There are many items that fit into that category. Those that are foremost in my mind today are:
1. Fleece-lined tights. O my goodness they are so comfy and warm, and were not very expensive when I happened upon them shopping at Meier last week with my mom.
2. My parents have moved back to Illinois and are only 2 hours away now! They were at my home for Thanksgiving for the first time in.... maybe ever!
3. I have a job that pays the bills and then some. And most days I like it just fine.
4. Strangers sometimes strike up fun and friendly conversations with me. On Friday when I was headed out to work, I stopped for gas and met an older woman who wanted to chat about price-gouging at the pump. So I obliged her and it was fun and friendly.
5. Speaking of gas, The Player seems to think my toots are funny. And I 'm pretty sure that means it is "True Love."
6. My kids are healthy and beautiful and talented. Of course!
7. I have some good non-digital ideas for Christmas gifts for the healthy, beautiful and talented aforementioned kids.
8. Christmas is coming, and if you don't know what to get your loved ones, see item #1 above!!
About Me
- Kim
- United States
- Getting older is not for sissies. I'm not a sissy, thank goodness. I'm a physical therapist, mom, daughter, sister, friend, and I am looking forward to "what's next?"
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Not Even a Shingle!
Sunday, as everyone knows, Central Illinois got hit by some seriously scary and dangerous weather. The kids and I rushed out of church as quickly as we could, having been warned that bad weather was supposed to arrive about noon. It was our Sunday to set up and therefore to also put things away after the service. I asked for a little help to do that job and got a lot of help instead! Hurrah for the helpers.
The kids and I got home and it was not yet raining. We had planned to put the deck items away for the winter on Sunday afternoon, so we grabbed as many things as we could before the rain started. Actually we kept working until all the valuables and breakables could be safely stowed: planters, the table, chairs, the grill, trellises, and such. As soon as we finished that, J-dude grabbed Pi the Curious Cat so he would not be swept out to sea, and we all (Samarra the Salmon-Eating-Plate-Smashing Critter included) headed inside JUST as it started to hail.
I don't know much about history, don't know much trigonometry, don't know much about science books, don't know much about the French I took, but I DO know that Hail is a Bad Sign during a Tornado Watch. Which, of course, was already a Tornado Warning but I didn't know that yet.
The Player was at a secure location in Ohio. So the 5 of us headed to the lower level of the house. We listened as the wind got louder and the rain got rainier. Sisi confessed to feeling scared, though she acted very brave. We hung out in the laundry closet, kind of waiting for something big to happen. But it just blustered and blew and then it was over.
The sun came out, and we went outside to survey the damage. A few branches down, nothing we couldn't haul to the curb ourselves. We looked around a while and finally Sisi found a shingle in the yard.
I texted the roofer who had just replaced our roof earlier in the week. He said he would come by and replace it. Today one of his employees came by and climbed up on the roof. Turns out we didn't lose even a shingle...it was just a piece left behind when they did the roof and the wind blew it out from wherever it had been hiding.
We are feeling blessed and lucky. Very very lucky!
The kids and I got home and it was not yet raining. We had planned to put the deck items away for the winter on Sunday afternoon, so we grabbed as many things as we could before the rain started. Actually we kept working until all the valuables and breakables could be safely stowed: planters, the table, chairs, the grill, trellises, and such. As soon as we finished that, J-dude grabbed Pi the Curious Cat so he would not be swept out to sea, and we all (Samarra the Salmon-Eating-Plate-Smashing Critter included) headed inside JUST as it started to hail.
I don't know much about history, don't know much trigonometry, don't know much about science books, don't know much about the French I took, but I DO know that Hail is a Bad Sign during a Tornado Watch. Which, of course, was already a Tornado Warning but I didn't know that yet.
The Player was at a secure location in Ohio. So the 5 of us headed to the lower level of the house. We listened as the wind got louder and the rain got rainier. Sisi confessed to feeling scared, though she acted very brave. We hung out in the laundry closet, kind of waiting for something big to happen. But it just blustered and blew and then it was over.
The sun came out, and we went outside to survey the damage. A few branches down, nothing we couldn't haul to the curb ourselves. We looked around a while and finally Sisi found a shingle in the yard.
I texted the roofer who had just replaced our roof earlier in the week. He said he would come by and replace it. Today one of his employees came by and climbed up on the roof. Turns out we didn't lose even a shingle...it was just a piece left behind when they did the roof and the wind blew it out from wherever it had been hiding.
We are feeling blessed and lucky. Very very lucky!
Sunday, November 17, 2013
When The Dog is in The Dog House
Thursday we had a treat for dinner...salmon! It smelled so good, and looked so delicious. There were 4 of us at the table, and a cat and dog lurking in the shadows. As I served a nice big piece to Sisi...a huge part of it fell to the floor. Before I could even utter a four letter word, Samarra had swooped in and gobbled it down in two bites.
That wasn't really unexpected, or even upsetting. But within a few more seconds she had gone over by the patio door and regurgitated it. Thank goodness The Player has a strong enough digestive system to clean it up and still eat his own dinner. I was pretty unhappy that the No One of God's Creatures really got to enjoy that hunk of meat, though.
After dinner The Player and I were loading the dishwasher. Samarra was trying to help by pre-washing the silverware for us, when her Thunder Shirt (which we use to keep her calm and less barky) got caught on the bottom tray of plates. Instead of keeping her calm, it understandably freaked her out when she backed away and brought the entire tray out with her and along the kitchen floor, bouncing and breaking dishes.
