Santa: A Confession

I have a confession; until I was about 8 I thought my grandpa was Santa. I know it sounds ridiculous but let me elaborate. My grandpa is a jolly guy; he has rosy red cheeks, a red nose, wears suspenders, and best of all he has a white beard. In addition, he likes to wear hats (like all good Santa’s), can build anything, and loves milk and cookies. Of course this is confusing to a kid! I clearly remember telling one of my friends in first grade that my grandpa was Santa. Other kids waited up all night Christmas Eve to catch him, I didn’t have to do that, and he always came to my house Christmas morning for breakfast. My grandparents rarely spent the night on Christmas Eve, I was convinced this was because my grandpa had work to do that night, but they always made it in time for Christmas morning.
My little first grader friend argued with me about my grandpa being Santa, she pointed out the flaws in my logic, but being 6 I was convinced. I assured her on no uncertain terms that my grandpa was Santa, and I would prove it to her. I don’t know that I ever actually ended up proving it, but trust me I could have, he would have eaten a cookie for us, or let us give his beard a sharp tug, and I am sure if we asked he may have even told us a good Christmas story. Sometime around age 8 it occurred to me that Santa’s name might not be Bob, Santa may not like to golf quite as much, and that in all likelihood Santa probably spent a majority of his year somewhere that got more snow than southern California. My grandma was the dead giveaway, all the pictures I had seen of Mrs. Claus showed a pretty lady with white hair that baked- my grandma did not bake, and there is no way Santa could live without fresh baked cookies. My grandma is also decidedly “bah humbug”, she hasn’t put up a tree in a decade, doesn’t put lights on the house, and might forget that it is Christmas without our constant annoying reminders. When I finally made the realization that my grandpa wasn’t Santa I was a bit disappointed, I thought I was famous, that I knew Santa, and then all I had was a grandpa. Don’t get me wrong, he is an awesome grandpa, but there is something about knowing where Santa lives, or that he eats cereal from a salad bowl that makes Christmas that much more magical

Lessons Learned the First Week

When Brian and I first got married we both worked at the BYU Bookstore. I worked in customer service (as a professional gift wrapper, and I love that you think I am kidding), and Brian worked first in security and then in accounting. It was a good fit for us, it lasted about 6 months and then Brian went on to another opportunity. Now we are back working for the same company (not the Bookstore), and this time it is a bit strange. Let me explain, Brian started looking into PwC in 2006, while we were both employed at the bookstore), he was recruited, interned, and was eventually hired on full time (after graduation). Since that time, PwC has always been “Brian’s thing”. It was the place Brian worked, the people he knew, and the lingo he used, now that is changing. Granted, it is unlikely/impossible that we will ever work together (much like at the bookstore), but still our circles are starting to collide. The best part of this, besides the awesome opportunity, is learning to speak the same language Bri has been speaking for a year. There is opportunity for common ground, shared interests, and extending our circles to include some similar people- I would say this is the past repeating itself- except this time we don’t have to go to class, live in a tiny place with no ac, and we aren’t paid hourly- this version may be a bit more comfortable.

Writer's Block, Toilet Paper, and Getting Electrocuted

I have recently become a horrible blog poster. I blame it on a number of things (none of which will be mentioned here), and I would like to say that I am promising to improve, but with a new job and the holidays coming up that is very unlikely to happen. So while I attempt to overcome my writer’s block (a week in your pjs will do that to you) this is what I have to share:

Several months ago Brian and I decided to get a kitten. Well let me rephrase, several months again I decided to get a kitten and Brian slowly got on board. People warned us that the resale value in our home would plummet, that our house would smell like cat urine, that everything would be covered in cat hair, and that all our stuff would be ruined. I am happy to report several things about the cat: first, she doesn’t really shed. I think that she is broken, well not really, but I think we got this strange type of cat that rarely sheds- you cant tell by looking at her, but really, I shed about 10,000 times more than she does (good news for clean freaks and people with allergies). Second, unless you know we have a cat or happen to see her stuff I don’t think that our house smells like cat- I could be wrong, but I am a little obsessive about smells and I cant smell her, and sadly the poor cat smells like the “harvest spice” air fresheners we have sprinkled throughout the house (there is always next season cj). Third, not ALL of our stuff is ruined… just one thing.

