Pencils and Post-it Notes

Fabulous Louisiana Gas Station/Convenient Store Food

2011-12-08T20:23:00.001-06:00

Yesterday my husband and I went to Shop Rite a gas station/convenience store in Natchitoches, Louisiana, on Keyser Avenue, just to eat lunch. Yes, that is what I said. For some reason a phenomenon exists here in the South, or at least particularly in Louisiana where food reigns; "fast food" you can get at gas station/convenience stores is sometimes better than similar items in much, much more expensive restaurants in the same area.

For instance, husband and I ordered only ONE shrimp basket--to share. That translates into one large cardboard "basket" loaded with fresh french fries topped with a ton of medium small (battered and fried) shrimp hot out of the fryer. They were fresh, scathingly hot, cooked to perfection and were served with a sauce like I've never before tasted. We had to have more of that! The only other "food" items we had were soft drinks and the total bill was less than $10. Including tax. The shrimp basket cost $5.99. And we ate. And ate. And ate. And got full and could eat no more and the basket still had more fries and shrimp.

We have been to Lasyone's, an old restaurant in the heart of Natchitoches, known especially for their Natchitoches meat pies and ordered shrimp po'boys, for more than twice the cost, with less than half the fried shrimp that wasn't even thoroughly cooked--even after sending it back to the kitchen for a re-do!

I spoke with one of the ladies working the "lunch counter" at the Bourbon Street Deli (I think that's what the name is) in Shop Rite, to find out exactly what their "sauce" was called. It reminded me of remoulade sauce (a mayonnaise based sauce hot with pepper, horseradish and other scrumptious seasonings that I really like.) She said it was their homemade tarter sauce. After eating theirs, I might just have to change my mind about liking tarter sauce. (Before yesterday, I pretty much avoided tarter sauce.)

Another gas station/convenience store on the outskirts of Natchitoches serves fried catfish, Natchitoches meat pies and boudin balls that are all very yummy. YES, it is all fried food and filled, undoubtedly, with a multitude of calories but oh, my! It is sooooo good. And fresh. And cheap. So. There you have it! Great food at a great price available at gas stations. Who'd a thunk it?!

A Little Ridiculous

2011-12-06T23:21:00.001-06:00

Ridiculous, I know. It's in the 30s outside. Been in the low 40s and now slipping into the 30s before it drops down to the 20s late tonight. During this past summer we had almost 3 months of temperatures 100 degrees F or higher. It was a beast of a summer. Normal (and you know that there is no such monster, right?) for my memory of normal summer weather--a few years back anyway--was summers that broke into the 90s for highs, but not much above 95, and only a few days here and there. The nights might not get below 75 and we would have rain. And thunder. And lightening. And more rain. It would be steamy and hot. But not this past summer. For a little bit, I thought I was in Tucson, AZ it was so hot and devoid of ANY rain during the summer this year.

Well, all that has changed. Although we had like a day of 80 degrees for a high and a low of 70 just a week, maybe week and a half ago, our high yesterday was 48. This morning, when I got up about 6 am, it was 42. At 7 or 8 am it was 38. And drizzling. We had 4 inches of rain over Saturday and Sunday. That's the most rain we've seen in a 36 hour period for a long time! And we accumulated 6 inches of rain from the middle to end of November, so 10 inches of rain in about 3 weeks! We're delighted! We've prayed for rain. People have boat ramps over dry grassy areas since the summer. Well, until it rained recently. Now the earth is wet, but no standing water. No lake water up close enough to touch the pilings of their boat ramps.

So, I--and many others--are very grateful for the rain. And I shouldn't be grousing, certainly, but I'm cold.

No. It makes no sense to be cold in a house that has a thermostat that reads 73 degrees. Especially doesn't make sense when one is wearing several layers of clothing, one of which is a warm scarf wrapped around her neck along with a hoody. (No. I don't at this time have said hoody's hood upon my head, but I'm considering it.) There's a fire blazing in the fireplace, too, but unless I'm sitting or standing next to it, I'm miserably cold.

I have no right to complain, however. I know some people are struggling to stay warm with only space heaters--or less. It's supposed to get down to 28 degrees tonight. I pray they will huddle under lots of blankets and quilts like I plan to do in a few minutes. I don't understand my being so cold when the thermostat reads 73. I wonder about what the temperature would be at which I would turn into a block of ice? What would I do if I were ever in Alaska or Siberia in the winter? I think I'm beginning to feel a little warmer considering the alternatives. But it still seems ridiculous to feel so cold in my current circumstances. Perhaps it's because I don't eat whale blubber.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-04T23:00:00.001-06:00

Christmas is getting closer. I'm not quite ready. We'll actually be celebrating twice this year since our family is rather scattered now. Our two children that live closest will come the weekend before Christmas Eve to celebrate with us, and so, hopefully, will my husband's brother. Last year we were so blessed to have all children and grandchildren and brother-in-law for Christmas. It was wonderful.

A few days after that celebration, husband and I will be heading out to see youngest daughter, her husband and their almost 2 year old daughter. Christmas will be pretty cool with a little one that will be older enough to view Christmas this year a little differently than last year. Her birthday is close on the heels of Christmas. However . . . her little brother's "birth"-day may be only a couple of days after Christmas . . . if the Mommy gets her wish!

We will be missing those precious three grandchildren that graced us with their presence for two years--along with precious daughter--their Mom! That makes it really hard this year. The house, as my husband said to a friend of ours at Church when asked if he'd gotten used to the quiet at the house yet--6 months later: "No! I thought I would, but it's way too quiet around the house now! I miss them so much."

Well, things change--always. Change is good, though it can be challenging for any number of reasons.

I pray that each and every one in my family and you and yours will be able to enjoy the blessings of Christmas now and throughout this season AND throughout the coming year. May we each be ever grateful for each and every blessing our loving Heavenly Father bestows upon us each and every day, giving thanks to Him, and our Blessed Savior, Jesus Christ, by giving loving service to those in need as the Lord directs us. May the Light of Christ visit and linger in each home and each heart is my humble prayer and Christmas wish this year!

Finding Peace Amidst the Chaos

2011-11-02T15:48:00.000-05:00

There is much around us today--these days--that focuses on fear, and gloom and all that is wrong in the world. The price of everything is going up by leaps and bounds. The job market is suffering a huge setback. Home mortgages are being defaulted on. People are rioting in the streets. Wars are breaking out in places all over the Mid-East. Weather is going berserk. The stock market keeps diving and so does our 401K or retirement fund. Greece is about to go financially belly-up, and the list grows. An individual (or community, or nation, etc.) could get very caught up in the negative aspect of the world at large today. And people are worried.

That's why I want to share some quotes I recently found on Facebook.

"In this uncertain world, there are some things that never change:the perfect love of our Heavenly Father for each of us; the assurance that Heis there and will always hear us; the existence of absolute, unchanging truths;the fact that there is a plan of happiness; the assurance that success in lifeis attained through faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to His teachingsbecause of the redemptive power of His Atonement; the certainty of life after death; thereality that our condition there is set by how we live here. Whether one doesor does not accept these truths does not alter their reality. They are thefundamental building blocks of a living testimony."

--Richard G. Scott

The link is below.

http://lds.org/general-conference/2001/10/the-power-of-a-strong-testimony?lang=eng&query=richard+%28name%3A%22Richard+G.+Scott%22%29+%28collection%3A%22general-conference%22%29

"The future of this world has long been declared; the final outcome between good and evil is already known. There is absolutely no question as to who wins because the victory has already been posted on the scoreboard. The only really strange thing in all of this is that we are still down here on the field trying to decide which team's jersey we want to wear!" Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

I like such a positive focus point as these two great men have expressed. I find great peace in trusting God especially when times get rough.

Kefir

2011-10-28T01:14:00.001-05:00

Ever heard of Kefir? Me either. Until a few weeks ago. It is a cultured milk product heavy in the "pro-biotics" for good gut health. The only reason I heard about it is because my husband was doing research online to discover how people survived C-Diff infections. He had this infection following a round of anti-biotics for an upper respiratory infection. The result of using that antibiotic to get rid of his upper respiratory infection killed off all the "friendly" microbes in his alimentary tract and the bad stuff, C-Diff, got out of hand. (Apparently C-Diff resides in most if not all people on this planet, but usually stays under control by the other resident "good" bacteria there.)

We came by some interesting information when we visited the heart specialist (for husband's yearly heart/pacemaker/defibrillator check-up). Husaband was currently on a regimen of a different antibiotic to subdue the "bad" bacteria--when heart Dr. explained the problem with C-Diff is that the toxin C-Diff bacteria produces is next in line only to botulism in deadliness! Can you imagine our astonishment?

So my spouse researched and found that several people turned to drinking, eating, partaking of Kefir to re-introduce good, friendly, C-Diff controlling bacteria back into their system with better results than relying on treatment by yet another antibiotic. By this time, husband had lost about 30 pounds!! He's usually about 220 lbs, and at 6'3", it's seems just right. He got down to 189. I've known him for 42 years and even when he was very lean and in the military, I have NEVER seen him this thin.

Oh, and yeah. I forgot to mention that the ONLY antibiotic that USUALLY halts C-Diff proliferation is Vancomycin. And it costs over $2000 for a two week course. Yes. You read it correctly, two thousand dollars. Fortunately our insurance covered about half of that cost. But Vancomycin is not always successful in knocking C-Diff down and keeping it down and under control. Can you again imagine how encouraging that was?

That's where Kefir comes in. Since we basically live in the country (with the closest city of any size about 80 or 90 miles away) I found no access to any retailers who carry Kefir products--even in the cities 80 or 90 miles away. So I began looking online to find some. What I found was Kefir starter retailers. One supplier I found has a multitude of other cultures for sale--for you to make your own foods. I had no idea about there being at least 11 different varieties of yogurts, for instance. I didn't know that Greek yogurt was actually a different strain (or strains) of good bacteria--excuse me--probiotics from the yogurts I used to purchase and consume. Now I know. Apparently, Kefir--the kind of Kefir "grains" (more like granules than "grain" that grows in fields) I purchased to turn regular milk into Kefir--include over 50 different varieties of probiotics including a variety of yeasts as well. Who knew?

I purchased one little packet, watched the videos the company has online, and began the process of creating Kefir--to get my husband healthy again. In the process--which apparently happens in my house (kitchen) Kefir is produced much quicker than in other people's houses (kitchens) because it is so warm here in Louisiana.

The fun part of this whole thing is that as I've been producing Kefired milk, I've made some really tasty smoothies. Our favorite so far includes a quart of cold Kefir, 6 ounces of frozen pineapple juice concentrate, 1 frozen banana, 1 cup of coconut milk and a pinch of salt all blended together. An additional interesting thing is that I don't crave sweets quite as much as before Kefiring--making and drinking the stuff. (Wish I could say I LOST weight, but I'd be lying.)

Husband did test negative for C-Diff a week or so ago. We are so grateful!!! I may try to make yogurt again. It has been years.........and years.......even though making Kefir is so much easier than making yogurt!!! Who would have known?

Beating My Head Against the Wall

2011-10-04T23:23:00.000-05:00

Since husband's retirement, I'm still trying to readjust my bill paying to match with the "new" schedule of income coming in. My husband, a retired accountant, helped me set up a spread sheet with my "weird" parameters so that I could work the cash flow to more closely match the income with the outgo.

I'm no accountant, for sure, but the system I've been using for 20 years, including all my own spreadsheets for budgeting, tracking, and the like just don't work now that our incoming income dates are spread out so differently. Trying to match up the out-going payments with due dates and actual money in the bank at the same time just isn't working out to suit me. (My lack of accounting training/understanding weird way of setting up my budget spreadsheets makes absolutely NO sense to him. But then, in all fairness, he worked with millions of dollars and millions of other factors that had to . . . well . . . be accounted for! And I'm not running a business! Besides the old program worked just fine for me . . . until everything changed. And my brain didn't work quite as quickly, or anything as it once did. And stuff like that.)

I now have health insurance for me that we pay a bunch more for than when he was working. And the literature explaining the date the payment is due doesn't mesh with when I have to pay actually them. The monthly premiums are due on the first of each month, for that month: i.e., January's payment is due on January first. However, there are several switch backs up and down that mountain that I had no idea existed. For instance: Most bills I pay that are due on the first of the month, I pay so that there's about a week's grace period for the mail to get the check there and for their accounting folks to post it as paid before it is due and days before it becomes delinquent. Right. Easy-peasy. Wrong!

