relapse
even though i'm taking my antibiotics diligently, my fever has returned. my congestion may be clearing up for good this time, but i'll believe it after it's gone. ashley's girl and ian's master may remember times when my annual crud hit in college, and they were unfortunate enough to be my roommates during that time. now, after 7 years of marriage, hubby has the loving "in sickness" part pretty much down pat. for whatever reason, i have a weak immune system.
thankfully, baby bear has been an angel all day. destructive angel, but nevertheless an angel. she can't help it her mommy and daddy leave dvd's a ps2 games within her reach to pull of the shelf!
Friday, November 24, 2006
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Through the Bible in a Year
I came across this link on the Parish Pres site, and thought I would share....
I came across this link on the Parish Pres site, and thought I would share....
getting over it
the cold, that is. one obvious sign of my feeling better is when i get so sick of a mess that i do something about it. or at least part of it. with a 13 month old, any cleaning feels pointless 10 seconds after a task is complete. oh, i've still got the cough and runny nose, but they aren't as bad as they were, and my hack is surprisingly absent. may it stay that way. anyway, a while back tech mom told me about this magazine called Everyday Food. The timing wasn't right, I sort of shrugged it off. Well, the November issue caught my eye with it's claim of "The Easiest Thanksgiving Ever" spread across the top. I was lured into the marketing trap and threw it into the cart with everything else. When I got home, I was pleasantly surprised. I found recipes for a full Thanksgiving Dinner. Now, don't be deceived into thinking I'm making Thanksgiving Dinner this year. No way. We'll meet Eaglet and his wife and Sbectacular, her hubby, and Baby J at our parents tomorrow afternoon. Lord willing baby bear and I will feel up to it.
Anyway, I do like to offer to bring a dish, and the easy Cranberry-Grape Compote looked just the thing. So tonight, after hubby and I ate another succesful pork chop recipe that the crock-pot cooked for me, I made it. I'm sure it won't have quite the bite that tech-mom's brandied cranberries offer, but it sounded like an interesting combo. If my senses have returned tomorrow and the majority liked it, I'll post the recipe.
We're watching Cheaper By the Dozen on tv tonight It's refreshing to watch something clean and relatively light. We watch so many crime shows around here that it gets old. One of the commercials was for the new Charlotte's Web movie. I loved that book when I was little. We'll probably wait to see it on video, since we only go to the theater once or twice a year, but you can bet it's one I'll rent and baby bear might even watch with us. (She LOVES animals.)
Have a Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I am thankful to live close enough to family that we can spend it together... and look forward to doing the same with the other half at Christmastime.
the cold, that is. one obvious sign of my feeling better is when i get so sick of a mess that i do something about it. or at least part of it. with a 13 month old, any cleaning feels pointless 10 seconds after a task is complete. oh, i've still got the cough and runny nose, but they aren't as bad as they were, and my hack is surprisingly absent. may it stay that way. anyway, a while back tech mom told me about this magazine called Everyday Food. The timing wasn't right, I sort of shrugged it off. Well, the November issue caught my eye with it's claim of "The Easiest Thanksgiving Ever" spread across the top. I was lured into the marketing trap and threw it into the cart with everything else. When I got home, I was pleasantly surprised. I found recipes for a full Thanksgiving Dinner. Now, don't be deceived into thinking I'm making Thanksgiving Dinner this year. No way. We'll meet Eaglet and his wife and Sbectacular, her hubby, and Baby J at our parents tomorrow afternoon. Lord willing baby bear and I will feel up to it.
Anyway, I do like to offer to bring a dish, and the easy Cranberry-Grape Compote looked just the thing. So tonight, after hubby and I ate another succesful pork chop recipe that the crock-pot cooked for me, I made it. I'm sure it won't have quite the bite that tech-mom's brandied cranberries offer, but it sounded like an interesting combo. If my senses have returned tomorrow and the majority liked it, I'll post the recipe.
We're watching Cheaper By the Dozen on tv tonight It's refreshing to watch something clean and relatively light. We watch so many crime shows around here that it gets old. One of the commercials was for the new Charlotte's Web movie. I loved that book when I was little. We'll probably wait to see it on video, since we only go to the theater once or twice a year, but you can bet it's one I'll rent and baby bear might even watch with us. (She LOVES animals.)
