Thursday, October 22, 2009

30 of 52 photos of me

Forever In Blue Jeans

Well, it's that time again. Time for a picture of me. Doing my part in participating in Carin's challenge. Last week I chickened out because of...well, different reasons. This week I jumped in a picture with my birthday girl yesterday. Here goes...



Our early morning faces. We all got up quietly that morning and let the birthday girl sleep. Then my husband fixed the banana bread/cake and we woke her up singing "Happy Birthday".

One thing we let our children do on their birthdays, or actually before, is pick what they want to eat that day. She picked Pizza Hot Pockets, Tornados, mozzarella cheese sticks, and some kind of chicken Chinese food. We had the Hot Pockets and banana bread/cake for breakfast, the Tornados and cheese sticks for lunch and the chicken for supper. Oh, and chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches were dessert for lunch and supper's dessert was Klondike bars. Yum! What? Oh, yeah. None for me. Oh well. There's always next year.

Psst...and for a surprise for her, we're having cake and more stuff Sunday at a friend's house. She knows we're doing something, she just doesn't know what. So, probably next week I'll have some more about her birthday.

Until next time...

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Happy Birthday to you









Ten years ago a special young lady was born into our family. She was literally an answer to prayer. After our first miscarriage in Nov. of 1998 we started to pray for God to give us another baby. The Lord knew what He was doing when He blessed us with our second daughter.

For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him: -1 Samuel 1:27

Although usually the first-born is a natural leader, in our case, our 2nd born is. She has a strong personality that has all of her brothers and sisters following her; even the eldest at times.

She also displays character qualities such as initiative, diligence, boldness, decisiveness, determination, enthusiasm, forgiveness, generosity, hospitality, persuasiveness, and resourcefulness. Of course, she is a work in progress, but aren't we all?

That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace: - Psalm 144:12

God has given her quite an intelligence. She is a voracious reader. When I don't see her immediately. I can usually find her tucked away somewhere with a book. She does her schoolwork easily and once I've explained something to her (usually just once), she is able to go with it. Reading comprehension is a piece of cake to her.

A few more facts about her:
She's left-handed.
She has blue eyes and blond hair.
She looks like me (except for the eyes; mine are green) In fact, my mom had baby pictures of us both on her wall and you couldn't tell who was who! :)
She prefers cantaloupe over watermelon.
She's a good cook (she makes great banana bread).
She writes good stories.
She likes ducks, swans, and geese.
Her favorite color is yellow.
Her favorite drink is Dr Pepper! (see? just like me!)
She wants to run an orphanage in Africa when she grows up.

Overall, she is a delightful daughter. We feel very blessed to have her in our family.


Until next time...

Friday, October 16, 2009

Fall Fruits Festival - Chocolate




Well, now, it's Friday and time for a little chocolate! Oh and it's the last day of Fall Fruits Festival over at Lisa's (Stop and Smell the Chocolates). So, chocolate technically isn't a fruit, but for the sake of her Festival, and the fact that it's Friday, and hey, for the sake of Chocolate, folks...today - Chocolate is a Fall Fruit. There, 'nough said. :)

Here's a little simple recipe for the kiddos.

Pilgrim Hat Cookies


Ingredients

  • 1 cup vanilla frosting
  • 7 drops yellow food coloring
  • 32 miniature peanut butter cups
  • 1 package (11-1/2 ounces) fudge-striped cookies
  • 32 pieces orange mini Chiclets gum

Directions

  • In a small shallow bowl, combine frosting and food coloring. Remove paper liners from peanut butter cups.
  • Holding the bottom of a peanut butter cup, dip top of cup in yellow frosting. Position over center hole of a cookie, forming the hatband and crown. Add a buckle of Chiclets gum. Repeat with remaining cups and cookies. Yield: 32 cookies.

Doesn't that look like a fun thing to make with the kids this year? I plan to have my kids help make these and take them to our local library reading hour this year. Last year we did some spider cookies and the kids (and librarians) loved them.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed Lisa's Fall Fruits Festival this year as much as I did. I think this should be an annual event, don't you? What do ya say, Lisa?


Until next time...

Friday Funnies - Squirrel of Death



I can't remember where I got this; probably one of those email things. But I kept it 'cause it is soooo funny. In fact, I highly recommend not eating or drinking while reading this. Oh, and empty your bladder...just in case.