So when Brian and I decided to get the cat we also decided to get a new living room set. I say that like they were both snap decisions, and that isn’t anywhere near true. We had thought about both for awhile, sat on tons of couches, compared sales, and prices, and finally found the perfect one. Turns out we also found an adorable black kitten the same day. The couch is doing well, the chair is doing peachy, but the ottoman… hasn’t faired as well. I cant say it is destroyed, because it is still functional… but it isn’t as pristine as the day we got it.

I am also sad to report that since we got the cat we have been going through a lot more toilet paper. I know this sounds strange so permit me to offer an explanation. To CJ a roll of toilet paper is the happiest thing ever- not only can she unroll it, but she can shred it, roll it back up, bite it, and chase the little airborne pieces. If you leave the bathroom door open and unattended for 2 minutes, she can go in, unroll the entire brand new roll, shred it, and spread it throughout the room- we are going through a lot of toilet paper. Don’t worry we are learning to shut the door when we aren’t in there, recycle shredded paper, and laugh when it happens, but the lesson has been a bit more expensive than we thought.

One other sad item- our Christmas tree is not safe. I thought our tree would be safe until we had kids, but I was wrong. Not only are the low hanging ornaments a joy for her to rip off, chew, and carry off, but the tree itself can be used as a fireman’s pole, the branches are a great chew toy, and the lights are too delicious not to eat. I think she finally got electrocuted today, I heard a squeak and there is one light near the bottom that is missing-poor cat, and poor tree.

Writer's Block, Toilet Paper, and Getting Electrocuted

I have recently become a horrible blog poster. I blame it on a number of things (none of which will be mentioned here), and I would like to say that I am promising to improve, but with a new job and the holidays coming up that is very unlikely to happen. So while I attempt to overcome my writer’s block (a week in your pjs will do that to you) this is what I have to share:

Several months ago Brian and I decided to get a kitten. Well let me rephrase, several months again I decided to get a kitten and Brian slowly got on board. People warned us that the resale value in our home would plummet, that our house would smell like cat urine, that everything would be covered in cat hair, and that all our stuff would be ruined. I am happy to report several things about the cat: first, she doesn’t really shed. I think that she is broken, well not really, but I think we got this strange type of cat that rarely sheds- you cant tell by looking at her, but really, I shed about 10,000 times more than she does (good news for clean freaks and people with allergies). Second, unless you know we have a cat or happen to see her stuff I don’t think that our house smells like cat- I could be wrong, but I am a little obsessive about smells and I cant smell her, and sadly the poor cat smells like the “harvest spice” air fresheners we have sprinkled throughout the house (there is always next season cj). Third, not ALL of our stuff is ruined… just one thing.

So when Brian and I decided to get the cat we also decided to get a new living room set. I say that like they were both snap decisions, and that isn’t anywhere near true. We had thought about both for awhile, sat on tons of couches, compared sales, and prices, and finally found the perfect one. Turns out we also found an adorable black kitten the same day. The couch is doing well, the chair is doing peachy, but the ottoman… hasn’t faired as well. I cant say it is destroyed, because it is still functional… but it isn’t as pristine as the day we got it.

I am also sad to report that since we got the cat we have been going through a lot more toilet paper. I know this sounds strange so permit me to offer an explanation. To CJ a roll of toilet paper is the happiest thing ever- not only can she unroll it, but she can shred it, roll it back up, bite it, and chase the little airborne pieces. If you leave the bathroom door open and unattended for 2 minutes, she can go in, unroll the entire brand new roll, shred it, and spread it throughout the room- we are going through a lot of toilet paper. Don’t worry we are learning to shut the door when we aren’t in there, recycle shredded paper, and laugh when it happens, but the lesson has been a bit more expensive than we thought.

One other sad item- our Christmas tree is not safe. I thought our tree would be safe until we had kids, but I was wrong. Not only are the low hanging ornaments a joy for her to rip off, chew, and carry off, but the tree itself can be used as a fireman’s pole, the branches are a great chew toy, and the lights are too delicious not to eat. I think she finally got electrocuted today, I heard a squeak and there is one light near the bottom that is missing-poor cat, and poor tree.

