Back in December, our SUV's brakes went out. A very good mechanic jerry-rigged the brakes and advised us to get rid of the SUV ASAP. Here we are, almost five months later and we still have the SUV. I don't drive it unless absolutely necessary and I never drive more than a mile from home. We've dealt with a being a one car family before and we've done pretty well this time. However, we are just too big a family to continue like this any longer. We've had to rely on the help of friends and while we are grateful for the friends who help us, we don't like having to use our friends so constantly.
The last two days have been rather insane as we've tried to fit seven schedules into one car. We are searching for a new vehicle, but so far have had no luck. Gosh I hate these kinds of things. There is just no good solution to the problem. At least not without taking on quite a bit more debt.
I could ramble on and on about the problems this lack of a vehicle is causing me. I can only use the car when Hubby doesn't need it and so that means I can't always use it when I need it the most.
So, we've been a bit down in the dumps about the car situation. Hubby has some drama going on at work. It makes him upset and so I am sad for him. Because of the insane schedules the last two days, we have not had time to watch our favorite TV show and so I've been missing out on my hearty laughs. I miss them! I need them! There won't be time for TV tonight either and I'm not allowed to watch any without the rest of the family. I guess I could watch the ones we've already seen, but I can't skip ahead.
On top of it all, the house is a mess, again! I clean and an hour later, it's a mess. I guess today, I just need to put on some golden oldies music, sing along, dance along and clean the house.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
#445 and an Interview
This is blog entry #445! It's kind of crazy when you think about it.
In the spirit of the number of postings on this blog, I'm going to share with you things about it's author, who has had so much to say over the last four years.
Celebrity Interview
Have you ever watched an interview of a celebrity? They ask the celebrity all sorts of questions. I really enjoy hearing their answers. I love to see how very much I think like that particular person and how very different I am from them.
What if I were a celebrity and someone actually cared about my opinion? What would I say? How would I answer such questions? These are actual questions from an interview that I heard answered recently by a celebrity. The celebrity had his answers, but what does Molly, a nobody stay-at-home mom of five, have to say? You are about to find out.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Being in a deep forest, surrounded by green trees, green grass, and wildflowers. There would be a small cottage, a spinning wheel, my loom, and a stream nearby where water tumbled over rocks. Birds, the sound of wind and the singing stream would be the only noises. My husband and children would be there to share in the beautiful surroundings, but the kids would not be too noisy.
Who do you admire, dead or alive?
Many people but I really don’t have anyone person in particular. Most of the people I admire are nobody special to most of the world. They are a friend who is wonderful about dropping off a plate of cookies just when you need it the most. They are the woman who raised eight children, had several books published and taught each of her children to play a different instrument. They are the woman who sing and smile even when there are hardships to face. If I were to name these women, you wouldn’t know them, but I do and I admire them.
What is your favorite sound?
Thunderstorms
What is your favorite word?
Vomitory. I just don’t get to use that one very often.
Where would you like to live?
See the answer to the first question. Deep in a forest with green trees…..
What challenges you the most?
Being a mom. Especially in this day and age. It’s a scary world, filled with scary things, scary people, and scary situations. Raising a kid right is hard. Raising 5 kids right seems like an impossible task. I'm just going to try my best and hope it's enough.
Which talent would you like to have?
I would like to be able to play the piano well.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Being a mom to five great kids (so far, but we haven’t hit the teens yet).
If you could have another career what would it be?
There are so many…. A camp director. An owner of a themed bed and breakfast. A professional writer. A librarian. Can I do all of that at the same time?
What gives you the most satisfaction?
Finishing a project. I love taking a completed weaving off the loom. I love to finish writing in the last page of a journal. I just love being able to finish any tasks I attempt.
What current projects are you working on now?
Well, aside from being a full time mom, house cleaner, cook, taxi service, etc., in September, I’ll start school again. I’ve always got a project on the loom and I’m always writing stories.
______________
Well, now you know about Molly as questioned by a celebrity interviewer. The real interview had about 20 more questions, but I won’t bore you with those. I don’t even have an answer to some of them.
I guess this is why they interview celebrities and not me. I don’t have very interesting answers.
In the spirit of the number of postings on this blog, I'm going to share with you things about it's author, who has had so much to say over the last four years.
Celebrity Interview
Have you ever watched an interview of a celebrity? They ask the celebrity all sorts of questions. I really enjoy hearing their answers. I love to see how very much I think like that particular person and how very different I am from them.
What if I were a celebrity and someone actually cared about my opinion? What would I say? How would I answer such questions? These are actual questions from an interview that I heard answered recently by a celebrity. The celebrity had his answers, but what does Molly, a nobody stay-at-home mom of five, have to say? You are about to find out.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Being in a deep forest, surrounded by green trees, green grass, and wildflowers. There would be a small cottage, a spinning wheel, my loom, and a stream nearby where water tumbled over rocks. Birds, the sound of wind and the singing stream would be the only noises. My husband and children would be there to share in the beautiful surroundings, but the kids would not be too noisy.
Who do you admire, dead or alive?
Many people but I really don’t have anyone person in particular. Most of the people I admire are nobody special to most of the world. They are a friend who is wonderful about dropping off a plate of cookies just when you need it the most. They are the woman who raised eight children, had several books published and taught each of her children to play a different instrument. They are the woman who sing and smile even when there are hardships to face. If I were to name these women, you wouldn’t know them, but I do and I admire them.
