Women of Leisure

Yesterday, we got to be women of leisure. Me and the girls. We went to this beautiful mall with my aunt and she treated us to the best lunch I have had in a LOOOOONNNNNNGGGGG time. Beats Chuck E Cheese hands down. Beats mall food court food hands down. We went to the Cheesecake Factory! Yum! I used to live around the corner from the one in Woodland Hills, and when I did, I would get a Chinese Chicken Salad at least once a week and take it home. Soooo good! Well, of course, that is what I had. And the girls shared a Bistro Shrimp Pasta, which they didn't eat much of because they ate all the bread, and it took over an hour for our food to arrive. The kitchen was, apparently, working on a table for 28, so everyone else had to wait. So without crayons or anything to keep them busy, my girls sat and ate bread and had strawberry lemonade (Bekah) and raspberry lemonade (Jess) and they were really very good, for 5 and 3! We were at the restaurant for over two hours! And even though they didn't eat the Pasta, it is their Daddy's favorite, so he had that for dinner. And we all feasted on The BEST DESSERT EVER! Carrot Cake-Cheesecake. It is Delish! Should be outlawed. Better than cheesecake. Better than Carrot Cake. It is soooo good! Boy, did I feel spoiled. Now I know how the other half live. But, they don't have two cute little girls to keep them entertained! It was a wonderful visit and I enjoyed myself immensely. And since I hardly ate anything else all day, I managed to lose a pound in the process. So, I have figured out the Cheesecake Factory Diet. Yeah!

Going to Work Today...

Today was The Hubby's work Christmas party. So, I got up at the usual time, 3:45am, but this time I had to get showered, dressed and get two sleepy girls dressed. At least they were supposed to be sleepy. They woke up at about 4:30 and were ready to go! Jumping around like it was a reasonable hour of the day, which it was not! So, we all piled into the car and drove through the canyon while the girls watched the dvd player in the car. Which broke on the way home. Enjoyed it while it lasted. So, we got to his work at about 6:45am and then had donuts and bottled water. The girls had hot chocolate. Jessica got a ride in the bucket truck. 40 feet in the air in a little plastic bucket attached to a piece of metal. It scared Rebekah and she didn't want to get in it. Jessica has no such fear. She was chomping at the bit to go again! She got to go up twice and then it got too windy when they were going to go up again later, so she didn't get to go. But she enjoyed the chance she did get to go! They both had a lot of fun and didn't want to leave The Hubby's work. HE on the other hand, didn't enjoy it nearly as much as they did. It's still work. And the same people he sees every other work day. But, at least if you have to go to work, this is the best day to go. And he told me I was the prettiest woman there! You gotta love getting a compliment like that! There weren't many wives there though. Most of them wouldn't get up at that time of the morning, or so the husbands say!

It was fun. Eight years together and I had never seen his office. Well, now I can picture him at his desk when he is there. And it is much different than the picture I had in my head. All in all, not a bad day. Except now I am ready to take a nap instead of making stuff for Christmas!

Chili

Scott calls me last night, from his instructors' house. He had his last class for the semester and they went over there to celebrate. So he calls me, to tell me the chili that Mrs. Father Victor made was great! He said I can make that one, that the recipe is on the back of the package. I tell him HE can make it. I'm done.

Isn't chili more of a guy thing anyway?

Aargh.

Deep, dark secrets

Jessica sat down this morning to write a book. She folded the paper in half, about twenty sheets and couldn't figure out why it would not staple. Too much paper. So, I helped her. Then, she decided she was going to make it a DIARY! The conversation went something like this:
"I need a diary for all my deepest, darkest secrets!"
"So, you have deep, dark secrets?"
"Yes!"
"Like what?" (trying to act totally nonchalant)
"Like that I love you very much."
"Well, I am glad that isn't a secret!"

Then, I think she got bored with the idea of making a diary and decided to write a book instead. Complete with illustrations. This is her third book, I think. It is titled, "The Dancing Princess".

I think we need to find a publisher.

The ghost in my hallway

Standing in the hall, getting batteries out of the cupboard and I hear, behind me, "Ooohhooohoooohhh! I'm a goaaassssssttt!" I turn around to see Rebekah standing there, with her nightgown over her head, waving her arms around. Priceless.

Somebody else's chili

Okay, this morning, Jessica says, "That was really good chili you made last night, Mommy!" "Thank you, sweetheart!"

So then I asked Scott again this morning what he thought of it. He said a definite three at least (out of ten)! But I think he was kidding.

Okay, so here's what happened. I was going to make it early. But one thing led to another (it always does, doesn't it) and I didn't get to the dinner-making hoohaa until about 6:30. Well, Doris specified in her recipe that it takes one hour of simmering for the first part, 45 minutes for the second part and 30 minutes for the third part. That would have put dinner at like 8:45. No bueno. So, I speeded up the process. And the person at the grocery store didn't put the ground red pepper in my bag, so I have to go back for that today and needless to say, it didn't get in the chili, since it didn't get in the bag. So, the ingredients were not exactly right. But close. This recipe basically consisted of 2 1/2 lbs of chili grind beef, a can of beef broth, small can tomato sauce and a WHOLE BUNCH of spices. No beans. Hi-falutin' chili. Scott was lamenting the omission of beans and even went so far as to look in the cupboard for chili beans. He NEVER looks in the cupboard for ANYTHING! He told me to add them if I wanted to. I didn't. So we sat down at the table. Me with a big bowl of chili, Scott with his chili and crackers, Jess and Bekah with small bowls. Jessica really liked it. She loves my chili, too, though. She said this was better than the way I normally make chili (beef, beans, tomatoes, spices). Rebekah ate some, declared it was too spicy and only ate a little more when I added more tomato sauce to hers. And a little to Jess'. Scott brought up the rear, finishing his with a ton of crackers. But then he puts crackers in his chicken noodle soup, too, and he likes that.

So, all in all, I think it was a success. I would eat it again. Scott wants me to add beans to it and see how it goes, but he would eat it again. I will have to try The Good Deacon Michael's recipe, which I also printed out. Next time. For now, prime rib is on sale at Albertson's for $4.97/lb. So that is what we will be having for Christmas Day and I am going to try out a new recipe, so I will be getting a smaller one between now and then to try out. Gotta put the chili on the shelf for now. Figuratively speaking, of course!

Bed Day something

I guess I am one of those not totally enamored with this bed. I am pretty sure we are going to keep it. It just doesn't seem like much of a bargain. I don't know if the pump mechanism is going to last the twenty years that it is supposedly guaranteed to. But it is a sliding scale guarantee. If it breaks 15 years into the 20-year guarantee, you only get 25% of your purchase price refunded. Something like that.

SO, if I write sleep number bed a whole bunch of times, then when someone does a search for the sleep number bed, my blog should come up on the search engine, right? Okay, sleep number bed, sleep number bed, sleep number bed. Let's see if it works!

On a scale of one to ten, I would probably give it a 6 or so. At least at this point. Maybe when I get it figured out, I will be happier with it. Not yet. I slept at 80 for most of the night (pretty firm) and I slept on my side, but I went back to sleep after Scott left and put it down to like 45 while on my back and it was okay. Maybe I just need to adjust it depending on which position I sleep in.

When you do something stupid...

and you want to laugh at someone else who did something more stupid than you, this is it.

I was in my twenties. I was not nearly as intelligent as I am now. I had gone to the gas station. Joshua, you know the one. At the northeast corner of Canoga and Oxnard. Well, I had just filled up my tank and, wanting to be the good driver, reached down to press the reset button on the mileage counter/trip meter. Being the type that thinks I can do two things at once, I did this as I had pulled out of the driveway from the gas station onto Canoga heading north. Well, lo and behold, what I didn't realize until it was too late, was that I had stuck my hand through the middle of the steering wheel to reset the trip meter while the wheel was turned to make my right turn. As I started to go, with my arm still stuck through the steering wheel, I quickly realized that it was either break my arm or bust a very hard right into the curb. I chose the latter. POP! goes my right front tire. Talk about feeling stupid. So I sheepishly put my car into reverse, backed up into the garage portion of the service station and asked them if they could change a tire. They had all seen what I had just done. They all turned my direction when they heard the loud sound my tire made as it slammed into the curb. I was laughing so hard I couldn't tell you what any of them said. That may be the dumbest thing I have ever done. Nah, I'm sure there were more stupid moments.

Oh yea, about that bed...

Well, Scott likes it. So I guess that's something. It's okay as far as I am concerned. I guess as long as HE is happy, right? ;-)
I think we will be keeping it. Dad loves his.

My cookbook

My cookbook is a notebook. A three ring binder that I bought when I copied all of my grandma's recipes from her cookbook. Then I added to it. And added some more. It is not organized. But what good cookbook is? I had little scraps of paper with recipes, pages printed off the internet, notepapers with recipes on them. All different shapes and sizes stuffed into the front pocket of the binder, until there was no more room left in that pocket. I have recipes from my grandma, a few from my great aunt, some from my Aunt Sandy, some from my sister. I keep on collecting. And I need to get the family favorites from Scott's side of the family from his 95-year old grandma. I got one recipe from his mom and I think she didn't want me to make it, because it didn't turn out right. Then, she told me how to revise it and it still didn't come out right. That was the no-bake cheesecake. He doesn't think I can make it now. It turned out okay, but not quite the same as his mom made it.

So one day, I got really inspired. I got out my three-hole punch and punched holes in the scraps and notepapers and internet printouts and I put them all in. So, at least they won't fall out now. Next step will be putting them in some order, so I don't have to flip through the whole book to get to something good. When I can't find something I need the recipe for, I just call my sister. She has hers all organized. Even if it is a recipe in a magazine, she knows where to find them all. So, someday I will continue the organization of my cookbook, but for now, I have to flip through. But when I flip through it, I get a smile on my face, because as I turn the pages, I see my Aunt Sandy's writing and my Grandma Aurlette's writing and others that have given me recipes. And I have good memories.