PwC x 2!

I got a job offer this morning. Dont worry, I put in my 2 weeks notice at my current job, it is safe to announce it on my lovely rarely read blog. As of the beginning of December (give or take a week) Brian and I will BOTH be employees at PriceWaterhouseCoopers or "the firm" as it will be called from here out. I will be working as an Associate in the Advisory practice, and Brian will continue his awesome work as an outstanding Associate in the Assurance practice. I have a feeling our dinner conversations are about to get a whole lot more nerdy (and considering we currently discuss things like "this american life" and "all things considered" that is saying something).

"Hygiene" Crafts

Recently, I ran across a craft blog labeled simply "tampon crafts". I thought this was absurd, and I of course had to click the link and view what exactly a "tampon craft" was. I dont know what I was expecting, but what I found was just... strange. So apparently you can do crafts with tampons. I do have to admit that I am going to shy away from this particular brand of crafting, but the idea alone is a little bit ingenious, however, I was left with a few questions like: who thought of this? why did they think of it? can you get away with decorating your entire tree with tampons without anyone knowing? and can I send my husband to the store to buy tampons for crafting purposes? I would love to have a tampon tree, and to explain to everyone that comes over, from the home teachers to the relatives, that this year we decided to celebrate with feminine hygiene products... yes the decorations were a bit more than if I used the traditional ornaments I had, but this is classy, great, and well down right fun! Okay, to be fair i am sure tampon ornaments have their place- an all girls apartment, a gynecologist's office, and your husband/boyfriend/brother's side of the room/yard/house, but sadly they wont be gracing our home this holiday season. I would love to see Brian's face if he came home to a house decorated with tampons. In the mean time I am going to go the tradiational route- snowflakes, santas, sparkles, and pine garlands... maybe next year.

For those of you feeling a bit more adventurous, a complete line of tampon crafts can be found at http://www.tamponcrafts.com/

Brie Cheese and Clementines

To me brie cheese and clemetine oranges represent the beginning of the holiday season. My childhood was filled with food, the fourth of July brought a triple layer german chocolate cake complete with coconut peacan icing, February and October brought Marie Calendar’s pie month, thanksgiving was surrounded by pumpkin pies, stuffing made at 3am, and Christmas ushered in a month of tins of popcorn, pomelos, homemade olives, and yes, brie cheese and Clementine oranges. My family eats like it is going out of style. Holidays are planned around food rather than the event, family gatherings take place in the kitchen, and sports on thanksgiving is a foreign concept.- so you can see that food is important. Clementines (cuties) and brie are semi seasonal items at Costco. They appear in mid to late October and disappear sometime after the New Year, we eat these items by the truckload during the holidays. We eat them at night, with breakfast, and as a mid day snack. They are one of the few Christmas traditions that requires little preparation, thought, or a stove. This past week while at Costco I noticed that Clementines are back, and wouldn’t you guess, so was the brie cheese. I hastily bough both, brought them home, and immediately knew that Christmas was on its’ merry way.

This American Life

THIS American Life

I listen to a lot of This American Life. I enjoy the hipster stories, the tales of people who literally crawled out from under bridges, and the shear awkwardness, that is to be frank, this American life. As I listen to Ira ramble on about another random topic, another awkward moment, and another strange person I cant help but wonder, “how do you become one of those people?”. Not one of the people in the story, but one of those people that tell the story. How do you become one of those people that tells a story so compelling that other people are willing to take time out of their busy lives to listen to you? I think all of us have met these people on one occasion during our lives. My grandma is one of those people, she can tell a story and you can picture it like are there. There are the old standbys- my dad stuffing his pockets full of candy and eating until he is sick, and my grandpa stuck in the house rafters without a ladder, but then there are the every day stories- the trips to the doctor, the conversation with one of my cousins, or the train wreck talk given in church. When I was a kid I thought all grandmas were this way- anti cooking but fascinating story tellers with extensive video collections, that wrote music, edited photos, and slept in lazy boy recliners. As I got older, I realized that not all grandmas were like that, and that I was lucky to have her and her stories. And as I continue to get older I want to develop her talent for dramatic story telling. For now, I will settle on this blog, the grammar will continue to fail, the stories will continue to be mediocre, but people (all two of you) will continue to read this, because after all on some level you feel like you have to, because we are related, and you wonder if this blog is going to improve, and because like me and Ira you know one day there is going to be a gem that you accidently but sorta on purpose discover.

