Teeth, they are SO useful!!!

As you may remember D2 has been here all week suffering mightily in the aftermath of wisdom tooth extraction. For obvious reasons I've become obsessed with finding ever more attractive soft food fare. I stocked up on pudding, popsicles, applesauce, and ice cream only to discover that after a few meals this somewhat sugary diet becomes less than desirable.

We have moved through the pureed food phase (have you EVER SEEN a pureed hot dog?) and tested the waters today at McDonalds where she tried her hand, .....um rather mouth.......at eating a Sausage, Egg and Cheese biscuit. After discovering she couldn't get her mouth open wide enough to get it into her mouth, let alone try the chewing part we created the first ever McDonald's Sausage Egg and Cheese Panini....(don't ask). The smile on her face said it all, life is good!

The whole week has reminded me of how hard it is going to be to get old and quite possibly lose my teeth. A couple of months ago we visited HH's grandma in the nursing home and helped her with her lunch of pureed grilled cheese, tomato soup, and red velvet cake. The thing that caught my attention was that everything.....including the grilled cheese sandwich......had roughly the same color and texture, kind of a light peachy pink blob too thick for a straw and too thin for a fork.

Frankly I've come to the conclusion that I'm not going to enjoy the life of a toothless old person, I've therefore decided to request all my teeth be pulled sometime around the age of 80 so I can get myself a shiny new set of false ones!

As long as I'm going through the pain of tooth removal I may go ahead and spring for a chin-tuck, cheek implants, and botox......yup, I'm gonna be the Hot Old Lady down in 142B !

As they say, life has it's ups and downs.....

Point in fact............short study of my recent life:



HH stays home for a full week (AND long enough to see D3's first day of school) before being called out to another fire.



HH leaves for new fire the day before D3 has her first soccer game and 4 days before D2 comes home for a visit (he hasn't seen her since Christmas)

New "Toto"model basket arrives for my bike, along with speedometer to gauge my success in terms of distance and speed! Day one finds me making a 10 mile ride to the hardware store to save gas.....and amazingly enough I made it!!!




While on said ride I lose my wallet containing one credit card, my ATM card, my Mastercard Debit, and almost worst of all.....my Driver's License (making the well thought out statement "Ask for I.D." on every card completely useless! ) I can't help picturing the commercials for CitiBank.........and wondering if some large tattooed man is buying a new Harley.

Although person who finds wallet is not honest enough to return it, he IS quick and immediately opens an Ebay account using my stolen credit card....Ebay sends me an e-mail so I can cancel cards in time.


Ever hopeful that my new Driver's License can be procured BEFORE I have to pick up D2 at the Airport , I rush to DMV only to discover I haven't worn much makeup,.......once again my I.D. will serve as deathrow mugshot should I ever need one.


D2 arrives safely and my pretty much empty nest is a little less empty for the next week.........here's to the intermittent joys of motherhood!



I struggle after reading through the talk I'm giving in Sacrament Meeting this Sunday realizing it seems boring and uninspired.


D1 calls to chat and we discover she's giving a talk in Sacrament Meeting this Sunday too and.........I couldn't believe it.......she has the same topic! (I'm saved!) Not that I'd ever steal her talk.....but inspiration can come from anywhere right? : ) Hurry up with those notes honey!

Unfortunately one of the reasons D2 is home is to have her wisdom teeth pulled .....we take her in for the "preliminaries" and get the happy news that since this is a straight forward routine procedure and there are no foreseeable problems the cost will only be $1500 ....I am SO glad! (I force myself to be quiet and not explain that I assume for that price we also get pain free surgery,immediate recovery, and lip plumping!)

Church has a VERY successful blood drive and they happily accept my formerly anemic, now acceptable sample. .... I get a free T-Shirt in XXXXXL and this little badge of honor for my efforts (I do mention to them that they'd get much more business if they provided on-site pedicures, free cholesterol screening and a neck massage while you wait......those people have NO humor).