What I am not good at

I am sure there are plenty of things. But, for now, we will leave it at keeping my house clean and making chili. Okay, so, forget the clean house thing for now. I will deal with that later. So, it all boils down to the chili. (Pun intended.)

Scott doesn't like the way I make chili. Too much of this, too little of that. I just throw it all in the pot and let it cook for a while. No go. Well, I like it really tomatoey (is that a word?) and all the chili recipes I am finding don't have any tomatoes in them. So, that's a start. And no beans, either. They all seem to have beef broth and some have chicken broth. And, they all put the ingredients in in steps. First this set of spices, then this set of spices and so on. So, I found two recipes I am going to try. Found them on the chili.org site. They are both award-winning chili recipes. So, I will try. And if he doesn't like these, then I am going to hang up my chili hat and buy a can of Hormel. Got to go to the store today and get the ingredients. There's gonna be chili tonight!

Dead or Alive

Saw this quiz and thought you might enjoy. Will post answers tomorrow on comments.

Famous people. Are they dead or alive?

Jack Palance
Lauren Bacall
Martin Landau
Shelley Winters
Gene Wilder
Don Knotts
Kirk Douglas
Glenn Ford
Red Buttons
Maureen Stapleton

Sleep Number Bed Day 3

Dad needed a new mattress. His bed was shot. He had to lower the bed when Mom first got sick, so he could get her in and out of it. So, now, his bed was still on the floor. Well, he had enough. Time to get the bed fixed, so the frame could sit on it and time to get a new mattress. Well, the guy who fixed his bed told him about the sleep number bed, which has an air chamber in it, so you can adjust it. So, having studied this when Scott started complaining about our mattress a year ago, I showed him online what people had to say about it. They either love it or hate it. No middle ground. It's a pretty freakin' expensive mattress, so you better decide you like it when you fork out that much money. Well, after not convincing him when we looked at it online, he wanted to see it at the store. Didn't take him long to decide that this is what he wanted to do. We all tried it out. He wanted it. Scott asks the guy, "So, do you have a buy one get one free offer?" Well, no, but they do have 15% off the second one when you get two. So, we got one too. Scott's happy. My first night, I felt like I was in a hammock. I had it down too low. The second night, still too low. So, I decided to put it up even higher. Really firm. Like at 80 (out of 100). This seemed to work. I guess it is okay, since Scott likes his side softer and me, firmer. You can't do that on a regular mattress. Someone has to compromise. This way, we can have it the way we each like it. So, this will be night #4. We'll see what happens.

tiny blessings

So, a friend is having a baby tomorrow. Another in January and another in March. Babies everywhere! I am so happy for them. Got to see all the tiny little clothes and jammies and caps and things. So cute!!! I love babies. My own, other people's, it doesn't matter. They are adorable. Those tiny hands and bitty feet. When they stick out their little tiny tongues! Everything is so small! Yet perfect. God is amazing. Something so small and helpless, but perfectly formed. Tiny blessings from God. Every child is a precious gift. Pure innocence and peace. A whole lifetime ahead of them! Who knows what lies ahead. A complete, blank canvas. Sitting in the back pew the other day. Put a hand out to give Noah a high-five and he comes over and places his hand, ever so deliberately on top of yours. Then he pulls away and looks at you, with those perfect little brows furrowed. Watching. So serious. So adorable.

Jessica loves babies. Every time she sees a baby, her voice hits the high notes. "Oh! He's so CUTE! Can I touch him? Oh! Such a cute baby!" Just loves babies. All of them. She doesn't care what color, what race, how big or small. Loves 'em all. I told her about the baby coming on Wed. Hit the high notes. Wants to see him. Can't wait! Wants a hundred of her own someday. She's the only one with enough energy for that!

Can't wait to see these new babies. Don't need to hold 'em though. My sister holds the new babies. I love to look. Don't want to break 'em. I wait till they are sitting up, then I will hold them all day long. I have unknowingly hurt new mother's feelings because I didn't want to hold the new baby. This has happened more than once. My own, no problem. Others, I like to wait. It's funny, how people expect you to be a certain way and when you aren't, they get offended. I love the babies. And I can't wait for their arrival! But I will hold them when they are sturdy and not going to break. So looking forward to tomorrow!

Eternity

I was reading a blog today that made me sad. It reminded me of different passings in my life. I lost my mother a year and a half ago. That was difficult. We knew it was coming. She was not in good health. We also knew where she was going, that she would have a new body and she would be healthy and that made her passing much easier to bear. My father-in-law died two days after Jessica, my 5 1/2 year old was born. My husband still gets emotional. He loved his father so much and was devastated when he passed away. But, there again, we know we will see him again and he will be in a new body. Both of them died peacefully.

My friend's father died several years ago. He was an atheist all of his life. Denied that there was any existence of God. Wanted nothing to do with religion. Wanted to make money, left his wife for a new wife, lived a hard life. Lived life on his terms. Unfortunately for him, his death was not on his terms. He left this world shrieking and pulling at his hair. I shudder to think what he may have seen. I am thankful to God that I never will find out.

You see bumper stickers and such that say things about you being wrong and it being an eternity in hell. It's true. So what if there really is no God. I know there is, but what if? Okay, well, I led a better life because of my faith in God. I am a stronger person because of my faith in God. I know where I will be going because of my faith in God. But what about you? Do you believe there is a God? Do you know where you are going? What if I am right and you are not? This is eternity we are talking about. And that is permanent! The thought that people I love may not be going to Heaven because they did not choose God saddens me. There is no fence-riding on this one. If you do not CHOOSE God, then He will not allow you into Heaven. It is not whether or not you are bad or choose the devil. But if you are not on God's side, there is only one alternative. There is no gray area. Our society likes to soften everything, make it more palatable, more accepted. But God's Word is very clear. It is Him or eternal hell. No other choices. I hope and pray that those I love choose to go to heaven. It is Eternity. That is forever.

Lightbulb in my head...

May have come up with a good home based business. Will let you in on it when I figure it out. Maybe it'll work. Wish me luck!

Perspectives

I usually sit in the back row during church. Mainly because of the children. Rebekah going back and forth from kid's church into the sanctuary, going to get the kids for communion, etc. It all looks different from the back row. I was always a back rower in school. That was so nobody would be behind me and also so I could get away with more. I am not trying to get away with anything anymore, but it does give you an entirely different perspective being in the back. Sometimes people get emotional in church. For one reason or another. It doesn't matter why. But if you are in the back, you more readily notice them. You notice just about everything from the back row. Cues from the music team, people's reactions to the sermons, people's reactions to each other, whether or not the gift-bearers remember to bring up the gifts, checking that the doors are open in the back at the end of the service. The back rowers notice it all.

And sometimes you see people who are hurting and need some support. They usually sit near the back as well. When someone is hurting, my instinct is to go and try to comfort them. Some people like it, some don't. Most don't mind. They like it that someone cares. Like I said, it doesn't matter why and I rarely ask. Although many times people will open up and just want someone to talk to. I don't repeat it. It's nobody's business. But I think one of the reasons I will remain in the back row is for the people who need the comforting. That is one gift I am thankful that God has given me. The ability to sense when someone is hurting. Whether it is in church or somewhere else. Sometimes it is obvious, sometimes not so much, but if I am in the right place at the right time, it wasn't me, it was God. So, if you ever get emotional, or just need a shoulder to lean on or cry on, I will be there, because that is where I am led to be. In the back row.

POTD

My aunt! What a nice person! She sent cards to me, and also to Little Miss Jessica and Little Miss Rebekah and the girls felt like princesses! Cute little cut-out cards with kitties on them. How nice it is to get something in the mail other than junk mail and bills! Especially when I was just griping about that! Jessica was so excited she was almost yelling when she told her daddy about it last night. Every time I go to get the mail, I hope for something good, but don't really expect it. Well, this was so nice! So, to the best person of the day, thank you, thank you! You made our day! :-)

The Mall Part II

Well, here is the good news, I got pictures taken of the girls with Santa at the mall the other day. And they came out great. But, you all have to wait to see them, since they are going out in the Christmas cards! Now you have something to look forward to! And we got a little tiny box of see's candies at the mall yesterday and we each had one for dessert. Jessica had the raspberry creme sample that I got, Rebekah had a scotchmallow (and had more on her face than she started with), Scott had rum nougat (his all time favorite) and I had a walnut square (the best See's candy hands down). So, I guess the trip to the mall wasn't a complete loss. That guy just made me so mad yesterday! Oh, and we ran into Jess and Bekah's friends there (and my friend), so all were happy while we waited for Santa to get back from feeding the reindeer. And if Jess tells you she saw the REAL Santa, don't spoil the fun! She really did!

Piles and Piles of Paper!

So, how do all the rest of you do it? I mean, I am literally up to my eyeballs in junk mail! I don't have enough hours in my day to go through it all. To rip it up, to see if there is anything there I really need to look at. To peruse the catalogs. I just don't have the time. And when I put it aside because I have something else more pressing, I end up with enough junk mail to fit in a grocery store bag! I have mounds of paper and it is becoming a fire hazard. I don't know what all the rest of you do with it, but if you have any ideas, please share. My paper shredder is broken. When I turn it on, it will only pull one piece of paper through and then I have to turn it off and back on to put another piece through. I need a chipper. So I can put an entire day's worth of mail in at a time. Maybe in about six months I will catch up.

Any suggestions? Help!

