love life!

My Mom

2010-04-16T22:48:00.001-07:00

Claudene Harland

3/4/1934 - 4/13/2010

For My Mother

2010-04-11T21:01:00.000-07:00

You are the strongest, bravest, most generous, loving,

kind and caring soul I've ever known.

You have shown me what it means to be a true woman of faith.

Life hasn't always been fair or easy,

but you have handled it with dignity and grace.

You have fought the good fight ...

So Mama, it's okay now to let go.

I pray for you to finally be free.

Eternal peace, love and healing ...

is waiting for you

in God's loving embrace.

We will be fine.

It won't be easy.

We will miss you so much.

And we will always love you.

But we will be okay.

I promise.

What I've Been Watching ...

2010-02-26T16:51:00.000-08:00

Do you remember my obsession with this ...

You know ... Scottish, castle, quirky and lovable characters ... cute laird.

My kinda show. Well I'm up to season 5 now.

And then I got sidetracked a little.

With this ...

... Irish, quaint village, quirky and lovable characters ... cute priest.

How come I didn't know about these shows when they were actually on television? I'm just so glad I found them now. I'm really enjoying them.

I actually purchased the DVDs of Monarch of the Glen. But I went a different route with Ballykissangel.

I went here ...

My local public library. About a mile from my house.

I can check out Ballykissangel ... for FREE!

Not only that, I have checked out tons of movies. Yeah, all FREE!

Well, except when I'm a day or two late returning them and have to pay the 25 cents a day fine. But it's still better than renting or buying.

And they have pretty much everything I've been looking for. If it's not at my local branch I can request it. I really haven't had to wait more than a week or two to get most of the DVDs I want. I keep a running list of titles I'm interested in and I add a few more to my queue every week. And then I get a phone call when they arrive at my local branch. I've done this for several years with books. As homeschoolers we're always requesting various books to supplement our studies. I guess it just didn't occur to me to put DVDs on hold. I'm sure glad I figured it out!

It's been fabulous!

In my next post I'll tell you about a great mini-series I stumbled across.

So stay tuned ...

Do You Miss Me?

2010-02-23T13:11:00.000-08:00

I know ... it's been ages since I've blogged.

I don't know why.

I think about it. I create posts in my head. I get on the computer and check other blogs. But I never get around to writing my own.

I'll try and get back in the swing of things here. Soon.

In the meantime ...

I entered Pioneer Woman's canine photo contest.

I couldn't resist.

I'm not a great photographer ... but I love this photo of Tonka.

Makes me smile every time!

The Year With No Christmas Card

2009-12-28T17:23:00.000-08:00

This year I did not send out Christmas cards.

But if I had, I might have used these photos ...

This one was taken in Cambria over the summer.

Here we are sitting on the waterfall at my mother-in-law's new house.

This was taken at Thanksgiving.

And finally, all of us on Christmas Eve.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.

I wish you all many blessings in the New Year!

2009-12-21T09:44:00.001-08:00

You're How Old?

2009-12-03T11:24:00.000-08:00

Well, it was bound to happen again this year.

I am another year older.

I know ... it happens.

So in honor of my 42nd birthday ...

yes, I'm being honest ...

42!!!!!

... I'm re-posting my favorite TV commercial.

I love this ...

these women are who I want to be when I grow up!

(and yes it's a commercial promoting mammograms, which has been a subject of controversy lately. And yes, I have an opinion on the whole issue, but I'll save that for another post. In the meantime, just enjoy the spirit of these "old" women!)

Did You Know?

2009-11-10T13:30:00.000-08:00

I seem to be good at the pointless, random blog posts.

So here's another one ...

I was scrolling through my iPhoto library and came across this one ...

Someone borrowed my camera for a very creative photo shoot!

I wonder what Teddy is listening to?

Probably some Diana Krall or Michael Buble by the way he's all kicked back and chillaxin'.

Egg rolls just aren't the same the day after.

You don't really realize that you mostly chew your food on the same side of your mouth all the time until you get a tooth worked on and can't chew on that side for awhile.

I finally spent some of last year's Christmas gift cards.

And I bought myself this ...

I'm going to make every single cookie in this book! But I'm not going to blog about it. There are people already doing/done that. Well I might. Because it will be random.

I'm allergic to seafood. But I love shrimp. And occasionally I eat it anyhow. And it makes my lips and tongue itch. And if I eat too much I get these nice little hives all over. If you could see me now, you'd see my swollen upper lip! Not pretty. But the shrimp was yummy.

I went to the Goodwill last week. Spent $20 and came home with 7 brand new, listen ... BRAND NEW! ... sweaters. Ann Taylor, Liz Claiborne, Ralph Lauren. I'm not kidding! I am someone that really does not clothes shop for myself. If I can't pick up a top or pants at Target, because I'm there anyhow, then I just don't take the time or the money to shop for myself. But I'm definitely going to do the Goodwill thing again. It made me very happy!

I know this is the same Scottish treat at last post ... but his birthday is in 3 days, and he's always worth another glimpse.

This is my Jamie Fraser. Do y'all know what I'm talking about? If you don't ... ask me ... I have an entire world of books to lay on you. You'll never be the same!

If he does the longer hair look, he is it. I know Kris, Kat and Shawn probably have opinions on this one. Tell me girls ... who's your Jamie?

I'm a slacker blogger

2009-11-03T14:17:00.000-08:00

It's been so long since I've done a blog post, I should have tons of stuff to write about. Well you would think. But then when I sit down to actually do it, I have nothing.

So I'll just randomly throw out whatever pops into my mind as we go along.

Okay?

Here we go ...

We did the responsible pet owner thing and had these two cuties spayed last week. Remember, these are the kittens we rescued from behind our garden shed last spring. They are now official members of the family. The gray one is Fluffy Pants, and the black one is June Bug. It's hard to imagine they came from the same litter. They are so different. June Bug is a true outdoor cat with survival skills. She catches birds and bugs and is lean and fit. Fluffy Pants, on the other hand, would rather lounge in the house, and cries if she finds herself alone. I think this photo sums them both up pretty well ... see ... June Bug looking at something moving in the dirt and planning her next move. Fluffy Pants looking a bit confused as if to say, "what am I doing here?"

My husband just got back from a 10 day business trip to Hawaii. I know what you're thinking ... is it really work if you're in Hawaii? And why didn't I go along? Well I thought about it. But I'm not quite ready to leave the 4-year old. Not just yet. Ask me again next year. It was cool to be able to video chat with him every evening though.

Speaking of the 4-year old ... we've been making lapbooks for school. I should do an entire post on that. We find a subject to study and make up various projects to coordinate with it, and put it all in a little book. So far we've studied the farm, the fair, and apples. Next up ... leaves and Thanksgiving.

For Halloween my oldest daughter dressed as a gypsy, my son was sort of a mad scientist, but ended up taking off the costume after about 5 minutes. And the 4-year old was a pink and purple fairy. Complete with wings that flutter when she walks. I would show you a photo, but my husband had the camera in Hawaii. I'll have them put their costumes back on this week just for pictures!

My previous posts were Scottish in nature. So I thought I'd continue the trend with this fine photo!

You're welcome.

Let's see ... what else ... oh yeah, my mother-in-law and her husband have moved into town from Sacramento. It's nice to have them closer.

I love playing Farmville on Facebook. Does anyone else play this? What a cute little game. I'm currently growing squash, watermelons and peppers.

I'm rooting for Donny Osmond on Dancing With The Stars.

It has taken me most of the year, but I am almost finished reading The Odyssey.

I bet my son $20 he wouldn't jump in the pool today (water temp was 60*)

Guess who won? Or lost, depending on how you look at it.

And on that note ... nothing else is popping into my head.

So I'll leave you with this ...

... what I'm making for dinner tonight!

Do you know what it is?

Yum!

Did You Get a New Hair-Do?

2009-10-18T20:28:00.000-07:00

For the last few days we have had unusually humid weather.

It's been a tad cloudy, a bit overcast and slightly foggy.

And since I've had Scotland on my mind for a while now ...

... I'll show you what it has looked liked here with a picture from there. I like to use visuals whenever possible to tell such enchanting stories on my blog.

You're welcome.

Except for the gorgeous hills, the quaint little stream and the overall greenness part, this photo could have been taken from my house. After all, the cloudy, overcast, foggy look is spot on. And if I look out my window, and ignore all the flat suburban sprawl, concrete, asphalt and traffic ... well it's just like I'm in Scotland!

I love using my imagination whenever possible.

One of the downsides of this misty weather is the effect it's having on my hair.

I don't know what happened. But after my last pregnancy my hair got wavy. The texture changed and it took on this kinky, curly, frizzy thing. Now this was just weird for me because I've had straight, flat hair my entire life.

Except for that time during the 80's where I looked like this ...

You can only imagine the massive amounts of fussing and Aqua-Net hairspray I used to achieve that look.

Good times!

And now I don't even need to try. I let my hair air dry and it goes all wavy and frizzy by itself. It takes some time and some serious hair product to get it to behave now. And that's on normal days.

Throw in the humidity of the last few days ... and look out!

Of course this photo isn't really me. But it could be. Except for the flawlessly youthful complexion. Focus on the hair and she could be my twin.

