Book to Movie

I love to read.  I don't have a favorite author.  I do enjoy fiction.  I love getting lost in a story.

Over the years, some of the books that I have read have been made into movies.  It's always fun to see how the movie turns out and how closely it runs along the book's storyline.  I have to say that sometimes I'm disappointed.  I have created a picture in my mind and the movie doesn't match at all.

You're probably wondering where this post is going.  I mean, why would I want to discuss books converted into movies on my blog?  It's not like I want to be a movie or book critic.

You see, I find these movies (on Netflix or at the library), RT is usually around and decides to sit and watch them with me.  He doesn't have any idea what the movie is about and I don't offer any information.  Well, maybe I will say that I read the book, or I liked the book, or I found the book to be interesting.  He sits with me to watch it and ends up enjoying the chick flick movie.

The last couple of movies we saw had sad endings.  I think I even saw RT tear up a little.  He does make comments about the sad ones (like, maybe I should read happier books...).

The next one is more of a thriller.  I think he will enjoy watching that movie.

Cleaning Up

Somehow, the stars were aligned and all of my ducks were in a row.  I was in the right place at the right time.  God was smiling upon me.

Yes.  It's true.

The boys decided to clean their rooms yesterday.

I was going to say something to them on Friday.  You know, something along the lines of, "Maybe you can clean your room this weekend."  Something I say every weekend and wait and hope that it happens.  It turns out, I didn't have to say anything!  Can you believe it?

It wasn't a complete cleaning for the rooms, but, it was a good start.  The things that came out of their rooms (and the things I learned....going to turn my hairs all gray or make me wonder if they are really mine?).

They will be home for a couple weeks and looking for stuff to do....maybe they will be inspired once again and finish the job.

We can only hope for the best.

Too Many Shoes

So, I decided to straighten up the shoes by the front door.  It seems like everyone has every single pair of shoes that they own, along with all of the neighbors shoes sitting by our front door.  It isn't a huge area and it can look really messy with mountains of shoes.

I thought I would leave one pair of shoes for each person by the door.  The rest could go in the basement.  Oh, and for the record, my shoes are in the closet at the top of the stairs.

As I am going through the shoes, I realize that RT has the most pairs of shoes there.  I bring them down stairs and notice there are even more there that belong to him.  I open up the closet in the basement and, guess what?  More of RT's shoes!  I should mention that in the upstairs closet where I keep my shoes, there are several pairs of shoes that belong to RT.

All of a sudden, I realize that I am married to Imelda Marcos.

I mean, how many thousands of pairs of hiking shoes does one person need?  And, gym shoes?  I think he has one hundred pairs.

And, don't listen to that, "Oh, I need different shoes for every activity that I do."  Do you have resting shoes too?  How about sleep shoes?

I jokingly brought this "problem" up to RT.  He said he "might" have a little problem.

In the meantime, I think he might have to build a temperature controlled room just to house all of his shoes so I don't have to trip over them see them all by the front door.

Cabin Fever

It's been a tad brisk here the last couple of days with temperatures in the single digits.  It's going to be cold for several more days with temperatures below 0F.

During times like these, it's very easy to get cabin fever.  You know, where you are stuck in the house all day long.  You don't go anywhere because it's too cold outside.  This happens a lot to older people.  Apparently, it also happens to dogs.

I've been working every day (retail, toy store, busiest time of year, etc.) and poor Pippen has been home by himself.  I think he misses following me around the house all day.  Some times one or all of the kids are home with him, but, they probably torture him.  When I'm home, Pippen will follow me around the house while I'm busy cleaning and doing laundry.

Last night, he was acting a little strange.  Bella was worried.  He wouldn't wander off the deck when we let him outside (can you blame him?  It was 4F outside!)  So, I decided to take him for a walk to get him out and get some exercise.  I bundled up and decided to make it a short walk, just a half loop around the park.  We get 3/4 of the way around the park and Pippen decides he wants to keep going.  I said no.  If his paws froze, I didn't have my phone with me to call RT to pick us up.

When we got back home, I gave him a (dog) cookie and he curled up on his blanket and went to sleep.

I'm glad I could help.  I'm hoping this will hold him over for a few days.  Especially since it will be below zero for the next couple of days.

Holiday Spirit

Nothing like trying to get your family into the Christmas Spirit by yelling and crabbing at them.

20 Miles to Empty

I try to keep my car's fuel tank at half a tank or more.  There are the few occasions where it gets down to a quarter tank.  I fill the car up right away when it gets that low.  Lately, my life has been a little crazy, so, stopping at the gas station isn't at the top of my "To Do" list.  Normally, I have an idea where the gas gauge is and try to plan on when I will take the car to fill it up.  My plan usually fails because "someone" else drives my car.  "Someone" is normally good about putting gas in the car, but, since he hasn't been working, it has affected his brain and he "forgets" to fill the car up.  I'm usually surprised by the fact that the tank is low and I rush off to the gas station.

Last night, it was a different story.

I let "someone" use my car after I got home from work.  I knew I was low on fuel but figured I had enough to fill up the next day before work.  The car was returned.  I had to run Bella to dance class (it's in town) and realized the fuel light was on and there was twenty miles until empty.  That's if the gauge is correct.

I went to the gas station by our house, only to find out that the Diesel fuel was out of order (my car takes Diesel).  I didn't leave much time before class, so, I dropped Bella off at class.  I called "someone" and told him to be on alert.  He might have to bring me some fuel if I run out.

I have to say, "someone" is very lucky that I made it to the gas station and was able to fill up the car.  We had a talk about giving me a little "heads up" that the tank is low and that I should add extra time before my next excursion.

Let's see if "someone" remembers.

St. Nicholas Day

There are many stories about the life of St. Nicholas.  I found my information here.  The following is a quick summary.  Click on the link to read more details. 

St. Nicholas came from a wealthy family.  His parents died when he was very young.  He grew up in his faith and strongly believed to give to the poor.  He became Bishop and was know for his generosity, love of children and concern for sailors.  Under the Roman Empire he was persecuted for his faith.  He went to prison.  He was released and died on December 6.  The anniversary of his death became a celebration known as St. Nicholas Day.

There are many variations of the story of St. Nicholas. He gave money for three poor girls dowries, he helped children, gave to the poor. Do a little research.  You will even see how Santa Claus evolved. 

We just started putting our shoes out for St. Nicholas in the last couple if years. It's a fun tradition and the kids love it. 

Do you have any special traditions you do with your family during the holidays?

Burnt Toast

I'm sure I have blogged about my toast making abilities.  If not, let me refresh your memory.  I'm really good at burning the toast.  It doesn't matter what setting I put the toaster on, it ends up burning my toast.

I don't like "bready" toast.  Yea.  That's a thing.  It's when the bread is still soft and bready-like.  I like my bread toasted.  Where it crunches when you bite into it.

Apparently our toaster is out to get me.  It burns my toast.  Some days it is worse than others..I can usually scrape some of the burnt part off.  The bad days are when there is very little left after a scraping.

The kids seem to be aware of this talent of mine.  When I make them breakfast and offer to make toast,  before saying anything, they pause and then say, "No, thank you."  or, "I'll make my own toast."

I really think it's the toaster.  I have no problem cooking fancy meals or baking desserts, but, when it comes down to making toast, I fail every time.

Car Dealer

Had to take my car in to the dealer today.  I ordered a new cover for the side view mirror and they had to put it on the car.

To answer your question (How did it come off?), Alex was pulling the car out of the garage (when he was first learning to drive the car) and got a little too close to the side of the garage and it popped off. Well, it wasn't completely off the car.  For awhile, I drove it around with it being held together by rubber bands.  After getting a goodwill package from the dealer, I decide it was time to take the plunge and get it repaired.

One thing I hate doing is visiting the car dealer.  This visit should have been a quick visit (snap off old housing, unhook old light, hook  new light and snap on new housing).  I was optimistic at first.  When checking in, the guy said he could do it himself.  Of course, after a couple minutes he said he was going to get the experts to help him out.  This led to something about needing screws for it and then the whole mirror might have to come out....