The Mall

Okay, I need to gripe and complain. I went to the mall today. Ordinarily, the mall is not a bad place to be. Throw in two young girls who want to look at everything and it gets more interesting. Throw in all the Christmas decorations to look at and touch and it becomes even more so. I can handle all of that. What I cannot handle is the extra kiosks that are all over the main thruways and the pushy salespeople trying to pawn their wares to every person who walks by. They are so aggressive! This guy was selling fake snow. Add water and it turns into snow. Well, he wanted $24.95 per box. I told him I didn't have time, I didn't have the money to spend, etc. He tried to give some in a bag to Rebekah and then put the box in the bag so I would have to pay for it. Tried to get me to buy it for $18.00. Such a bargain! NO! Finally, I just said no! I don't have the money to spend on it. But it's only $18! NO! Then I had to take it out of Rebekah's hands and give it back to him. So she wasn't happy. Oh well, by then I was ticked! Doesn't make we want to go back to the mall!

From Jessica

Hi. You know what? You are like something I've never seen. Hey, I think you are pretty. Have a happy Christmas. This is me, Jessica. And I have a Barbie. I like you and you are cool. Hi Aunt Sandy. This is me, Jessica. Hi Joann. Hi Carsten. Hello everybody. I like you.

For Christmas I would like a wallet and a great big sled like Santa Claus's. And a toy reindeer. And more Barbie's. I would like a big bicycle.

Santa Claus has reindeer. He drives a sled and goes down chimneys. And he brings you toys if you're good and he brings you coal if you are naughty. Good bye. That's all, folks. I have a smile right now.

Makes her father proud

So, Rebekah was looking at her pants the other day. She finds a hole. Down there. She says, "Oh no, there's a hole in my pants. I better get some duct tape!"

Who knew she knew what duct tape was?

Some Princesses at Halloween

So, I finally got pictures developed! Over $100 worth! Yikes! Well, I figured since I spent so much money on them, I had better share the joy! So, a few pics from the Halloween season!
Aren't they cute? I think so!

Picnic fun!

Very puzzling...

So, the girls have been doing puzzles. We went to Toys r Us and got some puzzles. I got one - 1000 tiny pieces. A photomosaic of Mickey Mouse made out of scenes from Disney movies. The photos are about 1/3 inch by 1/2 inch and the pieces are like 3/4 inch square. Yikes! What was I thinking! Eventually, I will need to clear off my dining room table. Maybe I will just leave it up at Thanksgiving and people can work on it, if they want to. Who knows? There will only be ten people here. Anyway, so we also got puzzles for the girls. Jess got one with fairies on it. 100 pieces. It took her two days to do it, and she did it all on her own! She also got Spongebob, 100 pieces, and that didn't take as long. Rebekah got two puzzles. One with Clifford and one with Spongebob. 25 pieces. She will quietly go into the dining room, sit down and put her puzzles together. She put one together last night. It takes her no time at all now. She used to get frustrated trying to do them, but now, she knows if she keeps at it, she will get it and she doesn't give up so easily. She is learning to be patient. Jess had a hard time at first with the big one (100 pc). She wanted to get Rebekah's puzzles out, since she can do those in a matter of minutes. Not a challenge. 100 pieces is a challenge. And all the colors were pretty close, too. Not an easy one. They are both learning patience. And they have watched me putting together the big puzzle. So they are learning that not everything can be done quickly. Even for a grown-up. Good mental activity. The girls are learning more than just how to put the puzzles together and we are spending time together doing something fun. Even Hubby has joined in the fun. We have sat together on a few nights working on the puzzle. The background is very difficult! But we are sitting down as a family and enjoying each other's company. Lovin' it!

The Old Cartoons

Well, we downgraded our dish service recently. $19.99/mo now. But all we get are 20 channels and four of them are Nickelodeon and one is Boomerang. Boomerang is made by Cartoon Network and has all the old cartoons. So, the girls have been watching all the classics for a couple of weeks now. Scooby Doo, Flintstones, Magilla Gorilla, Pink Panther, Smurfs. There are so many. And they are enjoying them immensely. When I was a kid and watching The Brady Bunch, I had no idea I was watching re-runs. Well, this is all new to them, too. I found two Smurfs in my drawer two days ago. A regular one and Papa Smurf dressed up as Santa Claus. Jessica wants the girl smurf now. I told her I don't think we will be able to find that anymore and she seems to think Santa Claus may be able to locate it. So, I used a different tactic. "Of all the things out there, like Barbies and Disney toys, you want a Smurf from Santa Claus?" I think I have dissuaded her. But she is enjoying these cartoons. So did Dad, when he came over. A fun time for all.

Lombardi Ranch

The girls and I picked Scott up from work on Monday. It was his short day and he got off at 2:30. So, on the way home, we stopped at Lombardi Ranch. That was fun! We went into the petting zoo, the girls ran around the "police truck", we took pictures of the girls where you stick your head through the circle in the painted scene, they climbed all over the big pumpkin, we looked at all the vegetables growing there and I bought vegetables. Oh, and I took a picture of Rebekah in front of "Baby Boo's Maze". That is what we called her when she was a baby. The girls had so much fun! Then we went out for mexican food afterward. I haven't had that in forever! At least a month. Where someone else cooked it.

When we got home, Scott sat down at the kitchen table with the girls and carved a pumpkin with them. I fell asleep! Well, you see, Sunday, on the way home, Rebekah coughed so much that I thought she was going to throw up. Well, she didn't in the car, but later, when we were all going to bed, she woke up because she was coughing and threw up. Yuck! On her bed. So, I had the bright idea of sleeping with her on the floor of the family room on a sheet in case she got sick again. She didn't. But I couldn't sleep! All night I was awake. (Mental note: You are too old to camp out on the floor. Don't try.) From my spot on the family room floor, I heard every noise in the house. I moved to the couch and that wasn't much better. She woke up at one point and went looking for me and calling me. Finally, when Scott left for work, I put her in her bed and went to sleep in mine. That was good for about two hours when Jess got up. Time change. She was up before 6:30am. So by Monday night I was dead on my feet. Rebekah didn't get sick again and she hasn't coughed since then either. I guess she just had to get it out.

So, Monday night I was in bed before 8pm. Scott put the girls to bed. They have no qualms about talking to their mother even when she is in bed fast asleep, though. So, I didn't get much sleep. Rebekah walks in the room to find me. Sees me sleeping in bed. "Mommy!" "What Rebekah?" "I look like a ghost." "That's great, Rebekah."

And I think Hubby was upset I was trying to sleep through the pumpkin carving. Sorry! I just couldn't keep my eyes open! Can I blame it on the time change?

Fwd: This email to everyone you know...

Don't you hate when you get a great email. Very uplifting, a nice read. But at the end it says to forward to everyone you know, and, oh, what the heck, forward it to every possible email address in the world. Maybe you will get a penny for each email you send it to. Yeah, right. Maybe it will bring you bad luck if you don't. Not that I believe in luck, good or bad. Or your dog will have puppies. Or SOMETHING will happen because of your compliance or lack thereof in regards to this email you received.

Well, the ones that make me go "AAAGHHH!" are the ones that say, "If you don't send this to 387 people in the next 2 minutes, it shows that you don't love God and you are embarrassed to send it because it is about God." Give me a break. How many times have you received this? Somebody figured out that this is the perfect way to guilt people into sending some dumb email that you would not otherwise send to everybody you know. Some people fall for the "Your toenails will all fall off if you don't forward this" mentality and others are guilted into it by the "You are embarrassed to admit you love God if you don't send this" ones.

I love God. With all my heart. But that doesn't mean I am going to send some dumb email to everyone I know and some people I don't just because the email tells me to. I'll send it if I think it will be a good read for the people I know. Funny, uplifting, meaningful, whatever.

Stupid email.

A good day.

Well, yesterday was Wednesday. I felt like baking. It was cool outside. VERY windy. But I needed to do schoolwork with Jess, and Scott had no clean shirts. Not even grey or brown. So I had to do laundry. So, I got up with him at 4am and started his laundry at 4:30 when he left. Washed his clothes (2 loads) and girls clothes (also 2 loads) over the course of the day. Folded and hung and put away. Worked with Jess on schoolwork. She needed to practice her letters. She has a hard time putting the letters in the right place within the lined paper. So, we worked on making perfect letters. Then, she wanted "Recess", so after about an hour and a half of intense writing and doing her workbook, they got dressed and went in the backyard. She loves to put her tennis shoes on now. She ties her shoes all by herself and also ties Bekah's. Pretty cute. So, off they go outside. Well, I was able to squeeze in some baking, too. While she worked on her letters and then when they went outside and for the rest of the day, I baked and cooked. I made my Grandma's potato salad recipe. But I didn't read until after I made it that the potatoes are supposed to be steamed and not boiled. Oh well. I thought it came out well. I never made it before. So, then I had one potato that got too soft. Couldn't use it in the potato salad. Well, I mashed it up and made mashed potato out of it. Which is precisely what you need for homemade potato rolls. Which I made. Which turned out delicious. Which take forever to rise. Which meant I had plenty of time to make pumpkin pie. Which I did. OKAY, ENOUGH!

So, I made potato salad, pumpkin pie and potato rolls. I was going to make something with peaches in it. Peach season is officially over. How sad! We went out on Tuesday to pick peaches and found out they were all gone. But the guy was nice enough to send me to the orchard behind his to see if they had any left. Turns out they did! Already picked. The guy told me I could put as many in a large paper grocery bag as I could fit in the bag for ten dollars. I took one look at these peaches and I couldn't believe my eyes! "These are HUGE!" I said. Well, he explained that these were actually small compared to the ones he had during the peak of the season. He said they were weighing in at two and a half pounds PER PEACH! The ones I got were at least double the size of the ones I have been getting all season. HUGE! I am going back to this place. My bag of peaches was at least 40 pounds. For ten dollars. Not bad at all! I am definitely going back to this place! Oh, and they are SOOO good, too. I am looking forward to Spring now. Cherries, peaches, apples....

