Who can Refuse???

Mike and Bryttan are gathering donations for Cambodian Orphans. I helped my sister when she served a medical visit to Haiti.  So you bet I will also do what I can for Mike and Bryttan!  So... I asked some people at work if they would be able to donate deoderant, baby wipes and hand sanitizer.

I SPECIFICALLY asked for those items as that is what M and B were gathering up. But what I got (in addition to those items) were a lot of other things such as shampoo, soap, mouthwash, first aid kit, lotions, etc.  Look at those pictures of little Cambodian orphans.... who can say no to that? (I sent those pics in an email..... yes I do know how to tug at the heartstrings).

So, I also found some GREAT deals online for my own donations. I'm excited to see them on Sunday and give them all the stuff.

Always, ALWAYS feels good to help out.

I got an email from blogger telling me if I didn't "upgrade" or move or something I was going to lose my blog. But when I follow the link, and try to login... it says "invalid account" or something. So... I'm not sure if my blog will disappear off the face of the earth or what....  I changed my password, but apparently I have forgotten my login name. I've tried several combinations of what I think it is....  none get accepted. So... I may have to start from scratch. What fun......

Edamame Rocks My world

Is there too much of a good thing?I eat one or two BAGS of these every day. I LOVE THEM.

They are healthy. Complete protein, has all the amino acids. They are a great source of fiber (believe me!), they are fun to eat, they are filling, they taste great. It's what I have for dinner every night.

I'm sure my fascination will eventually wan, and I will get sick of them and move on. But for now... they are inexpensive and I LIKE EM.

Health Challenges

So I found out today that a member of the Kramer family (Todd's sister Carolyn is the grandma of Keira the little girl), is facing a battle. Keira has Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and is starting chemotherapy today. Because of her age and being female, her odds are good that she can be cured. So many thoughts and prayers going out to her and her family. Her mom, Megan, is around Karin's age. I'm sure this is just horrible to face.

And then the second thing I learned was that my friend Lisa suffered a stroke. And she did NOT tell me. I found out from her daughter. So that sort of ticks me off. Lisa used to tell me EVERYTHING and I can't believe she kept this quiet.

I knew she was having tests. Brain MRI, and other things because she was dizzy and confused. She never told me what the results were. And she seems to be ok. But yeah, I found out today. And she doesn't know that I know. I will keep quiet and see if she tells me. We are supposed to go to a movie while George is out of town.

My dad is talking a lot about dying. He is so lonely. He is so frustrated. I wish I could help him. I wish I lived closer. He needs somebody to clean and cook for him.

I now understand!

I never really understood the whole concept of a siesta. (Nap in spanish). I mean, yes I understand taking naps, but in some cultures and areas the work day STOPS and people take a siesta.

I always used to think "Geez, what is the deal with that?"

Now I know.

George is working in Phoenix, AZ this week and he gets up and goes to work at 4:30 in the morning. Why? Because it's COOL. By about 10 am it's already 80+ degrees and at noon to 3pm it's up in the 90's or 100's. Working outside is nearly impossible in that heat!

So for outdoor laborers..... they usually get up very early, go to work early to get as much done as they can. Then they take off a few hours during the hottest part of the day, and then they go back to work after 3pm and work till like 7pm because it is cooler.

I totally get it now!

He says he is getting so toasted (tan) that he looks like dark chocolate.

Yum.

I admire people who can work outside. I am such a wimp when it comes to heat that there is NO WAY I could last. I mean, I get cranky and sick when it's 75 degrees INSIDE the office building. I'm flipping the air conditioner on all the time and making everybody else freeze. I don't care. They can put on a sweater or a coat. But I cannot cool off unless the air is on!

So, now I understand the whole concept of a siesta and why work stops for some people as they go inside during the hottest part of the day. I wonder why I never figured that out before?

This is soooo coool

Carol at work made this cake pop display for Dixie's birthday. It is just AMAZING and I want to make one for somebody's birthday.