And there I sat in the waiting room.

To make my long story even longer short (and my life more complicated), they broke a clip on the mirror in the assembly process, so, they have to order an entire new part (including the mirror).  The new part (outer housing) has to be painted and I will have to return and go through this nightmare again.

The positive side is the dealer is paying for the new mirror, housing, painting and installation.  The clips on the mirror and housing are very thin and break easily, so, I'm glad that they will do the installation.

The downside is that the clips are very thin and this will probably all happen again and again and again and now a weekly visit to the dealer to have the outer housing installed on my car is just going to be part of my life.

Snoring

RT had quite a few vacation days left this year.  He can only bring over so many days into the next year.  His department has been quite busy and it has been difficult for him to get away for long (and short) periods of time.

RT asked me if we could get away in November.  Unfortunately, the kids had school and I couldn't get time off (I work part time and don't get paid vacation days).  So, I told him to take some time off and go on vacation by himself.  He enjoys hiking and wanted to do some longer hikes in the Smoky Mountains.  This was his time to do it.

I didn't want to appear too excited for him to go.  I was a little jealous that he was able to go on vacation, but I envisioned this as a nice "vacation" for myself (wink, wink).

The first night (and every night thereafter) I slept in the middle of the bed.  No one hogging pulling the blankets.  No one snoring.  No one breathing their bad breath in my direction.

It was quite nice.

RT returned at the end of the week.  We got in to bed and the minute his head hit the pillow, he started snoring.  He snored loudly all night.  He apologized the next day.  That day, he took a nap (and, I'm sure he snored).  Again, when we went to bed, he started snoring right away.  Two nights without sleep.

The third night, I woke him up and told him to "roll over."  A lot of good that did....he rolled over and snored some more.

I think all of RT's snoring was punishment for me getting so much sleep while he was away.

I'm thinking he needs to go on another vacation (and soon) so I can catch up on my sleep.

Halloween Candy Cupcakes

So, your kid(s) went trick-or-treating on Halloween and you still have Halloween candy leftovers.  What do you do?  You make some cupcakes!

What?

You heard me.  Make cupcakes.

It's very simple.  Make your cupcake batter.  Place your cupcake liners in the cupcake tin.  (I like to use the silicone liners myself).  Open some of your small candy bars in your trick-or-treat bag and place in each liner.  Pour cupcake batter over the candy bars and bake as usual.

Here is a link to my original post for pictures.

Now you can share some of your Halloween candy with everyone!

Black Friday

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving Day and is the biggest shopping day of the year.  For retailers, it marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season.

For those of us working, it's a crazy, long, tiring day.  If you are shopping, it can get crazy out there.  Be safe.

Also, be nice to the store employees.

Song suggestions for today:

Man In Black - Johnny Cash
Paint It Black - The Rolling Stones
Back in Black - AC/DC
Black Cat - Janet Jackson
Black Magic Woman - Santana
Black or White - Michael Jackson
Black Widow - Iggy Azalea

Happy Thanksgiving

In the year 1621, the Pilgrims held their first Thanksgiving feast.  They invited the great Indian chief, Massasoit, who brought ninety of his brave Indians and a great abundance of food.  Governor Bradford and Captain Miles Standish were honored guests.  Elder William Brewster, who was a minister, said a prayer that went something like this;

"We thank God for our homes and our food and our safety in a new land.  We thank God for the opportunity to create a new world for freedom and justice."

Linus Van Pelt
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

Graham Cracker Crust for Pumpkin Pie

Once again, I cooked down a pumpkin.  This time, I used the crock pot to cook it.  It took less time and was so much easier than last year.

It's pretty easy.

Cut pumpkin and scrape out seeds.   Cut in smaller pieces and place the cut side facing down inside the crock pot.  Put lid on and cook on high for 2 hours and a fork can easily pierce the skin).  Let cool.  I then cut off the skin and placed in a food processor until smooth.

I walked away with enough pumpkin for 8 pies.  I froze the pumpkin in bags (3 cups of pumpkin to a bag).

I decided to try making the pie with a Graham Cracker Crust and it turned out delicious.

If you need the recipe for the pumpkin pie, click HERE.

Here's the recipe for the crust:


Graham Cracker Crust

1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar*
1 1/4 cups finely crushed graham crackers (18 crackers)**

Melt butter.
In mixing bowl, add crushed graham crackers and sugar and mix.  Stir in melted butter and mix well.
Spread mixture evenly into a 9 inch pie plate, pressing onto bottom and sides of plate.
Bake at 375F for 5-7 minutes or until edge is lightly browned).
Cool completely before filling

*I used half of this amount.  I figure that there is sugar in the graham crackers.

** I used the food processor to crush the graham crackers.


Let me know if you try making homemade pumpkin pie!

Enjoy!

A Week of Being Thankful - Day 8

Bonus day!

It's not too late to join in!  Comment with what you are thankful for in your life!

I'm thankful for "Cupcake Wars."  Well, you are probably thinking about the TV show with the same name.  I'm referring to the cupcake wars that occurs in my kitchen on the weekend.  We enjoy watching the show and RT and Bella like to recreate the show in our kitchen.  It results in a huge kitchen mess fun filled times for the two of them and a huge kitchen mess for me lots of cupcakes.

A Week of Being Thankful - Day 7

I'm thankful for leftover night.  You gotta love that one day a week where you don't have to cook.  Well, I enjoy it.  Hey, and everyone can have something different!

A Week of Being Thankful - Day 6

Are you joining me on my week of thanks?  Comment with what you are thankful for.

I'm thankful for my health.

A Week of Being Thankful - Day 5

If you have been following along you know that I have been reflecting on everything that I am thankful.   With Thanksgiving and the Holidays approaching, it's a great time to step back and reflect on everything that you are thankful for in your life.  Play along with me and comment with your thanksgivings.

Today I am thankful for pens and paper to keep me busy when I'm waiting.  I find they can be very entertaining and very therapeutic for me.

A Week of Being Thankful - Day 4

I am thankful for all things pumpkin.  I love pumpkins.  I like all the recipes with pumpkins.  I'll probably be tired of them after Thanksgiving...but, for now, I'm thankful for them.

A Week of Being Thankful - Day 3

I am thankful the election is over.  I'm not very political, and, even though this election has been interesting and entertaining, I'm just happy that it's over.  No more circus events and media attention. Hopefully, the elected candidate will do good for our country and the media will, well, just go away.

What are you thankful for today?

A Week of Being Thankful - Day 2

As I have said yesterday, for the next few days, I'm writing down what I am thankful for and hoping you will join in and comment on my posts.

Today I am thankful for my house (shelter) and my car (to get me places and to help me in my career as a chauffeur).

A Week of Being Thankful - Day 1

As we are approaching Thanksgiving, I thought this would be the perfect time to reflect on everything we are thankful for:  people, places, things, etc.

It's a great time to think about them as we head into the holidays, where everything gets crazy and we lose focus on what is most important to us.

I am thankful for my family.  They are always there for me.  And, they are great providers of entertainment for me (and my two blog readers).

Play along with me.  Let me know what you are thankful for today.

Blogger App

I have the old Blogger App.  I was so excited to get it!  I loved that I could type up a blog post anytime....anywhere.  The anytime was great because sometimes I come up with good posts at 2 am.

Lately, I've had so many problems with the App.  The app will close as you are typing in your post.  Sometimes you write quite a bit and the app shuts down before you have time to save your draft, which means you lost your entire post.  That hurts.  Especially when you type in some extra things that you think of as you are writing the post...you can never get that back.

I'm not sure why they don't update the Blogger App.  I think a lot of people would be really happy and a lot of blogs would be updated more often with a better working app.  Oh, and a lot of readers would benefit by getting all of these great posts sooner.

The Burglar

Both Alex and Bella get creeped out easily by some of the sounds from our house.  Our house is older and does make a few noises.  The floors and stairs creak.  The furnace (sometimes) makes noise.  Then there are the unexplainable sounds.  The ones that happen that you know are normal, but don't know exactly what causes them (probably ghosts).

