Last night at dinner we were talking about Benj's upcoming field trip. He was excited to go to the new museum, the library, and the puppet show. Then out of nowhere, he exclaimed, "This will be my 3rd time on a bus!"
Ooh, Do you remember the days when that was all so new. Riding a bus was as anticipated as riding on a space shuttle! The countdown, climbing onto such a huge vehicle, finding a seat, the windows, the sound of the engine, the take off, and then, wow! we're moving!
We asked him about his previous bus rides. The first was when we all took a bus down to the rodeo so we could save the hassle of parking. He doesn't remember seeing the bull riding or watching Martina McBride. He just remembers the bus ride. The second was when we went to see the High School Marching Band in San Antonio and Erin took him onto the charter bus to get him a candy bar--that time the bus didn't even go anywhere and he remembered it!
Caitlin went to NYC this week for a school activity. She was so excited to go on the plane! She's only flown once before because all of our family vacations usually include a LONG car ride. I don't want to embarrass her by saying how excited she was, but I'm sure she'll remember it more than many of the landmarks she goes to visit. (She just texted me to tell me she rode the subway this morning--another memory for her.)
I think the coolest form of transportation I've ever experienced was an old train that our YW/YM took from El Paso to Mexico City when I was 14. It was 24 hours on the train--sleeping cars, dining cars, RR crossings where we waved to all the stopped cars, lots of things to explore and check out, porters came in to our car in the evening to pull the bed down from the wall where it had been folded up. Very amazing trip. The sights we saw in Mexico were as memorable as the ride.
Here's to an exciting journey! Enjoy the ride!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Happy St Patrick's Day
This is one of my favorite jokes and I can only tell it once a year so, here goes:
Q. What's green and stays out all night?
A. patio furniture
(you might need to say it out loud) ;)
Q. What's green and stays out all night?
A. patio furniture
(you might need to say it out loud) ;)
Monday, March 16, 2009
Creative Puns
A friend emailed this list to me. I thought I'd pass it on--Enjoy!
CREATIVE PUNS FOR "EDUCATED MINDS"
1. The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.
2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island,but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian .
3. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.
4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class because it was a weapon of math disruption.
5. The butcher backed into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his work.
6. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery.
7. A dog gave birth to puppies near the roadand was cited for littering.
8. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.
9. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.
10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
11. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.
12. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
13. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, 'You stay here; I'll go on a head.'
14. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.
15. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said: 'Keep off the Grass.'
16. A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, 'No change yet.'
17. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.
18. The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.
19. The man who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.
20. A backward poet writes inverse.
21. In democracy it's your vote that counts. In feudalism it's your count that votes.
22. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.
23. Don't join dangerous cults: Practice safe sects!
CREATIVE PUNS FOR "EDUCATED MINDS"
1. The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.
2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island,but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian .
3. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.
4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class because it was a weapon of math disruption.
5. The butcher backed into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his work.
6. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery.
7. A dog gave birth to puppies near the roadand was cited for littering.
8. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.
9. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.
10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
11. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.
12. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
13. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, 'You stay here; I'll go on a head.'
14. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.
15. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said: 'Keep off the Grass.'
16. A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, 'No change yet.'
17. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.
18. The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.
19. The man who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.
20. A backward poet writes inverse.
21. In democracy it's your vote that counts. In feudalism it's your count that votes.
22. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.
23. Don't join dangerous cults: Practice safe sects!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Breakfast
I think everyone that knows me knows that I love to eat.
Especially food.
And it starts early.
This morning, I got up about 6 to take my hubby to Woodbadge. I ate an apple* while I got the kids out to school and morning things taken care of. After the house settled down and I realized I now had an entire day ahead of me to do whatever I wanted, I thought about breakfast. Sure I had an apple, but that was technically a snack. I pulled out the bag of Bob's Red Mill Steel Cut Oats-- a definite favorite lately. I made enough for two and put the second serving in the fridge for tomorrow (yes, oatmeal reheats in the microwave great!). That oatmeal is so good. I like it with white sugar, brown sugar and blueberries sprinkled on top. It tastes like blueberry muffins. Yum!
And while we're talking about hot cereal... True Confession: Every time we go to Utah we stop at Lehi Mills and buy a 25 lb. bag of Germade. I even asked M&S to bring us a bag once when they were visiting. I think it fit in their carry-on. :) Yes, I still owe you guys for that one. What did security think???