What is your favorite sound?
Thunderstorms
What is your favorite word?
Vomitory. I just don’t get to use that one very often.
Where would you like to live?
See the answer to the first question. Deep in a forest with green trees…..
What challenges you the most?
Being a mom. Especially in this day and age. It’s a scary world, filled with scary things, scary people, and scary situations. Raising a kid right is hard. Raising 5 kids right seems like an impossible task. I'm just going to try my best and hope it's enough.
Which talent would you like to have?
I would like to be able to play the piano well.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Being a mom to five great kids (so far, but we haven’t hit the teens yet).
If you could have another career what would it be?
There are so many…. A camp director. An owner of a themed bed and breakfast. A professional writer. A librarian. Can I do all of that at the same time?
What gives you the most satisfaction?
Finishing a project. I love taking a completed weaving off the loom. I love to finish writing in the last page of a journal. I just love being able to finish any tasks I attempt.
What current projects are you working on now?
Well, aside from being a full time mom, house cleaner, cook, taxi service, etc., in September, I’ll start school again. I’ve always got a project on the loom and I’m always writing stories.
______________
Well, now you know about Molly as questioned by a celebrity interviewer. The real interview had about 20 more questions, but I won’t bore you with those. I don’t even have an answer to some of them.
I guess this is why they interview celebrities and not me. I don’t have very interesting answers.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Great Ideas
I’m a fountain of great ideas. They are all amazing, really.
When I thought about that, I got a little depressed. All those great ideas and nothing being done with any of them.
Then, I started to think about all the journals I’ve kept over the years. Doing a quick calculation, I’m sure I’ve written over 2000 pages of journal entries. That’s written in books alone. That doesn’t include the 400+ journal entries I’ve written on my blog and the many bits and bytes in my computer of more writing and journaling.
However, when I build my Hobbit-like house and open my themed bed and breakfast, I’ll let you know so you can come to see it. I'll autograph copies of my latest published work for you.
Unfortunately, there are more ideas than time to do any of them. I don’t know that I’ve completed many of these ideas. Most of them are ideas for stories to write, business to start and weaving projects to try.
If I wrote down every great idea I had, I would have a book the size of the Oxford Dictionary.
(This is my dictionary with a penny, to give you scale.)
LOL
Then, I started to think about all the journals I’ve kept over the years. Doing a quick calculation, I’m sure I’ve written over 2000 pages of journal entries. That’s written in books alone. That doesn’t include the 400+ journal entries I’ve written on my blog and the many bits and bytes in my computer of more writing and journaling.
These are my journals I've kept over the years. After taking this picture, I realized that
the journal I kept as a kid and teenager aren't in this picture. All you see
here are journals I've kept since 1994. They are piled next to the dictionary with the penny.
You know, for scale.
That’s a whole lot of writing. I guess most of my ideas will remain nothing more than ideas, but that’s OK. Great ideas are fun to think up whether you get to do them or not.
See you in dream-land.
Sharing isn't nice
According to my two year old, who will be three in one week, sharing isn't very nice.
At church, she is in the nursery. It seems every single week, she has an issue with sharing the toys. The Nursery Leader told me that she will have six or seven toys with her where she is playing. Even if she isn't playing with a specific toy, if one of the other kids takes it, she lets out a scream. Every week the Leader has to remind her that she needs to share.
Yesterday, the Nursery Leader and I were visiting. She told me how she has this problem with Peanut each week. It seems that Peanut wasn't playing with a toy and another little girl took it. The Leader reminded Peanut, again, that she needs to share and Peanut said no. Later, the little girl brought the toy back and handed it nicely to Peanut. The Leader said to Peanut, "There, isn't it nice to share?"
Peanut replied, "It is for her."
At church, she is in the nursery. It seems every single week, she has an issue with sharing the toys. The Nursery Leader told me that she will have six or seven toys with her where she is playing. Even if she isn't playing with a specific toy, if one of the other kids takes it, she lets out a scream. Every week the Leader has to remind her that she needs to share.
Yesterday, the Nursery Leader and I were visiting. She told me how she has this problem with Peanut each week. It seems that Peanut wasn't playing with a toy and another little girl took it. The Leader reminded Peanut, again, that she needs to share and Peanut said no. Later, the little girl brought the toy back and handed it nicely to Peanut. The Leader said to Peanut, "There, isn't it nice to share?"
Peanut replied, "It is for her."
Thursday, March 24, 2011
A Good Laugh
A few weeks ago, we started watching some re-runs of a favorite TV show. We hadn't seen it in years, but thanks to the wonders of the Internet, we've been able to watch the show again.
It makes me laugh.
Laugh hard.
Don't be drinking milk or eating food when you watch or else you'll choke kind of laughing hard.
Do you know what? It feels great. I've been in a much better mood the last two weeks because I spend so much time laughing each evening. When they say laughter is the best medicine, they speak the truth. So, I looked up a couple of quotes about laughter:
The most wasted of all days is one without laughter. ~e.e. cummings
Laughter is an instant vacation. ~Milton Berle
Laughter is a tranquilizer with no side effects. ~Arnold Glasow
Love those! For me these last few weeks have been better because of a good laugh. I highly recommend some hearty laughs. In a great Peter Sellers movie called "The Party", his character at one point in the movie says, "I love laughing, don't you? Makes the world go round."
