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.