I sent a check out on the 16th of the September, okay? I figure it's got two, count them--one, two--full weeks to get credited to my account before the due date. Welllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll I found out that doesn't work. First of all, since I go through my banks "they'll-crank-out-the-checks-for-me" route, this is the time line my payment followed I learned just yesterday.

Check was generated by my bank on 9/16
Amount of check was debited from my bank account on 9/19
The check is sent to a "Lock Box" at the designated bank for the company administering the insurance (husband's former employer))
My bank generated check cleared the Lock Box bank account on 9/22
Lock box bank notified the insurance administrator on 9/26 that my payment was received
9/26 is 6, yes, six days before 10/1 when the payment is due
10/1 is a Saturday, a weekend day, not a business day
Notification of payment is required to be made by 9/23 for insurance coverage to keep insurance in active status.
I learned all this because I couldn't access my account information on 10/1-10/3 (haven't tried to access it today) because my insurance was not "active" though they had my payment long before the day it was due.

It is my contention that if a bill/insurance premium needs to be paid a full month in advance of the actual due date for that premium to be efficacious, why don't they just come out and say so in plain English? And also, WHY, if my check has cleared their facility and they have my cash (so to speak) in their hands, WHY is that not legally binding on the administrators of my insurance policy/benefits until a week or two later, which would save us all a lot of paper work and headaches and loopholes, etc.? Do you know that every month they generate a letter of about 2 or 3 typed pages and send it to me to let me know that my health insurance is current? And when notification of the payments were getting there later than required, they would generate a new insurance card and send it to me each month? I'm sure that cost nothing in time or money!

I asked the question of one of the people in the HR department who deals with this problem, not only for me, but others as well. She was very kind and helpful and wonders about the convoluted payment process, too. I said, "I guess it's a good thing that I didn't have to go to the ER this past weekend needing a pacemaker like I had to last year about this time while I had NO insurance coverage--even though I had paid my premium two weeks ago. (My one year anniversary of my pacemaker installation (hee,hee) will be this Friday. Yea!!!)

I also mentioned to this conscientious individual that the whole process is frighteningly close to the multi-layers of excessively inefficient government bureaucracy.

So . . . I'm still working to fix my spreadsheets to fit my bill-paying needs to our cash flow. Seems like cash flows out the door much faster than it flows in! I know I'm not unlike jillions of others who work hard to keep their noses above water. With so many things becoming more and more expensive, we're trying to pare back and stay afloat. "Just keep on swimming; keep on swimming . . ." (name that movie and whose line it was!) And try not to bang my head too many more times against the wall. I WILL get this mountain conquered!

One thing that was kind of fun in getting my husband/accountant to help me with the spreadsheet thing was I learned some cool stuff that Excel can do. He mentioned that as much as he used Excel, and other spreadsheet software, Excel is really an amazing program with almost endless things it can do.

The Sing Off

2011-09-27T01:39:00.000-05:00

I just finished watching "The Sing Off" on-line. I forgot it was actually on TV tonight. This show was a competition between several a capella groups. For anyone who doesn't know, a capella is singing without benefit of instrumental accompaniment. It all vocal. There were several groups competing tonight, and a capella singers can really be quite awesome. For those under 30, you might (won't) remember the "street corner" singers of the 60s with their great harmonies similar to, but not quite "barber shop" quartets. Guys would just hang out on street corners and harmonize to sing the pop songs of the day. I just love good music--and that even includes Barber Shop Quartets.

I heard a lot of good music tonight with some awesome harmonies going on. Some groups sounded far more professional than others, but they all had a good sound. The individual singers, I think, each did very well. There was only one group I didn't care for, and that was Urban Legend, I think was their name. I don't care for rap. And I didn't care for the very negative sounding message of the song they chose to present. It sounded way too masochistic for me.

Other than that, I really thought they were all good. I think some of the female singers on stage needed to dress more modestly than a few of the gals that performed tonight did, but I tend to be more modest and comfortable with other people who dress modestly. (Yes. I prefer men to dress modestly, as well.) I don't remember the names of most of the groups, I'm sorry to say, but I did like the Yellow Jackets. I think they might have been the largest group that sang this evening.

However, they saved the best group for last. Vocal Point just rocked! They are so energetic and good. And they received a standing ovation. I'm a little prejudiced, I suppose. I have seen Vocal Point (some years ago) perform in person. My oldest daughter used to work with Vocal Point while she attended BYU. She was in a school club that promoted them and handled a myriad of other support tasks pertaining to their performances. Vocal Point always puts on a GREAT show!

Of course, the nine members of the group are constantly changing as they complete their college work and so forth, but they're always a great singing/performing group. If you get the chance, you should watch "The Sing Off" competition sometime. You can also find Vocal Point (and I'll bet a lot of other a capella groups) on YouTube if you're interested.

Like I said, I love good music! Now if I could just sing . . .

No Love Affair

2011-09-22T20:50:00.001-05:00

Well, I tried two new-to-me yogurts today. a) Dannon's Oikos brand peach at the bottom Greek flavor and b) Chobani raspberry.

Oikos:

I read several raving reviews about this brand.
First bite was okay. Tangy, with only a hint of the peach bits and jam-like flavor at the bottom.
After mixing, the sweetness was overwhelming and the over-all taste was not at all what I seek in a yogurt.
It was very distasteful to me.
I won't buy any more.

Chobani--don't remember reading up on this brand prior to the "taste" offered me at Sam's Club

First bite good. Actually a little similar to the Oikos. (I was, however, expecting the "strawberry flavor" the sample hostess mentioned that it was supposed to be. It was definitely raspberry.)
It was far less gaggingly sweet and far more enjoyable than the Oikos brand.

There is no love affair with either brand I tasted today, though I would try the Chobani stuff again. Except for the fact that I love the "The Greek Gods Greek Yogurt" hands down over all other brands sampled to date.

I know everyone of the three or five wonderful folks that find their way to my blog have been waiting with baited breath for this update in the Yogurt World of Taste. *note heavy sarcasm in voice*

Please, feel free to share a little about your own favorites, if you have any. This is NOT a contest. And you don't have to be having a love affair with any particular type/brand of yogurt. Or food. Like I do.

Ready to Scream

2011-09-17T13:00:00.000-05:00

This post was drafted almost a year ago. I had to calm down--obviously--before posting it. After reading it again a day or two ago, I realized that the entity whose name I'd included could be switched with some other "vendors' names." I chose to delete it that you might insert your own favorite/anti-favorite provider's name. I think the problem is rather (unfortunately) somewhat universal.

This is how that original post began:

I'm counting to ten, for the tenth time and I'm still about to boil over. Can I just say that I loath contacting *** insert name for your anti-favorite huge conglomerate phone or other provider of services customer service phone number** * for ANY reason? It is the worst merry-go-round/house of horrors. Repeatedly. I've made four or five calls already today by 8:30 am. Spent over 1 hour on-line trying to find my billing statement and/or talking to their agents seeking help for the same.

First call: couldn't tell me where I could find my bill on-line, even though I'd already logged in, been "greeted" and still couldn't get to the "right place" to see my bill. (And this was all after receiving four, (count them, 4) copies of the same bill email with a freaking link to click on to see my bill!) The problem was . . . the link only took one to the billing site for ***see the above*** mobile customers. Which I am not, nor ever plan to be!!! (I think I posted something about that a year or three ago. Don't remember, but I'll check on it.) The rep sent my call to "someone who can help you with that". Uh-huh. NOT.

Second call: the one I was transferred to: the answer to all their queries: Nada. Didn't apply.

Third call: Lovely young sounding voice, asked up front, "How can I help you feel like a valued ***see above*** customer today?" My cranky response was, "Sounds like a really tall order, to me." She asked a few more questions about my "problem" and so I began to civilly (I honestly tried my best) explain my frustrations. After a bit, I noticed there was dead air coming through my receiver. Let me tell you, that made me feel ESPECIALLY valued by ***you-know-who***!!!!!!!!! Can you feel it, too?

Fourth call: Got a Southern gentleman who actually got down to business and tried to help find the reasons my bill was 40 some dollars more than last month. (Yes, I know I called Germany--to visit with my brother. And yes, I know that call cost me $6.66.) That does not a $40 increase make. Then he located some charges connected with a modem I'd had replaced in late October. (When I called Tech Support about the dead/dying modem there was not the teeniest mention of charges. I assumed it was still under warranty. I should have asked, I know, but I stupidly trust people to tell me that they're going to charge me for something if there's a charge attached, and how much that charge will be. Again. Nada. [I LOVE those people.]) He said he tried to give me credit for the charges, but because they came from Tech Support, THEY would have to cancel/credit my account for the "undisclosed charges" to my account.

Fifth call: Tech Support person: Sorry ma'am. We have nothing to do with billing. We can't change anything. You have to speak with the billing department. I just spoke with billing and they said YOUR department had to take care of it because YOUR department charged my account. I'm sorry, Miss ___, I can transfer you to billing and you can talk with them. I think I just mentioned that they're the ones I've been talking with and they said YOUR department would have to reverse the charges, or whatever, since your department is the one that billed me in the first place--without telling me you were doing so. Miss ___, we can't do anything about billing. You'll have to talk with them. Would you like me to transfer you? I can't see what good that will do. I've been on the phone with ***___*** people all morning. I have other things I need/have to do. I can't stand the merry-go-round ***___*** has working against its customers. They treat customer service as a joke and send customers in circles until they run out of time/tenacity and hope they'll just give up. I know YOU personally are not the problem, but it frustrates me to no end. But, you have a Merry Christmas. I did mean it. Sincerely.

I don't have time. I need to get dressed and go clean the Church. In thirty minutes. I'll post this later. After I've cooled down and edited it. Pray for me. It IS Christmas time after all.

Well, it was Christmas time. And I have been paying for that modem a little each month. Now, if only the equipment will continue to work past the final payment . . .

Do you ever wonder where the old work ethic vanished? Where choice and accountability disappeared? Where smoke and mirrors kind of operations were normally referred to as "snake oil" deals? We've slipped onto a treacherous down-slide into "no-fault" stickers on everything. Integrity is still out there, but not so many people seem to have an honest (yeah, pun) "integrity" sticker on them these days. So many people seem to be "working the system" for personal gain never thinking of the havoc they are creating for everyone/anyone else. So, I commend everyone who strives for honesty and integrity above all. Humility goes a long way, too. And I need to work on that one, for sure. Thanks for letting me vent. There are still good people everywhere, I know. I just want to find them more frequently. And continue to strive to be one of them myself.

I Just May Be Addicted

2011-09-16T10:36:00.000-05:00

I'm not in the habit of advertising but I have become somewhat addicted to something edible, delicious and good for you. One of my daughters had mentioned that Greek Yogurt was superior in taste, etc., to the normal yogurts on the shelves at the grocery stores. I might have had a taste of one she was eating and thought, yeah, that's pretty good, and then shrugged and gone on.

Last week, however, I needed to find yogurt that included more of the probiotics for good gut health and I went looking. I found a large variety including Yoplait brand, which I've been eating and enjoying for years, and Activia and others. (Both those brands are good.) I have liked yogurt since I was introduced to it over 40 years ago by a guy from the mid-east. And that was just the plain-jane variety without any added flavor.

As I continued scouring the shelves for something different, I found just a few cups of "The Greek Gods Greek Yogurt" on the shelf. I remembered watching a commercial or two for that brand recently on TV, so I thought, why not try it? I picked up a couple of Pomegranate flavor, and a couple of Honey flavor the first day. I tried the Pomegranate. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!! I was so overwhelmed, melted and madly in love I can't begin to tell you! It was thick. It was rich. The flavor was subtle. It was a little more acidic than I was used to. It was in a word: delicious! I was smitten. I fell in love! I want to eat it all the time. But, I did share it with my husband . . . because I loved him first. He really likes it, too. I doubt he'd say he was smitten, overwhelmed, melted or madly in love with any particular yogurt, but he does really like it.

I've bought several more cups of the pomegranate, honey and vanilla-cinnamon-orange flavors and the large family size of the honey-strawberry. They are all good. Pomegranate is the favorite flavor of the three my husband has tried. This morning I tried the vanilla with cinnamon and orange. I don't think I've purchased any of the plain, but I will. I assure you, I will!

The only drawback . . . if there is one . . . it costs more than twice as much as our regular brand. However, I will still purchase, eat and enjoy it whenever I can. For good gut health. If nothing else. *smile* Yes. Totally for good gut health. *nods head in affirmation* Absolutely for good gut health. and TASTE. Yum. Who knew good gut healthy food could also be so delicioso? Mmmmmm. Mmmmeeee. That's who! Now.