Have a Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I am thankful to live close enough to family that we can spend it together... and look forward to doing the same with the other half at Christmastime.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
big step
my cold wasn't the only thing i discussed with the doctor today. there comes a point when one must make a choice to continue with the status quo, something that you're used to but don't like, yet can't seem to change by yourself, or try something-anything- to fix it.
i probably shouldn't have waited a year to get up the nerve to deal with it in this way, but hey... maybe it's pride, fear, i don't know. having this conversation with doc a year ago would have made more sense, when i was more obviously tossed between simultaneous waves of circumstantial frustration and hormones and tides of joy. but it was much easier now than it would have been a year ago.
pray for me... it was a big step, a necessary one.
my cold wasn't the only thing i discussed with the doctor today. there comes a point when one must make a choice to continue with the status quo, something that you're used to but don't like, yet can't seem to change by yourself, or try something-anything- to fix it.
i probably shouldn't have waited a year to get up the nerve to deal with it in this way, but hey... maybe it's pride, fear, i don't know. having this conversation with doc a year ago would have made more sense, when i was more obviously tossed between simultaneous waves of circumstantial frustration and hormones and tides of joy. but it was much easier now than it would have been a year ago.
pray for me... it was a big step, a necessary one.
Monday, November 20, 2006
I remember....
Pulling onto their street after an insanely long drive in the backseat with my annoying brother and sister and looking for the cute barn-roofed house with the glass-enclosed front porch where Daddy was raised.
Grandma Helen driving us around Yonkers, teaching us to "blow out" the red stop lights so green ones would come on.
Sitting on the front porch with Grandpa Dante, either reading Our Daily Bread together or listening to him play the harmonica.
The smell as we walked into the entry... a combination of moth balls and Grandma's roast lamb.
Watching Grandpa cut wood in his basement shop.
Thinking it was a miracle that such a beautiful backyard garden could grow in such a dirty city.
Taking walks to and from the Catholic seminary, and feeling the Lord's presence amongst the tall trees that had probably been on the property since before New York was colonized. I could always tell Grandpa loved that place, even when his mind had begun to fail and he no longer remembered me.
Climbing the Statue of Liberty with Grandma and peering out of Lady Liberty's crown. It was hot, musty, and stinky from all the people, but still worth the climb up the steps.
Crawling through the "secret passage" from Grandma and Grandpa's room to the front closet.
Playing Chinese Checkers with Aunt Vivian and listening to her music box.
Over-hearing the neighbors yell at eachother in Italian.
Laundry hanging to dry from the rope...hundreds of feet above the ground, like you see in TV shows.
Visiting Bethany Chapel and Aunt Mildred and Uncle Herb.
Visiting Great Grandma and Great Grandpa at their home in the Bronx and having fresh picked currants.... and hoping Grandma and Grandpa would never forget me, the way my great-Grandparents did.
Running down the steep driveway, hoping I wouldn't fall flat on my face.
Grandpa telling me about how he met Jesus, and reminding me that Jesus promised we will never be plucked out of the Father's hand.
Standing atop the World Trade Center observation deck (With Grandma) and seeing the tiny people and match-box cars far below.
Going to the Bronx Zoo with Grandma and touching an elephant for the first time.
The little white dog barking on the other side of the fence a couple of houses down... Harry's lot seemed so big to me at the time. His white house was sold and replaced by a big brick duplex with no yard.
Closing all the doors and standing in the dark, tiny hallway.
Wondering how Aunt Ann survived life with 5 brothers.
Playing grandpa's little chicken and the fox game, and the triangle game like the one you play at craker barrel when you're waiting for your food. Except Grandpa made his games by hand from scrap wood, and the pieces were sanded so smooth. He put so much care into his wooden creations, and he loved trying to teach me the strategies. I was a poor student, and to this day I am terrible at the triangle game and don't remember the rules to the chicken and fox game.
Picking peaches from the tree in the back corner (or were they apples?) with the old coffee can attached to the long wooden pole.
Riding the subway to and from the city. One time, the car was completely clean and brand-new on our way into the city. On the way out, the same car (or what I perceived to be the same car) had been tagged with graffiti.
Watching kids double-dutch jumprope on rooftops as we rolled past them on the track.
Going into Macy's with Grandma (so we could see where they have the big parade), and seeing pianos for sale on one floor. I also remember looking at the clothes and thinking only the rich could shop there. It was fun to window shop, though!
Grandpa's duct-tape covered Bible, and his hand-carved toaster tweezers that also served as a pointer to help him keep his spot on the page. I always thought he should get a patent on his toaster tweezers.
These are some of the things that stand out in my mind when I look at the picture of the rose from Grandma and Grandpa's house. The past 5 years have been tough on the family, but the Lord finally took each of them Home and ended our loved ones' pain and suffering. We didn't get to see them often enough, but we knew they loved us. I hope I never forget. I hope my baby girl has many more memories with each of her grandparents and her great-grandma.
Pulling onto their street after an insanely long drive in the backseat with my annoying brother and sister and looking for the cute barn-roofed house with the glass-enclosed front porch where Daddy was raised.
Grandma Helen driving us around Yonkers, teaching us to "blow out" the red stop lights so green ones would come on.