Happy Late Halloween!

Happy Late Halloween! We thought you would all benefit from a bit of our silliness.

Our pumpkins. Brian's was awesome, the mouth says "texas", sadly the rangers themed pumpkin didnt help their cause but still cute!

Brian was a BYU fan... can you tell?
Okay I am not a crazy cat person, but witches do have black cats so i couldnt resist. Seriously I bought a black cat just for this costume (well that and because I like them, but still).
happy halloween. And yes we did go out in public like this. actually we went into walmart after our ward trunk or treat like this. brian's poor dad was with us, way to be a trooper randy!

Cover Up! A Halloween Rant

At what point did Halloween become a “limited clothing holiday”? You all know what I am talking about, Why do most costumes made for girls/women over 10 involve very limited clothing? When did it become important to wear very little clothing to celebrate a holiday? And why make this an essential part of an autumn holiday? Okay so realistically it isn’t that cold here in texas but in other places it is down right chilly, it seems like this would be a good holiday to wear more clothing not less! When did “sketchy clothes” become a costume? Seriously a very tiny black piece of silk combined with a witch hat is NOT a Halloween costume! This trend bothers me and in some ways ruins the holiday. I get that I am uptight, I like to layer, and yes I may be a bit conservative, but really I don’t need to see you in that tiny outfit that kinda sorta covers what needs to be covered and kinda sorta doesnt, and children really really really don’t need to see that. Protect the innocence of Halloween, cover up! Halloween is about kids, candy, apple cider, glowsticks, pumpkins, and let’s be honest throwing up because your body isn’t meant to process that much high fructose corn syrup in one sitting- but it is NOT about being partially naked, showing off more of yourself that is appropriate, or wearing an outfit you would be embarrassed to let your mother see you in. Short skirts, low cut tops, and shorts purchased in the children’s section don’t a make a costume more festive… plus really it’s a kids holiday, not a prostitute holiday. Cover up, have some respect for the other trick or treaters, stick to the basics, tights are good, long sleeve shirts are good, skirts and shorts that cover you enter backside are good, partial nudity is bad!

Cover Up! A Halloween Rant

At what point did Halloween become a “limited clothing holiday”? You all know what I am talking about, Why do most costumes made for girls/women over 10 involve very limited clothing? When did it become important to wear very little clothing to celebrate a holiday? And why make this an essential part of an autumn holiday? Okay so realistically it isn’t that cold here in texas but in other places it is down right chilly, it seems like this would be a good holiday to wear more clothing not less! When did “sketchy clothes” become a costume? Seriously a very tiny black piece of silk combined with a witch hat is NOT a Halloween costume! This trend bothers me and in some ways ruins the holiday. I get that I am uptight, I like to layer, and yes I may be a bit conservative, but really I don’t need to see you in that tiny outfit that kinda sorta covers what needs to be covered and kinda sorta doesnt, and children really really really don’t need to see that. Protect the innocence of Halloween, cover up! Halloween is about kids, candy, apple cider, glowsticks, pumpkins, and let’s be honest throwing up because your body isn’t meant to process that much high fructose corn syrup in one sitting- but it is NOT about being partially naked, showing off more of yourself that is appropriate, or wearing an outfit you would be embarrassed to let your mother see you in. Short skirts, low cut tops, and shorts purchased in the children’s section don’t a make a costume more festive… plus really it’s a kids holiday, not a prostitute holiday. Cover up, have some respect for the other trick or treaters, stick to the basics, tights are good, long sleeve shirts are good, skirts and shorts that cover you enter backside are good, partial nudity is bad!

Learning Patience... Never Give Up!