I'm wondering if I'd look like this all the time in Scotland?

Something Scottish

2009-10-13T14:46:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot to mention another thing I did this summer.

I spent some time here ...

Yes, that's a real Scottish castle. In Scotland. It's called Glenbogle. And I spent many hours there. Getting to know these fine people ...

The handsome laird in the center is Archie MacDonald. He's quite charming. The staff is pretty quirky and entertaining. But his dad, Hector, is a real hoot!

If you want to spend some time with these fun people, and drool over the gorgeous Scottish countryside ... then do what I did ...

Get it on DVD!

Let me know what you think?

My Summer in Review

2009-10-09T15:17:00.000-07:00

So by now you're probably wondering what I did all summer.

After all, my "little" break from blogging actually turned into a few months of being absent. I'd love to be able to report that I went on exotic vacations and spent the summer totally relaxing and renewing. But that's still just a fantasy I'm afraid. But if that's how you spent your summer, please don't tell me. ;-)

In reality, I actually had quite a wonderful summer. But it was busy. We had several activities going on, a couple of projects, a few parties and BBQs, a little trip, and some fun visitors.

Here's the recap in photos ...

Of course we spent most days enjoying the pool. And it's always more fun with friends!

We rescued these cuties from behind our garden shed. The black one is Junie Bug and the gray one is Fluffy Pants. They are incredibly entertaining!

True confessions time ... I had a little summer love affair with this guy! I couldn't help myself. He sucked me right into his world and melted my heart.

If you don't know who he is ... you should! It's ok, a friend shared him with me, I'm happy to share him with you. You won't be sorry!

It was another wonderful summer of Shakespeare! This the cast of Richard III. The show was fabulous. And those costumes were amazing!

And speaking of Shakespeare ...

... my oldest daughter had a great time taking part in a Summer Shakespeare Workshop. Here she is playing Romeo. Can you tell by the look on her face that she can't believe she just killed Tybalt?

Hubby and I went and saw these guys in concert. This is Counting Crows, along with Augustana, and Michael Franti and Spearhead. (Thanks again to Jimmy Bogios for hooking us up!) But here's how old I'm getting ... I wore earplugs for the entire concert! Reality. Seriously.

We had a bountiful harvest in the garden this year. The basil overfloweth. I made 14 batches of pesto. And the tomatoes were insane. I canned a dozen quarts. And we ate tomatoes at every meal.

Then I went back to my hometown of Dinuba to get a bunch of this fabulous fruit ... and I made jam! Plum, pluot and nectarine. It makes me smile just thinking about it.

I also made chow-chow. Who knows what that is?

Last summer we hosted a spectacular Shakespeare class. So how did we top that this summer? Why a Book/Movie Club of course! We read something like 9 books and then watched the movie version(s) of the book. Fun and great ones like Jane Eyre, The Princess Bride, Persuasion, Sherlock Holmes, Les Miserables. Good stuff. And what a great group of kids ... here they are dressed as characters from the books/movies. Fun!

We took a little vacation. Well Tonka is always on vacation. Just look at that roly-poly chunk of sunshine.

But we took it up a notch and went to Cambria.

Ah ... one of my most favorite places in the world.

Finally ... this guy celebrated his 13th birthday. I'm still trying to figure how this happened. Thirteen years? Wow. It probably wasn't the most festive celebration for him as the girls in the family all had the flu. So we still owe him a night out for dinner and bowling as he requested. Happy Birthday Alex!

And that my friends wraps up my summer adventures.

So what did you do this summer?

Is It Really True?.....

2009-10-07T10:56:00.000-07:00

Yes ...

The moment you've all been waiting for

is almost here ...

... my return to the blogging stage!

I know ... the excitement is overwhelming.

Stay tuned ...

I'm BAAAACK ... well, almost

2009-08-20T16:03:00.000-07:00

In the meantime ... check this out!

My friend Robynn has it going on ... and you won't want to miss this great challenge.

(click on the links!)

Taking a Break ...

2009-06-18T16:02:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a little break from blogging. This summer is packed full of fun and exciting things to do. I'm going to put my focus on those things for a while and enjoy time with my family.

I may get around to a blog post here and there, but then again, I may not. If you want to keep up with what's going on with us, follow me on Twitter (see the link on the side bar).

I'll still be checking in on my favorite blogs from time to time ... so I'm sure our paths will cross.

Love and best summer wishes to you all!

Score!

2009-06-07T14:09:00.001-07:00

I've been lazy about blogging lately.

Actually I think I've been lazy about everything lately.

What can I say ... it's summer.

I've clicked into kick-back mode.

Which is nice on the one hand, but not such a great idea on the other hand, because there's still stuff to be done, but I'd rather just pretend like I'm on summer vacation.

To me, summer always means diving into new reading adventures.

I like to always have a book (or three or four!) in progress. I love to read away the summer afternoons while lounging at the pool with iced tea.

This is bliss!

Speaking of books ...

last week I was waiting for my son to finish up some end of the year testing. About every 2 years I have the kids tested at their grade level to see how well we're doing.

So far, so good!

Anyhow, to kill the time, I went into a thrift store to browse around. I wasn't really looking for anything in particular, but I ended up gravitating towards the book section. You won't believe what I found ...

LOOK! LOOK! LOOK!

Look at all those books! About 94 or so. Plus a few more duplicate titles that we already own, plus a stack of coloring books.

And here's the best part ...

guess how much I paid?

Let me say that again ...

only EIGHT DOLLARS!

For all those wonderful books!

Can you believe it?

They were all bundled into about 5 stacks. Many of the titles I couldn't even see. Most of the books look new. Several of them have Mrs. Nelson's name written on them, but they are in excellent condition. I have a feeling a teacher cleaned out her classroom and I hit the jackpot. So to Mrs. Nelson, whoever you are, where ever you are, THANK YOU!

My 4-year old is pretty happy too!

Also, while we're on the topic of summer and reading ...

I'm hosting a summer book/movie club for the teens in our home school group. We will get together several times this summer and read the book and watch the movie. I can't wait to see what titles they come up with.

Happy Summer and Happy Reading!

Let's Get Cookin'

2009-05-27T12:30:00.001-07:00

If you haven't tried cooking with a 4-year old, you don't know what you're missing.

This week my little one has been studying the letter "G".

So she pulls out this fabulous cookbook she received for her birthday, flips to a recipe for Granola, and says, "This is a G, can we make it?"

I know, brilliant.

If you haven't heard of Mollie Katzen, I encourage you to check her out. She has some great cookbooks, for adults and little people. My favorites are The Moosewood Cookbook and Simple Suppers. My 4-year old loves Pretend Soup and Salad People.

So let's make Granola!

First ... collect the ingredients ...

... make sure you pose ...

... show Mommy the step by step instructions ...

... put it all in the bowl and start mixing ...

... like totally get your hands in it and squish away!

... and when Mommy's not looking ...

... sneak a taste. I mean, who wouldn't do that? You know you would.

Spread it in the pan and bake it.

When it comes out of the oven you add the dried fruit ...

and it looks like this:

Totally yummy!

Here's the recipe:

Letter "G" Granola

(adapted from Salad People by Mollie Katzen)

*mix together:

3 cups of old fashioned oats

2 cups of raw pecans

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

*whisk together:

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup honey

1 TBS vanilla

*pour over dry ingredients and mix well to coat. Spread into greased pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking time.

Remove from oven and add 2 cups of dried fruit. We used raisins and cranberries. Toss well and let cool completely. Then break up into chunks. We love sprinkling it into yogurt!

Finally ...

... after all that hard work and learning, take a much deserved break!

Enjoy!

100?

2009-05-26T11:28:00.000-07:00

This is my 100th post.

Just thought you might like to know.

The Girls' Room

2009-05-19T14:42:00.000-07:00

When our 3-year old became a 4-year old we figured it was time to get her out of our bedroom and move her in with her older sister.

I know what you're thinking ...

yes, we had the baby in our master retreat love nest ...

for 4 YEARS!

I know. It was time.

Imagine the excitement our oldest daughter had at this prospect. She has had her own room for 15 years. And now she has to share it with a little sister? Yikes!

Now the bedrooms in our house are pretty small. So we needed to be creative with how to fit everyone and everything in the space.

I searched the Internet for bunk beds. And I found a great corner unit that is actually called a captain's bunk. This would be perfect, I though.

Until I saw the price.

Good grief!

Have you priced children's bedroom furniture lately?

Obviously I had not.

We needed to tackle this from another direction.

So I called my daddy.

Have I mentioned before that my dad is a master carpenter, painter, craftsman, and all around amazing handyman?

Seriously. He can make, do, craft, create and fix ANYTHING!

And now my girls have the coolest bedroom ...

all thanks to Papa!

Here's my 4-year old to take you on the grand tour ...

Welcome!

So my dad actually built this bunk bed from scratch ... it's way better than anything I saw online.

My 4 year-old LOVES the steps.

She has the top bunk.

My oldest is on the bottom, which is actually her existing bed. My dad built the bunk addition to fit right over the top!

Look at all the great cubby holes for books and storage!

Take a look at the books my oldest has on her headboard ...

Austen, Defoe, Bronte, Dickens, Shakespeare.

Impressive, yes?

She's super smart.