At night, Bella and Alex are very attentive to all of the strange sounds.  They don't miss any of them. If I happen to be upstairs, they start asking me,

"What was that?"

"Did you hear that sound?"

They tell me stories of how they hear sounds in the middle of the night.  Almost like someone is walking around.

>>>>Turns out it is someone walking around.  Usually Nick who is hungry in the middle of the night and goes to raid the refrigerator or make a meal at 2am.  Sometimes it's RT because he can't sleep and decides to try sleeping on the couch in the family room.

The other night, I was cleaning our bathroom.  It was 8:30 pm.  I was scrubbing in the shower when Alex knocks on the bathroom door and says,

"Hello?  Who's in there?"

Me:  "I'm cleaning the shower."

Alex:  "Oh.  Bella and I thought someone was trying to break into our house."

I'm not sure why they think someone is always trying to break into our house.  I'm not really sure what a burglar would walk away with from our house?  I used to say our most valued possession was a Buzz Lightyear, but, now he is 15 years old and has a bad knee.  We do have a large collection of dog hair.  Maybe our treasured dust bunnie collection?  How about our valuable dirty clothes collection?

I think they need to work on what the burglar will steal before they jump to conclusions about a burglar breaking in to the house.

And just let me clean the bathroom in peace.

World Kindness Day

Today is World Kindness Day!

Great timing!

Celebrated around the world, today is a great day to spread kindness and love. 

Greet people.  Help a neighbor.  Help someone in a store or at a park.  Be the good in the world.

What are you going to do to make today special?

Sunglasses

Went shopping the other day with RT and Bella.  Somehow we went our separate ways.  Bella and I hit some fun stores while RT looked for clothes and shoes.

When we finally met up, RT guided us into a store so we could check out some sunglasses.  RT put the first pair on and Bella and I were not impressed.  Something about those glasses made him look funny.  He picked up a few more pairs and they didn't do much for him.  The sales lady came over to us and said that everything was an additional 10% off and did we get the coupon?  She handed one to us and then casually said, "By the way, the men's sunglasses are in the back of the store."

Needless to say, Bella and I lost it.  We laughed all the way back to the car.  I'm not sure RT will ever live this one down.

Cologne

We have entered a new phase with the teenager.

The discovery of cologne.

This phase brings back memories of my teen years when every single boy wore Drakkar.  And, they didn't wear just a hint of it....more like the entire bottle.

Alex borrowed some of RT's cologne.  The one I bought him 100 years ago that he wears once a year (maybe?).  It's a nice cologne and when used sparingly, gives off a hint of scent to those around.

Well, I think Alex wanted his own cologne, so he went to the store and purchased a bottle for himself.  It's a different brand/scent.  It's not bad....when used sparingly.  Some days, the entire house smells like his cologne because he put some on before he left for school at 6:30am.  My car is starting to have a cologne-y smell to it, too.

I guess I shouldn't complain.  At least it's not the opposite (no showers and a sweaty smell), right?

A Cure for Shop-o-holics

Bella and Alex both needed clothes (growth spurts are overrated).  So, I took them out shopping.

I should have started this post telling you how much I "used to love shopping."  I enjoyed shopping for clothes, household items and shoes.  Now, I didn't always buy things, it was just fun looking.  I could spend hours shopping.  Did I mention that it was fun?

OK, now back to shopping with my kids.

First, it's the effort to get them to go with you when you have the free time.  They try to come up with excuses.  I just say it's either now or possibly a month from now.  They hop on the opportunity and off we go.

Once at the store, they forget why we are there.  They start looking at everything that is not related to our current shopping trip.  Oh, and then there's a story they have to tell me because they saw something that triggered this memory in their mind.  The story has nothing to do with the current shopping trip.  After several prompts and reminders of, "Why are we here again?"  we I start getting down to business.

Yes.  Me.  I start combing the racks while they stare at me.  That's when I have to remind them that we are there for them, not me and that I am not their personal shopper.

Once we have combed through the racks we move on to the fitting room.  Also known as "The Black Hole."  The teenager can take an extremely long time to try on one pair of pants.  After twenty minutes, he walks out to show me.  I'm assuming nothing else fit him.  He then tells me it's the one (and only) item he has tried on.  What took him so long, you ask?  Oh.  He was texting his friends.  He didn't want them to wait for a reply.

After a few more changes and a thousand few more runs out to the floor for me, we are able to head to the checkout.  At this point, I'm exhausted and ready to go home, put my feet up and have a drink.  The child, on the other hand, is happy and full of energy.

I try to get them to go shopping with RT.  The kids always refuse.  They want to go shopping with me.  I do try to make it fun while we are there.  I think RT tries to make it a very long and painful shopping experience for the kids so he never has to take them.

Or...he's paying them to go with me.

Halloween Post

I know this post is a little late but I didn't think of it until yesterday (Halloween).

When Nick was two, RT decided to do something different for trick or treating.  He decided to hand out candy by lowering it in a cauldron off our front porch.  It was something that Nick found quite entertaining.  The entire neighborhood got a kick out of it, talked and talked about "the house that lowers the candy bucket from their front deck," and a tradition was born. 

Over the years, RT has made little changes to his candy distribution technique.  He has the big spider that is on a string that he moves before lowering the bucket.  He has added cobwebs to the bushes (or I have forgotten to dust...?).  We had a skeleton that he would place in various spots under the deck (also attached to fishing line where he could move it around).  A couple years ago, he purchased a ghost that was usually hanging out in our front window.  It would freak me out every time I walked by the living room because I thought there was a real person standing there.  The little kids that live across the street were so scared that RT put a CUBS jersey on the ghost.

This year, RT got home early and went to work.  His mission was, "to scare the kids."  We had an old couch that we put in the driveway and had the ghost sitting on the couch.  RT would move the ghost when someone sat down on the couch.  We got quite a few screams that way.  He also had some recordings and had them play on the speaker that was in our attic.  One was Bella saying, "Help me!  Help me!  Don't eat me!  Help!"  Another was Alex saying, "Hey!  You in the driveway!  Can you help me?"  I had him playing "Thriller" in between trick or treaters so people could get in the Halloween spirit.

I think he freaked out some really small children early on.  They will probably never be the same.

I'm looking forward to seeing what he has up his sleeve for next year.

Belly Ache Day

Every year, on the day after Halloween, my Dad would announce that it was Belly Ache Day.  The first time he said it, I asked, "Why is it called Belly Ache Day?"  He replied, "Because you ate too much candy yesterday (Halloween) and today you have a belly ache."

So, Happy Belly Ache Day!

Is it Cancelled?

Maybe it's plans to go to a friends or family member's house for a party.

Maybe it's just a school day.

A trip downtown to a museum.

Maybe we just planned to go out to dinner.

Then, the weather hits.

Snow.

Rain.

And, then the questions.

"Are we still going?"

"Is it cancelled?"

I think it started with the school district canceling school due to the weather.  Normally, our school cancels classes due to extreme temperatures (below 0F) or a snow storm.  There was that one day they cancelled school because of an impending snow storm.  The storm didn't start until 3 or 4:00 pm (so, the kids could have gone to school and made it back home).  Then there are the times where they cancel due to extreme temperatures (below 0F) because they don't want the kids to wait outside for the bus in those temperatures.  The next day, the weather is the same, but they don't cancel school.

It can be very confusing.

The other day we had plans to visit a college.  The visit included a walking tour.  Of course, it was drizzling that morning.  The first words out of Alex's mouth when he saw me, "Is it cancelled?"

Me:  Why would it be cancelled?''

A: Well, it's raining and we are going to be walking outside.

Me:  Wear a hoodie or bring an umbrella.

I'm trying to drill it into them that life goes on, even when there's bad weather.

Hopefully it sinks in.

I think I might have agreed to having a Halloween party here at our house.  It was somehow put in a line of 6 or 10 questions that the child had to ask me and, I think I might have said, "Yes."

Now to break the news to RT.

