This past Sunday the members of our congregation had a bit of a surprise in store for the service.
At the present time, we have no full-time minister serving our parish so the minister at a neighboring church -about 12 miles or so from ours -is the vice-pastor and he serves us three Sundays out of the month with usually one Sunday when we have a supply pastor or speaker who leads the worship service.
The President of the Church Council always makes any pertinent announcements every Sunday prior to the beginning of the service and two days ago, after he finished making his "announcements" he said "Oh and we do have one more announcement today. We have no speaker as the gentleman who was to be with us isn't here and I haven't been able to reach him on the telephone."
Hmmm. What to do now?
He asked if anyone would be willing to lead the service and one member did step forward and said he would be happy to try to do that. That still left us with no one to deliver the sermon though.
Early on in the liturgy, a young man walked quietly up to the chairs behind the pulpit and said something to the man leading the service and then the younger fellow walked back and sat down.
Just before the time for the sermon, the liturgist announced that the young man had come up and told him that he would be willing to try to deliver a sermon based loosely on one he'd had to read a couple weeks ago when the church youth group had the service but he'd also try to interject points from the readings of the day in it too whenever he could.
And so, that's how the son and grandson of two of my neighbors down the street came to deliver a sermon that was pretty much just off the top of his head but one that he did a really great job in speaking his thoughts in a very organized fashion!
The mix-up on the speaker and all that did provide for one of the fastest services we've had but it all worked out quite well anyway!
Leaving church, as the young man and the other one shook everyone's hands as we were exiting the sanctuary, I told the younger guy -who is a Freshman this year in college -that perhaps he should think about the ministry as his potential calling as I shook his hand, gave him a big hug and he returned it to me!
He really should listen to me because, yes, he did a very good job!
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
What next?
Boy, things just seem to get crazier and crazier, don't they?
The days since learning of the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut have been filled with way too much trauma and news that is impossible to fathom that someone could do something this atrocious. To try to wrap one's mind around what could possibly have gone on in that young man's mind to shoot all these people -and especially those little children is an impossibility to me.
I can't even begin to think of how I would feel and/or react if someone took the life of a loved one in any way, shape or form, much less in a manner such as this was. Just to think about something like that happening here is entirely too painful to even consider.
Where do we, as a nation, go from this point now is the question.
Does gun control work? Not really as evidenced by the fact that the guns used in this were all purchased legally. That this young man had access to them is something else to be considered though.
Frankly, the mental health issues are the ones I think need to be given massive consideration.
There is a great gulf in this county -perhaps world-wide too, who knows -that creates a tremendous need for many improvements in the availability of mental health care, just for openers. Mental health care that is also affordable too, I might add. It does not good to have it available if people can not afford to access it.
As a country though, we also need to have a much better understanding of the issues of mental health and the important part it plays in the overall picture of people being able to function properly. Believe it or not, so many people still make fun of various mental health issues -ranging from depression to paranoia and psychosis -all actions that certainly do nothing to improve conditions for healing for many of those who deal with these problems on a daily basis.
The stigma that has always been attached to a mental health diagnosis is just as rampant today as it was a century ago. And this is one area where better understanding of the symptoms and treatments available could go a long, long way.
Awareness of the symptoms and how they can affect individuals is a necessity. Someone with a mental health problem may actually have physical symptoms that point to other illnesses -such as high blood pressure, fatigue, inability to focus and function, aches and pains that can't be determined as to the source often are caused by depression. And that's just for openers.
People will sometimes look for treatment of the physical complaints they have but it often takes a lot more intensive diagnostic care to realize that issues of depression can be the root cause.
Yes, our mental health often plays a critical role in our physical well-being too and should be given just as much attention to getting it the care needed as one would take if you broke a bone or were running a very high temperature and/or other physical signals of something being awry.
That's my thoughts on where to begin trying to make societal changes to curb events like this from happening. Not that it is a definite cure-all, but it is a start and one that shouldn't or wouldn't bring about outcrys of anger and such over the thought of people's Second Amendment rights being upended.
I personally see nothing wrong at all with gun registration, licensing, testing people for proper knowledge of gun handling and of having an attitude too that is conducive to not being over-reactive to various situations either. No, I don't own a gun but I have nothing against hunting or the sports affiliated with gun usage -skeet shooting, other types of competitions involving guns either.
The gun control debates go back really beginning probably with the assassination of President Kennedy and many of the killings since that time there have been various gun control regulations in place but which by some method or other were managed to be avoided and people who shouldn't have had a gun, did!
We all hear the old line about Guns don't kill people but people kill people. and yes, that is a fact, for sure. But having fewer means for anyone and everyone to gain access to any kind of weapon would perhaps be a start in that direction too. We have plenty of gun control laws but not enough of them prevent their ending up in the wrong hands.
As to needing a gun for protection of self and family, is a full-fledged arsenal REALLY what people need in each and every home?
The deed of killing all these innocent children and teachers has been done and for now, I think prayers for understanding, for solace, peace and comfort to the families is the number 1 priority at this point in time. Then, reflection of what may have been the trigger to this and open discussions of what is needed for prevention of individuals taking steps like this again.
Please, let's look at this logically and realistically but each of us doing our best to learning and understanding of the issues those around us may be dealing with but of which we are totally unaware of the pain and stress levels that so often exist in the minds of others.
Peace.
The days since learning of the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut have been filled with way too much trauma and news that is impossible to fathom that someone could do something this atrocious. To try to wrap one's mind around what could possibly have gone on in that young man's mind to shoot all these people -and especially those little children is an impossibility to me.
I can't even begin to think of how I would feel and/or react if someone took the life of a loved one in any way, shape or form, much less in a manner such as this was. Just to think about something like that happening here is entirely too painful to even consider.
Where do we, as a nation, go from this point now is the question.
Does gun control work? Not really as evidenced by the fact that the guns used in this were all purchased legally. That this young man had access to them is something else to be considered though.
Frankly, the mental health issues are the ones I think need to be given massive consideration.
There is a great gulf in this county -perhaps world-wide too, who knows -that creates a tremendous need for many improvements in the availability of mental health care, just for openers. Mental health care that is also affordable too, I might add. It does not good to have it available if people can not afford to access it.
As a country though, we also need to have a much better understanding of the issues of mental health and the important part it plays in the overall picture of people being able to function properly. Believe it or not, so many people still make fun of various mental health issues -ranging from depression to paranoia and psychosis -all actions that certainly do nothing to improve conditions for healing for many of those who deal with these problems on a daily basis.
The stigma that has always been attached to a mental health diagnosis is just as rampant today as it was a century ago. And this is one area where better understanding of the symptoms and treatments available could go a long, long way.
Awareness of the symptoms and how they can affect individuals is a necessity. Someone with a mental health problem may actually have physical symptoms that point to other illnesses -such as high blood pressure, fatigue, inability to focus and function, aches and pains that can't be determined as to the source often are caused by depression. And that's just for openers.
People will sometimes look for treatment of the physical complaints they have but it often takes a lot more intensive diagnostic care to realize that issues of depression can be the root cause.
Yes, our mental health often plays a critical role in our physical well-being too and should be given just as much attention to getting it the care needed as one would take if you broke a bone or were running a very high temperature and/or other physical signals of something being awry.
That's my thoughts on where to begin trying to make societal changes to curb events like this from happening. Not that it is a definite cure-all, but it is a start and one that shouldn't or wouldn't bring about outcrys of anger and such over the thought of people's Second Amendment rights being upended.
I personally see nothing wrong at all with gun registration, licensing, testing people for proper knowledge of gun handling and of having an attitude too that is conducive to not being over-reactive to various situations either. No, I don't own a gun but I have nothing against hunting or the sports affiliated with gun usage -skeet shooting, other types of competitions involving guns either.
The gun control debates go back really beginning probably with the assassination of President Kennedy and many of the killings since that time there have been various gun control regulations in place but which by some method or other were managed to be avoided and people who shouldn't have had a gun, did!
We all hear the old line about Guns don't kill people but people kill people. and yes, that is a fact, for sure. But having fewer means for anyone and everyone to gain access to any kind of weapon would perhaps be a start in that direction too. We have plenty of gun control laws but not enough of them prevent their ending up in the wrong hands.
As to needing a gun for protection of self and family, is a full-fledged arsenal REALLY what people need in each and every home?
The deed of killing all these innocent children and teachers has been done and for now, I think prayers for understanding, for solace, peace and comfort to the families is the number 1 priority at this point in time. Then, reflection of what may have been the trigger to this and open discussions of what is needed for prevention of individuals taking steps like this again.
Please, let's look at this logically and realistically but each of us doing our best to learning and understanding of the issues those around us may be dealing with but of which we are totally unaware of the pain and stress levels that so often exist in the minds of others.
Peace.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Special Attire Needed!
A while back, I found this really neat pattern to crochet cute little hats. They are the kind that pull down over your ears, keep your head warm, your ears and you can roll the brim in the back but leave it flat in the front. I made some that I donated for door prizes at my Class Reunion and then, used some red, white and green mixed yarn to make one of these just for me to wear when I have to venture out in the cold to take Sammy for his walks over the coming (fast approaching, really) winter months.
However, as nice and comfy and warm as this hat is, it leaves a lot to be desired with the type of weather we seem to be having most of the time here.
Which is to say it's been raining --a lot! Like almost every day, or so it does seem to me anyway.
Sammy doesn't really care for walking in the rain although he has no objections to walking in freshly deposited snow. I'm pretty much the same way.
I have decided I need a different hat to wear when we are forced to go out in the rain.
I found just the site too where I can get one with a nifty large brim that the rain water could hit and then very neatly just flow off the hat and eliminate the need for me to carry an umbrella then.
What kind of hat might this be, you ask?
Well, let me just show you a Jim-dandy one I found among a bunch of other Womens Cowboy Hats shown at the very top of the page here.
Now, be honest and tell me, don't you think this would work to keep the rain well-directed and away from me?
And wouldn't Sammy and I look just the fine pair, strutting our stuff down the street?
Well, maybe it would be a good idea but at a much lower price range to suit my budget.
So much then for the best laid plans of mice men, ya know.
However, as nice and comfy and warm as this hat is, it leaves a lot to be desired with the type of weather we seem to be having most of the time here.
Which is to say it's been raining --a lot! Like almost every day, or so it does seem to me anyway.
Sammy doesn't really care for walking in the rain although he has no objections to walking in freshly deposited snow. I'm pretty much the same way.
I have decided I need a different hat to wear when we are forced to go out in the rain.
I found just the site too where I can get one with a nifty large brim that the rain water could hit and then very neatly just flow off the hat and eliminate the need for me to carry an umbrella then.
What kind of hat might this be, you ask?
Well, let me just show you a Jim-dandy one I found among a bunch of other Womens Cowboy Hats shown at the very top of the page here.
Now, be honest and tell me, don't you think this would work to keep the rain well-directed and away from me?
And wouldn't Sammy and I look just the fine pair, strutting our stuff down the street?
Well, maybe it would be a good idea but at a much lower price range to suit my budget.
So much then for the best laid plans of mice men, ya know.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Drowning Charlotte...
It was, I know, a dastardly deed that I did today. But, you see, I couldn't help myself. I just couldn't!
I killed Charlotte. Yes, I did it and I have no regrets, sorry to say to those arachnid lovers who might be around, although I think they are pretty much few and far between in number aren't they?
I was in the bathroom, undressing to get into the shower. I had already placed my clean clothes that I planned to wear to my monthly lunch group meeting with some of my high school classmates on the top of a cabinet in the bathroom and had my pjs and robe also laying there. I turned to finish undressing and what I saw then caused me to let out an audible gasp.
There, laying on top of my nice white, very plush bathrobe was a spider -a pretty darned good-sized one and a black one at that!
Surely this must be one of those very poisonous black widow spiders I thought.
Then I thought but how the heck am I going to get rid of it as obviously it was still alive and healthy -even though it wasn't moving.
Spiders and I are not friends. Not. In. The. Least!
Normally, my move would be to stomp on it but unfortunately, my leg sure as heck wouldn't allow me to lift it up that high to begin with and that too would probably leave some marks or some kind of residue on my lovely robe, wouldn't it?
How to get rid of this ugly thing then?
I grabbed a fistful of toilet paper, all bunched up and bravely reached over and snagged that spider in the folds of the toilet paper.
Pulling my arm back, I looked down at Charlotte and saw she was wiggling about a bit as I then very quietly dropped the bunch of toilet paper -holding Miss Charlotte firmly in there -into the commode and pulled the lever to flush.
I watched as Charlotte tried in vain to swim out but to no avail. However, she was apparently a better swimmer than I had judged her to be as when the commode had refilled the bowl, I noticed she was still there and still swimming too!
Curses!
Pull that lever down once again and this time, I watched as this was one spout she wasn't going to survive going down and coming back to haunt me ever again!
And that my friends is how I ended Miss Charlotte's life in her web today!
And I can enter my bathroom again now with the peace of mind that at least there is one less spider roaming around my house tonight!
Did I mention how much I hate spiders?
Well, now you know, don't you?
I killed Charlotte. Yes, I did it and I have no regrets, sorry to say to those arachnid lovers who might be around, although I think they are pretty much few and far between in number aren't they?
I was in the bathroom, undressing to get into the shower. I had already placed my clean clothes that I planned to wear to my monthly lunch group meeting with some of my high school classmates on the top of a cabinet in the bathroom and had my pjs and robe also laying there. I turned to finish undressing and what I saw then caused me to let out an audible gasp.
There, laying on top of my nice white, very plush bathrobe was a spider -a pretty darned good-sized one and a black one at that!
Surely this must be one of those very poisonous black widow spiders I thought.
Then I thought but how the heck am I going to get rid of it as obviously it was still alive and healthy -even though it wasn't moving.
Spiders and I are not friends. Not. In. The. Least!
Normally, my move would be to stomp on it but unfortunately, my leg sure as heck wouldn't allow me to lift it up that high to begin with and that too would probably leave some marks or some kind of residue on my lovely robe, wouldn't it?
How to get rid of this ugly thing then?
I grabbed a fistful of toilet paper, all bunched up and bravely reached over and snagged that spider in the folds of the toilet paper.
Pulling my arm back, I looked down at Charlotte and saw she was wiggling about a bit as I then very quietly dropped the bunch of toilet paper -holding Miss Charlotte firmly in there -into the commode and pulled the lever to flush.