So, if (when) they (The Greek Gods Greek Yogurt folks) EVER come up with a mango lasse (or lassi) flavor I might just die and go to heaven!!! For those of you who have not been initiated, a mango lasse is a yogurt based drink. It's thick, orange, sweet and habit forming. It's made with yogurt, mashed mangos and some sugar, I think. It is habit forming--in case I haven't already mentioned that. I had my first taste seven or eight years ago, it was okay, but this past May at a little Indian restaurant in Provo, Utah, I had my second and third cups of the wonderful, refreshing, addictive stuff. It was to die for, too. Who knew that yogurt could be so heavenly? Well, I do. Now. Aaaaaahhhhhhh! *smile*

An Amazing Friend

2011-09-08T08:25:00.000-05:00

I have anincredible friend. Her name isSusan. I’ve known her for about 26 years. This woman is a few years older than I, notthat you’d know it by looking at her or all that she does. She puts me to shame! Big time!

I don’tknow how to explain what I mean any better than by listing what I know of someof her accomplishments/daily activities. Please bear with me.

She is and does the following:

wife of 48 years to the same husband
a mother of 1 daughter and 4 sons—who all, but the youngest, live far from here
a grandmother of 14 grandchildren
owns her own business (jointly with her husband) which employs at least 10 employees
is indispensable to her husband’s fireworks business which provides employment for many, many others in a broad geographical area
is thoughtful, kind and generous
donates her time to the small community where she was born and raised as their Mayor of 18 years
cooks a hot mid-day meal for her employees each of the 6 days/week her business is open—before coming to work
donates her time/talents to Church service (we belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which has a lay ministry, and are not paid for services rendered)

as the organist—for about 25 years now
pianist for the choir and anything at other times she’s asked—I don’t know how many years
recently taught a lesson in Relief Society (the women’s organization) at least once each month
has presided as the President or a Counselor of our Ward’s (congregation) Relief Society
has presided as the President or a Counselor of our Ward’s Primary (the children’s organization)
has served as the Ward and Stake choir director
has served as the Stake (similar to a Catholic diocese) Music Chairman—which oversees the various Wards and Branches (units or congregations organized within the Stake)
supported her husband’s various callings as Bishop, Stake President’s Counselor, Bishop’s Counselor and a host of other callings he’s had throughout their marriage—which means she’s had to do without his help with their small children during Church meetings for most of their marriage
has encouraged me through all my callings, particularly in the music area—‘cause I don’t have her talent/training!

cared for her mother for many years when her health required daily assistance (her Mom was 98, I think, when she died)
visits one of her older siblings (who is about 15 years her senior) in the nursing home each day—7 days a week, in the community I live in
ALWAYS went to each band event EACH AND EVERY one of her children participated in throughout their public school and college years—no matter how far they traveled!
has a great sense of humor
is not above perpetrating practical jokes on people she knows well
keeps a large home (it’s large to accommodate her children/grandchildren when they come to visit) neat and clean—always!
keeps up her yard—along with her husband
has opened her home to her sisters-in-law and other family members who were displaced for a while following Hurricane Rita, back in 2005—the one people didn’t hear so much about because of all the press on Katrina hitting New Orleans, but was just as devastating—and one of those sisters-in-law lived with her for about a year when her health required daily help
Does without sleep most of the time—I’m convinced!!!
Her sister-in-law described her like this: “Susan is the most well organized, disciplined person I know. And she’s tireless.”

As much asshe has a great sense of humor, she is also very much a no-nonsense person whenit comes to matters that require seriousness—adhering to the laws of God andman.

Susanscared me to death when I first came to live and attend Church here. Her husband was the Bishop at the time. I mostly saw the no-nonsense side of her—at first. I knew she loved children and working withthem. Still she wouldn’t tolerate thembeing irreverent during time for serious lessons, but she’d play with themduring music time with fun songs.

I am from adifferent background than she. She, as Imentioned above, is still living in the same community she was born and raisedin—right next door to her parent’s home. She does not like to travel, though her business requires it once ortwice a year. I was born 1500 miles fromhere and raised all over, and I love to travel. She hates to speak in public—to a group—like even in Church—where sheknows everyone and has known them for most of her/their lives. I don’t mind at all. (I know. Something’s wrong with me!) Sheis not comfortable teaching in Relief Society, etc. (She’s a VERY GOOD teacher who spends a lotof prep time on each lesson.) I, on theother hand, LOVE to teach in Church.

Susan didsomething back in November 1994 that touched me deeply and taught me what agood, thoughtful, kind, “in-tune” person she is. My father had just died. Our oldest child was in Utah going to school there as a brand newcollege freshman. We were leavingshortly—driving our three younger children to Utah. In wintery weather. (My husbandis a native Louisianaboy—hates driving in winter weather—period.) So, that afternoon as we were madly packing for a road trip to Utah in the winter, Susan came to the frontdoor and said, “I’m not too late, am I?”

Then shewent back to her car and proceeded to gather up bags and bags of goodies for usto snack on during the 2 1/2 daydrive. I was in shock. I was so touched by her thoughtfulness. I thanked her. And she said, “It’s not much. I wasn’t sure what your family liked. I hope something in there will be somethingyou’ll like.” (We were leaving soon and Ihadn’t yet gotten anything to take with us to snack on and didn’t know if I’deven have time.) And then she was gone.

Even moreimpressive to me was this: Every treat she brought was somethingparticularly enjoyed by one or all of us. I don’t now remember any more about the specifics of the contents ofthose bags—there were so many bags of goodies! (I think we ate those goodies for weeks, even after we got back home!) But I came to understand that Susan, in thatinstance had prayed for guidance to get snacks we’d like—and she’d receivedguidance from a loving Heavenly Father to bless a family that had no clue shewas so aware of us in our time of need.

I’ve cometo know that Susan prays a lot about a lot of things. She cares about a lot of people and has agreat love of the Savior, Jesus Christ. She’s dedicated to living as He taught/teaches us to live. I believe that’s what gives her the strengthto do all that she does, provides her with the continued faith to perseverethrough the many trials and tribulations she faces day in and day out.

You mightthink Susan is a fictional character. Iassure you, she is not. There may be hundreds of women like her in the world,but she’s the only one like her that I know.

I love thissister, this woman of great faith and good works. She’s one of my greatest heroes. (Or is that heroines?) I’d like to be more like her. I needto be more like her.

Share with me what you know of people like Susan, or at least, who your heroes/heroines are and why.

Just a Taste

2011-08-25T22:16:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago we took a side road, one we'd speculated on taking a number of times in the past, but never had the "time" to do it. Yet, this time we did! We actually visited Arches National Park. And loved it. It seemed like we'd raced through in the 4 hours we spent being awed at every turn.

These rock figures make me think of sentinels, with a Star Wars kind of look, sort of.

There are several formations in the park that perform various types of balancing acts--like this one above.

This is another of those balancing stones that we saw from various angles.

Low and behold, this is an actual arch in Arches National Park. Those tiny little figures right under the arch are really people!

I love this tree---in this setting. There were others that captured my eye, but I just love this one.

This arch was only visible to those who hiked to see it. There was a deep ocean of sand to wade through, a very hot ocean of sand, I might mention, except for the shaded areas.

Whereas the majority of the rock formations, if I understand it all correctly, are made of sandstone. So, one is not so surprised to find a lot of sand hither and yon, if you know what I mean.

Husband suggested that if we REALLY want to see it properly, we need to spend a few days there and take the longer hikes to see some of the arches we couldn't really see or see very well from the road.

These pictures are just a smattering few of the ones we took. Now if we were really good photographers . . . well, you can imagine. Nonetheless, it was a gorgeous day. I was totally captivated by the enormity of it all. It was beautiful. And, again, I think I need a geology professor to be friends with. So I can pick their brain. I have so many questions.

I Just Thought I Was Busy Before . . .

2011-08-05T09:53:00.000-05:00

For the last two weeks, more particularly the last 8 days, I have been more physically busy for LONG hours each day than I can remember. I thought that as we aged we'd get to a point when the burdens got a little lighter. WRONG! And, I suppose that it's a good thing! If I am still able to work hard physically, perhaps I won't just fade into a nursing home existance!!! in the future. Here's hoping.

I am grateful that I'm able to do this this kind of work. Husband and I each drove over 1500 miles (in three days--he in the U-Haul and I in our pickup) and then worked like a steveadores--along with some help from a couple of strong, hardworking young Brazillian guys our daughter knows--before and afterwards, have been furiously unpacking all those zillion boxes I packed, and have been trying to make some order out of chaos for my daughter and her little ones. (Daughter is working furiously to finish this semester and graduate. Six more days and she should reach her goal!) Together my husband and I have been in the thick of it all--(thank Heaven!!!) while we've tried to help the little ones feel like there will be more order in their lives (soon) along with the love, and comfort that were there when they lived with us.

However, last night the exhaustion level along with the knowledge that we have so much more to do in too short of a period of time, triggered the sneeky, creeping tendrils of self-pity working themselves into my thinking and feelings bginning to stifle my original feelings of accomplishing worthy goals. They began twisting themselves fairly effectively into my thoughts until I remembered this phrase in the Scriptures: "when you are in the service of your fellow beings, you are only in the service of your God." I chatised myself a little and and allowed the "blam of Gilead" to soothe me before I took up my Scriptures and read a little realising that God is always watching over us, is mindful of each and every trial and tribulation we might experience and is always there to assist when we can't go it alone. For that, I am daily and eternally grateful.

I also remembered that I'll be stronger for each physical, emotional, spiritual and intellectual mountain I climb--even if I slip down a notch or two here and there--IF I keep striving to go forward. Christ certainly had the most diffiuclt path to follow of any human being. He somehow experienced every pain, every illness, and endured the consequences of each and every sin each and every one of God's child have or ever will commit--so He knows first hand how we feel and He conquered it all! It amazes me beyond belief that He loves us all enough to have endured all that. And knowing that He conquered all and is there and willing to help me conquer all my challenges gives me courage to press forward. It also helps me realize how puny my challenges are in comparrison!

I'm going to miss my daughter and her three little ones terribly when we have to leave. I seriously want to have my family--all my family--close. We'll see where the Lord directs us in the days to come! In the meantime, I know He'll be watching over them, and me, and the rest of my family. And everyone else, too! That knowledge is what lifts me up and gives me joy! Even in the midst of my challenges!

I've Been a Little Busy . . . But Who Hasen't?

2011-07-24T00:02:00.000-05:00

This little doll, otherwise known as Baby Cakes, has been keeping Grandma and Grandpa busy lately. We kind of like it that way. It has a little something to do with why no one has seen much here lately!

I keep thinking I'm going to find an extra minute or three to post something or other, and then it's midnight and I'm exhausted and I haven't posted anything.

So, I'm going to try to post something now. My #2 daughter and her three children (who have lived with us for the past two years) are now out west. I drove them out (in daughter's van); my husband and our son drove out a few days later and we had a nice visit with several of my siblings and their various children/children's spouses, etc. including a super surprise visit from one niece-in-law back home for a brief visit from Germany (where nephew is serving in the USAF).

Since we got back home, it's been B U S Y!!!! Crazy busy. Youngest, or #3, daughter (expecting her second child) has been with us since we got back, so we could get re-connected with her little Doll, our youngest--for now--granddaughter, before our second trip out west--scheduled for this week--with a truck load of household goods (including 30 boxes of books. 30 very heavy boxes of books, I might add) for # 2 daughter who is working to graduate in three weeks with her Bachelor of Science degree at BYU, and on getting settled in a new home, new job (we're praying for), and all the things that go with all that with her three very special, delightful, busy, intelligent children!

Not-so-good news: Two weeks ago my mother fell and broke her femur while getting out the car to go into Church. Several members of the Church who are medical professionals were on the scene and came running to assist as soon as they saw what happened. Surgery was successfully performed the following day to secure the break so it could heal properly. She's okay, thankfully, but not progressing with therapy, because she, unfortunately, doesn't like to do any kind of exercising. We're all concerned for her current/future well-being under the circumstances. She's stubbornly and avidly avoided almost any and every form of healthful, minimum exercise for at least the past 20 years, so that mind-set is really difficult to overcome in her present circumstances. My brother and his wife--where Mom's been staying since March of this year--are looking after her along with my nieces and their families.

Also, since returning in early/mid-June, this Grandma, ME, has been dividing her time between getting caught up
     on paying bills
     taking care of #1 daughter after gallbladder-ectomy surgery/recovery
     taking care of Little Baby Cakes during the mornings (while her expectant Mom--#3 daughter-struggles
          with the effects of her new pregnancy)
     trying to stay on top of all the new changes in medical insurance stuff that goes along with someone
         (read:   my husband) retiring
     working to rearrange our two storage units so that we can divest ourselves of a bunch of stuff by taking it
         to #2 daughter and her three children
     with Church callings
     and breathing and enjoying the summer (WHAT? Do I get to do that when it's 100+ outside and the
          humidity is 75% or more? Occasionally, yes. When it's a little cooler)
     and packing.