Hubby went to church last night, so my day was longer than usual. I got all that stuff made AND washed up every dirty dish that I used. Kitchen table and bar counter are still clean. Yeah for me! And I borrowed the original three Star Wars movies from Zachary's dad, so I watched Star Wars and half of Empire Strikes Back while I baked and cleaned. It's been so long since I have seen those. I just love Princess Leah's hair. Those big cinnamon rolls on the sides of her head. WHAT were they thinking? The movie makes a lot more sense now, though. The comments about the senate and other things make much more sense when you have seen the first three movies.

The girls weren't able to stay up long enough to see Daddy. Rebekah came over to me while I was sitting down watching the movie. "Can you hold me?" She climbed up in my lap and told me I am the best food maker ever! Usually, I am the best mommy ever. But I'll take food maker, too. She loved the rolls. Had two. Then fell asleep in my lap. Maybe she was talking about the hot dog she had for dinner, though. She loved that, too. Jess was diplomatic and said the potato salad was good. She ate two hot dogs and had pumpkin pie for dessert. She didn't like the rolls. She said if they were sweeter, she would like them. Everyone's a critic.

Jess lasted about an hour longer, then succumbed to sleep as well. When their daddy got home, he got to peek in on the beautiful little sleeping faces.

A good day. Happy children, clean house. Baked goods. Does it get better than this?

Zachary

Jess and Bekah have a friend named Zachary. His mom calls him "Z". He is the cutest little boy ever! Not just cute, but well-behaved as well. He is four, right in-between the girls ages, so he plays nicely with both of them. He is very sensitive, not a bully, a little bit shy and really a good boy. I mean, not perfect, because then you would worry that something was wrong, but very well-behaved.

He is also an only child. So, he gets lonely and then his mom feels bad. Well, his mom has "borrowed" the girls a couple of times now and the kids get to play. We get together and play, too, at other times, but they have fun taking the girls out. When I was getting ready for the baby shower, Zachary's parents took the girls and went to the mall play area, took them to Red Robin for lunch and I think they went to the park, too. Yesterday we dropped off the girls at their house in the afternoon and picked them up at about 8:00pm. We got to go on a date! So fun! And the girls had a blast. Zachary went to gymnastics and the girls ran around on the grass outside for 45 minutes. Then they went to Costco and got pizza and smoothies or ice cream or something. They had a blast! Apparently a woman at Costco was looking at her assessing the scene, (my friend with a 3-,4- and 5-year old running around) and told her she was brave! Zachary's mom was a bit offended. It was none of her business!

Anyway, the girls had a great time. They didn't want to come home. At 8pm, they were playing in the backyard on the big play yard that he has. Three swings, teeter-totter, climbing wall, slide. It doesn't get much better than that!

They slept well last night. Scott and I got to have a nice, quiet evening out. We went to see "Man of the Year". Not as funny as I had hoped for. It was all right, but I would rent it, not buy it. The theater was quiet on Monday night, which was nice. Only a few people in there. A nice time.

So nice to have nice friends! A friend for the girls and friends for us as well. His parents are so nice, too! A wonderful day all around!

Phew! That's Done!

Well, the baby shower is done and my house is still clean. Three days later. ACTUALLY, it is cleaner now than it was on Saturday. I have been cleaning, re-arranging furniture, etc. The girls are under strict orders not to bring toys out of the playroom. Scott feels as though he is in someone else's house. Me, too. The nice thing is, though, that last night I didn't feel as though I needed to jump up and do something. I really felt like it was ok to sit for a few minutes. Now, mind you, only half the house is clean. The visible half. The half that nobody sees still looks like a pig sty, but we will cross one bridge at a time. For now, at least if someone comes over, I won't be embarrassed!

For the girls, it was a great week. My friend Mary took them early in the week. Then on Friday, they went to library storytime with a friend, went to the mall play area, had lunch at Red Robin, went to the park and then came home. Then Rebekah went to ballet and I dropped them off at Mary's afterward. They stayed there for a couple hours and Daddy picked them up and brought them home. Friday night, I got home from evening prayer at church at about 9:15 and Rebekah was already asleep. She was so tired! Poor little thing!

My conversation with Rebekah yesterday:
Me: "Rebekah!"
Rebekah: "Whatt?" (She exaggerates the T just a bit)
Me: "I love you."
Rebekah: "I love you, too!"
Pause.
Rebekah: "I love our precious family!"

I let them play with Play doh-doh (their name for it) yesterday. For about 1 and 1/2 hours. They had a blast. Then it took me about 30 minutes to clean up the table, chairs and floor from the play doh mess. I hate play-doh. It gets everywhere! Maybe it isn't the play-doh, maybe it is my kids. It got pressed into the floor, stuck in the crack in the table where it comes apart. It was everywhere. And I can't stand the smell of play-doh either. But since I spent all last week cleaning, I promised them they would get to play with play-doh on Monday. SO I had to let them. As much work as it was. And I was tired! Well, that is over. I can put the play-doh away for another six months! I don't mind other crafts, paints, etc. I just don't like the play-doh!

Now I just have to keep the house clean. Halloween, Scott's brother's family over for dinner, Thanksgiving and Christmas around the corner! Oh, boy!

Oh, and the person who I did the baby shower with, she was wonderful! So helpful! The house wasn't near done when she got there and she helped to put the finishing touches on it. Then we made the food, etc. It is nice to work with someone who is so easy to work with! I think the baby shower went rather well. And they got so many cute things! Oh my goodness! Now the girls want a baby brother even more than they did before!

One I can relate to...

Praise The Lord

An elderly lady was well-known for her faith and for her boldness in talking about it. She would stand on her front porch and shout "PRAISE THE LORD!"

Next door to her lived an atheist who would get so angry at her proclamations he would shout, "There ain't no Lord!!"

Hard times set in on the elderly lady, and she prayed for GOD to send her some assistance. She stood on her porch and shouted "PRAISE THE LORD. GOD I NEED FOOD!! I AM HAVING A HARD TIME. PLEASE LORD, SEND ME SOME GROCERIES!!"

The next morning the lady went out on her porch and noted a large bag of groceries and shouted, "PRAISE THE LORD."

The neighbor jumped from behind a bush and said, "Aha! I told you there was no Lord. I bought those groceries, God didn't."

The lady started jumping up and down and clapping her hands and said, "PRAISE THE LORD. He not only sent me groceries, but He made the devil pay for them. Praise the Lord!"

Is Gun Control The Answer?

Okay, I am going to get on my soapbox here. I just read about the school shooting in an Amish schoolhouse. Apparently the shooter was angry about something that happened twenty years ago and decided to take it out on some innocent Amish schoolgirls. They don't deserve to be shot!

SO, then I saw some comments posted about the shooting and the others from last week. Well, so many people are saying that these criminals should not have access to guns. That there should be more gun control. Yes to the first part, NO to the second!

How many criminals get their guns from a gun store, where they must go through the background check, basic firearms safety test, waiting period, etc.? None. Maybe a few. They get their guns on the streets. Stolen from somewhere else, bought from someone who sold it illegally. So, how many of these hundreds and thousands of gun laws are protecting the public from criminal access to guns? Very few. So, what is the purpose of all the gun laws? To keep law-abiding citizens from being able to carry guns. If there were more people allowed concealed-carry permits, there would be fewer gun-related crimes. No criminal wants to be shot dead while holding someone up. Or robbing a liquor store. He wants a victim that cannot defend himself.

This is such a sad story. I have visited the Amish community in PA. They are hard-working, friendly people who just want to go about their lives and not harm others. It is so horrible that an angry man had to take it out on these people. They don't deserve that. But to say that it is because he had access to guns, and that people should not be allowed to have guns is like saying that matches and fire should be banned because someone started a fire. Fire is good. Without it, we could not heat our homes, light our fireplaces and our candles and enjoy our backyard fire pits. But when it is used in a bad way, well, then it is not the fault of the fire. It is the fault of the person who used it carelessly and without concern for anyone but themselves.

Our country is divided. The right and the left. Who is right? Neither and both. Both sides have their beliefs and convictions. But without unity, without allowing the other side a choice, without having the right to live as we want to live, this country will not survive.

We need to pray for our country and our brothers and sisters in it. We need to remember what our founding fathers built this country on - a belief in GOD. We need to look out for each other and look to God to heal our wounds and give us peace.

When I was pregnant with Rebekah, the alarm went off in the house. At about 6:30am. Well, needless to say, I about jumped out of my skin. I grabbed the phone, called 911 and reported that my alarm went off and I thought someone was trying to break in. I also grabbed some protection. Well, I checked all the windows and doors, told Jess to stay put and waited. Twenty minutes later, the sheriffs called and said they were on their way, from the other side of town. Twenty five minutes after THAT (45 min. after I called) they showed up. Thank goodness it was not a real break-in, but an alarm malfunction. Had it been a real break-in and I was waiting for the sheriffs to come to my rescue, I would not have been there to answer their questions. They cannot protect you or your home or your children from someone intent on doing you harm. They just cannot be there in time. And there are at least half a dozen police, sheriffs and retired sheriffs in my immediate neighborhood. Big help. Be prepared to take care of yourself. Hopefully, you will never have the need. I hope I am never in a situation where I will need to protect my family. But I am prepared to do so. Be prepared. The criminals are.

Friends

It is nice to have friends. Family is chosen for us. We choose our friends ourselves. Friends change as your life changes. When you are young and single, you "hang out" with friends that are in the same situation. Some you get together with just because you like to have fun together, some because you can talk to them.

When you get married, you choose different friends. Your single friend will not necessarily feel comfortable with you and your spouse. You move on. You don't lose that friend, but time and circumstances change relationships. Then come the babies. It is completely different to be married with kids than married without. That can change relationships again.

It is nice to find people that you click with. To have people that both you and your spouse get along with. That is so much easier and more relaxing than having "his" friends and "her" friends.