Bella has been doing two dance classes for a month now.  I try to do all of my blog post writing during that time.  I usually have a few ideas for posts I want to write.

One day, there was dance class that evening and I was in a panic.  I didn't have any post topics.  Imagine a full, free uninterrupted hour and nothing to write about.  I knew how upset my two loyal readers would be without my fun posts to read.  Fortunately for them, my family pulled through and did something goofy gave me some topics to write about that night.

As I was heading out the door for a wedding (without kids), I decided to make a stop at the restroom. Good thing I did. The toilet paper roll needed changing. 

Vegetarian Diaries - Mexican Quinoa Bake

I found a really delicious recipe.  It's super easy to make and very filling.  Even the meat eaters in the house approved!

This recipe uses quinoa.  I always enjoy recipes that use quinoa.  It's also a fun word to say, isn't it?  Quinoa is a good source of protein (8 grams per cup) and also fiber (5 grams per cup) among other things.  If you don't have quinoa, you could always substitute faro or brown rice.

Here's the recipe:

Mexican Quinoa Bake

ingredients:
1 Tbsp Oil (olive or sunflower oil)
1 jalapeño, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15oz) diced tomatoes
1 cup corn
1 cup quinoa
1 cup vegetable broth
1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
lime (lime juice)

directions:
Heat oil in large skillet.  Saute jalapeño and garlic.
Stir in black beans, tomatoes, corn, quinoa and vegetable broth.  Season with red pepper flakes, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, cover with a lid and reduce heat to low and simmer until quinoa is tender and liquid is mostly absorbed.  (about 20 minutes)  Stir in cilantro, avocado and lime juice until combined.


If you make the recipe, let me know what you think.

Enjoy!

Pickled Jalapeños

It's always a sad day for me to take down my vegetable garden.  I know it needs to be done.  I don't look forward to it.  It's a sign that summer is definitely over.  I pick everything and compost the rest of the plant.

This year, there was an abundance of jalapeños.  I made two batches of giardiniera and two arches of pickled jalapeños.   I seed my (take out all of the seeds) jalapeños so the giardiniera and pickled jalapeños are not as hot.  The only problem?   My hands burn for days.  Yes.  Days.  Well, when you are cleaning 40-50 jalapeños at one time...

I have to say, I'm thankful that "cleaning jalapeños" is not my full time job.  My hands would burn all of the time.My advice?

Invest in plastic gloves.

I thought I would repost those recipes in case you are looking to preserve some of your summer garden jalapeños.

Homemade Giardiniera

4 jalapeno peppers, sliced* 

1 red peppers, diced 

1 green peppers, diced 

1 large carrot, chopped 

1 medium onion, chopped 

1/2 cup cauliflower, cut into small florets 

1- 2 celery stalk, diced 

1/2 cup salt

Cold water

*you can take seeds out to make it milder

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 

2 teaspoons dried oregano 

1 teaspoon black peppers 

1 cup white vinegar 

1 cup olive oil 

In a bowl combine jalapeños, peppers, carrot, onion, cauliflower and celery.   Add Salt and enough cold water to cover mixture.  Mix well.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next day:

Rinse the vegetables thoroughly.

Add the garlic, oregano and black peppers into the bowl.

Stir in vinegar and olive oil and combine for the dressing.  Mix thoroughly.

I put it in a clean glass jar (recycle a glass jar or you can go crazy and purchase a ball canning jar).  The giardiniera can be canned (did that make sense?).  Our supply didn't last very long (Hey!  We're from Chicago!).  Serve on beef sandwiches, pizza, salad or on my famous pasta salad.

Easy Homemade Pickled Jalapenos

15-20 large jalapenos, sliced

2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1 cup white vinegar

1 cup distilled water

4 Tablespoons sugar

2 Tablespoons Kosher salt

In a medium sauce pan combine the garlic, water, vinegar, sugar and salt.

Heat to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Once at a boil; add the sliced jalapenos pressing them so they are submerged under the pickling liquids. Remove the pot off of the heat and let them sit for 10-15 minutes.

Use tongs to transfer the jalapenos into a clean jar. Ladle the pickling juices over top until you've reached the top of the jar. Let cool at room temperature before securing a lid and popping them into the fridge.

*Don't forget to wear protective gloves!

I'm Dying

Woke up this morning to talk to one of the kids.  As I am getting ready (in a dark room) trying not to wake RT up, I bumped my head on a door.  A good hard bump on my eyebrow/eye area.  RT said to sit down.  I said I would go get some ice first.

While I am icing my bruise, I decide to look up online results of bumping your head.   Probably wasn't a good idea.  Now I can't fall asleep because I have a concussion.  I also could develop Parkinson's or Lou Gehrig's disease (or maybe both).   So, basically, I'm going to die.

The sad part is, I don't even remember what was so important for me to wake up early.

Soap Update

Remember that crazy day I decided to finally make soap?  I was stressed because it was my first time making soap and "someone" decided she needed my full attention?

I'm happy to report that her tablet cover came out nicely.  But, I'm sure you knew that already.

I realized during my soap making process that the scale I have is not great to use when making soap.  Especially since you need accurate measurements.  I let my soap cure for 3 1/2 months (it was still soft at 2 months) to make sure it wouldn't fall apart right away.  I have been using it now for the last couple of weeks and so far so good.  I know my mistakes (bad measuring, not enough essential oils, etc.).  I have since bought a new scale and hope to try the whole process again.

Now to find some uninterrupted time.

I moved Nick's car this morning and it said "1 mile until empty."  I really think it's hereditary.  RT does the same thing.  Let's hope he makes it to the gas station.

I Quit

I was at work the other day, hanging out in the front of the store.  The owner and manager were in the back unloading a shipment off a truck.  The phone rings, I answer it and the person wants to speak to the owner.  I asked for his name.  The caller did not want to give me his name.  Instead, he starts telling me to relay this information to the owner.

"One of your employees is going to give their two week notice today.  You have to make sure she gives it.  I need her more than he needs her.  Make sure she quits today."

Me:  Hold o, let me get the owner.

Caller:  I don't need to talk to him.  Just tell him that (person's name) is quitting today and make sure that she does it.  I need her more than he does.

Me:  Are you from another company?

Caller:  I'm her husband and I need her to work at my company.

So, first of all, this employee isn't married.  It was her boyfriend calling.  Secondly, why is he calling her boss?  She's in her late 30's, by the way.  I think she's old enough to handle herself and quit her job all by herself.

Then I thought maybe I'm on "Candid Camera" or "Punk'd."  I was waiting for someone to jump out and say, "Just kidding!"

No one appeared.

On lunch, the owner was in the office.  I started out with, "I'm going to tell you something and then I want to be removed from the situation."

I think they expected that she was going to quit.  It was odd that her boyfriend called.  I thought "Maybe she doesn't know he called?  Maybe he's controlling."

I also didn't like that they involved me (an innocent bystander) to be the messenger.  The woman did come in to work that day and they confronted her and she did give her two week notice.

Yea, only me.

I'm not sure why these weird things happen to me.  It makes a good story, right?

Would you ever have your significant other call your work and tell them you are going to quit?  Would you do that to or for your significant other?

Today's Tip of the Day

If you wait too long to empty the clean dishes out of the dishwasher there will be enough dirty dishes on the counter to fill it again.

The Long Toenail

I was walking past Bella, when she accidentally kicked me in the leg.  Her talon toenail left a huge gash scratch in my leg.  I told her that she should probably trim those claws before she does some serious damage to someone (mainly me).

A couple weeks later, and she was trying to get her sock off her foot after dance class.  It was stuck on her long toenail.  She said, " I should probably cut my toenails."

Later, at home, (she still hasn't cut her nails) she asks me to do her nails.  I looked at her toes and said that they were in desperate need of a pedicure.  Well, at least a good trimming.  I looked at RT and asked him if he has that problem where his big toenail grows REALLY REALLY long.  Maybe it's hereditary?  He said, "No."   He also said he would do a little research and find out if there is a long toenail gene.