My all-time favorite breakfast food is pancakes. I love pancakes with homemade maple syrup and lots of butter. I like them with blueberries, I like whole wheat ones,
...and I will eat them on a train and I will eat them in the rain ...
and I recently found IHOP's recipe for their Harvest Grain and Nut Pancakes. I haven't tried it yet but it's full of oats, whole wheat flour, almonds, and walnuts. I also have a recipe for Sweet Potato Pancakes with brown sugar and pecans. It doesn't get any better than that. :)
For Christmas this last year, J&K sent us breakfast in a box. Was that the most perfect gift or what? We must be related!
I also love sweet breads, muffins, waffles, breakfast cake, danishes, actually any kind of pastry. I love crepes, doughnuts, kolaches, breakfast casserole, omelets, english muffins, french puffs, german pancakes, pannekoeken, and the list goes on....
I've decided that eggs aren't my favorite unless they're with something. If I eat a poached egg it has to be on top of an english muffin with grated cheese on top. Hollandaise sauce anyone? If we're going to scramble them we've got to put stuff in them. I like mushrooms and onions and/or zucchini and potatoes with a sprinkle of tomatoes and cheese on top. Like a scrambled omelet. And speaking of omelets--Chris makes the best omelets in the world--and the best sticky potatoes. He is a genius with breakfast. No wonder we love each other so much.
For sticky potatoes: grate a couple of potatoes but don't rinse them. Melt a little butter on a griddle or in a non-stick fry pan and add the potatoes. When they've gotten crispy on the bottom, flip them over. You might have to cut them with the side of your spatula so you can flip them over. Brown on the second side. Season with salt, pepper, season-all or whatever you like. Eat them with ketchup or homemade chili sauce.
Of course, our breakfast is usually cold cereal or instant oatmeal, or cinnamon toast. Since everyone leaves at different times we don't get to eat together every morning. Maybe the reason why I like a good breakfast so much is because we actually don't get it very often.
*A note about having an apple in the morning--One apple is supposed to give you just as much energy as a cup of coffee. Interesting, huh?
Especially food.
And it starts early.
This morning, I got up about 6 to take my hubby to Woodbadge. I ate an apple* while I got the kids out to school and morning things taken care of. After the house settled down and I realized I now had an entire day ahead of me to do whatever I wanted, I thought about breakfast. Sure I had an apple, but that was technically a snack. I pulled out the bag of Bob's Red Mill Steel Cut Oats-- a definite favorite lately. I made enough for two and put the second serving in the fridge for tomorrow (yes, oatmeal reheats in the microwave great!). That oatmeal is so good. I like it with white sugar, brown sugar and blueberries sprinkled on top. It tastes like blueberry muffins. Yum!
And while we're talking about hot cereal... True Confession: Every time we go to Utah we stop at Lehi Mills and buy a 25 lb. bag of Germade. I even asked M&S to bring us a bag once when they were visiting. I think it fit in their carry-on. :) Yes, I still owe you guys for that one. What did security think???
My all-time favorite breakfast food is pancakes. I love pancakes with homemade maple syrup and lots of butter. I like them with blueberries, I like whole wheat ones,
...and I will eat them on a train and I will eat them in the rain ...
and I recently found IHOP's recipe for their Harvest Grain and Nut Pancakes. I haven't tried it yet but it's full of oats, whole wheat flour, almonds, and walnuts. I also have a recipe for Sweet Potato Pancakes with brown sugar and pecans. It doesn't get any better than that. :)
For Christmas this last year, J&K sent us breakfast in a box. Was that the most perfect gift or what? We must be related!
I also love sweet breads, muffins, waffles, breakfast cake, danishes, actually any kind of pastry. I love crepes, doughnuts, kolaches, breakfast casserole, omelets, english muffins, french puffs, german pancakes, pannekoeken, and the list goes on....
I've decided that eggs aren't my favorite unless they're with something. If I eat a poached egg it has to be on top of an english muffin with grated cheese on top. Hollandaise sauce anyone? If we're going to scramble them we've got to put stuff in them. I like mushrooms and onions and/or zucchini and potatoes with a sprinkle of tomatoes and cheese on top. Like a scrambled omelet. And speaking of omelets--Chris makes the best omelets in the world--and the best sticky potatoes. He is a genius with breakfast. No wonder we love each other so much.