We spent the afternoon yesterday with some nice friends. People like us. But not too much like us, that would be wierd. A little different than all the other people that are out there. People you can relax with. People who just kind of think the way you do. It was nice. Good food. Good friends. A rain-puddly afternoon. A good time. I hope they had as enjoyable an afternoon as we did! :-)

A Wrinkle In Time

As a kid, I was a voracious reader. I would read anything and everything. I would read in bed before it was time to go to bed and after I went to bed with a flashlight under the covers. I would read until I was done with the book and then start another one. Never had a problem with book reports. I would read the book several times, if it was a good one. I read Little Women and loved it. So I got Little Men, Jo's Boys and about 4 other books by Louisa Mae Alcott. I couldn't put the books down! One book I read was A Wrinkle In Time. Great story. Well, let's say, for the sake of argument, the book was 300 pages. Well, I read the first 270 pages or so as quickly as I could. Read it right through. Then, I turned the page. Page 271 was Page 1, Chapter 1. Then page two, page three. It just started over. The book was messed up. It didn't have an ending. The last 30 pages of the book were missing. I never finished the book. That was frustrating for so long and then, eventually, I forgot about it. Same thing happened with Star Trek: Voyager. I never got to see the last episode. Until it came out on video and I had Netflix. Well, at the library yesterday, I found the Disney movie, "A Wrinkle In Time". It apparently came out in 2004. I never knew! Now I have closed that chapter of my life. What a relief! Now I don't have to wonder what happened at the end of the book!

Things are looking up!

The evacuation has been downgraded to precautionary. That's good. The fire is 63% contained. That's good. The wind didn't kick up yesterday. That's good. Three goods. Dad stayed at his house last night, but we are still enjoying the kitty cat here. The girls love him. I found Rebekah on the floor with her face in the kitty's fur the other night. She had disappeared about ten minutes earlier. Soft warm fur. She loved it. And the kitty just sat there. He's very good. And we are feeding him, too! That's a bonus for him!

Hopefully, everything stays where it is supposed to stay today and the winds do not kick up. Thank you, God!

Fire Update

The conditions today are not good. Dad was going to leave last night about 6pm and we talked him in to staying until morning. That was not hard to do. He didn't put up a fight. He just left about a half hour ago, after making german pancakes for the girls. We measured out the ingredients so I will post the recipe later. The girls were VERY happy. That made their papa happy. And they didn't want him to leave. Rebekah asked if he was going to stay here forever. Dad's friend called from Tucson. He used to work for Dad, like 25 years ago, and he still calls Dad to ask questions about Porsche repair. He has his own shop, but still calls Dad at least once a week. Anyway, Dad and I were talking about Chuck calling. Rebekah says, "WHO is Chuck?" So I told her he is a friend of Papa's who calls Papa because Papa is smart. Rebekah's response: "Well, I'm smart. Is he going to call me?" Dad had a good laugh about that.

He left the animals here. He is going to come back tonight. The firefighters were there yesterday assessing the houses up in the area to determine what would need to be done in the event they had to come back up there to fight the blaze. That means they are preparing. The humidity is less than ten percent and the winds will be heading northwest, straight toward Dad's house, at 6-15mph with gusts up to 25mph. Very erratic and unpredictable. Red flag warning for fires. Evacuation order still in place.

Keep him in your prayers. Dad was saying that it would be easier just to go and be with Mom. He only talks like that when he feels thoroughly defeated. Which he does right now. He said he can't live like this for the next two weeks. So, he will stay here until the danger is passed and I can keep an eye on him.

Happy Birthday Blog!

This is my 101st blog entry! It was supposed to be witty, yet refined, bold, yet not too revealing, with an air of understated elegance and charm. Yeah, right. It's just me. But this IS my 101st entry! That's pretty good! I guess I have finished the trial period. And you, my wonderful readers, are all still here! How nice! Just waiting for little morsels to chew on, eh?

Well, here is one.

YOU ARE HERE

X

And this is the highlight
of your day.

Right? :-)

I love you, too. Thanks for putting up with the rants, the complaints, the happy days and the sad. Thank you for still being here!
Before my two hundredth blog, I propose to do the following:

Lose weight down to my next goal (like checkpoints).
Find my contract with the stupid patio guy.
Get my house clean. Actually this has to be done by Friday, October 13.
Jessica will be reading. She is well on her way.
Read five books. That are not printed on cardboard pages. And no pictures.
Go on a date with my husband.
Go out for an evening with my friend Mary.

These are the goals. Let's see if I meet them. I should refer back to this and check my progress.

I probably shouldn't blog when I am this tired. I will never remember writing down all this stuff!

Day Fire

Dad came home with me last night. We got the house as well-secured as possible. Under the circumstances. Depending on who you talked to, the fire was between three miles and six miles from Dad's back porch. That was last night. They said it wasn't going anywhere last night, however, this morning is another matter. The fire is on the other side of the mountain from Dad's house. That's no good.

There was a meeting with the neighbors last night. One neighbor works for the forestry service and another is a sheriff. Some people's homes are in the trees, some are out in the open with no trees nearby. Dad's is the former. Surrounded by trees. We cleared everything off the porch at about ten o'clock last night. Firewood, chairs, etc. We took pictures of all the vehicles in the garage, the garage itself and the entire house. We got all the valuables out of the house.

We had heard a rumor that the road through town was closed to people coming into town. Not true. So, Dad came home with me. Apparently there had been a sheriff going door to door on Monday night about ten pm. Well, if they came to Dad's, he didn't hear them. He has some trouble hearing, so this is entirely possible. We spoke with the sheriff last night. He took down all the info for all the neighbors and they tied a yellow "flag" to the house to show that they had contacted the owner. They are under recommended evacuation status (i.e., time to leave). Anyway, I think that made him a bit nervous. So, we did what we could and prayed over the house before leaving it last night, with Scottie and Grey Kitty in tow. We prayed that God would send angels to protect the home and property, that He would protect the firefighters and that He would send rain (or snow) to douse this thing. Do a miracle, God! Or, at least, use this terrible situation to Your glory! Grey will stay here and I will be driving down to Kris' house tomorrow with the Scottie dog. She agreed to keep him, though she said, she hasn't had a dog since moving out of my parents house when she got married. I think she is not quite sure what to do with him. I'd keep him here, but he is much smaller than our two german shepherd dogs. They are separated from him tonight, but we can't keep him in the dog crate and I am afraid the dogs will all bark their heads off.

Dad has a Porsche Roadster that he has been restoring for about 15 years now. It has been painted silver. He showed it to me last night. It is BEAUTIFUL. It is not completed, and cannot be moved. Client cars, all but four, have been moved to a more secure location. One of those that is left at the house is in the same situation as Dad's Roadster. It also cannot be moved.

Thank you for all your prayers. I am also worried about Dad right now. I think part of the reason he came home with me was so he could get some sleep. He hasn't been able to sleep lately. Understandably so. Not knowing if the fire is going to kick up overnight and be a problem. We got home at midnight and I am sure his two granddaughters will be waking him up by 7:30 or so. He was looking forward to seeing them.

I am glad that this did not happen while Mom was living. It would have been a much different situation had he also needed to contend with her safety. We did post a note on the door for the firefighters that there are no longer any handicapped people living in the house. It has a handicapped ramp on the side of the house and there was a wheelchair on the front porch, that we moved to the side of the house.

Will keep you posted.

Rebekah has a crush

Well, I guess it was bound to happen eventually. She thinks he is handsome. Well, his wife thinks he is handsome, too. Rebekah has a little crush on her priest.

"I think Fadder Rich is handsome. AND he's a BOY!"

"Yes, Honey, but he is married. You have to find a boy who isn't married."

She's still looking.

I'm up to my knees in....

So, yesterday I took Jess to the doctor. No cold. No flu. No shots. She doesn't have a fever. She has a stomach ache. She has had it for several weeks. Before she eats, after she eats, when she isn't thinking about eating. Various times. All the time. Seldom. It comes and goes. For the most part, she runs around like her wild crazy self. But then she will get a stomach ache out of nowhere. Huh?

So, we went to the dr. He listened to her breathing and they did an xray because he said her breathing on one side was noticeably different than the other side. He thought about pneumonia. No. Lungs are fine. But, the other thing that showed up on the xray was her intestines. And they have a lot of stuff in them. That shouldn't be there. It needs to come out. Well, there is only one way that is going to happen. She had apple juice and prune juice for breakfast. With wheat toast and shredded wheat cereal and some sliced peaches. Lunch will consist of some dried apricots and a sandwich on whole wheat bread. We'll see what happens after that. She doesn't seem to have a problem. She goes every day, but maybe that's all it is.

The point of all this is, well, one of the things the dr. said to do is get some specimens. So I am collecting samples in little vials and this is all very new to me. One thing I found funny is that I am supposed to smear a small sample on this card for three days. It is called Hemoccult II. "The world leader in occult blood testing" is what it says on the outside of the card. Brings new meaning to the term, "dabbling in the occult". What exactly is it they are dabbling in?

Oh the joys of being a mom.

Do they or don't they?

So, every once in a while, I come across someone who doesn't like me. For the most part, I get along with just about everyone. I have some very close friends. There are a few people I have known for 33-34 years! I have some great friendships. Everybody has friends that they relate to more than other people, but sometimes I just rub some people the wrong way. A guy I used to work with, who didn't want to work very hard, said I made him look bad and he hated me for it. Another guy who just decided he didn't like me. Period. I didn't do anything to him. Various women along the way, one of which had a crush on a guy I was seeing at work. But she was MARRIED! Unhappily, though. Sometimes there are reasons, sometimes not. Or at least, not that I know of. I have been told I have a very strong personality. I guess I do. I do care what other people think, just not to the point of living my life by it. I have had to come to terms with the fact that I cannot make other people happy all the time, and if they don't like me, tough noogies. I can't be something I am not just because someone else is uncomfortable with it. Sometimes, I am just too out there. I don't try to offend, in fact, many people confide in me and feel very comfortable talking to me. Their secrets are safe with me. But not everyone.