Sitting on the front porch with Grandpa Dante, either reading Our Daily Bread together or listening to him play the harmonica.
The smell as we walked into the entry... a combination of moth balls and Grandma's roast lamb.
Watching Grandpa cut wood in his basement shop.
Thinking it was a miracle that such a beautiful backyard garden could grow in such a dirty city.
Taking walks to and from the Catholic seminary, and feeling the Lord's presence amongst the tall trees that had probably been on the property since before New York was colonized. I could always tell Grandpa loved that place, even when his mind had begun to fail and he no longer remembered me.
Climbing the Statue of Liberty with Grandma and peering out of Lady Liberty's crown. It was hot, musty, and stinky from all the people, but still worth the climb up the steps.
Crawling through the "secret passage" from Grandma and Grandpa's room to the front closet.
Playing Chinese Checkers with Aunt Vivian and listening to her music box.
Over-hearing the neighbors yell at eachother in Italian.
Laundry hanging to dry from the rope...hundreds of feet above the ground, like you see in TV shows.
Visiting Bethany Chapel and Aunt Mildred and Uncle Herb.
Visiting Great Grandma and Great Grandpa at their home in the Bronx and having fresh picked currants.... and hoping Grandma and Grandpa would never forget me, the way my great-Grandparents did.
Running down the steep driveway, hoping I wouldn't fall flat on my face.
Grandpa telling me about how he met Jesus, and reminding me that Jesus promised we will never be plucked out of the Father's hand.
Standing atop the World Trade Center observation deck (With Grandma) and seeing the tiny people and match-box cars far below.
Going to the Bronx Zoo with Grandma and touching an elephant for the first time.
The little white dog barking on the other side of the fence a couple of houses down... Harry's lot seemed so big to me at the time. His white house was sold and replaced by a big brick duplex with no yard.
Closing all the doors and standing in the dark, tiny hallway.
Wondering how Aunt Ann survived life with 5 brothers.
Playing grandpa's little chicken and the fox game, and the triangle game like the one you play at craker barrel when you're waiting for your food. Except Grandpa made his games by hand from scrap wood, and the pieces were sanded so smooth. He put so much care into his wooden creations, and he loved trying to teach me the strategies. I was a poor student, and to this day I am terrible at the triangle game and don't remember the rules to the chicken and fox game.
Picking peaches from the tree in the back corner (or were they apples?) with the old coffee can attached to the long wooden pole.
Riding the subway to and from the city. One time, the car was completely clean and brand-new on our way into the city. On the way out, the same car (or what I perceived to be the same car) had been tagged with graffiti.
Watching kids double-dutch jumprope on rooftops as we rolled past them on the track.
Going into Macy's with Grandma (so we could see where they have the big parade), and seeing pianos for sale on one floor. I also remember looking at the clothes and thinking only the rich could shop there. It was fun to window shop, though!
Grandpa's duct-tape covered Bible, and his hand-carved toaster tweezers that also served as a pointer to help him keep his spot on the page. I always thought he should get a patent on his toaster tweezers.
These are some of the things that stand out in my mind when I look at the picture of the rose from Grandma and Grandpa's house. The past 5 years have been tough on the family, but the Lord finally took each of them Home and ended our loved ones' pain and suffering. We didn't get to see them often enough, but we knew they loved us. I hope I never forget. I hope my baby girl has many more memories with each of her grandparents and her great-grandma.
Memory RoseMy Dad spent the weekend in NY with his siblings. They worked on dividing up my
Grandparents' belongings, and other tasks of settling the estate.
A rose bush that has been in front of their house since my Dad was a little boy bloomed while they were there, the picture is posted above. This should probably go without saying, but I'll state the obvious anyway. Roses don't usually bloom outdoors in November, especially in New York.
Grandparents' belongings, and other tasks of settling the estate.
A rose bush that has been in front of their house since my Dad was a little boy bloomed while they were there, the picture is posted above. This should probably go without saying, but I'll state the obvious anyway. Roses don't usually bloom outdoors in November, especially in New York.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
musings on temperment, birth order, and such
as i browsed back through portraits of baby bear, and i noticed a thread that runs through them for several months. i think i first noticed it at her 3 month portrait session. no matter how hard we tried, there were times she was just not going to smile. not on our terms, anyway. one of the best smiles captured on her face that weekend was in the carsear, while the posed portraits looked like sheer torture in some snapshots (i'm so glad s & g captured the reality). 9 months later, she is still very much the same. she is not a "ham". her younger cousin, on the other hand, is the opposite. while both girls' smiles will melt your heart, baby bear's cousin seems to turn "on" in front of the camera. my little girl... studies it. the vibrant, gleeful grins of her cousin don't even phase her. she studies the camera, the flash, the photographer. and smiles if she wants to. sometimes it's a mona lisa smile, one in which her eyes speak what the shape of her mouth will not.