Alas, we still haven't purchased a twin-sized mattress for the 4-year old. So for now, she sleeps on her crib mattress and has this extra fun space around it to play.

Can you see the ABC border on the wall above the bed?

You know, we're always thinking education around here.

The wall paint colors are Cheery Pink and Lettuce Alone.

The ceiling is a mix of white and blue ... sponged on all sky-like.

The flower accents are something we made out of a foam craft kit from Oriental Trading Company. I put Sticky-Tac on the back and let my 4-year old place them where she wanted.

Look over the edge ... there's even some room to hang all those pretty princess dresses! Not an ounce of space was wasted.

Here are the shelves underneath the top bunk where my oldest keeps books, DVDs and other important stuff.

Across the room is a $29 shelving unit that I found at Lowe's a few years ago. It works perfectly for storing games, toys, knick-knacks, and the TV and VCR for watching the old beloved Disney tapes.

Behind that green sheer curtain is a little bay window area ... a great space for playing or hanging out.

Speaking of hanging out ...

So a HUGE thanks to my Daddy/their Papa for the awesome new bed.

How cool is that?

Doin' My Part, part 1

2009-05-12T15:45:00.000-07:00

I've decided to step it up in doing my part to save the environment.

If you don't know by now, deep down I'm really a hippy earth mother-type.

Or at least I want to be. I'm trying.

I grind my own wheat.

We have a compost box in the backyard.

I take my own reusable bag to the store.

Exciting, no? But that's just the tip of the iceberg.

There has to be more I can do.

I don't want to be political about it.

I just want to be wise and take care of the earth God has so generously given to us. I think we can all do a better job at that.

And I also want to save money.

So call it what you want ...

hippy

earth mother

eco-friendly

green

frugal

thrifty

cheap

I'm calling it smart.

And I'm going to try and do something or make a change every week. Some will be little, some will be big, but they all count.

This week ...

I am hanging a clothes line, 2 actually, across my back patio.

I cannot believe that I have never had a clothesline!

Growing up, it seemed like everyone had one.

I remember helping my grandma hang clothes outside to dry.

They always smelled so good. There was just something about watching fabric flutter in the breeze that made me think everything was well and good.

I was doing some research on clotheslines. Did you know it's actually illegal to have a clothesline in some neighborhoods in some towns? I don't know, I may be breaking the law. (wait until I get a few chickens ... I'm sure I'll be a criminal!) But I'm hanging my clotheslines this week and I'll be back to post photos for you.

So do you do your part? Are you frugal? What do you do?

I'm taking notes.

I love this commercial!

2009-05-07T12:59:00.000-07:00

This just makes me smile every time I see it!

I want to be one of these when I grow up! Wanna join me?

What fun we'll have!

How I Spent a Week ...

2009-05-05T19:28:00.000-07:00

Here's what I did for a week when I was sick and I really didn't venture out of my bed.

I used a lot of these ...

I watched the entire first season of this on DVD ...

I discovered hulu ... who knew?

And I watched all the episodes of this short-lived show ...

I read through a bunch of old copies of one of my favorite magazines ...

And along those same homesteading, farm-living, organic life-stylin', romantic country notions, I drooled over MaryJane Butters' books and discovered this great magazine too ...

I revisited some old dreams and plans about living on a few acres, raising chickens, milking a cow and growing our own veggies.

I love that dream.

And the only thing I ate (drank) the entire week was this ...

Chocolate Milk!

And I lost weight.

I think I may be on to something.

Just where have we been?

2009-05-04T19:45:00.000-07:00

I wish I could say we have been on a grand vacation.

But no.

We've all been sick.

No, not the swine flu. At least I don't think so.

I don't know because we don't go to the doctor for stuff like that. All we needed was time to rest and heal.

Done.

I thought of a bunch of blog topics while I was resting. Of course none of them come to mind now that I'm actually blogging again.

(sigh)

But I can give you this ...

My 4-year old playing Candy Land.

In her pretty pink princess dress.

Of course.

Back in the day ...

2009-04-20T19:54:00.000-07:00

... way back before Blue-Ray, digital, or even DVDs ...

... we had a video cassette recorder/player.

You know, the old VHS VCR thing.

I can even go waaaay back to my high school days when we had a BetaMax. Remember those? I would set it every morning before school to record General Hospital. Then I'd keep my fingers crossed that my mom wouldn't come home for lunch and turn it off. I still have the tape of the episode where Luke was mayor, drinking on the balcony of the mayor's mansion, and Laura (whom he thought was dead and gone) comes walking up the front lawn. That was true daytime drama there. Of course I can't view that tape since I'm pretty sure there isn't a BetaMax player in existence anymore. But hey there's YouTube ... I bet that clip is on there!

Anyhow ... where am I going with all this?

Oh yeah ... well I've been cleaning out closets and trying to get rid of a bunch of junk. Our VCR died a long time ago, yet we still had a huge box of VHS tapes. Tons of Disney movies from when my oldest was a toddler. I was so close to chucking them all. Then my aunt gave me her old VCR (although it's practically new since she barely used it).

And look what I found!

Donny Osmond in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

I LOVE this video. When my oldest was younger we would watch it daily.

And sing along.

Of course I could probably get it on DVD now, but there's something so retro about watching a tape. Now we get to experience it all over again with my 4-year old. Who loves to sing and is destined for Broadway, I'm sure.

Good thing I saved all those tapes, huh?

Do you still have a VCR?

p.s.

yup ... it's on YouTube

Luke and Laura 1883

I Am FOUR years old!

2009-04-14T10:07:00.001-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

...

my youngest is officially 4 years old today!

(updates coming soon ...)

When it rains ...

2009-04-08T10:32:00.000-07:00

It dumped buckets here last night.

Thunder.

Lightning.

The whole show.

I love it!

Hubby was flying in from Houston,

thankfully he was ahead of most of the activity.

Once he was home, we sat down to watch American Idol that we had recorded.

Then ...

FLASH

BANG

DUMP

... it let loose!

The dog started jumping and barking.

Our almost 4-year old bolts out of bed and comes running.

And American Idol went over it's time slot and we missed Adam Lambert's performance. Thank goodness for YouTube!

So ... do you know what movie this photo is from? It's one of my favorites.

Do you like storms?

Are you watching American Idol? Who's your pick?

Max and Ruby

2009-04-01T10:24:00.000-07:00

Do you know Max and Ruby?

This is my almost 4-year old's favorite show.

And I have to admit, it's one of my favorites too.

This brother and sister pair are just too cute for words. Max is a curious, active and clever little guy. Ruby thinks she is the mature and wise older sister. She usually thinks she knows what's best but many times Max ends up showing her a new way to look at things.

Max and Ruby have a charming grandma that shows up every now and then, usually with some ice cream. What they don't seem to have are parents. Minor detail I suppose in the bunny world. A bunny world where they live in a house of their own. Where Max can drive a little car ... Ruby bakes cakes and hosts Bunny Scout meetings ... they take a bus across town ... go shopping ... attend the carnival.

All by themselves!

I'm guessing I'm the only one that notices these things because my 4-year old doesn't question it. But then again, she also likes a show where a hamster, chick and turtle sing and travel all over the world saving animals in distress. Nothing wrong with that.

I appreciate the imagination involved.

The show is based on the books by Rosemary Wells.

Here are 2 of our favorites ...

We own both of these books. Yet every time we go to the library my little one insists on checking them out. Isn't that funny?

After an over abundance of Dora the Explorer, Max and Ruby is a welcome new favorite.

I think I may have a theme for the next birthday party!

Woohoo

Sewing this and that ...

2009-03-27T15:35:00.000-07:00

I love to sew.

My grandmother and my mother taught me to sew when I was a kid.

When I was younger my grandma used to make shorts, tops and dresses for me.

My mom was more of a Vogue seamstress. She would make her own gorgeous, fashionable dresses. I still have some of her patterns. But they're like a size 2 or something insane like that.

In junior high I took Home Ec. One semester of cooking and one semester of sewing. Mrs. Meadows was our sewing teacher. I loved her. I think we were required to complete 3 projects. I, of course, over-excelled and made about a dozen outfits! I wish I would have kept some of the culottes I made way back then.

(my oldest daughter will have to look up culottes when she reads this;-)

Speaking of oldest daughter ... I made a lot of clothes for her when she was a baby and toddler. Then along came my son and I just didn't find the time to sew much anymore. I still made costumes for them at Halloween though. The mermaid, pirate, medieval princess and the gallant knight were so cool!

Anyhow ... I just don't get to sew as much as I used to. And I miss it. But I've got my machine out now and I'm working on costumes for our drama production of The Secret Garden. And of course it makes me want to start sewing cute outfits for my almost 4-year old now.

I made a trip to the fabric store, just to get some elastic and thread mind you.

But I got so incredibly side-tracked ... look out ... my heart started racing and my mind was spinning and I had to touch all the fabrics. It made me very happy.

It makes me wonder why we tend to let go of things. We all have hobbies and creative outlets that nourish our souls. But why do we let them fall by the wayside? I know life gets in the way, but there has to be a balance.

I'm still trying to find it.

Rainy day ... sort of ...

2009-03-22T15:17:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm still here.

Thank you to those who were wondering where I went and if things were OK.

I'm fine.

