Flop Bott

A Hand in the Dark- Gladys Taber

2012-01-26T10:41:00.000-08:00

I certainly had no idea of writing this book.." the book jacket read. And I certainly had no intentions of checking out another book from the library! I mumbled to myself as I knelt on the third floor of the IF library. I was RETURNING 3 books, 1 forgotten at home. (thank goodness it isn't due till Feb.) Not CHECKING OUT! But Susan Branch got me thinking about an author, Gladys Taber and my

Valentine Aisle

2012-01-25T08:51:00.000-08:00

I don't buy Hallmark cards. I used to. But a few weeks ago, while at Wal-Mart I was compelled to walk down the sweetheart aisle of the store that is now all decorated in red, pinks and hearts and I stopped to read some of their cards. Amore filled me! I felt like a school girl, pausing and trying to decide which card I'd pick out for my Sweetheart. I reminded myself I didn't have one- but I

More Snow!!??

2012-01-24T14:43:00.000-08:00

Wow! I got what I wished for ! (the boys in the picture aren't part of it) I need to apoligize for bringing slick roads, drives to shovel/snowblow and stinky feet (this is where the sweaty boys come into play from above pic) for teachers to smell all day at school! The skies silently let it all come down, covering IF with that white blanket I was home-sick for this last week.

Thank You, January!

2012-01-22T13:47:00.000-08:00

Last night it snowed! Even the sun stayed out and proud for a few hours this morning.

Trackside Mall- Joel Sanda Part II

2012-01-20T15:49:00.000-08:00

okay. It is time. I will post about the Trackside Mall. Why have I put off writing about it? So many times I have written about it in my head you'd think it would finally be easy to write down all I have thought. But I have given myself assignments; Read up on Eastern Idaho. Which is why it has made me put it off, I bet. Why did I assign myself? Because, when I drove down the lane, it

Letter to January, 2012

2012-01-18T10:53:00.000-08:00

Dear January, In an effort to think of something meaningful to put on paper and roll into my old type-writer, I learned yesterday that your name is derived from the mythological God, Janus. Which meant the keeper of the gate, or door. That there were money-like coins with a face looking back and looking forward- which represented you. However, I read a poem ,from a gardener's web page

WonDrOus

2012-01-17T07:31:00.000-08:00

The white board was wiped clean of the previous etchings and I wrote the next word on the board. Using my best grandeous handwriting; expecting the students to reach far into the recesses of their brains to give me the meaning of the word. Hoping to direct their thoughts toward the heavens- to the starts, planets, the moon! Quickly I made spider-like legs grow out of the word so we could

The Flu Strikes Back

2012-01-13T16:07:00.000-08:00

Each child has at least three or four epic flu moments that a parent will have seered in the steel vaults of their brain. J already had those moments during his toddlerish stages and I ignorantly thought that kind of lore was behind us. But he surprisingly, No, shockingly, had two more added in less than a month's time period during or before and after Christmas. The dates are fuzzy.

Jaden's Christmas

2012-01-05T12:26:00.000-08:00

I can't procrastinate posting Jaden's Christmas thoughts any longer. Despite the incompletion of the day, here is what he has said so far: (unedited- which is precious to me.) "This morning in UTAH I woke up and I went downstairs. I coudn't believe my eyes when I saw my own pump modle air rifle. But at first I didn't know whos it was so I looked on the back and I didn't exactly see a nametag

Joel Sanda

2012-01-04T00:13:00.000-08:00

I didn't know Joel Sanda personally. In fact, I had only been to his house, a couple blocks from mine, a handful of times to see the elaborate train sets, villages, and other Christmas decore that filled his seemingly small home. During the December months his street was lined with cars, so when we did go to visit the congested area, it required walking in a couple hundred yards in the

What I Will Miss

2012-01-03T08:44:00.000-08:00

"The ribbons! The wrappings! The tags! .. The Trimmings! The Trappings!" (How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss.

Is the Grinch a Repeat Offender?

2012-01-01T09:20:00.000-08:00

(too tired to take another focused shot- you get the idea. It's old. And we love it!) I have some questions for Dr. Suess. Every year I try to read the old school book to J.- so he doesn't get in his head that Jim Carrey came up with the whole idea and that the who houses were made out of plastic- However, want to know: 'Did the Grinch's heart sustain its change; did it go back and forth from

Norwex

2011-12-29T08:16:00.001-08:00

Okay. After about passing out on the fumes of Clorox and Lysol used during a bout of J's flu and the hilarious event the other day with the mixing up of the rags- I had to finally post about it. If you didn't know,Padre and his ancestors are cleaning coniseurs. So you can imagine the intimidation a consultant for a company touting a wash rag, that only needs water and a football field's length

2011-12-29T08:15:00.000-08:00

Boy, I feel like a politician; I made promises to blog about certain topics and haven't gotten around to them yet! I will. Right now my arthritic joints are making it difficult- which could mean a couple things: we are going to get some serious moisture-snow/rain, or my body is blitzing. Another promise was to concentrate on Lucie and my feelings on some insights connections. That's been