ironically, my baby bear seems to be the more physically aggressive of the two girls, who are just 6 1/2 weeks apart. she is the first one to crawl over and plant several kisses on her cousin's bewildered face. sometimes she adds the "mwah!" sound effect as she kisses. she wants to touch her cousin's eyes, ears, mouth.. you name it. she laughs hysterically and dances to larry the cucumber. the same toy terrifies her barely-younger cousin, who always seems to need to acclimate to her cousin's "love language". Youngest niece is a chatterbox and dancer, she bops to any and every song, including ones she seems to be making up. (Her Mommy chattered 100 words a second growing up.) Baby bear has her babbling noises, but seems to only say words she is confident she can say well... mama, dada, cat, "du"(duck). She's not the incessant "reader" or chatterbox, rather she communicates in non-verbal ways (unless she has woken up and is awaiting to be rescued from her cage). I hate to admit it, but I was the one who held my word in and exhibited violent tendencies as a child. (Like biting my baby sister after she bit me. I was 6.) Does this mean Baby Bear will hold it all in til she explodes? Thankfully, she's 13 months old and we don't have to deal with that yet. both of these girls are (currently) only children and firstborn, yet their temperment is uniquely their own....
then, another twist. my mom commented that my oldest niece, "Monarch", reminded her so much of my older brother when he was her age. Extremely intelligent and intense, focusing only on things that they find challenging. They are not related, as this niece is hubby's brother's daughter. Both are firstborn. One is 30 something, one is in kindergarten. How she picked up on this in just a couple of hours with Monarch at baby-bear's party, and perhaps in the time at Caslon & Han Solo's wedding reception, is beyond me. I do tend to take her observations with a grain of salt sometimes. But when she told me she saw similarities, for some reason it did not surprise me in the least. Eaglet (big brother) was writing programs for or Texas Instruments computer when he was just a young lad... possibly even as young as 5 or 6 (with Dad's help), definitely by 9 or 10.
It will be fun to see which personality traits that we see in our babies are still apparent in 5 years, in different ways. Sometimes not so much fun, I suppose, but always interesting.
as i browsed back through portraits of baby bear, and i noticed a thread that runs through them for several months. i think i first noticed it at her 3 month portrait session. no matter how hard we tried, there were times she was just not going to smile. not on our terms, anyway. one of the best smiles captured on her face that weekend was in the carsear, while the posed portraits looked like sheer torture in some snapshots (i'm so glad s & g captured the reality). 9 months later, she is still very much the same. she is not a "ham". her younger cousin, on the other hand, is the opposite. while both girls' smiles will melt your heart, baby bear's cousin seems to turn "on" in front of the camera. my little girl... studies it. the vibrant, gleeful grins of her cousin don't even phase her. she studies the camera, the flash, the photographer. and smiles if she wants to. sometimes it's a mona lisa smile, one in which her eyes speak what the shape of her mouth will not.
ironically, my baby bear seems to be the more physically aggressive of the two girls, who are just 6 1/2 weeks apart. she is the first one to crawl over and plant several kisses on her cousin's bewildered face. sometimes she adds the "mwah!" sound effect as she kisses. she wants to touch her cousin's eyes, ears, mouth.. you name it. she laughs hysterically and dances to larry the cucumber. the same toy terrifies her barely-younger cousin, who always seems to need to acclimate to her cousin's "love language". Youngest niece is a chatterbox and dancer, she bops to any and every song, including ones she seems to be making up. (Her Mommy chattered 100 words a second growing up.) Baby bear has her babbling noises, but seems to only say words she is confident she can say well... mama, dada, cat, "du"(duck). She's not the incessant "reader" or chatterbox, rather she communicates in non-verbal ways (unless she has woken up and is awaiting to be rescued from her cage). I hate to admit it, but I was the one who held my word in and exhibited violent tendencies as a child. (Like biting my baby sister after she bit me. I was 6.) Does this mean Baby Bear will hold it all in til she explodes? Thankfully, she's 13 months old and we don't have to deal with that yet. both of these girls are (currently) only children and firstborn, yet their temperment is uniquely their own....
then, another twist. my mom commented that my oldest niece, "Monarch", reminded her so much of my older brother when he was her age. Extremely intelligent and intense, focusing only on things that they find challenging. They are not related, as this niece is hubby's brother's daughter. Both are firstborn. One is 30 something, one is in kindergarten. How she picked up on this in just a couple of hours with Monarch at baby-bear's party, and perhaps in the time at Caslon & Han Solo's wedding reception, is beyond me. I do tend to take her observations with a grain of salt sometimes. But when she told me she saw similarities, for some reason it did not surprise me in the least. Eaglet (big brother) was writing programs for or Texas Instruments computer when he was just a young lad... possibly even as young as 5 or 6 (with Dad's help), definitely by 9 or 10.
