Inside a mother's fevered brain.....

Okay, so "Tiny" has been back at college for just about a month. Every couple of days I get a phone call that starts out with "Mom, guess what I did today!!!"

After the first one I learned to be careful.....the conversation went like this....

Tiny: "Mom, guess what I did today?!"

Me: "Oh, I don't know...tell me" (first mistake)

Tiny: "I jumped off a bridge"

ME: 'YOU WENT BUNGEE JUMPING?!"

Tiny: "Sheesh, no mom, we didn't use bungee cords we just jumped!"


Me: "Oh....." (I'm sure I said more but at this point it would have been my mouth in automatic as my mind frantically pictured this..........)











Next phone call?

Tiny: "Mom, guess what I did today"

Me: "...........You jumped off another bridge?" (You'd think I'd learn the first time).

Tiny: "NO....silly, ......I went Kayaking!"

Me: "Oh....." (my mind takes off.....)

Today she sent me "her" pictures (the above were ...thank goodness.....only in my imagination.....)

Bridge jumping:

And, of course, Kayaking:

From now on our conversations are going to go like this:

Tiny: "Guess what I did today mom?"

Me: "No time to talk honey, just send me a picture! : )"

Okay, a little cold but definitely worth it in terms of sleep and the length of my daily prayers!

Mom out!

A letter to my daughter....

Poor "Tiny" lost her wallet this past weekend....having lost mine only last month I could totally commiserate. In an attempt the cheer her up ...... a short letter.....

Dear Tiny:

I am sorry that you lost your wallet. I'd like to tell you it's the last time you'll ever do that but ....well, you're my daughter and that entitles you to certain um.......rights and privileges.

Because you are my daughter you will be blessed with the gift of being able to forget almost everything. When people hurt your feelings you will only remember it for a short time and then it will be over. When you go to a movie you will be able to enjoy it not just once, but every time you see it because you will have forgotten how it goes. You will enjoy the simplest of drives because it will always seem new.....to this day I can't drive to the temple without saying to myself "This road doesn't look at all familiar to me".

You will have more than one child because you will forget that pregnancy is hard, labor is no fun and raising children is expensive. You will forgive the faults of others because you won't remember what they are until they remind you. And yes, you will leave your purse, your wallet, your glasses, your shoes, your keys, your jackets and sometimes even your mind in all the many places you will go. This will be a vexation to you but it will teach you tolerance for others, understanding and believe it or not it will teach you patience with yourself.

Just like the good fairies in Sleeping Beauty I bestowed upon you gifts, the gift of being like your mom in at least a few things so that I could look at you and say to myself "Yes, she is beautiful, and yes, she is truly my daughter".

I love you (in spite of the crummy gift of forgetfulness!)

Gosh I honestly don't know how a week can go by so fast! I've been blessed to have my mom visiting me so of course the time flies even faster than normal. We even baked a pie together see?

We could have made LOTS of pies since we have an apple tree in our yard that produces hundreds of apples but we have one (million) little four-legged bushy-tailed problem.......squirrels! You know I wouldn't mind them eating the apples....I suppose they have to eat something (instead of my log cabin.....which, come to think of it, they do!) but they don't eat them they just pick them! Once the apple gets about the size of a ping pong ball they randomly pick them off and throw them on the ground.....truly it's maddening. I wasn't totally out of luck this year because they missed 13! Just enough for me and my mommy to make a pie and it was delish!

I've tried to make my peace with the fauna of the woods but honestly, although they were here first, I'd just as soon see them all move away to the neighbor's house and never let their furry little presence(s) darken my window (door, deck, rooftop, garbage can, gas grill, hot tub) again! .....if you know what I mean.

When we moved here I was (insert sweet girlish voice here) simply enchanted by the racoons. They were so CUTE! That was before they vandalized all the bird feeders, ate the hoses off the gas grill (on more than one occasion) and generally wreaked havoc upon my abode. They are very bold and will come right up on the back deck to stare in at us through the french doors (they don't seem to mind that I'm saving up to make my own racoon fur coat!) I've never known them to be outwitted by any contraption we think up to try and save the bird food for the birds. At one point HH hung the feeders from the eaves of the house so they couldn't climb the pole and get them anymore.

HA! As if this would stop the rascals.......the following night we saw one burly fellow eating the seeds off the ground as his "friend" hung by one hind leg from the roof, reaching out with his "hand" to bat at the feeder which caused immense quantities of the seed to fall as it swung wildly to and fro......yup, they're smart.