Well said.
It makes me laugh.
Laugh hard.
Don't be drinking milk or eating food when you watch or else you'll choke kind of laughing hard.
Do you know what? It feels great. I've been in a much better mood the last two weeks because I spend so much time laughing each evening. When they say laughter is the best medicine, they speak the truth. So, I looked up a couple of quotes about laughter:
The most wasted of all days is one without laughter. ~e.e. cummings
Laughter is an instant vacation. ~Milton Berle
Laughter is a tranquilizer with no side effects. ~Arnold Glasow
Love those! For me these last few weeks have been better because of a good laugh. I highly recommend some hearty laughs. In a great Peter Sellers movie called "The Party", his character at one point in the movie says, "I love laughing, don't you? Makes the world go round."
Well said.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
American Heritage
Kiss me, my 6th great-grandparents on my mother’s side were Irish.
I am English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, French, German, Swiss, Cajun and Texan!. My kids can boast all of those ancestral countries as well as Norwegian from their father's side. We pretty much cover most of Western Europe, with the exception of the Iberian peninsula. Perhaps if I could track down more ancestors, I would find family there as well.
And yes, Cajun and Texan are listed separately from the rest of the USA. My Cajun ancestors began in France, were exiled into Canada and several generations later moved south to settle in Louisiana. My great- great grandmother spoke only French (Cajun Creole French, anyway). Texas is, well, Texas. A place all it's own. And I'm a born and bred Texan.
So, what does all of that make me? American!
I am English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, French, German, Swiss, Cajun and Texan!. My kids can boast all of those ancestral countries as well as Norwegian from their father's side. We pretty much cover most of Western Europe, with the exception of the Iberian peninsula. Perhaps if I could track down more ancestors, I would find family there as well.
And yes, Cajun and Texan are listed separately from the rest of the USA. My Cajun ancestors began in France, were exiled into Canada and several generations later moved south to settle in Louisiana. My great- great grandmother spoke only French (Cajun Creole French, anyway). Texas is, well, Texas. A place all it's own. And I'm a born and bred Texan.
So, what does all of that make me? American!
Monday, March 21, 2011
The Platter
For many years, I did not have a platter for serving food on. It didn’t matter too much. A dinner plate worked just fine. Then, several years ago, after my youngest started eating solid foods, I realized that I just needed a bit bigger of a plate for serving food. I began to search for a platter.
I went to a local church yard sale about 2 years ago and found a lovely glass platter for $3. Can’t beat that, right? I bought it. I was so happy to have a platter.
Tonight, as I was preparing to serve dinner, I realized that I needed my platter. I’m always slightly giddy to use the platter and to show how giddy I became, I will confess that I have a little platter dance and song. So, I was dancing about in the kitchen and chanting, “I get to use my platter, I get to use my platter.” I placed the food on the platter and went to call Hubby and the kids to dinner.
When I got back to the kitchen, I picked up the platter of food. It had CRACKED while I was calling the family to dinner! My poor, poor $3 platter. Thankfully, I have another platter. I had, about a year ago, found another great deal on a platter that I couldn’t pass up. I had two, but now I have one.
I guess it is time to keep my eye out for another platter. I might need a back-up again someday.
End note: When you start to say the word “platter” as many times as I have while writing this, “platter” becomes a pretty funny sounding word. Platter, platter, platter, platter……(giggle)
I went to a local church yard sale about 2 years ago and found a lovely glass platter for $3. Can’t beat that, right? I bought it. I was so happy to have a platter.
Tonight, as I was preparing to serve dinner, I realized that I needed my platter. I’m always slightly giddy to use the platter and to show how giddy I became, I will confess that I have a little platter dance and song. So, I was dancing about in the kitchen and chanting, “I get to use my platter, I get to use my platter.” I placed the food on the platter and went to call Hubby and the kids to dinner.
When I got back to the kitchen, I picked up the platter of food. It had CRACKED while I was calling the family to dinner! My poor, poor $3 platter. Thankfully, I have another platter. I had, about a year ago, found another great deal on a platter that I couldn’t pass up. I had two, but now I have one.
I guess it is time to keep my eye out for another platter. I might need a back-up again someday.
End note: When you start to say the word “platter” as many times as I have while writing this, “platter” becomes a pretty funny sounding word. Platter, platter, platter, platter……(giggle)
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Inspiration
Sometimes when we are in a rut, it only takes one little thing to inspire us. Last night, while surfin' the Net, I found a blog. I haven't done much blog reading lately or much writing, but I read this blogs posts back to December, and it is updated frequently. It was a fun read.
What I liked most about this particular blog is the way they (2 women) write. It is very similar to my own writing style. Of course, they are 100 times better than I am because they are professional writers and professional comediennes and I'm not, but their style of storytelling, I feel, is like mine. This is hard for me to put into words, oddly enough. Feelings can be so difficult to explain. Sometimes something clicks and you can't really explain why.
As I laid down to go to bed, my mind was racing. I was creating fun blog entries. I think before going to bed, I composed three new blog entries in my mind. So, this is your official warning: Blog entries to come!
What I liked most about this particular blog is the way they (2 women) write. It is very similar to my own writing style. Of course, they are 100 times better than I am because they are professional writers and professional comediennes and I'm not, but their style of storytelling, I feel, is like mine. This is hard for me to put into words, oddly enough. Feelings can be so difficult to explain. Sometimes something clicks and you can't really explain why.