Take D2 on bike ride this morning, nearly kill her and have to bike home "on the double" to get the car and pick her up. (Did I mention she's a 110 pound weakling!) All the exertion makes my blood letting wound from yesterday hurt and my fingers go numb (I hope I haven't sprung a leak!)


Arrive home from above rescue mission to find FedEx in my drive with 3 dozen roses from my sweet HH who knows the ups and downs sometimes seem overwhelming! I love you honey!!!

Exactly what are you comfortable with?

I'm just wondering.......does it concern anyone that ground cinnamon is OK if it has fewer than 400 insect fragments and fewer than 11 or more rodent hairs per 50 grams? What about cornmeal? The FDA (and I always trusted them!) says avoid it if it has more than one rodent excreta fragment (huh? I think that's rat poop!) per 50 grams. (Uh,..... well okay if you really think that would be a problem .......duh!)

You may be wondering what brought on this question.....you weren't? Too bad because the basis of my blog begins here......

Way back when HH became the wonderful cook that he is today (that would be about two months ago when he graduated from cooking fried spam and potatoes to whatever the American Heart Association included in their free on-line recipe book). Anyway, I digress......in one of his lates epicurian adventures he prepared for us a delectable dish called Lemon Barbequed Chicken.

I might just add here that the wonderful thing about new cooks is that they follow the recipe to the letter, right down to actually TOASTING SESAME SEEDS! (This is the point in any recipe when I, in my great wisdom borne from years of dedicated cookery, decide that they've got to be kidding if they think I'm going to spend "approximately 10-15 minutes toasting the sesame seeds over a low flame while stirring constantly") In a word, or two, it was absolutely delicious! And worth every minute he spent toasting those seeds.....thanks honey!

The next morning however, I opened the drawer containing my measuring cups to find he had evidently been a little, shall we say......cavalier, with the sesame seeds, as there were two "well toasted" ones in the bottom of my measuring cup. I washed them out and decided to be a good wife and not nag him about two little sesame seeds.....I mean really, I'm not THAT picky!

Then my life, and everything I know and hold dear, was turned upside down, inside out and backwards with a few little words from HH.........."Helen, can you come and look at this?" Which was followed by my screams when I beheld within my favorite mixing bowl 5 or 6 small little.....toasted sesame seeds? .........

No, I think not........those are,..... those are,..... those aren't ....gulp.....mouse poTTY ARE THEY!?!?! To answer my own question, yes, they most definitely were and I don't give a(excuse my language) rat's gray hair what the good old FDA has to say about the maximum allowable number of

.........WHATEVER........allowed in any one dish I, Bright One, will accept NONE! Not one, not a half of one, not even a small rodent SIZED ONE!!!!!!

Yesterday was spent emptying every last cupboard in my kitchen, washing every dish, every appliance, every towel, washcloth, sponge and surface. Disinfecting, reapplying shelf paper, tossing all non-sealed packages, and just about everything else you can think of short of sanding and refinishing the cabinets.

I went to bed exhausted only to wake at 12:30, 2:10, 3:05 and finally just giving up and getting up at 3:30 to check the mousetraps and every cupboard for evidence of .....well, you know what.

I know, you're probably saying...."Hey, doesn't she have a cat?".....Well, technically yes I have a cat, but in any practical sense relating to the actual benefits of cat ownership (chief among them being rodent control), NO!

This is a cat who will not eat anything, I mean anything except

1. Dry Cat Food (Purina only), and
2. Peel and eat shrimp (peeled of course)

The only way this cat is going to take care of any rodent problem is if I catch each mouse and tie a shrimp to it's back!!! (Sorry if I sound a wee bit sarcastic!)

We managed to catch one mouse overnight......is that the one, THE ONLY one? I'd like to think so but how will I ever know? I'm thinking there are sleepless nights ahead for me...........oh, and no more toasted sesame seeds on my food thank you!

Things I love Thursday!

How can I possibly come up with things I love EVERY SINGLE THURSDAY you might ask? Well, I don't know, I guess because I have a lot of things......and the things I have I tend to love, and there seem to be more and more things all the time. Who knew there would be so many wonderful things?