I've just been busy.

You know ... stuff ... sometimes it's a lot.

We're in the last few weeks of countdown to our drama production. So that means I've been eating, breathing and dreaming costumes and set designs.

And speaking of eating ...

I decided to do this cleansing diet last week.

What was I thinking?

All I know is a week without coffee made me grumpy.

I'm glad to say, I'm back on track now.

Had a latte this morning and life is good!

Today is a weird mix of rain, sunshine, hail and wind. A perfect day for staying indoors and catching up on things. I have many blogging buddies to visit. I've missed y'all.

Since I love to put photos in my posts, and I really don't have one that fits today, I'll leave you with a video. My son is studying the American Revolution. I immediately thought of "The Shot Heard 'Round the World". So I looked up the old Schoolhouse Rock videos. Remember those? For some reason my kids didn't think they were as cool as I did when I was their age. Go figure.

Hope everyone has a great week ahead. I hope it doesn't take me another week to post on my blog. But it might.

Soup's On!

2009-03-13T09:45:00.000-07:00

After a stressful week, my soul craves some good ol' comfort food.

Have I ever shared my 4 Cheese Mac and Cheese recipe?

I'll have to do that.

You'll need to prepare yourself though.

I'd start running marathons now, just to balance out the calories you'll consume.

In the meantime ...

my almost 4-year old has prepared an ultra-healthy, yet incredibly soul-warming soup to share with everyone.

She says it's called ...

Veggie Soup!

Clever, eh?

She has agreed to let me post the recipe ...

in her own words.

First, you get a pot.

Not that one, the other one.

Then you open the fridge.

Pick out some veggies.

Not the yucky ones.

You need to cut them.

On a cutting board.

But don't cut your finger.

Don't help me. I can do it!

Put the purple one in the pot.

I like carrots.

What is that purple one called again?

(Eggplant)

Oh, eggplant is good.

Put the green one in there.

(The bell pepper?)

Yeah, it's not hot.

Mom, get Tonka out of here!

(Tonka's the dog, with her nose in everything)

Shoo!

I like tomatoes too.

Then you stir it.

You need a spoon.

Get a bowl.

You can sit down and eat it on your lap.

(What's that on top?)

That's a french fry on top.

Because it's for the top.

Now you eat it.

How yummy does that look?

The soup bowl comes from JC Penney's and is in the ever-popular High School Musical pattern.

There is even a matching tray.

You just can't have enough Troy Bolton dinnerware in your life, I say.

So get busy and make some Veggie Soup!

Enjoy!

We did not need this ...

2009-03-10T14:46:00.000-07:00

Someone broke into my car last night.

They tried to pry the back window hatch open.

Instead, they ended up busting out the entire window!

This is what we woke up to this morning.

Glass all over the place.

And much of it is fine powdery little shards.

All over the inside of the car and all over the driveway.

Guess what they stole out of the car?

A diaper bag.

That didn't even have diapers in it anymore.

I'm sure they were thinking it was a purse, with money.

Nope.

Instead they got ...

a pack of baby wipes, a pair of size 4T Cinderella panties and a cute little pink tee and shorts set (also size 4T), 3 tampons, a mini-first aid kit, my favorite lip gloss, a pair of nail clippers, and a box of Altoids.

I hope they're happy.

Here's what we get ...

damage that will cost $925 to repair.

We do not have $925. I don't know what we're going to do. But I have to have a car. So we'll find a way.

I sincerely hope that whoever did this finds their way to a much better path than they're on now.

Spring Blossoms ...

2009-03-07T22:20:00.001-08:00

Last week we visited my folks out in the country.

All of the peach and nectarine trees are in bloom.

I love wandering through the orchard.

This is my favorite time of the year.

Look at these gorgeous trees ...

look at those amazing clouds ...

I found several very busy workers.

They were doing such an important job.

I just stood and watched.

They didn't seem to mind and one of them let me take a close up photo.

I think about how year after year I see the happenings of spring.

I see the trees blossom.

I see the bees working faithfully.

And year after year I am still amazed by the awesomeness and beauty of God's creation.

Happy Birthday Mom!

2009-03-04T19:11:00.000-08:00

Today we celebrated my Mom's 75th birthday!

Happy Birthday Mom ...

We love you!

Oh Yes You Can!

2009-03-03T14:33:00.001-08:00

There are tons of slow cooker chicken recipes out there.

But did you know that you can just stick a chicken in the thing and turn it on?

I didn't. I thought you had to add stuff.

But now I know ...

There is no recipe.

It's just a chicken in the pot.

With a little of Emeril's essence sprinkled on top.

No prep, no liquid, no extras, no fuss.

Just plug it in and turn it on for about 5 hours.

Then go clean out your closets. Because you know you need to do that. And then put all your junk out in the garage and refuse to acknowledge that you'll have to deal with it all again at some point if you ever want to park a car in there again. Which will give you anxiety attacks. And embarrass you when your son has friends over and they open the garage door to get the bikes and basketballs out and it's such a nice day that all your neighbors are outside and they can see your junky garage from every angle.

Sorry, I tend to over-share sometimes.

Anyhow ... the chicken ...

It's been doing its thing for several hours and is now done.

Just like an oven roasted chicken.

It came out fabulous!

You have to try this.

Unless you've known all along that you can do this.

In that case, well, never mind.

It's Not Yucky!

2009-03-01T20:31:00.001-08:00

My almost 4-year old LOVES smoothies.

I thought I would show you her favorite.

Looking at the ingredients you may think ...

yucky!

But if you try it, I think you might be surprised.

You need:

Oatmeal

Spinach

Banana

Blueberries

Kefir

Cinnamon

Fish Oil

Why?

Oatmeal: whole grain, good carbs, fiber

Spinach: amazing source of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, considered a superfood

Banana: potassium and more, and it adds that sweetness essential to a smoothie

Blueberries: antioxidants and more, also consider a superfood

Kefir: an excellent source of protein and probiotics. Similar to yogurt, but with more diverse colonies of probiotics. Kefir is typically thinner than yogurt, which makes it perfect for smoothies.

I just obtained some kefir grains so I can make my own using raw milk.

Double healthy score!

(warning: inserting opinionated preaching right here) ...

Whether you choose yogurt or kefir the key is to get it plain and unsweetened. In my opinion, if you're trying to get probiotic benefits yet the product is full of sugar or high fructose corn syrup, not only are you adding unwanted calories, you're negating your efforts by feeding the bad bacteria in your gut with the sugar. So to answer your question ... yes, you should only consume plain, unsweetened yogurt or kefir. What about artificial sweeteners? Stay away from those too! So many, many reasons why. I could do a whole 'nuther post right there. Don't think you like plain yogurt or kefir? Well, in this smoothie you don't need it sweet. But on it's own, if you have to have it sweet, stir a little fresh fruit or honey in it. If you must. But give plain a try, it's really not so bad. I promise!

(stepping off my soap box now to get back to smoothie making)

Cinnamon: so many benefits are being found, and it just adds a nice flavor.

Fish Oil: I know, here's where you go, eeew! But it's just a teaspoonful and you can't even tell it's in there. Don't go overboard though or it will taste peculiarly fishy. It's a sneaky way of getting in your essential fatty acids. Google it if you want more info. Again, I could do an entire post on fish oil. Maybe I will. Later.

Do you have a Magic Bullet?

You should.

Or you can use a blender.

I LOVE my Magic Bullet.

Start by finely grinding the oatmeal ...

It will be nice and powdery.

Then add all the other ingredients.

Cram as much as you can in there.

Give it a good whirl.

Thanks to the blueberries and the spinach it will turn this nice greenish, purply color. It does taste better than the color looks. But my almost 4-year old thinks the green color is cool. It's like magic when it starts blending and the color emerges.

The beauty of smoothies is that you can customize it and add, or not add, whatever you choose. But I think that this particular smoothie shows that you can add a few odd things, like oatmeal, spinach and fish oil, get some great health benefits, and it still tastes good.

So go ahead, sneak some healthy stuff in your next smoothie.

See? It's not yucky at all!

Updating the Pantry

2009-02-25T15:11:00.000-08:00

Something you may not know about me ...

I used to sell Tupperware.

Way back when my middle kid was still a baby and I needed a night out, I went to a friend's Tupperware party and came home a consultant.

Imagine my husband's surprise when I came home and announced my new career.

My friend was far more successful with Tupperware than I was. But I stuck it with long enough to be a manager. And I accumulated a ton of product.

I still have a lot of the plastic stuff around my house.

This is how I store my flour and sugar ...

Now don't get me wrong. I think Tupperware is a fine company. And they have great products.

I'm just not sure if I want my food in plastic anymore.

Some of my Tupperware has changed over the years. The colors are fading. The plastic gets all gross and gummy. I just wonder if any chemicals are leeching into my food.

I'm sure this is more of a concern if I heat things in the plastic containers. Which I try not to do anymore. But is it an issue with food storage?

I really don't know.

But I'm still converting all my pantry items into glass containers.

It just makes me feel better.

And it's way cuter ...

Look ...

I know, yes, those are marshmallows. And yes, I'm on a super duper healthy eating lifestyle campaign. But marshmallows are a great treat and just a necessity of life. They make me happy. And I'm not going to hide it!