As I laid down to go to bed, my mind was racing. I was creating fun blog entries. I think before going to bed, I composed three new blog entries in my mind. So, this is your official warning: Blog entries to come!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
New Words
So if a spoon/fork combo is called a spork,
THEN.....
Is a spoon/knife combo called a knoon?
Is a fork/knife combo called a fife?
Is a spoon/fork/knife untensil called a knoork?
The mysteries of the universe.........
THEN.....
Is a spoon/knife combo called a knoon?
Is a fork/knife combo called a fife?
Is a spoon/fork/knife untensil called a knoork?
The mysteries of the universe.........
Friday, March 11, 2011
Monday, March 07, 2011
The Doc Has Got it Wrong
I recently saw an article that was suppose to be about women's health. The entire thing hit me wrong and I'll explain why.
The article begins with the good doctor at the gym. Apparently he was recognized by some other man at the gym. The man asked the doc, "Why is my wife always so tired? She doesn't have the energy to do anything." Several other men heard the question and gathered around the doctor to hear his great wisdom.
The doctor begins to explain that she probably has hormonal imbalance and if not treated, it could lead to worse problems.
DUH! All women know this about themselves. With all the lovely things our bodies have to go through during a 50 year time span, of course there is a hormonal imbalance. The men of course, don't believe their wives, it took a male doctor to tell them these things.
But for me, that wasn't the worse part of the article. Let's review the beginning. The doctor and several men are at the gym. Where are the tired wives the men asked the good doctor about? Where are those tired women? They are at home, wrestling with kids, cooking dinner and folding several loads of laundry. They are helping kids with homework and vacuuming the floor where the toddler dumped cereal. They are planning how to get teenage son to sports practice, daughter to piano and the youngest to his school play rehearsal. This is after all the other things they did during the day.
Then, the men return home. Dinner is cooking, the living room is vacuumed, the kids are done with homework. He has worked out and is feeling good. She is exhausted from the million and one things she did while cooking dinner.
Why are their wives tired? Get home from the gym, let your wife go off on her own for a few hours, then you cook the dinner, clean the dishes, help the kids with their homework, and take the kids to their various activities. See how you're feeling. Are you tired? It's probably a hormonal imbalance.
The article begins with the good doctor at the gym. Apparently he was recognized by some other man at the gym. The man asked the doc, "Why is my wife always so tired? She doesn't have the energy to do anything." Several other men heard the question and gathered around the doctor to hear his great wisdom.
The doctor begins to explain that she probably has hormonal imbalance and if not treated, it could lead to worse problems.
DUH! All women know this about themselves. With all the lovely things our bodies have to go through during a 50 year time span, of course there is a hormonal imbalance. The men of course, don't believe their wives, it took a male doctor to tell them these things.
But for me, that wasn't the worse part of the article. Let's review the beginning. The doctor and several men are at the gym. Where are the tired wives the men asked the good doctor about? Where are those tired women? They are at home, wrestling with kids, cooking dinner and folding several loads of laundry. They are helping kids with homework and vacuuming the floor where the toddler dumped cereal. They are planning how to get teenage son to sports practice, daughter to piano and the youngest to his school play rehearsal. This is after all the other things they did during the day.
Then, the men return home. Dinner is cooking, the living room is vacuumed, the kids are done with homework. He has worked out and is feeling good. She is exhausted from the million and one things she did while cooking dinner.
Why are their wives tired? Get home from the gym, let your wife go off on her own for a few hours, then you cook the dinner, clean the dishes, help the kids with their homework, and take the kids to their various activities. See how you're feeling. Are you tired? It's probably a hormonal imbalance.
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
Cough, cough, hack
We've had a cough running through the family for who knows how many months now. We can't seem to get over it. As soon as you think you're good, you get it again.
I have a few theories:
1. Blame it on the weather. Yesterday it was 73 degrees. Today is is 27 and snowing. Last week it was 5 degrees and two days later it was 59. Such extreme differences in temperature over a 24-48 hour period.
It's crazy! That's got to do something to your body, right?
2. The house could use a deep cleaning to get rid of lingering germs. Yes, this is quite true. Sadly, it's not likely to happen.
3. The alignment of the planets. Not understanding such things, I wouldn't know if Jupiter was in the 2nd house or not. Oh no, wait, when the Moon is in the 2nd house and Jupiter aligns with Mars then we'll have world peace. I think Neptune is currently aligned with Mercury and that's why we still have our coughs.
4. An evil wizard named Lug put a curse on our house and we have the dreaded "Cloud of Cough" hanging over our home. I need to find a Hogwarts graduate to see if they can remove the curse.
5. By continuously doing laundry, I'm keeping our family clean which means that our immune system isn't exposed to germs which means we get and stay sick. Maybe I should quit doing laundry.
6. The little kids who have coughs don't ever cover their mouths when they cough. They cough on the table while we are trying to eat. They cough in my face when I'm holding them. They cough on the food. And if by some miracle they do cover their mouth with their hands when they cough, they never wash their hands and then they touch me with their germ covered hands.
Personally, I'm thinking it's the evil wizard and the "Cloud of Cough" curse, but I guess I could be wrong.