I bring all of this up because recently I came to the realization that there is someone who I think falls into this category. I don't think they like me very much. I am not certain why. I just get this feeling, even though we have known each other for some time, that maybe this person is one of those that I rub the wrong way without realizing it. Some of these people I confronted at one time or another, to try to make amends. Some I just left alone. So my question is, my bloggy friends, what do you think? Should I say something to this person, who I am not entirely certain, but pretty sure has a problem with me, although I don't know what, or should I just go on? Although, now that I think there may be a problem, I will possibly feel more uncomfortable with them. I have been thinking about this for over a week.

On being 36

Well, in two days, I will no longer be 36. Every year, I turn a year older and don't really think about it. My sister is going to be 40 next month. So, I will be in my 30's and she in her 40's. Ha. I am SOOOO much younger than her!

Why it is good to have a birthday:

You get to blow out all the candles on your birthday cake.
There are going to be a lot of candles on my birthday cake.
But more on my sister's.
Scott makes me a birthday cake on my birthday.
which means my husband will be cooking in the kitchen.
I get to eat cake...
and the calories don't count on your birthday.
I get birthday cards.
some with money in them(?)
so I get to get something for me, instead of for the kids.
JCPenney sent me a $15 gift cert for my birthday.
I get a free appetizer at Red Lobster.
And at Johnny Carino's.
And a free dessert at Bucca Di Beppo.
If I go to all these places.
And, if I don't go, I get to save all kinds of money.
Dad is coming out to babysit the girls, so we can go out.
If the fire doesn't threaten his house.
The girls will get me a birthday card.
And Scott is taking the day off of work.
So I don't have to get up with him at 4am.
Which means, I get to sleep in on my birthday.
And do whatever I want.
Which is, to spend time with my family.
And, most importantly, my God loves me.

High Today: 77 Degrees

Nice! It is windy, but that is clearing away the smoke and stuff. Promises to be a nice day.
Today's schedule:
9:30-10:00 Story time at the library
10:30-12:30 Jessica's schoolwork, laundry
12:30-1:30 Lunch and play
1:20-3:00 Laundry, housecleaning, etc.
3:30 Rebekah's ballet class
4:30 make dinner
5:30 Scott home, have dinner, do dishes, relax, go to bed (and watch Whose Line on ABCFamily)

Full day! Will have to squeeze in going outside and enjoying the weather for a little while.

And continue to look for that stupid contract...

How We Occupied Ourselves During Retreat

On Thursday, Scott left early, not having heard that the time to meet was changed. So, I got up early with him and helped him pack. Dad was supposed to come out on Thursday morning to spend the day with us, but he had to head down to Sun Valley to work on a race car. He got to our house in the mid-afternoon. We had a nice time and he got to see Jessica's ballet/tap class. She is doing very well. She is enjoying the tap. We signed Rebekah up to do ballet again and she will start on Friday. She wants to do it this time. That lasted two weeks in March, but I think she will stick with it this time. I will have to take pictures. It is so cute.

So, after Jess' ballet lesson, we went to the grocery store and picked up some steaks for dinner. We didn't eat them. We went out for chinese food. The girls love chinese food. They also love japanese (Rebekah ate six california rolls the last time), mexican, italian, steak and just about everything else. I think Rebekah's favorite was the sweet and sour pork. And the little wontons they serve with sweet and sour sauce before the meal. Jess prefers the beef with broccoli and the fried shrimp. Anyway, we ate and then came home and watched The Iron Giant. Great movie. Dad had never seen it. Rebekah's favorite line, "I go. You stay. No following." It's so good!

So, we got them to bed at about 11:00pm and then the girls were waking Papa up at 7:00am. I got up and fixed oatmeal and then Dad got a call on his cell phone that they were having problems with the race car. It was leaking. And they were headed out to a car show or something, so it needed to be fixed. Nothing like being needed. So, he left and the girls were so sad! They couldn't wait for him to come back. We went to the library for storytime (every Friday) and then did some errands. He was gone for about three hours and met us at Costco later. Then we headed up to Frazier Park to stay Friday night up there. We made Prime Rib for dinner (rib eye steaks at Albertson's $3.87/lb - just ask them to cut one for you to whatever size, ours was 8 lbs.) That was yummy. The girls wanted more, more, more.

We had jello for dessert and then talked and played pool. Jessica was so tired she was asking to go to bed! How often does that happen? In the morning, we had German pancakes and sat on the front porch for a while. It was only about 75 degrees outside during the day. At night, we had the windows open and it got down to about 45 degrees, so I had to shut the windows. Such a problem to have! The girls didn't want to leave their Papa. So we stayed until about 4:00pm. We headed over to Gramma Alice's house for a family get together there. Got home at about 8:30pm and Bekah fell asleep on the way home. Kept 'em busy while Daddy was away so they wouldn't miss him too much. It seemed to work. They were VERY happy to see him, though, when we got home from Papa's house. A fun weekend. I missed Hubby though, and I was VERY happy to have him home.

Helpful Hints

It has been a while since we had a good list. Hopefully, you think this is a good one. So, from my years of experience, here goes (in no particular order):

Don't forget to remind hubby to take your garbage out on trash pickup day. You won't like the way it smells for another week.

Don't get cocky and think you are doing so well on your A/C bill that you can turn it on a tiny bit longer. This will cost you $200 more the next month. ($500 electric bill! AAAAggghhh!)

Don't wait till your weeds are waist high to pull them. Get 'em while they are small. They are much easier to pull out. And soak 'em with water first. Then you won't fall on your butt trying to pull them out.

Don't buy a house with a slope that you have to maintain. It will be covered in weeds forever.

Don't let your cute little bushes get so bushy next to your house so that you do not notice the gopher who has made a home behind your sprinkler valves.

Don't leave the jumbo size bottle of bubbles where your five year old can reach it. She will try to pour it in the bubble mower and you will have bubble solution all over your garage floor.

Don't wait to pull the dead stick tree out of your front yard. Do it when it dies. This way, you will have a much better view that you didn't realize you were missing.

Don't leave the weeds that you spent all your time picking in a pile on the grass. The weeds will flower, causing more weeds than ever in the spot where you left them lying.

Don't buy a female german shepherd dog that is bred for schutzhund training to be a back yard dog. She will have too much energy and you will have a destroyed backyard.

Don't get a patio built by a friend of a friend. Get someone you don't know and nobody else knows.

Don't lose the contract from said patio builder. File it. Do not put it with your junk mail.

Don't keep your junk mail. Get rid of it. If you do keep it, file it immediately and do not let it end up in boxes with the rest of your junk. It will take months to find something when you go to look for it.

Don't take husband to car dealer. Go yourself and decide what you like. After you have decided, then bring husband along.

Do not trade in perfectly good vehicle for smaller perfectly good vehicle when husband likes larger perfectly good vehicle.

When husband pouts about not having large perfectly good vehicle anymore, don't remind him of all the reasons why you traded in large PGV. Instead, just let him mourn the loss and move on.

Don't wait three weeks to mow your lawn. The lawn will be too difficult to mow and you will wish you had done it sooner since it looks so nice.

Don't send husband to custom tailor by himself to pick out fabric for custom-made clerical shirt. Husband will not believe tailor about wrinklability of said fabric and will order it anyway. You will be forever ironing.

Don't iron a tablecloth before you know if it fits on the table you plan on putting it on.

DO have a great day today and think of all the things you won't do now that you know better!

Goodbye, pets!

Well, we let the caterpillars out of their bug condo this morning. We had three of them in captivity for several days. Long enough to watch them, study them, etc. None of them cocooned, but that's okay. I think I know what they turn into.

I let them out on the same plant they came from. And while I was out there, this beautiful dark orange and black butterfly was flying all around Bekah and me. It got very close to us, landed on two plants very near us and stayed long enough for us to get a really good look at it. I think that our dark reddish and black caterpillars turn into this same butterfly. I saw the same type not too long ago as well. So, I will leave them alone. They can eat my passion flower vine. It is doing well anyway.

Be free butterflies!

Nameless, but not Blameless

So, a few years ago, in a galaxy far, far away, way, way back when I was a teenager, I was going to a church with a pushy, aggressive pastor. He shall remain nameless, though not in the least bit blameless. He thought he needed to be in the middle of everything. He was supposed to be told about everything. He was in charge of every aspect of every person's life, whether they liked it or not. A dictator. Anyway, so, I was seventeen, and dating a boy in the church. We had just started to get serious and lo and behold, we ended up in a sort of awkward position of needing to confess our, ahem, indiscretions. Well, we decided together that we should seek the counsel of our pastor, since that is what we were led to believe was the right thing to do. The guy went to the pastor and they had a meeting - over breakfast at a restaurant. He got a verbal slap on the wrist and was told to not do that again. Oh, and are you going to be there for softball practice? After this, I met with him. In his office, behind closed doors. Boy, did I get it. He screamed at me. He told me that everything that I was doing, I was trying to "lure" men. From my acrylic fingernails to my 1966 Porsche 912 that I was driving at the time (this car cost next to nothing to purchase because Dad got a deal on it and cost NOTHING to fix, since he had all the parts - but that couldn't be why I was driving it). The way I dressed, the way I acted, all of it was me trying to get the attention of guys. I don't know where they all were watching this from, because they didn't seem to be within my range of view at the time. I never saw any of these men I was supposedly trying to lure. Considering the source of these accusations, I don't now consider them to be too terribly accurate, but at the time, well, I was young. I was of the impression that he knew what he was talking about. After all, he was a pastor and aren't they supposed to be kind, caring, compassionate? Well, some are not.