A STORY - The squirrel of death

I never dreamed that slowly cruising on my motorcycle through a residential neighborhood could be so incredibly dangerous! Little did I suspect.
I was on Brice Street - a very nice neighborhood with perfect lawns and slow traffic. As I passed an oncoming car, a brown furry missile shot out from under it and tumbled to a stop immediately in front of me.

It was a squirrel, and it must have been trying to run across the road when it encountered the car. I really was not going very fast, but there was no time to brake or avoid it -- it was that close. I hate to run over animals, and I really hate it on a motorcycle, but a squirrel should pose no danger to me. I barely had time to brace for the impact. Animal lovers, never fear. Squirrels, I discovered, can take care of themselves! Inches before impact, the squirrel flipped to his feet. He was standing on his hind legs and facing my oncoming Valkyrie with steadfast resolve in his beady little eyes. His mouth opened, and at the last possible second, he screamed and leapt! I am pretty sure the scream was squirrel for, "Banzai!" or maybe, "Die you gravy-sucking, heathen scum!" The leap was nothing short of spectacular...He shot straight up, flew over my windshield, and impacted me squarely in the chest. Instantly, he set upon me. If I did not know better, I would have sworn he brought 20 of his little buddies along for the attack. Snarling, hissing, and tearing at my clothes, he was a frenzy of activity. As I was dressed only in a light T-shirt, summer riding gloves, and jeans, this was a bit of cause for concern. This furry little tornado was doing some damage! Picture a large man on a huge black and chrome cruiser, dressed in jeans, a T-shirt, and leather gloves, puttering at maybe 25 mph down a quiet residential street, and in the fight of his life with a squirrel. And losing...I grabbed for him with my left hand. After a few misses, I finally managed to snag his tail. With all my strength, I flung the evil rodent off to the left of the bike, almost running into the right curb as I recoiled from the throw. That should have done it. The matter should have ended right there. It really should have. The squirrel could have sailed into one of the pristinely kept yards and gone on about his business, and I could have headed home. No one would have been the wiser. But this was no ordinary squirrel. This was not even an ordinary angry squirrel. This was an EVIL MUTANT ATTACK SQUIRREL OF DEATH! Somehow he caught my gloved finger with one of his little hands and, with the force of the throw, swung around and with a resounding thump and an amazing impact, he landed squarely on my BACK and resumed his rather antisocial and extremely distracting activities. He also managed to take my left glove with him! The situation was not improved. Not improved at all. His attacks were continuing, and now I could not reach him. I was startled, to say the least. The combination of the force of the throw, only having one hand (the throttle hand) on the handlebars, and my jerking back unfortunately put a healthy twist through my right hand and into the throttle. A healthy twist on the throttle of a Valkyrie can only have one result. TORQUE. This is what the Valkyrie is made for, and she is very, very good at it. The engine roared and the front wheel left the pavement. The squirrel screamed in anger. The Valkyrie screamed in ecstasy. I screamed in …well…I just plain screamed. Now picture a large man on a huge black and chrome cruiser, dressed in jeans, a slightly squirrel-torn T-shirt, wearing only one leather glove, and roaring at maybe 50 mph and rapidly accelerating down a quiet residential street on one wheel, with a demonic squirrel of death on his back. The man and the squirrel are both screaming bloody murder. With the sudden acceleration I was forced to put my other hand back on the handlebars and try to get control of the bike. This was leaving the mutant squirrel to his own devices, but I really did not want to crash into somebody's tree, house, or parked car. Also, I had not yet figured out how to release the throttle. My brain was just simply overloaded. I did manage to mash the back brake, but it had little effect against the massive power of the big cruiser. About this time the squirrel decided that I was not paying sufficient attention to this very serious battle (maybe he was an evil mutant NAZI attack squirrel of death), and he came around my neck and got INSIDE my full-face helmet with me. As the faceplate closed part way, he began hissing in my face. I am quite sure my screaming changed intensity. It had little effect on the squirrel, however. The RPMs on the Dragon maxed out (since I was not bothering with shifting at the moment), so her front end started to drop. Now picture a large man on a huge black and chrome cruiser, dressed in jeans, a very raggedly torn T-shirt, wearing only one leather glove, roaring at probably 80 mph, still on one wheel, with a large puffy squirrel's tail sticking out of the mostly closed full-face helmet. By now, the screams are probably getting a little hoarse. Finally I got the upper hand ...I managed to grab his tail again, pulled him out of my helmet, and slung him to the left as hard as I could. This time it worked...sort-of. Spectacularly sort-of...so to speak. Picture a new scene. You are a cop. You and your partner have pulled off on a quiet residential street and parked with your windows down to do some paperwork. Suddenly a large man on a huge black and chrome cruiser, dressed in jeans, a torn T-shirt flapping in the breeze, and wearing only one leather glove, moving at probably 80 mph on one wheel, and screaming bloody murder, roars by, and with all his strength throws a live squirrel grenade directly into your police car. I heard screams. They weren't mine...I managed to get the big motorcycle under control and dropped the front wheel to the ground. I then used maximum braking and skidded to a stop in a cloud of tire smoke at the stop sign of a busy cross street. I would have returned to 'fess up (and to get my glove back). I really would have. Really...Except for two things. First, the cops did not seem interested or the slightest bit concerned about me at the moment. When I looked back, the doors on both sides of the patrol car were flung wide open. The cop from the passenger side was on his back, doing a crab walk into somebody's front yard, quickly moving away from the car. The cop who had been in the driver's seat was standing in the street, aiming a riot shotgun at his own police car. So, the cops were not interested in me. They often insist on "letting the professionals handle it" anyway. That was one thing. The other? Well, I could clearly see shredded and flying pieces of foam and upholstery from the back seat. But I could also swear I saw the squirrel in the back window, shaking his little fist at me. That is one dangerous squirrel. And now he has a patrol car. A somewhat shredded patrol car...but it was all his. I took a deep breath, turned on my turn-signal, made a gentle right turn off of Brice Street, and sedately left the neighborhood. I decided it was best to just buy myself a new pair of gloves...and a whole lot of Band-Aids.