I have a few theories:
1. Blame it on the weather. Yesterday it was 73 degrees. Today is is 27 and snowing. Last week it was 5 degrees and two days later it was 59. Such extreme differences in temperature over a 24-48 hour period.
It's crazy! That's got to do something to your body, right?
2. The house could use a deep cleaning to get rid of lingering germs. Yes, this is quite true. Sadly, it's not likely to happen.
3. The alignment of the planets. Not understanding such things, I wouldn't know if Jupiter was in the 2nd house or not. Oh no, wait, when the Moon is in the 2nd house and Jupiter aligns with Mars then we'll have world peace. I think Neptune is currently aligned with Mercury and that's why we still have our coughs.
4. An evil wizard named Lug put a curse on our house and we have the dreaded "Cloud of Cough" hanging over our home. I need to find a Hogwarts graduate to see if they can remove the curse.
5. By continuously doing laundry, I'm keeping our family clean which means that our immune system isn't exposed to germs which means we get and stay sick. Maybe I should quit doing laundry.
6. The little kids who have coughs don't ever cover their mouths when they cough. They cough on the table while we are trying to eat. They cough in my face when I'm holding them. They cough on the food. And if by some miracle they do cover their mouth with their hands when they cough, they never wash their hands and then they touch me with their germ covered hands.
Personally, I'm thinking it's the evil wizard and the "Cloud of Cough" curse, but I guess I could be wrong.
Friday, February 04, 2011
The Big One
My kids (and me too) like watching the Penguins of Madagascar. One of the episodes questions the foursome, "Are you ready for The Big One?"
After this week, we are asking ourselves the same question. Are we ready for The Big One?
What is The Big One?
For us it has been emergency planning. Due to unusually cold weather in this part of the country, the electric company can't handle the demands. We've had to endure rolling blackouts. In three days we've had 5. I expect there will be more today. It's not that bad. We haven't minded it at all. They only last for an hour. We can certainly endure an hour without power. We've had fun with it and it's forced family time without electronics. We've played games and told stories.
However, it has caused us to take a look at ourselves and ask the question of the day, "Are we ready for The Big One?" What if these power outages lasted for an entire day? An entire week? Could we survive?
We realized a few things:
1. We don't have as many candles as we thought. Actually, we might have a lot more in a large bucket in the garage. Unfortunately, when the power goes out, we can't find that bucket. Those candles aren't helping us. We don't have any extra batteries either for the flashlights.
2. We don't have more than two candle holders. That's a problem when you can only use two candles at a time because you don't have a way to hold more. It's silly, but I had never thought about that before. We took care of that with a little innovation: Hubby drilled holes in several pieces of wood. They hold candles! Problem solved!
3. Water. We thought we were doing pretty well with our water. After all, we have two huge containers in the garage of water. Well, with temps being in the single digits this week, the water in those containers aren't much use to us. This delima was really thrown at us when we had a water pipe burst and we had to shut down our water for several hours. We survived, but it wasn't pretty. We're still working on that.
4. Cooking. Actually, this is where we are most prepared. We've got a BBQ grill and a camp grill. Extra charcoal would be good. I know how to cook just about anything on an open flame, so we are OK.
5. Heat. We've kept the thermostat pretty low so it is quite cool in the house. The kids are still running around without socks and in short sleeves. Some are even wearing shorts. So, if we loose heat for a longer amount of time we'll just put on better clothes and wrap up in the many blankets we've got stashed all over the house.
Are we ready for The Big One? Not quite, but, we aren't too bad off. There is certainly room for improvement, but we are happy with the progress we've made thus far.
After this week, we are asking ourselves the same question. Are we ready for The Big One?
What is The Big One?
For us it has been emergency planning. Due to unusually cold weather in this part of the country, the electric company can't handle the demands. We've had to endure rolling blackouts. In three days we've had 5. I expect there will be more today. It's not that bad. We haven't minded it at all. They only last for an hour. We can certainly endure an hour without power. We've had fun with it and it's forced family time without electronics. We've played games and told stories.
However, it has caused us to take a look at ourselves and ask the question of the day, "Are we ready for The Big One?" What if these power outages lasted for an entire day? An entire week? Could we survive?
We realized a few things:
1. We don't have as many candles as we thought. Actually, we might have a lot more in a large bucket in the garage. Unfortunately, when the power goes out, we can't find that bucket. Those candles aren't helping us. We don't have any extra batteries either for the flashlights.
2. We don't have more than two candle holders. That's a problem when you can only use two candles at a time because you don't have a way to hold more. It's silly, but I had never thought about that before. We took care of that with a little innovation: Hubby drilled holes in several pieces of wood. They hold candles! Problem solved!
3. Water. We thought we were doing pretty well with our water. After all, we have two huge containers in the garage of water. Well, with temps being in the single digits this week, the water in those containers aren't much use to us. This delima was really thrown at us when we had a water pipe burst and we had to shut down our water for several hours. We survived, but it wasn't pretty. We're still working on that.
4. Cooking. Actually, this is where we are most prepared. We've got a BBQ grill and a camp grill. Extra charcoal would be good. I know how to cook just about anything on an open flame, so we are OK.
5. Heat. We've kept the thermostat pretty low so it is quite cool in the house. The kids are still running around without socks and in short sleeves. Some are even wearing shorts. So, if we loose heat for a longer amount of time we'll just put on better clothes and wrap up in the many blankets we've got stashed all over the house.
