tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28144937434186544672024-02-07T03:39:28.053-05:00A Little of This, A Dash of ThatThe ramblings of a mother of 3, substitute teacher, wife, chef/short-order cook, taxi driver, and finder of all things lost.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger287125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814493743418654467.post-67567232021989163692010-12-17T13:08:00.000-06:002010-12-17T13:08:07.269-06:00Merry Christmas<div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Zh3ynrb3nn0/TQu1FqpdmeI/AAAAAAAA3xs/rCXtwAZDRxw/s1600/2010-12-17.jpg"><img alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Zh3ynrb3nn0/TQu1FqpdmeI/AAAAAAAA3xs/rCXtwAZDRxw/s320/2010-12-17.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814493743418654467.post-55547285486656183542010-12-03T10:22:00.002-06:002010-12-03T11:10:55.298-06:00Don't Get Me Started<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">*Warning*Warning*Warning*Warning*<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I'm not particularly a parent of the "let them suck it up and deal" variety. I hate it when I can't make everything "just right" for my kids. They have plenty of things to deal with at school (Middle School and High School drama anyone??) that I can not help with, so when there are things I can do to make their lives easier, I do it. (I do this for hubby, friends, family, etc. when I can too, it's just how lovely I really am.. ha!)<br /><br />In the last few months Miss 17 has been dealing with different swim team drama. She is a captain this year, there is a new head coach, things aren't well organized, the list is long, I won't bore you. Suffice it to say I have been doing many, many things to help the coach and my daughter keep the team going forward in an organized manner. It's been a strenuous year for me and I'm not even swimming.<br /> The State Meet came and went, Miss 17 did well, not as well as she would have liked since her heart chose right then to act up, but she was brave and pushed through her pain and dealt with it. Me, I was a nervous wreck, but that's another story.<br />In the end , because we just want it over with, I am now having to deal with the end of the season banquet planning, balloting for team awards, and all that goes with end of the year gift, plaques and so forth. I have secured the location, planned the food, created the ballots for awards, sent out emails to parents, sent out notes to team mates, counted ballots with another mother and done all the things needed to get this banquet (and this stressful season) over with.<br />In the meantime Miss 17 has to deal with the wrath of her team mates over silly things. Ballots were due on November 22. I collected them from the schools (3 different schools!) on November 23rd, just to give the girls a little extra time. I waited an entire week to count them so if there were any late comers I could get theirs too. But at that point we could wait no longer and another swim mom helped me count them and we called them in to get names put on the plaques at the engraver. Fast forward a few days and now Miss 17 is getting chewed out by the girls because they can no longer turn in their ballots. It frustrates the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">begeeberz</span> out of me because I could not have made the process any more simple. (I couldn't have... the coach could have if she would have gotten it together enough to do the balloting AT THE POOL when all the girls were RIGHT THERE! Again, another story....) If I could have the girls chew me out instead, I would, it's not Miss 17's fault that this season was an unorganized mess, and I HATE that she takes the blame for any of it. I have worked hard to prevent the messes that occur if no one takes charge and gets things done. I have gone way above and beyond the call of duty for a mother, and yet it isn't enough that I have been able to make it "just right" for Miss 17. Things that aren't her fault, are getting placed right on her shoulders, things the coach should have done she's getting the fall out for. How I wish I could make it all better and this season could have been the perfect, amazing, exciting and fun season that she had dreamed of for so long. But I can't make it all better, no matter how much I tried. Does anyone have one of those time changing things that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Hermoine</span> Granger has? I'd like to borrow it, please. </span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814493743418654467.post-65859914117710630902010-11-03T14:59:00.000-06:002010-11-03T14:59:05.467-06:00<div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Nq0ZvUJKNy8zwuuxZAZFSYzzMEYgp57qKTpay6iv44C6yVJ_sbVdh57UVAxYGE1Pf1NcNIvKrbFHE750ESfFHt8Po5Bm3pwyPKHuMVD_g_07nfcCGFE4W3s1QJ6aai-dhCjcfOzx-Q4/s1600/IMG_7133.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Nq0ZvUJKNy8zwuuxZAZFSYzzMEYgp57qKTpay6iv44C6yVJ_sbVdh57UVAxYGE1Pf1NcNIvKrbFHE750ESfFHt8Po5Bm3pwyPKHuMVD_g_07nfcCGFE4W3s1QJ6aai-dhCjcfOzx-Q4/s320/IMG_7133.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><br />Potato picking time! Here's one of the giants of the year. It makes Hubby's hands look small, doesn't it? His hands are definitely not small, though. It's all an illusion!<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814493743418654467.post-56302662663338737172010-10-01T10:15:00.000-05:002010-10-01T10:15:54.719-05:00Fuzzy<div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Zh3ynrb3nn0/TKX7KpskgeI/AAAAAAAA3wM/QGusoVl1PJo/s1600/IMG_7060.JPG"><img alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Zh3ynrb3nn0/TKX7KpskgeI/AAAAAAAA3wM/QGusoVl1PJo/s320/IMG_7060.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />We are feeling a little fuzzy around the edges at our house this week. Homecoming always becomes a torture with both girls in band, swimming and all the other chaos that comes with high school and homecoming. Early morning swim practices, think 5:30 a.m., early morning band practices, late nights float building, homework and the added workouts of "peak week" for the swim season. Today is the homecoming game, pep band, the parade, homecoming dance, etc. I'm not sure I was ever quite as involved as my kids have been, but they all tend to go all out this week.<br />It has however come at a cost for Miss 17. She spent the week with chest tightness, or as she calls it "a headache in my chest" surrounding her heart. She's had some mild dizziness and tiredness. Is this surprising, no, I remember this happening to her before. Is it concerning? Yes, a bit. We have scheduled a doctor's appointment for early next week, and her coach and I decided she won't be attending the swim meet this weekend. This despite her protests and uncontrollable sobbing. She's not crying because she's so anxious to swim, although she is anxious to swim and do well, she's crying because she feels such an obligation to her team mates and her coaches. She's worn herself down to the point that her body is protesting. Her <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">SVT</span> allows her to go so far and then shuts her down. We are working on teaching her when to listen to her body and just say enough is enough I need a break. Her team mates are disappointed she won't be there to lead their cheers, to swim on their relays and to be the positive support system they all expect from her. She needs to work on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">de</span>-fuzzing her edges so that next week, and the following weeks, she can go back to being herself. </div><div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814493743418654467.post-74801278976168274062010-09-19T17:43:00.000-05:002010-09-19T17:43:32.990-05:00Mama Bear Mama Bear What Do You See?<div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi8k5Uyfr5jjCv2ML5UcYMVVVpiUcZPizhAvlf4z2i3D8qQRRho05qcUlPBVUPkbWiAivp8yYhO4dAivDhTACBAJFH8kn_9CUkMrf3vSnTAnCf_BWH1tg3VQoEagaPFnpQ3cqJJ1Pevu4/s1600/2010-09-19.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi8k5Uyfr5jjCv2ML5UcYMVVVpiUcZPizhAvlf4z2i3D8qQRRho05qcUlPBVUPkbWiAivp8yYhO4dAivDhTACBAJFH8kn_9CUkMrf3vSnTAnCf_BWH1tg3VQoEagaPFnpQ3cqJJ1Pevu4/s320/2010-09-19.