THE SQUIRREL OF DEATH
(author unknown)


Done? Does your stomach hurt from laughing so hard? Mine did. Your welcome. :)

And guess what? You're not done. Nope. Head on over to Kim's for more laughter inducing posts.
She's got a really funny picture up over there. :)

Until next time...

Thursday, October 15, 2009

29 of 52 photos of me

Forever In Blue Jeans


Hey, you know what? I'm cheating this week. This is one week I DON'T want a picture taken of me. And believe me, you DON'T want to see one. I'm pale, losing weight (well, that's actually a good thing), and a huge fever blister just popped up on my bottom lip. Blah! Nope, not gonna happen. And I just KNOW that you gals will totally understand. :)

Now this is a blast from the past.


I am the one right in the middle, with the long, curly hair. This was, I think, the last Christmas I was single or the next to last. Right before I went to Japan in the Air Force. I think. Anyway...

I'm the oldest grandchild and this was a picture of all the grandchildren at that time. There have been more since then, and the addition of great-grandchildren. The little girl in my lap? She's graduating high school this year. I can't believe it! I helped give her her first bath! Where does time go? Six more of these cousins have children of their own. Wow!

So, there you have it. My picture for the week. Please forgive me if it isn't me as a mom. It's still a picture of me. :)

And now, go over to Carin's and see more mom's who have accepted the challenge and made it in front of the camera.



Until next time...

Fall Fruits Festival - Cranberries




Thursday = Cranberries. At least this week it does. Lisa (at Stop and Smell the Chocolates) is having a Fall Fruits Festival over at her place this week. Go check it out and you'll come away with a ton of yummy-licious recipes. (Yes, that's a word).


Cranberry Pecan Sandies


Ingredients

  • 1 package (15.6 ounces) cranberry-orange quick bread mix
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 3/4 cup chopped pecans
  • 30 to 36 pecan halves
  • ORANGE GLAZE:
  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 3 to 4 teaspoons orange juice

Directions

  • In a large bowl, combine the bread mix, butter, egg and orange juice. Stir in chopped pecans. Roll into 1-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten with the bottom of a glass coated with cooking spray. Press a pecan half into center of each cookie.
  • Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 1 minute before removing to wire racks. In a small bowl, whisk glaze ingredients. Drizzle over cookies. Yield: 2-1/2 to 3 dozen.

I love cranberries. I had a hard time choosing a recipe to put on here. But I stuck with a simple one.