I watched as Charlotte tried in vain to swim out but to no avail. However, she was apparently a better swimmer than I had judged her to be as when the commode had refilled the bowl, I noticed she was still there and still swimming too!
Curses!
Pull that lever down once again and this time, I watched as this was one spout she wasn't going to survive going down and coming back to haunt me ever again!
And that my friends is how I ended Miss Charlotte's life in her web today!
And I can enter my bathroom again now with the peace of mind that at least there is one less spider roaming around my house tonight!
Did I mention how much I hate spiders?
Well, now you know, don't you?
Monday, December 10, 2012
It's That Time of Year....
Unless you are living under a rock or a total unbeliever, you're aware that we are full into the Christmas Season now this year!
What does this mean to you? Is it a Christmas tree, decorating all over the house, special festive clothes, shopping, or more than the usual number of excursions into the kitchen to produce many delicious aromas and great-tasting little goodies?
Or are there other things that come into your mind besides all or many of those above mentioned things?
For me -it frequently seems to put my brain into overdrive and especially so where the memory factors of my life to date are involved. These memory clips are not all related to Christmas though as some of them are just little blips here and there that slip and slide through my brain. Some of them last a bit longer as I mull them over again and again then, remembering so many things -people, places, positives as well as negatives too often come into my mind.
Often, a lot of these random things -and some of them also then make my pea brain wander off in directions that some would probably be saying "OMG! How weird that you thought of that or in this or that way and why now, too?"
Many of my strange thinkings come about when my brain is a bit on the empty side though -which generally happens when I am doing something really exciting, totally scintillating to my brain, like walking the dog!
This morning, while walking Sam -before the rain came back again -the weather very much brought to mind the way the weather was on a Saturday back in time, in late April of 1991 -grey all day, rain off and on but mainly misting then, a little bit heavier later on but not a downpour. Temps that day were a little chilly early in the day for April but by that night, it was a lot more on the "nippy" side.
And it was that evening when my life along with my kids' lives too took a really drastic turn!
That was the night that my son, in his infinite wisdom and myriad of talents, managed to catch the upstairs of our house on fire!
It was not a really devastating fire but it was bad enough to pretty much destroy the upstairs of the house -meaning the bedrooms but thankfully, not the roof. And it entailed then our living -one adult and two teenagers -in a motel room for almost 4 months after that while the house was being repaired.
What caused that bit of a debacle I learned that night from the fire chief that it was started by a smoldering cigarette in my son's bed! Hmmm. So that's what he did when I had grounded him for the night?
And today, as I looked back on that episode in my lifte -it dawned on me that I really should be thankful it was only a cigarette that caused that and not something like a cigar or a macanudo, to be precise.
Don't ask me how in blazes the idea of a Cuban cigar entered into my pea brain storm here as I have no clue and don't even know anyone today who even smokes cigars!
Maybe I'm reinventing my mind back to the days -almost 50 years ago -when I slaved for about 8-9 months at the cigar factory that used to exist near here at a job I hated!
At any rate, whatever brought that on, go figure!
Don't ask me how in blazes the idea of a Cuban cigar entered into my pea brain storm here as I have no clue and don't even know anyone today who even smokes cigars!
Maybe I'm reinventing my mind back to the days -almost 50 years ago -when I slaved for about 8-9 months at the cigar factory that used to exist near here at a job I hated!
At any rate, whatever brought that on, go figure!
Awesome, Adorable, Amazing -Also Annoying!
Those words in my title are how I would frequently describe my family -kids and also, my grandchildren too. And they are all of those things -and then some much of the time.
They range in age from the youngest in the mix who is now four-years old to the oldest, who is way up in years having moved up to a new decade -the fifties! Three of them are my biological children, three are my biological grandchildren, four are quasi-grandchildren (my term for part of the family -just not by blood), three are significant others and two are not quite in the ranks of being quasi-grandkids. At least, not at this time. One of the quasi-grandchildren is going to make me a quasi-step-great-grandmother somewhere around early February too!
Quite a mixture there, huh?
At least two of the grandchildren also bring with them another word from the "A" section of the dictionary too. That word -AUTISM!
My daughter Mandy and I were having a good heart-to-heart conversation last night about that thing that can be really frustrating, very depressing at times to cope with, and yet, at the same time, being around the two who have this disorder, is more than likely to be awesome and amazing!
Not that I am a trained diagnostician or anything at all along those lines, but somehow, the first time I held my granddaughter (Miss Maya) when she was just one-day-old) as I looked down at her in my arms, there was a feeling -or some kind of vibes, if you will -that passed through me then and seemed to call me or beckon to me to let me know that this little baby and I had a special connection. One that said she needed me and also, that I very much needed her too!
Is that ESP? I don't know if that's it or what, but there was this definite feeling I had deep inside me at that time and it's become stronger and stronger each and every day I am blessed to be around her too. And now, there is also her brother who brings the same thing to our family group -but often his surfaces in ways a bit different from his sister.
But that's a normal happening isn't it -with all children and adults as well -in that we are all individuals and each of us brings with us our own sets of thoughts, ideas and yes, all kinds of quirks too! Every. Last. One. Of. Us. Does. That! Like it or not, it's the truth!
Of course, as a grandparent -and yes, probably one considered to be very doting too -I tend to think those individuals who are part of my life are truly awesome. Why? Well, because they ARE. No other explanation should be necessary!
But with the Autism being present, sometimes it is necessary to somehow try to show that these kids all that and a box of chocolates!
Frankly, I don't agree with some things people tend to say or believe about Autism.
Yes, these kids may process some things -words, actions, and the like -differently than most people, the ones society considers to be "normal" a bit differently. Or so it seems but in reality, are they really THAT much different and are they really THAT difficult to accept for who they are, warts and all?
I don't understand the logic or theory behind some parents who have a child with autism but they don't do much of anything to help the child learn to adjust to what we often refer to as "Reality." People, i.e. children, ALL need discipline in so many ways and without that, think about what society will then gain ultimately -a bunch of teens and adults with no sense of understanding how to make their way in the world, with no compassion then much of the time for others, for creating then more and more bullies to try to run rampant over the rest of society.
Is that a good thing to allow that to happen? I think NOT!
There have been people over the years who thought at times of me as being a not-very-attentive parent to being a very strict and hard-nosed parent -depending on the child involved as well as the circumstances of what they observed about how I raised my children.
For many years, I sold Avon products and yes, I was the proverbial Avon Lady who actually went door-to-door with my bag of demonstrator items and little catalog, taking orders. I also frequently had my children -especially the two younger ones -in tow with me because they sure couldn't be left home alone and I couldn't afford a sitter either! But because many of the homes I went to were often meticulous in their decor, I pressed hard on my kids that they had to behave no matter whose home we were entering! Sure there were some houses where there were children in their age range and yes, if that parent was willing to allow their child(ren) to play with mine, that was fine. But even so, they still had to learn and remember that someone else's house brought with it a lot of boundaries they had to know and respect. Sometimes, things went fine and dandy with the kids and sometimes, well not so great but overall, things usually worked out pretty good and I never hesitated to take my kids with me and into any customer's home then as a result.
They were taught that from early on and they knew too that failure to uphold Mom's rules could and probably bring about consequences for their actions. Most of the time they were able to comprehend that.
The grandchildren -on the other hand -well, it's often taken a lot of perseverance and repetition of rules and regulations pertaining to behavior that would be acceptable or not but they have learned a lot of what constitutes "good behavior" over the years now. Occasionally, they have slip-ups -all children (and lots of adults too) do have things like that happen in our lives, don't they (or we?)
With these grandchildren and the sometimes goofy -sometimes also very annoying -little quirks they bring into the picture, we often have to try to figure out if this is something that is actually a normal -or sort of normal-behavior for a child in this age range, or is this something that comes into the picture via the Autism factor?
Take Kurtis, for instance. He's come a long, long way over the past six year, that much is for certain. He didn't being to talk until he was around 4 years old and now, 2 years down the road, his vocabulary is something to behold! One never knows what comment this kid is going to pop off with next. NEVER! Sometimes, he says things that seem way beyond his years and other times, it is very babyish too. Just a heck of a mixture there, that's for sure.
One thing he does, frequently, is that he sort of "chirps" almost like a little bird. And when he gets into that type of rhythm around the house (or in school) it can and usually is, more than a bit annoying! OK, make that VERY Annoying! Yes, it is! But that is something that comes from the Autism factor and I don't believe that trying to teach him it is not always appropriate behavior to make those sounds is not robbing him of anything that is his and has to remain with him forever the way it is now! It's something that yes, will bother, disrupt and often anger others who are subjected to it and one of the things we all -regardless of our status in the social community, do need to learn when and where some things are appropriate or NOT! To my mind, teaching a child to "can it" or tone it down or just to go to a different room to act in a way not fully acceptable to others is merely teaching a bit about discipline and well, good behavior.
If we want and expect children with quirks such as this one to assimilate a bit, to be accepted in society by those standards, then we do have to find ways to help them to curb these actions, at least when out and about in the general public and especially when in school. If we want our children -all of 'em -to be teachable (and believe it or not, most people with autism are very capable of learning many, many things along the lines of what is considered to be "normal") we can't expect them then to be assimilated, main-streamed into a classroom and expect the teacher to have to deal with behaviors that are disruptive, especially if the child is able to learn some types of self-control.
For the most part, neither Mandy nor I treat either of these kids any differently with what our expectations of them might be than I would have expected when I was raising my children! They can learn! They are learning -and lots and lots too as a matter of fact. Sometimes though, some things do take a different path to reach the objective!
They have both learned over the past couple of years to behave quietly in church. It was not an easy transition a lot of the time, but we have them to where they at least -generally -do sit quietly and behave fairly well. (Yes, they do usually have things with them that can keep them quietly occupied during the service and every now and again, something might happen that will bring on a sudden outburst of tears and even very loud wailing as well, but that is no longer the norm every Sunday the way it once was. I don't get upset with people who bring babies and small children to church when those children (or babies) get upset, cry, talk out loud, sometimes even get very unruly and disruptive) misbehave as long as I see the parent is trying to teach proper behavior. When however, I encounter a child the age Kurtis is or even Maya who acts in a manner that is disrespectful of the church and the surroundings or to the parent or other authority-type figure, now that upsets me and most especially so when I know the child has not side issues to prevent them from learning good behaviors! This applies not just to church services but virtually anytime, any place. Yes, I know children can and often are impulsive, sometimes VERY much so (as often is Kurt's problem) but for the most part, we do try to nip these actions in the bud!
Don't ask me to be constantly in control of the behaviors of the two kids often in my charge if you don't do the same too with your own children! A little understanding goes a long way. And, thankfully, with these two kids and in particularly in church, the overwhelming majority of our congregation is aware of their issues and having watched them grow and learn, have become very understanding of some of the challenges involved in getting these two to use their ability to make "good" or "wise" choices, at least the bulk of the time.
Please though, don't allow other children to try to boss these kids by bullying them or making fun of their issues of control. If another child is loud and forceful and being mean to either of these kids, with no reason other than to just acting in a way they would not like being put back to them, then yes, you can often expect a "Mama Bear Attitude" to surface -usually from their mother! (And, if she is angry enough or hurt, her emotions might just erupt in a public place then too!)
We do often have some problems with the grandson along those lines -other children who often make fun of him and he doesn't fully understand the whys and what fors of those things. How many adults understand them too for that matter but yet, expect a child who has processing issues to cope?
So many people say and expect everyone to accept unequivocally the actions of their child or children because the child has Autism. And I'm fine with that to a point. That point being that the parent still needs to teach the child to be respectful, in that child's own way and no, that doesn't always make it something that is fully in line with the expectations we may hold for those "normal" children. But rather these things can and often do come in line, provided the parents are actually working with various therapeutic teaching methods by which a child can have a better chance of learning more and more about that quality we consider to be "good behavior."
And so, for today -that's my little sort of rant -explanation maybe -or perhaps a bit of advice too. Regardless, I still think these kids are Awesome, Adorable and Amazing most of the time -enough so that I can understand and occasionally overlook, or at least try to lessen the annoying factors that come through in ALL of us!
Saturday, December 08, 2012
The House Is Alive....
To say this old house is "alive"over the past couple of days would be a bit of an understatement in some respects.
Right now, it is "alive" with the sounds from small children -two who live here and two who are visiting for the weekend. Three of the four can communicate with fairly good English. The fourth one though is only two years old and her language skills are still very limited but she usually can get it across to adults as to what she wants or needs.
Kurtis -as usually happens with more than two children together -is pretty much odd man out as the only boy, for openers, and the two older girls are very (and I do mean VERY) adept at the bossing others around routine. So, as a result, there's also a boat load of finger pointing and tattling too going on much of the time.
I've been really busy this week though in the kitchen as tomorrow evening is our annual event at our church -with a covered dish dinner and then, the St. Lucia Pageant!
Knowing we would have company this weekend, I baked 4 dozen sweet rolls on Wednesday and froze about 2 dozen of them. I gave Carrie a round of them (about a dozen) when she was here Friday for a brief visit so that leaves me with about a dozen rolls in the freezer and a coffee bread semi-wreath shaped loaf too.
Friday, I baked Swedish Limpa Rye bread -got five loaves of that done up and we've already decimated one whole loaf of that. Friday I also cooked a big pot of chile for supper -that the kids and I had along with the rye bread, still warm and fresh from the oven. Nothing better, in my book, than munching on freshly baked and spread with REAL butter, home made bread!
Friday, I also cooked up 5 dozen meatballs that I have to now fix the gravy/sauce for them to become Swedish Meatballs and these, along with the meatballs two other women from our church are making will serve as the meat entree for the dinner tomorrow night.
In addition to that, today I cooked up a half of a smoked ham in a pot of water with chopped onions, celery, yellow peppers and sliced baby carrots then, cut the meat off the bone and into small bite sized pieces which went into a big 5-quart casserole dish of white navy beans. Using the water the ham had cooked in, I then cooked up a good bit of pot pie noodles and added that to the ham/bean mixture then poured the broth over that so it is now all ready to bske to take out to the dinner tomorrow night too!
And while I was working away, sometimes Mandy had some music playing for entertainment -some of her favorite cds but thus far, she hasn't dipped into the Christmas CDs for my listening pleasure. Guess I'll have to get busy and dig them out for whenever I go on my annual binge of baking cookies.