Tooo cool. The picture does not do it justice. It's about 3 feet tall.

Really neat.

War of Confusion and We Know Why......

I'm going to spout my own beliefs here and I do not claim to be 100 percent right in what I say.

But I think that there is a mighty

battle raging.


The war between good and evil is real. We are at a point in history where there is a "good" man running for president.
Is he perfect? no.

Is he going to be able to do everything he says? I doubt it. But not because he won't try, it will be because congress may not work with him.

However, I feel he is a GOOD man who has the ability to help this country turn around. I have seen what he did when Utah had egg on its face over the Olympics and Romney stepped in and pulled us out of it. He has done good things as governor of Mass.

He's Mormon. So what? I would like him no matter what his religion is.

Over the past few years the adversary has stirred up a LOT of controversy for the "Mormon" church. So much negative light is cast on it. Due in large part to the whole FLDS church which is NOT associated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. But because of that scandal, people think we are one and the same.

Not so.

Then there is a blatently sacriligious play done about the Book of Mormon. Oh that is really going to help!

We get David Archuletta.... good kid. Gains fame. And thankfully does not get all holier than thou and go the way of the world... nope. He is humble and thankful and has decided to serve a mission. Drop out of fame, and serve the Lord for two years. Good for him!!!!!

People don't know the truth about the church. They only hear the bad. They think we are a bunch of weirdos. They think WE are the polygamy wives of the FLDS.

All this bad publicity has been stirred up the past years in preparation for THIS year.... when a member of the Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter day Saints would run for president. Hello.... we believe in JESUS CHRIST. See, it's in BIG letters. We read the Bible. We pray to God the Father in the name of Jesus Christ.... hello. We are Christian.

We are not perfect.

As a church, we are not perfect. We are human. We are good people though for the most part.

My inner beliefs differ somewhat from what the church teaches in a few areas, but I figure we will all find out the truth eventually when we get to where we're going in the next life. Meanwhile... my philosophy is to do good here. Be a good person. Help others. Live, Love, Laugh. "By their fruits ye shall know them." Who bears good fruit? Many people.

So, I kind of hope Mitt wins the race and that he is able to show the world that while our culture is "different"... we are normal people. Good people. Christian people. And I hope he can get the country back on track. Because I believe he has heavenly help... and if he is meant to be President, he will be. And if he is not... then so be it.

My rant may not make sense.... but I don't care.

Keep in mind that I was all for Obama 4 years ago. But he disappointed me and its not all his fault. Congress has fought him on everything.

I just wish we could have peace on earth.... prosperity.... and more good news. Less bad news. No wars. No predjudice. Peace and harmony for ALL races, religions, sex, orientations, whatever.

But that, I know, is asking too much. So for now.... Hope for the best, Prepare for the worst, and Take what comes.

Be Prepared

Proverbs 6:6-8

⁶ Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
⁷ It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
⁸ yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.

Boy scouts aren't the only ones with the motto of "Be Prepared". Nor are members of the LDS faith. Lots of people these days are feeling the urgency and need to "stock up", to "get out of debt", to "store for times of necessity".

It's just good common sense. I went to Costco the other day and lots of people were buying case after case of water. Kind of freaked me out. Some had huge piles of batteries too.

Turns out Costco was just having a REALLY good sale on water and batteries. But the people who took advantage of that sale are the wise ones. We bought a couple of cases of water last night and 25 pounds of beans. Some Paper towels.

We have talked about buying a freezer to put in the garage so we can store meat and veggies when they go on sale. My freezer in my refrigerator is TINY and hardly holds anything. I used to have a deep freeze years ago and it was great. I made lots of jams and had a year supply of strawberry freezer jam. Bought meat on sale so I always had a roast or two on hand for "emergency guests".

So this year will be a good year for us. We will have my car paid off by the end of the year. Woo hoo! We are doubling and tripling payments to accomplish that. It will be such a relief.