The squirrels are not nearly as clever but twice as fast and there must be millions of them! They destroy the apple tree, hide nuts in my dryer vent, chew on the dormers of the house, harvest "nesting material" from the canvas cover of the gazebo and frankly.....drive me crazy.

All I wanted was a little house in the woods among the peace and quiet of nature.....what did I get? A little lesson or two (most every day) on exactly WHO is in charge around here......and need I say it.......it certainly ain't me!

Sure Love ya!

Wow! Did you know?......

I am totally, and constantly, amazed at the amount of information you can get on the internet. Remember how happy I was that fall was (sort of) here? Well I got right out there and cleaned out the flower beds so I could plant my mums. HH's last words of advice to me that day were "Watch out for the poison ivy"
"Uh-Huh, sure honey (little voice in my head "I don't get poison ivy")
Well the next day I smugly told him that I had cleaned the flower beds and voila! no poison ivy (just as I thought, HA!)

Unfortunately what I didn't know is that poison ivy sometimes takes oh......say about 48 hours after you say you don't have it.....to show up (bummer....I hate the taste of my own words!) Anyway, I got it....the first time ever. Everyone has given me advice about it, the most common being encouraging words like "You know once you've had it you get it more easily than ever!" Gee Thanks friend! : )

Guess what? It itches! Terribly! Another piece of advice I got? "Don't scratch it because it will spread and be worse than ever" Oh,.....thanks again, wish you'd told me that yesterday.

So with a terribly itchy, ugly (now I understand the meaning of the words "an angry red rash), oozing mess on my arm I find myself constantly surfing the internet in search of self-help regarding stupidity, I mean poison ivy. Most of the advice I've already heard, and tried but then I find a gem....something that miraculously works!

Up till now my chief complaint has been the constant itching no matter what I put on it but I find this little tidbit on a website...."Try the hair-dryer treatment, it truly is the only thing that works to relieve the itching". So I begin my treatment, setting the hairdryer on medium and focusing the air on my tender but very itchy forearm. Immediately my arm begins to itch more than ever (luckily this was covered in the website so I continue), and get awfully red. It felt like a million little scratching fingers all over my arm, (I think I started to purr!), after 5 minutes the itching was completely gone! It lasted almost 4 hours! I did it one more time before I went to bed last night and didn't even wake up once to scratch......I'm so relieved! Ha Ha!

I have to say this method was 1000 percent better than some of the others I read about (and dare I say tried?......hey I was desperate)

• slap the itch till you can't stand it any more
• use a mixture of bleach and soap to wash it...after the initial sting it doesn't itch as much
• take a freezing cold shower then apply ice to affected areas (note: they forgot to say the ice may actually stick to wet skin......ouch!)
• chew a crushed poison ivy leaf to trigger your body's own immune response (duh!.....I don't think I'm trying that you idiot!)
• Rub affected area with rubbing alcohol, nail polish, nail polish remover, windex (hey, isn't that from Big Fat Greek Wedding), hairspray, denorex shampoo.....(the list goes on and on....obviously people are trying anything!)
• Apply duct tape to the area (this obviously controls the scratching, I wonder how you get the tape off?)

And last but not least I discovered the "Poison Ivy Rash Hall of Fame Slideshow".....not for the faint of heart but definitely made me feel better about my own relatively minor case!

I'm so ashamed of myself....

I belong to a book club (we post on blog "Been There Read That") and I had to pick the book for this month. I chose "Without a Net" by Michelle Kennedy. It's a true story about the author's encounter with homelessness. Through a serious of unfortunate events (no pun intended) she finds herself living with her three small children in a small Subaru wagon.

The entire story was sad and I felt sorry for both her and her children. Much of what caused the situation I felt was truly preventable but after reading Suzy Q's review I realize that I have lived a life relatively free of serious problems and now I sit here sad because I think I may not be as Christlike as I thought. Somehow I've forgotten to "think the best and overlook the worst" in people. From the beginning of the book I didn't like the author because she used language I can't stand.....very judgemental on my part, I know not everyone has been taught the things I have, nor have they had opportunities to be taught those things.

I have been very blessed in my life, this is not because I have deserved to be, it is because I live with people who deserve it.....lucky me I get the fallout! I have many many faults and each night when I kneel to say my prayers I feel deeply my own inadequacies. I am just ashamed that I could have been so judgemental about this poor woman when I have certainly had many mercies extended to me.

I think I had better take some "humble pills" before I find myself in the midst of a hard lesson that I don't want to learn. I hereby apologize to the world for being so darned full of myself! : )

If you care to visit our book club site and read the reviews of the book feel free www.beentherereadthat.blogspot.com

Another good book along those lines is "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich

It was the best of days, it was the worst of days.....