Patience is a virtue that I am lacking. I am impatient in traffic, impatient when the internet loads slowly, impatient with Brian, and impatient in the check out line at the grocery store. I was an impatient teenager, waiting to grow up, move out, and take the world on. I was impatient in college, eager to learn everything from microbiology to Monet, save the starving children, and get those hard earned diplomas. Now I am impatient for... more. Sometimes this impatience has lead to tragedy (see the previous post), but most of the time this inner impatience has led me to work harder for the next thing. Now I am in a stage of life where the next thing isnt as concrete as a diploma, a first job, or a house. I am in the stage of life where there is a lot of waiting and seeing, a lot of finding satisfaction with the stage you are in, a lot of finding success in the smaller things, and a lot of putting my faith and trust in something outside my control.

I have a hard time with this stage of life. I dont know what to do, I am not a wait and see sort of person. I am not patient. I like to know what comes next, I like to plan, prepare, and make lists. This stage of life doesnt come with a to do list, it doesnt come with a calendar, or even an academic plan- this stage of life is tough. Over the past few years I have watched many of my close friends transition into this grown up stage of life. The stage where you leave the safety of school, get real jobs, develop a routine that doesnt revolve around papers, lectures, and midterms, and grow up. It seemed easy enough when I was watching from the sidelines. The lack of deadlines seemed blissful, the homework free weekends seemed endless, and the mere thought of final free Christmas plans lead to hallucinations of a heavenly choir. But now that I have the weekends to myself, and the evenings free from required reading I am... lost. Now is the time where I need to learn patience. I am learning slowly, learning to live in the moment, love the stage we are in, and put my trust in more than a written plan. Oh patience... why I cant I learn you faster!

While on my quest to learn patience I came across this video...

Rotary Cutter + Left Thumb= Blood Everywhere

Being right handed, I dont often appreciate my left thumb. I assume whatever I do with my left hand can also be done with my right. Wrong... there are some things that require two hands- cooking, typing, hair straighting, putting in my contacts, showers, making the bed just to name a few. Until last night I didnt truely appreciate my left thumb... but now, well I am grateful for it and hope it heals quickly!

I thought the title of this post was appropriate given that it is almost Halloween. The title gives away the story, but let me fill you in on all the gory (haha... or not) details. Last night I was sitting on my living room floor with my rotary cutter, my green cutter mat (i'm sure this has an actual name but I dont know it), 10 yards of black tulle, CJ, and an episode of America's Test kitchen for background noise. I was happily cutting my tulle into 8 inch strips when all of a sudden I looked down and there was a LOT of blood. I hadnt felt anything strange so I was intrigued... but not stupid, so I ran to the bathroom and sure enough part of my left thumb was only partially attached. Okay this is making the incident sound worse than it actually was, I did cut off the tip of my finger, but it just took off part of the tip and some of the nail. No lasting damage (that I know of), and no stitches (regardless of whether or not they were needed). I stopped the bleeding, bandaged my hand, finished cutting the tulle, and made 50 potstickers with one hand (fyi not a good thing to make with one hand).

So note to me and to all of you that own a rotary cutter- ALWAYS pay attention when cutting. Dont look up, away, or blink, you could take off a finger, or a finger tip which is still painful. Another note, never underestimate how sharp the blade actually is... yes you might get away with just touching it (why you or I would be this dumb is another story), but when you are actually rolling the blade it goes fast, if it can cut through multiple layers of fabric, denim, and whatever else you have cut, pretty good bet that it isnt going to slow down for your thumb...

Skinny Jeans... a fiasco in the making...

Skinny jeans are a style I swore I would never get in to. There is something about turning jeans which are comfy and meant to make people feel better, into spandex torture devices that did not appeal to me. This was one style from the 80's that wasnt meant to come back. I held fast to this idea until fairly recently. I told everyone that would listen that the style wasnt meant for anyone, that everyone looked a bit wider than needed when wearing them, and I promptly walked out of stores where they were sold. Then last fall I started to have a change of heart. Maybe it was living in Utah, maybe it was the peer pressure, or maybe it is just that I was born in the 80's, but for some reason I started to develop this crazy notion that this style might actually be okay for some body types, and let's be real, it looked like they might not look quite a ridiculous with boots as some other styles of jeans (aka everything else i owned). I continued to stay away, but then a couple of weeks ago I broke. I tried on a pair, and while they werent the cutest thing I ever wore, they werent quite the blue spandex disaster I had been expecting. I bravely walked to the check out counter, paid, and went home. Oh I should mention the long drawn out conversation I had with Brian in the dressing room area before purchasing the jeans that were on sale for less than $20. So I purchased the jeans, wore them to work, continued not to hate or love them, and moved on with life. Then I bought another pair, and while I am still a little concerned that this look isnt great, I do have to say I may have misjudged it a bit... not bad... but not great, what more can I ask for in a pair of jeans?