Doses

2011-12-28T11:43:00.000-08:00

I know I said I would post about the controversial norwex rag, but I have needed to conserve some energy. The above picture is one of my favorites pencil drawings. It was done by my cousin, John Hart. It is a picture of Christ's hands carefully holding a bulb as He lifts it to the branch. There are no more prints of this particular picture, but John has done many breathtaking paintings. I

Kimmel Christmas

2011-12-21T15:56:00.000-08:00

It may seem irreverent and mean to prank at Christmas but if you've seen Jimmy Kimmel's prank on kids this year, it could change your mind. The laughs it can bring are well worth getting stuck on the naughty list. The possibilities for "unwanted" gifts are endless. Had J not seen the clips of children opening up items like a half eaten sandwich or a half empty bottle of tomato juice; he'd

Recipes for the Holidays-

2011-12-20T15:28:00.000-08:00

These are my tried and true, hand-me down holiday staples. Enjoy. Nutcracker Cheeseball (newly dubbed in light of the bacon present in the cheeseball,the King's love of bacon, which led to poor Princess Pirlipat's disastrous facial! Pobrecita! ( Note! Original recipe from the kitchen of Nicole Marcotte Smithers, British Columbia; Runner Up for Taste of Home Magazine, 2003 Contest) 1 round

The Nutcracker

2011-12-18T00:29:00.000-08:00

My Dickens analogy will be postponed for a couple days. I have to post on the book, The Nutcracker. Sure it's a pretty ballet Tchaikovsky whipped up to the bizarre story, but have you actually read E.T.A Hoffman's book? The ballet and the book are completely different and I was shocked how down right CreEpy the book is! Several variations of the characters are part of the ornaments we

The Grizzly in Lucie

2011-12-17T00:08:00.000-08:00

(Felt: a medium for moments while on prednisone. However, the post isn't drizzled in the drug. No, it is the raw cog turning of my brain. Enjoy!) "It was the Best of Times, It was the Worst of Times" This Dickens quote comes from: A Tale of Two Cities. A title that even refects the polar themes therein. On one occassion, when Madame DeFarge descends upon Lucie and her child, with an

Lovely Lucie

2011-12-15T14:44:00.000-08:00

(The Traditional Gma Waffle Cookies) Lucie is proving to be a much more difficult topic to write about than DeFarge. I think because I am trying to do it justice in my mind- and I don't think I can. I have to somehow encapsulate Christ. It is interesting how sometimes the act of writing just flows; words come with ease and before you know, you have written a paper. Or book. It is more than

Two Cities Part II

2011-12-15T04:24:00.000-08:00

I can't stop thinking about Madame DeFarge. In trying to figure out why exactly that is and what makes her so memorable, it has driven my thoughts deeper than they have ever gone while reading The Tale of Two Cities. Thanks to the flu, sleep was interrupted tonight. But with that time up and cleaning up, I was able to pin point the significance of the Madame. She is a She Demon. Dickens

Madame DeFarge

2011-12-13T08:09:00.000-08:00

We need a good snowstorm in order to have a white Christmas. Dead grass can still be seen amidst the crusted snow patches on the lawns. When I complained about this to J the other day he reminded me: "Mom, it's only BEGINNING to look a lot like Christmas. Ya have to give it some time to actually LOOK like Christmas." 'O little wise man. I picked up one of my fav. books recently: A Tale of

Midnight

2011-12-12T15:28:00.000-08:00

Whenever I come completely off prednisone, I feel like the part in Cinderella, when the clock has struck midnight and the carriage turns into a pumpkin, her beautiful dress is transformed back into rags and she now is afoot to get home. Prednisone is like a fairy godmother, it gives you all the abilities to accomplish your goals. No matter how many times I've been "left in the road in the

The Call of The Wild

2011-12-11T10:38:00.001-08:00

I mistprinted Jack London's book in my earlier post. 'Slips' that happen late at night. I confused it with Into the Wild. Read the one about the dog. The above decoration is made with a large brown pom pom, smaller on for the nose. It is for Abby's gift. Replica of her Blue Tick Hound Dog, Sonny. Jaden helped make it. They are easy.

Christmas Spirit

2011-12-10T21:35:00.001-08:00

I love when the Christmas spirit comes unexpectedly. At the begining of each December I anticipate it and hope that I will feel it again. But like the seasons, I too seem to be nearing the cold, harsh part of hope and so I initially wonder: "Will I feel it this year?" I don't know if it is the Idaho weather that makes me go into that kind of state or if it is a natural cycle that we

Santa and Mrs. Claus

2011-12-06T22:20:00.000-08:00

My neighbors look identical to The Claus' up north.At the end of each summer 'Santa'begins to grow out his white beard just in time for the holidays and his wife, of course, simply wore her beautiful snow white hair in the usual done up way.The two of them have costumes to wear around this time of year. Not cheesy, mall type Santa Claus outfits, but real white fur outlining just the right red

BEWARE-ness Week

2011-12-02T21:50:00.000-08:00

Well, I found out that the Senate passed a new week for December.. the 1-7 is now "Crohns and Colitis Awareness Week". I told J. "So does that mean we need to get away from you guys or something and beware of you?" he asked sincerely. He'd just seen a Beware of Dog sign that must have prompted the misunderstanding. I tried to explain it. "Do they hate you?"I laughed. "If I'm on prednisone, maybe

Who's Herod?