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><br />Here's what I saw on my trip south yesterday. Yes, that's snow. There were places that had 4 inches of it on the ground. We were lucky, no snow, but 23 degrees for the overnight low. Yuck! It's not even officially fall yet.<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814493743418654467.post-79133939291054764372010-09-16T10:04:00.000-05:002010-09-16T10:04:53.097-05:00Freeze Warning Tomorrow, End of Summer Today<div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Zh3ynrb3nn0/TJIyE3MS5UI/AAAAAAAA3vw/ntBqDg_Ilxo/s1600/2010-09-15.jpg"><img alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Zh3ynrb3nn0/TJIyE3MS5UI/AAAAAAAA3vw/ntBqDg_Ilxo/s320/2010-09-15.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814493743418654467.post-22423245791513786042010-09-08T15:28:00.000-05:002010-09-08T15:28:36.480-05:00Buggin' out!<div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-32O4v2TIzYOAT1kbjpMaqqS8UbrdpQjaBOxsPKV2sWXXnrxYPBQvoUMUk7ZYytT16MaVtLo8IZa75YHju7XvD9HNscMmt-v-xAZV-81QplEDtQn7YTjKVHzPkchE-A0ZSJ7cencXxs/s1600/IMG_6920.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-32O4v2TIzYOAT1kbjpMaqqS8UbrdpQjaBOxsPKV2sWXXnrxYPBQvoUMUk7ZYytT16MaVtLo8IZa75YHju7XvD9HNscMmt-v-xAZV-81QplEDtQn7YTjKVHzPkchE-A0ZSJ7cencXxs/s320/IMG_6920.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div>Here is a regular visitor to my yard this fall. Along with an entire hive of bees who seem to love my agastache. But that's ok, they are actually entertaining to watch, especially when a hummingbird shows up. I had no idea they were mortal enemies!<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814493743418654467.post-87533929748492800902010-08-20T11:09:00.000-05:002010-08-20T11:09:13.704-05:00Sah-Weet!<div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj908pstrfJSICenM02der3fuWcqm46jCFI_8S0LLN4HJO7aeZ4RKdA0Dhyphenhyphenz_J8e1KwZC0oves3WxK6zH8anpE9hwUIBtwPqYSz1C-NolZ8SiBbVuKnvdrAoHGA6sxz3VsjzrrWhyphenhyphen5yCok/s1600/IMG_6855.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj908pstrfJSICenM02der3fuWcqm46jCFI_8S0LLN4HJO7aeZ4RKdA0Dhyphenhyphenz_J8e1KwZC0oves3WxK6zH8anpE9hwUIBtwPqYSz1C-NolZ8SiBbVuKnvdrAoHGA6sxz3VsjzrrWhyphenhyphen5yCok/s320/IMG_6855.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><br />Don't ask me why, but my sweet peas decided to wait until August to bloom this year. Regardless of when they bloom, they smell divine! This has to be my very favorite smell. Wonderful!<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814493743418654467.post-36073683607221991252010-08-18T19:12:00.000-05:002010-08-18T19:12:58.084-05:00<div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Zh3ynrb3nn0/TGx3CNSkaJI/AAAAAAAA3u4/su7RkzeJdtg/s1600/IMG_6841.JPG"><img alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Zh3ynrb3nn0/TGx3CNSkaJI/AAAAAAAA3u4/su7RkzeJdtg/s320/IMG_6841.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><br />We have had an unbelievable amount of severe weather in our area of the world this year. I've never seen anything like it. We've lived here 17 years now, and in the 16 years previous to this I have had hail at my house 5 times. This year alone it has hailed 6 times at my house. Tomorrow night they are predicting another round of severe weather for our area. I'm not sure I can take much more of the stress level that brings. Regardless, the clouds sure have been pretty around the storms!<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814493743418654467.post-70190269407855082032010-08-12T15:39:00.000-05:002010-08-12T15:40:41.723-05:00Summer Fun!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3KYTrg8fDrokBxksOrwfn2NiDmXYnV2BMbRhnnw_Nn6o9yiOADTkjuWwUuo-bmcpuUXTNkkEXsOUq7uwbf9Oz84NXFDCS0eRbZBt10uk6rCURAcpkEqEGGrB5u0RXCwPKJf4IHX9qvI/s1600/102_0907.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3KYTrg8fDrokBxksOrwfn2NiDmXYnV2BMbRhnnw_Nn6o9yiOADTkjuWwUuo-bmcpuUXTNkkEXsOUq7uwbf9Oz84NXFDCS0eRbZBt10uk6rCURAcpkEqEGGrB5u0RXCwPKJf4IHX9qvI/s200/102_0907.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504626017322896770" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814493743418654467.post-79787225303617238572010-07-01T13:28:00.002-05:002010-07-01T13:43:50.879-05:00Daddy's Footsteps<span style="font-family: verdana;">I told you Miss 17 would get her day in the sun. Yes, you read that right, Miss 16 has decided yet again to continue getting older, and she is now Miss 17. I don't want to think about all the songs that have been written about 17 year <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">olds</span> right now, so please just don't bring them up!<br /><br />Miss 17, how can I explain the way you bring light to my life? How can I explain the depths of despair to which you throw my heart? You are a study in contrasts. Fortunately for all of us, there is much more light from you then there is darkness. It is for that aspect of your personality that I am eternally grateful.<br /><br />Your inherent innocence about some things never fails to make me laugh, and it is so good that you are also able to laugh at your self.<br /> I'm so grateful for the friends you have who stand by you and support you. You've become a pretty astute judge of character and only the best of people are allowed in your life. Yet, even those who have somehow wronged you are still treated with respect, for the most part. You are a good friend to those who deserve you.<br />You are a work-a-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">holic</span>, like your father, and sitting still is not something that you tend to do very often. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Life guarding</span>, coaching, private lessons and keeping yourself ready for swim season take up nearly all of your time these days. Yes, you get overly tired and eventually have to crash; but you realize when that happens, and you are good about getting the sleep you need.<br />You are attempting more and more to stay close to Miss 12. It's not always easy for you, and it's not always easy for her, but trust me, when you are in your 20's, no one will be more of a support for you than your sister.<br />Planning for your future has become a top priority for you. Knowing where you want to go to college, and what you want to go for, are becoming forefront in your mind. I know that you will be applying for scholarships and working even harder at keeping your grades up next year. This years grades were amazing, your ability to do difficult work so well astounds me.<br />You are so driven. I'm not sure where that comes from, and it's an incredible quality. Never stop pushing yourself.<br />You have become and continue to become an inspiration to your sister. She looks up to you and I know you won't let her down. You are a strong, intelligent and compassionate young woman.<br />May you always, always know how very much you are loved.<br />Happy Birthday Miss 17.<br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814493743418654467.post-8945158035982366532010-05-28T15:00:00.002-05:002010-05-28T15:12:34.622-05:00Progress<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CLisa%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CLisa%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CLisa%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> 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mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="text-decoration: underline;font-family:verdana;" >Miss 12 just graduated from 6th grade. She is our last child to go through school at this particular school, and it has been an emotional wreck of a week. (I can not get the underline turned off, forgive me.) In place of a tissue needing, tear producing, emotional wreck of a post that would match how I feel, I instead am copying a story that Miss 12 wrote last week for class. If you knew where she came from, and the work it has taken to get her to this point, you would be amazed. This story is her own. The only parameters she was given were that she had to include a monkey, a lost island, a talking cat and a fisherman. I did not correct mistakes other than to remind her to capitalize, to punctuate and to indent. There are mistakes, yes, but this story is so far beyond what I even imagined possible that just reading it makes me cry. Not because it is a sad story, but because she has come so far, and it's because of all the work the school was willing to put into her, and all the hard work we have done at home. She amazes me every day, as do my other children, but today, for me, it's about her and her progress. Miss 16 will get her day in the sun soon as well, just in case she's reading here today. I'll brag her up when she's least expecting it. In the meantime, enjoy Miss 12's original story and think of how far she has brought herself.