Em this picture is for you... and yes this is meant to be a grandpa/old man sweater... it is super comfy, i was going for warm and black not cute and stylish.

House Updates

Despite my recent lack of blogging on the topic we have continued to decorate our house... it is starting to look like people live here. Here are just a few of the recent updates... I am sure you were dying to see them...

Nothing new here, what are your thoughts on painting this wall green... I like green but I hate painting so i need some input.

House with fall decorations... nothing too thrilling.. apparently this post isnt actually about what we have done
Recent wall hanging. I saw this idea on a blog... it was for a halloween decoration, i changed the idea a bit and now i have a new wall hanging.
I made two of these, they arent identical, but they are pretty close.
Have i mentioned that I LOVE the target dollar section. I have been wondering what to put above my cabinets for awhile, it seemed so boring and empty up there, i was even tempted to paint (i know!), but then the other day in the dollar section i found these lovely stars on sticks. Sadly, they were not $1 each, but I was pretty happy with the $2.50 price tag, I had thought about going to hobby lobby, but good thing they failed me. I love stars, and I love christmas colors!

Fall Decorations

Just in case you weren't already painfully aware I love holidays and fall. I love everything about the period of time between Sept 1. and Jan 1. I love the food, the weather, and the activities. I love the cinnamon scented air freshener, the seasonal candy, and of course the decorations. I decked (well that might be a bit overly generous) out our house for fall sometime back in august. I made a few modifications on Oct. 1 for Halloween, but all in all considering how little time we are home I thought it was cute. Happy Fall, Happy Halloween, and a very early Merry Christmas!

PS you are welcome for the very short tour of our "decorated" house.

Halloween "decoration" still not sure on this one, I will let you know the verdict, but i think the candy makes it 10,000 times better.

adorable towels purchased at target. Thank you mom for the cute ghosts!
CJ also loves halloween, since she is a black cat I am counting her as a decoration. PS did you see the adorably pumpkin salt and pepper shakers? they were just too cheesy not to buy!
Target dollar section signs... who knew $5 could be so well spent. Sadly the pumpkins were from hobby lobby and not nearly as cheap but I did have a coupon so way to go me!

Happy Fall!

A LIttle "Intense"

For those of you that know Brian, you know he is a little "intense". Maybe a little intense isnt the right way to describe him, he is really intense. If you know him you know that when he puts his mind to something he does it, and not only does he do it but he does it extremely well. Remember the guitar, fishing, finding a wife, and college, why stop with all those things? Well of course he didnt, given his personality could you see him lightening up and taking life day by day, of course not- he has even done research on how to make our lawn look awesome (fyi we have the greenest lawn on our street).

So back to Brian being intense and setting goals... recently Brian completed the last section of his CPA exam, and not only did he pass the entire exam (way to go Bri), but his scores were... well above average... He also completed his first year with PwC. He wasnt a slacker, he stayed late, came in early, lived on his blackberry, and yesterday he was awarded "associate of the quarter". Intensity does pay off in the real world! Trust me, if you were heading a big 4 audit team you would want him on it. Congratulations Bri on all your hard work- it's just part of being awesome!

Elder Muggie

Elder Muggie Update:

He is alive! and tiny apparently.

Don't Give Up!

*warning, post contains religious material.

"Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some dont come dont come 'til heaven... trust God and believe in good things to come. "

Lately, I have pondered this message. Some days I wonder why life hasn't worked out in the way I had planned, and why these little "detours" are necessary. Sometimes this frustrates me, it frustrates me that I can't see the future, that I don't know exactly what I am supposed to learn from every experience, and that at times it seems that my preparation has been in vain. Despite my shortcomings, failures, and even life's detours, guidance, answers and comfort are available, I am so grateful that in those times of need, or questioning I have the Gospel to guide me.

Happy Sunday!

My Dress Looks Like a Brown Paper Sack

As mentioned in a previous post, I recently ran across this adorable blog

http://www.makeit-loveit.com/. I want to make everything on this blog, sadly I dont have time to do that, but I can start with one project at a time. I decided to tackle dress making first- not sure why, since I have never made anything that could actually be worn in public before, but my lack of sewing skills isnt the subject of this post. So I decided to take this pattern http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2010/08/re-purpsoing-womens-knit-shirt-into.html, and alter it to fit my needs. All you need to make this dress is fabric for the skirt and an old t shirt- thankfully I have plenty of old t shirts, and wally world sells fabric just cheap enough to experiment with.

I altered the original pattern a bit, I changed the fabric, the length, added a liner to the skirt (white was a bit see through) and added a few embellishments (lace).

I ended up with an okay looking dress, obviously the original was much cuter (especially since this is the first time I have ever made anything that can be worn in public), that may or may not accidently resemble a maternity dress (I am NOT pregnant, this was just my first foray into the world of "gathering"), but still, just a bit of work and a tiny bit of money, and I have a new dress! Lessons for the future- if you choose not to use a stretchy fabric aka knit you may need a zipper, i didnt realize this until i tried to put the dress on but this might be an issue, and if you make a double layer skirt it may or may not resemble a paper bag.

"Floral" pattern on the top
See the tie helps

Welcome to Happy Valley

At what point in time did I become one of “those people”- one of those people that considers Utah home. At some point during my 5 ½ year stint at BYU I went from the California girl counting down the days until graduation, to a utah transplant who misses the comfort and security that Happy Valley brings. I am not sure at what point the transition took place, but somewhere along the way Utah became home. Most days I like texas, I like the people, the lifestyle, and the diversity, but some days I miss Utah like crazy. I miss the family and friends we left behind, the weather (haven’t been back to visit the snow so that may change), the mountains, the familiarity of the place, and the culture- these were all things that didn’t matter as much when I was 18 and starting my journey. I miss people knowing what BYU is, seeing cougar blue everywhere, overhearing someone mention “enrichment night” or “mutual” and other people knowing what that means, I miss the pseudo holidays- conference weekend, BYU Utah Game, Pioneer day, I miss church buildings on every block and driving past the temple daily, I miss modest clothing stores, church bookstores, and “soft Sunday sounds”, and I miss the days when being 24 and married for a few years was “normal”.- takeaway point from the post- I miss Utah. It was wonderful to see everyone this weekend, just know that even though we just left we miss you tons and are counting down the days until Thanksgiving- get ready we are going to be there a week!

New Blog- I wish I had time for crafts!

Today my friend Carley passed along this blog:

http://www.makeit-loveit.com/

Everything there is so adorable, I wish I had time to make it all! I thought i would pass it along to all you crafy types cough cough Di, MaryAnne, Meg

The Coachman...

I want to eat here while we are in Salt Lake

Sadly we wont have time to go, but just know I wanted to eat here. Brian's grandpa introduced me to it last Christmas, and I have to say- I was impressed... sorry Di.

The Catchup Advisory Board

From Brian:

We were listening to a Prairie Home Companion on the way to church today, and Ashley wanted to post a clip from the Catchup Advisory Board on our blog. So I went and found one on Youtube. By the way, the appropriate spellings of the condiment are "Ketchup" and "Catsup," so they decided to compromise the spelling. Enjoy.