2011-12-01T23:52:00.000-08:00

"Who's Herod in this play?" Claude HerdmanGladys Herdman: "Uh, Herod isn't in this play."Leroy Herdman: "You mean he's out to kill the baby, and he isn't even in the play?"Oh, my. J and I laughed pretty hard at the scene The Herdman family conjures up during this holiday time as we read: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. I see them slamming the garage door up and down on eachother, their hair

THE Salad

2011-11-30T22:04:00.000-08:00

My mouth waters any time I think of this salad. All the different onions and peppers burst in your mouth. The first time I had it was at the Thompson's. I can't remember what else we had but this salad became made lettuce legendary. There is no name, so I named it: THE Salad. I made it on Thanksgiving and recalled how much I love it. I have to share it. Lettuce-- ice bergCabbage-- you can use

Bright Thursday

2011-11-25T11:50:00.001-08:00

Despite a dark night before, Thanksgiving was a merciful day. With most of the family at in-laws we had planned for a simple day. However when it was apparent that we'd forgotten to put the turkey in the fridge the day before, we realized how simple it would become. Coupled with the main cook out of commission the task fell to me. Like I'd mentioned earlier, the night before had been in a word:

The Holidays are Here

2011-11-19T17:56:00.001-08:00

I have already succumbed to the lure of Wal-Mart's Christmas atmosphere. A couple weeks ago I was in for a routine errand; enjoying the festive decorations and music when, I became so comfortable, I went over and bought some pants for Jaden. He was doing quite well wearing shorts, mind you he wouldn't wear jeans anyway, but with winter approaching I had to break down! The festive decorations,

Boy Behind the Statue

2011-11-19T16:12:00.000-08:00

Wilson Rawl. With one sweep of the cursor and I knocked out everything I just wrote about him. I guess it was to empasize exactly how hard it was for him to go back and re-write his book, Where the REd Fern Grows. "Oh!" I thought. "Good, I don't need to keep a live journal online!" Thinking that fate had made up its mind for me. But after walking around the block in the frigid cold, I resolved to

Stay tuned

2011-11-19T13:04:00.000-08:00

I was actually enjoying not sharing my thoughts online and even as I write I wonder if I ought not to just put them into my own journal, where they are safely tucked away, for someone who really needs to read them. But this last week has forced my mind and hand to, once again, climb back on the blog box.In an effort to find THE book for right now in my life I chose one that I had read before

Best and Worst of Summer 11

2011-08-31T09:26:00.000-07:00

Summertime finally hit Idaho the last couple weeks. So you can imagine telling the boy that it was time to go back to school, just when the weather decided to comply, was cruel. The flowers bloomed their prettiest, the garden is starting to come on, and everything is prepped for an Indian Summer with a frost or two during the night to make us recall why it's hard to grow anything here.

Field of Daydreaming

2011-06-14T16:54:00.000-07:00

I showed up to practice at the park early the other day. A handful of kids were already there to greet me. The wind swirled around the gravel parking lot, immediatetly kicking up grit into my mouth as I pulled out the equipment. One of my players said: "If I scream, don't worry, Coach." I stopped and looked at her as she exclaimed that she had a 'broken tooth that sometimes shot pain'. Oh, wow. I

Sweet Summertime..

2011-06-13T19:41:00.001-07:00

(J getting as close to the surf as possible here in Idaho)I am competitive. And, yet, I love to teach beginning skills in sports. And now that it is summer, baseball is underway. In all sports and in life, it comes down to the basics and if I can teach kids the right way... well, then I feel that I have done made a difference. However, the other day when the ump told me that the last batter was

Rubarb-ade

2011-06-08T14:43:00.000-07:00

Before bed J and I like to laugh and lately a Junie B. Jones book has done the trick. Last night Junie learned about the adage: 'when life hands you lemons, you should make lemonade.' Well, I did just that,except with Rhubarb. I am always rusty with my first pie of the season. The crust eventually gets better each time I make it. But today, after I sliced through the crust, I encountered a

GREEN

2011-05-29T10:34:00.001-07:00

It finally came- the color green. Well, it's been here for a little while. But it took a lot of rain and many shades of gray to endure!