This year, I'm going to try a new turkey recipe that calls for putting a whole cranberry sauce mixture on the turkey and then serving the extra sauce with it. What? Ok, ok you talked me into it. So, I won't stick with just desserts like I said I would. Here's the turkey recipe. Keep in mind, I haven't tried this one yet, but I plan to for Thanksgiving. Or Christmas. Or any day in between. It sounds delicious.


Cranberry-Orange Roasted Turkey


Ingredients

  • 3 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 turkey (14 pounds)
  • 1 medium orange
  • 1 can (14 ounces) whole-berry cranberry sauce
  • 3/4 cup reduced-sodium teriyaki sauce
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup orange marmalade
  • 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 4 sprigs fresh herbs, such as thyme, rosemary, parsley and sage
  • 2 medium onions, cut into wedges

Directions

  • Combine the garlic powder, salt and pepper. With fingers, carefully loosen skin from the turkey breast; spread half of garlic powder mixture under the skin. Sprinkle skin with remaining mixture.
  • Juice the orange, reserving the rind. In a large bowl, combine the cranberry sauce, teriyaki sauce, honey, marmalade, soy sauce and orange juice. Cover and refrigerate 3-1/2 cups mixture for sauce. Rub remaining mixture under the skin. Secure skin to underside of breast with toothpicks. Place herb sprigs and reserved orange rind in turkey cavity.
  • Arrange onions in a shallow roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Place turkey over onions. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 3 to 3-1/2 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 180°. (Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly.) Cover and let stand for 15 minutes before carving.
  • Discard herb sprigs and orange before slicing. Place reserved sauce in a large saucepan; heat through. Serve with turkey. Yield: 28 servings (3-1/2 cups sauce).

(No, that's not me with the turkey; I found the picture online).

Well, enjoy.


Until next time...

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Fall Fruits Festival - Apples





This is Wednesday, day 3 of Lisa's Fall Fruits Festival. And today's fruit is apples.

I just love cheesecake. Don't you? I think I'm going to be doing all desserts this week. I just can't get away from this recipe.

Apple-of-Your-Eye Cheesecake


Ingredients

  • 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 16 squares)
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped pecans
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • FILLING:
  • 3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • TOPPING:
  • 2-1/2 cups chopped peeled apples
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 6 tablespoons caramel ice cream topping, divided
  • Sweetened whipped cream
  • 2 tablespoons chopped pecans

Directions

  • In a bowl, combine the crackers, sugar, pecans and cinnamon; stir in butter. Press onto the bottom of a lightly greased 9-in. springform pan. Place pan a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Place pan on a wire rack (leave oven on).
  • In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in vanilla. Pour over crust. Toss apples with lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon; spoon over filling. Return pan to baking sheet.
  • Bake at for 55-60 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen. Drizzle with 4 tablespoons caramel topping. Cool for 1 hour. Chill overnight.
  • Remove sides of pan. Just before serving, garnish with whipped cream. Drizzle with remaining caramel; sprinkle with pecans. Store in refrigerator. Yield: 12 servings.

So, if you love cheesecake as much as I do, I hope you enjoyed this. Now, time to check out Lisa's place if you haven't already. BTW, she's having neat giveaways with this Festival, too.

Oh, and here's a neat coincidence in our life. Does the name John Chapman ring a bell? No? How about Johnny Appleseed? Yes? Well, my husband is currently reading a book about Johnny Appleseed to the children. Neat, huh?


Until next time...

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Fall Fruits Festival - Pumpkin




Today is Tuesday. Day two of Lisa's Fall Fruits Festival. And today's fruit is...pumpkin. I guess most people only think of carving a pumpkin around this time of year. Or pumpkin pie. Here's a little something different for the pumpkin in your life. :)


Pumpkin Cheesecake Deluxe



Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
  • 32 gingersnap cookies, coarsely crushed
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 6 tablespoons butter, melted
  • FILLING:
  • 3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1-1/2 cups canned pumpkin
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 4 eggs, lightly beaten
  • Sweetened whipped cream, optional
  • Pecan brittle, optional

Directions

  • Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil; securely wrap foil around pan. Place pecans in a food processor; cover and process until ground. Add gingersnaps, brown sugar and butter; cover and pulse until blended. Press onto the bottom and 2 in. up the sides of prepared pan; set aside.
  • In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the pumpkin, cream, syrup, vanilla and spices. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour into crust. Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan.
  • Bake at 325° for 60-70 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull. Remove pan from water bath. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Chill overnight.
  • Remove sides of pan. Garnish with whipped cream and pecan brittle if desired. Yield: 12 servings.