I know, waa, waa, waa and double waa. But such it is/was. And then we load the U-Haul--(Yes. We are trying our luck with U-Haul once more . . . PLEASE PRAY FOR US!!! The other options are slim to none. **Sigh.**)--on Wednesday and pray that everything packed (and yet to be packed), along with the pieces of furniture we're planning to take, will all fit therein and in my husband's truck, which I will be driving so we have a way back home--and I imagine . . . you get the picture. Buying the gasoline for the gas-hog U-Haul for 1500 miles will be bad enough, but then we're talking 3000 miles round trip for the much smaller truck that's ours, as well. (Guess that's partly why someone who recently retired is going to be going back to work. But then they do want him back and were a little loath to let him go, so they said multiple times. It will be a new job to him, so I think he'll enjoy it.)

So, with all that, the yard is showing the great effects of Husband's labors. The garden is making tomatoes and peppers for us to enjoy along with a volunteer "pie pumpkin", as well as with the various flowers and herbs planted here and there in the yard and in pots likewise. And Baby Cakes has become excessively attached to said Grandpa for various and sundry TLC she's received at his hands. (We are all so grateful for Good Grandpa's and their TLC!!)

I'm not sure how we'll survive once we get back home in August and all the children and grandchildren will be far, far away. Well, the children who have children will be far, far away. The other two are, fortunately, not so very far away. I'm getting a little misty eyed even as I type, just thinking of it. We've missed the three older grandchildren so much since we left them in Utah in early June, and now the youngest will be leaving (about the time we leave to go west) to go back to Georgia and I don't know how I'll survive!

It will be far too quiet and still around here! There will be no pudgy little cheeks to snuggle and kiss. No thrilling giggles to hear from tickles being administered, or various games of peek-a-boo being played. No multiple readings of various books along with the pointing out by tiny fingers of this and that picture, or character, or color, or alphabet letter and the little voice calling out the proper names of all those listed things found in the various books that accompanies the pointing tiny finger . No spontaneous tiny voice singing her own songs or dancing to music on the TV to the delight of her mother and grandparents who applaud and clap with joy at the precious moments. But, there will be other days for future joys. It will just be so very quiet here till then.

So, I might get caught up on my cleaning. I might actually get the smaller storage unit emptied and its remaining contents moved into the large one. I might be able to remember things I need to be doing a little better. I might be able to sit down to read a book or two. And I might just sit down and cry in the quiet house that will be filled with sweet memories of when little, precious children graced us with their presence on a daily basis and cluttered the living room with their toys and books, and smiles, and giggles and hugs and kisses.

I've got to be more positive! I'm planning to go to Georgia for the birth of Baby Cake's sibling when that time comes. That will certainly be a welcome experience and that thought brings a new smile to my face, as we speak. God is certainly good to me, and us, day by day and week by week. Challenges abound for us and everyone else we know, but with challenges come new opportunities to grow in so many ways, particularly as we recognize that God's always near and willing to help us on our path as we rely on His loving care and keep moving forward.

Here is little Baby Cakes.

She was pulling faces like this BEFORE the camera came out. Finally got ONE after the camera came out! She's teething and enjoys a Popsicle to ease the discomfort.

We were dancing and having a great time together--after she danced and entertained her Mom and Grandpa and me first.

(I don't know why I can't figure out how to flip pictures up 90 degrees to the right when I need to!)

This child has quite a repertoire of expressions to entertain us with! I can't tell you how much we've enjoyed having her and her Mom with us the past few weeks. I'm just trying to figure out how we can get her and her cousins in Utah back together again sometime soon! They would have so much fun together again!

Sorta Missing in Action?

2011-06-15T23:43:00.000-05:00

I'm back. Home, that is. I was gone out west for a little over two weeks. Drove out with middle daughter and her three little ones. And it was hot. HOT. H. O. T. West Texas was like an inferno on steroids and with an insidious HOT wind blowing ninety-to-nothin' to boot.

Utah, on the other hand, started out cold. As in . . . it was snowing in the mountains and raining/sleeting off and on in the valleys the first two or three days we were there. Before leaving Utah, however, it finally began warming up. Husband and son joined us a few days after our vanguard company--work being the delaying factor for son--and joined us.

Our daughter is completing her degree in Zoology with emphasis in entomology at BYU this summer. She'll be taking the GRE in about a month and depending on how that goes, and a zillion other factors, is thinking seriously about entering the Master's program there as well.

While in Utah, we got to visit with four of my siblings and some of their children/grandchildren and one niece who's folks live a lot closer to us than she does. Visiting with my family is always good and far too infrequent. We enjoyed being together, and of course, eating together. I cooked a few Southern dishes while there including a large pot of gumbo.

There was much traveling on the "under construction" interstate highway in Utah. Ugh! A somewhat harrowing experience when one is more used to the laid-back driving conditions of rural (or much more rural) Louisiana. We traveled daily over the highways and byways between residences of family members, shopping, etc., etc. One by-product of that driving was that while my husband and I were getting lost (while not far from my sister's home) in search of a certain store we'd visited the day before, I realized that we were REALLY close to the house (one and only one my parents ever bought) where I'd lived during junior high and high school! I had to go by to see the neighborhood and THE HOUSE. I was really impressed. It looked really nice and well taken care of!

When my family of 10 moved in (back in 1960) there were few houses close to ours. I remember watching as the other houses were constructed next door (on either side) and behind us. I remember the grass being planted and how often we had to water it. Later we planted iris from my grandmother's garden. And other flowers and things over the years we were there. That house sold for $16,000 in 1960. I'll guess it would go for over $150,000 now. Of course it is over 50 years old and housing has certainly gotten far more expensive--even though it's supposed to be a buyer's market. Construction is booming in Utah. Still.

While we were "elsewhere" Louisiana got blistering hot. And still rather in need of a few good soaking rains.

On the trip back home, Arizona was burning up (as you might have learned through a variety of news sources) and New Mexico was under serious smoke from those terrible fires for endless miles. Texas was still an inferno as we passed through the western portion of that very large state. And, yes. The wind was still blowing furiously.

When we arrived at home, we were blessed to find our lawn (whatever that green combination of who knows what that covers a good deal of the yard is) was actually mostly green. What a nice surprise! This area has been baking regularly with 100 degree days consistently for weeks now.

Glad I harvested all those glorious peaches my faithful tree produced before leaving on the adventure west! I managed to freeze several quarts of the awesome tasting fruit, plus make and can about 4.5 pints of peach jam and maybe 8 quarts + of juice that I'll make into jelly one day soon. I'm still baffled/amazed by all the luscious peaches that tree made this year! We gave so many away and still had/have plenty to enjoy! (Husband cut off the three broken limbs before he headed out west. Who would have thought there would be so many, many peaches this year! I certainly didn't think there would be a 10th of what was produced!)

Aside to Bob (Mid-Life Thoughts, Bob): The peach cobbler was "oh, so good" and I waited (for about 5 minutes) thinking you'd be knocking on my door before I dove into it. Just so you know! But, you had more important errands to attend to, I believe. I did honestly think of you, and ate an extra helping in your honor.

Now we have youngest daughter and her precious little girl visiting. One little girl is soooo much quieter than two little boys and their older sister! But, how I miss those little ones still visiting in Utah! They would have such great fun with their little cousin!

A Lot of Stuff Has Been Going On

2011-05-05T23:04:00.001-05:00

Around 1:45 AM on Wednesday last week my daughter came quietly into my bedroom. I was not asleep, nor was her father. The wind was raging outside and rain was pelting the bedroom windows. We'd been under a tornado watch since about 3:00 PM the day before.

"Mom," she said, "I just had the weirdest thing happen. My ears felt like they were going to burst a couple of minutes ago. I think there's got to be a tornado close by."

Eight minutes later I received a text message from a member of our Church asking if I had a cell phone number for yet another church member who lived fairly close to her and her parents. Over the course of the next hour we texted back and forth checking on various people and their safety.

Later, after daylight, we began assessing things in the area. Schools were closed due to lack of power. Huge trees were down everywhere--though not in our little neighborhood. My daughter left for her college classes 30 miles away and called every few minutes to report on the damage she saw on both sides of the highway.

We called and checked on various people throughout the parish that we know, checking to see if they were okay. The damage at my friend's parents' home was the loss of about 7 large trees--no damage to their house or vehicles. They were without power, however. The people she asked about having a cell phone number for had lost a huge oak tree that blocked their driveway--it was uprooted and laying the length of their front yard and knocked down their two peach trees, another huge oak tree was down on the other side of their property close to their garden. Just up the road from them another friend had two large trees down, one barely scraping the roof on the back of her house.

Others we know that have a small home had huge trees literally blocking them inside as trees fell very unnaturally all around the house without leaving a scratch on it. Everyone in our community and the communities around us are in awe of the destruction that spared most every house they fell close to. Some did have more serious damage, but nothing was completely devastated as the poor people in Alabama and other places have been.

It seems that--according to the evidence in the trees--and the experience of the folks around us (we've had a few tornadoes around us here over the years) there must have been a number of tornadoes going on at the same time. Several people I've talked with said it probably only lasted about 10 seconds when the twister(s) were on their property doing the damage they did.

Many people were without power for several days, but graciously the weather cooled and it was reasonably comfortable, compared to the heat we'd been experiencing prior to the wild storm on Tuesday night/Wednesday wee hours of the morning. We all feel really blessed that the damage was so limited overall to the loss of trees.

I thought our peach tree (which was loaded with peaches for the first time ever) would lose a ton of peaches to the howling winds that night, but when I surveyed things in the morning light--there were no peaches on the ground! That truly astonished me.

Since then, I have picked peaches and picked peaches and picked peaches and given them away to several friends and neighbors. And this evening, on just one branch, I counted nearly 100 more to go! These are NOT large peaches--just delicious peaches! This is the same peach tree that I've mentioned a time or three . . . the one that has been known to begin blossoming on Halloween! I DID NOT expect to have more than a handful of peaches this year because of the roller coaster ride the temperatures/weather has taken since the tree began blossoming in the winter. It would be in the 70's and then drop down into the teens. I don't know how/why it managed to do so much this year, but I am grateful! Except that we've lost two main branches--they broke under the weight of the peaches! I don't think I've ever seen a peach tree with "clusters" of peaches before, but this one has many, many clusters of peaches. Beats anything I've ever seen!

When I'm not suffering with a migraine, I'll try to post some pictures of the peach tree/peaches and some of the uprooted, and twisted off trees around here. But, I'll tell you now--the pictures do not do justice to the scope of the destruction.

Still, I know that we are tremendously blessed to have only the destruction we've had around here when you compare it to so much of the rest of the country. My heart and prayers go out to all those who have lost so very much more!

I'm Shaking My Head

2011-04-20T20:14:00.000-05:00

It is 8:00 PM. It is also 82 degrees. And we haven't had rain of any consequence in weeks. We check the weather channel and other sources and eagerly anticipate the various percentages of rain possibilities per the prognostications each week. :( But, the April showers have taken residence up the country from us--sometimes, apparently in the form of snow, ice and hail, unfortunately. It amazes me that what is usually a very wet spring month for us is anything but.

82 degrees at 8:00 PM. Unbelievable. For April. This is not June. Or did I just forget to turn the calendar over???

Disaster Missed, and Other Ramblings

2011-04-12T12:35:00.001-05:00

Sunday I was browning a post roast when it slipped from my cooking fork and splashed hot oil in my face. Ouch. And. Really OUCH, again. I first got cold water on my fingers and applied them to the area around my eyes--where it burned the worst. But I didn't want to ruin my pot roast, so I slid the pot it was in off the front burner to the back. Then I grabbed my small rice bag from the freezer and put it on my face. So essentially I was blind to do much else. The cold bag was ever so welcomed as immediate relief but can't see with bag covering eyes! Fortunately, and blessedly I had not been splashed in the eyes with the hot oil! I am so grateful.

Now, I've been spattered with popping grease from frying bacon and tons of other foods in a frying pan or otherwise, but never like this particular incident. I hollered for my daughter to please come take over the roast cooking operation. She was alarmed when I explained what had happened and demanded that I let her see the damage--which I knew wasn't serious, it just hurt like burns do! She told me to wash the grease off so it wouldn't continue to burn. (It wasn't, but I was a dutiful Mom and washed--very gently-- around my eyes and patted my face dry and immediately went back to assuaging my discomfort with the cold rice bag.)