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line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b style=""><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">A Darkened Sky <o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style=""> </span>Mariah’s diary day 3, week 6, year 1938, Me and Simon are below deck again because we’re going by Avalax and you don’t want to know what they would do if they found me. Here I go again talking about now and not telling how I got on a ship or how I got Simon. It all started when I was out getting flowers from the corner store. I was getting them because we were having a huge party to celebrate my sister getting married. My sister, Eliza, always seemed to be the star child to my mother. On Eliza’s thirteenth birthday she got a beautiful white and blue dress all I got for my thirteenth birthday was a cheap doll that broke within the first hour.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Hey Mariah wait up!” Oh that’s Simon my best friend. We’d been friends since I fell out of a tree at a park; he was the only one who didn’t laugh at me. “Are you that upset about the party that you can’t even talk to your friend?”<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Hey Simon.”I said. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“I’m going to take that as you’re more upset then I think.” he said. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style=""> </span>“No, I’m not it’s just that she always has to act like she’s the perfect child.” I said. “She always made me look like the bad guy.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style=""> </span>“Maybe if you came over to my place you would feel better.” he said.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style=""> </span>“I wish I could but my mom is practically making me setup the whole party.” I said.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Ok then I’ll see you later.” He said. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Ok, bye Simon.”I said. As he turned and walked away his head was hung so low he looked like a solider defeated in a battle. As I turned around Mrs.Lossen’s carriage drawn by a beautiful white horse came down the road. I glanced over my shoulder to see if she was out looking for Mr. Lossen again somehow he always managed to sneak out of the house with his poker buddies without her noticing. All I saw was Simon crossing the lane. The next thing that happened went by so quick I didn’t even have time to think: Simon walking across the lane, the carriage getting too close for comfort, me dropping the flowers on the walkway and running to push him out of the way, and finally a horse along with a carriage hitting him and ending his life. The carriage hit him just before I could reach him, nearly 17inches away from my hands. I dropped to my knees and I looked him. His shirt was all stained with blood, his body spread out on the road. “Simon?” I said my voice quivering. The only answer I got back was the sound of the market. I started to cry. Not even one person stopped to help the little girl crying in the street. I looked down at him. His lifeless eyes stared up at me. <i style="">Don’t cry, </i>I thought, <i style="">his life was good, great even.</i> But I wasn’t that strong. I got up not wanting to bare the sight of him anymore. I took one more look at him and started to run away this time. Suddenly I was bombarded with memories of him. From when we meant at the old park all the way to his death. Nearly sixteen years of memory all at once. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I finally found myself out side of town in the old field Simon and I used to play in. I collapsed on to my knees and screamed up at the sky.<span style=""> </span>Why take my Simon’s why not someone else? Only then did I realize I was being completely self-centered millions of people lose loved ones every day it was bound to happen to me eventually. I hugged myself and cried more than I ever had before. Finally I got up no time for self pity maybe I’ll feel better if I set up for something happier. <span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">As soon as I stepped in the door mom gave me lecture number 34, the parties going to start soon where have you been. Then she wrapped it up with number 13, why can’t you be more like your sister. I answered calmly and softly “Simon died mom not that you would care.” <span style=""> </span>“Honey your sister’s getting married we’ll worry about that later.” As soon as the party started I was being bagged on by mother “where did you put this and that and where do you think you’re going every time I tried to sneak away. <i style="">I should really take lessons on that from Mr.Lossen.</i> I thought. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Finally after I thought I couldn’t take it anymore the last guest left. I started to leave again but my mom yelled after me “Mariah Scarlet Ryan!” <i style="">oh no,</i> I<i style=""> </i>thought,<i style=""> she’s mad she only calls me that when I’m in trouble which technically is all the time.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style=""> </span>“Yes mother.” I yelled <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Pick up your skirts and come here.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I walked to the front room where mother stood along with Mr. Bowvare, Simon’s dad, and also the best fisherman in the world.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Honey Will here is going to take you up shore.” She said<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Why?”I asked questioningly.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“For goodness sake child do you remember anything that happens in a day?”She yelled “He knows you and Simon were really close so he thought that you and him would go on a trip to take your minds off his death.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“It will be fun.” He said. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Go pack your bag you’ll be leaving soon.” Mother said.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“But mother don’t you need help here? You don’t have sister to help you anymore.” <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% aqua;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“You say that but you won’t really help me you’ll be way too sad.” She said.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Can I please just stay for his funeral?”Mother looked at Mr.Bowvare as if he was my dad and she didn’t quite know what to say. He nodded his head as in a yes I didn’t know. He always nodded instead of speaking he could have been saying you look beautiful miss and you wouldn’t see the difference.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 38.25pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Fine you may stay for that but as soon as it’s done you are leaving,” she said. “Do you understand?