Mouse Poop

My Mom taught me a lot about cooking.  She gave me different tips.  Let me help prepare meals or desserts with her.  She eventually had me make dinner once a week when she took art class.  I think that was her goal.  To get one free day a week where she didn't have to cook dinner.  I always made the same meal.  I followed her recipe and never received any complaints when I cooked.

One of the "tips" she taught me was to always clean the tops of a can before you open it (you know, the tomato sauce or tomato paste cans?).  She said that her Mom taught her to do this when she learned how to cook.  I asked why?  She told me that there might be mouse poop on it so you have to clean it before you open it.  You don't want the mouse poop to get into your food (if the lid falls in).

Now, I don't know if this is/was true, but, to this day, whenever I open a can, I make sure to clean it before opening.

Over the years, I have taught all three of my kids how to cook.  I have always stressed the "mouse poop" rule.

One day, I was in the kitchen, cooking, and Nick grabbed a can from the pantry for me.  He said, "Don't forget to clean the top of the can so there's no mouse poop."

I said, You remember that?

He said, Of course.  It gave me such a visual that I find it necessary to clean all cans before opening them.

Do you clean the tops of your cans before you open them?

Will you clean them now, after reading this post?

DIY Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent

As you know, I make a grated version for homemade laundry detergent.  I still use the grated version, but, decided that a liquid laundry detergent would be nice, especially for dark clothes.  I wash a lot of my clothes in cold water and sometimes the powder version doesn't do well with the dark clothes.

I found this recipe for liquid laundry detergent on One Good thing by Jillee and I love it!  It's simple to make and easy to use!  Check out her site for some more helpful hints.

Here's the recipe:


Liquid Laundry Detergent

1/2 cup borax
1/2 cup washing soda
1/2 cup Dawn Dish soap
4 cups HOT water

Pour the borax and washing soda into a gallon size container.  Add the Dawn dish soap.

Slowly add the hot water.

Slowly fill the rest of the container with cold water.*

*You might have to let it sit for awhile and let it settle before completely filling the container.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


Well, now that I made some, I have to go do some laundry!

If you try it, let me know how it works for you!

Today's Helpful Hint

When moving Nick's car, try not to get your hair caught on the fishing pole that is in the middle of his car.  It sets on the dashboard between the two front seats and the back shelf behind the back seat.

Oh, and that gross thing hanging from it is the lure.  Try not to scream.

There's a new kid on Pinterest

I'm sure you have heard of Pinterest.  If not, it's a place to "pin" all thinks (items, articles, sayings, recipes, crafts, etc.) that you find interesting onto a board.  You can have as many boards as you want and millions of "pins."  It's fun to go and look to get ideas.  It can also be a HUGE time suck (good bye two hours of my life that I will never get back.)

The other night, RT was on his phone.  He told me that he was downloading Pinterest.

Yea.
RT.
On Pinterest.
Strange, right?

He said that he wants to get some ideas on a desk to make for the office.  I'm sure that's what everyone says when they first sign on to Pinterest.  9,326 hours later......they have 1000 boards and 4,000,000 pins.

We shall see if this "desk" ever materializes.

It's October!

It's time for all things fall, pumpkins and Halloween!

I thought I would put some links to my past Halloween posts for you.  Take a look, make a craft and get in the fall spirit!

Halloween Crafts

Bat Pencil Cup
Extra Crafts - using construction paper, owls, witch, ghost, foam monsters
Mosaic Pumpkin - using paint chips
Mosaic Pumpkin - using construction paper
Owl - using construction paper
Pony Tail Craft - using ribbon
Pumpkin and Ghost - using Popsicle sticks
Pumpkin Magnet - using foam
Spider - using pipe cleaners
SPIDER
Spider (under $1 craft)
Witche's Hat


Recipes

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Enjoy!

Bella's Fantastic Hair Detangler

Bella's hair can get quite tangled.  I used to buy a hair detangler for her from the store.  Of course, after reading through the label and not being able to pronounce most of the ingredients I decided to search home made recipes on line.  I came up with a very simple recipe that we used for many years. Bella decided she wanted to take it up a notch and searched for a different recipe.  I'm not sure who to credit on this recipe.  All I know is that it works.  No tears and it smells great!

Here's Bella's recipe:

In an 8oz spray bottle add:

2 squirts of Aloe Vera Gel
5 drops of Glycerin
2 squirts of Vitamin E oil
5-10 drops of lavender essential oil

Add water to fill the bottle.

*shake before using

**Bella added lavender and Patchouli.  It smells awesome!

If you want to make it a leave in conditioner, just add two squeezes of conditioner.

Thanks, Bella, for sharing!

Almost Outta Gas

On mornings that I have to work and Nick is home (no work or school), I have to move his car.  I find it interesting to watch how his gas gauge changes daily.  It tells you how many miles until empty. Some days there's 180 miles until empty while other days there are only 38 miles.  I sure hope his gauge is correct. Running out of gas isn't fun. The gauge on his car varies and is sometimes related to when payday is or maybe whether he really needs gas in the car.

The other day I hopped in his car, started it up and put it in reverse when I noticed that the gas gauge said, "6 miles to empty."

Yes.  6 miles.

Thankfully our driveway isn't that long. I was afraid I was going to run out of gas while I was moving his car. 

"I'm sorry I'm late for work.  My son's car ran out of gas.................in the driveway."

Good thing there's a gas station a few blocks from our house.

Scare Crow - Girl Scouts

This year our troop decided to design and make a scarecrow for the arboretum.  The theme the girls decided to go with is, "Go for the gold," featuring a gymnast.  I think they enjoyed watching the Olympics this year.  Our scarecrow is a comparison of all the hard work that a gymnast puts in to work towards a gold medal and the hard work a Girl Scout puts in to earn her gold award.

We set up a list of supplies and our troop supplied the majority of what was needed for our scarecrow.  The arboretum supplied the form (which was two boards, a 2" x 6" and a 2" x 4" and a screw to hold them together).  We had to come up with a form for the body and make sure the scarecrow stays attached to the stand.  Also, that it holds up to all the elements.  The scarecrow will be outside for a month so it must withstand wind, rain, sunshine and possibly snow.

Our supply list:

black yarn
foam head
plastic bags (for stuffing)
blue guns and glue sticks
paint - face color, make up colors and black for hair (scalp)
body suit
ribbon for her hair
tights
pool noodles
PVC pipes (and connectors)
small round wood circles (for the awards)
gold paint
light green ribbon
sharpie markers (for the gold medals)
Coban
staple gun
Outdoor Mod Podge


This took a few meetings to do.  We had the girls work on their medals.  One side was their first name and the other side was their goal.  Examples: To be a better friend, do better in math class, be a better dancer, etc.

Then we divided the girls up.  We pre-cut the PVC to come up with a form for the body.  Some girls put that together.  They cut the pool noodles in half and surrounded the legs and arms with that and wrapped it in Coban.  Once that was done, we put the tights on the arms and legs and slipped on the leotard.

We cut two short pool noodles to fit inside the leotard.  They went on the sides to give our gymnast some shape.  We then stuffed her body with plastic bags.

For her head, we painted the face area and gave her eyes, eyelashes, and lip color.  We even added a couple stud earrings on the side.  We cut the black yarn for her hair, weaved it and stapled it to her head.  We used outdoor mod podge to cover her face (because of the paint).  We attached the head to her body and mounted everything onto the post.

After all of the hard work we put into this scarecrow, I have a new appreciation for all scarecrows.

Everyone that walks through the scarecrow exhibit at the arboretum can vote for their favorite scarecrow.  I will update you in November and let you know how our gymnast does, and if she holds up to the weather.

Hiccups

A hiccup is an involuntary contraction of the diaphragm that may repeat several times per minute.  taken from Wikipedia

For most people, hiccups last only a few minutes  -  Mayoclinic.org

That last part is key.