Well, double the yum in this one. :) Don't forget to go check out what Lisa has linked up.


Until next time...

Monday, October 12, 2009

a little help here, please

The problem is fixed. See? Thanks for the suggestions. A special thanks to Nana who took it, fixed it, and let me just copy what she fixed. Thanks again, Nana. :)


Ok, see the new header? Why is that paint palette behind it? The only way I could get text on the header was to open it in paint on my computer. It put that annoying thing behind my header every time. I do not like it. Does anyone know how to fix it? Or know of another program that will put text on the header?

I'd appreciate any help.

Thanks.

Until next time...

Fall Fruits Festival - Pears





Today starts Lisa's (over at Stop and Smell the Chocolates) Fall Fruits Festival. (Lisa usually has some tasty ideas up her sleeve). Go see what it's all about, find some new recipes, and link up your own. She also has giveaways this week to go along with the fall-like festivities. I highly suggest you visit her blog.

The first fruit in the festival is pears. Yum.


Raspberry-Pear Tart



Ingredients

  • 1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2/3 cup cold butter
  • 1/3 cup chopped macadamia nuts
  • FILLING:
  • 3 medium pears, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
  • TOPPING:
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
  • 1/4 cup cold butter, cubed
  • 1/3 cup chopped macadamia nuts

Directions

  • In a small bowl, combine flour and sugar; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in nuts. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 11-in. fluted tart pan with removable bottom.
  • In a large bowl, combine the pears, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and lemon peel. Add raspberries; toss gently. Pour into crust. Bake at 425° for 25 minutes.
  • For topping, in a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar and lemon peel; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in nuts. Sprinkle over filling.
  • Bake 15-20 minutes longer or until filling is bubbly and topping is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 12-16 servings.

Like I said...yummy. In fact, I think you're in for a delicious week.

Until next time...

Friday, October 9, 2009

Friday Funnies - Farm kid turned Marine




Kim has some funnies on Fridays and others link up to her too. After this, go over and visit her for more laughs.

FROM A FARM KID,
NOW AT SAN DIEGO MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT.

Dear Ma and Pa:

I am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minh by a mile.

Tell them to join up quick before maybe all of the places are filled.

I was restless at first because you got to stay in bed till nearly 6 a.m., but am getting so I like to sleep late.

Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay.Men got to shave but it is not so bad, there's warm water.

Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc, but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie and other regular food, but tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit by the two city boys that live on coffee. Their food plus yours holds you till noon when you get fed again.

It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much. We go on "route marches", which the platoon sergeant says are long walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it's not my place to tell him different. A "route march" is about as far as to our mailbox at home.

Then the city guys get sore feet and we all ride back in trucks. The country is nice but awful flat.

The sergeant is like a school teacher. He nags a lot.

The Capt. is like the school board. Majors and colonels just ride around and frown. They don't bother you none.

This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting medals for shooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunk head and don't move, and it ain't shooting at you like the Higgett boys at home. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it You don't even load your own cartridges. They come in boxes.

Then we have what they call hand-to hand combat training.

You get to wrestle with them city boys. I have to be real careful though, they break real easy. It ain't like fighting with that ole bull at home. I'm about the best they got in this except for that Tug Jordan from over in Silver Lake. I only beat him once. He joined up the same time as me, but I'm only 5'6" and 130 pounds, and he's 6'8" and weighs near 300 pounds dry.

Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellers get onto this setup and come stampeding in.

Your loving daughter,

Gail.


Yeah, I know, I laughed too. You're supposed too! lol


Until next time...

Chocolate Friday - Frosted Cocoa Cookies


I love Fridays...for the chocolate. Of course, right now, it's totally torture since I can't have the stuff! Aaahhhrrrrggggg...the agony of it all!

Well, whatever. I'll share a recipe with you regardless. And after you get this one, go over to Lisa's and see what she has and what others have linked up.



Frosted Cocoa Cookies

1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup baking cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Frosting:
1/3 cup butter, softened
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup baking soda
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3 to 4 teaspoons milk

In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa; gradually add to cream mixture and mix well.

Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place two inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 13-16 minutes, or until set. Remove to wire racks to cool.