Five years ago today our world was shaken as the twin towers fell and our country faced terrorism in a vivid, violent, and personal way. I still remember how I felt watching the scenes unfold that day. It was the most frightening time I have ever personally faced. The safety I had known every day of my life as a citizen of the greatest country in the free world was in question and I cried. I cried for the people who had lost loved ones, I cried for our country gripped in the clutches of terror without a face, I cried most of all for my children as I knew the world would never be the same.

September 11 is a date that brings all kinds of memories and feelings, and in most households it marks a solemn occasion of suffering and loss. In our house it is a difficult paradox. On the one hand it brings, of course the tragic memories of the attacks, the very personal involvement as my husband served at ground zero as part of the National Incident Management Team mobilized to deal with the overwhelming task of restoring order to a city in immense chaos, and all the feelings of fear, frustration and endless questions that couldn't be answered.

On the other hand nine years before that September 11 our youngest daughter was born, that day we realized it would be the last time we would bring a child into the world. She was born before the towers fell, born into a world of peace and security. She was beautiful and a miracle to us. We couldn't have been happier to have an addition to our family of girls. We named her after the town in Wyoming where I was born....a name that conjures up beautiful images in my mind of family and love and all things beautiful.....she's lived up to her name in every way, bringing a sunny disposition, cheerful attitude and loving nature to bless our home.

So as I sit and listen to the many comments made this day I have mixed feelings. Loss and sadness, worry and questions mingle with intense feelings of love for this country, pride in my citizenship, gratitude for a husband who deals with these crises every time they arise,but most of all, and foremost in my mind on September 11 I feel love for my daughter, the one really important thing to me this day....first and foremost her birthday, a little thing that brings great happiness to my little corner of the world on September 11.

Happy Birthday Afton!!

Things I love Thursday!

I love this weekly sharing thing! Some of my greatest finds were by accident but a lot of them were because one friend or another shared her find with me.....I'm just trying to do my part and pass the word on good stuff!





WoodWicks Candles....have you seen these yet?
I just LOVE them.

These candles are unique in
that they have a wood wick which gives you a
beautiful slow burn AND the best part...it crackles
like a wood fire! What could be better for fall
than a crackling fire that smells good! I found mine
at Cracker Barrell but I know you can get them
on-line. The scent is strong and lasting! Enjoy!



CHOCOLATE!

As always at least one of my favorite things has to
be food.....what IS it with me and food anyway!
For this one you have to love dark.....really DARK....chocolate
I buy Green & Black's Dark 70% organic chocolate at Target....mmmmmmm!

If you want a real treat use it to make a truffle cream and
use THAT to bake inside a "Molten Lava Cake".....yup...it's heaven!

Cake Batter Ingredients:

7 ounces Dark Semi-Sweet Chocolate

8 T Butter

1 tsp vanilla

3 eggs separated - room temperature

1/3 cup sifted cake flour

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp cream of tartar

1/3 c sugar

Chocolate Lava Centers

2 oz Dark Semi-Sweet Chocolate

1/5 oz heavy cream

1 tsp butter

1Chop the dark semi-sweet chocolate into pieces. Place into a metal bowl, add butter. Melt over a simmering waterbath. Remove from heat.

2) Add vanilla extract and (3) egg yolks. Whisk together until chocolate mixture is smooth.

3) Add well sifted cake flour, and gently incorporated into the above chocolate mixture.
4) Place the (3) egg whites into a clean metal bowl, add salt and cream of tartar. Using a whisk, whip egg whites until soft peaks form. Continue to whisk while slowly sprinkling in the sugar.

5) Using a rubber spatula, carefully fold 1/3rd of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Then fold-in another 1/3rd of the egg whites. Then fold-in the last 1/3rd of the egg whites. see picture #3 below
6) Deposit the batter into large "non-stick" muffin tins - fill 3/4 full. Ramekins can also be used simply butter insides and dust with cocoa powder. see picture #4
7) Push a Chocolate Lava Center into the center of each cake batter. This creates the molten lava center!see picture #4
8) Bake at 375F degrees for 15 minutes. Do not over bake! see picture #5
SERVE THIS IMMEDIATELY....WHILE CENTER IS STILL LIQUID!

Blondes have more fun.......And they provide the rest of us with a good laugh!

I have a dear friend, she's a blonde through and through and her name is Joanie. I can count on her to cheer me up on a moment's notice and this weekend was no exception. We have been having an on-going conversation about whether or not it's difficult to get up on Sunday and go to church.