Are we ready for The Big One? Not quite, but, we aren't too bad off. There is certainly room for improvement, but we are happy with the progress we've made thus far.
Friday, January 07, 2011
Dinner time
I hadn't planned on blogging much, but there are somethings worth writing about.
The topic for today is dinner. Here are some of the magical things that happened during dinner tonight.
First, I served a new recipe. It wasn't a great one, but it wasn't nasty or inedible. It just didn't have as good of flavor as I had hoped. What was it? Ham and cheese muffins.
I encourage the 5 year old to try one. He insists that he doesn't like it, but I told him he must try it. I take a bite into my muffin and suddenly notice the 5 year old is gagging and about to throw up. He has done this at dinner before. He isn't faking it. I tell him to run to the trash can. He does and proceeds to puke into the trash can, making all sorts of lovely sounds. So, I begin to loudly sing, "LA LA LA LA!" My oldest son and husband burst into laughter. My other son says, "What? I don't get it."
After the 5 year old is done with the trash can, I ask him to join us at the table. He does and asks for Kool-Aid. Well, Oldest son is still laughing and snorts his food right out into his cup of Kool-Aid. Lovely. He leaves the dining area with his cup and returns moments later, more composed and with a clean cup.
The laughter continues and several jokes are made. Most meals end with Peanut, who is 2 1/2, lifting up her shirt so we can see her full tummy. This is cute, but she makes a game out of it and we see a whole lot of tummy for several minutes. The 5 year old gets in the act and lifts his shirt for us to see his tummy, too. He wants me to tickle it.
Then, Peanut toots. She announces it. Like we can't smell it, right? She holds her nose and tells us that it is stinky. Yes, Peanut, thank you. She does this several times and then burps for good measure. She is one disgusting little girl.
Ah me. The joys of a family dinner. I don't know what "expert" tells us that eating together as a family is a good thing. Obviously, he has never eaten dinner with my kids.
The topic for today is dinner. Here are some of the magical things that happened during dinner tonight.
First, I served a new recipe. It wasn't a great one, but it wasn't nasty or inedible. It just didn't have as good of flavor as I had hoped. What was it? Ham and cheese muffins.
I encourage the 5 year old to try one. He insists that he doesn't like it, but I told him he must try it. I take a bite into my muffin and suddenly notice the 5 year old is gagging and about to throw up. He has done this at dinner before. He isn't faking it. I tell him to run to the trash can. He does and proceeds to puke into the trash can, making all sorts of lovely sounds. So, I begin to loudly sing, "LA LA LA LA!" My oldest son and husband burst into laughter. My other son says, "What? I don't get it."
After the 5 year old is done with the trash can, I ask him to join us at the table. He does and asks for Kool-Aid. Well, Oldest son is still laughing and snorts his food right out into his cup of Kool-Aid. Lovely. He leaves the dining area with his cup and returns moments later, more composed and with a clean cup.
The laughter continues and several jokes are made. Most meals end with Peanut, who is 2 1/2, lifting up her shirt so we can see her full tummy. This is cute, but she makes a game out of it and we see a whole lot of tummy for several minutes. The 5 year old gets in the act and lifts his shirt for us to see his tummy, too. He wants me to tickle it.
Then, Peanut toots. She announces it. Like we can't smell it, right? She holds her nose and tells us that it is stinky. Yes, Peanut, thank you. She does this several times and then burps for good measure. She is one disgusting little girl.
Ah me. The joys of a family dinner. I don't know what "expert" tells us that eating together as a family is a good thing. Obviously, he has never eaten dinner with my kids.
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Speechless
I just haven't felt like blogging lately. I don't even read blogs much anymore. I'm not sure what has changed in me, but right now, I'm just not into blogging. I think one thing is I'm getting the opportunity to write in my personal journal every week. That helps with all the adventures each week brings with the kids. Plus, there is just nothing going on worth blogging about.
There's the kids. They are busy. Some days are very funny with them, some days are quite difficult.
We still don't have a family vehicle. So, we are home a lot and that's OK. Still, it makes going to church a logistical challenge.
I've been weaving when I have the chance. I recently finished a scarf and I'm working on another. I've got two projects in mind after I'm done with this scarf.
I don't feel like cooking dinner anymore.
I went and saw the new Narnia movie. Loved that! Finally sat down and watched How to Train Your Dragon with the kids. They've been begging me to watch that with them for two months. I can check it off the list now.
With everyone home during the day, I'm wishing I had my own room again. I need a place to escape and no where to go. There is a kid in every room and they follow me. I've been spending a lot of time in the garage lately.
I guess it's a case of blogging blahs. Perhaps I'll get back into it later.
There's the kids. They are busy. Some days are very funny with them, some days are quite difficult.
We still don't have a family vehicle. So, we are home a lot and that's OK. Still, it makes going to church a logistical challenge.
I've been weaving when I have the chance. I recently finished a scarf and I'm working on another. I've got two projects in mind after I'm done with this scarf.
I don't feel like cooking dinner anymore.
I went and saw the new Narnia movie. Loved that! Finally sat down and watched How to Train Your Dragon with the kids. They've been begging me to watch that with them for two months. I can check it off the list now.
With everyone home during the day, I'm wishing I had my own room again. I need a place to escape and no where to go. There is a kid in every room and they follow me. I've been spending a lot of time in the garage lately.