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Yes mother.” Now Mariah, go start cleaning up from the party. Now that was more like her. <span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">By the time I finished cleaning up it was well past 12:30 at night. Everyone else would be asleep. I needed to talk to Mr. Bowvare about this trip he would probably be awake. Other times when I would say at Simon’s his dad would be awake past 2:00 in the morning. I wrote a note to mother saying….mom, went to talk to Mr.Bowvare I need to talk about this trip I’ll be back soon bye. I set the note on the dining room<span style=""> </span>table and quietly walked out the door. Before I had left I had grabbed the old book Simon and I had made when we had first meet it had all of our secrets and memories in it from then and now, we had filled it up over the years and it was completely overflowing. I had thought that his dad at least deserved to see what his son had written about him. Up twelfth, down Sixteenth until I got to twenty second street it was normal. I was passing Mozes Café when none other than Roy Adams came out just my luck he had a record for the most times getting caught by the sheriff. The problem was that whenever he saw me he tried to steal whatever I happened to have. He started to walk toward me I got ready to smack him with the book.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style=""> </span>“Mariah I’m sorry that I am always stealing your stuff” he said though he didn’t even look me in the eye. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Excuse me?”I said. “What got in to you?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Nothing I’ve just changed” he said as he turned. Just then I had the flash back of Simon doing the same thing. I gasped. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Oh, and by the way sorry about your friend.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“His name was Simon.”I said sternly “thanks.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style=""> </span>By the time I did get to the Bowvare’s it was later than I expected. But I had to talk to him so I knocked on the door. He almost immediately he opened the door he was still fully dressed. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Oh my aren’t you early well since you are here lets head out!”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Mr.Bowvare I just wanted to talk to you.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“No no dear we have to go,” he said. “Here your mother gave me your suitcase let me grab mine and we will shove off.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Next thing I know he was practically shoving me out the door down the street and to the harbor. When we got on the ship he exclaimed “dang I forgot Simon I’ll be right back girl.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Um Mr. Bowvare sir.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Girl hasn’t your mother told you not to be rude?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Yes but...” <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Girl do you want a passage on this ship or not.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Sorry sir.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Ok then.” He said as he jumped over the railing on to the cobblestone path.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I waited for him to return but I must have dosed off. For one because I saw a talking cat that oddly enough was playing with Simon and singing our favorite song ‘happy days are here again’ that made me smile. And two because when I opened my eyes Capitan Bowvare, which<i style=""> is what I should start calling him,</i> was standing over me with a small monkey on his shoulder. He started to laugh.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Girl I pushed off the shore over two hours ago I thought yous was dead.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“No sir.” I said “Not yet anyway but with the condition of this ship I’m not so sure I’ll last too long.” The smile on his face disappeared in an instant. So I started laughing.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style=""> </span>“Anyway we will be going by Avalax soon so you should get below deck.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style=""> </span>“Why?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style=""> </span>“Is that all you can say?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style=""> </span>“Sorry why do I have to go below deck?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style=""> </span>“Better, because I don’t want the people there to think that I kidnapped you and I don’t want to pay your bail when you get put in jail for not having a passport and take Simon with you to I not suppose to have animals on the ship.” So that’s how I got here below the ship with a monkey and the journal.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Mariah you can come up now plus you should see this.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">When I walked up the steps I was meant by the salty sea air. Captain Bowvare was standing at the bow of the ship.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Watch closely now.” Suddenly an island appeared out of nowhere.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Wow.” I whispered.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“The reactions of those who’ve never seen it before,” he said shaking his head. <span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style=""> </span>Now we are landing on the lost island of <span style="color: black;">Potea, which ironically means lost. Until I get back on the ship I can’t write so bye until then.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="line-height: 150%;font-family:";font-size:12pt;" ><span style="color:black;"><span style=""></span></span><o:p></o:p></span> <span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:12pt;color:black;" ><span style="font-family:verdana;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:12pt;" ><o:p></o:p></span> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814493743418654467.post-35193369786218091392010-05-19T13:04:00.001-05:002010-05-19T13:05:48.767-05:00Give BackPlease go <a href="http://www.blogher.com/books-make-difference-share-which-book-changed-your-life-donate-book-child-need">here</a> and comment to make a book donation to a child in need. That's all you have to do, make a comment, someone gets a book. Simple, right? No child should go without books of their own.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814493743418654467.post-84257256908894578842010-05-18T10:14:00.002-05:002010-05-18T10:15:36.720-05:00New Tenants<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtCyUmLGcxyeZokE7omENl_-5PalEU0EGbWXJiA4a_kCM8WPnGjiIpZt3Rtwc9T9QG-j0clK7Ntc3gL0JGzGlzLlTq7nT7jRsPJe4IMt7q35pJ7en80RPLvXmlS9V25sWTZlKYLq8N0M8/s1600/IMG_6600.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtCyUmLGcxyeZokE7omENl_-5PalEU0EGbWXJiA4a_kCM8WPnGjiIpZt3Rtwc9T9QG-j0clK7Ntc3gL0JGzGlzLlTq7nT7jRsPJe4IMt7q35pJ7en80RPLvXmlS9V25sWTZlKYLq8N0M8/s200/IMG_6600.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472628870504280722" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814493743418654467.post-37886738993387591802010-05-11T13:08:00.002-05:002010-05-11T13:25:51.771-05:0012Miss 12, it's hard to fathom where the years have gone. Just yesterday she was having tantrums where I had to pick her up and carry her off to calm down, and today she is 12. Honestly I remember very few meltdowns from this year; what a change.<br /><br />Miss 12, you are the light of my eye. You are an amazing young woman. I can't figure out how we got to this point in your life. I remember a lot of hard work, but what I remember the most is how suddenly you just seemed to blossom. Oh sure, there are still moments where you ignore someone who is speaking directly to you, you tuck your upper and lower lip into your mouth, bow your head and avert your eyes. If they give you a compliment you tend to ignore them, and just keep walking. But if they tease you- look out! You have become the master of teasing, and you know just what to pick on with people who understand you. You have a keen wit, and a sharp, quick mind that floors those who think you are just a shy, quiet girl. Your sense of humor has sent me into fits of giggles on many occasions this year.