I've also been giving a whole lot of thought to something else that involves music too. Remember, I mentioned a long time ago that when my dear aunt passed away five years ago, she bequeathed me her organ -a beautiful Hammond organ, no less. I'm no great talent on either the piano or the organ but I do love to sit down from time to time and see if there are any old hymns I can still play, at least half way decently. (That qualifier -"half way decently" really narrows the playing field greatly.)
Now though, I can't even play the organ because the last time I plugged it in, either something had chewed on the cord by the plug or it may have already been a bit frayed and I hadn't realized it, but at any rate, it sparked, hissed and crackled a bit, blew a fuse and I quickly got the poor organ unplugged!
Now, I need either just a new plug for it or maybe a whole new cord -not exactly sure what it will need. I mentioned this briefly a while back to my son, asking if he thought maybe he could repair it and put a new plug on the cord. He had said at that time that he thought he might be able to handle that. Now though, I'm wondering if maybe he needs maybe some best protools 10 to search for whatever would be necessary for him to accomplish this major job!
I really was hoping he would have found a way to fix this for me by now -or at least before Christmas -cause then, on Christmas Eve, maybe I could manage to play a couple of the easy carols and teach the kids the words and melodies to some of them.
That, to me, would make Christmas complete -almost the way it was when I was a kid and my cousins and I would beg my Mom (or, her younger sister, if she happened to be here) to play some Christmas carols for us and we kids would gather around the piano and sing our little hearts out then.
My Grandfather would even join in the singing too -adding his beautiful bass voice to the group and frequently, he would sing some of his favorite old Swedish Christmas Carols too.
Without the beautiful music, the special traditional foods, our St. Lucia pageant at church and then too, the midnight Christmas Eve candlelit service where our choir sings the prettiest Swedish Christmas Carol I know -"Lyssna, Lyssna" these things are all part of what makes the celebration of Christ's birthday the very special time it is for me!
Thursday, December 06, 2012
Infractions Unwanted!
Well, it appears little Kurtis has been on a bit of a roll in school lately. Sadly, it's not been a good roll though.
Our school implemented a new discipline plan last year and through this plan, kids get "infractions" when they misbehave. The punishments vary depending on the grade as well as the type of misbehavior. Only so many of one type are allowed before the punishment gets a little harsher -and if it continues, then every so many infractions, the punishment jumps too.
So far, since September, Kurtis has accrued 3 blue infraction sheets for bad behavior -ranging from failure to follow directives to pushing other kids, invading personal space, exhibitionism, spitting, and the like.
When he came home from school this past Friday, I asked him how his day went and he was all excited and happy as he told me "Really good!"
His tone and words had me really happy and excited then too till I opened his backpack and saw in ther the tell-tale light blue colored sheet of paper that indicated he had received yet another infraction!
What now?
This time apparently his day went to pot just after lunch when, for no apparent reason (not that there should be a reason that could excuse this behavior) he had spit in the face of a little girl in his class, plus failure to follow directives and the day before, had been mooning kids in the bathroom too!
What on earth is going through this child's mind anyway?
When Miss Dawn arrived here that afternoon, we spent a long, long time talking to him, questioning him as to why he did these things. Each time we asked him about these actions, his response was that he hadn't made "Good Choices."
No lie there, Kurtis, that's for sure!
Over the weekend, I had written to a very good friend of mine from our high school days and told her about these developments with him in school. She had written back to me that one of her grandsons had a similar problem when he was in first grade too. She said he was then diagnosed as ADHD and put on medication which helped him immensely and she suggested then that we might want to see about getting some meds for Kurtis too.
I mentioned this then to Mandy and she said, much as she had hoped to avoid going that route with him, it does look like that might have to be the next step to try to help him.
He definitely does have attention deficit issues and he also does a lot of things that are very evident of the hyper stuff too. I know from my own experiences how it feels at times when so many things seem to be zooming around in one's mind simultaneously just how difficult it can be to sort through these ideas and such and make some sense of stuff and that's as an adult. Imagine how difficult it has to be for a little child to try to sift through thought after thought and determine if it should be acted on or ignored.
Pretty much a mind boggling task right there I would think.
Mandy is going to talk to some of the boy's therapists and doctors too about getting some type of meds to hopefully, help him.
He's doing quite well in school with respect to his reading and math -especially with the math as he loves that class -so I really hope that if he gets a bit of extra help along the way, it will make him a great student and pretty much Unstoppable in the advances he could make then!
Say a prayer or two if you are so inclined to aid him through this rough spot in his young life. Sure would appreciate any help in that respect!
Our school implemented a new discipline plan last year and through this plan, kids get "infractions" when they misbehave. The punishments vary depending on the grade as well as the type of misbehavior. Only so many of one type are allowed before the punishment gets a little harsher -and if it continues, then every so many infractions, the punishment jumps too.
So far, since September, Kurtis has accrued 3 blue infraction sheets for bad behavior -ranging from failure to follow directives to pushing other kids, invading personal space, exhibitionism, spitting, and the like.
When he came home from school this past Friday, I asked him how his day went and he was all excited and happy as he told me "Really good!"
His tone and words had me really happy and excited then too till I opened his backpack and saw in ther the tell-tale light blue colored sheet of paper that indicated he had received yet another infraction!
What now?
This time apparently his day went to pot just after lunch when, for no apparent reason (not that there should be a reason that could excuse this behavior) he had spit in the face of a little girl in his class, plus failure to follow directives and the day before, had been mooning kids in the bathroom too!
What on earth is going through this child's mind anyway?
When Miss Dawn arrived here that afternoon, we spent a long, long time talking to him, questioning him as to why he did these things. Each time we asked him about these actions, his response was that he hadn't made "Good Choices."
No lie there, Kurtis, that's for sure!
Over the weekend, I had written to a very good friend of mine from our high school days and told her about these developments with him in school. She had written back to me that one of her grandsons had a similar problem when he was in first grade too. She said he was then diagnosed as ADHD and put on medication which helped him immensely and she suggested then that we might want to see about getting some meds for Kurtis too.
I mentioned this then to Mandy and she said, much as she had hoped to avoid going that route with him, it does look like that might have to be the next step to try to help him.
He definitely does have attention deficit issues and he also does a lot of things that are very evident of the hyper stuff too. I know from my own experiences how it feels at times when so many things seem to be zooming around in one's mind simultaneously just how difficult it can be to sort through these ideas and such and make some sense of stuff and that's as an adult. Imagine how difficult it has to be for a little child to try to sift through thought after thought and determine if it should be acted on or ignored.
Pretty much a mind boggling task right there I would think.
Mandy is going to talk to some of the boy's therapists and doctors too about getting some type of meds to hopefully, help him.
He's doing quite well in school with respect to his reading and math -especially with the math as he loves that class -so I really hope that if he gets a bit of extra help along the way, it will make him a great student and pretty much Unstoppable in the advances he could make then!
Say a prayer or two if you are so inclined to aid him through this rough spot in his young life. Sure would appreciate any help in that respect!
Tuesday, December 04, 2012
Boring Ride!
Boy, what a day!
Overslept slightly this morning but still managed to get showered, dressed and thanks to a lovely little brush unit blow-dryer thing, got my hair to curl at least half-decently and out the door to head to an appointment I had at the hospital for oh, just another test, ya know.
I arrived there a little late -but not bad, only about 5 minutes late and the nurse was very fast to appear and take me back to the room where they mash and smash certain body parts on women!
From there, it was on to Walmart to pick up some necessities in the grocery line along with a pack of the light bulbs that burn almost forever and a print cartridge for my lovely little printer here. Why is it that printers -or at least mine anyway -always run out of ink when you need to print some relatively large file and it almost always happens very near the end of the month, hence -the end of extra money till payday to get a new cartridge?
Dang Murphy and his law anyway!
Today though as I was driving over to Clearfield, I was paying more attention I guess to getting there on time, or as closely as possible, and not paying any attention to the fact I wasn't hearing any music coming from the cassette player in my car. But on the way home, I realized that it didn't seem to be functioning right and tried to get it to work, but to no avail.
This unit in my old jeep didn't come with the jeep. Rather, it was a unit that my former son-in-law had handy and he said it was a good piece of equipment and would work fine and dandy.
And for a while part of it did work. It has a cd player, am/fm/radio and cassette player and initially, all three worked quite well. Have to give it that.
But then, the radio stopped functioning. Well, I still had the cd player and the cassette thing so I could still use it. But then, the cd player started getting hinky -one time it would work, then it would go months of not functioning and out of the blue, start working again.
Now, unfortunately, it seems to have come about to the cassette player and it won't give me any music now either! Rats! After I just had three of those little cassette holder given to me with all kinds of older music cassettes -the kind of music I like too -and now, the darned thing apparently has gone the way of the radio and the cd player too!
Part of me is very tempted to tell my dear son that a nice gift for me might just be a car stereo. It's kind of a tempting idea except that knowing him, even if he got me an inexpensive kind of unit, it would take forever to get him to install it then as he has very limited free time on his weekends and loads of other projects of his own already he needs to attend to.
And then too, I think do I really need something like that? I'm not that oriented about all kinds of gadgets and such -especially not in cars -and this car is no spring chicken either as my little jeep is only oh, about 14 years old now. But, as long as it is still running, it's what I have and what I'll keep too!
Time to play the next superbowl lottery again I guess. Maybe one of these days I'll hit it lucky and win at least a couple of bucks, maybe even a big jackpot.
Who knows?
That sure would go a long way to eliminating any boring rides though, wouldn't it?
Overslept slightly this morning but still managed to get showered, dressed and thanks to a lovely little brush unit blow-dryer thing, got my hair to curl at least half-decently and out the door to head to an appointment I had at the hospital for oh, just another test, ya know.
I arrived there a little late -but not bad, only about 5 minutes late and the nurse was very fast to appear and take me back to the room where they mash and smash certain body parts on women!
From there, it was on to Walmart to pick up some necessities in the grocery line along with a pack of the light bulbs that burn almost forever and a print cartridge for my lovely little printer here. Why is it that printers -or at least mine anyway -always run out of ink when you need to print some relatively large file and it almost always happens very near the end of the month, hence -the end of extra money till payday to get a new cartridge?
Dang Murphy and his law anyway!
Today though as I was driving over to Clearfield, I was paying more attention I guess to getting there on time, or as closely as possible, and not paying any attention to the fact I wasn't hearing any music coming from the cassette player in my car. But on the way home, I realized that it didn't seem to be functioning right and tried to get it to work, but to no avail.
This unit in my old jeep didn't come with the jeep. Rather, it was a unit that my former son-in-law had handy and he said it was a good piece of equipment and would work fine and dandy.
And for a while part of it did work. It has a cd player, am/fm/radio and cassette player and initially, all three worked quite well. Have to give it that.
But then, the radio stopped functioning. Well, I still had the cd player and the cassette thing so I could still use it. But then, the cd player started getting hinky -one time it would work, then it would go months of not functioning and out of the blue, start working again.
Now, unfortunately, it seems to have come about to the cassette player and it won't give me any music now either! Rats! After I just had three of those little cassette holder given to me with all kinds of older music cassettes -the kind of music I like too -and now, the darned thing apparently has gone the way of the radio and the cd player too!
Part of me is very tempted to tell my dear son that a nice gift for me might just be a car stereo. It's kind of a tempting idea except that knowing him, even if he got me an inexpensive kind of unit, it would take forever to get him to install it then as he has very limited free time on his weekends and loads of other projects of his own already he needs to attend to.
And then too, I think do I really need something like that? I'm not that oriented about all kinds of gadgets and such -especially not in cars -and this car is no spring chicken either as my little jeep is only oh, about 14 years old now. But, as long as it is still running, it's what I have and what I'll keep too!
Time to play the next superbowl lottery again I guess. Maybe one of these days I'll hit it lucky and win at least a couple of bucks, maybe even a big jackpot.
Who knows?
That sure would go a long way to eliminating any boring rides though, wouldn't it?
Friday, November 30, 2012
A Great Read!
I love to read!
Really, I do love to read but I just don't seem to do enough of it much of the time. Both my daughters also love to read too and occasionally one of us will find a book that we especially enjoyed and try to insist that the others read it and hopefully, that they too will enjoy said book as well.
Last week, my older daughter called and in the course of our conversation, she told me about a book she had just finished and that I should read. I told her to bring it up here sometime when she's home for a visit and then, made a mental note to myself about the name of this book she was touting so heavily but figured -knowing my daughter -it probably would be a while before she would remember she had said she was going to bring this book up here.
The very next night though, she and grandson Alex popped in to spend the night and the first thing she did was to hand me this book and tell me, over and over, that I absolutely HAD to read it because it was just a truly fascinating story and she just knew I would like it.
The next day, when she left to go home, the last thing she said as she went out the door was to shout out a reminder to me to be sure to read that book now!
And so, that's how I came to sit down -pretty much for the next two days -and read this book "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloots.
Normally, non-fiction -unless it is history of some type, is not that high on my reading likes list and this particular book is non-fiction. Plus, it is also about science and medicine and discoveries and such and I wasn't sure I'd enjoy this piece.
But to my surprise, this piece is not some really dry -like the Saharra Desert that some non-fiction books resemble (in my opinion, anyway). Not at all like that!
As a matter of fact, within a few minutes and the turn of several pages, I was hooked on the story of this woman and the legacy she left behind that has been of benefit to probably just about anyone born since the late 50s!
Henrietta Lacks was a young woman, married with five young children back in 1951 when she succumbed to a horrible and excruciatingly painful death from cervical cancer.
Now your asking how could someone who died then and of cervical cancer have done something so momentous that it would affect virtually the entire world.
Well, at that time and for several decades after that too, any lab tests that doctors may have required of anyone and also, any autopsy results too, could be used by any other doctors and scientists without prior authorization from either the patient or the family. And, that's what happened when Henrietta died as various lab test results and cell tissues and autopsy cell tissues too that were secured from her body were used by a medical scientist in Baltimore, at Johns Hopkins University Hospital. From various tests this doctor ran on her cell tissues, he made a discovery that her cells kept growing -and growing -and growing!
To this day, remarkably, her cells are still dividing and growing and being used in all kinds of test procedures!
Today they are known to the medical and scientific community as He La cells -named after the first two letters of Henrietta's first and last names.
That alone is a remarkable thing to read about and learn that her cells have been used in many, many studies over the past 60 years now that have brought about momentous changes in detection of diseases as well as the creation of various medicines and vaccines -in particular, the Salk Polio Vaccine for one, and have been part of all kinds of studies of just about any and every illness or drug imaginable.