You see, when I get the hiccups, they can last about an hour.  I used to get them a lot when I was younger.  I tried every "cure" (they don't work) or they work one time (probably because I already had them for an hour or more).  When I was pregnant with Nick, he would get the hiccups all the time.  And guess what?  He would have them a long time.  When he was a newborn, RT videotaped him when he had the hiccups.  It's real cute to watch.  He is hiccuping and it doesn't bother him.  As time goes by and they won't go away, he starts to get upset and cries after he hiccups.  So, someone inherited the never-ending hiccup gene.

I have been pretty lucky the last few years.  I have avoided getting the hiccups.  The other night, just as I was climbing into bed, I hiccuped.

Me:  Oh, no.
RT:  What?
Me: I have the hiccups.
RT:  It's cute
Me:  This could go on for awhile

I turned off the lights and we were trying to sleep.  After about 10 minutes.

RT:  Are they almost over?
Me:  *hiccup*

I guess they weren't that cute anymore.

They did go away (finally) and, in the darkness I could hear a sigh of relief.

Today's Helpful Tip

Make sure that your mouth is closed and you don't breathe when walking by the port-o-potties.

Fasolikia Yiachni (Greek Style Green Beans)

My mom used to make these ALL the time.  They are delicious, but, when they are served to you everyday a lot, you get sick of eating them.

Well, that's a great way to start off a post about a recipe you are going to share.  "Hey, here's a recipe for something I'm sick of eating!"

Luckily, that was many, many years ago.  I went quite a few years without eating them.  My garden this year was overflowing with green beans and I thought I would give it a try.  I was a little hesitant, thinking it could bring up some bad memories, but, guess what?  They were delicious!  So delicious that I made them a second time.  (not in the same week)  The tomatoes add a nice flavor.  I added some potatoes (just like mom) and it makes a great meal!

Here's the recipe:


Greek Style Green Beans (Fasolakia)

Ingredients:
1 lb. fresh green beans
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1  8oz  can tomato sauce
3 small potatoes, sliced
3 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste


Directions:

Wash green beans and remove tips.
In a large saucepan, heat oil and sauté the onions and garlic.  Add tomato sauce and door for a few more minutes.
Add string beans, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper and stir.
Add hot water to cover green beans.  Bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer for about 45 minutes.



If you make them, let me know how they turn out.

Enjoy!

DIY Leave in Conditioner

My hair is pretty long.  I was going to cut (and donate) it last month but, Bella didn't want that to happen (lots of tears).

I found this recipe for a DIY leave in conditioner and thought I would give it a try.  This can be used on wet or dry hair.  I use this on dry hair (since I don't wash it everyday).  I have used just rosemary essential oil but am thinking of adding either Lavender or peppermint oils next time.  Rosemary alone starts to smell like eucalyptus.

Here's the recipe:

one part conditioner to 3 parts water
1 tsp fractionated coconut oil
6-8 drops rosemary essential oil
mix in spray bottle

*shake well before using

Girl Scout Swaps

I forgot to post these when we did our overnight camping trip last summer.

Our girls are really into all things pickles.  When we take attendance, they will reply, "pickle, " instead of "here."  We designed their camp shirt with a large pickle with, "Troop _____  We're kind of a big Dill."  The funny thing is, we were the largest group there at the camp with 17 girls in our troop that year!

So, we went along with the pickle theme when deciding on the swaps to make and bring to camp.  We decided on a clay pickle pin.

Supplies needed:
green clay
pins to attach pickles to (with clasp to close)
google eyes
hot glue gun and hot glue

These were pretty easy to make.  Roll green clay into a small pickle shape.  You can put a little curve (not all pickles are straight).  Use some small pieces to add bumps to your pickles.  Put on google eyes and let dry.  Once dry, use a hot glue gun to attach to a pin.

Pickle pins

The girls had fun making these and trading at camp.

What swaps have you made with your troop?

Ice Cube Tray (revisited)

I wrote a post awhile back with the instructions on how to make ice cubes using a recipe that Yiayia brought here to America from Greece.

I thought I would give a little update on how the ice making is going at our house.

Things were going well, until RT and I realized that we were the only one's making ice.  Everyone else in the house (kids) was using the ice but only two of us were filling the trays.  RT took it upon himself to empty trays into a container and hide it in the freezer (creating his very own secret stash of ice cubes).   I use ice if it's there, otherwise I go ice free.

The kids will use the ice and leave the empty trays in the freezer.

Apparently the directions on how to make the ice are a little difficult to understand.  Maybe a YouTube tutorial will help?

The Goose Whisperer

As you know, I walk everyday.  Sometimes there are geese that hang out along the trails.  They can be mean at times.  Then, there are times where they nicely move out of the way for you.  During all of my walking adventures, I picked up on how to politely get the geese to move out of the way.

I start clapping.

I probably look like a crazy fool, walking real fast and clapping my hands (I just created a really funny visual in your head, didn't I?), but, hey, it works!

Once the geese move out of the way and I walk by, I politely say, "Thank you."  Yea, I think I'm losing it.  I'm now talking to the geese on the path.

If you try the clapping with the geese, let me know how it works for you.  A funny visual for me would be greatly appreciated.  ha!

Late Arrival

Once a month the high school lets the kids sleep in. They call it, "Late Arrival."  Normally the bus picks up the high schoolers around 6:30am, getting them to school around 6:45am. I guess I should mention that school doesn't begin until 7:45am.

What? 

Yes.  They sit around at the school for an hour, socializing, and waiting for their first period class to start.  Why don't they start right away?  I don't know the answer to that question. I think it's something to do with teen torture. Oh. I should mention that they don't get home until 3:45. That's an hour after the elementary kids get home. So if you want them to watch the younger sibs, well, they can't because they are still at school. 

But, that's another topic for another day. 

So, with Late Arrival, the bus comes to pick up the students one hour and forty five minutes after their normal bus pick up time (for those of you not so good at math that's roughly 8:15am). 

The boys enjoy that one day that they get to sleep in (well, it's just Alex now in high school). In fact, they look forward to it. Unfortunately, someone always ruins it for them.  This "someone" thinks that they missed the bus so she goes yelling through the house to wake them up. They usually have to tell her that it's "Late Arrival " and they don't have to get up just yet. This usually happens several months in a row until the child finally tells this "someone" the night before, not to wake them tomorrow because it's Late Arrival.  (Even then, "someone" somehow forgets and is there yelling and waking up the whole house)

Yesterday was the first Late Arrival for the year and, well, "someone" forgot. When she realized her mistake, she wrote down all of the Late Arrival dates in the calendar, making sure to put a bright color around that date so it stands out (hoping that it helps). 

Let's see how many months it takes "someone" to figure it out this year. 

Open Window

The nights have cooled off around here. Great time to sleep with the window open. I like the room to be cool when I sleep (probably because I get real warm at night).

Unfortunately I live with someone who shuts the window during the night and I wake up to a real hot, stuffy room.

*This is the same person that, at any time of year, has 8 blankets on him when he sleeps. 

A Day in the Life of ....

Do you ever wonder how people spend their day?  Every waking hour / minute / second?

I imagine some (or most or everyone but me) have these great days where they wake up and there's fresh flowers, get a quick workout in, meet with friends throughout the day, hang with family, try new things, go to fun places, have a wonderful dinner, go for a nice walk or hike, maybe read a little and go to bed.

I'm sure that's what you do, right?

My day starts with me rolling out of bed (after not getting a lot of sleep), feeding the dog (which involves me watching him eat), washing a few dishes left during the night, getting Bella to the bus stop, going for a quick walk, washing breakfast dishes left for me at the sink, shower, work (if I work that day)*, come home, wash more dishes (because they somehow multiply at the sink), make dinner, wash dishes, make lunches, wash more dishes, watch a show on TV or read a little, maybe do a small load of dishes and then go to sleep.

*If not working, I am running a million errands, cleaning and doing a thousand loads of laundry (among the million extra loads of dishes that need to be washed)

I'm thinking I need to switch things up a bit and make my life simpler so I can start to have those perfect days.

What is your day like?

Block Party

We had our block party yesterday. The party is located at a park right by our house.  We brought a side dish. Lots of food to eat, games to play, music playing and then a movie in the park.  It was a beautiful night. Perfect for a movie.