For frosting, in a small mixing bowl, combine the butter, confectioners' sugar, cocoa, and extract. Add enough milk to achieve desired consistency. Drizzle over cookies.

Eat and enjoy. ('Cause I sure can't). :)

Until next time...

Thursday, October 8, 2009

28 of 52 photos of me

Forever In Blue Jeans

I'm sure you'll forgive me for not putting a photo on here last Thursday, considering what was happening. If you don't know, go back and read previous posts.

Anyway, Carin has issued a challenge for moms to get in front of the camera at least once a week for a year. Mine is kind of sporadic, but I hope to get 52 pictures taken. Here's number 28 for me.

You want to know why I look so sad? It's because I can't eat that stuff! That's right, you heard me, I can't eat chocolate right now. I'm deprived! I'm suffering, I tell ya'!

But it's my own fault. I decided to do a cleanse and I can't have any delicious, yummy, mouth-watering chocolate until late December.

Yeah, you know what I want for Christmas this year, don't you?


Until next time...

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Out with the old, in with the new

At some friends' house.


The baby...I use the term loosely since he is already walking and over a year old...is getting a bed upgrade.

He's moving out of this...


Into this...

He's still in our room. When he's used to this bed, we plan to put him in the boys' room. It might be a while, but that's our goal.

Until next time...

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

"...blessed be the name of the Lord."

"Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD."
~ Job 1: 20-21

"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
~ 1 Thessalonians 5:18

I wrote about my miscarriage in a previous post. Well, it wasn't over. The hospital told me to come back if I had more problems like I had that brought me in. I did. Sunday afternoon we went again; this time by van because I knew as soon as it started what I needed to do. We got there around 4:30 or so. Later that night they decided I needed a D&C. Thankfully, the OB doc that was on call was one I would have picked if given the choice. (The same one was the one on call Thursday night and I already had a follow-up appointment scheduled with him). The D&C took place around 1 a.m. Monday morning (long night) and I was discharged by 3 a.m. A first for me; I've never had a surgery where I had to be put to sleep before. It was definitely a different experience. But all went well and I have a different follow-up appointment in two weeks.

So, why the verses, you ask? Some people may find it odd that I'm not totally tore up about this loss. Yes, we wanted this baby. But God gives peace in the midst of pain. I know where this child is. At least I'm pretty sure. Remember David? If you're not familiar with the story I'm referring to, read 2 Samuel 12, especially verses 15-23.

I'm to give thanks in everything. It is the will of God.

Yes, it may be hard at first. I felt guilty thinking if I had done this or this, nothing would have happened. But you see, I'm not the one in control. God is.

I cried. I mourned. But I didn't fall apart. Because God is in control and I'm to give thanks.

I'm thankful for the short amount of time the Lord loaned this baby to us. I'm thankful for the EMT guys that came. I'm thankful for the ER docs and nurses. I'm thankful for a Christian OB that is not afraid to ask if he can pray over me before surgery. That was such a blessing.

I'm thankful for everything that happened, because that was the will of God.

Thank you all for praying for me and for your comments. I do appreciate them.

And I promise, the next post will be a bit more lighthearted. :)

Until next time...

Friday, October 2, 2009

Friday Funnies - World History according to students


CAUTION: Please refrain from eating or drinking while reading this article. I can't be responsible for food or liquid spewed or snorted from your mouth and nose if you start laughing uncontrollably while reading this. Misspelled words and other mistakes are intentional.