<br /><br />I can't imagine how it must baffles your early grade school teacher when they see the books you are reading now. The librarian is completely astounded with the books you finish in a week. (Not the books from her library, as really those are at this point much too easy for you.) We are so proud of you. Though you struggle with spelling, your reading aptitude is incredible. Though multiplication facts are still beyond you, your capability for problem solving, in the most unusual ways, is amazing. To see you volunteer to be the song leader at mass after so may years of you being so shy makes all the adults (and your parents!) at your school beam with pride.<br /><br />Your athletic ability, even in sports you don't typically play, is awesome. Watching you take on the boys from your class, and challenge them outright, and win, makes my chest want to burst with pride. Although I would never tell you- I wouldn't want you to get a big head! It won't be long before those boys will decide not to take you up on those challenges, because they know they will lose, but right now they still think that since they are boys, they will win. I love the grin on your face when you prove them wrong.<br /><br />Making friends with more of your classmates, putting yourself out there by attending dances and activities you have never done before, calling people on the phone just to talk, asking adults questions of your own accord, ordering at restaurants, becoming Secretary of the Student Counsel and giving the speech to do that, these were all new and big steps in your life this year.<br /><br />Next year is middle school, you keep telling me how nervous you are, and that you don't want to go. But I think it's just a front, I think you are very anxious to go to a new school, with more friendship opportunities. My wish for you as you turn 12 is that you continue to put yourself out there, because the rewards, as you have discovered this year, are great, and you are more than capable.<br /><br />I love you Miss 12, please never stop challenging yourself!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814493743418654467.post-71691035292708838092010-04-28T13:09:00.003-05:002010-04-28T13:12:09.082-05:00Whee!<div style="text-align: left;"><iframe src="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/browse.sets?.mid=embed-gridv-1531632&_out=embed&display=gridv&displayOptions=%7B%22withBy%22%3A0%7D&size=m&uid=1531632" style="display: block;" width="162" frameborder="no" height="162" scrolling="no"></iframe><a target="_blank" href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/profile?.mid=embed-find-1531632&id=1531632" style="position: relative; left: 94px; top: -29px; border: 0pt none;"><img title="Find me on Polyvore" alt="Find me on Polyvore" src="http://cdn.polyvore.com/rsrc/img/logo_embed_alt.png" style="border: 0pt none;" /></a></div><br /><br />Have you gotten the addiction yet? <a href="http://www.polyvore.com/">Polyvore</a> I mean? It's really fun, you can create sets that highlight nearly anything you would like. I did this one in just a couple of minutes. It's a fun way to waste time when your Hubby is staying out late seeding. Lots more fun then, say, washing floors or doing anything else productive after 9:30 p.m.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814493743418654467.post-20760251812566844032010-04-26T13:08:00.002-05:002010-04-26T13:41:06.954-05:00So Done!<span style="font-family: verdana;">I am happy to report that the physical, draining, exhausting part of planning and producing the After Prom Party (APP) is finally, wonderfully and definitely over!<br /><br />I have to give the experience a solid A-. It was challenging to say the least. When we first started we were given a giant binder, it had everything from previous years in it, and things looked simple and in order. Brilliant. After we were able to procure a group of people to be on the committee with us, we planned our first meeting. My Co-Chair and I made a few phone calls before the meeting in order to get the ball rolling and make sure we could secure the locations we needed.<br /><br />All was not to start out well for us. The locations used in the past, aside from one, were not going to be available to us any longer. Mostly this was due to the fact that the businesses were for sale or closing. So at our first meeting we debated options on where to hold our shindig. This turned out to be not an easy task at all. Fortunately the bowling alley, who has always been very generous, was already willing to help out. Since they have done this before, it was one less stress for our committee. <br /><br />After throwing around a lot of ideas and getting shot down for many, many different things we were finally able to get the local college to agree to let us use their old gymnasium and student lounge area. What a relief, now we just had to decide what to do there for 3.5 hours in the middle of the night.<br /><br />Coming up with ideas was easy, seeing them be possible was an entirely different animal. Here are just a few of the things we looked into and were unable to do:<br /><br />dunk tank<br />blow up obstacle course<br />hypnotist<br />climbing wall<br />laser hunt video games<br />photo booths<br />magician<br />paint ball wars<br />miniature golf<br />blow up games in general<br /><br />Finally we decided to attempt <a href="http://www.nbc.com/minute-to-win-it/">Minute To Win It</a> games. Although we did not use exactly their ideas, we did imitate a few, modified to the format that would work for teens and having successful winners of each round. We added <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">dodge ball</span> games, scooter races, Nerf Gun Tag war, ping pong tables, trike races and some Fear Factor style eating contests. (minus the GROSS... they were all based on candy, pudding, gum and whipped cream. Plus one that involved <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Alka</span> Seltzer and club soda. )<br /><br />Then we had the idea that the winners should have some sort of prize for their endeavors. Here is where our local business owners really shine. My Co Chair and I would go into a business to buy gift cards, or small coupons, we would say, "If we buy X amount of this, could you possibly donate a few?" Typically the owner would donate the matching amount, or not make us a pay for a thing. Local business owners rock! We had incredible donations and we barely paid for a thing. Here's a partial list:<br /><br />44 t-shirts<br />1 hour limo service<br />a summer long golf pass<br />a month long health club membership<br />a CZ necklace<br />a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">mani</span>/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">pedi</span> pampering basket<br />2 senior portrait photography sessions plus 100 dollars worth of photos<br />3 sweatshirts<br />100 dollar gift card<br />many meal certificates for fast food restaurants<br />packages of golf balls<br />blankets from the college<br />lanyards<br /><br />This list would go on for so long. Living in a small town, where the business owners know our kids, know us and love their community is amazing. Not only did they donate all these prizes, and many that I have missed, they also donated cash to fund this non profit party. We solicit local businesses and they make whatever donation they see fit. Typically we have a budget after donations of about $3,000. This money helps pay for the location rentals, food, supplies, etc.<br /><br />The day of the APP was reserved for set up. The bad news being that only 3 of us showed up to help. We had 2 sessions for setting up, fortunately I brought Miss 11 along to help. Without her I'm sure we could not have had everything ready to go by 12:00 a.m. She was invaluable. We unpacked vehicles and set up the gym, the lounge, hallways, and food areas at the college. The bowling alley owners are so used to having this party there that they had everything ready to go for us, we just brought the food, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">chaperone's</span> and registration tables and it was ready to go.<br /><br />The prom go-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">ers</span> had a great time at both places. The <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">dodge ball</span> game, ping pong table and Nerf wars were the biggest successes of the night. We also were lucky enough that the college allowed us to use their t-shirt gun for t-shirt giveaways. That was a big success as well.