2011-04-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

No Good, Very Bad, Idaho Winters give way to spring. Eventually. So eventually the snow melts, leaving the grit, decomposing leaves and matted down grass. Along with whatever else the wind blows in. Just yesterday the sun came out. Had I not driven south and seen the sun, I would have wondered what that large, shiny disk was in the sky. After going through a spring hail storm and passing by other

My Sock Drawer Runneth Over- March Madness Beginnings

2011-03-31T16:21:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else have socks disappear? (Or other articles of laundry?) I posed this question to a mother with a toddler around the time J was the same age, and she looked at me with mild bewilderment. "No, I haven't." she said searching me, possibly wondering if I would be the kind of friend she would want to continue taking stroller walks with on sunny afternoons. "Who loses their stuff in the

Snow Ball, Jimmer's Mom and Old 'Best Players'

2011-03-22T10:21:00.000-07:00

"If You're Not Practicing, Someone Else Is."J read the quote accompanied with basketball clinic information and told me it didn't make sense. "Oh, dear." I thought to myself, "If he doesn't get this, then we are in trouble." "I'm always practicing. And if they're [his teammates] practicing, so am I."he said defensively."Very true." I sighed with relief.(showing us how to dunk and hang on a nerf

I'm Not Italian and Assessing Need

2011-03-11T11:14:00.000-08:00

This is why J will not be telling magic meal stories that involve home-made pasta, basil and oregano. If you happen to be on a raft, in the middle of the ocean with J, or anywhere else for that matter, you'll have a nerf basketball hoop to practice your shooting, hear plenty of movies he can quote- word for word and give exact impersonations) to entertain you, and I am hoping some sweet memories.

Easy to Forget, An Apology

2011-03-10T07:26:00.000-08:00

I read an article in the Washington Post yesterday that reminded me that we have servicemen/women still at war. One that has been going on for 10 years now. Duh, you are thinking. But in all the melee of life, I honestly have put that on the back burner. Even after reading a book that detailed the startling sacrifice of those who serve us. The book, Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand, was finally

Acceptable Behaviour

2011-03-09T13:00:00.001-08:00

Losing can bite. However, I am a firm beiever that we can't all be winners. Which means that we get to taste loss. So you will need something to alleviate the bad taste in your mouth after such trauma. After seeing J go through this I shared some sweet Lemony Snicket quotes.Among some of the quotes I read to him: "...you know that a good, long session of weeping can often make you feel better,

Brand New Best Players

2011-03-01T15:27:00.000-08:00

Hearing about local HS bball can seem a bit like listening to others talk about their kid; border-line boring- unless it's yours. Then ANY little nuance is incredible. Kade, my 2 year old nephew sums it up best. "I DID IT!"This he does as he pulls a red ball, connected to a string out of the small, target; a wooden bucket. Unfortunately, "our" team couldn't pull off the final meeting with cross

Best, Worst, Funniest and AM RADIO

2011-02-22T20:37:00.000-08:00

I think one trick to keeping things in perspective, is the day end review that I do with Jaden. I picked this game up while watching a friend do this with her kids at dinner time; she asks the kids, and her spouse, The Worst and Best of the day. Each child had an opportunity to tell the worst, and best, of their day. And we went around the table each person taking their moment to recount an awful

UGH-nconditional Love & Tub Talk

2011-02-15T13:19:00.000-08:00

Well, Valentine's Day brought an opportunity for J to learn what TRUE LOVE means. I was giddy with excitement to see what Valentines he'd bring home from school. After walking through the puddle in our drive a few times he finally walked inside. "So.... where's the Valentine's" I teased in my luvvy voice. "Oh, I left them at school." he said non-chalantly as he peeled the wet layers off his body,

Awwww... He's Mine!

2011-02-14T07:29:00.000-08:00

"Come on, jump up! It's Valentine's Day!" I chirped to get my littlest Valentine outta bed.After checking up on his progress, he said: "Can you believe it's already Valentine's Day?""Umm, no. Hurry we gotta get you out the door." i bent down to help push the socks onto his feet."Mom, it's been almost 8 years that we've been together!"I stopped mid sock. He already is getting this "Love 'Em up"

Love 'Em Up, Jack Sparrow Style

2011-02-10T08:34:00.000-08:00

I was stoked to use the Valentine's I'd gotten for $1.00 last year. I hoped J would still want the Pirates of the Caribbean style still for this V-Day. We opened them up and started bending the perforated line back and forth and separating them from eachother. Reading each one and looking at his list from school I teased him. "Oh, who ya gonna send the big one to, Kara?" smooch-a-ly. "NO!" he

Soggy Sock and Teachers that See Potential

2011-02-10T08:01:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I have to wait to get the gumption up to go tackle the dishes. Wearing some socks as I usually do I walked through the kitchen, picked up the dishes off the table and walked right into a puddle of water in front of the sink. The fridge sometimes spits out ice cubes to aggravate me. They thaw and I usually walk right into them. Like the books from the library, the cubes like to lodge in

Library Regs and Detached Operators

2011-02-08T07:02:00.000-08:00

Ya know how I push reading? Talking on and on about a good book. The classics or some genius new author's slant on an old idea? How a few posts back I suggessted going to your local library? Well, I am gonna give a warning. The books, from the library, are equipped with chips that make them lose themself. This isn't some conspiracy theory. I can PROVE that I have taken a book to the drop off box