The History of the World according to students
Richard Lederer , St. Paul's School
One of the fringe benefits of being an English or History teacher is receiving the occasional jewel of a student blooper in an essay. I have pasted together the following "history" of the world from certifiably genuine student bloopers collected by teachers throughout the United States, from eighth grade through college level. Read carefully, and you will learn a lot.
The inhabitants of Egypt were called mummies. They lived in the Sarah Dessert and traveled by Camelot. The climate of the Sarah is such that the inhabitants have to live elsewhere, so certain areas of the dessert are cultivated by irritation. The Egyptians built the Pyramids in the shape of a huge triangular cube. The Pyramids are a range of mountains between France and Spain.
The Bible is full of interesting caricatures. In the first book of the Bible, Guinesses, Adam and Eve were created from an apple tree. One of their children, Cain, asked "Am I my brother's son?" God asked Abraham to sacrifice Issac on Mount Montezuma. Jacob, son of Issac, stole his brother's birthmark. Jacob was a partiarch who brought up his twelve sons to be partiarchs, but they did not take to it. One of Jacob's sons, Joseph, gave refuse to the Israelites.
Pharaoh forced the Hebrew slaves to make bread without straw. Moses led them to the Red Sea, where they made unleavened bread, which is bread made without any ingredients. Afterwards, Moses went up on Mount Cyanide to get the ten commandments. David was a Hebrew king skilled at playing the liar. He fought with the Philatelists, a race of people who lived in Biblical times. Solomon, one of David's sons, had 500 wives and 500 porcupines.
Without the Greeks, we wouldn't have history. The Greeks invented three kinds of columns - Corinthian, Doric and Ironic. They also had myths. A myth is a female moth. One myth says that the mother of Achilles dipped him in the River Stynx until he became intolerable. Achilles appears in "The Illiad", by Homer. Homer also wrote the "Oddity", in which Penelope was the last hardship that Ulysses endured on his journey. Actually, Homer was not written by Homer but by another man of that name.
Socrates was a famous Greek teacher who went around giving people advice. They killed him. Socrates died from an overdose of wedlock.
In the Olympic Games, Greeks ran races, jumped, hurled the biscuits, and threw the java. The reward to the victor was a coral wreath. The government of Athen was democratic because the people took the law into their own hands. There were no wars in Greece, as the mountains were so high that they couldn't climb over to see what their neighbors were doing. When they fought the Parisians, the Greeks were outnumbered because the Persians had more men.
Eventually, the Ramons conquered the Geeks. History call people Romans because they never stayed in one place for very long. At Roman banquets, the guests wore garlic in their hair. Julius Caesar extinguished himself on the battlefields of Gaul. The Ides of March killed him because they thought he was going to be made king. Nero was a cruel tyrany who would torture his poor subjects by playing the fiddle to them.
Then came the Middle Ages. King Alfred conquered the Dames, King Arthur lived in the Age of Shivery, King Harlod mustarded his troops before the Battle of Hastings, Joan of Arc was cannonized by George Bernard Shaw, and the victims of the Black Death grew boobs on their necks. Finally, the Magna Carta provided that no free man should be hanged twice for the same offense.
In midevil times most of the people were alliterate. The greatest writer of the time was Chaucer, who wrote many poems and verse and also wrote literature. Another tale tells of William Tell, who shot an arrow through an apple while standing on his son's head.
The Renaissance was an age in which more individuals felt the value of their human being. Martin Luther was nailed to the church door at Wittenberg for selling papal indulgences. He died a horrible death, being excommunicated by a bull. It was the painter Donatello's interest in the female nude that made him the father of the Renaissance. It was an age of great inventions and discoveries. Gutenberg invented the Bible. Sir Walter Raleigh is a historical figure because he invented cigarettes. Another important invention was the circulation of blood. Sir Francis Drake circumcised the world with a 100-foot clipper.
The government of England was a limited mockery. Henry VIII found walking difficult because he had an abbess on his knee. Queen Elizabeth was the "Virgin Queen." As a queen she was a success. When Elizabeth exposed herself before her troops, they all shouted "hurrah." Then her navy went out and defeated the Spanish Armadillo.
The greatest writer of the Renaissance was William Shakespear. Shakespear never made much money and is famous only because of his plays. He lived in Windsor with his merry wives, writing tragedies, comedies and errors. In one of Shakespear's famous plays, Hamlet rations out his situation by relieving himself in a long soliloquy. In another, Lady Macbeth tries to convince Mac- beth to kill the King by attacking his manhood. Romeo and Juliet are an example of a heroic couplet. Writing at the same time as Shakespear was Miquel Cervantes. He wrote "Donkey Hote". The next great author was John Milton. Milton wrote "Paradise Lost." Then his wife died and he wrote "Paradise Regained."