But that alone isn't what makes this book and the story so stunning.
It's also the story of Henrietta's family -her husband, her five children as well as others who were a part of her extended family. And in that respect, it is the story of how her own family had no clue for well over 20 years that her cells had been used in experiment after experiment and had produced so many spectacular results too.
Her family though, was also dirt poor and although the use of her cells grew into a multi-million dollar business eventually, her family never received a penny of compensation from this industry. For that matter, neither did the doctor who made the initial discovery as he gave away cells tissues to other doctors and scientists because of his belief in the sharing principles of the medical science community.
Incredible, isn't it? To think of something like that happening today is a bit of an impossibility, isn't it?
But back then, it turns out it was basically the norm and it stayed that way until I think the mid-to late 90s when finally rules and regulations and laws were set up so that patients had to give consent to the retrieval and usage of their cells plus other ethical edicts were also then brought about -finally!
This book though details everything Henrietta endured, how her passing affected her family then and throughout the years and the author does an excellent job of painting a picture of her, her children and family and friends and of what their lives were like then and up through the present time with her very well-chosen prose.
It really is an awesome story and a definite fast paced page turner of a book too!
I would recommend this book highly to anyone wanting a good read and a chance to learn a good bit along the way about the medical-science community. It has humor and great sadness in the story as well but as each page is turned, you find yourself anxious to move on and find out what happened next.
Get yourself a copy and see if I'm exaggerating my opinion of this book for yourself.
Really, I do love to read but I just don't seem to do enough of it much of the time. Both my daughters also love to read too and occasionally one of us will find a book that we especially enjoyed and try to insist that the others read it and hopefully, that they too will enjoy said book as well.
Last week, my older daughter called and in the course of our conversation, she told me about a book she had just finished and that I should read. I told her to bring it up here sometime when she's home for a visit and then, made a mental note to myself about the name of this book she was touting so heavily but figured -knowing my daughter -it probably would be a while before she would remember she had said she was going to bring this book up here.
The very next night though, she and grandson Alex popped in to spend the night and the first thing she did was to hand me this book and tell me, over and over, that I absolutely HAD to read it because it was just a truly fascinating story and she just knew I would like it.
The next day, when she left to go home, the last thing she said as she went out the door was to shout out a reminder to me to be sure to read that book now!
And so, that's how I came to sit down -pretty much for the next two days -and read this book "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloots.
Normally, non-fiction -unless it is history of some type, is not that high on my reading likes list and this particular book is non-fiction. Plus, it is also about science and medicine and discoveries and such and I wasn't sure I'd enjoy this piece.
But to my surprise, this piece is not some really dry -like the Saharra Desert that some non-fiction books resemble (in my opinion, anyway). Not at all like that!
As a matter of fact, within a few minutes and the turn of several pages, I was hooked on the story of this woman and the legacy she left behind that has been of benefit to probably just about anyone born since the late 50s!
Henrietta Lacks was a young woman, married with five young children back in 1951 when she succumbed to a horrible and excruciatingly painful death from cervical cancer.
Now your asking how could someone who died then and of cervical cancer have done something so momentous that it would affect virtually the entire world.
Well, at that time and for several decades after that too, any lab tests that doctors may have required of anyone and also, any autopsy results too, could be used by any other doctors and scientists without prior authorization from either the patient or the family. And, that's what happened when Henrietta died as various lab test results and cell tissues and autopsy cell tissues too that were secured from her body were used by a medical scientist in Baltimore, at Johns Hopkins University Hospital. From various tests this doctor ran on her cell tissues, he made a discovery that her cells kept growing -and growing -and growing!
To this day, remarkably, her cells are still dividing and growing and being used in all kinds of test procedures!
Today they are known to the medical and scientific community as He La cells -named after the first two letters of Henrietta's first and last names.
That alone is a remarkable thing to read about and learn that her cells have been used in many, many studies over the past 60 years now that have brought about momentous changes in detection of diseases as well as the creation of various medicines and vaccines -in particular, the Salk Polio Vaccine for one, and have been part of all kinds of studies of just about any and every illness or drug imaginable.
But that alone isn't what makes this book and the story so stunning.
It's also the story of Henrietta's family -her husband, her five children as well as others who were a part of her extended family. And in that respect, it is the story of how her own family had no clue for well over 20 years that her cells had been used in experiment after experiment and had produced so many spectacular results too.
Her family though, was also dirt poor and although the use of her cells grew into a multi-million dollar business eventually, her family never received a penny of compensation from this industry. For that matter, neither did the doctor who made the initial discovery as he gave away cells tissues to other doctors and scientists because of his belief in the sharing principles of the medical science community.
Incredible, isn't it? To think of something like that happening today is a bit of an impossibility, isn't it?
But back then, it turns out it was basically the norm and it stayed that way until I think the mid-to late 90s when finally rules and regulations and laws were set up so that patients had to give consent to the retrieval and usage of their cells plus other ethical edicts were also then brought about -finally!
This book though details everything Henrietta endured, how her passing affected her family then and throughout the years and the author does an excellent job of painting a picture of her, her children and family and friends and of what their lives were like then and up through the present time with her very well-chosen prose.
It really is an awesome story and a definite fast paced page turner of a book too!
I would recommend this book highly to anyone wanting a good read and a chance to learn a good bit along the way about the medical-science community. It has humor and great sadness in the story as well but as each page is turned, you find yourself anxious to move on and find out what happened next.
Get yourself a copy and see if I'm exaggerating my opinion of this book for yourself.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Thumbs Up!
This has been quite the week here -busy, busy -yes and some not so happy moments but a whole lot more that were really great and funny.
This past Monday my week began with a funeral and funeral dinner at our church. A neighbor lady, who lived two doors up the street from my house for almost all of her 83 years here was laid to rest. Her passing marked the end of her family which had been her, her parents and a brother. Good neighbors they all had been too -quiet, unassuming, hard-working people. Rest in peace, Genevieve.
Tuesday was the lunch date for those classmates of mine and I to get together. We have switched the day of the month for our lunches from the last Thursday of the month to the last Tuesday so as to give one of our classmates the opportunity to dine with us.
This month though, things were a tad different.
First off, my grandkids were still on break for Thanksgiving plus the first two days of deer hunting season are always part of that holiday break too and since Mandy had to work that day, I had the honor of taking Maya and Kurtis to the lunch with me. The restaurant where we meet is about 6 miles from my house and the entire drive from the house to the restaurant consisted of Gram giving these two hooligans a lecture on behavior -what they were to do and specifically, what they were NOT to do too. Talking -especially very loud talking -was one of the points of my lecture and Maya did quite well with that but then too, around a group of people (all adults), some who she's never met before, she does tend to clam up and get a bit shy.
Kurtis, on the other hand, talked and talked and talked but at least, he wasn't really loud so that was okay with me. He made up virtually immediately when former classmate, Helen, arrived and definitely provided her with all kinds of questions about everything and anything I think that came to his mind.
He especially likes this particular restaurant for the decor they have all around the place consisting of fish and other marine-type life as well as large and small models of all different kinds of sailing ships too. Normally, he concentrates on "the big puffer fish" they have there but this visit, he spied a few other things too -one of which was a lantern. He made a point of asking Helen loads of questions about the lantern, how it worked, when and where it was needed and so forth.
Then he spied something else on display and asked me "What's that thing up there, Gram?"
Now, I dare you to try to figure out what a six-year-old is pointing at when a question like this pops up.
I asked him what he was pointing at and he kept repeating "That. See it? That, up there!"
"Up where, Kurtis?" as I was trying to figure out exactly what he was asking about and his response then was "Can't you see it? It's right on the tip of my finger where I'm pointing!"
None of us could figure out what had caught his eye, even after we asked him to try to describe it by color or size or did it look like something else, maybe? Finally, he ended up getting up off his chair and walked around to the end of the table and pointed more directly up to it and then, was told it was a turtle and the way it was on this little pedestal, it looked like the turtle was flat but actually, it was just supposed to be a turtle swimming.
He returned to his seat, all happy and excited as he tugged on Helen's arm and told her, "We solved the mystery, Helen. It's a turtle!"
After lunch, I had to drive into town to the bank and from there, out to the diner where Mandy works for a brief stop. Then on to the Sheetz store so I could pick up a copy of the Tuesday paper and from there then, headed back home.
As I pulled out onto Rte 53, the two kids in the back seat were both being quiet, pretty well-behaved but then Maya spoke up saying "Gram. Kurtis just called me a bad name!" Uh oh, here we go!
I told her I hadn't heard him say anything so to keep this little issue of hers going, she says "Well, he whispered it to me." Yeah, right! The last thing in the world that he can do is whisper anything. His version of a stage whisper or even a for real whisper is loud enough that anyone within three feet of him could hear him.
So I asked Kurtis if he had called Maya a name and if so, what had he said. (He is generally very up front and honest and will almost always admit to things regardless of it will land him in hot water or not.
This time though, I could see him in the rearview mirror as he leaned over a bit towards Maya and in the softest voice he could muster up, he told her "I love you, Maya!"
I totally cracked up laughing, pounding on the steering wheel as I drove down the road towards home! What a character he is!
Last evening, after supper, while his TSS -Miss Dawn -was still here, she and I sat at the dining room table and worked with him a bit on his reading and spelling words -trying to prep him a bit for a spelling test he's supposed to have this week. One of the words on his list was the word "thank" and I noticed he had spelled it incorrectly, starting the word with an "f" and not a "th" and I realized he frequently makes the same mistake in pronunciation of the "th" sound. So Dawn and I really pushed him then to say it as "thank" and not as "fank." Finally, he said the word correctly and then repeated it several times for us too.
Feeling I was on a bit of a roll getting him to pronounce the "th" sound, I put my left hand up and pointing to my thumb, I asked him "What's this, Kurtis?"
He immediately responded to my question with a great answer -:"Right!"
Dawn and I both exploded in laughter on that one!
Yes, a thumb's up does signal "Right" doesn't it?
It definitely wasn't the answer I expected but I loved it all the same!
This past Monday my week began with a funeral and funeral dinner at our church. A neighbor lady, who lived two doors up the street from my house for almost all of her 83 years here was laid to rest. Her passing marked the end of her family which had been her, her parents and a brother. Good neighbors they all had been too -quiet, unassuming, hard-working people. Rest in peace, Genevieve.
Tuesday was the lunch date for those classmates of mine and I to get together. We have switched the day of the month for our lunches from the last Thursday of the month to the last Tuesday so as to give one of our classmates the opportunity to dine with us.
This month though, things were a tad different.
First off, my grandkids were still on break for Thanksgiving plus the first two days of deer hunting season are always part of that holiday break too and since Mandy had to work that day, I had the honor of taking Maya and Kurtis to the lunch with me. The restaurant where we meet is about 6 miles from my house and the entire drive from the house to the restaurant consisted of Gram giving these two hooligans a lecture on behavior -what they were to do and specifically, what they were NOT to do too. Talking -especially very loud talking -was one of the points of my lecture and Maya did quite well with that but then too, around a group of people (all adults), some who she's never met before, she does tend to clam up and get a bit shy.
Kurtis, on the other hand, talked and talked and talked but at least, he wasn't really loud so that was okay with me. He made up virtually immediately when former classmate, Helen, arrived and definitely provided her with all kinds of questions about everything and anything I think that came to his mind.
He especially likes this particular restaurant for the decor they have all around the place consisting of fish and other marine-type life as well as large and small models of all different kinds of sailing ships too. Normally, he concentrates on "the big puffer fish" they have there but this visit, he spied a few other things too -one of which was a lantern. He made a point of asking Helen loads of questions about the lantern, how it worked, when and where it was needed and so forth.
Then he spied something else on display and asked me "What's that thing up there, Gram?"
Now, I dare you to try to figure out what a six-year-old is pointing at when a question like this pops up.
I asked him what he was pointing at and he kept repeating "That. See it? That, up there!"
"Up where, Kurtis?" as I was trying to figure out exactly what he was asking about and his response then was "Can't you see it? It's right on the tip of my finger where I'm pointing!"
None of us could figure out what had caught his eye, even after we asked him to try to describe it by color or size or did it look like something else, maybe? Finally, he ended up getting up off his chair and walked around to the end of the table and pointed more directly up to it and then, was told it was a turtle and the way it was on this little pedestal, it looked like the turtle was flat but actually, it was just supposed to be a turtle swimming.
He returned to his seat, all happy and excited as he tugged on Helen's arm and told her, "We solved the mystery, Helen. It's a turtle!"
After lunch, I had to drive into town to the bank and from there, out to the diner where Mandy works for a brief stop. Then on to the Sheetz store so I could pick up a copy of the Tuesday paper and from there then, headed back home.
As I pulled out onto Rte 53, the two kids in the back seat were both being quiet, pretty well-behaved but then Maya spoke up saying "Gram. Kurtis just called me a bad name!" Uh oh, here we go!
I told her I hadn't heard him say anything so to keep this little issue of hers going, she says "Well, he whispered it to me." Yeah, right! The last thing in the world that he can do is whisper anything. His version of a stage whisper or even a for real whisper is loud enough that anyone within three feet of him could hear him.
So I asked Kurtis if he had called Maya a name and if so, what had he said. (He is generally very up front and honest and will almost always admit to things regardless of it will land him in hot water or not.
This time though, I could see him in the rearview mirror as he leaned over a bit towards Maya and in the softest voice he could muster up, he told her "I love you, Maya!"
I totally cracked up laughing, pounding on the steering wheel as I drove down the road towards home! What a character he is!
Last evening, after supper, while his TSS -Miss Dawn -was still here, she and I sat at the dining room table and worked with him a bit on his reading and spelling words -trying to prep him a bit for a spelling test he's supposed to have this week. One of the words on his list was the word "thank" and I noticed he had spelled it incorrectly, starting the word with an "f" and not a "th" and I realized he frequently makes the same mistake in pronunciation of the "th" sound. So Dawn and I really pushed him then to say it as "thank" and not as "fank." Finally, he said the word correctly and then repeated it several times for us too.
Feeling I was on a bit of a roll getting him to pronounce the "th" sound, I put my left hand up and pointing to my thumb, I asked him "What's this, Kurtis?"
He immediately responded to my question with a great answer -:"Right!"
Dawn and I both exploded in laughter on that one!