Since the party was so close to home, we ran back and forth to get things or drop them off.  I say "we" loosely because it was mainly me running back and forth.  The last time I was walking back to the party I realized all of this running back and forth is probably worth at least one walk. Good thing because I missed a couple last week. 

Roasted and Stuffed Poblano Peppers

My poblano plant in my garden went a little crazy this year.  I was adding them into salsas and tacos. One day I went to the garden and picked 8 poblanos.  I decided to try and roast them.  Here is my take on:

Roasted and Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Ingredients:

8-10 poblano peppers
1 cup cooked rice
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (8 oz) spanish style tomato sauce
1/2 cup corn
a few sprigs of cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 cup onion or green onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheese

Directions:

Cook rice according to directions.

Cut tops off poblanos and take out seeds.  Place on cookie sheet and put in oven that is set to broil.  After 5-7 minutes, turn peppers over for another 5 minutes.  Once you pull the peppers out of the oven, place them into a zip lock bag, seal and wait about 10 minutes.

While you are waiting....

Mix rice, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, onion, cheese, cilantro in a bowl.

Take peppers out of bag and peel skins off.

Spoon rice mixture into poblanos and place on greased cookie sheet or baking dish.

Place poblanos in oven at 350F for about 20 minutes.



*sorry I didn't measure out quantities.  I'm an "eyeballer" when it comes to cooking.  If it looks right, then it's right.  :)

**I used brown rice.  You can substitute farro or quinoa for rice.

If you try making them, let me know how they turned out!

Enjoy!

Hey!  Bella is enrolled in two dance classes this year. That means I have more time to write up some blog posts (lucky you).

Unfortunately, she wasn't feeling good the first day of one class so (again, lucky you) no posts from this dance class. Let's hope she feels better next week.

On the subject of hoarding.....

We have been slowly going through 60+ years of stuff collected (saved) by my parents.  I say "we" loosely, because it's mostly been my brother, Steve, doing the work.

My parents weren't hoarders.  But, (you knew there was going to be a "but") they did save quite a bit of stuff.  Things that none of us really want to keep for ourselves.  Some items should have been used (or thrown out or donated) years ago.  Some items my kids could have played with when they were younger.  Some items should just never have been kept at all.

I'm not a collector (at all).  I don't see the point, I guess.  I also think I would hate to dust around a bunch of collectibles.  And, where would I put them?  My mom has a few items that some people might collect.  Even though they were hers and she kept them all of these years I still don't want any of them.  Hey, I can just store memories of them in my mind (it's already cluttered up there, why not add more, right?).

My house is definitely not clutter free, but, after seeing what we are going through I have decided that I need to pare down even more.  Release the clutter and all the excess nonsense.  If it has no importance or hold any deep feelings, then get rid of it!  I don't want my kids to have to go through my stuff and wonder what the h_ll I was saving all of this c__p for.  I know I won't be able to get rid of everything, but, the more I get rid of the better off everyone will be many, many years from now.

Are you a collector?  What do you collect?  How do you store (and dust) your collectibles?  Do you live with a collector?  How's that going?

Responsibility

So, the neighbors decided to ask Bella to watch their cat while they are on vacation in Europe. Bella was quite excited. I thought this was the perfect opportunity to learn responsibility.

The first day went great. Bella came home and told me how the cat followed her everywhere. She sat down and the cat jumped in her lap. She petted the cat and it purred and purred.

I thought, "This is great!"

Day two. Bella is excited. Runs over. Next thing you know she's back. I said, "You should stay longer. Give Spooky some attention" (Spooky is the cat's name) Bella says, "I can't get back into the house."  I thought she was joking. Bella started crying and I realize it isn't a joke. Apparently, Bella ran outside to get the paper and the mail. Not sure why she didn't just bring it in when she was walking up the driveway. 

So, the sheet of paper with the sister's phone number is in the house. I'm trying to contact neighbors to see if anyone has a key (no one does). I try messaging the neighbor on Facebook. I even send her son (the one she is visiting) a message on Facebook.  I put off texting her. The cat was fed so we had some time before we had to go over there and feed her again. So, I guess the whole responsibility thing kind of went out the window. 

The next morning, I went outside to stretch and go for my walk. I look up and see the sisters car in the driveway. I'm so excited that I run over there and ring the bell. After explaining everything that happened I got the key and the piece of paper with the phone numbers. I made a copy and made sure that they are on the cork board by my desk. 

Bella and I went together to feed Spooky. We talked about how she should bring the mail and newspaper in when she is going into the house. And that she should keep the key (which is on one of those stretchy cords you can wear as a bracelet) on her arm the entire time. If she is leaving the house make sure the key is on your wrist. 

Let's hope we survive the rest of the week without incident.  Wish us luck!

Last Fling at the Pool

Glad we could spend some quality (sunny and warm) days at the pool this weekend. 

Always a sad time of year when the pool closes.  I'm not ready for fall, are you?

The Apple doesn't fall far from the Tree

A few posts back I mentioned RT's napkin hoarding tendencies.  You can check them out here .

RT says that he is trying to reform. (ha!)  He says, "Sometimes I don't take extra napkins."  Of course, judging by the number of napkins in his car, well, let's say, it's a tiny  itty bitty  small  baby  step in the right direction.

Nick was having car problems and asked me for a ride to work.  We got into RT's car and Nick says, "He saves plastic ware?"

There were two plastic knives on the seat of RT's passenger seat.  He is either saving them or using them as a form of protection.

I said, "That's new.  He usually saves napkins."

I opened the center console and showed Nick the "stash."  Nick says, "I do too!  In fact, I have a lot more in my car than he does!"

With all of the napkins that my family has stockpiled, we should be the cleanest, most prepared family around.

Or, maybe just the craziest.

Pyramid Scheme

I'm sure you have heard about these pyramid schemes.  Where I sign up to sell things then I recruit people to sign up under me.  I make a percentage of what I sell and a percentage of what the people under me sell.  There are several companies out there that get you to sell their products.  You can sell jewelry, soaps/lotions, cleaning products, essential oils, food products, etc.

Well, over the years, I have witnessed quite a few moms joining the ranks of direct sales in an effort to supplement the family income.  It's great if you are purchasing and using the product and you know a lot of people that will buy from you (and possibly have a party to expand your customer base and business).

Recently, one of my Girl Scout moms signed up with one of these companies and is now selling jewelry.  She had a party to kick off the start of her business.  I had to work that day and wasn't able to make it, but I did purchase something, even though I did not attend.  I saw her regularly at softball games this summer and she would casually mention her business and how she is trying to figure out how to grow it.

I guess this is where the business side of my head wants to jump in and say something.  I mean, did you have a plan when you started this business?  Who is going to be your customer?  Who will have parties for you?  Are there any shows (craft fairs) you can do?

I keep my mouth shut.  Afraid I might get asked to do a party.  It's nice jewelry, but, I don't want to make my friends feel obligated to purchase jewelry.

I did get a text from her telling me someone did not use their coupon from the party.  I politely declined.  I felt bad, but, I could not justify purchasing jewelry when money is needed for other necessary things at the moment.

Have you ever signed up with a direct sales company?  If so, how well did you do?  Have you been approached by friends selling stuff?  How do you react?

Paper or Plastic

I guess it's only fair.  Here I am telling you about RT and his napkin hoarding and I forget to admit my plastic bag collection.

Yes.  Collection.  It sounds much more pleasant, doesn't it?

So does, supply.

Reserve?

How about stash?

Or, even better......Treasury!

It started long, long ago.  I started out using plastic grocery bags as garbage bags.  Hey!  I'm a Girl Scout!  Make the world a better place.  Use resources wisely.  Plastic bags at the time were just being thrown out.  Why not give them another job before getting rid of them?

Take a look around and you will notice that a lot of things come in plastic bags.  Bread.  Tortillas... and, guess what?  I use those bags for other things!  Need a garbage bag when in the car on a long car trip?  I've got one for you!  How about a "clean up" bag when walking the dog?  I've got you covered!  How about a bag "just in case someone gets sick?"