Super Sat. and Reflections of the Week

2011-02-05T16:55:00.000-08:00

Saturday I woke up, checked my clock, and reveled in the fact that I had a few more minutes more to sleep before I had to be up and at 'em. Closing my eyes I laid there in the warmth, a sigh-o-relief washing over me and then I started going through the mental list of To-Do's. 1. Family member baptism. doh. Sunday dress on a Saturday was not going to fly well with J. He struggles with this even

Sick Days

2011-02-04T08:42:00.000-08:00

We have been enjoying some seriously cold temps here in Idaho. The poor teachers have had to keep the city kids inside during recess while the rural ones had to face being at home unattended. Not a fun decision for superintendents, I am sure. However, it is really annoying when the weather, pent up children and flu season result with a sick child.Mrs. F must be glad that she has one less child to

On Bobby Pins and Needles

2011-01-30T22:19:00.001-08:00

"I can be anywhere in this house and within two feet find a Bobby pin." Padre lamented tonight as he exited the shower. J and I were deep into a game of Monopoly so all I could do is shrug. But lately, it's true. Usually I don't use very many. But you can always find one somewhere on the couch, on an end table, on the floor when you are sweeping. (Those go into the garbage.) The odds of finding

Oh, HONEY!

2011-01-27T06:51:00.000-08:00

This post is not about significant others. Rather, how all this studying with J is making me ask: "Why is that?", too, and finding some cool stuff by tinkering with questions in my mind. Which leads to some fun finds.The Bee finding started with a BYU magazine, received in the mail. One of the articles had super magnified pics of.. drumroll..., BEEs. These pictures had been on a Exhibition in

Magnet Mother

2011-01-21T08:25:00.000-08:00

The other morning I encouraged Jaden to get up with the fact that it is Friday. "Hoo-RAY!" I shouted like a cheerleader. (Except my enthusiasm was fake and forced.) He laid there, like most of us do, snoozing. -Getting more out of that three minutes between the alarm,than in the whole night. (Don't you love that droopey feeling? It is more blissful than Florence's Chocolates and what heaven must

Name that Cure

2011-01-20T09:45:00.000-08:00

(Dan Akroyd and Chevy Chase in Spies like Us)I love the part in this movie when the pair are pretending to be Doctors. Shaking each doctor's hand, they introduce themselves to several of the specialists and doctors in the tent."Doctor." shake, nod."Doctor." in reply as he,too, shakes and nods. Doctor.... Doctor.... Doctor....After repeating this with each foreign Dr. they commence to do a

Elastigirls

2011-01-19T06:40:00.000-08:00

The other day, J's team narrowly missed getting schooled by a girl team. They could pass, rebound, and set picks like you wouldn't believe. They were executing plays like an NBA league. Using our boys as a warm up for later domination. By pure luck the buzzer blared with us a couple points ahead. That was close. Sweating and thoroughly beat, J came to me and some other parents. His fellow

Cowboy Boots For Valentine's Day

2011-01-14T19:31:00.000-08:00

Living at home provides me with ample writing material. Today, youngest yet tallest sibling, came home with today's post. Is V-Day for men or women? Or both? And can an older man successfully ask out a way younger girl at the Tanning Salon?First of all, I need to add the disclaimer: sometimes spring/winter relationships do work out. A guy leaving a Post-It note stating his height, age, type of

Rescued from Life's Storms; Jaden's Moment.

2011-01-12T08:57:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had a moment that made time stop swirling around you and essentially rescued you? Last night Jaden and I had that happen, at a High School basketball game. Much of you know that Jaden loves basketball. At age 2 he was saying "Hoop" and practicing it night and day. His love of the game leads us to practices, collecting cans and shoveling sidewalks to afford shoes and leagues, and me

Imperial Mother Part II. The Finale

2011-01-10T07:57:00.001-08:00

They called him 'The Bird' because it was the only generic term the POWs could use to let each other know when the pshycohtic monster was headed their way. His real name was Mutsushiro Watanabe. Born to a wealthy woman, the prison warden for the American soldiers had lived "a privileged life.. studied at prestigious Waseda University...enjoyed French" and swimming in private swimming pools at

Inside Magazine, Cool Bryan, and Imperial Madres

2011-01-07T07:59:00.000-08:00

I have been really taken by Outside magazine. Poring over their articles. Salivating at some of the sweet gear that I could buy and use for motivation to get out there. And of course scoffing at some of people's stupidity, mainly mine. In a nut shell, I am sold on going Outside. Whether you have the gear, the goals or simply the gumption to step outside when it is cold, I think you should do it.

"But I'm Angry", A Study in Self Control.