Yes, a thumb's up does signal "Right" doesn't it?
It definitely wasn't the answer I expected but I loved it all the same!
Friday, November 23, 2012
Recuperation!
It's the day after Thanksgiving and boy, I need some more sleep!
Just took my morning Blood Sugar reading and it was a nice, low 95 -which is pretty darned good considering all I ingested yesterday. I was pretty sure it would be elevated today what with having had the usual goodies for supper -turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower with nacho cheese sauce, baked beans, lots of gravy and pumpkin pie -followed later with a feast of the sugar cookies my neighbor dropped off yesterday too! Then, late last night I polished my day off with a cold turkey sandwich with mayo and a little bit of the homemade cranberry-orange relish I had made that really sets a cold turkey sandwich off in the right direction.
Our Thanksgiving Meal is a direct reflection on the years we spent Thanksgiving Day as well as Christmas Day at the home of my Dad's youngest sister. For 27 years -from 1979 thru 2005 - we were always at her house for those two very important days. Up until the late 90s, my aunt-who was by then in her 80s -always fixed everything herself but then I started doing more and more and bringing various things to her house until the last 5-6 years, I was cooking all but the potatoes at my place and transporting virtually the entire meal to her home to be served.
Holiday meals, in my Aunt Mike's opinion, were to be occasions that were shared with family and also, often with various friends of hers who she knew would otherwise be dining alone that day. She stressed that to me and to my kids and they (and I) all looked forward to those dinners with her. She was not just a very good cook but also, as the Matriarch of our family, when she said she expected us for dinner, she meant be there OR ELSE! She would guilt trip anyone who missed those meals for ages afterwards.
Although my kids were still fairly young the first time we went there for Thanksgiving in 1979 -my son was 6 and younger daughter not quite four, the whole event left quite an impression on them as to what Thanksgiving was truly all about. At that particular meal, it was the last time my Uncle Arch and his wife were present with us and they, along with my other aunt, provided what my kids came to regard as great comic relief on that occasion.
My other Aunt -Lizzie -had made her specialty -plum pudding for dessert and on the advice of her daughter, she had soaked said plum pudding in whiskey or brandy and planned to ignite it at the table. However, you know the old expression I'm sure about the best laid plans of mice and men and that plum pudding absolutely refused to ignite and burn. She tried again and again to get it to light but no success which prompted Uncle Arch to tell her, after virtually each attempt, "Pour a little more whiskey on it, Lizzie!"
My kids absolutely loved that comment from him and it has stayed with them now for over 30 years as rarely does a family meal here take place that someone doesn't make that comment -even through it never actually applies to us having plum pudding -or anything else, for that matter -ever being served in the "flambeau" style! They just love saying that and I think it is probably the only memory they have too of that particular Uncle of mine.
Good times, those meals always were. Often Aunt Lizzie's son and his wife and their family would also be there for dinner -which always made my younger daughter very happy as their daughter was the same age as Mandy and the two of them then always got their meal served at a little card table at the end of the dining room so they felt they were really the princesses of the family as they got special service and their own private table then.
One year I recall, my cousin Mike's son, cooked the dinner for all of us. He was attending culinary school at that time and it was one of the few occasions when we didn't dine on Turkey and trimmings but rather, we had roast duck with some kind of vegetable/rice stuffing. I do remember he also made fresh onion soup for our first course and then the duck and stuffing but I don't recall what else he had prepared. I also have to say that the onion soup and the duck and stuffing were quite awesome dishes though! (He's now a chef at some restaurant down in Florida someplace.)
There are a lot of other memories my kids and I hold very dear from those dinners too -not just all the great food we always had but little things that made those occasions so very special to each of us.
I think the fact that those meals were pretty much regarded to be a command performance type thing by our aunt that was what galvanized the idea that family MUST be together for Thanksgiving as well as Christmas Dinners if at all possible. Regardless of the weather, we were all expected to be there and on time too! However, my older daughter often paid little to no attention to the time set for our meal to begin so that eventually, my kids and others would have a pool where anyone who wanted to participate could, for a quarter per guess, put a time on a little slip of paper and then, whoever's guess came closest to the time of older daughter's arrival would win the pot -usually consisting of about a buck and 75 cents at most. It was a fun little game to play until older daughter got wind of what was going on and got a trifle hot under the collar about it.
We still, on occasion though, revive that pool and gambling over what time she's going to arrive at various family functions but just don't do it every time. (We could go broke donating a quarter a clip some times, ya know.)
And so, because of the way I grew up with respect to Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners -always as a child, there was extra family present for both these occasions except that then it was always aunts, uncles and cousins from my Mom's side of the family whereas later on, it became a special dinner shared with relatives from my Dad's side. One great result from that is that my kids then learned more about my Dad's family growing up than I had had opportunity to do.
Yesterday after Maya gave the blessing of Grace prior to our being seated, once we began to eat, Kurtis as almost everyone around the table a question. "What are you thankful for?"
I was really surprised initially to hear him put that question out there but he sat and appreciated answers he got from those he questioned and was very pleased with himself over the whole thing. This showed me that as his age he is already understanding and giving value to the meaning of being thankful not just for food on the table that one meal but always, every day, and also to the value of sharing this with family and friends as well.
And today, I really think that our turkey must have had an extra portion or three or more of the tryptophan because either that or something else unknown or unsuspected by me is apparently giving me a severe case of the "drowsies!"
I think I'll slip away quietly while the kids enjoy watching some Christmas videos this morning with Kurt's TSS and catch a few more winks and dream of days gone by when Thanksgiving was always shared with the best family groups ever!
Hope you all had as great a Thanksgiving as I had yesterday and that you too also have memories to call up and replay of those dinners now long since gone into the annals of family history.
Just took my morning Blood Sugar reading and it was a nice, low 95 -which is pretty darned good considering all I ingested yesterday. I was pretty sure it would be elevated today what with having had the usual goodies for supper -turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower with nacho cheese sauce, baked beans, lots of gravy and pumpkin pie -followed later with a feast of the sugar cookies my neighbor dropped off yesterday too! Then, late last night I polished my day off with a cold turkey sandwich with mayo and a little bit of the homemade cranberry-orange relish I had made that really sets a cold turkey sandwich off in the right direction.
Our Thanksgiving Meal is a direct reflection on the years we spent Thanksgiving Day as well as Christmas Day at the home of my Dad's youngest sister. For 27 years -from 1979 thru 2005 - we were always at her house for those two very important days. Up until the late 90s, my aunt-who was by then in her 80s -always fixed everything herself but then I started doing more and more and bringing various things to her house until the last 5-6 years, I was cooking all but the potatoes at my place and transporting virtually the entire meal to her home to be served.
Holiday meals, in my Aunt Mike's opinion, were to be occasions that were shared with family and also, often with various friends of hers who she knew would otherwise be dining alone that day. She stressed that to me and to my kids and they (and I) all looked forward to those dinners with her. She was not just a very good cook but also, as the Matriarch of our family, when she said she expected us for dinner, she meant be there OR ELSE! She would guilt trip anyone who missed those meals for ages afterwards.
Although my kids were still fairly young the first time we went there for Thanksgiving in 1979 -my son was 6 and younger daughter not quite four, the whole event left quite an impression on them as to what Thanksgiving was truly all about. At that particular meal, it was the last time my Uncle Arch and his wife were present with us and they, along with my other aunt, provided what my kids came to regard as great comic relief on that occasion.
My other Aunt -Lizzie -had made her specialty -plum pudding for dessert and on the advice of her daughter, she had soaked said plum pudding in whiskey or brandy and planned to ignite it at the table. However, you know the old expression I'm sure about the best laid plans of mice and men and that plum pudding absolutely refused to ignite and burn. She tried again and again to get it to light but no success which prompted Uncle Arch to tell her, after virtually each attempt, "Pour a little more whiskey on it, Lizzie!"
My kids absolutely loved that comment from him and it has stayed with them now for over 30 years as rarely does a family meal here take place that someone doesn't make that comment -even through it never actually applies to us having plum pudding -or anything else, for that matter -ever being served in the "flambeau" style! They just love saying that and I think it is probably the only memory they have too of that particular Uncle of mine.
Good times, those meals always were. Often Aunt Lizzie's son and his wife and their family would also be there for dinner -which always made my younger daughter very happy as their daughter was the same age as Mandy and the two of them then always got their meal served at a little card table at the end of the dining room so they felt they were really the princesses of the family as they got special service and their own private table then.
One year I recall, my cousin Mike's son, cooked the dinner for all of us. He was attending culinary school at that time and it was one of the few occasions when we didn't dine on Turkey and trimmings but rather, we had roast duck with some kind of vegetable/rice stuffing. I do remember he also made fresh onion soup for our first course and then the duck and stuffing but I don't recall what else he had prepared. I also have to say that the onion soup and the duck and stuffing were quite awesome dishes though! (He's now a chef at some restaurant down in Florida someplace.)
There are a lot of other memories my kids and I hold very dear from those dinners too -not just all the great food we always had but little things that made those occasions so very special to each of us.
I think the fact that those meals were pretty much regarded to be a command performance type thing by our aunt that was what galvanized the idea that family MUST be together for Thanksgiving as well as Christmas Dinners if at all possible. Regardless of the weather, we were all expected to be there and on time too! However, my older daughter often paid little to no attention to the time set for our meal to begin so that eventually, my kids and others would have a pool where anyone who wanted to participate could, for a quarter per guess, put a time on a little slip of paper and then, whoever's guess came closest to the time of older daughter's arrival would win the pot -usually consisting of about a buck and 75 cents at most. It was a fun little game to play until older daughter got wind of what was going on and got a trifle hot under the collar about it.
We still, on occasion though, revive that pool and gambling over what time she's going to arrive at various family functions but just don't do it every time. (We could go broke donating a quarter a clip some times, ya know.)
And so, because of the way I grew up with respect to Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners -always as a child, there was extra family present for both these occasions except that then it was always aunts, uncles and cousins from my Mom's side of the family whereas later on, it became a special dinner shared with relatives from my Dad's side. One great result from that is that my kids then learned more about my Dad's family growing up than I had had opportunity to do.
Yesterday after Maya gave the blessing of Grace prior to our being seated, once we began to eat, Kurtis as almost everyone around the table a question. "What are you thankful for?"
I was really surprised initially to hear him put that question out there but he sat and appreciated answers he got from those he questioned and was very pleased with himself over the whole thing. This showed me that as his age he is already understanding and giving value to the meaning of being thankful not just for food on the table that one meal but always, every day, and also to the value of sharing this with family and friends as well.
And today, I really think that our turkey must have had an extra portion or three or more of the tryptophan because either that or something else unknown or unsuspected by me is apparently giving me a severe case of the "drowsies!"
I think I'll slip away quietly while the kids enjoy watching some Christmas videos this morning with Kurt's TSS and catch a few more winks and dream of days gone by when Thanksgiving was always shared with the best family groups ever!
Hope you all had as great a Thanksgiving as I had yesterday and that you too also have memories to call up and replay of those dinners now long since gone into the annals of family history.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Pie In The Sky
So, okay this is Thanksgiving Week -we all know that. Right? And what's one of the best traditions about Thanksgiving if it isn't the Pumpkin Pie? Okay, the turkey and cranberry sauce is great, I'll agree to that. Mashed 'taters and gravy is good too but heck, you can have that with lots of other menu items, can't you? Green bean casserole is one I like a lot but some years, I guess the family gets burnt out on that one. And sweet potatoes in just about any form are fine and dandy with me but not high on the favorite list with my family. (Sometimes, I really don't understand their tastebuds at all!)
One item though that we all do really love is the good old Pumpkin Pie. (I'm pretty much the lone ranger here with my liking Mincemeat pie too, although my son will occasionally break done and have a slice of that with me.)
Because of a bit of senility a few years back that crept up on me while doing the baking for our Thanksgiving feast that year, I somehow managed to forget to add the sugar to the pumpkin mix for our pies, so every year now when I go on a baking kick for Thanksgiving Dinner, someone always remembers that year and reminds me to please not forget the sugar in the pies this year, or ever again for that matter.
I need to start my meal preparations today for Thursday's feast -if I'm going to get everything made that I want to fix this year. Tonight, I'm planning to fix my own special cranberry-orange relish that my daughter and I at least both really like. And the nice thing about it is that it will last for at least two weeks in the fridge and is great on a leftover cold turkey sandwich! (And, I do mean REALLY GREAT! Don't believe me? Try it and you'll see!)
However, I am dreading the pie preparations this year.
Pie crust is very often my nemesis. Why is that I wonder that often the things we really love are frequently things that often defy us when it comes to fixing them ourselves and yet, others can make these things, whip them up in a heartbeat with no problem? Pie is definitely my most favorite dessert -just about any kind of pie and I'm there, ready to dig in! But pie crust and I or most any kind of rolled cookie too for that matter, frequently do not get along at all!
About 10 days ago, I mixed up some pie crust from scratch and tried to roll it out and almost pitched it out as it had me very frustrated. I ended up changing my dessert plans and mushed the dough into a big ball and put it back in the refrigerator again. This past Saturday, I decided since I had a goodly amount of chicken ala king leftover from Thursday night's supper, that I would whip up some pie crust again (didn't want to risk using the stuff in the fridge for fear it would be a pain again) and I would make homemade chicken pot pie then -with a double crust, ya know, and use the chicken ala king in that. Just needed to add a little more in the way of some mixed vegetables and a few sliced potatoes too to make a really tasty filling for a pot-pie.
Well it seems I'm really on a bit of a negative roll lately with the pie crust stuff because I mixed up the pie crust, using my most reliable recipe (usually it is reliable in taste, although I often do have problems with the rolling things out, as stated above.) and began to roll out my crust. To my dismay, it didn't just tear as I tried to move it from my counter to the casserole dish, it darned near shredded on me! I've never had pie crust be that contrary under my hands!
Eventually, I ended up piecing every last bit of what I had rolled out together in the dish for the bottom crust. Every. Last. Piece! The top crust was difficult to transfer too but somehow I managed to get it moved in place without quite as much pain in the butt work as the bottom one was. I baked my pot-pie and the crust -tasty, yes -but a little overboard on the flaky side as it just crumbled up! Oh well, Mandy and I both love pot pie so we still had a feast with it anyway.