I saw a tutorial on how to make a bed or mat for a homeless person using plastic grocery bags.  People even turn the grocery bags into a long chain and crochet it and make bowls (or containers).

There are so many extra uses for these bags.  I mean, why not reuse them?  Do they really recycle all of the plastic bags that people return at the grocery stores?  If they did, don't you think they could stop making new (plastic bags)?

I will continue reusing finding a new life and purpose for each and every plastic bag that comes into my possession and consider my "stash" a "treasure."

Now, about my paper shopping bag stockpile......

Don't Drink the Water

I know I have written many posts about my weird dog.  And, I guess we will just have to add this one to the ever growing list....

As you know, Pippen likes company when he eats.  In fact, it's gotten to a point where he stops eating if he can't see me.  And, if I leave the laundry room, he will sit and wait until I get back.  He's also a very messy eater...getting his food all over the floor and doesn't clean up after himself (wait!  That sounds like my kids!).  But, that's not what I'm here to talk about....

Pippen has two water bowls (in the house).  They are either completely full or completely empty.  He will go long periods of time without drinking water then realize he is thirsty and drink half to an entire bowl of water.  If he gets too hot outside, he will come inside the house, look at his water bowl and just walk away.

When walking him on the trails, there are some (kind) people who put out water bowls for dogs.  It's great on hot days.  Your dog can stop and have a drink of water.  Of course, Pippen will not drink from these bowls.  He would rather die of the heat than taste test the water from these bowls.  I have a feeling he thinks that someone is out to poison him.  So, instead of getting a refreshing drink, he would rather suffer and foam at the mouth during his walk.

I notice if I fill his water bowl he will look at me, look at the bowl and walk away.  He likes to let the water sit for 24 hours.  This way, if it's poisoned, the bowl will disappear (disintegrate).  If it's still there the next day, he might drink from it.

Nick's answer to all of Pippen's quirks is, "natural selection."

Yea, I have to agree.  I don't think he would make it very long if he lived somewhere else.

Musings

I have watched quite a bit of baseball and softball this summer with both Alex and Bella playing.  The one thing I notice is the comments from the spectators (parents).  It's usually the same lines.

Be ready to hit.

Um...they are in the batter box and holding a bat, I think they know that they should be ready to hit the ball.

Be ready out there!

Said to the infield and the outfield players right before the pitch is thrown.  Again, they have their mitts and are ready to play ball.

and, my favorite...

Good Eye!

Every batter seems to have a "good eye" when the ump calls it a ball (instead of a strike).  Up to that point, the parents are yelling, hit it! hit it!

F is for Full

Awhile back I wrote the opposite of this blog post.  Click HERE for the story.

As you know, Alex is driving now.  We have been sharing my car.  Most of the time he is my personal Uber driver.  There are also times that he just uses my car for work or fun.

At first, I was a little worried.  I didn't want to be providing all of the fuel and be left with a car that is on empty.  It's not fun when you are all ready to go somewhere and you get in the car and realize there's no gas so now you are trying to figure a route with a gas station.  I had a lot of these problems when Nick would use my car.  Apparently, re-fuel the car before returning home was not in his plans.

Now, I have the opposite with Alex.  He told me that we can take turns filling the car up with gas.  The only problem is, when it's my turn, he is using the car and just fills it up on his own.  So far he has filled it up three times in a row.  I'm not complaining.  In fact I love to see that he is thinking things out and just does what he feels is right.  I tried to pay him for the last fill up bus he wouldn't take the money.  I figure I owe him for a couple of fill ups.

I know...I know...don't complain.  It could be worse.  I could be writing about how my car ran out of gas and I was stuck on an abandoned highway for hours.

Back To School

Let the count down begin.

16 more days until School starts.

Helping my brother, Steve, yesterday trying to find some things for my mom.  Steve tried to open a closet and it was stuck.  I came over and pulled out some bed sheets.  I then pulled out a towel and he says, "That's my towel!  I've been looking everywhere for it!  I even asked Mom where it was and she said she didn't know."

I (obviously) had a good laugh.  I think my Mom is hiding things from him on purpose.

Who knows what other treasures we will find in the future.

Stay tuned.

Pokemon Go App

By now, I'm sure you have heard about the Pokemon Go App.  I think it's great to see all of these kids out walking the trails getting exercise and catching Pokemon. You even see adults out there walking around (sometimes with their kids, sometimes by themselves) catching Pokemon. 

Bella and Alex have the app.  They informed me about the Pokemon that was at the sign behind our house (it's a park). One morning last week at 9:00am there were four kids out there by the sign catching Pokemon. That continued throughout the day. Ever since that day, we see people walking by, stop and look at their phone, catch the Pokemon then continue walking. 

Last Friday, Bella and I were eating lunch in the dining room. I saw a police officer walking down the path (on the trail that goes along the side of my house) and got a little worried.  I thought that maybe someone broke into my neighbors house (both husband and wife passed away and the house is empty).  I watched as the police officer walked down the path then toward the sign for the park. At that point he lifted his phone up and I said, "I think maybe someone vandalized the sign."  Bella said, "That's the Pokemon App on his phone!"

There you have it. My tax dollars hard at work.  Spent catching Pokemon. 

Napkin Hoarder

During this vacation, it has come to my attention that RT is a Napkin Hoarder.

Every place we go, he walks out with a few hundred napkins.  Take a look around the inside of his car and you will find piles of (unused) napkins.  (OK, they are in the center console, the side of the door, and, well, maybe a few in the back seat).  I guess I knew he took napkins, but, never realized the extent of his napkin hoarding.

We went to a restaurant and he walked out with three napkins.  Bella pointed it out to him.  He admits he "might" have a problem, as he was shoving them into the center console of his car (that is stuffed with more unused napkins).

At breakfast one morning, he pointed out that he only took one napkin.  Of course, before we left, he grabbed a few "just in case."

I have to admit, I have benefited from his addiction.  I've had to make an emergency stop on a hike and was quite grateful for the toilet paper napkins.   RT's napkins to the rescue!   When we had lunch in the room, we used a few napkins.  I still think he has enough napkins to last a lifetime (or more).

I guess the extras will be the kids' inheritance and RT's legacy will be something like, "He always had a clean napkin on him when you needed one."

One would think our washing machine was broken if they were to hang around Alex.  I think it's been two months since he last washed his clothes.  Waiting for the yellow tape to go across his door and the people in haz mat suits to go in and sort things out.

OK, Everybody Grab a Goat

Visited a farm today.  Bella rode a donkey.  We saw goats, pigs, cows, ducks, geese, lambs, cats, rabbits, dogs and chickens.  The farm is all hands on.  You can pet and help feed the animals.  They have volunteers who help out with the care of the farm.

At one point, we were about to leave the barn when a stampede of goats ran in the door  A few kids were chasing them and the goats went into another room.  We figured it must be feeding time.  As it turns out, it wasn't feeding time.  We later found out that the goats escaped their area and went straight into this room in the barn and up to the feeding area. Apparently, the goats spend their day trying to figure out how to escape their pen and make it to the feeding troughs.

The goats pushed off the covers of their feeding troughs and were pushing and shoving each other.  Some were standing in one feeding container and eating out of another.  Complete chaos.

One of the volunteers came over and covered the feeding troughs.  I was trying to help and hold the covers on the troughs.  I could only completely cover one.  In the meantime she was picking up goats and telling them to go back to their pen.  Finally she says, "OK, everybody grab a goat."  This was said like it was something natural (and normal) to say and we all thought, OK, let's grab a goat.  So, RT, Bella and a bunch of little kids start grabbing goats and carrying them over to their pen.  I was covering the food troughs so the rest of the goats would follow their friends.

Luckily it was a success.  All the goats made it back safely to their pen and were secretly planning their next escape.  We thought it was a fun and crazy experience.  Definitely something that wouldn't happen where we live.

It also gave us a new line to say.

"OK, everybody grab a goat."