We'd love to plant a garden, but not sure if that is going to happen. Maybe next year. I need to look into how to do container gardens. If I can put some on my deck, that might work. I'd just like some fresh tomatoes and peppers. We buy a TON of those. We're starting our own avocado tree too. ha ha. It may never produce... but it's fun to watch.

Gorp

What does "Gorp" mean? I hear people refer to trail mix as "gorp" and it sounds like the sound you make when you feel like throwing up.

Not that appetizing.

I do the vending at work and they love it when I make stuff instead of just buy ready packaged. Nuts and dried fruit are a BIG demand item.

Last night I made some "trail mix" or "snack mix" out of pecans, almonds, rolled oats, dried cranberries, raisins, sunflower seeds, and peanut M&Ms all glazed with a maple/cinnamon vanilla mixture. YUM YUM.

I also made a batch of "Spicy" Chex Mix that had the cereal, and Bugles, and pretzels, and cashews, with a spice of season salt, Worcestershire, butter, Tapatio sauce. Did not taste spicy to me at all. I think I should have doubled the sauce part. Or added some cayenne or hot chili pepper. Oh well, that is the fun in experimenting.

I was at Costco yesterday in the middle of the day which I think was the first time ever I have done that. I usually go on Saturdays when it's a mad house. But in the middle of the day there were still lots of people, but not crazy. However, it was really weird what almost EVERYBODY was buying --- cases of water and batteries!

I almost wanted to ask someone if they knew something I didn't... and was there a major disaster coming? I could not believe how many people were stocking up on WATER and BATTERIES!!

It was almost creepy feeling. I went to the water and the pallet was almost empty. I didn't get any because I was by myself and I can't lift that. But George has been feeling for a few weeks that we need to buy water... so it made me even MORE aware.

And so we are planning to get some, but he is heading out of town this weekend so we either have to wait, or I have to take David with me. George doesn't get home til almost 8pm so Costco is closed already.

Just weird.

Just..... really..... weird......

I've been bitten by "THE BUG"

What bug you ask?

The same bug that has hit my daughter, and my daughter in law, and my niece, and my coworkers, and some ward members....

The CRAFT bug! I thought I gave up making things YEARS ago. (Yep, I used to be a crafty lady...) I used to sew, and glue, and paint, and decorate, and make things. Curtains, pictures, wall hangings, clothes, barbie clothes, dolls, blankets, stuffed animals, towels, pillow cases, etc....

Then I got burned out.

Well, actually it got to where it was cheaper to buy ready made than to make it myself.

But George wants to re-do the bedroom and bathroom and paint it with color and re-arrange it.

(Yep, he's a man who likes to do that kind of thing!)

So, I've been looking at interior design ideas for paint. Seeing what I don't like, and what I do. He had wanted to do the ceiling the same color as the walls, but as the green photo shows (somewhere on here), that would not look so great.

I want to do one wall dark blue -- like a midnight blue, and then the other walls a lighter shade of blue, or a cream color. And the trim will be white-white. Like sugar white.

I LOVE the pillows my niece has (see photo with cute dumpling baby sitting in midst of pillows) and she has offered to sell them to me. So I want to work my colors around those.

We bought paint supplies this past weekend, and will buy tools, ladders, paint, etc... bit by bit. I want to get a new bed too. I want a platform bed. Or pedestal bed. Not sure how you call it. But it is a bed without bed springs. Supposed to be much better for your back and I have a bad back so I want a good bed.

Plus, I think they look cool.

So why is there a tostada sitting on the page too? Because I'm back to cooking tons of mexican food from scratch again. YUM YUM. We made bean and cheese tostadas yesterday. We are having extremely spicy flautas tonight. And spanish rice.

I'm really excited to re-do the room. We want to go hit yard sales, and thrift stores to see what treasures we can find to "make over". We have two tables in the bedroom that we are going to paint. Right now they are an UGLY black color, or dark brown... anyhow, we are going to paint them.