After the difficulty with the pot pie, I decided to take a chance and make a fruit pie for dessert -cherry pie to be precise -and again, the problems as before with rolling the crust and transferring it to the pie plate came back to haunt me. The pie eventually got put together and yes, it tasted very good but the amount of work that went into producing both those items was something else again in my book!
Now, between today and Wednesday, I'm going to have to give the pie making yet another shot. Can't have Thanksgiving Dinner without at least some pumpkin pies. But how will the dough rolling go this time?
I really think I will finally be able to produce pie crust that holds together while I put it in the pie pan or casserole dish the day someone in my family decides to purchase a new ebony Gibson Les Paul guitar and is able to pay cash for it too!
And, knowing what the financial situations are in the lives of all three of my kids, I don't look for that to happen anytime in the near -or the far off, very distant, future!
Which should tell you how long it probably will be before I master pie crusts!
One item though that we all do really love is the good old Pumpkin Pie. (I'm pretty much the lone ranger here with my liking Mincemeat pie too, although my son will occasionally break done and have a slice of that with me.)
Because of a bit of senility a few years back that crept up on me while doing the baking for our Thanksgiving feast that year, I somehow managed to forget to add the sugar to the pumpkin mix for our pies, so every year now when I go on a baking kick for Thanksgiving Dinner, someone always remembers that year and reminds me to please not forget the sugar in the pies this year, or ever again for that matter.
I need to start my meal preparations today for Thursday's feast -if I'm going to get everything made that I want to fix this year. Tonight, I'm planning to fix my own special cranberry-orange relish that my daughter and I at least both really like. And the nice thing about it is that it will last for at least two weeks in the fridge and is great on a leftover cold turkey sandwich! (And, I do mean REALLY GREAT! Don't believe me? Try it and you'll see!)
However, I am dreading the pie preparations this year.
Pie crust is very often my nemesis. Why is that I wonder that often the things we really love are frequently things that often defy us when it comes to fixing them ourselves and yet, others can make these things, whip them up in a heartbeat with no problem? Pie is definitely my most favorite dessert -just about any kind of pie and I'm there, ready to dig in! But pie crust and I or most any kind of rolled cookie too for that matter, frequently do not get along at all!
About 10 days ago, I mixed up some pie crust from scratch and tried to roll it out and almost pitched it out as it had me very frustrated. I ended up changing my dessert plans and mushed the dough into a big ball and put it back in the refrigerator again. This past Saturday, I decided since I had a goodly amount of chicken ala king leftover from Thursday night's supper, that I would whip up some pie crust again (didn't want to risk using the stuff in the fridge for fear it would be a pain again) and I would make homemade chicken pot pie then -with a double crust, ya know, and use the chicken ala king in that. Just needed to add a little more in the way of some mixed vegetables and a few sliced potatoes too to make a really tasty filling for a pot-pie.
Well it seems I'm really on a bit of a negative roll lately with the pie crust stuff because I mixed up the pie crust, using my most reliable recipe (usually it is reliable in taste, although I often do have problems with the rolling things out, as stated above.) and began to roll out my crust. To my dismay, it didn't just tear as I tried to move it from my counter to the casserole dish, it darned near shredded on me! I've never had pie crust be that contrary under my hands!
Eventually, I ended up piecing every last bit of what I had rolled out together in the dish for the bottom crust. Every. Last. Piece! The top crust was difficult to transfer too but somehow I managed to get it moved in place without quite as much pain in the butt work as the bottom one was. I baked my pot-pie and the crust -tasty, yes -but a little overboard on the flaky side as it just crumbled up! Oh well, Mandy and I both love pot pie so we still had a feast with it anyway.
After the difficulty with the pot pie, I decided to take a chance and make a fruit pie for dessert -cherry pie to be precise -and again, the problems as before with rolling the crust and transferring it to the pie plate came back to haunt me. The pie eventually got put together and yes, it tasted very good but the amount of work that went into producing both those items was something else again in my book!
Now, between today and Wednesday, I'm going to have to give the pie making yet another shot. Can't have Thanksgiving Dinner without at least some pumpkin pies. But how will the dough rolling go this time?
I really think I will finally be able to produce pie crust that holds together while I put it in the pie pan or casserole dish the day someone in my family decides to purchase a new ebony Gibson Les Paul guitar and is able to pay cash for it too!
And, knowing what the financial situations are in the lives of all three of my kids, I don't look for that to happen anytime in the near -or the far off, very distant, future!
Which should tell you how long it probably will be before I master pie crusts!
Saturday, November 17, 2012
De-Stresser?
Beautiful day today -sky is a lovely shade of blue and the only sort of cloud formation I saw as Sammy and I did our first walk of the day was a little bit of a wisp of a cloud over in the northeast horizon! The temps are pretty decent for November too, thankfully. I probably could have got away with just tossing on my lightweight fleece jacket but I was bundled up to the hilt -as sunny days here can still be deceptively cold, ya know -had my red scarf on, along with the red, white and green hat I crocheted a couple weeks ago and my red gloves with the extension that can go clear up almost to my elbows.
Yeah, I was ready for Jack Frost to be more present that he really was but it was chilly enough that my cheeks are still a bit on the icy side as I type this.
I've been trying to take Sam out at least twice a day for a walk down our road to where the pavement ends and the dirt road to Peale (the ghost town near here) begins. It does help keep the accident level down with him, for sure!
The morning -or more like very late morning or noonish walk, is our "constitutional" -good for his innards to do a bit of a cleansing and good for my system too in that often it pushes the sluggishness of my system to sort of rejuvenate a little bit, gives me a wake-up to the senses (especially when it's really cold) and kind of helps to jump start my mind as well.
Lately, as Sam and I walk I try to notice different things around me in hopes it will clear some of the things that are really giving me a whole lot of stress for about the past two months now. Two months ago this weekend, I really thought I was well on my way to having a complete nervous breakdown or at the very least, a major depression spell. The depression issues are still present but not quite as high-level as they were that particular weekend when the least little movement had me dissolving into tears and more tears. I hadn't cried that much in a long, long time -years, actually. Sammy and I went for more really long, long walks that weekend than I have taken in an equally long period of time too.
Right now, I'm readjusting myself to the apparent fact that I didn't get a job I applied for recently and one for which -surprise, surprise -I had even gotten a call to come in for an interview too! That -the interview part -is highly unusual for me as in the past, very few jobs that I ever applied for did I ever get a call for an interview.
I tried not to get my hopes up too high with respect to this particular job -although I really would have loved to have been hired as I could have had the option of working only 15--20 hours a week and could have gradually increased my hours if I felt I wanted to and could feasibly handle it. The other really nice thing about this particular job was the fact that it was right up my alley with respect to my degree, my field of study in college! It had darned good potential for me -at least in my opinion.
However, they had told me at the interview that they would notify all candidates whether they would be hired OR NOT within two weeks and yesterday was the end of that two week period. And, since I heard nothing from them, I am assuming that my name will not be going on their employment roster then.
So, today's walk was a bit of a destressor for me with respect to that particular potential form of employment. I had tried to keep myself as low-key as possible since getting the call for the interview and for the interview itself as I didn't want to allow myself to think in overly positive ways about being hired to try to avoid a really huge letdown if that didn't take place. And, today I'm pretty relieved that I did that otherwise, I'd be wanting to sit in a corner, drink beer, pull my hair out one strand at a time and cry!
I've been there and done that on numerous times before -even over jobs that I never even got a callback to come in for an interview. Employment searching over the past 20-30 years, for me, has been a not very good proposition for some reason or other. When you rarely get called for an interview or even if you do luck out and get that far but don't get hired, it does wear you ego, your self-confidence levels down to next to nothing at times. Tends to make a person feel totally worthless no matter how many others around you keep trying to tell you that you'd have made an excellent person on this job or that one that you'd applied for.
Oh well! Just drop back five an punt I guess and start looking all over again!
Yeah, I was ready for Jack Frost to be more present that he really was but it was chilly enough that my cheeks are still a bit on the icy side as I type this.
I've been trying to take Sam out at least twice a day for a walk down our road to where the pavement ends and the dirt road to Peale (the ghost town near here) begins. It does help keep the accident level down with him, for sure!
The morning -or more like very late morning or noonish walk, is our "constitutional" -good for his innards to do a bit of a cleansing and good for my system too in that often it pushes the sluggishness of my system to sort of rejuvenate a little bit, gives me a wake-up to the senses (especially when it's really cold) and kind of helps to jump start my mind as well.
Lately, as Sam and I walk I try to notice different things around me in hopes it will clear some of the things that are really giving me a whole lot of stress for about the past two months now. Two months ago this weekend, I really thought I was well on my way to having a complete nervous breakdown or at the very least, a major depression spell. The depression issues are still present but not quite as high-level as they were that particular weekend when the least little movement had me dissolving into tears and more tears. I hadn't cried that much in a long, long time -years, actually. Sammy and I went for more really long, long walks that weekend than I have taken in an equally long period of time too.
Right now, I'm readjusting myself to the apparent fact that I didn't get a job I applied for recently and one for which -surprise, surprise -I had even gotten a call to come in for an interview too! That -the interview part -is highly unusual for me as in the past, very few jobs that I ever applied for did I ever get a call for an interview.
I tried not to get my hopes up too high with respect to this particular job -although I really would have loved to have been hired as I could have had the option of working only 15--20 hours a week and could have gradually increased my hours if I felt I wanted to and could feasibly handle it. The other really nice thing about this particular job was the fact that it was right up my alley with respect to my degree, my field of study in college! It had darned good potential for me -at least in my opinion.
However, they had told me at the interview that they would notify all candidates whether they would be hired OR NOT within two weeks and yesterday was the end of that two week period. And, since I heard nothing from them, I am assuming that my name will not be going on their employment roster then.
So, today's walk was a bit of a destressor for me with respect to that particular potential form of employment. I had tried to keep myself as low-key as possible since getting the call for the interview and for the interview itself as I didn't want to allow myself to think in overly positive ways about being hired to try to avoid a really huge letdown if that didn't take place. And, today I'm pretty relieved that I did that otherwise, I'd be wanting to sit in a corner, drink beer, pull my hair out one strand at a time and cry!
I've been there and done that on numerous times before -even over jobs that I never even got a callback to come in for an interview. Employment searching over the past 20-30 years, for me, has been a not very good proposition for some reason or other. When you rarely get called for an interview or even if you do luck out and get that far but don't get hired, it does wear you ego, your self-confidence levels down to next to nothing at times. Tends to make a person feel totally worthless no matter how many others around you keep trying to tell you that you'd have made an excellent person on this job or that one that you'd applied for.
Oh well! Just drop back five an punt I guess and start looking all over again!
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Available -Again!
A year ago, our Church Women's Group put together a great cookbook and were able to introduce it and begin our sales campaign at our Fall Bazaar last year. We ordered 300 of these cookbooks at that time and sales over the next two months were quite brisk. It seemed for a time that every day I was either having someone stop by my house to pick up a copy (or several) or I was running around the area delivering requests and frequently, running to the post office to ship cookbooks out all over the country.
Here's a refresher photo of the cover of our cookbook -which is easy to clean, just wipe it off -as well as being very attractive too.
For some reason or other, Blogger won't let me center this photo which is just an example of the way the book is set up and the print. But, just for your information, it contains 586 recipes -all typed into the publisher's data base by my little pinkies! We selected a font that would be easy to read and slightly larger too -to allow for people to be able to read it with ease! And the fact that it is a three-ring binder, makes it easy then to put more recipes in it as you add ones you like to your own recipe collections!
In addition to those five books sold, I received 3 checks yesterday in the mail to send a cookbook to each individual sending their payment to us so after I ship them out today, that will be 8 cookbooks sold.
For some reason or other, Blogger won't let me center this photo which is just an example of the way the book is set up and the print. But, just for your information, it contains 586 recipes -all typed into the publisher's data base by my little pinkies! We selected a font that would be easy to read and slightly larger too -to allow for people to be able to read it with ease! And the fact that it is a three-ring binder, makes it easy then to put more recipes in it as you add ones you like to your own recipe collections!
Anyway, we sold these books and finally had sold the last one back in June or July of this year. We had the option that would could order a reprint of the book but had decided initially that it was too big of a risk for our group to take as the minimum amount we HAD to order to get a reprint was 100 copies and we were leery if we would be able to sell that many more copies of the book.
However, by October, it became evident to our group that we probably should take a chance and order a reprint and so, that is what we did -100 copies!
They arrived last Wednesday -a mere 4 days AFTER our annual Fall Bazaar -but since last Wednesday, I have sold two book outright (meaning to someone I ran into face-to-face) plus a lady who knew we had ordered a reprint had told me she wanted 3 copies and she came down to the house this past Monday to pick up her books I had on hold here for her.
In addition to those five books sold, I received 3 checks yesterday in the mail to send a cookbook to each individual sending their payment to us so after I ship them out today, that will be 8 cookbooks sold.
And, I also have an order sheet sitting here on my desk with the names of others who want any where from 1 to as high as 6 of these books which comes to a total of 21 requests I will be filling soon -whenever I get their checks in the mail, the books will go out the next day to those folks!
The only thing about the book that changed with our re-order is the price. Originally, we sold these books for $12.00 each but the publisher had a huge, across the board increase in their prices back in June and with those increases, we were forced to increase the selling price then of our cookbook. However, trust me, it is well worth the $14.00 we are now charging for it!
If anyone would like to order a copy of this cookbook -which also includes a very brief history of our Church as well as honoring via old photos we were able to find, many of the women who served our parish so long and so well in years past, you can order a copy by writing to me -or call me -or send a message via Facebook too.
Here's the details on how to reach me:
Jeni Hill Ertmer
1607 Cooper Ave, Box 154
Grassflat, PA 16839
814.345.6530 - avonlady@gotmc.net or Jeni Hill Ertmer (on Facebook)
I'd be more than happy to process any orders for this item. If you contact me, I can then give you particulars on the amount of postage needed for us to ship a copy -or multiple copies if desired.
It does make for a useful addition to any kitchen and also, makes for a great gift for Christmas, birthdays, weddings, showers -you name it! It definitely would come in handy to have a cookbook with so many of the old traditional foods from Sweden as well as also featuring several recipes of the SLovak ethnicity as well! (All from some of the best cooks in our congregation!)
Hope you like the looks of our book and get inspired to order one or five our however many copies you'd like to receive!
Peace!
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
On The Way
It's coming. It's on the way. Pretty soon it will be here -Christmas Day!