2011-01-05T22:00:00.000-08:00

Warning: There are no pictures in this post. Just raw, writing and personal philosophizing. I am not even spell checking or editing. Padre loves sleeping in his own bed. I don't blame him, it's really comfortable. So when he gets to leave on work trips, he rants about missing his bed and throws in some travel travails that border with the movie: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. The one that made

Dough Guts and Dye- Its

2011-01-05T07:33:00.000-08:00

With all the trips to Donut Shops, yummy treats from the neighbors, and indulging ourselves on a daily basis over the holidays, I implemented the post holiday, healthy eating rebound. ((Basketball season has a way of doing that to you.)I was hoping breakfast this morning wasn't obviously healthy and that J would eat it. Instead of cold cereal, I cut up half a banana, opened a yogurt and scrambled

Dough Ga Nuts and Mail Carriers

2011-01-02T09:21:00.000-08:00

Padre loves to take Grandchild to Daylight Donuts. All of us will accompany them to one of the stores, just to hear, 'K', say his version of the little treat; "Dough GA nuts." When the moment when my sis can get him to a store, all of us scramble and descend upon Daylight Donuts like a Navy Seal Op. Padre is texting other easily amused relatives, verifying times with Sister and going over past

Pinochle with Knuckle Heads and Party Poopers

2011-01-01T09:13:00.001-08:00

Last night we celebrated the New Year. Gma brought her deck of cards to play Pinochle; ("Any card-game lover will agree that when it comes to the most challenging game, pinochle takes the cake, the baker and the bakery. But they will also agree that this fast-paced game is a complete entertainer and an addiction hard to give up. The game is complex, no doubt, and has several variations attached

Boredom Enthusiasts

2010-12-29T15:39:00.000-08:00

Famous French Sculpture by Auguste RodinYou aren't gonna believe this. I didn't. I got up the other morning, measured 2/3 of Boost Protein/Vitamin drink powder, poured it into my milk and swallowed a Probiotic by Align the Santy Claus brought in my stocking. Whipping the WSJ in front of me in old man fashion I began to read. When to my wondering eyes should appear, but an article justifying my

THE Gift

2010-12-29T08:26:00.000-08:00

I love to give the perfect gift. One that can make the recipient light up in surprise, as if they themselves didn't know it was their favorite gift either! See the above picture of Madre. It takes thought, searching and sometimes stumbling upon that perfect gift. For kids, it's a whole lot harder. What is it that will be that One gift?? I can see Toy companies sitting in big offices around tables

Mom, I'm bored

2010-12-26T08:01:00.000-08:00

For me, the whole days leading up to Christmas Day, are what make the Season. The sights, sounds, anticipation of gifts under the tree and a waffle iron fire can make the month exciting. After baking cookies, seeing lights and making a quick, reminiscent Christmas Eve ride to Shelley, this is what I heard from the back seat of the car."Mom," long drawn out sigh. "I'm bored." BORED????????????????

Waffle Cookie Recipe

2010-12-24T14:48:00.000-08:00

K- here is the ruthless recipe. I handed J the cam to take pictures of me. I don't know why he would think taking one of my bum was what I wanted. Maybe it was of the stool- which you'll need to sit on to make these. I am about ready to tear off the wool, Christmas sweater and make these tedious things in the buff. Because I am sweating. If you are a Chemist or like to solve riddles, do Sodoku,

Gift Wrapping 101

2010-12-24T10:10:00.000-08:00

If you are like me, you love to wrap presents. Even if you narrowly passed Geometry, forming right angles and straight creases on the toughest shiny paper, can be fun. Adding frilly bows and whimsy curls is icing on the cake for your gift giving "brew-ha-ha". However, if it is preceded by a tight budget, cutting coupons/printing them off the computer and setting alarms to go off for when they

To Mt. Krumpit To Dump It

2010-12-21T09:51:00.000-08:00

We have several holiday traditions. The ones we do best aren't necessarily heartwarming, but we have in the past, and tried, in the present to recreate some holiday magic. Donning an apron and a frilly pen, I tried to do just that by making Grandma Nellis' famous Waffle Cookies. (The pen in my pocket is simply to add to the picture and take note of any spectacular events if they should happen.)

Pups, Past and Present

2010-12-16T08:56:00.000-08:00

Nike's Work Out; Watch Out

2010-12-14T08:22:00.000-08:00

I don't run. I don't like to be cold. So when Running magazing and Outside magazine show up in the mail box, I am all over it. I take in the advertisments and articles, find out what are good shoes to run in, how to train for a marathon, and how horrible it would be to have to cut your arm off after an 800 pound boulder has fallen on it and you're by yourself, forgot to tell anyone you were

Finding Overdue Library Books

2010-12-10T06:59:00.000-08:00

Coming across a library book you hadn't seen in awhile can feel a bit like Christams morning. Going through the books and magazines brought a magical moment when The Cow Who Wouldn't Come Down was found. J ran around telling everyone proudly that we'd had a library book for a good three years. (Librarians, it was NOT that long. He thought he checked it out kindergarten year, which in his mind was

Coca Cola Advertising Geniuses Shake Up Christmas

2010-12-05T10:06:00.000-08:00

The Folks at Coke, Inc. have scored again, at least in our household.With the economy on the down side, Coca Cola teamed with Santa's magic, and the rock band Train, to help us Scrooges wake up. With Santa Claus in his shop, tipping and turning water globes, the soft drink's long haul drivers start to deliver the product, a kid working Christmas Eve's night shift makes it home for dinner, and the

To Decorate or Not to Decorate

2010-12-04T11:32:00.000-08:00

I was really hoping to get away with decorating the pepper plant Padre salvaged from the back yard this year. It survived the first frost due in part to living by the dryer vent and Padre wrapping it on colder nights.Then it sat on the table for a few days after winter really set in. It would have made a perfect Charlie Brown style tree until Padre had to go and dry the peppers.