Anyway, so after getting verbally abused for quite a long period of time and being told that all that had transpired was MY fault and mine alone, I really didn't feel like participating in any of the reindeer games anymore. I was working at Bullock's in the Northridge Mall. The one that caved in on itself in the Northridge Earthquake eight years later. I told my boss at the time to put me on the schedule every Sunday, so I wouldn't have to see this yahoo. Well, that worked for quite some time. When I again showed my face at church, he inquired as to whether I had informed my parents about said indiscretions. No, I didn't feel they needed to know. Well, he, in his infinite wisdom, felt I DID need to tell my parents and informed me that if I did not, he would. He left me no choice. So, I sat my parents down and told them the whole story. Complete with the tell-the-parents threat. While they were glad to have been informed, they were needless to say, rather unimpressed about the way it all came about. And about their daughter taking the ENTIRE blame for the incident. So, we had a meeting. This pastor and his wife, my mom, dad, me, my sister and brother-in-law. In retrospect, I don't know why they were there, but they were. So, here we are, all seven of us, sitting in my parents living room, talking about the way I was counseled (I use the term very loosely here). And this guy went off. How dare my parents question the way he counseled me? Did they not know that he had lots of experience counseling teenagers and dealing with them? How dare they ask why he did what he did? When they told him that they may leave the church over this, he informed them that they could not TELL him they were leaving the church, they must ASK him if they could leave the church. He turned to my dad, who likes to have the whole story before determining his position and blasted him for letting his wife (my mom) do all the talking. Questioned him as to why he would let his wife ask all the questions. The pastor was so angry that he was jumping up and down in my parents house and at one point, slammed his hand against the fireplace in anger, I guess to make his point. The fireplace didn't budge. The rest of us had eyes as big as saucers. Uh, disbelief. Total. Even his wife. Although she hardly said anything as I recall.

This was the beginning of the end. I stopped going to church. This and a couple of other incidents put me over the top. Didn't have a problem with God, just some of the people running the place. I really didn't go back to church hardly at all until we ended up at the CEC. (A few months at another church where they were a startup and the pastor bounced a check to me for $300 for something I bought for the church and then asked if they could make payments on it. That only added fuel to the distrust fire.)

This was also the beginning of the end for this pastor. I believe I was the first in a very long series of people that got verbally abused and mis-treated by him. His "counseling" sessions left a lot to be desired. His ministry, if you can call it that, never recovered. He apparently ended up being demoted in the church hierarchy and eventually ended up being a janitor or something. His current position is somewhat lower on the proverbial totem pole than what I am sure he ever anticipated. Well, you know, when you beat up the sheep instead of trying to protect them, I don't think God looks too kindly upon that.

There was one woman at that church who had severe emotional trauma. Going back to when she was a child. Horrible abuse. She would have flashbacks at inopportune times. She liked to sit in the front of the church so that her mind would not wander and she could concentrate more easily. Well, he did not want her to disrupt the service. To my knowledge she never did. But he told her to sit in the back of the church so she wouldn't bother anybody else. Nice.

He was pastor of that church and living in the house owned by that church. Life was good. Well, he was eventually removed as pastor, had to move out of the house and did a short stint as a car salesman. Talk about change. Don't mess with the sheep.

No, I was not perfect. But I was not the person he made me out to be either. And it had a rather devastating negative effect on my life for about fifteen years or so. Bummer. Glad I found the CEC. God is good. Healing is good.

You can find it too, at www.iccec.org

International Blogging Day?

Who ever heard of such a thing. Apparently it was yesterday. Who knew? Well, happy International Blogging Day to all of you out in Blogland, You know who you are! I am supposed to refer you to some good blogs. Here goes:

http://barrierislandgirl.blogspot.com/ Nice beach pictures

http://blackpurlsknitpickings.blogspot.com/ This one is great! A missionary family in Krasnodar Russia. Very interesting.

http://mercylane.blogspot.com/ She quilts, she writes, she scrapbooks. So cool. And she photographs the most beautiful creations she has made!

Go and see for yourselves! Happy belated blog day.

Yeah, they want me...

I got a letter from the Cambridge Who's Who. I am "being considered for inclusion into the 2006/2007 Cambridge Who's Who Among Executive and Professional Women "Honors Edition" of the Registry." The letter goes on to say that "Recognition of this kind is an honor shared by thousands of executive and professional women throughout America each year. Inclusion is considered by many as the single highest mark of achievement."

They want me.

They are about six years too late, though. I was at the height of my career with the mortgage company, doing mortgage licensing for thirty states, for branch offices in six states, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act filing for HUD as well as licensing for HUD, filing with the California Department of Corporations for our California Mortgage Lenders license, Human Resources administration for 80 employees in Los Angeles and overseeing approx. 30 employees around the country. Oh, and Executive Secretary to two "executives" who ran around, cheated on their wives, went to the corporate apartment with their girlfriends for "lunch" and generally behaved like spoiled brats. But they were nice to me.

Who's Who should have contacted me then.

Now, I am in charge of two rambuctious children. I have never been more busy. They wouldn't want me now. They should have talked to me then.

Oh well. Another time in my life. I guess when I get back in the work force, I will have to get in touch with them. Maybe the offer will still stand.

Ya think?

Well, if these two can get along...

Hamster, snake best friends at Tokyo zoo
'I've never seen anything like it,' zookeeper says of unlikely pairing
Jan. 18, 2006


TOKYO - Gohan and Aochan make strange bedfellows: one's a 3.5-inch dwarf hamster; the other is a yard-long rat snake.

Zookeepers at Tokyo's Mutsugoro Okoku zoo presented the hamster - whose name is a tasty rice dish in Japanese - to Aochan as a snack in October, after the snake refused to eat frozen mice.

But instead of indulging, Aochan decided to make friends with the furry rodent, according to keeper Kazuya Yamamoto. The pair have shared a cage since.

"I've never seen anything like it. Gohan sometimes even climbs onto Aochan to take a nap on his back," Yamamoto said.

Aochan, a 2-year-old male Japanese rat snake, eventually developed an appetite for frozen rodents but has so far shown no signs of gobbling up Gohan - despite her name.

"We named her Gohan as a joke," Yamamoto chuckled. "But I don't think there's any danger. Aochan seems to enjoy Gohan's company very much."

The Tokyo zoo also keeps a range of mostly livestock animals, and promotes "cross-breed interaction," according to Yamamoto.

But Gohan and Aochan's case was "was a complete accident."

MY Chili Tastes Like Crap

Well, my husband generally likes my cooking. But not my chili. This came up on Sunday when, at the PoFolks Potluck Joann made chili. HERS was good, mine is crap. Just ask my husband. He was telling others at the table about how bad my chili is. Well, he was going on about how good Joann's chili was. Has been ever since. Stupid Joann. She's making me look bad. I had bought a packet of Carroll Shelby's Chili mix because my husband said he likes that kind. Said Joann's tastes like it. I made it for dinner. I didn't like it. Not much. He didn't like it much, either. Said there was too much meat, not enough beans. JOANN's chili had more beans than meat and it is BETTER that way. Just ask my husband. He said everything else I make is good. My chili - not so much. That's being too nice. He hates it. The chili I made tonight, he ate most of it. Jessica loved it. She also loves my chili. Said my chili is the best. What a good girl. I am not making chili at home anymore. It is the one thing we don't agree on.

Stupid chili.

nice hunting picture

Habeus Corpus

Yes, Snuffy, that is what it means. Very good, you get an A. Apparently what it means is that the warden is in CONTROL of the body, holding him against his will. Supposedly unjustly. Well, they file these lawsuits when they are not being treated very well by the other prisoners. The other prisoners don't like rapists, child molesters, etc. So, when someone gets sent to prison, the other inmates ask for their "papers", meaning, they want to know what they are in for, so they know what type of person they are dealing with and how to treat him. Well, this guy is not being treated well and now figures he shouldn't have to be there. Well, I say tough noogies. You wouldn't be there if you hadn't been a lowlife scumbag, creepy voyeur...but I digress. Anyway, they try to find a loophole in the system somewhere and a reason why they shouldn't be there. In this case, I think the loophole he is looking for is that the police reports were incorrect. However, he pled guilty to all the counts against him, so there he sits. Right where he should be. Hopefully for a long time.

I have wasted so much time on this. And now I know more than I ever cared to about the prison system.

Updates

Well, the prisoner is apparently filing a Habeus Corpus suit. I spoke with the DA's office. Which basically means he is suing the warden for unlawful detainment. Yeah, right, buddy. You wouldn't be there if you hadn't broken into women's apartments and made their lives miserable. He is apparently not getting treated very well in prison. Good. I have wasted too much of my time dealing with this.

I have received three letters. The "investigator" is a retired (for ten years) woman who lives in a retirement community and sings in the local community choir. I'm thinking it's mom. Trying to use the sympathy ploy in the third letter. Not gonna do it. I owe him nothing.

I just got off the phone with the wife of the contractor who said, "I am not interested in finishing the job" on the patio. I am still looking for the contract, so I called to see if they could send it to me. They "lost" it. Can't find a bunch of files that are in storage. Okay, Hillary. You are in business. You are supposed to be much more organized than I am. I guess I will have to keep looking. I am a reasonable person. Why are they doing this? How frustrating. My friend (who referred them, and has known them since they were both kids) cannot believe this. I don't think I am that difficult to deal with!

It's hot. Again. I just don't feel like me today. I am frustrated, tired and cranky. Hopefully, the kids are good. I am just not going to try to do much today. I will likely have a short fuse. Send a little prayer this way, okay? Thanks! I am sure I will be back to my normal happy self tomorrow.