I guess it's a case of blogging blahs. Perhaps I'll get back into it later.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Not much to say
As usual, there is always many, many things going on, but nothing worth blogging about.
So, what is going on?
There are some unfortunate things:
-The Capital Ship - This is what we call our large SUV that we haul our family about town in. It's dead. The brake lines blew and there is no way to repair them. Apparently, the underside of the SUV is like the rusted Titanic. Every time something breaks, and they try to repair it, it crumbles to bits. The mechanic said to get rid of the thing. Easier said than done. So now we are dealing with what to do now? Our entire family can't fit into the Hubby's car.
-My schooling - To continue on with my school, I'm required to take and pass a computer competency test. To make a long story very short and to save you my rant, I'll get right to the bottom of this problem. I didn't pass the test. I can't take next semester. So, right now, I'm a grad school drop out, but hopefully only for a little while. This gives me several more months to study for this stupid test and hopefully I can pass it in time to sign up for Spring/Summer semester.
Enough with the bad. What's good?
- Today is the last day of school for the kids before the holiday. They are so excited.
- Netflix is great! I've been on a major "SeaQuest DSV" kick for the last two weeks. Netflix is feeding my obsession right now. It will pass and I'll be normal again soon. Until then, watch out!
- Christmas lights! I love Christmas lights. Our Christmas tree has blue lights this year. One of my favorite times of day is at night (huh?) when I can turn out all the lights in the house except the tree. The blue glow is so peaceful. I love to sit in the rocking chair and just look at the lights. Why can't we have lights up all year? I think I would like that, but then, Christmas lights might not be quite so magical if I used them year round.
Well, that's it. Exciting, isn't it?
So, what is going on?
There are some unfortunate things:
-The Capital Ship - This is what we call our large SUV that we haul our family about town in. It's dead. The brake lines blew and there is no way to repair them. Apparently, the underside of the SUV is like the rusted Titanic. Every time something breaks, and they try to repair it, it crumbles to bits. The mechanic said to get rid of the thing. Easier said than done. So now we are dealing with what to do now? Our entire family can't fit into the Hubby's car.
-My schooling - To continue on with my school, I'm required to take and pass a computer competency test. To make a long story very short and to save you my rant, I'll get right to the bottom of this problem. I didn't pass the test. I can't take next semester. So, right now, I'm a grad school drop out, but hopefully only for a little while. This gives me several more months to study for this stupid test and hopefully I can pass it in time to sign up for Spring/Summer semester.
Enough with the bad. What's good?
- Today is the last day of school for the kids before the holiday. They are so excited.
- Netflix is great! I've been on a major "SeaQuest DSV" kick for the last two weeks. Netflix is feeding my obsession right now. It will pass and I'll be normal again soon. Until then, watch out!
- Christmas lights! I love Christmas lights. Our Christmas tree has blue lights this year. One of my favorite times of day is at night (huh?) when I can turn out all the lights in the house except the tree. The blue glow is so peaceful. I love to sit in the rocking chair and just look at the lights. Why can't we have lights up all year? I think I would like that, but then, Christmas lights might not be quite so magical if I used them year round.
Well, that's it. Exciting, isn't it?
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
The tree in my house
We've got a vaulted ceiling in our living room. It's got to be 12 feet at its highest. We have an artificial tree that is 6 feet tall. It looks very puny in such a high ceiling room. This year we decided to get a real tree. Hubby and his dad cut it down themselves. We brought it home on top of our vehicle like it was a prize buck. It survived 13 hours strapped to the top of the SUV.
How do you get a 12 foot tree to stand? Well, we had to buy a heavy duty stand. Hubby was sad, though when he realized to even get the tree into the stand, he would have to cut off a number of branches off the bottom. Well, he cut off the bottom branches, put it in the stand and brought that huge tree into the house. It scrapped the top of our 12 foot ceiling! To get the tree topper on the tree, we had to cut another 5 inches off the top.
That sucker is huge! I've never had a tree that tall before.
So, the next step was to figure out if I had any working lights for the tree. I must have sat for 15 minutes testing out a strand of blue lights and trying to figure out which bulb was the broken one. Half of the strand was lit, half was not. It took a while, but I finally found the bulb and replaced it. Now, the next task was to figure out how to get lights around the top of the tree. Me, climbing a ladder, can only get so high.
With good teamwork on Hubby and my part, we got lights on the top 3rd of the tree. Then I ran out of lights. I guess I'll have to get some more. That is one tall tree! I can't wait until we can finish decorating it. I'll defiantly get a picture. Until I get out and buy more lights, the tree is going to wait with lights wrapped 1/3 of the way around it.
How do you get a 12 foot tree to stand? Well, we had to buy a heavy duty stand. Hubby was sad, though when he realized to even get the tree into the stand, he would have to cut off a number of branches off the bottom. Well, he cut off the bottom branches, put it in the stand and brought that huge tree into the house. It scrapped the top of our 12 foot ceiling! To get the tree topper on the tree, we had to cut another 5 inches off the top.
That sucker is huge! I've never had a tree that tall before.
So, the next step was to figure out if I had any working lights for the tree. I must have sat for 15 minutes testing out a strand of blue lights and trying to figure out which bulb was the broken one. Half of the strand was lit, half was not. It took a while, but I finally found the bulb and replaced it. Now, the next task was to figure out how to get lights around the top of the tree. Me, climbing a ladder, can only get so high.