But today I don't want to write about any of them because I have to tell you the most interesting news! Have you heard about McDonald's new line of light hamburgers? Ahhhh, I thought not, neither had I but I've had one, it was light and I feel obligated to share the news.

Actually, I have to admit that I'm not really a McDonald's fan....(although the french fries always make me think fondly of my grandma and grandpa) I have read way too many articles about the dire consequences of a Mickey D's diet and I'm not into commercials enough to know when they offer anything new so I"m probably McDonalds deficient......

You can imagine my surprise then to find something this innovative! I was on may way (in a hurry) to pick up D3 and I hadn't eaten in about 18 hours (too busy, nothing in the house, etc) I WAS STARVING! Bad position to be in anyway for a person trying to watch her caloric intake. Well, there was a McD ....right on the way! I wrestled with myself trying to decide whether to eat, or risk a possible car accident when I dropped dead at the wheel from starvation.

I make a quick decision and pulled into the drive through only to realize, too late, that I didn't have a dime on me! I dug around in the console of the car and under the floor mats and came up with 83 cents! Perfect, a hamburger only costs 69!!! I made my guilty little purchase and drove happily away. I'd driven only a short distance when I took that first bite. It tasted, well, different, ..............so I peeked inside the bun to be greeted by two and a half pickle slices, ketchup, mustard and ...I think chopped onions. No meat. Hm. What did I expect for 69 cents? I don't know, for some reason it nagged at me.....I just had to turn around (spending probably 45 cents in gas) and drive back to ask about this one.

When I walked up to the counter I was greeted by a cheery little McD employee who asked if she could help me. I laid open the bun and smiled.....she looked at it, looked at me, and smiled back! I asked if this was the "diet"burger. She hollered over her shoulder to the kitchen "Hey, who made that last hamburger in the driveup?!" A little black face peeked out from behind the wall then quickly disappeared but it was too late, we'd seen him. Salesgirl grabbed him and asked for an explanation....he just said "Sorry lady, you know...... this stuff'll kill you" (my worst suspicions confirmed). I got a new, fully loaded, calorie laden burger at no charge, justice prevails!

Just thought I should pass the word that contrary to popular rumors, McDonald's IS concerned about our waistlines and they're bold enough to do something about it! (Better check those buns!)

Is this me?

Have you ever found yourself slipping, ever so slowly and subtly, into a world completely NOT like you?

I have always eschewed brand shopping, name dropping and ladder-climbing in favor of loyalty to the good and reliable. When everyone else was buying Cuisinart I was still using, and praising my 1984 Oster Kitchen Center, I used cloth diapers instead of disposable preferring the "natural fiber feel" for my baby, I refused to put down sod and grew my grass from seed, and then I woke up and realized something.......

Not only did I purchase a Motorola Razr V3 phone (I managed to resist buying a pink one) but today I found myself sliding the debit card out of my wallet in pursuit of ..........I almost can't say it......a, ummmm, a................(if I say it fast it won't hurt as much) Bluetooth hands free device.

There, it's out, I've said it, and as they say, admitting it is half the battle. It's killing me, I used to absolutely go bananas when I saw people walking around the mall, the grocery store, walmart....wherever.....wearing their little multi-colored ear candy and talking business while doing their shopping and now ............ am I one of them? If I am one of them is it okay?

How did this happen to me? It started with my phone malfunctioning on vacation. At odd and random times my phone would ring, I'd answer, and there'd be no one there.....just silence. It was only after a few days and several of these calls that I determined my phone was NOT working. Apparently the person on the other end of the line could hear me (probably saying wierd things like...."If you don't stop calling me and hanging up I'm going to track you down and strangle you in your sleep!") but I couldn't hear them UNLESS I put in the earphone (the old-fashioned wired type). It was all very frustrating and since I was at the end of my contract period (wierd how that happened JUST when I qualified for a new phone......conspiracy?Hmmmmm....) I went into the Verizon store and fell prey to the salesperson. Before I knew it I had purchased a cute little, trendy little, made for teenage girls type phone...the Razr....yippee.