The damage upon later assessment was very minor and mostly around the outer edge of my right eye, less so under my left and one small blister under my nose. (Wasn't able to get the rice bag over my nose while covering my eyes and frankly didn't feel the burn there until much later.) I'm pretty confident that the cold rice bag inhibited the blistering around my eyes that could have occurred--like under my nose--without its application!

I will ever be grateful no hot oil got into my eyes! (Do you think OSHA will now require me to wear safety eye gear while cooking? Just kidding!)

I have been cooking now for . . . let's see . . . about 53 years without a disaster of this kind, though like I mentioned earlier I've been popped with hot grease/oil on many occasions. The worst cooking disaster I can remember in all those years, however, was when I was canning fresh green beans from our garden some years ago. A friend and I were co-oping our time and efforts in helping each other with the project. Because we had several batches to process I got a little impatient and forced the pressure cooker lid off prematurely and got a very nasty steam burn on my fingers of one hand. Burns are the pits.

I learned after another burn incident with a soldiering iron years before the pressure cooker incident that plunging your hand into a cup of ice water--and mostly keeping it there--numbs the pain and halts the burn. Yes. The ice water hurts, too. You have to decide which hurt is greater or lesser. I choose (and chose) the lesser of two evils, for me anyway, and that was: keep the hand IN the ice water. Numb from cold was more tolerable than hurt from burning.

Now on to more pleasant things. When finished cooking, the post roast--involved in the near disaster--was WONDERFUL! It was delicious, tender and wasn't burned up because of my mishap. I cooked carrots and onions with it and added mashed potatoes, gravy and corn to the menu and we all seemed to enjoy it quite well.

Last night I took the remaining pound of roast and made an Italian roast beef stew. I sauteed onions, garlic and sweet red bell pepper then added a jar of tomato basil spaghetti sauce, a can of beef consume, a can of sliced mushrooms, the leftover beef roast gravy, the leftover beef cut into small cubes, some salt, and oregano and let it simmer. We served it with spaghetti noodles and the leftover corn. It was pretty good, if I do say so!

Saturday, we had about 8 pounds of chicken breasts (boneless/skinless) to grill--which I did with the very last of the propane in the tank. (I did have another tank on hand--mostly because I wasn't sure there was enough in the one to finish the job.) Now we ate some of the grilled chicken with our great salad of greens and fresh tomatoes with mozerella cheese chuncks and cibatta bread. It was all good. But the side benefit(s): of grilling all that chicken at once

only had to clean/fire-up the grill once
we now have 5 freezer bags of grilled chicken to use whenever we need to put a meal together quickly--and we've already anticipated more of those than we have grilled chicken to put into them!
thawing raw chicken and then having to cook it is NOT gonna be necessary
its much cheaper than buying pre-grilled frozen, or rotisserie chicken
we're happy with this arrangement!

So, I've survived a near disaster, and I've grilled chicken, and I've rambled through it all.

Fire Ants--The Bane of Southerners

2011-04-07T19:45:00.000-05:00

For those of you who have lived or currently live in the "Deep South" of the USofA know what I'm talking about. Fire ants are insidious, well organized, demonic creatures that dig exceptionally deep tunnels in terra firma, and protect their queens like nobodies business. You simply CANNOT eradicate them. You might kill a few thousand here and there. You might encourage them to move their surface entrances from one place to another, but you CANNOT induce them to leave you alone.

If you till up a garden, they will exercise willful disregard for your hard work and joyfully pop up another entrance or three from which they will plunder whatever plants you place there for your own consumption. And, just out of pure meanness, they will attack you with vengeance if you try to eliminate them--AGAIN--from your premises.

And, after a good rain they gleefully pop up jillions of new hills--their surface entrances. They work non-stop. I've seen cow pastures after a rain with hundreds of new fire ant hills. I certainly wouldn't want to be the cattle in those pastures!!!! And, we've had some "hills" that border our back patio that we've poisoned over and over for years. Those particular entrances will be dormant for long periods of time--months and even a few years. Then, bingo! After a good rain, we'll see they've moved back in to create havoc for us once again.

Now when I said they will attack you a minute ago, I mean a full-blown military attack. The soldier ants in the group--all female, I hate to say--will pour out of the nest and literally cover your feet, or whatever is closest and begin to bite and urinate into that bite. (Yes. A lovely thought.) That's what makes the bitten site feel "on fire"! It is very painful and festers in a short time. For some it is literally deadly--even one bite--if a person is allergic to their "sting".

I remember some years ago when we lived north of Houston, Texas. Our garden was great. Raised beds for intense use of a small space. It had begun to rain, and I ran out to shut off the water hose that was trying to keep the plants from burning up--since we'd been without rain for an extended period. In my haste I didn't watch where I was stepping. I felt a sting and looked down to discover both my feet were swarming with fire ants. Thank Heaven I had on shoes and socks and NOT flipflops!!! I did quite a dance in the rain that day, stomping and yelling and stomping wildly around the yard to disengage as many of the vile insects as possible before chucking said shoes/socks and running inside to view the destruction to my ankles, etc. I remember brushing off what I could of the little monsters before they carted me, piece by piece, down into the infernal pit of their deepest tunnel to feed their hordes of fiendish little sisters, and perhaps a few drone brothers, along with their super fat, egg-laying machine we designate as "queen."

I didn't escape unscathed. I had several bites around my ankles. Those kinds of bites have lingered on my feet and elsewhere for weeks, even with popping the festered spot and applying a good antibiotic salve to quell the mess. They itch like all get-out, too. I have had scars on my feet from some particularly vicious bites for over a year.

With all that vitriolic-ness spewing from my thoughts, I have to admit that ants are quite incredible creatures. (Doesn't mean I like fire ants anyway.) Last Saturday, in preparation for my husband tilling up the garden, I lifted up all the paving stones we had placed there last spring between the vegetable rows to clear the way for his tiller. As I lifted two or three stones, I squealed like a little girl and ran. Guess what I found underneath those stones? Uh huh! Fire ants and a lot of their eggs and tunnels. They immediately went into action. And, yes! I did the fire ant stomp once again and got out of their way. It didn't take them long to go into hyper-drive and cart those little embryos out of harms way. In just minutes there was not a little white egg to be seen. Then I doused them with a healthy (for us) sprinkling of Sevin dust before my mate was tilling away without disturbance. A little later I found a stray ant or two doin' their thing. One made it to my chest, close to my pacemaker and the other got me on the back of my neck. I still have a hard knot on the back of my neck, but I managed to dislodge the one on my chest before much damage was done.

Oh, and another thing I found rather interesting: Under the second row of paving stones I discovered more ant tunnels and ants, but these were the tiny little black ants we used to find in our kitchen--the ones that love to get into sugar and oil. I was really surprised to find them such extremely close neighbors to the fire ants. Do you suppose they have some kind of symbiotic relationship? I don't know if that's such a good thing. It disturbs me to think about it.

They're Evil!

2011-03-31T19:27:00.000-05:00

Well, maybe NOT evil altogether . . . I'm talking Rice Krispie Treats here. I don't make them very often because, well, I'm addicted to them. I can handle my addiction pretty well, too. As long as I'm not within 50 yards of homemade rice krispie treats that are made with extra butter and marshmallows.

Wellllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll . . . today I needed to spend some special time--just grandma and Blue Eyes time--with the 5 year-old grandson. The one who LOVES to cook and help in the kitchen. I was toying with the idea of making the Evil Things after finding an extra bag of mini-marshmallows and seeing that we had two large boxes of rice krispies as well. But, I thought . . . I'm considering buying a bathing suit for the first time in about 20 years. And even though I lost a bunch of weight and went down a size or two a while back--and even though, or especially because the scales have recently started intimating that some of the previously lost weight is beginning to sneak back into residence where it's most unwanted and unnecessary, I'll be strong and NOT muddle things up by making the Evil Things!

I was feeling pretty good about that very positive decision to be strong and unyielding to the terrific temptation tantalizing as it was . . . UNTIL . . . my daughter said something to the effect of: "You know when you were thinking of what you could do with Blue Eyes today after school? You could let him help you make Rice Krispie Treats, couldn't you?" Dang!!!! When someone else has the same idea I do, I kind of figure it's a positive thing.

Well, it was, for my precious grandson who's been having a bit of a rough go with a variety of challenges lately, so he needed something fun and positive to do. It seemed that he had a great time helping me through all the steps of making those blasted treats.

I have to admit I regret every bite I've enjoyed so far. I just try to NOT look down at my bulging middle that will look pretty ridiculous in some of those bathing suits I've contemplated purchasing in the near future.

Fort Jesup, Louisiana

2011-03-23T23:06:00.000-05:00

Our family went to Fort Jesup this past Saturday. It was a beautiful day to be outside. This fort is now part of the Louisiana State Park system as a State Historic Site. There are a couple of others that I know about in the area: Los Adaes, a Spanish fort built in 1700s (and at one time the capitol of Texas), and Fort St. Jean Baptiste, a French fort built in 1716. I have visited each of them at least once and found them very interesting. I can't help but love history.

Borrowing from one of the brochures (published by the State of Louisiana, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, Office of State Parks) I picked up last weekend I'll quote some of the data therein:

"When the Louisiana Purchase Treaty of 1803 failed to clearly define the western boundary of Louisiana, which was also the western border of the country at that time, the United Stated claimed eastern Texas and Spain claimed western Louisiana. The ensuing dispute gave rise to the 'Neutral Ground,' an area where the laws of neither nation were enforced. Soldiers and settlers were kept out and rouges of various stripes ruled the region. After the territorial boundary was finally fixed at the Sabine River by the Florida Purchase Treaty of 1819, the United States built Fort Jesup in 1822."

According to the information I have on hand and what we were told this past Saturday when the family went for "Settler's Day, there is only one original building still on site--the kitchen/mess hall. (I think about 80 buildings made up the fort in its prime.) There was a young lady (in period costume) actually cooking inside that kitchen on an open fire while explaining the chores of feeding the soldiers at that time. She was very informative in explaining how it all was done. The cook would feed the men in groups of 25 at a time, which sounded like the cook would have been working several hours just for breakfast and then several more for the noon meal and, well, supper? (Please see pictures 4 and 5 below that show a little girl holding a lizard she was thrilled with catching in the woodpile next to the kitchen steps.) I wasn't able to stay through the whole discourse because: a. the smoke was getting to me, and b. the grandkids were running amok. Or actually, Little Britches was pretty much running amok and I needed to catch him and ride herd on him.

The reconstructed Officers Quarters (pictures above) was built sometime after 1961, I think. According to the same brochure quoted above, "This building was reconstructed with the assistance of historians from the Army Quartermaster General's Office and the National Trust for Historic Preservation." (It reminds me very much of a similar building in Fort Laramie, Wyoming, that I saw about 35 years ago.)

I love history, and since I was raised as a Army brat, it has more interest for me. The fort was abandoned in 1846, but for a time it was the western-most US military post in the country.

Some of what we saw while at the Fort:

The back steps of the kitchen are backdrop for the display of wildlife captured by Miss Noodle.

She found keeping the hoop rolling was not as easy as she first thought, but did catch on pretty well.

Little Britches inspecting some old plows. We talked about hitching mules to pull the plows, but I don't think he caught the concept!

Some period tools.

This guy in costume demonstrated how they started fires with flint. It was really cool to see it done!

The young lady in black shirt is my daughter. The guy demonstrating this old black powder rifle and she used to work at the same grocery store once long ago . . . He's wearing a period Army uniform.

Blue Eyes was quite excited to try out the stocks. We did try to explain how they really weren't all that fun for folks who actually were punished in those contraptions.

These guys demonstrated black powder guns in action! I know the young man in the Army uniform said he actually hunts with his own gun of that old vintage--though not an antique.

The grandkids want to return to Fort Jesup. I think we bigger kids do, too! Not to mention visiting the other two historical sites mentioned above!

Today--Pecan Pie and Scrambled Eggs for Breakfast

2011-03-23T09:53:00.000-05:00

Not me!!!! But, yes. My daughter who just celebrated another birthday yesterday, who "won" a pecan pie at our Relief Society Birthday party (Relief Society was founded on 17 March 1842, actually for the women of the Church), decided that since she had a mid-term test this morning and needed extra "brain power", and since she informed me that brains are fueled only by sugar (I suppose you could look it up if you/re so inclined) she indulged herself with scrambled eggs and pecan pie for breakfast. "Mom, this pie is DELICIOUS! I'm so glad I won this last night!" As it was her birthday yesterday, I'm sure it was only right that she "win" the big prize.