It will be fun to see which personality traits that we see in our babies are still apparent in 5 years, in different ways. Sometimes not so much fun, I suppose, but always interesting.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
GOD'S PERFECT TIMING!
Baby Caroline was born to one of my very best friends at 1:58 this morning. Her Daddy got home from Iraq just in time... he arrived yesterday, as did her Grandma, who was flying in "early" "just in case"... After laboring naturally, the doctors ended up doing a c-section. Mommy is resting, both Mommy and Baby are doing well.
Praise the Lord!
Baby Caroline was born to one of my very best friends at 1:58 this morning. Her Daddy got home from Iraq just in time... he arrived yesterday, as did her Grandma, who was flying in "early" "just in case"... After laboring naturally, the doctors ended up doing a c-section. Mommy is resting, both Mommy and Baby are doing well.
Praise the Lord!
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
hubby's star-wars personality...
| Which Star Wars Character Are You? Your Result: Luke SkyWalker You are a noble and loyal person who is always looking after the welfare of your friends, even if your hand gets cut off trying to save them. Just stop kissing your sister and everything will be fine. | |
| Jar Jar Binks | |
| Princess Leia | |
| Han Solo | |
| Yoda | |
| Boba Fett | |
| Darth Vader | |
| Jabba the Hutt | |
| Which Star Wars Character Are You? Create Your Own Quiz | |
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Monday, November 13, 2006
| Which Star Wars Character Are You? Your Result: Yoda You are a passive green creature with a speech impediment. You always try to find a peaceful resolution to your problems, but also aren't afraid to kick some ass if you need to. | |
| Princess Leia | |
| Luke SkyWalker | |
| Jar Jar Binks | |
| Han Solo | |
| Boba Fett | |
| Darth Vader | |
| Jabba the Hutt | |
| Which Star Wars Character Are You? Create Your Own Quiz | |
Saturday, November 11, 2006
more insomniac ramblings
been up since 3:30. i cleaned out our joint inbox, created new folders to save some old messages and declutter. now to do that with yahoo... ugh.
bear will probably wake up in an hour or less. i should go back to sleep while i might have a chance. but i was tossing and turning and decided to get on the puter rather than wake up hubby.
yesterday afternoon was beautiful. clear, crisp warm breezw and lots of sunshine. hubby had to finish seeding the lawn, so i decided to plant my pink mum that was on the front porch before it dies completely... we'll see if it takes. potted mums need big pots in order to make it, the 4-6" pots are sure to kill the plants. this one was on its way, the blooms were not as colorful as when i bought the plant. yes, partly due to changing seasons, but partly due to no space to spread roots. that's my theory and i'm sticking to it. so now it's in between 2 day lilies along the sidewalk next to the garage door. i also decided to prune the birch and trim some of the other shrubs back a little. the birch isn't as high as mister golf course yard's birch next door, but there's more room to get under the branches with the mower (or seed spreader, in our case). baby bear watched her mommy and daddy work from her activity center, placed strategically on the front porch. i love front porches. ours doesn't get enough use, but today it provided baby bear with fresh air and protection from the sun. she pet her first earthworm today, too. i uncovered it in preparation for planting my mum. she wanted to eat it. i told her she's not old enough to eat fried or rare worms.
we visited our friends R&R tonight. Big Brother W seems to be adjusting well to his 3 week old sister, J. J is absolutely beautiful. Pray for Mommy R ad J that they will get the breastfeeding thing down. Mommy has lots of pain and saw the same lactation consultant that I did. It went well when LLC was there, but she's been struggling the next couple of days. She really wants to nurse. She had a hard time with Big Brother W, too, and ended up supplementing later on. it's so hard... i think so many pediatricians are so stat conscious, us moms who want to do things "right" get stressed out. (she's also going to the first practice where i took baby bear... before i decided the drive was too long, among other things.) while there are times i consider finding a pediatrician, i think our family practice doctor is good for me because she doesn't get caught up on stats and looks at the whole child.
been up since 3:30. i cleaned out our joint inbox, created new folders to save some old messages and declutter. now to do that with yahoo... ugh.
bear will probably wake up in an hour or less. i should go back to sleep while i might have a chance. but i was tossing and turning and decided to get on the puter rather than wake up hubby.