<br /><br />Although we only had 60% of prom attendees come to the APP. We feel it was a success. We found out part way through the APP that the parents of one of the seniors decided to have a pool party for some of the senior class. Typically we have 150 or so couples attend prom, and at least 40 of them were invited to this pool party. At least we know that between our APP and their pool party, we were able to keep our prom go-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">ers</span> safe. The night did not end in a tragedy, and even with only 60% of couples attending our APP that's a lot of children we were able to show that alcohol is not the only way to have fun with your friends.<br /><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814493743418654467.post-26941421744760990872010-04-21T13:06:00.000-05:002010-04-21T13:06:29.199-05:00Signs, Signs, Everywhere There's Signs<div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSIkB5vCgrugUF3HTDt09wtZaQbw-KSF58KXR-YalDqckDgurJWIOI6XSvitPuRro9YkAeUIiaX4c6-K5GWeXVBzqBjI1tjxw8KR6l6aQUMdALJvASOHJ_envOHQyI_HvplW9_0jYX6-Q/s1600/2010-04-21.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSIkB5vCgrugUF3HTDt09wtZaQbw-KSF58KXR-YalDqckDgurJWIOI6XSvitPuRro9YkAeUIiaX4c6-K5GWeXVBzqBjI1tjxw8KR6l6aQUMdALJvASOHJ_envOHQyI_HvplW9_0jYX6-Q/s320/2010-04-21.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><br />Signs of Spring! My favorite time of year: when this blasted winter weather gets scoured out and we move on into a warmer, sunnier and more enjoyable time of the year. The photos above are just a tiny portion of what I see going on around my yard and house. I could have added pictures of street cleaners getting rid of the winter grime, the various yard crews cleaning up people's yards, kids wearing shorts and riding bikes, adults walking in the evenings in just a sweatshirt instead of a winter coat, the grasses greening and if I could have included all the bird songs I now get to hear, then you would really see how spring is finally coming to our neck of the woods.<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814493743418654467.post-15388741503688765652010-04-14T13:56:00.003-05:002010-04-16T13:38:35.630-05:00Too Busy<span style="font-family:verdana;">We first move to our small town in 1993, the year Miss 16 was born. We moved when she was about two weeks old. Our town was about 13,000 people then. We had a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">KMart</span>, a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Pamida</span>, a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Wal</span>-mart, 3 grocery stores, a small butcher shop/grocery store, several restaurants, a couple of great pizza places, and some fun downtown gift shops.<br />We loved that we felt safe here, that lines were never long, you could get into appointments you needed with ease, if you needed a repair from someone you didn't wait weeks, housing prices were at the low end of the spectrum and we felt comfortable with the general ease of life here.<br /><br />In recent years as the price of oil has risen our small town feel has changed significantly. We now have a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Wal</span>-mart Super Center and two grocery stores, one of which is a chain that needs serious updating, the other claims to be "locally" owned but the owner lives 3.5 hours away in another city. We don't have any pizza places other than chains, we lost a few restaurants instead of gaining any, we lost a couple of great gift shops, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">KMart</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Pamida</span> both pulled out. Thanks <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Wal</span>-mart, for losing the life in our community.<br /><br />While I realize it is not just <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Wal</span>-mart creating these problems, it doesn't make me hate shopping there any less, and realizing I have few affordable options doesn't make me feel less torn about having to shop there. Standing in line 6 deep when there are only 3 of the 28 check outs open doesn't make me like their store. Because of where we live, typically the people at the check out stands are friendly and try hard to hurry and be kind to their customers. I realize not all people have that degree of "niceness" in their <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Wal</span>-mart. But I still don't like it.<br /><br />I miss when I felt safe with my kids biking off by themselves; now we hear reports of cars stopping and offering kids rides, or worse, telling the child that they were sent by their father to get them.<br /><br />I miss the lack of traffic on our busier streets, and the quiet times of night when there was relatively no traffic. Now our streets are busy all the time and the noise of young guys with too much money spent on incredibly loud mufflers is so annoying.<br /><br />I know that life in a bigger city is fraught with a lot more trouble then we have, but I didn't choose to live in a bigger city. I chose to live in a small town.<br /><br />The oil boom we are experiencing has brought little to our personal lives. It brings in tax revenue, yes, but it hasn't brought any benefit to the person who has lived here for years. It fills up our hotel rooms, raises the prices on supplies and blows up our house values to unrealistic dollar amounts. The local political establishment keeps talking of the great thing that is happening here. But we, as the average <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">joe</span>, are still waiting for the great part.<br /><br /><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814493743418654467.post-27892491126250872872010-03-25T11:35:00.015-06:002010-03-25T13:12:28.562-06:00Fabulous Fajitas<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Zh3ynrb3nn0/S6ufYdKryxI/AAAAAAAAuVo/NKaPp4_LUec/s1600/IMG_6380.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Zh3ynrb3nn0/S6ufYdKryxI/AAAAAAAAuVo/NKaPp4_LUec/s200/IMG_6380.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452627016357235474" border="0" /></a>An easy meal, and if the kids don't like it, just make them cheese <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">quesadillas</span></span>, no added fuss for you, but lots of extra goodness for you. We love these left over as well, and the toppings are great on a salad the next day.<br /><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p></span><br /><style></style>Mama Bear's Fajitas<br /><br />Marinade (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">MoJo</span>):<br /><br />1orange, juiced<br />2 limes, juiced<br />4 Tbsp. Olive Oil<br />2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped<br />3 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">chipolte</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">chiles</span> in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">adobo</span> sauce, chopped<br />3 Tbsp. roughly chopped cilantro leaves<br />1 tsp. cumin<br />1/2 tsp. salt<br />2 1/2 pounds top sirloin<br /><br />The Rest of the Yummy:<br />2 peppers sliced, I use any color combo except for green<br />1 large purple onion sliced<br />lime juice, optional<br />12 flour tortillas<br />home made salsa<br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">guacamole</span>, optional<br /><br />Combine all marinade ingredients, puree until smooth with an immersion blender if you would like. Place steaks in a large plastic bag, add marinade and slosh around until steaks are covered. Set in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours. Any longer and the steak might get overly mushy.<br />Heat grill pan or George Foreman grill after lightly covering with olive oil. Cook steaks until desired done-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">ness</span> is achieved. For my kids, that means "there had better not be even one dash of pink showing!" Remove from grill and set aside.<br /><br />Heat olive oil in frying pan and saute peppers and onion until crisp tender. Personally I like mine a little more charred, but to each his own.