I should have taken her picture as she ate, but I was in need of some brain fuel myself, so I can't share her smile of satisfaction as she consumed the treasured prize.

If I were going to eat pie for breakfast--and don't think that I haven't!--it would most definitely be apple pie for me. Or as it was once upon a time, Litzas Pizza's Canadian Bacon and Mushroom pizza pie. (That was what it was called back in olden times. Pizza Pie.) Cold. Yep. Cold. It was so good I think I walked a mile, since I didn't own a vehicle, to buy a large pizza so I could eat leftovers it was so good! (I was living alone in Salt Lake City shortly after graduating from high school and walked everywhere! I was in much better shape then than now, too!)

Any way, IF you were to eat pie for breakfast, what kind of pie would you eat?

Funny Comment

2011-03-15T21:48:00.000-05:00

Today my two grandsons had some minor, outpatient surgery. The youngest was first on the list to go to the OR. (Youngest first, seems always to be the rule--and I think rightly so.) They gave him a dose of "drowsy" medication which didn't seem to quick to take effect, but did seem to be working.

His mother and I knew for sure he was "under the influence" when she asked:

"So, how are you feeling?"

And he responded,

"Pants."

We both cracked up.

(He wasn't quite so mellow when all the "deeper sleep inducing" meds began wearing off. But then, that does happen sometimes. Ever see an angry bull? Or little bull?)

Back at home this afternoon while older brother lamented his pain and anguish, Little Britches encouraged his mother . . . "Hey, let's play tackle." (The bull was beginning to show his colors again!)

They're BaaAaaK!

2011-03-03T21:47:00.000-06:00

I've been expecting it for at least a week. Been checking every now and then without any hard evidence. Saw the moths. Checked the thermometer outside. It was 62 degrees. And then, at 9:15 PM this evening, after washing up yet another batch of dirty dishes . . .

I saw one! Just at the edge of the kitchen window. Yes, sir. A gecko! A gecko with his eye on a big, juicy looking moth.

I watched.

I waited.

I held my breath.

Would he get his dinner?

Would he miss this chance?

The moments ticked by . . .

And then . . .

He struck . . .

O. U. T.

***sigh***

(You can relax now. I've caught my breath. How about you?)

But they are BACK.

And life goes on.

As apparently the need to find food goes with it.

Maybe he tried again.

Spring Has Sprung

2011-03-01T00:19:00.000-06:00

"Spring has sprung, the grass is riz, I wonder where the birdies is?"

Well, flocks of them are dining at our backyard eating facility, and apparently texting their friends and family members to join in.

Today was a GLORIOUS spring day! Temperature hovered around 70. Sun was out. Breeze was anticipating March's entry with a fresh display of playfulness. Trees are blooming all around us. Lizards are sunning and playing hide-and-seek. Robbins, starlings, nuthatches, sparrows, cardinals, bluejays, mocking birds, pine siskins, woodpeckers and I don't know what all else are busy! And hungry!

The grandkids are rollicking and frolicking about in the yard picking wild flowers, kicking over active fire ant nests, checking out the "rollypollies" (wood lice), lizards, etc., etc. And getting filthy in the dirt and thoroughly enjoying themselves in the process. Yesterday afternoon I sat in the sunshine and very breezy afternoon and enjoyed listening to and watching their antics as they enjoyed themselves. It was just plane lovely! I do so love Spring!

Mid-Winter Summer

2011-02-25T13:25:00.001-06:00

Yeah. We've had strange weather--like so many others. We were promised horrendous, bad wintry weather--which we were blessed to not have happen so much right here. But we did have cold enough weather that our fireplace was kept going 24/7 for a least a week. (And our electric bill was about $100 more than the previous month anyway!)

Then . . . we somehow had a heat wave! We'd had temps down in the teens at night with high's in the twenties during the day. This past week, however, we had highs in the high seventies and even broke out in 80 degree weather for one afternoon! Lows in the mid sixites. It's weird. Today we started out in the high forties! YES! Loved it! And we're promised a high of only sixty something. More like my kind of weather.

I'm grateful it has not been so severe that there's been loss of life due to weather in our area. There has been so much disastrous weather/loss of life and property in other parts of the country. My heart goes out to each and every family so affected.

Hope your weather is not destructive wherever you are. And I'd still like a little more of the cooler, more wintry, seasonally based weather--IF I could. But, since it's not up to me, I'll enjoy what I can--when and however the weather comes--that will be.

Thermodynamics

2011-02-04T15:38:00.000-06:00

I need some help. I don't have a background in physics, meteorology, or thermodynamics. Perhaps if I had some training, schooling, understanding of all the above I would not be so perplexed by the weather conditions we've been experiencing during the last 12 to 15 hours.

If you can help to enlighten me, please, PLEASE explain it in rudimentary terms, so I'll not misunderstand.

This is what has occurred since about 10 PM last night.

The outdoor thermometer registered 27 degrees. As I understand it, it means BELOW the freezing mark, hence water freezes BEFORE reaching that temperature. (Water is supposed to freeze at 32 degrees Fahrenheit, I think, right?) Wellllllllllllllllll, at 10 last night, my daughter brought to my attention that it was drizzling outside AND the thermometer read 27 degrees. Now, we also noticed that the barbeque grill had an icy glaze complete with icicles. So, does that mean that water only freezes at 32 degrees F ONLY when it is dropping on a surface that is 32 degrees or below?

So then, today we've watched the outdoor thermometer and the precipitation. (We must have received some snow before we woke this morning because we saw patches of it on the kids swing set slide and elsewhere before we saw the rain or watery precipitation start back up.) There were icicles hanging off the eves, and other surfaces, patches of ice on the patio, trees, shrubbery, etc. The temperature has NOT raised above the 30-31 degree mark all day. The precipitation has ceased. And yet . . . we have water continuing to drip from the roof . I'm not sure about it dripping off other surfaces, since I'm staying inside close to the fireplace.

I don't know if you can actually see the water dripping off the roofline.

Maybe you'll have to look really closely.

So if any meteorologists, physicists, or thermodynamicists are out there willing to enlighten me, please, (again) do so now and help me avoid further consternation. I need to know. Have to know. *Sigh*

And additionally, if anyone has light to shed on the subject . . . does cold weather make YOU crave chocolate? If you feel you can only weigh in on one topic of discussion, best make it this chocolate one. Heaven knows it's the one that will count most in the end. I think. ;-}

Exhausted

2011-01-19T21:12:00.000-06:00

Tonight I'm really exhausted. There's been the flu to deal with for a week--and a 6 lb loss for me. Ugh. I'm trying to calorie-up, but have to take it one day at a time. Of course, I think I feel the need for and hear a bowl of chocolate ice cream calling my name. I heard it earlier tonight and turned a deaf ear, but it is beginning to be insistent and I may just have to go hush it up in person, with spoon in hand!

Last couple of days we have had wet and warmer weather. Tonight, I believe the weather is turning cooler--like maybe dipping JUST below the freezing mark around daybreak tomorrow and the rains are predicted to return. Tomorrow night we're to expect lows in the mid to low 20's. Fun. I'll be sure to wrap up and pack warm clothes for the trip to Jackson, MS for the antique bottle show on Saturday. I want to avoid health relapses, thank you!

The full moon was very cool looking this evening. My husband said it looked to him a bit like a werewolf kind of moon the way the gray clouds seemed to scratch across its face. He might have a point. Where's my silver spike? Or wolfbane? Or good sense to not get too excited about mythological weirdos?

Must be the haunting call of chocolate ice cream once again. Okay, by golly! I'm coming. NOW!

Time Waits for No Man. Or Me, Either.

2011-01-19T00:01:00.000-06:00

I haven’t really been procrastinating. Not really. I’ve just been so busy with preparations for Christmas and all our children and grandchildren being together—you know: cooking, cleaning, and cleaning, and cleaning, and rearranging furniture—including getting the baby crib and other necessaries from the storage unit, cleaning some more, decorating (albeit minimally), buying groceries, and buying groceries, etc., and planning the Christmas music for the Church Christmas program including choir practices and coordinating with those who are really in charge of the meeting schedule, planning and preparing Sunday School lessons, and did I mention purchasing Christmas gifts and wrapping same?, and occasionally breathing and refocusing.

Honestly, I thought of blogging every few days or so, particularly when I had a moment to squeeze in a look at my favorite blogs late in the evening.

And then, on Tuesday before Christmas, when I thought I had another day to clean and prepare—which I figured would MAYBE be just enough time to finally finish everything—I learned around noon that youngest daughter and her family were actually arriving a day early!!! Which meant about 3 to 4 hours from that moment!!!!!!! Never one to panic (yeah, right!) I shot into high gear and enlisted the aid of my two oldest grandkids, who were the only other bodies present, to do things they are not used to doing! But, because cousin, Baby Cakes, was on her way . . . man! They were all for the extra hard labor. Blue Eyes couldn’t get enough of the vacuuming of stairs and entry hall, Miss Noodle vacuumed the living room (we employed dual (dueling vacuums?) vacuums—Noodle had the upright, and Blue Eyes had the shop vac. It all worked great!) I forget who vacuumed the dining room and kitchen, but Grandma scrubbed floors upstairs and down till the skin wore away on her old fingers! (That’s the thing about doing extra cleaning, particularly with more cooking/baking—the mountains of extra dishwashing—and during cold weather, the skin on my fingers disintegrates something terrible! Cracks form and hurt like the dickens, and whine, whine, whine! Sorry.) And, Miss Noodle folded clothes till she thought she’d collapse! But all toil and trouble was forgotten when Baby Cakes and parents arrived a little before supper. All hearts were then made merry. According to the baby’s Mom, said Baby Cakes wailed for miles at the injustice of have spent so many confining hours in the tortuous grip of a car seat. (Can’t they design a reasonable car seat for little ones that doesn’t make their little sit-me-downs go to sleep? Seriously!)

Christmas was GREAT! We did have all our children and grandchildren together for Christmas Eve night and Christmas Day for the FIRST TIME EVER! I’m soooooooooo grateful for that!!!

Someone discovered the GREATEST ball in the world! It rolls very nicely, smells good and TASTES good!

Santa somehow knew that this kid needed, really needed a car to sit in and drive. For REAL!

Uh, oh! Thought that pic was a better one. But Wii is mesmerizing, nonetheless! For #2 Daughter and her precious brood!

SIL, Baby Cakes' papa loved playing Mario something or the other along with (my) Young Son, too!

Young Son on doling out the Christmas gifts duty.

Youngest Daughter and Fambly

Oldest Daughter finishing up the asparagus casserole. Yum! (There's a sweet potato casserole just about ready for the oven close by. More YUM!)

My Borther-in-Law.

(I don't ever remember seeing him look more like his brother, my husband, than in this picture!)

The day after Christmas, #2 Daughter and her father (my husband—just so no one gets confused) drove half the distance for her children to meet their Dad for his week with them. Our son had work on Monday, so before husband and daughter made it back home, I drove him to his home.

Once there were eleven and then there were seven. But we were not idle. Son-in-law took the time--and there were some complications, of course, because nothing like that is going to go along seamlessly--to install my Christmas present, a new dishwasher. He also managed to uninstall the garbage disposal that has been inoperative for years and therefore taking up unnecessary space under my sink. (The first task, of course, did entail the removal of the OLD dishwasher.) I can’t tell you how grateful I am for his help in those two tasks that require not only brawn but, quite frankly, a lot of brain as well.

His wife, #3 daughter, made a fabulous pot of chicken and dumplings—her own variation of my version of my mother-in-law’s take off of her mother’s rendition of her own mother’s chicken and dumplings recipe. We all lapped it up with gusto! And, for me, because I requested it before she ever left home to come this way, she made her great apple pie! I truly savored every bite—and wish for more.

On New Year’s Eve Eve, we celebrated oldest daughter’s birthday (a day early) with middle daughter’s Pork Adobo Tacos, my guacamole and pico de gallo, and I don’t remember all the rest, other than grated cheese, sour cream, chopped cilantro and chopped green onions to adorn the other stuff.

Then oldest and youngest daughters, Son In Law, and I played “Settlers of Catan” on New Year’s Eve to welcome in 2011. It was fun—even if I did the worst of all players, but it was touch and go for the rest of the players throughout the game, and Birthday Girl took grand prize! We had my homemade cinnamon rolls for her “birthday cake” (she’s NEVER been a great cake fan) the next day.