I stole the green topped container from my mom. It's pretty old and it used to hold coffee. Now it holds tea.

I found the rest at Target.

I'm sure you can tell one of these houses popcorn. The other one is full of raisins. Which my daddy grew, dried and stemmed for me. These are healthy snacks.

I need several more glass containers to convert everything out of the plastic.

But this is a start.

Sharin' the Love ...

2009-02-24T16:46:00.000-08:00

I seriously have nothing to blog about today.

I just haven't had anything to say for a few days now.

I'm stuck. I'm empty. Boring.

Sorry.

Some days are just like that.

So I decided to send you on a little field trip instead.

My friend Robynn over at Robynn's Ravings is having a contest.

You seriously need to check out her blog.

She always has something worthy to say.

She cracks me up every time.

She's witty and honest and entertaining.

I know you'll head over there and enter her contest.

Then hopefully you'll click around and read some of her past posts.

And then you'll find yourself nodding your head in agreement and laughing out loud.

And I'm sure you'll want to check back regularly.

So go on ... get over to Robynn's.

NOW!

Thank you.

This Year May Be Different

2009-02-19T11:50:00.000-08:00

I usually find the Oscars to be way too long. I usually haven't seen any of the movies nominated. I usually only watch the Red Carpet festivities so I can say things like, "Why oh why did she pick THAT dress?"

This year may be different ...

I may be able to endure.

Randomness

2009-02-16T16:20:00.000-08:00

My oldest daughter likes to say,

That was random!

Usually when I say something out of the blue, with no precursors, totally unrelated to anything else we had been talking about at the time.

Like when we're talking about the latest episode of Heroes and I say, did you know I still have the same chipped toenail polish on since Christmas?

So have you seen that tagging thing going around blogs and emails saying to post the 6th photo from the 6th album in your digital files?

Well this is my version.

A bit of randomness, with a small rule.

I chose the number 9.

NINE.

Number nine.

I like the number 9.

So here we go ...

This is the 9th photo from my 9th album. It is July 2004 and we're at Knott's Berry Farm. My oldest daughter was 10 and my son was 7. And little did I know at the time, but I was pregnant with my youngest daughter during this trip. I probably would not have gone on the roller coasters if I had known. But no harm done evidently.

I looked at my spice shelf and this was the 9th one in line.

NUTMEG!

I love nutmeg.

I always grate it fresh.

My favorite is to grate nutmeg on chard, spinach or kale.

The 9th email in my inbox this afternoon was from my Father-in-law.

It was a link to this Fox News Story.

My Father-in-law would be my phone-a-friend on current news events.

Do you use Library Thing?

This is the 9th book I listed when I first started.

Awesome book ... check it out.

The 9th item on my pantry shelf is my favorite breakfast item.

No explanation needed.

And it's good for you!

The 9th movie on the DVD shelf. I haven't seen this one yet.

But Russell Crowe is one of my favorites.

So I have high hopes.

The 9th song on my iPod when I hit shuffle is Everything.

If I knew how to add music to my blog it would be playing for you right now.

John Steinbeck ... I have all his works.

This is the 9th book on my Steinbeck shelf.

If you've never read Steinbeck, you should.

This is a good one to start with.

Finally ...

the 9th item in my Amazon cart.

Which means I hope to actually purchase it someday.

Do you put stuff in your Amazon cart and save it for later?

I think I had 93 items at last count.

I loved this version of Jane Eyre.

I love Toby Stephens.

I highly recommend you check this one out too.

The Ultimate Valentine's Present

2009-02-12T15:34:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is almost here.

Are you still looking for the perfect token of love for that special person in your life?

I can help you out.

My husband and I exchanged gifts early and I'm here to share.

Here's what I got for my husband ...

How adorable is that?

Nothing proclaims my undying love to the man in my life like a new toilet seat.

Now normally I don't get too excited about Valentine's Day.

Other than a few Hershey's Kisses.

It's really not an occasion I pay much attention to. So hubby and I just don't buy Valentine's gifts for each other.

But this year was an exception.

We felt that after 18 years of marriage maybe we should take the time to really think about our relationship and what gift would really touch each other's hearts.

I knew exactly what I could get him that would show and share my love on a daily basis.

And when I told him I found it at Lowe's he gushed with appreciation.

Just look at how special this is ...

What man wouldn't appreciate it?

Then hubby's gift to me was this ...

A new knife block set!

Seriously, I really needed this too.

I can't believe how dull my old knives were. It's almost embarrassing to admit.

Just look at all those blades?

I've been dicing, slicing and chopping anew.

It's like falling in love all over again.

So if you give gifts for Valentine's Day, I'm really thinking you can't go wrong here. Flowers and candy are so over-rated.

Don't you think?

The Bestest Pasta Dish

2009-02-09T20:23:00.000-08:00

I have a favorite pasta dish.

I invented myself.

Most likely I saw a recipe somewhere and thought, I can make that, and then attempted to do so, but ultimately ended up doing my own thing.

I do that a lot.

And thus, created my very own favorite bestest pasta dish.

Ever.

Wanna see?

Here's the necessities ...

Pasta ... I like penne or bowties. These were mini penne (say that 3 times fast). Ideally I like the normal sized ones. But when it's dinner time and I still haven't made dinner I usually find out normal isn't going to happen. So you go with what you've got.

Bacon ... no explanation needed. Bacon equals happiness. I've done the research.

Garlic ... once a month I roast about 6 heads of garlic. Then I have to open all the windows, turn on the whole house fan, light candles and wash my hair. But it's worth it. I love the flavor of roasted garlic. I would usually use about 6 roasted cloves in this dish, but I only had 3 left. Guess it's that time of the month.

You know what I meant.

Sun-dried tomatoes ... these babies just ooze love. My dad dries a bunch of tomatoes every summer and I julienne them up, stick 'em a canning jar and cover with olive oil. But I ran out, so these are from the store.

Cannellini beans ... aka white kidney. Or you could use great northern, or navy beans. The key is that they're white beans. Whatever floats your boat. I like the cannellini ... nice size, texture and flavor.

Parmesan Reggiano cheese ... I buy it by the wedge and grate it or shave it myself.

Pecans ... I use raw. But you could toast them first if you feel like it.

Basil ... yeah I know, it's not in the photo ... I didn't realize that until later. Basil is one of my favorites and a must in my herb garden.

But there is this in the photo ...

It's not in the dish, it's just for fun.

Ok ... so I don't have a recipe. I just basically toss it all together. You start by frying up the bacon and boiling the pasta. I dice the bacon and fry it in my cast iron skillet. Then drain the bacon but leave the good little yummies in the skillet and add a bit of olive oil and the rest of the ingredients, except for the basil and cheese. Drain the beans first of course. You just want to heat everything up.

Then shave some of the Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top,

and tear the basil and add it at the very end ...

there it is!

You'll want to season with fresh ground pepper ...

Don'tcha just love my gigantic pepper mill? I got this when I worked at Pottery Barn. Love it!

Then you toss all that yumminess with the pasta and serve it up in a really fun dish like this one ...

And of course you totally neglect to take a photo of the finished product because by now, even though it only took about 20 minutes to make this dinner, you are still late getting it on the table ...

because someone needs to go potty and someone else forgot to set the table and someone else didn't finish their math lesson yet and ...

everyone better get in here for dinner now!

Whew.

And when you're done eating, you realize you forgot to take a photo.

Well it doesn't really matter because you've already had that glass of wine, so it's all good.

Plus, you can just take a photo of the leftovers you had for breakfast ...

I love leftovers for breakfast. Especially when it's my favorite, bestest pasta dish ever!

Enjoy.

The Secret Garden

2009-02-08T14:47:00.000-08:00

Our home school group has a drama club.

We put on a production every spring.

This year we are doing The Secret Garden.

The Secret Garden has always been one of my favorite books.

So I'm very excited about our upcoming play.

The kids are amazing. We really do have some very talented actors in our little group.

I am honored to be working on costumes this year. I will also be assisting with sets and props. This is a home school group remember. So parents have to do all the work or it just doesn't happen. This can be a lot of fun but it's still a lot of work.

I find myself dreaming, literally, about this play.

I see costumes and sets designs in my sleep. This isn't always pleasant or restful. Actually it creates a bit of anxiety. I wake up and can't remember what I'm sure was the perfect costume or set design idea.

I have viewed a few of the movie versions of The Secret Garden.

Some are very good. Some are just OK. Of course none get exactly what I saw in my head when I read the book. Isn't it interesting how we all see something different? But I still appreciate other's creative effort and vision.

I'm just hoping our creative efforts with our production of The Secret Garden will please the audiences that see it.

I'm sure I'll post more about our progress as the season goes on.

We are allowed to tape our production so I can even share video!

So do you have a book to movie where you think they got it right? Or maybe they went tragically wrong? What's the best book to movie you've seen? The worst?

Discuss.

Spring has sprung ...

2009-02-04T15:56:00.000-08:00

The weather is warming, the birds are singing, the sun is shining.

Spring is in the air.

You know how I can tell?

My patio has fresh green growth!

In the winter I seriously hibernate. I do not do outdoor activities. And it's obvious by these photos, I do not pull weeds.

Just look at the height on this one ...

My 3-year old brought this one to my attention ...

look mommy, a flower!