And just in the off-chance there's someone out there in the general public who isn't aware of this, almost every where you go or look, there's another reminder about Christmas being on the way.
Who doesn't know that next Friday is one of the biggest "holiday" occasions on the calendar as it's just about every retailer's day of merchandising magic when they open earlier and earlier each year to make their fantastic bargains even more appealing to the average shopper.
And now, we can't even go to a mode of escapism to free ourselves of the constant reminders about the upcoming Christmas season as even the Hallmark Channel on TV had begun running Christmas-themed movies like there is no tomorrow.
I probably wouldn't mind near as much the over-commercialization of the beautiful holiday of Christmas if it were not for how the materialistic madness now eclipses several other days that should be of at least equal importance.
But then those dates don't equate to extra special sales potential but rather are a type that requires us to be in a more pensive mode of operation.
I'm referring -if you hadn't already figured it out -to Veteran's Day and especially too, to Thanksgiving!
My good friend, Suldog aka Jim Sullivan, started this campaign to give at least Thanksgiving the recognition it so very much deserves a couple years ago and I have participated each year since then in his "Thanksgiving Comes First" program.
Anyone can participate in this program if you so desire. If you like to write and have a blog, do a post about why you believe Thanksgiving gets the "short-sheet" year after year when it is an equally important day -or should be -in our lives. Veteran's Day does get a little recognition but still not near the amount of play that goes to advertising whatever new items are being introduced (and lots of things that have been around too) sometimes even well before the Halloween decorations come down and the candy sales end!
Thanksgiving is a NATIONAL holiday, isn't it? A day that is designated -fourth Thursday in November -to be a special day when we all, regardless of our ethnic, cultural, religions, finances, football team preferences, etc., have and hold as one where we can all at least take a little time to be thankful for all that we have and hold dear. But how much advertising does one see year after year promoting this day for something as minor as giving thanks? Virtually none!
Yes, Christmas is a very important holiday, for sure, but with all the advertising campaigns that begin earlier and earlier and all the hype too about Black Friday and corporations requiring people to give up their entire or at the very least, several hours of the also important Thanksgiving Day, it cheapens then the meaning of Christmas -which is technically NOT specifically supposed to be about all of us going into hock for the next year or even longer, just to give as many presents as possible in supposed celebration of Christmas.
If people were to actually celebrate Christmas, they would realize the celebration is really about the most special, most wonderful gift that was given to all of us in a manger in Bethlehem, a little over 2,000 years ago!
The way to celebrate Christmas is to remember where it began and to give homage to the Christ Child, born on that day.
(And yes, I am aware that technically speaking, Christ was not born on the day we observe as his birthday but for whatever reason, it's a date chosen and it simply memorializes the beginning of his life here on earth. Nothing horribly wrong or inappropriate about that!)
I'm tired, sick to death really, about all the decorations in the stores, about all the advertising and yes, it disgusts me too that so many companies require their staff to give up their Thanksgiving to get things all set up for what -a big sale!
My family and I for many years have not always celebrated Thanksgiving on the day designated but rather on a Saturday either before or right after the actual Thanksgiving Day. We have done that because of the work schedules I often had or that my older daughter almost always has too now. She works in a hospital so obviously, they are running 24/7/365 and I worked a lot too at a job where the place was open 24/7/365 as well and someone had to man the ship, so-to-speak. There are some exceptions ya know to the work thing and how it can interplay and sure, interfere too with family plans. But there are ways around them.
Sadly, there's not much one can do though to eliminate the sights and sounds that pound away at us for several months now, in advance of Christmas. Other than to turn ourselves into a total recluse from mid-October thru to December 25th, that is.
But we don't have to participate in supporting those places who force these things on us and what's the best way to lead an attack on a retail-type business if it's not to refuse to participate in their nonsense!
Put our values in order the way they should be and celebrate being thankful for all we have -even if you think you really have nothing -if you are able to read this and other posts along this vein, if you are awake today, that's something very important right there for which to give thanks! Family, employment, a roof over one's head, food on the table and in the cupboards and refrigerator, a mode of transportation, an education, church, parents whether still living or having passed on, children whether they are adults now or tiny infants, grandchildren especially too -clothes, books, doctors, you name it and I'm sure you get the picture. Take time on whenever your family designates as your own personal Thanksgiving Day and remember those things of importance to you.
And determine then what's more important in your life -the things that warrant thankfulness -or the extremism of the commercialization of another day that is of equal importance, yes, but each thing in its own time too.
Peace and have a blessed and very thankful Thanksgiving Day!
And just in the off-chance there's someone out there in the general public who isn't aware of this, almost every where you go or look, there's another reminder about Christmas being on the way.
Who doesn't know that next Friday is one of the biggest "holiday" occasions on the calendar as it's just about every retailer's day of merchandising magic when they open earlier and earlier each year to make their fantastic bargains even more appealing to the average shopper.
And now, we can't even go to a mode of escapism to free ourselves of the constant reminders about the upcoming Christmas season as even the Hallmark Channel on TV had begun running Christmas-themed movies like there is no tomorrow.
I probably wouldn't mind near as much the over-commercialization of the beautiful holiday of Christmas if it were not for how the materialistic madness now eclipses several other days that should be of at least equal importance.
But then those dates don't equate to extra special sales potential but rather are a type that requires us to be in a more pensive mode of operation.
I'm referring -if you hadn't already figured it out -to Veteran's Day and especially too, to Thanksgiving!
My good friend, Suldog aka Jim Sullivan, started this campaign to give at least Thanksgiving the recognition it so very much deserves a couple years ago and I have participated each year since then in his "Thanksgiving Comes First" program.
Anyone can participate in this program if you so desire. If you like to write and have a blog, do a post about why you believe Thanksgiving gets the "short-sheet" year after year when it is an equally important day -or should be -in our lives. Veteran's Day does get a little recognition but still not near the amount of play that goes to advertising whatever new items are being introduced (and lots of things that have been around too) sometimes even well before the Halloween decorations come down and the candy sales end!
Thanksgiving is a NATIONAL holiday, isn't it? A day that is designated -fourth Thursday in November -to be a special day when we all, regardless of our ethnic, cultural, religions, finances, football team preferences, etc., have and hold as one where we can all at least take a little time to be thankful for all that we have and hold dear. But how much advertising does one see year after year promoting this day for something as minor as giving thanks? Virtually none!
Yes, Christmas is a very important holiday, for sure, but with all the advertising campaigns that begin earlier and earlier and all the hype too about Black Friday and corporations requiring people to give up their entire or at the very least, several hours of the also important Thanksgiving Day, it cheapens then the meaning of Christmas -which is technically NOT specifically supposed to be about all of us going into hock for the next year or even longer, just to give as many presents as possible in supposed celebration of Christmas.
If people were to actually celebrate Christmas, they would realize the celebration is really about the most special, most wonderful gift that was given to all of us in a manger in Bethlehem, a little over 2,000 years ago!
The way to celebrate Christmas is to remember where it began and to give homage to the Christ Child, born on that day.
(And yes, I am aware that technically speaking, Christ was not born on the day we observe as his birthday but for whatever reason, it's a date chosen and it simply memorializes the beginning of his life here on earth. Nothing horribly wrong or inappropriate about that!)
I'm tired, sick to death really, about all the decorations in the stores, about all the advertising and yes, it disgusts me too that so many companies require their staff to give up their Thanksgiving to get things all set up for what -a big sale!
My family and I for many years have not always celebrated Thanksgiving on the day designated but rather on a Saturday either before or right after the actual Thanksgiving Day. We have done that because of the work schedules I often had or that my older daughter almost always has too now. She works in a hospital so obviously, they are running 24/7/365 and I worked a lot too at a job where the place was open 24/7/365 as well and someone had to man the ship, so-to-speak. There are some exceptions ya know to the work thing and how it can interplay and sure, interfere too with family plans. But there are ways around them.
Sadly, there's not much one can do though to eliminate the sights and sounds that pound away at us for several months now, in advance of Christmas. Other than to turn ourselves into a total recluse from mid-October thru to December 25th, that is.
But we don't have to participate in supporting those places who force these things on us and what's the best way to lead an attack on a retail-type business if it's not to refuse to participate in their nonsense!
Put our values in order the way they should be and celebrate being thankful for all we have -even if you think you really have nothing -if you are able to read this and other posts along this vein, if you are awake today, that's something very important right there for which to give thanks! Family, employment, a roof over one's head, food on the table and in the cupboards and refrigerator, a mode of transportation, an education, church, parents whether still living or having passed on, children whether they are adults now or tiny infants, grandchildren especially too -clothes, books, doctors, you name it and I'm sure you get the picture. Take time on whenever your family designates as your own personal Thanksgiving Day and remember those things of importance to you.
And determine then what's more important in your life -the things that warrant thankfulness -or the extremism of the commercialization of another day that is of equal importance, yes, but each thing in its own time too.
Peace and have a blessed and very thankful Thanksgiving Day!
Thursday, November 08, 2012
Flying Away?
Where does the time go? Why is it some days just seem to drag, on and on and feel never ending and yet, a week after things felt that way, I wonder what the heck happened to those days because then it just seems the days flew off and away!
Last week was really one of those weeks for me and this week seems to be building up to be the same way.
There was so much going on last week from Wednesday thru Sunday and it seemed on Wednesday that I had plenty of time to do this, that and several other things and before I knew it, Sunday had arrived and granted, I got the things that were absolute necessity done, I still somehow managed to not get a whole lot of other things I should have been able to tend to!
Wednesday was Halloween -as I think you all know and remember that day. Maya was all hepped up to go trick or treating and Mandy had earlier in the month decreed that because Kurtis was having so many behavioral problems in school, that she was taking away the privilege of going trick or treating from him this year.
I thought about this idea, this disciplinary plan of hers and gave a lot of consideration into stepping into the fray and objecting that this might be a little over the top to do to the kid, but decided that I would keep my two cents where they should really belong -in my own mind.
But as the time drew closer to Halloween, Mandy came to me one day and voiced her concerns then too about taking this away from him and she said she had decided to allow him to go trick or treating after all with Maya.
I was relieved;; I'm pretty sure Mandy was happy with her decision and Kurtis -well, he was as you can just imagine, ecstatic!
She put together a little makeshift costume for him with a nice little dress-type hat -the kind most grown men wear with the folds in them on the top, ya know, and she got him a pair of plastic glasses with a big nose to go with the hat, dressed him in a nice pair of slacks, dress shirt and vest and told him he was going to be a "Gangster!" And he loved it as did the various houses where the kids stopped to show off for our friends and neighbors. (Maya was true to form -a witch! That girl has a fixation with being either a witch or a princess -very little variations there from her from year to year!)
As they were getting ready to leave to do their thing, Maya came up to me and reminded me that I was to be in charge of handing out candy and as such, would I please try not to give out all the "Whuppers!"
"The 'what-ers?" was my first reply and then she pointed into the bowl of candy at the little mini-packs of "Whoppers" that were in there and as she showed them to me, it dawned on me that yes, that's what she thinks that word says!
But, whuppers or whoppers -we all sure did get a big kick out of that one from her. Mandy and I decided that she most certainly must get her love for those candies straight from her grandfather because good old Poppy, who lives out in Nevada, ALWAYS loves those things too!
Thursday, last week, I spent cooking tomato-meat sauce for the three pans of lasagne I ended up making to take out to our Church Bazaar on Saturday. I also baked bread again and got 5 more loaves of Swedish Limpa Rye baked up to take to the bake sale part of our bazaar too. That meant I had 9 loaves of the Rye bread in all for the bakesale plus, I also had 10 packages of sweet rolls (6 to each pack) that I had baked and iced and were in the freezer ready to go out to the church then Friday night when we met to do the final set-up for our annual event.
To show you how scattered my mind was by Saturday morning when I left to go out to the church, I forgot completely about taking my camera with me!
Therefore, I have no photos to share today of that event!
The attendance this year was down from previous years and we think it may have been caused by a foul up on our advertising that we were supposed to have in two of the local newspapers in their "Weekend events" section as well as the fact there was no advertising that happened with the local radio station either! All this had been taken care of by the two women who always do handle that stuff and they both attested to the fact they had done what was needed in those areas so now, the fact it got no coverage from those resources is a mystery yet to be solved! Sure hope if we have another event that we are able to get a little bit of mention the next time around!
So anyway, that is pretty much how the days went by for me last week. By the time I got finished with all that cooking and baking, I was worried that my sweatshirt would never come clean of all the tomato sauce that had splattered on it and all the flour dust that had found a home on my shirt and jeans too! (It did all wash out very nicely though so nothing to worry about there after all!)
This week -election day, a meeting at church and cookbooks -the things I'm dealing with and will be part of my next post then.
At least that's my current game plan but that, like so many other things in life, is also very subject to change too -well except for the election day anyway!
Peace!
Last week was really one of those weeks for me and this week seems to be building up to be the same way.
There was so much going on last week from Wednesday thru Sunday and it seemed on Wednesday that I had plenty of time to do this, that and several other things and before I knew it, Sunday had arrived and granted, I got the things that were absolute necessity done, I still somehow managed to not get a whole lot of other things I should have been able to tend to!
Wednesday was Halloween -as I think you all know and remember that day. Maya was all hepped up to go trick or treating and Mandy had earlier in the month decreed that because Kurtis was having so many behavioral problems in school, that she was taking away the privilege of going trick or treating from him this year.
I thought about this idea, this disciplinary plan of hers and gave a lot of consideration into stepping into the fray and objecting that this might be a little over the top to do to the kid, but decided that I would keep my two cents where they should really belong -in my own mind.
But as the time drew closer to Halloween, Mandy came to me one day and voiced her concerns then too about taking this away from him and she said she had decided to allow him to go trick or treating after all with Maya.
I was relieved;; I'm pretty sure Mandy was happy with her decision and Kurtis -well, he was as you can just imagine, ecstatic!
She put together a little makeshift costume for him with a nice little dress-type hat -the kind most grown men wear with the folds in them on the top, ya know, and she got him a pair of plastic glasses with a big nose to go with the hat, dressed him in a nice pair of slacks, dress shirt and vest and told him he was going to be a "Gangster!" And he loved it as did the various houses where the kids stopped to show off for our friends and neighbors. (Maya was true to form -a witch! That girl has a fixation with being either a witch or a princess -very little variations there from her from year to year!)