<br /><br />Slice steaks into strips, add to pepper and onions just until heated again.<br /><br />Warm tortillas in a damp towel in the microwave until floppy. My microwave takes about 1 minute.<br /><br />Serve with <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">guacamole</span>, sour cream, salsa, and a squirt of fresh lime juice!<br /><br />Enjoy!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814493743418654467.post-81192559131535226282010-03-05T10:10:00.003-06:002010-03-05T10:58:52.736-06:00In The Middle<span style="font-family: verdana;">Next year my youngest daughter heads to middle school. I'm already nervous. It's not that I'm worried about her getting lost, or forgetting her locker combination, or not making friends. I'm worried that the choices I have to make for her now, this month, will be the wrong choices for her when September rolls around.<br /><br />Miss 11, as I have written about previously, has a few learning disabilities, along with ADD/anxiety. Since third grade she has been on an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">IEP</span>. She sees a teacher who helps her with specific subjects for 30 minutes, 3 times a week. This does not mean that she is not incredibly intelligent. She has a great IQ score and reads at a 10<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">th</span> grade 6<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">th</span> month reading level, that's 4 grades above her current grade. She regularly gets straight A's in Science and Social Studies. Her English and Reading grades are awesome, and rarely do I have to help with either of those subjects anymore. We study together for tests, but daily work is typically completed in school, and done perfectly.<br /><br />If you move on to Math and Spelling, you encounter a completely different child. Shockingly these two subjects are very related. I have heard several of Miss 11's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">LD</span> teachers discuss how it is very common for a student who doesn't excel in Math, to struggle with spelling as well. This is not the case for my oldest daughter who can spell most anything, but struggles like crazy with math, so I know that generalization is not always the case. Miss 11 has a written expression Learning Disability. This doesn't mean that she can't write a brilliantly thought out essay or story. Her plots are deep and well planned; her paragraphs are thorough and well researched. It does mean that if she has actually physically written the paragraph by hand, you might not be able to figure out the words she wrote. The spelling of words and the physical production of the words may be a complete mystery. She knows what it says but at times I can't even figure it out.<br />She can not remember how to spell words that she had last week (and aced!) on a spelling test. She doesn't retain that information in her head. She can read the word, but not spell it back to you.<br /><br />This carries over to math. She can tell you exactly how to do a math problem, but she can't remember her math facts. Memorizing multiplication tables is nearly impossible; but she knows exactly how to figure out 9X7. While her classmates know it off the top of their head, she has to figure each one out, typically add 9 seven times in her head or using her fingers. Imagine how long a 6<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">th</span> grade math problem takes if you have to do that every time you multiply. Currently they are doing Algebraic fractional equations. Her mistakes don't come in any of the hard part, it comes when she multiplies 6X8 and gets 42 instead of the correct answer.<br />Last week she had a math test. She got a 70% which is a D- at her school. Was I angry with her? No, I was angry that getting 9 wrong was a 70%, but proud that she <span style="font-style: italic;">only</span> got 9 wrong and that it wasn't for lack of knowing how to do the problem, she did each one correctly, it was because of multiplication facts early in the problem that continued and gave her the wrong answer in the end. Next year, they get to use calculators. I hope and pray this will be just break she needs to gain her confidence back in math.<br /><br />After all that background, here is my <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">dilemma</span>. We are currently signing up for classes at the middle school. There are not a lot of options for electives if you are in band. Miss 11 is in band, it's important to try band now because you can't pick it up later and expect to have much success. There are even fewer options if you are in band AND on an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">IEP</span>. in fact, there is only 1 option: band and resource are the only electives you can choose. <br /><br />Does she need the extra help? Yes, right now she does. But, once they are using calculators, and typing more papers on the computer, spelling and math become much less of an issue. We are just waiting for that wire to fuse in her brain, the one that we know will some day, the one that finally joins the rest of the wiring, and the switch clicks on, and BOOM- suddenly it's just not a big struggle anymore. Will it be soon? Will it fuse in college? Since we can't predict the timing, we can't predict what she needs from year to year.<br /><br />Yes, I can sign her up for resource now and just see what happens. But the problem then is that all the other classes fill up, and she's stuck there, even if she doesn't need it in the future, because all the other electives are full.<br /><br />Add to that problem the fact that one of the current resource room teachers at the middle school is someone that Miss 11 had years ago. They did not get along well, due to no fault of Miss 11. (Our principal actually requested that this teacher not come back to our elementary school the following year. The people who assign <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">LD</span> teachers </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">agreed with him, and she was not allowed back.)<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />Will the students who are not in resource now be labeling Miss 11 in some way? Will it become a social stigma? It certainly is not a problem where she is now. The other students in her class don't think twice about it. But middle school is a whole new ballgame. She will be in a class of nearly 200 instead of a class of 16. Will she miss out on the socializing part because she will miss out on all the "fun" electives she could be choosing from?<br /><br />What we decide now, may be a decision that affects her drastically in the coming school year. How do we know what is right? And what is best.<br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814493743418654467.post-49363459427012847262010-03-04T11:23:00.003-06:002010-03-04T11:35:58.965-06:00GE I Have Your Number!<span style="font-family: verdana;">I'm still being nice, I've had it up to HERE, but I'm still being nice. However, GE, should you not come around to my way of thinking in the next 2 weeks, I will no longer be nice! I will pepper the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Internet</span> with exactly what I think of you!<br /><br />It's been about a year. I got a new stove! Not just any stove, I spent the extra money and got a glass top, convection oven, self cleaning, 3 racks (that can be left in the oven when it gets cleaned!) stove. I tried it, convection didn't seem any faster, it didn't add any more browning, it didn't do what it said it would do. So, I called my local dealer and the repair guy came, checked it over and agreed. It's not doing what it's supposed to do. He tinkered. It still didn't work. I took pictures of the finished products that I had baked in the oven. Brown in the front, uncooked in the back, really not pretty. The repair guy came back and replaced the whole computer board in the oven, but it was June or so, and throughout the summer I seldom use the oven, so I really didn't concern myself or pay attention.