I hope my garden grows with as much gusto!

I Juice!

2009-02-02T14:35:00.000-08:00

Living in the Central Valley of California there is always an abundance of fruits and vegetables right in my backyard.

So last year I bought a Jack LaLanne Juicer.

This thing is awesome!

I checked out a few juicing books from the library and found recipes for all sorts of health-inspiring juice combinations.

You need energy?

Want to boost brain power?

Heal from disease?

Improve your circulation?

Cleanse your colon?

Juicing can do that for ya. Of course I don't remember exactly which fruits and veggies do exactly what, or in what combination, but they all do something important.

I do know that beets are great for cleansing. Trust me.

I just juice whatever I happen to have on hand.

So I never know exactly what I'm going to get.

Antioxidants, phytonutrients, enzymes ...

it's all in there and it's all good.

Do you juice?

Cheers!

Honestly?

2009-01-29T13:43:00.000-08:00

Robynn and Sondre Lyn passed along an Honest Scrap Award.

THANK YOU girls!

I am supposed to tell you 10 honest things. About ME.

Whew, where do I begin?

This is a family friendly blog, so I'm not going to dig too incredibly deep.

But I'll try to keep it somewhat interesting and tell you a few things you may not already know.

Honestly.

1. I watch General Hospital.

I started watching it with my Grandma when I was a kid.

I cannot justify why I spend an hour of every day watching a soap opera (actually it's only about 38 minutes, I Tivo it and skip through all the commercials), but it's my hour and I'm happy.

Ah ... the good ol' days of Luke and Laura ... to the present days of Johnny and Jason.

Honestly, can you see where I'm coming from?

2. I learned how to curse in Spanish when I used to work at a small country market.

Ironically, it was called Country Market.

My parents bought the store in 1980 and it became the location of my after school and summer job. The majority of our customers were migrant farm workers. Thus the vocabulary lessons.

It was hard work and long hours, but there were some fun times at that store.

Even so, I can honestly say, I don't miss it.

3. I met my husband the first week of our freshman year of college.

In speech class.

He tried to transfer out of the class because it conflicted with football practice (he was in the athletic training program) but he couldn't get out of the class. Lucky for him huh? Our speech professor put us in the same group to work on a project and we've been together ever since. I can honestly say, it turned out to be the best class I've ever taken.

Oh a side note ... hubby, when he was just boyfriend, also worked at Country Market with me during the summers. He almost burned the store down once. But that's a story for another time.

4. I used to have a career with Pottery Barn.

Well to be honest it was only a job. But it was great. Pottery Barn is owned by the Williams Sonoma Company. So I was occasionally called to work in that store too. My favorite part of the job was designing header displays. But check out this deal ... employees received a 40% discount!

40%!!!!!!

I'm not sure I actually ever brought a paycheck home.

5. Almost exactly one year ago today I suffered a back injury.

I was auditioning for Dancing with the Stars.

Not really.

It was much more glamorous than that. I was walking down the hallway when the doorbell rang. So I pivoted around and POP, something went terribly wrong.

I barely made it to the bed before I passed out.

I can honestly tell you that I have never felt pain like that.

I would gladly go through 100 labor and deliveries sans medication than go through that back pain again. I was down for 2 weeks, unable to anything.

I couldn't even get to the bathroom by myself much less sit on the potty unassisted. This is where a loving and understanding husband comes in handy. Seriously, with him seeing me in that capacity ... well let's just say he must honestly love me.

6. I home school my kids.

I've posted about our homeschooling adventures before.

But here's the honest part ... it's not always easy but it is the best thing I've ever done.

It works for us.

7. My heritage is a mix of Scottish, Irish and Welsh.

My husband is Swedish, Danish and German.

I was raised somewhere between Southern Baptist and the Church of Christ. I went to a Mennonite high school.

My husband was raised between the Methodist and Lutheran churches but he attended a Catholic high school.

We were married in an Evangelical Christian Church.

I honestly doesn't know what that makes my kids.

8. I haven't met a chip I don't like.

Honestly. They are my weakness.

We do a pretty good job of eating healthy ...

We support a CSA farm and get a weekly produce box.

We shop at a local farmers' market and we drink raw milk.

All wonderfully healthy.

But this doesn't take away from the fact that my all time favorite snack is chips. And the best is Laura Scudder's Barbecue Chips. I can no longer find them in my local grocery store. Do they even exist anymore?

9. I have had a library card my entire life.

When I was a kid my dad or grandma used to take me to the library every week.

Every time I've moved one of the first things I've done is to go get a new library card.

I usually have 2 or 3 books going at a time.

I take my own kids to the library every week.

It's just that important.

10. I love Mexican food.

The ultimate test of a good Mexican restaurant is it's chile relleno.

I can honestly tell you that the best can be found in my old hometown of Dinuba at Sandoval's.

I was only supposed to list 10 things, but I love you enough to give you a bonus ...

11. I have a tattoo.

I was young and it was a dare. But I love my tattoo.

No, that photo is not me, and my tattoo is much smaller and discrete.

Anyone want to take a guess as to what my tattoo is? And where it is?

Now it's your turn ... I pass along this Honest Scrap Award to anyone who wants to play.

It was very therapeutic and a lot of fun.

Some Birthday Love

2009-01-26T19:47:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday was a big day!

Guess who had a birthday?

Yup ... Neil Diamond ... 68 years and still making it work.

And then there's this chicky ...

I know her ...

I won't mention her age ... but she hasn't changed a bit in all these years.

But this is the one that steals my heart ...

My first born. She let me practice being a mom. She was such a good baby. She never complained or judged when I didn't have a clue how to do the new mom thing.

She's the kid I could take with me anywhere and I didn't have to worry that she would be disruptive or troublesome.

This is the girl that went through an appendectomy without so much as a whine, a groan or tears.

She is the most patient, kind, loving person I know.

She's a wonderful example for her younger brother and sister.

Now she's well into her teenage years and I'm proud to say we get along great.

She is growing into a beautiful woman.

So we had a party.

My assistant and I baked a cake.

Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.

As requested.

Happy Birthday sweet daughter!

Take a Peek ...

2009-01-20T15:52:00.000-08:00

I'm here for you ...

This should make everyone feel a bit better.

Take a peek into my house ...

Laundry ... a bunch of it ... waiting to be folded.

It's been there for over 28 hours.

My wonderful hubby did his part and Swiffered the floor.

On Sunday.

And there it still sits. Waiting for someone to vacuum it up.

There is a rule in our house ...

all dishes must be out of the sink and in the dishwasher before going to bed. The sink must be empty, clean and shiny. This is just the way it is.

And this is the way it looked when I got up this morning.

This is just the way it is.

So ... now don't you feel better?

You're welcome.

And ... there's always tomorrow. At least I'll have something to do, huh?

Oh, and one more thing ...

my 3-year finally picked out her Inaugural ensemble ...

The Craft Corner ... Circles!

2009-01-14T14:13:00.000-08:00

A few years ago I decided to do something creative with all the old Christmas cards I had in a box. I had been saving them for years. These were the regular old cards, not photo cards. I put all the photo cards in a scrapbook. It's great to go back and see how every one's kids have grown over the years.

But all those old regular cards ... here's what I did ...

I got out my trusty Creative Memories circle cutter ...

... and I made garland out of the cards!

I chose the best spot on the card to cut out a circle.

I think I even used a circle punch on some of the smaller ones.

Then I dug some gold thread out of my sewing box. You know, the gold thread that cost something like $11 a spool, but I absolutely had to have it in order to sew the detailed top-stitching on my oldest daughter's maiden costume when she was younger, because I decided it would be so cute to dress my kids as characters right out of history since we were studying the renaissance period? Yeah, that thread. Good thing I saved it huh? But you could use any color thread, embroidery floss, yarn, or even fishing line.

Anyhow, I sandwiched the thread between 2 circles of the same size, and used double-sided tape to hold the thread in place and stick the 2 circles together. So you can look at the garland from both sides!

I have 3 garlands put together and enough circles cut out to make a couple more. Next Christmas season I should have enough to hang them in 5 different areas.

Here it is hanging between the kitchen and family room. That's my son, supposedly doing his math, sitting at the table. I can see that my dishwasher drawers are sticking out. I never run the dry cycle on my dishwasher. I just open the thing up when it's still hot and let them air-dry. Am I the only that does that? All I know is that I constantly run into it when it's open and I have perpetual bruises on my shins.

So there ya go ... something crafty that will make you smile every time you look at it!

Cooties

2009-01-12T15:23:00.000-08:00

Cooties have come a long way since I was a kid.

Look how cute they are now ...

That's my 3-year old in the middle ... she's pretty cute too.

Today we played a very competitive round of Cootie.

We're trying to learn how to take turns.

This is harder than you realize.

Why should you have to wait until it's your turn to roll the dice?

Why should you roll the dice at all when you can just pick up any old bug part you want and build your Cootie?

Is this a toy or a game?

Can't you just steal your opponent's bug eyes because you like them better?

Why do we have to have rules?

Rules like ...

Don't stick bubble gum up your nose.

Did you know that you cannot blow a bubble by shoving gum up your nose? This has nothing to do with Cooties, other than ... eeeew!

And yeah, my 3-year old tried it.