yesterday afternoon was beautiful. clear, crisp warm breezw and lots of sunshine. hubby had to finish seeding the lawn, so i decided to plant my pink mum that was on the front porch before it dies completely... we'll see if it takes. potted mums need big pots in order to make it, the 4-6" pots are sure to kill the plants. this one was on its way, the blooms were not as colorful as when i bought the plant. yes, partly due to changing seasons, but partly due to no space to spread roots. that's my theory and i'm sticking to it. so now it's in between 2 day lilies along the sidewalk next to the garage door. i also decided to prune the birch and trim some of the other shrubs back a little. the birch isn't as high as mister golf course yard's birch next door, but there's more room to get under the branches with the mower (or seed spreader, in our case). baby bear watched her mommy and daddy work from her activity center, placed strategically on the front porch. i love front porches. ours doesn't get enough use, but today it provided baby bear with fresh air and protection from the sun. she pet her first earthworm today, too. i uncovered it in preparation for planting my mum. she wanted to eat it. i told her she's not old enough to eat fried or rare worms.
we visited our friends R&R tonight. Big Brother W seems to be adjusting well to his 3 week old sister, J. J is absolutely beautiful. Pray for Mommy R ad J that they will get the breastfeeding thing down. Mommy has lots of pain and saw the same lactation consultant that I did. It went well when LLC was there, but she's been struggling the next couple of days. She really wants to nurse. She had a hard time with Big Brother W, too, and ended up supplementing later on. it's so hard... i think so many pediatricians are so stat conscious, us moms who want to do things "right" get stressed out. (she's also going to the first practice where i took baby bear... before i decided the drive was too long, among other things.) while there are times i consider finding a pediatrician, i think our family practice doctor is good for me because she doesn't get caught up on stats and looks at the whole child.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
crock pot creations...
this week, i've rediscovered the joy and simplicity of letting my crock pot do the work. (i was really glad i had eaten before going to vote last night!) on monday, i made italian chicken breasts. yesterday i made what i'm calling garlic soy pork chops. i don't do exact measurements, but both of these were so successful that i thought i'd share with estimated measurements. (i think i posted the italian chicken recipe a while back, but i think it tasted better this time with a couple of additions)... so, take these ideas and run with them....
italian chicken
4 frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves
1 can chicken broth for extra flavor (optional)
1 can diced tomatoes, italian seasoned
1 small can tomato sauce
italian seasoning to taste
ground salt and pepper to test
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
italian seasoning mix
Throw everything into the crock pot and season generously. Cook on low for 8 hours, stir occasionally. Serve over Spanish-style or long-grain rice. (I like zataran's or uncle ben's).
garlic soy pork chops
4 frozen boneless pork chops
3 garlic cloves, minced
ground salt and pepper to taste
(we like lots of seasoning)
dried rosemary to taste (about 1 tbsp)
1 c mushrooms, sliced
soy sauce to taste
throw all ingredients into the pot, cover with water (enough to fully cover meat). shake in enough soy sauce so the water turns brown and you smell the soy. add seasonings. stir. cook on low for 8 hours, stir occasionally. serve over buttered egg noddles.
bon appetit
this week, i've rediscovered the joy and simplicity of letting my crock pot do the work. (i was really glad i had eaten before going to vote last night!) on monday, i made italian chicken breasts. yesterday i made what i'm calling garlic soy pork chops. i don't do exact measurements, but both of these were so successful that i thought i'd share with estimated measurements. (i think i posted the italian chicken recipe a while back, but i think it tasted better this time with a couple of additions)... so, take these ideas and run with them....
italian chicken
4 frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves
1 can chicken broth for extra flavor (optional)
1 can diced tomatoes, italian seasoned
1 small can tomato sauce
italian seasoning to taste
ground salt and pepper to test
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
italian seasoning mix
Throw everything into the crock pot and season generously. Cook on low for 8 hours, stir occasionally. Serve over Spanish-style or long-grain rice. (I like zataran's or uncle ben's).
garlic soy pork chops
4 frozen boneless pork chops
3 garlic cloves, minced
ground salt and pepper to taste
(we like lots of seasoning)
dried rosemary to taste (about 1 tbsp)
1 c mushrooms, sliced
soy sauce to taste
throw all ingredients into the pot, cover with water (enough to fully cover meat). shake in enough soy sauce so the water turns brown and you smell the soy. add seasonings. stir. cook on low for 8 hours, stir occasionally. serve over buttered egg noddles.
bon appetit
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
civic duty fulfilled for the evening...
i left the house at 6:10, arrived ad the voting location about 6:15, and pulled into the driveway at 10:00 p.m. about an hour into my wait, i ran into next door/across the side street neighbor, who asked how much we paid mr. lawn guy to aerate our yard. joined in conversations with the other sore-footed voters around me. it looks like a guy who was in my freshman studies group at utm may win a seat in the state house. not surprising to see him run, although i didn't know him that well. it makes me feel old... and then i'm reminded that crt and bil have a friend who is already a representative in his state's.