<br /><br />Roll on to September and lo and behold, my beloved convection oven doesn't seem to be doing what it is supposed to do. The repair guy comes again, agrees with me, tinkers. We try again for a week or so, it still doesn't work. I call my local store where I purchased my GE stove. They agree this is a problem and call GE. GE says replace the computer board again. So they do. IT STILL DOESN'T WORK.<br /><br />It's nearly Christmas, I am baking like crazy, I am having a meal more than once for 13 or so people. One night I make home made pizza's. Not thick pizza, just regular pizza. It took over 45 minutes to bake them, and the center crust IS STILL NOT DONE. I lost it, I threw a good old fashioned tantrum, I cried, and stomped and got really mad. This is not a cheap stove our local repair guy and store has been great, but my expensive stove is still not working!<br /><br />Hubby calls the local store, and they so kindly agree it is a problem. Their solution, knowing I have big meals to prepare in the Christmas season, is to come and get the stove, and give me a loaner until GE finally agrees to do something. Because I need a stove, one that WORKS! That was in December. I still have the loaner stove. Our local dealer can get no response from GE. Their customer service has left him on hold for lengthy, lengthy periods of time. This is a business owner who doesn't have time to be sitting on hold.<br /><br />Today we personally called GE at a request from our local dealer who is getting no response from them. GE asks for the repair guy to fax over all the repair records. I am quite sure this has already been done, but we call and ask the local shop to do it again.<br /><br />GE I have your number, and at this point, I have no intention of buying another GE product for my home. Not only am I asking just to have my stove replaced, I am actually going one step up on the stove and willing to spend more money on the next one. You have 2 weeks. That's it. Either this problem gets resolved then, or I'm headed to the local Sears store.<br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814493743418654467.post-46554738310755189052010-02-24T10:50:00.003-06:002010-02-24T10:58:03.332-06:00Forehead Stamp: SUCKER!<span style="font-family: verdana;">A friend called late last night. Not just any friend, but a friend who always calls when she needs me to volunteer to do something. Typically it is at the elementary school where our kids are in the same classroom. Currently we are working on the end of the year things for the 6<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span> grade class: yearbooks, limo renting and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">t-shirts</span>. It's not difficult, just little things to organize. So, when she called I expected to be discussing the details of an email I had just sent to the parents of the 6<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">th</span> grade class.<br /><br />I was in bed already, reading, so maybe I was in an extremely vulnerable, my-brain-is-not-working-properly state when I agreed. She starts out asking innocently if my March and April are already booked up, and I politely told her, "It depends on what you want me to do!" She doesn't ask me to take over projects from her, usually it's more along the lines of "can you help me with..." projects. Our 11<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">th</span> graders are also in the same class, went to elementary school together, and are still good friends. We have been working on projects together since they were in Kindergarten. This one though, this one takes the cake.<br /><br />We have now agreed to co-chair the After Prom Party. Dear God, what have I gotten myself into now??<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Ideas can be sent to me through the comments if you have a brilliant suggestion. DO NOT tell me about what you did after prom, I have enough of those memories of my own, and I don't want to hear about what awaits my daughter. My son has already gone to prom, and I try hard not to think about it! </span><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814493743418654467.post-83959033692673417822010-02-19T09:21:00.002-06:002010-02-19T09:35:01.495-06:00Send Vodka!<span style="font-family: verdana;">One of my <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Facebook</span> updates a few weeks ago caused a stir. I commented that I was making pasta with Vodka sauce, and within moments I had a box full of emails asking for the recipe. I intended to get it sent out ages ago, but then life intervened, and I got lazy, and I hate typing recipes when I don't even have a decent picture of the meal to go with it. Since I didn't bother to take a picture when I made it, or when I was eating it, I'll have to post without one. The recipe is super simple, and super delicious.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Vodka Tomato Sauce</span> for Pasta<br /><div style="text-align: left;">1 medium onion, chopped<br />2 cloves garlic, chopped<br />2 tablespoons olive oil<br />1 tablespoon butter<br /><br />In a large skillet over medium heat combine olive oil and butter until butter is melted. Add onions and saute until onions begin to turn translucent. Add chopped garlic and cook 1 minute more, do not let garlic brown.<br /><br />1/2 to 3/4 cup vodka<br />1 can tomato puree (I try to use Muir Glen because it is sweet)<br />3/4 cup heavy cream<br />salt to taste<br />fresh ground pepper<br /><br />Add vodka to onion mixture and cook 30 seconds or so. Stir in tomato puree. Cook another 3 minutes or until heated. Carefully and gradually stir in heavy cream, add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer, but don't let boil uncontrollably. <br /><br />I sometimes stir in about 1/2 to 1 cup <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Parmesan</span> cheese at this point, or I serve the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Parmesan</span> cheese on top of the pasta and sauce.<br /><br />This sauce is wonderful served over most any pasta. It is divine on cheese raviolis. (Especially during Lent!) My kids love to dip garlic toast or french bread in it as well.<br /><br />I have frozen any extra and it reheats beautifully. You can stir all the pasta into the sauce and serve it that way as well. Whatever floats your boat.<br />Enjoy!<br /><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814493743418654467.post-83583549158411673352010-02-12T11:49:00.001-06:002010-02-12T11:50:10.383-06:00Frosty Friday<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFWYcN3CJU9CHX4P70NLmt37PESkZho7TL4g_8QseG0OOMjCOLuOMQCzbIigGolTWhNMuRBVWnrAUC12PtGPiS6_qvLpLflrRI4hCocqi7T1kl95gyBvD250g0x5CcHtIF6PmINugU7q8/s1600-h/IMG_6311.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFWYcN3CJU9CHX4P70NLmt37PESkZho7TL4g_8QseG0OOMjCOLuOMQCzbIigGolTWhNMuRBVWnrAUC12PtGPiS6_qvLpLflrRI4hCocqi7T1kl95gyBvD250g0x5CcHtIF6PmINugU7q8/s320/IMG_6311.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Zh3ynrb3nn0/S3WUooj8BJI/AAAAAAAAqQM/tYa_ad4_21c/s1600-h/IMG_6312.JPG"><img alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Zh3ynrb3nn0/S3WUooj8BJI/AAAAAAAAqQM/tYa_ad4_21c/s320/IMG_6312.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7UwkBrtBb7eNhjKOM7OHnctjSSKr7UE7teCh7XCHNh5Bd4bXbZdYvDwcmhyphenhyphen726LrpIHE_X0XDEDeP3tHzjOcYyIqAWJrU8luN7EOXVbrNTkDMxKArwbGR7WkmcSKeqyFi7awSIkp5qE/s1600-h/IMG_6326.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7UwkBrtBb7eNhjKOM7OHnctjSSKr7UE7teCh7XCHNh5Bd4bXbZdYvDwcmhyphenhyphen726LrpIHE_X0XDEDeP3tHzjOcYyIqAWJrU8luN7EOXVbrNTkDMxKArwbGR7WkmcSKeqyFi7awSIkp5qE/s320/IMG_6326.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxm6kjECx06vYbllcyFlX-8ajleWhewEwJk9XQ866JUMPFpNkpfr9lPXnjjOT6yAjzQ0RaJkcYM9hJ6pEniSewUs3Cmvs_x0aH0Va2Dlvpka_-RhOcu1Nuy8Z8L3jSjy8-WBahX1AZNw0/s1600-h/IMG_6319.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxm6kjECx06vYbllcyFlX-8ajleWhewEwJk9XQ866JUMPFpNkpfr9lPXnjjOT6yAjzQ0RaJkcYM9hJ6pEniSewUs3Cmvs_x0aH0Va2Dlvpka_-RhOcu1Nuy8Z8L3jSjy8-WBahX1AZNw0/s320/IMG_6319.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" alt="Posted by Picasa" style="border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4