For sticky potatoes: grate a couple of potatoes but don't rinse them. Melt a little butter on a griddle or in a non-stick fry pan and add the potatoes. When they've gotten crispy on the bottom, flip them over. You might have to cut them with the side of your spatula so you can flip them over. Brown on the second side. Season with salt, pepper, season-all or whatever you like. Eat them with ketchup or homemade chili sauce.
Of course, our breakfast is usually cold cereal or instant oatmeal, or cinnamon toast. Since everyone leaves at different times we don't get to eat together every morning. Maybe the reason why I like a good breakfast so much is because we actually don't get it very often.
*A note about having an apple in the morning--One apple is supposed to give you just as much energy as a cup of coffee. Interesting, huh?
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Random Ramblings
It's about time to post. I know it's been a while. I've had so many little things on my mind, I haven't been able to even think of something definite that I would want to post about. So, here are some of my many little things.
I was talking to my brother about books the other day. He wanted me to recommend one for him to read. Our conversation drifted to--why are there so many good books with a smudge of smut in them? I recently read "Shopaholic" and there were many parts I laughed out loud at, but that smudge of smut made it a book that I certainly don't want my 14 year-old or 17 year-old reading. "Girl with the Pearl Earring" was a great book, but I hated the smut. I was reading it on the plane and felt like people were looking over my shoulder and I had to cover those pages so people couldn't see what I was reading. When "Marley" came out, my 14 year-old (12 at the time) wanted to read it. I told her, instinctively, that it was probably an adult book and I would need to read it first. In the time it took me to get around to reading it, a young reader version came out and she read that one while I read the adult version and I was glad it worked out that way. Why can't all books be young reader versions? Should books be rated? Can we please get the G or even PG version?
There's someone ringing my doorbell--and I didn't answer it. It's a yard guy and we don't have a yard guy. With the kidnapping/murder at Kohl's last Sat and the armed robbery at Randall's yesterday, I'm not answering my door. K--he went away. I know our yard looks like it needs a yard man, but I'm still not answering my door.
I was asked to make the Jeans and Jewels quilt again for this year. I have been better at saying no to a lot of things lately, but this is something that I can do. Not time-wise, but ability-wise--so I said yes. I picked out fabric Tuesday and will post pictures of the progress. I'm just piecing the top, someone else will have to quilt it. I don't have time or money for another shoulder surgery.
When I was at my sister's two weeks ago, we spent some time watching a DVD she has of musical numbers from various Bollywood movies. I haven't seen a lot of Bollywood movies mostly because you have to sit and read the captions, but the ones I have seen I love. I highly recommend "Bride and Prejudice". It is funny and in English and has some great musical numbers. All Bollywood movies have music and dancing and they are clean. They are very passionate but not even a kiss--even in the wedding scenes. Public kissing is a no-no in their culture so they express their emotions in their eyes and in their dances and music. Bollywood is getting more popular--even Steven Spielberg is getting in on the action.
The economy--there's a subject for you. Chris has not had a raise forever and no bonus for the last 2 years (we're not giving raises because we're giving bonuses!) and the small amount of stock we had with the company isn't worth beans. So, this week, Chris got a salary cut. So, what do we cut back on now? We already live very frugally. We already use coupons and plan our errand running and tear our dryer sheets in half. So frustrating. And--we just figured out this morning--when Erin goes on her mission, Cait will just be starting college. Great timing. I'm grateful for my preschool job--which I love.
I've been thinking about having a garage sale--for about a year now. As I've cleaned out closets and cabinets over the last year I've been putting extra things out in the garage. Well, there's quite a nice pile out there now and I think it's time to price it all and put a sign out on the corner. Spring break is coming and that would be a good time to work on it. Or, that would be a good time to work on the quilt. Hhmmm.
Well, I guess I better go do my day. Blue and Gold dinner is tonight and I need to buy all the scout awards, help Benj finish his cake, and make a potato salad. Plus the regular have-to's like put on make-up. Yeah, I think I'll start there.