it's a good thing hubby voted early and baby bear didn't have to come with me.
about 30 people remained in line when i left the building. i think the candidates should have a registration fee that goes to purchase more voting booths for their (prospective) constituents. that's one way to prove they care about our votes.
i left the house at 6:10, arrived ad the voting location about 6:15, and pulled into the driveway at 10:00 p.m. about an hour into my wait, i ran into next door/across the side street neighbor, who asked how much we paid mr. lawn guy to aerate our yard. joined in conversations with the other sore-footed voters around me. it looks like a guy who was in my freshman studies group at utm may win a seat in the state house. not surprising to see him run, although i didn't know him that well. it makes me feel old... and then i'm reminded that crt and bil have a friend who is already a representative in his state's.
it's a good thing hubby voted early and baby bear didn't have to come with me.
about 30 people remained in line when i left the building. i think the candidates should have a registration fee that goes to purchase more voting booths for their (prospective) constituents. that's one way to prove they care about our votes.
Monday, November 06, 2006
from weeds to pasture...
it's that time of year. the time to get a head start on next year's lawn. our yard is in desperate need of tlc, and hubby and i have been discussing how to fix it for about a month now. in the past, a company offered a $50 special in our neighborhood. we didn't get a flier from them this year, so hubby had pretty much resigned himself to borrowing a pick-up truck and renting an aerator or power seeder from hardware super-store.
as i drove out of the neighborhood, i noticed a truck with what appeared to be an aerator or power-seeder in the trailer. i wasn't going far, just going to drop off movies at the neighborhood, family-owned (non chain) video store. i stopped and browsed at the scrapbook shop while i was in the plaza, and miraculously did not spend any money!
God must have been rewarding me for practicing self-control, for when i came to the stop sign at the top of the hill and turned right, there was that truck... and a man chatting with the owner of the yard which he had just aerated. i politely interrupted, asked the lawn man if he'd give me an estimate, and went on my way home...
about 15 minutes later, he showed up! not only did he show up, he gave us a quote that beat what we would have paid to rent an inferior machine from hardware super-store. and he tore it up. literally. imagine a combination of a riding lawn mower and a farm combine... that's what the front looked like to me, a mini combine tiller. (forgive me if my fram terminology is wrong.) the spikes had to be at least 6 inches long. i expected to see plugs pulled up, leaving holes for future seeding and water to fall into. we got plugs, all right. by the time lawn guy was finished, our flat, compressed lawn of dead crabgrass and weeds looked more like a pasture recently trampled by a herd of cattle. the clumps were not the usual rabbit-droppings, rather big clumps of dirt and uprooted weeds. hannah watched curiously, i got a kick out of seeing our lawn torn up. (we do have a general knowledge of how a lawn should be maintained, we just don't apply it.... and in TN heat, the weeds take over pretty quickly. when you live next door to mr. golf course yard, a mediocre to overgrown one looks even worse.)
when mr. yard guy finished, i don't think he realized that i actually understood our yard was pathetic and needed serious help, help which he had jump started. i asked for his phone # in case we need to call him next year. he thought i was getting it for hubby to call him wondering why our yard looks like a kicked-up pasture.
i should have taken pictures... i have never seen an aeration job so thorough. he must have set the spokes on the deepest setting. i swear he covered every square inch 10 times. our yard isn't big, but it took him 20 minutes to finish the job on a big riding contraption!
so, i called hubby, told him about the affordable, thorough yard knight on the metal horse who came to the rescure of our lawn. when hubby came home, he used my dad's spreader that we borrowed 3 years ago and haven't returned to put down some seed... while he was spreading the seed, the rain drops started falling. oh, we still need to add about 50 lbs. of seed to what he spread tonight, but at least something got into all those holes and underneath the uprooted tufts of crab grass into a place suitable for germination. and even if some of the holes close up in tonight's showers, i suspect the yard will still be more receptive to seed in 2 days than if mr. yard guy hadn't come to hubby's rescue with the riding aerator.
time will tell if we'll have a green "pasture" next season...
next project: buy spring bulbs and plant them before they go out of stock.
it's that time of year. the time to get a head start on next year's lawn. our yard is in desperate need of tlc, and hubby and i have been discussing how to fix it for about a month now. in the past, a company offered a $50 special in our neighborhood. we didn't get a flier from them this year, so hubby had pretty much resigned himself to borrowing a pick-up truck and renting an aerator or power seeder from hardware super-store.
as i drove out of the neighborhood, i noticed a truck with what appeared to be an aerator or power-seeder in the trailer. i wasn't going far, just going to drop off movies at the neighborhood, family-owned (non chain) video store. i stopped and browsed at the scrapbook shop while i was in the plaza, and miraculously did not spend any money!