As they were getting ready to leave to do their thing, Maya came up to me and reminded me that I was to be in charge of handing out candy and as such, would I please try not to give out all the "Whuppers!"
"The 'what-ers?" was my first reply and then she pointed into the bowl of candy at the little mini-packs of "Whoppers" that were in there and as she showed them to me, it dawned on me that yes, that's what she thinks that word says!
But, whuppers or whoppers -we all sure did get a big kick out of that one from her. Mandy and I decided that she most certainly must get her love for those candies straight from her grandfather because good old Poppy, who lives out in Nevada, ALWAYS loves those things too!
Thursday, last week, I spent cooking tomato-meat sauce for the three pans of lasagne I ended up making to take out to our Church Bazaar on Saturday. I also baked bread again and got 5 more loaves of Swedish Limpa Rye baked up to take to the bake sale part of our bazaar too. That meant I had 9 loaves of the Rye bread in all for the bakesale plus, I also had 10 packages of sweet rolls (6 to each pack) that I had baked and iced and were in the freezer ready to go out to the church then Friday night when we met to do the final set-up for our annual event.
To show you how scattered my mind was by Saturday morning when I left to go out to the church, I forgot completely about taking my camera with me!
Therefore, I have no photos to share today of that event!
The attendance this year was down from previous years and we think it may have been caused by a foul up on our advertising that we were supposed to have in two of the local newspapers in their "Weekend events" section as well as the fact there was no advertising that happened with the local radio station either! All this had been taken care of by the two women who always do handle that stuff and they both attested to the fact they had done what was needed in those areas so now, the fact it got no coverage from those resources is a mystery yet to be solved! Sure hope if we have another event that we are able to get a little bit of mention the next time around!
So anyway, that is pretty much how the days went by for me last week. By the time I got finished with all that cooking and baking, I was worried that my sweatshirt would never come clean of all the tomato sauce that had splattered on it and all the flour dust that had found a home on my shirt and jeans too! (It did all wash out very nicely though so nothing to worry about there after all!)
This week -election day, a meeting at church and cookbooks -the things I'm dealing with and will be part of my next post then.
At least that's my current game plan but that, like so many other things in life, is also very subject to change too -well except for the election day anyway!
Peace!
Wednesday, November 07, 2012
Eleventh Month!
Well, here it is -already November and already a week of this month gone too! Where has it gone anyway that it disappeared so darned quickly?
If I thought in the past I was busy, this past week has been bordering on the edge of insane for me!
My life is normally pretty quiet here, not all that much activity but the past week a whole lot of things got turned around, sideways, upside-down and inside out too, I think.
I think I'll just try to work my way backwards over a bit of this time span and start off with yesterday.
Election Day! Yes, it was and I hope you didn't forget or even worse than that, you remembered but didn't bother to go vote. Believe you me, I can understand how people can and often do get very apathetic about elections -the way the government does operate at times it can give a bit of a "What's the use?" response or excuse.
However, if that was how you were feeling I do hope you let your good sense override the urge to keep that valuable vote right in your house and not share it! No matter how angry we do get at times with this or that of the political element in our lives, we still have that right and to ignore it, to not use it at all, is stubbornness for no good reason at all.
Remember how many people over the past two centuries and longer have died -given up their lives in sacrifice that you, that I, can still go out, freely and cast a ballot!
We can vote for a leader of this country. We can vote for leaders of our state, our county, our townships and cities -something a whole lot of other folks around the world can't have any say whatsoever in who makes the rules, the laws, the edicts that govern them.
Would you rather that right to vote be eradicated, taken away from you, from me, permanently?
I sure as hell would never want to see that for myself and certainly not for my children and now, for my grandchildren too.
I hear lots of folks say how great America is, how wonderful this land of ours is, the beauty, -mountains, plains, deserts, ocean shores, lakes, rivers-such a fantastic plethora to behold and yet, they often are unwilling to come out and place a mark on a screen to show the choice they would like to see in charge of keeping this land of ours safe and sound, as free from harm as possible.
But they sure have no problem in popping out that cell phone to call in a vote on any of the so-called reality shows on tv, do they?
I don't know how many of my readers feel today about yesterday's election but I know how I feel and I was not just happy with the results, but ecstatic and not just over the presidential election part either but proud to see so many strong, persistent, intelligent, highly educated women who won their fight in various states to have even more of a say in the future of our country now.
It's about time!
It's time now to put away all those political ploys and ads and campaign lies -er 'scuse me -"promises" that any one with a lick of common sense should realize very little of what is said in those things will actually, fully, happen! But they sure do fire a whole lot of people up into believing a whole lot of malarkey, don't they?
My theory -if anyone is interested -is survey the individual and try to see if at least some of their rhetoric matches up in some way or other with things I'd like to see happen and then, vote for the one who seems to have a little more of a handle on the realistic aspects of life in the 21st century!
That's just the way I look at it, not saying it's right or the best way or anything like that but at least I'm not voting for some yahoo just because I like the color of the candidate's eyes or the way the hair is combed or the suntan or the anything else that means zilch in the grand scheme of things but which people will parade out and vote for due to this or that silly thing after all!
This is merely the 11th month of this year and I'd like to remind people too that because perhaps your choice for whatever race didn't garner enough votes to win, it certainly doesn't signal doom, gloom and that we are now entering the 11th hour -not just the 11th month of the year!
A little respect for those who are the leaders of this great and wonderful land would be great for a starter. A little more empathy towards those who have encountered a whole lot of hardships maybe for the entire last 4, 8 or 12 years or more and especially for those who are trying to get back on their feet along the eastern part of this country and now, find themselves facing being wiped out all over again in just over a week's time by snow this time -plus wind and rain!
Say prayers for those in charge too -not that they fail but that they are able to reach out, to find a friendly hand across the aisle and do something new then -like compromise!
Try it and see what it's like. It just might be what this country ultimately needs!
Compassion, understanding, generosity, sharing and above all, try a little compromise!
Please?
If I thought in the past I was busy, this past week has been bordering on the edge of insane for me!
My life is normally pretty quiet here, not all that much activity but the past week a whole lot of things got turned around, sideways, upside-down and inside out too, I think.
I think I'll just try to work my way backwards over a bit of this time span and start off with yesterday.
Election Day! Yes, it was and I hope you didn't forget or even worse than that, you remembered but didn't bother to go vote. Believe you me, I can understand how people can and often do get very apathetic about elections -the way the government does operate at times it can give a bit of a "What's the use?" response or excuse.
However, if that was how you were feeling I do hope you let your good sense override the urge to keep that valuable vote right in your house and not share it! No matter how angry we do get at times with this or that of the political element in our lives, we still have that right and to ignore it, to not use it at all, is stubbornness for no good reason at all.
Remember how many people over the past two centuries and longer have died -given up their lives in sacrifice that you, that I, can still go out, freely and cast a ballot!
We can vote for a leader of this country. We can vote for leaders of our state, our county, our townships and cities -something a whole lot of other folks around the world can't have any say whatsoever in who makes the rules, the laws, the edicts that govern them.
Would you rather that right to vote be eradicated, taken away from you, from me, permanently?
I sure as hell would never want to see that for myself and certainly not for my children and now, for my grandchildren too.
I hear lots of folks say how great America is, how wonderful this land of ours is, the beauty, -mountains, plains, deserts, ocean shores, lakes, rivers-such a fantastic plethora to behold and yet, they often are unwilling to come out and place a mark on a screen to show the choice they would like to see in charge of keeping this land of ours safe and sound, as free from harm as possible.
But they sure have no problem in popping out that cell phone to call in a vote on any of the so-called reality shows on tv, do they?
I don't know how many of my readers feel today about yesterday's election but I know how I feel and I was not just happy with the results, but ecstatic and not just over the presidential election part either but proud to see so many strong, persistent, intelligent, highly educated women who won their fight in various states to have even more of a say in the future of our country now.
It's about time!
It's time now to put away all those political ploys and ads and campaign lies -er 'scuse me -"promises" that any one with a lick of common sense should realize very little of what is said in those things will actually, fully, happen! But they sure do fire a whole lot of people up into believing a whole lot of malarkey, don't they?
My theory -if anyone is interested -is survey the individual and try to see if at least some of their rhetoric matches up in some way or other with things I'd like to see happen and then, vote for the one who seems to have a little more of a handle on the realistic aspects of life in the 21st century!
That's just the way I look at it, not saying it's right or the best way or anything like that but at least I'm not voting for some yahoo just because I like the color of the candidate's eyes or the way the hair is combed or the suntan or the anything else that means zilch in the grand scheme of things but which people will parade out and vote for due to this or that silly thing after all!
This is merely the 11th month of this year and I'd like to remind people too that because perhaps your choice for whatever race didn't garner enough votes to win, it certainly doesn't signal doom, gloom and that we are now entering the 11th hour -not just the 11th month of the year!
A little respect for those who are the leaders of this great and wonderful land would be great for a starter. A little more empathy towards those who have encountered a whole lot of hardships maybe for the entire last 4, 8 or 12 years or more and especially for those who are trying to get back on their feet along the eastern part of this country and now, find themselves facing being wiped out all over again in just over a week's time by snow this time -plus wind and rain!
Say prayers for those in charge too -not that they fail but that they are able to reach out, to find a friendly hand across the aisle and do something new then -like compromise!
Try it and see what it's like. It just might be what this country ultimately needs!
Compassion, understanding, generosity, sharing and above all, try a little compromise!
Please?
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Kissing October Goodbye!
Boy, the sight of the snow resting on the treetops across the road from our house sure did provide a whole lot of excitement for Kurtis as he came running into the living room, practically shouting at me, "It's SNOWING, Gram! It's SNOWING!"
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Not the first time I've seen snow and if I survive today, I'm pretty sure it won't be the last time I'll see it either. (Well, as unimpressed as I seem to be about the early snowfall, I do kind of hope that I will get to see snow again this winter season.)
I posted this photo and two others of the snow on the ground here this morning on my Facebook and that garnered a comment from my son which indicated his extreme dislike for this weather today! He actually compared my posting of the snow scenes (such as they are/were) as being akin to posting child porn! Imagine that, will ya? Of course, the fact that he's an over-the-road trucker may have a whole lot to do with his attitude though about snow, don't 'cha think?
This week has been one that has been really horrific for so many people along the eastern seaboard -especially New York City and the entire coast of New Jersey. Virginia, North Carolina, Connecticut, Massachusetts, clear up to Maine have all been affected by this storm called Sandy and after seeing tv reports as well as reading newspaper accounts, looking at photos upon more photos on Facebook, I don't think any of us, regardless of where we live along the eastern part of this country, will ever forget the last days of October of 2012!
To look at pictures, to read about the damage incurred by this vicious storm system -most aptly nicknamed "Frankenstorm" - it is almost impossible to fathom how incredible, how catastrophic, the carnage is from Sandy. It does truly boggle the mind but it also gives one pause to think and to be thankful that the area where I live is among the fortunate places to live. Work and income may not be the best in this region but rarely do we get hit really hard by weather related events. Knock on wood that we stay safe, free from the really bad ravages of wind, rain, ice, sleet, snow and drought!
This past month as not been a good month in several other respects too though.
The Presidential Campaign is about to end with the election next Tuesday and the way it has been played out, it can't end a minute too soon to suit me!
The animosity, the acrimony, the sheer nastiness (as well as often too, the stupidity) of so many of the campaign ads playing on TV, the interviews, videos, articles written have all seemed to reach the bottom of the barrel now with respect to civility.
We had four debates -three between the presidential candidates and one between the two running for vice president. I didn't watch the first one but did watch most of the other three and if they were indicative of the amount of information someone could get from watching the debates, then in my opinion, getting voters who are truly informed of the stance of either candidate will be next to impossible! Who in blazes could understand any of the issues from watching the debates what with each one constantly interrupting the other and when you could hear their words, most of it was total double-talk, with nothing actually being stated in plain, simple English!
As far as informing the public, those debates were a waste of time and money. Which also reminds me of a question I have about the debates -who does pay for them anyway? Is this paid for by the candidate from their funds, the party, or the government? Regardless of who foots the bill, I think they just threw a lot of good money after bad -down the drain -for nothing!
Amazingly enough though, I saw today that a voice from the past also resurfaced now too. Remember "Brownie" -the former head of FEMA under Pres. G.W.Bush, who totally mucked up the rescue and relief attempts over Hurricane Katrina? Well he came forward in an interview and accused President Obama of responding to reports of Hurricane Sandy "too early!" If that isn't an incredible thing right there, I don't know what is! And that, after New Jersey Governor Christi -a Republican who has not been known to be too generous in the past with his comments about President Obama -but who praised the President for his actions and reactions to getting aid and assistance as quickly as possible to the state of New Jersey where the coastline has been virtually decimated by the storm and that's just for openers on the level of destruction seen there!
Sometimes, I wonder if some people, especially those who apparently were not or never have been affected by any type of horrendous weather events, can live with themselves after reviewing their own words and actions -like good old "Brownie" here! Unbelievable, just totally unbelievable!
In my home, this past month has not been an easy one on other levels either. We've had a lot of issues -behavior problems -surfacing, then resurfacing over and over, in school with Kurtis. So many, and of a level that Mandy felt it was serious enough that she told Kurt he would not be permitted to go Trick or Treating this year! Now that's a severe punishment to a six-year-old! Well, this morning, she told me she had a terrible night -couldn't fall into a sound sleep as her mind was still rolling and reeling around, worried that perhaps she was being way to harsh on Kurtis, not fully accepting him for who and what he is and after mulling it over and over and praying over it as well, she had come to the conclusion by morning that she will relent on the removal of the trick or treating and when she gets home from work this afternoon, will scrape up some sort of costume for him and let him go out with Maya, door-to-door!
Hearing her say that was a big relief to me as I did feel terrible that the poor kid was going to miss out on the Halloween activities. Mandy is thinking that quite possibly Kurtis still doesn't fully understand the meaning of making "good choices"or "wise decisions." He still gets confused quite easily by many things and this is just one of those things that hasn't registered completely in his mind.
So this evening, when the kids start to arrive here begging for candy, it looks like I'll be passing that out by myself as my assistant will be out banging on the neighbors doors instead of helping Gram! Then again -with him, who knows but he may decide this evening that he's too frightened to go out with his sister and join the throngs of other kids all trick or treating.
Part of me kind of hopes that he decides to stay home and stay warm and help me. Soon enough, he'll be growing up and not be Grammie's sweet little helper guy!
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