I was talking to my brother about books the other day. He wanted me to recommend one for him to read. Our conversation drifted to--why are there so many good books with a smudge of smut in them? I recently read "Shopaholic" and there were many parts I laughed out loud at, but that smudge of smut made it a book that I certainly don't want my 14 year-old or 17 year-old reading. "Girl with the Pearl Earring" was a great book, but I hated the smut. I was reading it on the plane and felt like people were looking over my shoulder and I had to cover those pages so people couldn't see what I was reading. When "Marley" came out, my 14 year-old (12 at the time) wanted to read it. I told her, instinctively, that it was probably an adult book and I would need to read it first. In the time it took me to get around to reading it, a young reader version came out and she read that one while I read the adult version and I was glad it worked out that way. Why can't all books be young reader versions? Should books be rated? Can we please get the G or even PG version?
There's someone ringing my doorbell--and I didn't answer it. It's a yard guy and we don't have a yard guy. With the kidnapping/murder at Kohl's last Sat and the armed robbery at Randall's yesterday, I'm not answering my door. K--he went away. I know our yard looks like it needs a yard man, but I'm still not answering my door.
I was asked to make the Jeans and Jewels quilt again for this year. I have been better at saying no to a lot of things lately, but this is something that I can do. Not time-wise, but ability-wise--so I said yes. I picked out fabric Tuesday and will post pictures of the progress. I'm just piecing the top, someone else will have to quilt it. I don't have time or money for another shoulder surgery.
When I was at my sister's two weeks ago, we spent some time watching a DVD she has of musical numbers from various Bollywood movies. I haven't seen a lot of Bollywood movies mostly because you have to sit and read the captions, but the ones I have seen I love. I highly recommend "Bride and Prejudice". It is funny and in English and has some great musical numbers. All Bollywood movies have music and dancing and they are clean. They are very passionate but not even a kiss--even in the wedding scenes. Public kissing is a no-no in their culture so they express their emotions in their eyes and in their dances and music. Bollywood is getting more popular--even Steven Spielberg is getting in on the action.
The economy--there's a subject for you. Chris has not had a raise forever and no bonus for the last 2 years (we're not giving raises because we're giving bonuses!) and the small amount of stock we had with the company isn't worth beans. So, this week, Chris got a salary cut. So, what do we cut back on now? We already live very frugally. We already use coupons and plan our errand running and tear our dryer sheets in half. So frustrating. And--we just figured out this morning--when Erin goes on her mission, Cait will just be starting college. Great timing. I'm grateful for my preschool job--which I love.
I've been thinking about having a garage sale--for about a year now. As I've cleaned out closets and cabinets over the last year I've been putting extra things out in the garage. Well, there's quite a nice pile out there now and I think it's time to price it all and put a sign out on the corner. Spring break is coming and that would be a good time to work on it. Or, that would be a good time to work on the quilt. Hhmmm.
Well, I guess I better go do my day. Blue and Gold dinner is tonight and I need to buy all the scout awards, help Benj finish his cake, and make a potato salad. Plus the regular have-to's like put on make-up. Yeah, I think I'll start there.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
How Close Was It?
Before I left for NY a couple of weeks ago I had a nagging worry. I've never been afraid to fly before but this time I was definitely unsettled. I was nervous. There had been two recent plane crashes (Hudson River and Denver) and things like that usually come in threes. Still, I decided I needed to buck up. If it's my time to go, then it's my time to go.
On my flight to Albany last week, I had a layover in Newark, NJ . From Newark to Albany I flew in a Colgan Air Continental Connections D-8 plane. The SAME type of plane that crashed in Buffalo. The SAME airline. The SAME starting location. The SAME week.
We watched a lot of CNN that day and the wreck was a horrible thing, but it sure made the flight going home a little easier.
On my flight to Albany last week, I had a layover in Newark, NJ . From Newark to Albany I flew in a Colgan Air Continental Connections D-8 plane. The SAME type of plane that crashed in Buffalo. The SAME airline. The SAME starting location. The SAME week.
We watched a lot of CNN that day and the wreck was a horrible thing, but it sure made the flight going home a little easier.
Hanna Ummeayman Hossain
I went to visit and help my sister who had a baby last Tuesday. She lives in Albany, NY, and thanks to my amazing husband, I was able to spend a week with my sister and her family and my mom.
Jen invited my mom and I into the delivery room to see sweet little Hanna come into the world. Even though I've witnessed my own 5 come into the world, it's an incredible miracle every time. It's a memory I will always treasure.
Hanna is a sweet, beautiful baby. She looks good in pink and loves her binky--perfect girl.
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