I had resigned myself to the fact that it's just a phone, at least I knew I wasn't buying it for any reason other than the fact that I needed a phone. Then I found out that a Razr only has one kind of hands free capability and that's "Bluetooth" AAAAAGGGGHHHHH! The dilemma has been whether to break down and join the masses or give up hands-free which is so much safer/easier in the car.

So here I am, one of the crowd, just another fad following, cash spending, brand flashing showoff. I'm so depressed!

Second Honeymoons...I get about 4 a year!

Now that I'm about to be reunited (as of tomorrow at 4:29 p.m. via United Airlines) with my dear HH whom I haven't seen in over 6 (count 'em SIX) weeks, the wierdest thoughts keep popping into my head

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder" or was it "Absence makes the heart go yonder" ?

"If I'd put those six weeks to better use I'd be a size 8 by now and he'd be so happy to not see me!" : )

"Tomorrow I'd better clean or it will appear I've been doing nothing but shopping, reading, sunbathing, shopping, eating, shopping, and blogging while he's been gone". (Which would be completely unfounded!)

"Was there anything he asked me to do before he got back?" (If so, it appears I've forgotten it).

"Should I take out the trash or make him feel needed when he gets home?"

"If there's a heat wave this week and the world catches on fire it can just burn and it'll have to do it without him!!!" (I know, not very compassionate but I'm a lonely woman and that's just never good)

"I suppose I'm going to have to redo the menu" (current offerings: cheerios, raisin bran, lucky charms or lean quisine, oh yeah I think there's something in the vegetable drawer but I've been afraid to look).

"Now where did I put that lawn mower?"

"Whew, I thought I was going to have to pay to get the oil changed!"

and of course I'll admit I have pondered a time or two on the truth of the old adage:

"If you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you,
catch it quick.......................................hey, it had its chanceI"

Miss you honey see you soon! : )

Things I love Thursday (AGAIN!).....

Wow I have no idea where the days are going but someone told me this morning that it was Thursday! (Honestly I thought, hey, no way, I mean it’s gotta be Tuesday at the most!) Anyway, time for another list of my favorite things! (And spurred on by your comments last week I had to go out and buy more spice tins to give as gifts!)

When I consider things for my list I try to have some sort of criteria. Number one I want it to be something that either a) knocked my socks off when I saw it the first time, b) makes my life easier, or c) gets used almost as often as my anti-wrinkle cream. Any item that falls into at least one of these categories is fair game….


I’ve been going through my things in anticipation of
a grandbaby! I still have so many things that I thought
might be good to send to Nutella….high chairs, bassinettes,
you know. Anyway I came across our “Baby Sitter” we
used this CONSTANTLY when our children were little.






It’s just a “high chair” that hangs on the side of any table.
It has a fairly deep seat and a little safety harness (necessary
under the best of circumstances). It was so handy to have it
at restaurants where the high chairs were often too big, too open,
(or too dirty!), it was also nice when we were visiting someone
who didn’t have small children….I’ve carried this all over the
country as we traveled. LOVED IT!!! (Disclaimer: the model
pictured here is NOT the original “BabySitter” but is very
much like it. I don’t think our model is made anymore!)

LDSAUDIO.COM Maybe you have discovered this site already
in case you haven’t…..I’m sharing it with you. From this site you
can download any of their LDS books or music CD's in MP3 format to
your IPod, Mp3 player, the hard-drive of your computer or burn
it to a CD. The software which allows you to download and store

the files on your computer is free and the cost of the downloads
themselves are MUCH cheaper than buying the CD versions in
stores. I have used this site so much I should own stock! It’s
great in a pinch. I have been known to download a book to CD
and give it and hour later as a gift. Trust me on this one, it’s a
GREAT site! No going to the mall, no mail or shipping costs, no
delay....it's instant! Also, the great thing is that once you purchase
a title it remains in your on-line library so you can download it again
anytime you wish. (I wish they'd come up with a video version!)


Due to "pressing business" it's only a short list this week....feel free to share some of your favorites with me though!!! (In fact I'm compiling a list of recommended books to read.....tell me your favorites!)

Sure Love Ya!