"Mom, my bubble gum is stuck."

"Where?" I ask as I frantically start digging through her hair.

"Here!" Finger goes up the nose. Way up.

"You're kidding?"

"Nope. It's there. See?" Finger back in nose.

"You stuck your gum up your nose?"

"Yeah, I want to blow a bubble!"

Duh.

"Ok, blow away then."

Pop, out flies the gum. No bubble.

I consider it a homeschool science experiment.

Lesson learned.

I remember playing Cootie with my Grandma.

I don't remember that the game had rules back then either. I just remember putting together the bugs.

This is what they looked like when I was a kid ...

I love the retro-ishness of it, don't you? My kids took one look at the box ...

One kid says, "Wow, that's OLD!"

The other says, "You mean they had Cooties way back then?"

(sigh)

What's Your Point?

2009-01-11T14:02:00.001-08:00

Well ... I'm not sure I have one.

A point that is.

Today is one of those days where I just have so much running through my head I can't really focus on one thing.

Some of the stuff in my head seems worthy of the energy required to think about it.

Things like:

Hubby has a work trip to Houston again this week. It's just not the same when he's not here. I feel all out of sorts and I don't sleep well. And I just miss him.

My mom is doing somewhat better. She was hospitalized last week but is home now. But I still worry.

My dad is caring for my mom all by himself. That leaves me feeling guilty because I can't be there to help. And I worry about the toll it's taking on my daddy.

My house is a disaster and I have several friends coming over at different times this week. They're all really great friends and I know they won't judge, but it stresses me out to have a messy house.

Then I have those other things wasting space in my brain ... stuff like:

How can DeAnna come back and mess things up for The Bachelor?

Will the Chargers beat the Steelers, in the snow?

Did I remember to record the latest episode of The Unit?

When was the last time I cleaned out the cheese drawer in the fridge?

So no, I don't have much of a point today.

But I still thought I'd share.

Wait ... I will leave you with this:

The sun came out yesterday and today after numerous days of fog and gloom.

That made one house cat very happy.

Guess Who's in Town?

2009-01-08T14:44:00.000-08:00

Look ... just look at who's in town ...

Doesn't that just make you want to smile?

Extreme Makeover Home Edition has hit Fresno. They are building a house for a very deserving family. I had heard on the local news that they were coming. Yet it didn't fully register until today when we saw Ty Pennington!

Ok, well we didn't actually see Ty ...

but we saw the bus!

I am the parent sponsor for our homeschool group's student newspaper. So we were at our planning meeting this morning when another mom told us that Ty and the gang were just up the street. Today they knocked on the door and announced that this particular family had been chosen. Saturday they will demolish the house and get started building. On our way home we drove by to take a look. Of course the street is completely blocked off, but we were able to see all the activity and the big ol' bus sitting in the street.

How exciting is that?

Once Upon a Dream ...

2009-01-05T16:31:00.000-08:00

My 3-year old daughter has a crush on a guy named Phillip.

Apparently, he's handsome.

He can ride a horse.

He can sing.

He can dance.

And ... he's a hero ... he can slay dragons.

If that's not enough to make a girl's heart skip a beat,

I don't know what is.

Oh yeah, and he's a prince!

So I'm guessing money is no problem. He's due to inherit a kingdom some day.

And don't tell anyone, but I had quite a crush on the same guy when I was her age.

This is the stuff fairy-tales are made of.

And no matter how old you are ... it's still magical.

New Year ... New Style!

2009-01-01T18:46:00.001-08:00

My oldest daughter decided to start the new year with a new look.

She asked me to cut her beautiful long hair.

Brave girl!

I cut 12 inches off!

She is going to donate her hair to Locks of Love.

It's a new look for a new year!

Bring It On!

2008-12-30T14:39:00.000-08:00

Are you ready for a new year?

Are you ready to Get Organized ...

Looking for ways to Be Clutter Free ...

Maybe you need a little Waist Management ...

How about Keeping Your House Running Like Clockwork ...

or do you need Meal Solutions ...

A Closet Makeover ...

All Season Tips for Gardening ...

Can you spare 31 Days to a Healthier You ...

Need Tips for Saving Money All Year ...

or How to Make Changes to Last a Lifetime ...

or simply some Fresh Thinking ...

??????????

I love how all the January magazines entice you and promise that THIS year will be your best year yet. If you just follow their simple little tips.

Like this one: to keep clutter from accumulating on kitchen counters, have a place for everything and put everything away when not in use.

Wow, like I never thought of that before. However, what would really be useful is a tip on how to actually get the members in my house to realize that everything has a place and that they're perfectly capable of finding it. Without my assistance!

Instead of suggesting that I get all organized with a chart and calendar system to let everyone in the family know when appointments are and who has what chore, how about a tip to remind them to actually LOOK at it?

I don't need suggestions on how to plan a week's worth of menus and make a shopping list. I need someone to actually go to the grocery store for me. That would make my life easier in '09.

I don't need a master plan for what to plant in my garden this spring. I need someone to weed it for me!

And I don't care how many useful tips there are for cleaning a bathroom, it still never gets done unless someone is willing (or forced) to do it!

I fully understand that exercising daily, eating healthier, following a daily skin care routine, and a deep conditioning treatment on my hair once a week will make me look thinner, feel sexier and just glow with self-confidence. But what I really want to know is when will my laundry get done, who's going to scoop the dog poop and why do we have yet another over-due library book?

I'm so glad I took the time to investigate some of these so-called time-saving, life-changing tips. With all the magazines I've read, I figure I wasted probably an entire day and who knows how many trees, but now I'm armed and ready.

All I have to say is ... 2009 ... bring it on!

Do I Know You?

2008-12-28T12:04:00.000-08:00

Christine, over at Smiles and Trials, has a great idea. It's a game to see who knows who in the blogging world.

I'll play!

Here are my friends from the blog list on my side bar ...

First, I have to start with Kristen:

She is the one that got me started blogging. We have been best friends since our freshman year in high school. We were both band geeks and exceptionally PE challenged, especially on the tennis courts. Therefore, we were instant friends!

And is evident by this photo ... neither one of us has changed in the last 22 years! If you've seen me lately, and disagree, just don't tell me. I like to live in my delusional world. And I know Kristen will support my delusions, she's that good of a friend.

I met Susan and Shawn, gosh I think it's been well over 10 years ago, in an online scrapbook loop. We all bonded over our mutual scrapbooking obsession and became friends. Shawn even hosted a get-together at her house several years ago. That was so much fun! I think it's amazing we've managed to stay in touch all these years.

Don was a really close friend in high school. We were "neighbors", which in country living means we lived about a mile apart. We could visit each other by riding our ATCs down the orchard, across the ditch and through a few more orchards. I have so many great memories of hanging out with Don, his good buddy Mike, and Mike's sister, Marla, who was one of my friends. Sadly, I am no longer friends with Marla, and I don't think Don and Mike keep in touch anymore either. But I recently found Don through Facebook and it's been great to reconnect. I have tons of photos of Don from high school that I'm sure he's grateful I did NOT post.

I met Robynn and Reginia through our home school group.

Reginia was so kind to me when I was new to the group. She made me feel so comfortable. I love her willingness to listen and her offerings of prayer. She has been a wonderful example for me over the years.

Robynn is such a cool gal. She is the one in the room you gravitate towards because she always has something interesting to say. Her blog has some great observations on life. And she's funny! Robynn and I also bonded over our love of raw milk.

Speaking of raw milk ... one of the first blogs I began following was The Complete Patient. David writes about the happenings in the real food world. Raw milk is an always-going subject on the table. And my own personal friend and dairy man, Mark McAfee, is a frequent contributor and topic of conversation. If you're not interested in the real food, raw milk movement, this blog will probably bore you. But how many of you can claim to have your own personal dairy man?

I found Christine through my friend Kristen. She is a wonderful mom with a blog documenting her life with a great hubby and 11 amazing kids! I had the chance to meet Christine and her son, Dennis, in person just a couple of weeks ago. Dennis had a surgery out at Children's Hospital and my son and I went to meet them. Dennis is such a cutie. And Christine is a great person. I'm so glad we had a chance to meet. And if you check out her blog, you'll want to be her friend too!

I haven't had a chance to meet, in person, the other bloggers on my list. But I still feel like we're friends. I've looked into their lives, I know what their houses, spouses and children look like, I've tried their recipes, I've entered some of their contests, and I've laughed and cried right along with them. That's the cool part about blogging ... you really do get to know people.

I look forward to "meeting" other bloggers out there soon and adding new "friends" to my list!

So ... who do you know?

Christmas Day Photos ...

2008-12-26T15:45:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas at our house.

I managed to get up early enough to make cinnamon rolls. My parents were able to join us for brunch and opening presents which was really nice. My husband and father-in-law insisted for the umpteenth year in a row that we include pickled herring in the Christmas breakfast menu. It's some Swedish thing apparently. Somehow they think this is a tradition. But I don't argue. I just cook some bacon to balance things out. I wish I had some photos of breakfast to share with you, but pickled herring isn't exciting to look at.

My little one, however, was all about the excitement ...

My 3 year-old exclaimed ... this is my favorite thing! ... when she saw her new kitchen.

She immediately figured out how to turn on the oven and cook some pizza.