Three

"Rebekah, put your toy in the playroom."
Five minutes later,
"Rebekah, put your toy in the playroom."
"I wiiilllll-aahh. How many times do I have to TELL you!"

A typical conversation at our house:
"Rebekah, did you eat the cookie?"
"No, Jess-ca did."
"NO I DIDN'T! SHE'S LYING!"
"Rebekah, did you eat the cookie?"
"Yes."

"Rebekah, how old are you?"
"Ree"

Rebekah was extremely talkative while Jess was gone at Papa's house. She didn't stop talking! We figured she was making up for lost time. Had to squeeze as much talking in as possible while her sister was away. Scott and I were laughing so hard all weekend. She comes up with the darndest things. Her big "problem" all weekend, that she kept bringing up, was who she is going to marry. Finally, Sunday morning she figured it out. Matthew! She wanted to marry Matthew! And she told him so! Kris said, "Nope. You can't. He's your cousin." I said, "Well, technically she could. But that would be too wierd. Kris is already her aunt and her godmother. She would also be her mother in law!"

So, the decision is still not made. Scott ages about ten years every time the girls talk about getting married. They are three and five! They are not supposed to be talking about this stuff yet. So, Scott's comment is, as he looks at me as though I am tne responsible one, "Well, we wouldn't have this problem if we had boys!"

Frogs and Caterpillars and Stink Bugs, Oh My!

I have bugs. I don't know if I should call the bug guy or not. The caterpillars are eating my passionflower vine and the toads got rid of all the daddylonglegs, but will the bug guy kill the caterpillars and the toads or just the bugs? The toads are babies of the original toad couple. They are hiding out in the grass in an old gopher hole. The gophers haven't showed up lately. None. But there is one hole in the grass that when I put the hose down it, it seems to go to China! The other ones are all linked together and when you put the hose down one of them, the toads pop their heads out. That's when I show them to the girls.

I don't know if my caterpillars are going to produce some ugly moths or some beautiful butterflies. I guess I will have to wait and see. They are not attractive. Black and red with poky things all over them. These are the things we played with as kids? You couldn't pay me to touch that thing! Eeewww! Jess wants to put one in her bug container so she can watch it grow. That might be a way to find out what kind of butterfly it turns into...

Found a spider in Rebekah's bed the other night. When Jess was gone. Good thing. Jess had nightmares of spiders in her bed for a while. At least we think it was a nightmare. She talked about a BIG spider crawling on her bed about a year ago. Well, I don't want creepy crawlies in the house. And the big huge ant hill in the back yard. If I put the poison out, they might shrink me and take me into their ant hill (a la The Ant Bully). What to do, what to do.

two funnies...cuz we can all use a laugh

UNANSWERED PRAYER?
The preacher's 5 year-old daughter noticed that her father always paused and bowed his head, for a moment, before starting his sermon.

One day, she asked him why.

"Well, Honey," he began, proud that his daughter was so observant of his messages, "I'm asking the Lord to help me preach a good sermon."

"How come He doesn't do it?" she asked.

THE BLESSING

My wife invited some people to dinner. At the table, she turned to our six-year-old daughter and said, "Would you like to say the blessing?" "I wouldn't know what to say," she replied. "Just say what you hear Mommy say," my wife said.

Our daughter bowed her head and said, "Dear Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?"

Don't forget to pray

An atheist was taking a walk through the woods. "What majestic trees! What powerful rivers!
What beautiful animals!" he said to himself. As he was walking alongside the river he heard a
rustling in the bushes behind him. He turned to look. He saw a 7 foot grizzly charge towards him. He ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked over his shoulder and saw that the bear was closing in on him. He looked over his
shoulder again, and the bear was even closer. He tripped and fell on the ground. He rolled over
to pick himself up but saw the bear right on top of him, reaching for him with his left paw
and raising his right paw to strike him. At that instant the Atheist cried out: "Oh my God!..."

Time stopped.
The bear froze.
The forest was silent.

As a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came out of the sky:
"You deny my existence for all of these years, teach others I don't exist, and even credit creation
to a cosmic accident.

Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament? Am I to count you as a believer?"
The atheist looked directly into the light, "It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask You
to treat me as a Christian now, but perhaps could you make the BEAR a Christian?" "Very well," said the voice.
The light went out.
The sounds of the forest resumed.
And then the bear dropped his right paw, brought both paws together and bowed his head and spoke: "Lord, bless this food, which I am about to receive from thy bounty through Christ our Lord. Amen."

Lenten humor

John Smith was the only Protestant to move into the large Catholic
neighborhood. On the first Friday of Lent, John was outside grilling
a big juicy steak on his grill. Meanwhile all of his neighbors were
eating cold tuna fish for supper. This went on each Friday during
Lent.
On the last Friday of Lent the neighborhood men got together and
decided that something just HAD to be done about John, he was just tempting them
to eat meat each Friday of Lent and they couldn't take it anymore. They decided
to try and convert him to be Catholic.

They went over and talked with him and were so happy that he decided
to join all of his neighbors and become a Catholic. They took him to
Church and the Priest sprinkled some water over him and told him "You were born
a Protestant,you were raised a Protestant and now you are a Catholic".
The men of the neighborhood were SO relieved, now their biggest Lent temptation
was resolved.

The next year's Lent rolled around. The first Friday of Lent came
and just at supper time when the neighborhood was setting down to
their fish dinners came the wafting smell of steak cooking on a grill. The
neighborhood men could not believe their noses!

What was going on???

They called each other up and decided to meet over in John's yard to
see if he had forgotten it was a Friday in Lent. The group arrived
just in time to see John standing over his grill with a small pitcher of water.
He was pouring small droplets over his steak on the grill and saying "You
were born a cow, you were raised a cow, and now you are a fish."

Brog Charrenge

1 Butt Dust
2 Noone
3 Stree
4 invalide



Any takers? (just come up with a funny or creative story to explain one of the above)

Come on, you know you want to. Come on!

Somewhere between Toddler and Teen

Jessica. My sweet little girl. I love her so much. She has the sweetest disposition. Even when she is trying to get away with something, it is not mean, malicious or anything like that. She is just very active. She went to my dad's house with him on Friday, after he spent the day with us. Well, I was going to pick her up on Saturday, but they went to Dad's brothers house and they were just leaving to pick up their four granddaughters and bring them back. So, she wanted to stay to go to the "Beach Party" they were going to have on Sunday afternoon. Joe is the overseer at a church camp up in the mtns. about a mile from Dad's house. So, they have a HUGE pool, a kitchen with ALL KINDS of cookies, snacks, treats, etc. and chocolate milk, juice, punch, you name it. And they give this stuff to the kids freely. Jess loves going up there. So, she stayed Saturday night as well and called me in the evening to tell me how much she missed me. I told her I would see her probably on Sunday night. She didn't do too well at church on Sunday morning. Dad can't hear her very well, so when she would try to whisper something to him in church, he couldn't hear her. She ended up getting frustrated, crying, and they left church early. Bummer. Well, then they did the beach party thing. That went well. She didn't want to get out of the pool. She is learning how to swim, go under water holding her breath, opening her eyes under water, etc. Two hours in the pool, 70 degrees. She didn't want to get out. After a long tiring day, she was exhausted. We were going to pick her up, but there was a fire in the mountains around Gorman and Lebec. The fwy was closed for a while. So, we decided to pick her up on Monday morning. She called us about 7:30pm bawling her eyes out. She would not take "Morning" for an answer. So, we piled into the car and drove up there, not knowing if we could get through or not. It was okay. The road was open. We could see the flames from the fwy. They were very close in some spots. Well, we got there, picked her up and got back home around 10pm. She was SO happy to see us. I guess two days away from Mom is too much. She is, after all, only five years old!

So here I am thinking my baby is still a baby. She still needs her mommy.

Yesterday, I was on the phone with my friend, Lana. Her daughter Melanie asks to talk to Jess when we are done on the phone. Comes back ten minutes later, "Are you done yet?" So we give the phones to the girls and they talk. And talk. And talk. For like 20 minutes! Jess is walking around the house talking on the cordless phone! When Lana tells Melanie it is time to have lunch, she gives Jessica her phone number so she can call her back! She's five! Melanie is six. I am so not ready for this. I figured I had several years left before I had to share my telephone!

So, I am not sure exactly how old my daughter is. Yeah, I know she is five. I guess that is somewhere between toddler and teen. What am I in for?????

Electric Bill$

So, people have been receiving some extremely high electric bills this summer. And, with the increase retroactive to January, it could get a lot worse. Hopefully, the rest of the summer is not as hot. I thought I would share with you a few bill amounts from various locations, so that, either you will feel better or worse about your own situation.

Quartz Hill, July $300
Canyon Country, July, $300
Lancaster, July, $525
Palmdale, July, $450
East Palmdale, June, $1050
Frazier Park, July, less than $200
Castaic, July, $800
Rancho Santa Margarita, July $895


Feel free to add your own on the comments. I just read too, that the increase may not happen until November. SCE requested that the increase not go into effect until November. That is good, since this time of year is the worst.

Why he doesn't blog

So, he wasn't actually working all that overtime. He was out racing cars! Go figure. That's a guy for you. They tell you one thing and do another. Yea, now I will have to go out and buy the tshirts and die cast cars and everything. Opening stores, racing cars, it is amazing that he has time for seminary classes, too.

Well, if he gets popular enough, maybe people will stop calling him James Scott.

A store in san diego

It's bad enough I can't go into a restroom without seeing his name plastered all over the place. Scottowels, James River Corporation, Fort James, Scott paper products. Now there is a store in San Diego called Scott James East Village. Too funny. In case I forget about him I can always go shop at his little boutique in San Diego.

Check this out. They have this really cool handbag. Made entirely of seatbelts! Holds up to 5000 lbs. I need to get one for my MIL. She carries that much change in her purse.