We had a great spread on Christmas (just to keep you guessing as to the time line—there isn’t one. (Obviously)) Tangenting back now: Youngest daughter, SIL and Baby Cakes left us on New Year’s Eve, sniffle, sniffle. They’re over 700 miles away—which is way too far! The other grandchildren are back from their week with their Dad and their other grandma where they had a second dose of Christmas. And school has begun once more.

I think I began typing this post up two weeks ago. Since much has occurred in the mean time, I’ve apparently not posted it before today, so I’ll do that now and catch you up (or me up? Hmmmmm???) a little later on what’s happened since.

Maybe. * * * SMILING * * *

(ThIs wHolE tHinG miGht NoT maKe eNny sEnse. BuT ThEn, yOu migHt HaVe fiGureD iT/tHaT ouT.)

What a Beginning . . .

2010-12-07T20:12:00.000-06:00

Do you suppose it means I'm just overly tired, or losing my mind? Yes. This morning after standing under the wonderfully warm water spray of the shower I grabbed the shampoo bottle and promptly washed my face. Then I realized my mistake and took it on up to the top of my head and washed my hair as well. My usual routine is to wash my face with my face cleanser, not shampoo. I almost panicked, fearing that my eyelashes would lose their curl--what little there is--because I was using a shampoo that is supposed to reduce/relax the natural curl in one's hair. I don't know why I was worried. It hasn't prevented the dippsie doodle waves that have been plaguing me for several months now.

I've always been so proud of my hair for cooperating so beautifully--up until recently. It's begun this maddening tendency to do "S" waves here and there, but especially right around my face and it bugs me to no end. I'm not, after all, living in the 1920's, for Pete's sake! (Give me nine or ten more years and I'll be a full century off!)

As I continued with my shower and thinking of stinking "S" curves on female heads, I remembered Miss Phoebe Whiting from my 7th grade Home Ec Cooking class. Back in 1961-62. At first, I and my classmates had difficulty knowing what to do about Miss Whiting. She had an austere demeanor and looked like someone from an old Victorian movie. She was probably my current age--early 60's--and dressed with high collars, (I remember some filigree white ones) long sleeves, mid-calf or slightly longer skirted dresses with fitted bodices and often with belts--maybe? I think I remember her wearing a watch pinned on her bodice, but don't quote me on that. Her hair was dyed black and worn in a bun at the nape of her neck ... and she had "S" curve waves (flat around her face) on either side of a middle part.

She was a large woman and had obvious jowls, which were carefully painted (along with the rest of her face) in a foundation lighter than her apparent more olive complexion. Her eyebrows were black and I think penciled in a bit of a half-moon shape over each eye. Little pink circles of rouge dotted each cheek. Her mouth was one of those little rose-bud kind, painted a dark red. Her hands and feet were tiny and disproportionate with the rest of her body. Her black shoes were of the previous era as well. They were laced up to her ankles, and had a one or one-and-a-half inch solid heel. (Some of today's shoes aren't too far off.)

She was very precise in her directions and I don't ever remember her raising her voice--even working with a classroom of giggly 12-13 year-olds. She loved sweets and rich foods. I still remember some of the recipes we made the 1/2 year I was in her class. Oh, she also love canned, evaporated milk and we used it in every possible recipe we could. We made chocolate pudding, from scratch. (Actually all our recipes from scratch!) Tomato soup, Welsh Rarebit, and Rice Krispi Treats. So THAT'S where my love affair with Rice Krispi treats began! (She told us that when we were mothers and our children didn't want to eat their cereal, we could sweeten it up with the marshmallow/butter coating to make it more appetizing! We all dropped our jaws on that one!) I don't remember other recipes, but I do remember having fun. After getting to know her better, I came to love her. She commanded respect, but did have a sense of humor and she was kind. She's one of four teachers I fondly remember, and only one of two that I remember first and last names of.

I'm grateful to have known Miss Phoebe. I'd been cooking for about four years before being in her class, but I learned some things from her. And I'm glad for the memories. Even with my kind memories of Miss Phoebe, I still don't want my hair to do "S" curves around my face.

And even though I shampooed my face today, I didn't note any appreciable change in the curvature of my eyelashes--or anything else.

A Couple Things. And a Couple More.

2010-12-01T15:54:00.000-06:00

First and foremost: I'm not dead. Yet. Hear loud celebratory noises. Yes? No? Okay. It's good for me, if not for anyone else! Perhaps God still thinks I have work to do. (Read: I still have time to repent and straighten up!) That's a good thing!

We've been dealing with what lots of others have at this time of year: Hot days (in the 80 degree range) followed shortly thereafter with cold days (as in it was 29 degrees this fine morning when I got out of bed.) Hence and therefore, most of us in this household have struggled with varying degrees of misery due to head colds/sinus infections/allergies/ear infections/bronchitis--any combination of which is so pleasant, if not downright debilitating. I'll not plague (cough, cough) you with whom had what and when, because we've had what so many others have had and still have. (Occasionally we seem like the walking dead but seem far more grouchy, you know.) Thank Heaven, the FLU seems to have missed us. That dreaded miserable stuff. (Knock on wood.) And somehow, I'm not grieved by that fact. Imagine!

So, now on my second antibiotic (the first was no picnic and only seemed to "take the edge off", and this far more expensive one (I thought of explaining that this newest antibiotic is over a130 times more expensive than the last, but then I remembered a foundational rule about multiplication: zero multiplied 130 times still equals zero. Oh well!) had better do the trick! I have many things to do!!! I have high hopes of having energy, well-being, etc. to proceed with the hundred tasks my list is growing to for this fine month of December. I'm very hopeful, if nothing else, of getting the house CLEAN and decorated for the coming of Christmas--with all children and grandchildren in attendance! Yes. Little Baby Cakes will be here to bless us for her first ever Christmas celebration, and maybe a slightly early First Birthday celebration, as well! Much to do. Much to do.

Our recent Thanksgiving celebration was wonderful. It was not fancy, but all in attendance, including small grandchildren, contributed to either cooking dishes of goodies, preparing the dining table for eating and/or cleaning up after the celebration of feasting took place. I was so exhausted after all that cooking (my portion), and eating (Yes. I did eat too much, thank you.) that I went to bed for a 2 hour nap, and left the cleaning up/storing left-over goodies to everyone else! One of the more-or-less wanted (more less, I think) I think I've gained back the 5 pounds I lost from the recent surgery/hospital stay back in October. Oh, darn it! (To quote one of Little Britches' more favored expressions to express his displeasure.) And I just bought a new pair of size 8 jeans! Darn it! Again.

One day--whenever I get on top of everything else--(I'm full of faith that I will, one day, be on top of everything. Well, okay. When I'm to a point of deciding that everything else can be put on hold, once more. while I blog a little.) I plan to post a recipe I made a couple of weeks ago: Mexican Black Bean Soup. I don't think I've included it here previously, but with the way my mind works . . . it could be a duplicate. Hope you all have a great holiday month, and a great Christmas celebration at your house!

Weeks and Weeks Behind

2010-11-22T23:33:00.000-06:00

Halloween was what? three weeks ago? And my last post was what? about, well over a month ago? So, I'm progressing backwards at an alarming rate. My heart is ticking faster, but somehow the rest of me is moving slower or something? Maybe the clocks and calendars are mistaken. Yeah. Maybe that's it! Or, maybe I've just always been behind and I'm getting behinder.

At any rate, I took some pictures the other day of a pot of soup I was crafting and downloaded them to my computer. (Or is that referred to as uploading? I never am for sure about computer-eese.) Anywaaaaaaaaaaaaaay...I found a few photos from Halloween. That day about three weeks ago. Thought I'd share a few pictures to let you know that although I'm apparently close to snail speed, I can still manage to go forward some of the time. In small units of measure, whatever they might be called.

Here are the pictures. I enjoyed taking them before we took the grandkids to the Halloween Party. It was fun! And about the biggest event I'd attended since my surgery. I saw so many friends there who asked about me and hugged me and told me they'd been praying for me, it just made it all worth the effort to go even when I didn't think I could manage.

Miss Noodle put her costume together on her own. She was a butterfly, magic fairy princess--in case you couldn't tell.

Now she's having fun posing.

Meet Luigi--aka Little Britches

Little Britches (ah, Luigi) and big brother, Blue Eyes, or Professor Scientist, fully into their respective roles.

"Once again, the evidence of my research clearly shows . . ."

The party was held outside in the country with a little fire--not a big bonfire--probably because it was mostly for little children. Shortly before leaving for home--after the children traveled from vehicle to vehicle to "trunk or treat" filling their buckets with sugary booty--I looked up into the crystal clear, chilly night and was nearly brought to tears! The very dark blue sky was glistening with a jillion beautiful stars! And the Milky Way! (I have too many trees and street lights close to the house to often see much of the stars, and to have a night clear enough to catch the Milky way . . . ) It was soooo beautiful and awe inspiring. It was refreshing to see God's handy work--again--in the beauty of His mind-boggling creations!

You Never Quite Know What's Around the Bend

2010-10-12T13:33:00.001-05:00

Last week about this time I was struggling with a serious lack of energy. An even PRONOUNCED serious lack of energy. I thought about my daily schedule--which is often full of things to keep me busy; sometimes not getting to bed quite as early as I should, etc.

A reasonable look at my schedule might not be alarming. I usually get up between 6 and 6:30 am, help get the grandchildren up for school, make their snacks and pack them in their lunch boxes while their Mom oversees them dressing and seeing to their basic hygiene needs. I prepare breakfast for them. I see to it that Little Britches gets his meds, my husband gets his, and I make my husband's lunch and set out his "stuff" for his own breakfast, etc. Then, there's dishes, laundry and all the regular housekeeping I can get to, and some I can't. On Wednesdays I usually have choir practice at Church. I have, of late, been teaching Sunday School each week in the Gospel Doctrine, adults' class. And since we lost our Ward Chorister, I've been leading the music in our congregation's Sacrament Meetings each Sunday. I know people older and far busier than myself, so I just figured I was a little "out-of-tune" with where I should be.

But I was conscientiously working to improve where bad habits are concerned. Yet, I still felt drained. No pain. No discomfort. Unless you recognize discomfort as having little energy to do anything. Tuesday I took my blood pressure to kind of "get a fix" on what might be going on. It wasn't terribly abnormal. My norm is around 120/70, pulse 60. A week ago today, it was off: something like 112/98, pulse 58. And even after eating and resting (for 2.5 hours!) I still felt completely drained. I wasn't alarmed, I just figured I was a lazy bum as usual.

Tuesday night, however, when I was saying my prayers, I asked the Lord to guide me in how I should approach this dilemma: "If this is nothing and will soon pass, good. But . . . IF this is something I need to seek medical professionals about, please let me know." (I really hate running off to the doctor for nothing, and avoid (read: Protest loudly) going to the ER in nearly every instance, except for when I had no other recourse. That wasn't life threatening, just precautionary.) And then I thought back a few weeks when I had a whole week of this dreaded feeling of being "excessively physically empty" inside. I had taken lots of naps to help me through and seemed to come out of it--for the most part, until the first weekend of this month.

Last Wednesday I awoke about 5:45 am to bathroom. I felt really weird. My heart was racing approximately 102 beats a minute, just taking it with my fingers. I prayed again for guidance and the word "pacemaker" came to mind. Well, my husband does have his own special pacemaker/defibrillator, so you know, but I feel strongly that it was the answer to my prayer--I needed medical attention. Now.

I went back to bed and told my husband I needed him to get the children up and let their Mom know I wasn't able to assist this morning--and could he please get the blood pressure machine and take my BP. He did all the above--with great concern for my well being. Our daughter came to check on me and said, "Mom, I think you need to go to the ER." For the first time ever, I replied, "I think you're right. But I don't want to go here in town, I don't want to go to the one 30 miles away, I want to go to Cabrini in Alexandria. I'm more impressed with that ER than any other I've visited--as the "caretaker" to the person(s) there to be seen. Plus, my husband's cardiologist is attached to that particular hospital.

Before the grandchildren left to catch their school buses, they with their Mom and Grandpa knelt around the bed and each offered a pray for me. It touched my heart. Nothing beats the simple, humble prayers of little children! I felt better by the time we left the house. Not by any means ready to skip and dance, but with more energy than I'd felt for several hours.

Before noon, the results of my EKG, the continuous monitoring of my heart rate, pulse, etc. (where my pulse dropped repeatedly into the 30's), blood work and X-rays were in. The PA said, "Well, it looks like you need a pacemaker." I just laughed! It was, after all, no huge surprise, having been warned not that long before that might indeed be the case. Then I asked, "You're kidding, right?"

The PA was surprised at my response. "No! I'm very serious." I then explained to her that I'd thought about that very thing not many hours before. Later, one of the ER nurses mentioned that I was taking the "news" much better than most!