Full of Effort: Non- Martha Stewart Style

2010-11-26T11:08:00.000-08:00

"Make it look effortless." Kathleen said as she pulled the rolls, shaped like bunnies, from the oven. (Kathleen's Kitchen)We'd been working together on an Easter Feast. Wiping the sweat from my brow I logged the Martha Stewart advice away for another time. Weeks later, I toiled in the same kitchen making a surprise picnic for a friend. He came over and we ate at the round table I'd set up in the

WHAM !

2010-11-23T15:43:00.000-08:00

There is nothing like being blindsided by the opposite sex. When this time of year rolls around, I get the jitters.To top it off, every Christmas we get to listen to George Michael and the rest of WHAM, remind us about it in their song: 'Last Christmas'. One minute we are wearing bright, colored clothing from:-located at our own, brand new Grand Teton Mall, and suddenly the trendy store isn't

Shovels and Self Sufficiency

2010-11-23T09:54:00.000-08:00

(Harriman Park- Great for Cross Country Skiing)Dear Grenn, Hello! How are you? In Idaho we are excperiencing blizzard conditions! The clouds finally let down and dumped snow on us. As I watch the wind whip up the snow on the lawns, shake it down from the trees like an airport check, and see my neighbors little red snow blowers exit their garages, I can't help but think of you. Remember shoveling

The Telephone- Social Glue

2010-11-20T10:25:00.000-08:00

When I went to play at a friend's house as a little girl, I was astounded to see that they had only a single phone for each floor. If I needed to call home, I had to walk upstairs to the kitchen and phone home.At home, we had phones in every room. EVERY ROOM One of my long distance friends was under the misconception that because of this fact, we were rich. Which gave me a good laugh but I played

Risk and Coca Cola's Celebration Mix

2010-11-20T10:00:00.000-08:00

Had I not been a stock broker, I don't think I would care much for magazines, newspapers and articles that talk about investing. So the latest mag in the teacher's lounge from Fast Company Inc. caught my eye during a planning period. I decided to read about Coke Inc. taking a long term investment on a young man who'd had quite a story. His name was K'naan.If I recall correctly he grew up in

Victory Gardens

2010-11-19T10:35:00.000-08:00

While the boys were at war, Rosies at home were making airplanes, recycling pop cans, wearing shorter skirts and growing their own food in VICTORY GARDENS. Initially, I did not think those two words: victory and garden, should be used in the same sentence. Anyone who wants to learn about being self sufficient from planting a garden, will learn some serious war strategies along with survival

Corrections to Veterans Post

2010-11-14T04:45:00.001-08:00

(photo courtesy and used with permission of Emersonmade)As a writer you always want to make sure you correctly source your work. Padre finally got around to reading my Vday Post yesterday. (Because I didn't tell him about it, really.) As a result of not having him proof read my doc., there are some holes. In my sourcing defence, Padre came home and found me taking pics of his stuff and said: "

WiMpiFi-ED- Wimpy Kid's Diary Revolution

2010-11-12T07:46:00.000-08:00

"Mom!" J said excitedly a few weeks back while waving a fluorescent piece of paper in front of my face. "We have to reserve a copy of the Purple Wimpy Kid Book, NOW, if we are going to be able to get it!!!" Squinting at the paper, like looking into the sun without sunglasses, I read the note from school. "Hmmm... "I said as I looked at how important it was to RESERVE our copy of the wimpy book

Happy Veterans Day, Padre!

2010-11-11T08:30:00.000-08:00

Happy Veteran's Day, Padre!" I exclaimed over the telephone one VDay from the island of Oahu. Along with telling him thanks, I gave him a brief description of my feelings being on the sacred waters of Pearl Harbor, the beautiful view from the memorial cemetary: PunchBowl and my blissful days tanning on the beach under a warm sun. 1600/Columbia.jpg"> (30-foot female figure known as "

BOO!... RADLEY

2010-10-29T08:54:00.000-07:00

This time of year always brings back memories of sitting in Mrs. Taylor's Honor's English class, shivering. Whether due to an ice cold desk or the fact I might have been misplaced; in over my head with much more honorable English students, I held my hands and arms close to my body between my knees and legs, waiting for Mrs. Taylor to call on me. Whether define a prepositional phrase or correctly

Paper Girl: Take Two

2010-10-25T08:46:00.000-07:00

I was a paper girl for The Post Register. This evil, oblivious to "stranger danger" form of slavery known as a job for children, was a family heritage. When you were of "age", whether a her or a he child, you inherited the family paper route. Passed down from the older sibling once the older child could work a "real" job. The Torment had his first route down fireman's hill by the school, so

I Vant to Suck Your Blood- Be my guest, Dracula!