I'm actually excited to do something! I like this!

And we're going to plant flowers outside. I haven't done that since I moved there 9 years ago. I hate yard work. But George LOVES yardwork.

I lucked out. He likes to cook, clean, work, paint, fix things, landscape, do laundry, clean bathrooms, wash dishes.... and take out the garbage. So nice!!

Spring allergies

I love Spring. It marks the end of winter, it signals new birth. It means summer is around the corner.

BUT----

It is also allergy season. And I don't get "normal" allergies. I don't get the runny nose, the sneezing, or the itchy watery eyes.

Nope. God prepared a special allergic reaction just for me....

My ears fill up with water.

So for the next two months, I feel like I am in a swimming pool. It SOUNDS like I am under water. It causes me to get dizzy even when sitting down. It makes my head feel "full".

And it tends to get worse each year.

I have found that Sudafed PE works very well at minimizing it. The problem is, because the stupid meth users buy up Sudafed, we now have to show our drivers license to get it and we are limited as to how much we can buy. Which is not enough for me to get through the next two months.

I wonder if my doctor could write me a prescription for it?

I've used other allergy meds. They make me SLEEEEPY even when they say "non-drowsy" formula. But Sudafed PE does not make me drowsy and it does not make me spacey or weird. I also use it when I have to fly on airplanes because my ears give me HORRIBLE pain whenever I fly. Sudafed eliminates that or at least makes it bearable.

So.... if you speak to me and I am constantly saying "What? What?" you'll know that its because I feel like I'm in a tunnel of water.

It should clear up about June.......

Coulda been.......

So I find out that my son and his wife have been living in a fire trap. Had a feeling this was so, since they were blowing fuses all the time. (Note to self: blowing fuses is a sign of faulty wiring).

I remember when I lived in my house, we found out that the wires in the attic had major problems and that it was sincerely by the Grace of God that our house did not burn down.

And I am grateful it didn't.

I am also glad that Mike and Bryttan are getting OUT of that place.

I won't sleep well until I know they are in a safer location.

And they are away from the annoying neighborhood children.

(yeah, the dog face represents the annoying neighborhood children.)

I was going to pay homage to the angel Betty/Charles but let's just say... DON'T "google" the word "Mannequin" because you will be sorry you did.

(shudder).

And I couldn't find any angel pictures that didn't have wings (and we all know REAL angels DON'T have wings)..... so I will just leave it that I am sure they are blessed beyond measure and have someone watching over them.

Now.... lead them on to their next destination. Hopefully in a SAFE place and a KIND neighborhood.

Joy, gratitude, thankfulness

So many things to be thankful for. My heart is full.

I sometimes fail to see everything because negative things cloud the vision.

But when the sun comes out, and I am able to count my blessings... I realize I can't count that high!!

4 eyes

Yep. I have to wear glasses now all the time.

If I don't, I'm blind.

Oh the joys of getting older.

*sigh....

La Cocina de Bob y Jorge

Had ourselves a fiesta yesterday. I hope the kids had as much fun as me and George did. We worked HARD at preparing an "authentic" homemade, fresh, organic, mexican meal.

We started on Friday night by cooking the brisket in the crockpot ALL night long. And soaked the beans overnight as well.

Then we cooked the beans all day Saturday and ran all over town getting ingredients for everything.

On Sunday morning we rolled the flautas, refried the beans, chopped up fresh avocado, tomato, onion, garlic, roasted peppers, etc to make guacamole and pico de gallo. Nothing tastes better than FRESH! I made spanish rice too. From scratch. Nothing we made was from a box. Everything was made from scratch.

I made tres leches cake on Saturday. Boy that turned out yummy. And then we made lime slushies (my version of virgin margaritas).

We ate just about everything. And we had a blast playing with Adelyn, and talking, and playing "Who's got the Quarter".

Yum. Yum. The food was NUM! I hope the kids all enjoyed it too. I think they did. Most everybody had seconds of everything. LOL.