Mind you I'm a morning person, always have been. I do my best work in the morning, I'm coherent, happy, enthusiastic, and intelligent until 9 p.m. at which time the word non-functioning best describes me. Getting up for church is simply not an issue with me, it's easy.

Blondie, aka Joanie, is not..... a morning person. She freely admits this, as well as the struggle it is for her to get up and go to church. She has tried on numerous occasions to convince me that she has an illness, a strange illness that seems recur on a weekly basis. It usually hits her in the wee hours of Sunday morning and by the time the alarm goes off she's got a full blown case of .......whatever it is. The symptoms range from general malaise and joint pain to headaches, ringing ears and slight nausea. Occasionally she convinces herself to stay at home in bed rather than attend church so that she doesn't spread the "disease" to the elderly and infirm among the congregation (she is so thoughtful this way). Luckily, so far as I can tell, the symptoms usually subside sometime after the last meeting of the three hour block and she can resume her sabbath day activities.

This past Sunday she explained that as she had been sick the previous week she was determined to get up and go to church (in other words a weeks worth of guilt had set in). Of course she woke up experiencing some dizziness and aching muscles, her symptoms seemed to get worse as she got ready for church but, to her credit, she was determined.

As she arrived at church she said her feet hurt so badly she could hardly make the walk from the car to the building and she really planned to bear her testimony, now it appeared she wouldn't be able to make it to the pulpit. She was honestly embarrassed and felt ridiculous hobbling along like a 60 year old woman (waaaiiiitttt a minnnuuuttteee............she IS a 60 year old woman!) nevermind, anyway back to the story, where was I? Oh yeah, her feet hurt.....

Anyway, sometime after the invocation but before the sacrament was passed she said she discovered a possible cause of the extreme pain.......her shoes were on the wrong feet!

Joanie, I love you! You're the best! Thanks for being brave enough to let us all laugh at you and feel a little better about our own little problems!

Christmas Creep

You may assume from the title that I’m talking about The Grinch, or Scrooge, or maybe even the surly department store santa..…..nope, “Christmas Creep” is apparently (where have I been?) the buzzword referring to an instatiable appetite for all things Christmas…..so much so that retailers begin displaying said holiday wares earlier and earlier each year. So far I’ve seen Christmas displays in two local department stores, the mall ( the Christmas Store is open for business as of today), and Cracker Barrell where summer merchandise has been cleared away to make room for the three fully decorated trees!

Although I absolutely abhor this trend, I leniently give myself permission to indulge in a little Holiday hurry where Fall is concerned. As of Monday, August 28, when I suddenly realized only 3 days stood between me and September, I began having mysterious dreams of my favorite pumpkin dishes and yesterday I had to buy an “Autumn Spice” candle. I’ve resisted going to the attic to take down my fall decorations but I seriously doubt if I’ll make it through the weekend.

I know it’s technically not “Fall” until September 21 but I can’t seem to help myself. I just love the season. I love the colors (and, I look particularly good in brown!), I ADORE the food (pumpkin pancakes with homemade warm applesauce and whipped cream……oh MY GOSH!), and the decorating of my house easily rivals Christmas. There’s nothing better than the sight of a little log cabin surrounded by the colors of Autumn, a little smoke coming out of the chimney (okay I’m going to have to wait a bit for the first fire…..it’s still 80+ and humid here), and hot apple cider in the morning.

The whole thing just makes me feel good! Today I'll clear out the last vestiges of summer from my garden to make room for the mums which are just beautiful. If I ever discover a decorating scheme as gorgeous for summer I might learn to enjoy it just as much…..if I had a little Victorian house with a wraparound porch for instance…..I just love it when you see one with all the white wicker furniture and floral cushions, big baskets of purple hydrangeas, and a white porch swing…..



somehow I think HH would resist the idea of purchasing different homes for different seasons…..

Did I mention D2 is studing design? I’m no designer, nor do I have any aspirations in that direction, but I do recognize the impact of surroundings on mood, and how easily influenced we are by tradition. I just happen to associate Fall with happiness, it’s the season during which HH asked me to marry him, the season of Nutella’s wedding, the time of year when D3 was born, the fire season is winding down so HH will be home again, and it's time for long walks in the woods among crisp leaves surrounded by the wonderful smells of autumn .

I’m no “Christmas Creep” but I’ll cheerfully accept the label of “Fall Fanatic”!

P.S. In case I made you hungry here’s the recipe for pumpkin pancakes which just happen to be low fat and low calorie!