God must have been rewarding me for practicing self-control, for when i came to the stop sign at the top of the hill and turned right, there was that truck... and a man chatting with the owner of the yard which he had just aerated. i politely interrupted, asked the lawn man if he'd give me an estimate, and went on my way home...
about 15 minutes later, he showed up! not only did he show up, he gave us a quote that beat what we would have paid to rent an inferior machine from hardware super-store. and he tore it up. literally. imagine a combination of a riding lawn mower and a farm combine... that's what the front looked like to me, a mini combine tiller. (forgive me if my fram terminology is wrong.) the spikes had to be at least 6 inches long. i expected to see plugs pulled up, leaving holes for future seeding and water to fall into. we got plugs, all right. by the time lawn guy was finished, our flat, compressed lawn of dead crabgrass and weeds looked more like a pasture recently trampled by a herd of cattle. the clumps were not the usual rabbit-droppings, rather big clumps of dirt and uprooted weeds. hannah watched curiously, i got a kick out of seeing our lawn torn up. (we do have a general knowledge of how a lawn should be maintained, we just don't apply it.... and in TN heat, the weeds take over pretty quickly. when you live next door to mr. golf course yard, a mediocre to overgrown one looks even worse.)
when mr. yard guy finished, i don't think he realized that i actually understood our yard was pathetic and needed serious help, help which he had jump started. i asked for his phone # in case we need to call him next year. he thought i was getting it for hubby to call him wondering why our yard looks like a kicked-up pasture.
i should have taken pictures... i have never seen an aeration job so thorough. he must have set the spokes on the deepest setting. i swear he covered every square inch 10 times. our yard isn't big, but it took him 20 minutes to finish the job on a big riding contraption!
so, i called hubby, told him about the affordable, thorough yard knight on the metal horse who came to the rescure of our lawn. when hubby came home, he used my dad's spreader that we borrowed 3 years ago and haven't returned to put down some seed... while he was spreading the seed, the rain drops started falling. oh, we still need to add about 50 lbs. of seed to what he spread tonight, but at least something got into all those holes and underneath the uprooted tufts of crab grass into a place suitable for germination. and even if some of the holes close up in tonight's showers, i suspect the yard will still be more receptive to seed in 2 days than if mr. yard guy hadn't come to hubby's rescue with the riding aerator.
time will tell if we'll have a green "pasture" next season...
next project: buy spring bulbs and plant them before they go out of stock.
Friday, November 03, 2006
an overlooked holiday...
inkling referenced reformation day in her imaginative musings on october 31st. i hope i am not the only one who didn't even realize that something far more important should be commemorated in the hustle and bustle of passing out candy to trick-or-treaters, and dressing my little one up in her kitty cat outfit and pumpkin costume... shame, shame...
inkling referenced reformation day in her imaginative musings on october 31st. i hope i am not the only one who didn't even realize that something far more important should be commemorated in the hustle and bustle of passing out candy to trick-or-treaters, and dressing my little one up in her kitty cat outfit and pumpkin costume... shame, shame...
something greater-japan
the pastor of hamilton hills baptist in fishers, which we've visited with crt (of the aslan's child blog) periodically over the last 7 years, recently returned from a trip to japan. God has laid this country on his heart. read and pray for the believers across the globe.
i haven't read the whole blog, but it is interesting to read the perspectives of pator randy, his wife dale, and their youngest son, elliot. i was especially touched by the store of daigo, who drives an hour and a half to and from church and pays tolls and parking fees. we complain about our 30 minute drive.
the pastor of hamilton hills baptist in fishers, which we've visited with crt (of the aslan's child blog) periodically over the last 7 years, recently returned from a trip to japan. God has laid this country on his heart. read and pray for the believers across the globe.
i haven't read the whole blog, but it is interesting to read the perspectives of pator randy, his wife dale, and their youngest son, elliot. i was especially touched by the store of daigo, who drives an hour and a half to and from church and pays tolls and parking fees. we complain about our 30 minute drive.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
baritone no more...
at least, not for "officially"... our precious niece's 1st birthday party is the same day as the holiday chorus concerts. can't do both, family comes first! i'm disappointed... i'm not sure we can swing the membership dues for me to actually join the chorus, although i am convinced they would be well worth it. i enjoyed my 1 night as a sweet adeline's chorus member.
at least, not for "officially"... our precious niece's 1st birthday party is the same day as the holiday chorus concerts. can't do both, family comes first! i'm disappointed... i'm not sure we can swing the membership dues for me to actually join the chorus, although i am convinced they would be well worth it. i enjoyed my 1 night as a sweet adeline's chorus member.
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