During the Renaissance America began. Christopher Columbus was a great navigator who discovered America while cursing about the Atlantic. His ships were called the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Fe. Later the Pilgrims crossed the Ocean, and the was called the Pilgrim's Progress. When they landed at Plymouth Rock, they were greeted by Indians, who came down the hill rolling their was hoops before them. The Indian squabs carried porpoises on their back. Many of the Indian heroes were killed, along with their cabooses, which proved very fatal to them. The winter of 1620 was a hard one for the settlers. Many people died and many babies were born. Captain John Smith was responsible for all this.
One of the causes of the Revolutionary Wars was the English put tacks in their tea. Also, the colonists would send their pacels through the post without stamps. During the War, Red Coats and Paul Revere was throwing balls over stone walls. The dogs were barking and the peacocks crowing. Finally, the colonists won the War and no longer had to pay for taxis.
Delegates from the original thirteen states formed the Contented Congress. Thomas Jefferson, a Virgin, and Benjamin Franklin were two singers of the Declaration of Independence. Franklin had gone to Boston carrying all his clothes in his pocket and a loaf of bread under each arm. He invented electricity by rubbing cats backwards and declared "a horse divided against itself cannot stand." Franklin died in 1790 and is still dead.
George Washington married Matha Curtis and in due time became the Father of Our Country. Them the Constitution of the United States was adopted to secure domestic hostility. Under the Constitution the people enjoyed the right to keep bare arms.
Abraham Lincoln became America's greatest Precedent. Lincoln's mother died in infancy, and he was born in a log cabin which he built with his own hands. When Lincoln was President, he wore only a tall silk hat. He said, "In onion there is strength." Abraham Lincoln write the Gettysburg address while traveling from Washington to Gettysburg on the back of an envelope. He also signed the Emasculation Proclamation, and the Fourteenth Amendment gave the ex-Negroes citizenship. But the Clue Clux Clan would torcher and lynch the ex-Negroes and other innocent victims. On the night of April 14, 1865, Lincoln went to the theater and got shot in his seat by one of the actors in a moving picture show. The believed assinator was John Wilkes Booth, a supposedly insane actor. This ruined Booth's career.
Meanwhile in Europe, the enlightenment was a reasonable time. Voltare invented electricity and also wrote a book called "Candy". Gravity was invented by Issac Walton. It is chiefly noticeable in the Autumn, when the apples are falling off the trees.
Bach was the most famous composer in the world, and so was Handel. Handel was half German, half Italian and half English. He was very large. Bach died from 1750 to the present. Beethoven wrote music even though he was deaf. He was so deaf he wrote loud music. He took long walks in the forest even when everyone was calling for him. Beethoven expired in 1827 and later died for this.
France was in a very serious state. The French Revolution was accomplished before it happened. The Marseillaise was the theme song of the French Revolution, and it catapulted into Napoleon. During the Napoleonic Wars, the crowned heads of Europe were trembling in their shoes. Then the Spanish gorillas came down from the hills and nipped at Napoleon's flanks. Napoleon became ill with bladder problems and was very tense and unrestrained. He wanted an heir to inherit his power, but since Josephine was a baroness, she couldn't bear him any children.
The sun never set on the British Empire because the British Empire is in the East and the sun sets in the West. Queen Victoria was the longest queen. She sat on a thorn for 63 years. Her reclining years and finally the end of her life were exemplatory of a great personality. Her death was the final event which ended her reign.
The nineteenth century was a time of many great inventions and thoughts. The invention of the steamboat caused a network of rivers to spring up. Cyrus McCormick invented the McCormick Raper, which did the work of a hundred men. Samuel Morse invented a code for telepathy. Louis Pastuer discovered a cure for rabbis. Charles Darwin was a naturailst who wrote the "Organ of the Species". Madman Curie discovered radium. And Karl Marx became one of the Marx Brothers.
The First World War, cause by the assignation of the Arch-Duck by a surf, ushered in a new error in the anals of human history.

I hope you enjoyed this. I always laugh when I read it. :)

For more humor go over to Kim's.

Until next time...

Crazy life

Want to know why I've not been on here lately? Busy, busy.

We have neighbor difficulties. They told us to put in our own driveway even though we've been sharing one for a year.

What makes that difficult is that my husband has not been working because he's been staying at home helping me. Why?

We just found out we were going to have another baby, only for me to start bleeding. Yesterday I spent the afternoon and evening in the ER due to the miscarriage. We ok with that. Trusting the Lord in everything. Even money. :)

Wow. So we've got a driveway to put in, a large hospital bill to pay (ambulances are so expensive), and we have already decided to move within the next 2 or 3 months (due to more problems with the neighbors than the driveway).

So all you ladies (and gents) out there who pray; pray for us. We need it.



Until next time...