She also received a little digital camera, which is really nice since she's always trying to sneak mine away from me to take just one picture Mom!

How cute is the little chef's hat and apron?

My son is happy with his new RipStik.

If you can see outside behind him, it was too rainy to go out and ride it though.

My oldest is a huge Clue fan. She was so excited to get the Harry Potter edition of the board game plus the movie Clue. Which has several different endings I hear. We managed to get in a game while I was preparing dinner. Just for the record, I have never lost at the game of Clue. So now at least my kids have a goal when they play ...

beat Mom!

For our Christmas dinner I did a prime rib, with mashed potatoes and gravy. I threw in a side dish of some assorted braised greens, just for fun. Yes, I love greens ... chard, spinach, mustard ... I even used some beet tops. It's super healthy. I'm just passing along some nutritional FYI there.

Then I made Pioneer Woman's Whiskey Glazed Carrots. Let me just tell you this ... you HAVE to make these carrots! Here's why ...

I do not like cooked carrots. I just don't. I'm sorry.

But ... we get carrots in our weekly produce box. Like every week! That's a lot of carrots. I will juice them, but that's about it. Well, after seeing Ree's recipe for these carrots ... I thought what the heck, it looked so easy and at least I'll have another side dish for Christmas dinner. They were sooooooo yummy! That glaze ... it just oozed delicious. Seriously. So needless to say, I will be excited to get carrots every week from now on.

I made a Christmas rum cake for dessert.

Wait a minute ... whiskey glazed carrots, rum cake ...

no wonder we had such a happy Christmas!

We ended the evening with a few hands of poker. My son received a World Series of Poker set. The kind where the chips click together with that nice chip-clicking sound when you play with them.

So there's a little glimpse into our apparently liquor-enhanced, friendly gambling, sort of Christmas celebration!

There was more ... a lot more ...

But look what my 2 girls end up playing with ...

Candied Nuts and A Cool Thing-a-ma-jig

2008-12-24T16:17:00.001-08:00

These are Penuche Nuts.

My mom has made these nuts for Christmas every year that I can remember. Now I'm carrying on the tradition.

She always used walnuts. I was always using walnuts.

This year I tried pecans.

Equally as yummy!

These are so simple to make. And if you wrap them up in a cellophane or a pretty tin they made excellent gifts. This might not help you at this stage of the game, but you can file it away for next Christmas. Or make them for New Year's.

You'll be glad you did!

Here's the amazingly easy recipe:

Penuche Nuts

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 cups nuts

Cook the sugars and sour cream until the temp reads 246* on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and nuts. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Break up into chunks.

Enjoy!

And here's another fun thing to do ...

This could be a great project during the remaining winter break when your kids are bored.

Make a Treasure Bottle!

You'll need a label-free, empty, clean and dry water or soda bottle.

Fill it with several "treasures" ...

we used buttons, beads, tiny toys, marbles, coins, shells ...

and some star confetti ...

the possibilities are endless, as long as it fits into the bottle.

Can you see the Monopoly hotel and the green turtle?

Then fill the bottle with sand, leaving about an inch of empty space so you have some room to move things around. Did you know you can get a 50 pound bag of sand at the hardware store for less than $5? This totally made my day!

If you're worried about little ones removing the cap, you can hot glue it on.

Then hunt for the treasures inside the bottle.

You can make a game out of it.

This is so cute, and it's really a lot of fun.

Finally ...

Merry Christmas to all my blogging buddies.

Hope you create wonderful memories with your families this Christmas ...

Wishing you all many blessings.

Pop Pop Pop

2008-12-23T21:38:00.001-08:00

So we went to hubby's office party last Saturday night. It was quite an amazing evening. I might share more details in a later post.

But for now, here was the gift I came home with ...

A new popcorn popper! Now how many of you get a gift from your husband's boss? I was quite surprised. So today I decided to put it to use and make some caramel and nut popcorn.

Look how clean the inside of my oven is! I hope hubby notices that.

Then I started thinking ... what do you give the boss who gave you a popcorn popper? Um, some of that caramel corn of course!

I wish you could smell this!

Now I'm off to make Penuche Nuts. Stay tuned ...

Wicked Good ...

2008-12-22T15:16:00.000-08:00

I made these ...

My son said they are "wicked good!"

They're called Port Balls.

I found the recipe at Noble Pig.

If you haven't checked out this blog ... you must!

I have found so many great recipes there.

Thank you Cathy!

If I don't eat them all, I will wrap them up and give them away as a gift.

Tonight for dinner we're having Alton Brown's Christmas Soup, potato latkes and kugel.

The kugel recipe, once again, comes from Cathy over at Nobel Pig.

Did I mention how much I love that site?

We're also watching a Christmas movie tonight. Haven't decided if it's going to be A Christmas Story, It's a Wonderful Life, The Santa Clause, or A Christmas Carol.

What's your favorite Christmas movie?

Wake Up to This ...

2008-12-19T09:56:00.000-08:00

Several posts back I talked about how I love my morning Latte.

And how I love it in this mug ...

I had it down to a science with the perfect amount of milk and sugar. It was the perfect mug. And then last Sunday hubby took it out of the dishwasher and the handle fell off.

These things happen. Oh well.

So all week I've had to have my coffee in a Scooby-Doo cup. As much I love good ol' Scooby, it just wasn't the same as my Salt Lake City mug.

Well it just so happens that hubby had a business trip to Houston this week. He had to change planes in Salt Lake City.

And being the thoughtful hubby that he is ... he found another, almost identical ... mug for me.

This one has a logo on BOTH sides ...

"Honey, when I saw this mug I immediately thought of you!"

Gosh, I love that man!

Chocolaty Pretzel Thingies

2008-12-17T20:55:00.000-08:00

These Chocolaty Pretzel Thingies are so yummy and so super easy to make.

We made these a few Christmases ago and gave them out at gifts to all our neighbors.

I think I found the recipe in Family Fun Magazine, but I can't really recall.

Nevertheless, I think whoever thought of it is brilliant.

You can make them too!

Here are the ingredients:

You'll need some those square waffle-looking pretzels. This brand calls them Snaps.

And some M&Ms. Get all festive and pick the red and green ones.

Some Kisses or Hugs. We used both.

I even threw in some Caramel Kisses. They all work, they're all good.

First off ... unwrap all the Kisses. This is where kids come in handy.

Just don't try and keep score of how many they unwrap vs how many they eat. Because they turn the tables on you and start counting how many you're eating. They think they're so clever.

Next ... line some baking sheets with foil (just in case you have some chocolate leaks, you won't have to wash the baking sheets later).

Cover the foil-lined baking sheets with pretzels.

Heat your oven to 175 degrees.

Put one Kiss on top of each pretzel square.

Then ... put in the oven for about 5 to 8 minutes. You want the Kisses to get nice and soft. You'll know they're ready when they get shiny looking.

Take them out of the oven and immediately start pressing one M&M down into the middle of each Kiss. The Kiss will squish all nicely down into the cracks of the pretzel.

I forgot to take a photo of the squishing process. But I'm sure you can visualize it.

Then let them cool completely until the Kiss firms back up nicely. You can stick them in the fridge for several minutes if you want to speed up the process.

Then pack them up all nice and pretty. That is, if you haven't eaten the majority of them already. I got some Chinese take-out containers and lined them with silver tissue paper.

Now you have a practically instant homemade holiday gift that anyone would be thrilled to receive. Yum!

Dead Mouse

2008-12-14T19:26:00.000-08:00

My son's pet mouse died. This time last year his hamster died. It's something about the holiday season that causes our rodents to die.

After the hamster died I gave in and let him get another "pet".

Well, actually two.

Two Mice.

The one on the left is Ginger. The one on the right is Liquorish.

Liquorish is the one that is no longer with us.

About 3 nights ago my husband noticed that Liquorish was getting sort of fat. Poor little thing was struggling to run on her mouse wheel.

But bless her heart, she was still trying.

Next day ... well you know. These things happen.

My poor son still got very emotional about it.

It's hard to lose a pet. Even a mouse.

Happy St. Lucia Day!

2008-12-13T18:52:00.000-08:00

Every year on December 13 we celebrate St. Lucia Day. My husband has some Swedish blood in his family. Funny thing though, he didn't even know what St. Lucia Day was until I told him about it when we were first married.

I'm all about starting traditions and being cultural. Someday my kids will thank me for it.

I think.

I'd love to give you the history of the holiday. But it's bath night for my 3-year old, and I haven't fed the dog, and I don't even have the lights on the Christmas tree yet, and I have 40 Christmas card envelopes to address, and my kitchen is a mess ... and well, I'm just tired. So you can Google it if really want to know more.

But I will tell you that the holiday involves baking these Lucia buns.

I made 4 dozen this year.

(minus the one in the middle that was my "tester" bun. Yeah, I ate it.)

It's a yeast dough flavored with cardamom and shaped into an "S" and studded with raisins.

If you could walk into my house right now ... you'd trip over 3 pairs of shoes, a box of ornaments and a large plastic horse ... but you'd also smell these wonderful buns. Heavenly!

Now ... I have to go do all that stuff I mentioned above and then polish off at least 2 dozen of these yummy buns.

Happy St. Lucia Day!