With good teamwork on Hubby and my part, we got lights on the top 3rd of the tree. Then I ran out of lights. I guess I'll have to get some more. That is one tall tree! I can't wait until we can finish decorating it. I'll defiantly get a picture. Until I get out and buy more lights, the tree is going to wait with lights wrapped 1/3 of the way around it.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
can I leave?
I'm having a rough day. I just want to get in my van and drive away to the mountains of Colorado and get lost in it's beauty. That's about 9 - 10 hour drive. When we moved here, I expected that I would be able to go to Colorado once in a while. I've been to Colorado once in the two years since we moved here and was seriously disappointed. I drove through the entire state north to south. I didn't see a single mountain the entire trip because the state was covered in low storm clouds.
I keep telling myself it was a sign that I need to forget about ever going to Colorado. I went there, didn't see my beautiful mountains and so I never will. Still, the idea makes me sad.
However, today I want to go. I'd even take my little kids with me, but I can't go. The older kids need to be picked up from school. There are piano lessons and scouts. There is a house to clean, homework to do, laundry to be folded, dinner to be cooked and that ever present money issue for the purchase of gas for the van.
I almost left for Colorado last night. I started down the road, when I remembered something important I had forgotten at home. I was forced to turn around and so, here I still am. Oh well.
I keep telling myself it was a sign that I need to forget about ever going to Colorado. I went there, didn't see my beautiful mountains and so I never will. Still, the idea makes me sad.
However, today I want to go. I'd even take my little kids with me, but I can't go. The older kids need to be picked up from school. There are piano lessons and scouts. There is a house to clean, homework to do, laundry to be folded, dinner to be cooked and that ever present money issue for the purchase of gas for the van.
I almost left for Colorado last night. I started down the road, when I remembered something important I had forgotten at home. I was forced to turn around and so, here I still am. Oh well.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Parades: The volume of the spectators
On Saturday, I enjoyed going to the Veteran's Day parade in the downtown area. This is my second year to watch the parade. Last year, my two Boy Scouts marched. This year, my American Heritage Girl marched/rode on a float.
I loved watching the old cars drive by with horns honking and the motorcycles in their many varietites and sizes. I love watching the Vets ride by in floats or march by in pride. Music played in the background. I LOVED the marching bands. They are fun to watch, fun to hear, fun for me to march down memory lane and my high school marching days. The Cub and Boy Scouts marched past. The Girl Scouts marched past. The American Heritage Girls marched past. Even the the library had several librarians march in the parade. Each librarian pushed a cart of books and they handed out pencils. Many groups tossed candy at my three children who joined me on the side of the road.
It was great fun! I was surprised, however, by the spectators. Most of them just clapped politely when the Vets went by. Other wise, they simply waved. Me, on the other hand, cheered and yelled. When the bands would march by, I was yelling, "Go Band!" and "Alright drum line!" When the Boy Scouts passed by, I yelled, "Yeah Boy Scouts!" and I yelled hi to them as they marched passed. When the librarians walked by with their carts of books, I yelled, "Yay, Library!" And of course, when my daughter went by on her float, I yelled to her, took lots of pictures, and waved like crazy.
I was the only one cheering on the parade as they passed. The people on either side of me left partway through the parade.
Now, don't get me wrong, I am very respectful of the US Flag, and the more serious and patriotic moments in the parade. I know when not to yell and when to stand in respect and reverence. Still, I thought parades were more fun and I like to happily acknowledge those who make the effort to make the parade great. Maybe I'm just a noisy Texan in New Mexico, but I know I wouldn't have nearly as much fun at the parade if I didn't yell and cheer.
We are all watching the parade pass us by, but at least I'm noisily happy while it goes by.
I loved watching the old cars drive by with horns honking and the motorcycles in their many varietites and sizes. I love watching the Vets ride by in floats or march by in pride. Music played in the background. I LOVED the marching bands. They are fun to watch, fun to hear, fun for me to march down memory lane and my high school marching days. The Cub and Boy Scouts marched past. The Girl Scouts marched past. The American Heritage Girls marched past. Even the the library had several librarians march in the parade. Each librarian pushed a cart of books and they handed out pencils. Many groups tossed candy at my three children who joined me on the side of the road.
It was great fun! I was surprised, however, by the spectators. Most of them just clapped politely when the Vets went by. Other wise, they simply waved. Me, on the other hand, cheered and yelled. When the bands would march by, I was yelling, "Go Band!" and "Alright drum line!" When the Boy Scouts passed by, I yelled, "Yeah Boy Scouts!" and I yelled hi to them as they marched passed. When the librarians walked by with their carts of books, I yelled, "Yay, Library!" And of course, when my daughter went by on her float, I yelled to her, took lots of pictures, and waved like crazy.
I was the only one cheering on the parade as they passed. The people on either side of me left partway through the parade.
Now, don't get me wrong, I am very respectful of the US Flag, and the more serious and patriotic moments in the parade. I know when not to yell and when to stand in respect and reverence. Still, I thought parades were more fun and I like to happily acknowledge those who make the effort to make the parade great. Maybe I'm just a noisy Texan in New Mexico, but I know I wouldn't have nearly as much fun at the parade if I didn't yell and cheer.
We are all watching the parade pass us by, but at least I'm noisily happy while it goes by.
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