The Player freed her from her bondage, and we cleaned up the broken dishware. Looks like the Dog House Roof will have some mosaic work with violets on it!!
That wasn't really unexpected, or even upsetting. But within a few more seconds she had gone over by the patio door and regurgitated it. Thank goodness The Player has a strong enough digestive system to clean it up and still eat his own dinner. I was pretty unhappy that the No One of God's Creatures really got to enjoy that hunk of meat, though.
After dinner The Player and I were loading the dishwasher. Samarra was trying to help by pre-washing the silverware for us, when her Thunder Shirt (which we use to keep her calm and less barky) got caught on the bottom tray of plates. Instead of keeping her calm, it understandably freaked her out when she backed away and brought the entire tray out with her and along the kitchen floor, bouncing and breaking dishes.
The Player freed her from her bondage, and we cleaned up the broken dishware. Looks like the Dog House Roof will have some mosaic work with violets on it!!
Monday, November 11, 2013
The Miracle of the Bed Time Snack
This is not one of Jesus' parables, but it should be. A parable for worried mothers who think their sons will never eat anything willingly except bacon, donuts, hot dogs, French fries, and ice cream. With the occasional candy bar thrown in for fiber, I guess. Not that their sons will not eat anything else, but it requires a lengthy discussion of why one must have carrots with dinner or what will happen if one does not willingly eat anything but bacon for breakfast for their entire life (entire short life I might add.)
So imagine my sense of God's grace floating down from the heavens when last night J-dude discovered the bowl of green grapes on the kitchen table in the evening. When he ate all of the remaining 1/2 pound of grapes on the table. (Did I mention he is finally growing into his very large feet?) When he asked for more for his bedtime snack and was sorely disappointed to find there was no secret stash in the fridge. Imagine how I felt the presence of angels singing all around me when I asked what else might he like for a snack, and he answered, "Oh, some other fruit or vegetable. Maybe some mixed vegetables or canned corn."
All I can say is Praise the Lord and Pass the Grapes!!!
So imagine my sense of God's grace floating down from the heavens when last night J-dude discovered the bowl of green grapes on the kitchen table in the evening. When he ate all of the remaining 1/2 pound of grapes on the table. (Did I mention he is finally growing into his very large feet?) When he asked for more for his bedtime snack and was sorely disappointed to find there was no secret stash in the fridge. Imagine how I felt the presence of angels singing all around me when I asked what else might he like for a snack, and he answered, "Oh, some other fruit or vegetable. Maybe some mixed vegetables or canned corn."
All I can say is Praise the Lord and Pass the Grapes!!!
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Truck Drivin' Mama
My mom visited this week. She stopped in Monday evening for a rest on her trip home from Tennessee, and spent the night with us. She had been driving Dad's big ole truck all the way from Tennessee. Thus, I dedicate this You Tube video of a song from one of the kids favorite shows a few years ago, to her
Monday, November 4, 2013
Quinoa, Cho-chos, and Extreme Warheads
SUPERFOODS
We have been eating Red Quinoa lately, with stir-fried tofu and veggies, which is a SuperFood. It pretends to be an ordinary plant growing in the highlands of the Andes, but the grains contain incredible amounts of amino acids, iron, vitamins, and is gluten-free. It is one of the two reasons there is not much malnutrition in the poor communities of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. It cooks up like rice and tastes even better. We can buy it for $5.99 a pound at Common Ground in downtown Bloomington . It's YUMMY.
I wish we could find some place local to buy cho-chos, which are the South American version of lupini beans, the beans from the Lupine Plant. Poisonous unless you treat them with salted water for several days, then drain that water to get rid of the alkaline covering on the seeds. Monty Python fans may remember Dennis Moore, robs from the rich and gives to the poor. What he gave were lupines. Robbing the rich saying "Your lupines or your life!" and then giving them to the poor poor people who didn't want lupines but wanted food, medicine, clothing, etc. However in real life it turns out that the seeds, the cho-chos, are another superfood. Protein-filled little white beans that you can eat with lime juice, chopped red onions, and salt. Sold in little plastic bags in the street in South America. Not easy to find in Normal, Illinois.
Extreme Warheads are not a superfood. However it is some Halloween candy that is so nasty it could turn a 12-year old boy away from Candy. And that is just as good.
We have been eating Red Quinoa lately, with stir-fried tofu and veggies, which is a SuperFood. It pretends to be an ordinary plant growing in the highlands of the Andes, but the grains contain incredible amounts of amino acids, iron, vitamins, and is gluten-free. It is one of the two reasons there is not much malnutrition in the poor communities of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. It cooks up like rice and tastes even better. We can buy it for $5.99 a pound at Common Ground in downtown Bloomington . It's YUMMY.
I wish we could find some place local to buy cho-chos, which are the South American version of lupini beans, the beans from the Lupine Plant. Poisonous unless you treat them with salted water for several days, then drain that water to get rid of the alkaline covering on the seeds. Monty Python fans may remember Dennis Moore, robs from the rich and gives to the poor. What he gave were lupines. Robbing the rich saying "Your lupines or your life!" and then giving them to the poor poor people who didn't want lupines but wanted food, medicine, clothing, etc. However in real life it turns out that the seeds, the cho-chos, are another superfood. Protein-filled little white beans that you can eat with lime juice, chopped red onions, and salt. Sold in little plastic bags in the street in South America. Not easy to find in Normal, Illinois.
Extreme Warheads are not a superfood. However it is some Halloween candy that is so nasty it could turn a 12-year old boy away from Candy. And that is just as good.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)