2010-10-21T07:32:00.000-07:00

The other day a young woman wearing an Office inspired T: I AM: Better Than You Are, excitedly showed her Science teacher that she was almost done with Bram Stoker's Dracula. It brought back memories of reading the dark book in High School. Curled up on my couch I let Stoker lure me down a tunnellike the Phantom leading little Laudie down the stairs into his lair on a horse. The dark mood

The Power of Fear

2010-10-19T07:28:00.000-07:00

Edvard Munch's: ' The Scream.'Despite a beautiful day yesterday, my son willingly sat up to the kitchen table and completed the whole week's homework packet. He asked if he could practice writing his spelling words with his yummy cinnamon smelling pencil. Suspicious, I eyed him, "Is this about the mountain lion?" "No!" he acted casually. I just want to get my homework done!" Yeh, right. I have

Mountain Lion Days - Trick-Or-Cleats

2010-10-18T09:17:00.000-07:00

In Idaho you always stand the chance of a couple Snow Days per winter. When I was a kid, it was more brutal. But with the Global Warming we haven't had as much snow. It's still cold. And you may get a Too Cold To Start the Buses Day every so often when the Superintendents deemed 30 below too cold- not counting the wind factor. It didn't take an alarm clock to wake us up the morning after a

RUST: waiting to happen

2010-10-11T12:07:00.000-07:00

With Summer now over, I decided to weed the garden the other day. Stomach flu inhibited me from being able to take care of the weeds I'd pulled and hence, this cicumstance and the text from Padre: "We are gearing up for more rust in the wheelbarrow...." the considerate command: Empty the Wheelbarrow.So I did, .After a bout with violent spastic gastroenteritis (the common stomach flu's formal name

Wellington Window Washer

2010-10-07T09:37:00.000-07:00

It is fire prevention week. Perched on top of the homemade stool Padre made so J could reach the sink to wash his hands, I cupped mine and listened to the boy who has out grown the stool, tell me about what we need to do to be prepared in case of a fire. We talked about escape routes. With a towel wrapped around the water he'd spilled onto Padre's linoelium floor, he air dried; finally put

Paper Girl

2010-10-07T07:32:00.001-07:00

Mmm... I love when I write beautiful words and then my child lays atop my lap top and deletes it all. sigh. maybe that's a sign I should not blog.until tomorrow- or whenever my heart gets over the fact I lost all that lovely language by the click of a button!``

Her Antonia and Change

2010-09-26T10:52:00.000-07:00

While all of you are enjoying predictable rotations of the Seasons, those of us in Idaho, are getting what we deserve: SUN. That's right. If it didn't cool off at night you might think you were in one of those Southern states. The birds migrating that direction, are taking a vacation here, in Idaho. (Unfortunately, there are at least two Falcons taking advantage of this small respite in their

"Well, Hello!" Awhile After the Adioses

2010-09-09T07:29:00.000-07:00

My last post had a lot to do with Good-byes, what you learn from them. The poem is somber and I was convinced, at the time, the author, Veronica, must have written it after saying good-bye to her tonsils.Or to her favorite blush, rationed over at least a couple of years, that fell out of her purse while exiting her car and giving the road a Mary Kay an azalea hue once the compact shattered on the

Pop's Pop Protocal

2010-08-30T17:17:00.001-07:00

I learned a few more things in the last few weeks that made me feel Rosie the Riveter empowered. The first was due to the tonsillectomy and my searching the internet for relief and ideas on what to do with the situation. I read that if you drink Coca~Cola, after your tonsils are torn from your throat, it will painfully strip the scabs off, bring immediate relief due to all tonsillectomy woes. (

After Awhile

2010-08-29T18:53:00.000-07:00

After Awhile you learn the subtle difference between holding a hand and chaining a soul and you learn love doesn't mean leaning and company doesn't always mean security. And you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts and presents aren't always promises and you begin to accept your defeats with your head up and and your eyes ahead with the grace of a

MILLION $ RED

2010-08-27T12:05:00.000-07:00

Well, I have complained about one of the drawbacks to handwashing dishes and that was flimsy nails. So with the help of a tonsillectomy (this just made it so I couldn't get around much) I turned to Sally Hansens Hard as Nails in Red. You can't go wrong with red. But even red chips on flimsy nails. (Especially when you are mastering the art of bike tire changing due to the Snake River Jam Fest.

Dear Anonymous Commentor,

2010-08-10T13:20:00.001-07:00

Rather than filter comments from everyone but my invited readers, I decided to allow all comments to come. The good, the bad, the ugly. Thanks to bloggerfordummies.blogspot.com, I am empowered by the fact that I don't need to post any of the comments or even take them personally. Here is one question I'd like to address, one I would love to answer.... "How do you find time to blog when you're