They ran me through some other tests before they got me to a room in the hospital. Dr. Hawthorn had come in to see me first to ask me about family history in the cardiac vein (pun intended, I guess!), etc., etc. He said he'd schedule me for the following morning. I don't know why I was surprised about that, but it was so SOON! So QUICK! And, he said, when I asked, "How long will I have to stay in the hospital?" He said, "one night after the surgery."

Thursday morning came early. I was conscious during the surgery, which was interesting. He asked me from time to time how I was doing. I don't think it took too long, either. BUT, when he was through, my head began to itch like fire! When they released my once restrained arms, I began scratching like mad! Something, including benedril was administered IV, and I went soundly to sleep. According to my husband, after returning to my room, an echocardiagram was performed. Later the Dr. told me, "Your heart valves are pristine and there are no blockages anywhere." It's a total electrical problem.

Oh, and yes, I forgot to mention. While inserting the lead for the pacemaker into my heart he nicked my lung. Tiny nick. My veins are really small--which I've know for some time--and I remember hearing him try a few time to get the correct lead to go to the correct spot--while it was happening.

I mentioned to him on his post op visit that I was having terrific muscle spasms in my upper back, left side. I was taken for X-rays which showed a little "air" where is wasn't supposed to be. That night at about 11 PM I was taken to another spot to have a drainage tube installed to drain any air/fluid that might accumulate. It was painful for a moment, but not too bad.

Sunday, we were headed home. Now, I've just got to take things easy for a bit and get more X-rays done tomorrow.

Bubble Blowing Skills

2010-10-05T19:53:00.001-05:00

Yesterday and today Blue Eyes and Little Britches (and Miss Noodle. She was inside doing her homework like a good, industrious girl should while I had the camera out!) got into bubble blowing. The weather was superb, though the breeze did manage to make the task at hand a little more challenging. Blue Eyes figured out the best way to make BIG bubbles.

Little Britches struggled with the skills of older sibling. He tried blowing fast and furiously, which availed little more than frustrating disappointment time and time again. That was yesterday. Today, however, evidence shows that someone developed greater patience and skill.

Look at the concentration! Look at that success!! Yay! Little Britches, you rock!

Look at that level of concentration.

Blue Eyes: "See, you have to concentrate . . ."

Little Britches: "Like this?"

"I got it!"

Grandma tried various spots in the yard: In the sun; In the shade. Close up. Further away. It didn't seem to matter much. I missed so many bubbles by the time the shutter clicked. (I had to practice a little patience and skill improvement, too!) But, I'm glad I got the few I think are pretty good.

It was good recreation out in the wonderful fresh air and sunshine! I'm thinking of investing in about a gallon of the bubbly stuff!

First of October

2010-10-01T14:04:00.000-05:00

Today I traveled with my grandchildren so their mother, who was at school, would have a little easier time in delivering them to their dad later today for their weekend visit. It was a BEAUTIFUL morning. The temperature was in the high 60's by the time we left the house. We had a fun ride. We discussed how beautiful (and essential) sunshine is for all life to exist after Blue Eyes mentioned that he loved the sun today. That led to a discussion of how EVERYTHING is possible because of Jesus Christ, God's Son. That Jesus explained in the Bible (more than once) how He is the Light of the world.

Then, one by one I asked the children to tell me what they were thankful for. Their lists (which I added blessings I'm thankful for, too) were lovely and long. We're all thankful for our family, for the beauties of the earth--including the trees, flowers, bugs (yes, bugs were mentioned a time or two), other animals, our house to keep us sheltered from the storms, comfortable beds to sleep in, Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, aunts, uncles, cousins. And I could go on and on.

They were so sweet and were attentive to the rules I'd expressed for safety when we moved from my vehicle to Mom's. No fussing or fighting. It was good. I'm thankful for that!

As I drove back home, I noticed that the sky was a beautiful blue. Not a cloud visible anywhere. The trees were glistening in that sunlight Blue Eyes had noticed. Even in a world of constant flux and turmoil there are many things to remind us of God's ever constant care. I'm so thankful for that. And more.

Gecko Food Fest

2010-09-29T20:00:00.002-05:00

I thought it might be getting too cold for the geckos now that our temperatures have dropped from formidably hot to cold enough in the mornings to require a jacket!!! And...especially since I saw their favorite menu item in quantities I've never seen before adorning my kitchen window now.

Well, that was what I thought until I began noticing the "shy" creatures snatching and gobbling up those little tasty moths that ventured too close to the waiting jaws of the reptiles hiding hither and thither. Apparently temperatures aren't critical--yet!

What entertainment items do you find attached to your kitchen windows? (Which are, no doubt, more translucent than my own that need a good Windexing, hosing down, scraping, etc., etc.

Rub-A-Dub-Dub--OR--When Is A Swimming Pool Too Small?

2010-09-28T21:40:00.001-05:00

"Last day for outdoor water sports, kids." **Translation** "Kids, you better get the heck out of the house and play now that the temperature has become reasonable for outdoor recreation!"

Mom and Grandma knew that it was time. It is no longer prohibitively and excessively hot for children frolicking about outdoors. Besides, children confined to the inner sanctum of their living quarters tend to get short with one another. That's what happens when one (two and/or three) don't have plenty of time to release their energy in the out of doors. As much as they normally enjoy and long for such outdoors-ness, we've notice a lack of enthusiasm of late. They've apparently misplaced their memory of the joys of such activities and needed an enticement to remind them of the joys therein (or is that, there-out/their-out??). At any rate, the inducement to go out and "Have fun, or else!" worked. See evidence below.

There they are all happy and tucked into the smallest (perhaps) swimming pool on record for three normal sized children. I'm really not sure how they managed to arrange themselves so that they fit, but fit they managed to do.

There was whining and weeping and wailing from each individual for one reason or another, and the final blow was that there was going to be one man out! Noodle was in with Little Britches and Blue Eyes was devastated that no one would give up their favored spot to allow him in. There was much howling as to the genuine fact that there simply was NOT enough room for ONE MORE PERSON!

All that was, however, prior to the authoritative command of "Stop whining and fighting and figure out a way to work together!" When no one budged, and new whining set in, that same authoritative voice strongly suggested that they all stand and try a new arrangement.

Since they've all inherited a large degree of engineering skills, an arrangement was made conducive to all three miraculously fitting in the very tight, but still nearly full of water arrangement you see above. Since it worked so splendidly, they received another command, from said authority, to stay put while the camera was located and put to use.

Make what you will from these expressions. Engineering ingenus? Or children can amaze adults when pressed to do so. Or not.

It was inferred that the reason everyone wanted IN the water was because goose flesh and chattering teeth claimed their own whenever these three were not immersed in the water. Eventually, after much too much endurance in such cramped quarters made traveling back in-doors essential, the moaning, and groaning began anew. "I'm too cold to take a bath!" "I don't want to get ready for bed yet!" "I'm too cold to walk." (It was 80 degrees outside. And, since they've been used to near 100 degrees, I guess it WAS kind of freezing! In the full sunlight, etc.

When the hot bathwater was drawn, scant minutes later, everyone (though not bathing in the hotter tub at one time) finally expressed gratitude for the relaxing relief and settled down. Then we ate supper and all was well in the world once more. For a few minutes!

For Just a Few Minutes It Looked Like Niagara Falls!

2010-09-22T14:33:00.000-05:00

Only moments ago I heard the throb of thunder. I suspected precipitation soon to follow. Then . . . It Looked Like Niagara Falls outside. I checked the rain gauge. Within 10 to 15 minutes we had .5 inches of rain! And coincidentally the temperature dropped as well from 83 to 73 degrees in about the same time period.

It has slacked off pretty much now. I'm not sure if more will follow, but we'll take it! (Ha! What choice do we have???)

Nonetheless, I'm so grateful for the rain!!! Hooray! And I'm so grateful for the cooler temperature, too!

How's your weather where you're located? Share how quickly it's changed, or how long you've been blessed/endured whatever circumstances you've had placed on your plate!

Bangkok Restaurant Review

2010-09-20T09:50:00.001-05:00

Saturday some of the family (#2 daughter and #1 son) accompanied me to a Thai restaurant in Alexandria, LA, interestingly called the Bangkok Restaurant. My daughter, has been to Thailand and loved it there. She is very particular about Asian food--actually about all kinds of food from around the world--so I follow her lead when visiting such restaurants (most of the time) when ordering. She ordered Pad Thai--which was delicious--and Beef Curry (the red variety). Son ordered a Thai Pork Fried Rice dish. We also had fried Spring rolls. It was all delicious--except for the beef in the Red Curry. It tasted a little old.

The personal favorites of mine were the Pad Thai and the Red Curry sauce. Very yummy! I will go back. Oh, and by the way, the lady who waited on us was originally from Thailand. My daughter always tries to learn if those preparing whatever kinds of Asian food at the restaurant we plan to eat at are authentic to the cuisine offered. Koreans for Korean food. Japanese for Japanese food, etc.

There was an Asian grocery attached to the restaurant so my daughter checked it out while we waited for our meal. She was VERY impressed with the freshness of their produce and meats as well as the variety of other commodities for sale.

They're Multiplying!

2010-09-19T23:05:00.000-05:00

Tonight the grandchildren returned from the weekend with their dad. Little Britches and I were checking out the gecko activity on the kitchen window. A small moth--the likes of which seem to be a favorite meal of these geckos--was tantalizing and teasing each of the three little reptilian critters I saw by flying close and getting missed as it passed by each of the predators. Two of the star-toed fellas were on the top half of the window as the third dashed from top to just below mid-way on the bottom section with a near miss for said moth, when suddenly a fourth fellow skulking in the bottom left-hand corner snatched the winged meal for himself.

Now I've got to wonder: are these geckos multiplying and hiding out all over my back yard? Jeanie, in Paradise, has hinted that they multiply quickly. (You can check out her experience at jeanieinparadise.blogspot.com.) It might be alright if they could manage to eliminate a large portion of the mosquitoes and other unsavory insects lurking about us--like the blight of stinging red wasps and some kind of hornets that have attacked us in recent days. My husband has sprayed the apparent hidden nest of red wasps and we keep finding remnants crawling now (rather than flying) around our front door. (These suckers are about 2 1/2 inches in length--with attitude! And when they pop you, you know it for sure!)

Heretofore I've been in the habit of catching them live (when they are IN the house) and tossing them outside. I may have to alter my modus operandi. We're all just slightly wary of entering and leaving by the front door now!

So . . . are we under attack? Being overrun with wildlife once again, or still? I'm beginning to wonder. Again!

Love, Love, Love

2010-09-10T21:38:00.000-05:00

New photos showed up for me to "oooo" and "aaaahhhh" over. The youngest of my adorable grandchildren has been sitting in front of a camera once more. There's no way I can describe how this little bundle of joy fascinates me. She just makes me giggle with joy when the opportunity to see her up close and hold and snuggle her arises. Not often enough, I assure you!

But here are some pictures of this adorable little babe.

One of my very favorite pictures of our little Baby Cakes. That's her very pretty Mom holding her. (I think Mom looks like a movie star. What do you think?)

She is such a kick! This is another of my all-time favorites. New, but still an all time favorite!

I imagine that she's singing Gene Kelly's version of "Singing in the Rain." Or, maybe she's singing the Beatles "Love, Love, Love."

I'm sure her PopPop would argue that she's really cheering on the football team of his choice that's playing on the TV behind her. (PopPop has a Super Bowl ring or two from the days of his professional career in football.) Anyway, I can hear her singing in this photo, I don't care what anybody else says!

Caught Two of Them

2010-09-09T22:02:00.000-05:00

In my previous post I mentioned a trio of geckos lurking about my kitchen window, my dirty kitchen window. I don't exactly remember why I was walking into the kitchen just a few minutes ago, but lo and behold! I saw all three geckos attached by their little starry feet to the upper portion of said window. Racing upstairs to snag the camera I tried to get back in time to catch them as if they would be waiting for me. Yeah. Well, the illusive little critters were still lurking about, but not so much within camera view.

I tried to catch them w/o flash. Got double images. Blurry double images. Tried with the over-the-sink light on. Forget that! Tried with only the kitchen (florescent) light on. That was problematic, as well. But, nonetheless, I did see all three at once, or at least parts of them not hidden from view and snapped a few frames. I'll include a couple of them--if you promise not to snicker about how utterly filthy my poor kitchen window is. Please.

Aren't those little feet just cute?

I may try another evening to do better--with cleaning the window and/or taking better photos of the reptilian critters. Are they reptiles? I forgot to look that up!