Discovering the "Unfriend" Option

I recently discovered the power of the “unfriend” button on facebook, and I am drunk with the power this little button brings. I should explain that I am not a big “facebooker”. There is a voyeuristic side of me wont let me get rid of the account, and encourages me to check for updates, but the rational side you all know and love hates facebook. I strongly dislike the people that post about their every action, the people that play those ridiculous games, post all over walls about the games, bunnies, pirates, zombies, and send me ridiculous “gifts”, hugs, and pokes. It is because of these people I recently discovered the “unfriend” button. The unfriend button is like a “frownsmile”, at first it seems cruel, but once you discover it you realize that you have unlocked something magical. Last night I unfriended 20+ people, don’t worry if you read this blog you aren’t one of them, but if you post like a crazy person you are in danger of joining that club. As I went through the list (and don’t worry there is more pruning to do) I was almost giddy with excitement as I kicked people off the list. Most people don’t need to know what I am up to, I have already looked at their pictures and am no longer interested in being their friends- there were the people from high school that I didn’t like when I was 15 and probably didn’t like now, the random 3^rd and 4^th cousins that I share genetic material with but have never actually met, and the people who I see often enough that I don’t want that interaction to also occur in the digital world. I feel liberated- free from facebook’s prison of irritation.

Just a note to all you facebookers out there- if for some reason you think you need to post about every aspect of your life- you are sadly mistaken, no one cares. Stop playing those dumb facebook games- if you are over 12 you are too old for “zombie wars”, “farm whatever” or something with vampires- give it up, grow up, find a grown up hobby. Stop making friends on facebook and meeting in real life or continuing a virtual friendship- people on facebook can lie about their real identity just like people on online dating websites- unless you actually know the person you have no way of verifying they aren’t a sketchy guy in a basement or attic somewhere- facebook friends do not equal real friends, start with real people then add them on facebook. If you are under 15 get off facebook, go play outside, ride your bike, do your homework, don’t worry the vitural world will continue without you.

For more information on “frownsmiles” please visit http://www.seriouslysoblessed.blogspot.com/

one more thing, if you attempt to add me as a facebook friend (because i am awesome) and never get a reply it is likely because i think you are going to fill my news feed with things i dont care about- dont worry in real life you are great but we just cannot be facebook friends.

Feel Good Stories for Wednesday

Sometimes I hear stories on NPR that confirm why I continue to sit through the jazz, endless rants about the war in the Afghanistan, and reviews of independent films I will never see. On Friday, as I was driving to work there was a piece on adoption (on NPR they are pieces, not monologues or segments), the piece was heartwarming, inspiring, and one that had to be shared. One of the regular hosts was interviewed about his experience adopting two girls from china, I have heard about the miracle of adoption, but have never heard such a poignant telling of the experience. The father described their experience this way:

“My wife and I, not having had children in the traditional, Abraham-and-Sarah-begat manner, have learned to make jokes about the way we've had our family. ("Pregnant! Why would you do that? Those clothes! And you can't drink for months!") Jokes are sometimes the only sensible answer to some of the astoundingly impertinent questions people can ask, right in your children's faces. "How much did they cost? Are they healthy? You know, you hear stories. So why did you go overseas? Not enough kids here?" But we cannot imagine anything more remarkable and marvelous than having a stranger put into your arms who becomes, in minutes, your flesh, your blood: your life. There are times when the adoption process is exhausting and painful and makes you want to scream. But, I am told, so does childbirth.”

This is why I turn off talk radio and sit through the independent film reviews.

For the full story visit http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=129301982

On a related (ish) note while preparing my Young Women’s lesson this past weekend, I came across this video, that while sappy is worth the 3 minutes it takes to watch.

On another note: congratulations to the Hunters!

Delta Airlines + Labor Day Weekend= Holiday Weekend in Utah

Dear Readers,

We will be in Utah for Labor Day weekend. If you happen to want to see us (and why wouldnt you?) we will be there, if you'd rather not see us... well we will still be there.

Happy Monday.

Thank you for your service...

This evening as I was preparing my lesson for Young Women’s tomorrow I came across an enrichment activity that encouraged the teacher to have the class reflect on the three women that have had a positive influence on the direction their lives have taken because of their selfless service, to be honest I am not sure the 12 year olds in my class are going to have much to go on, I wouldn’t have had much to go on at that age, but I liked the question and it made me pause and reflect on the women that have touched my life over the years. I have been blessed to know so many strong, talented, and caring women over my life, knowing all of these women have had a positive influence on my life, but some stand out more than others- three in particular have had a major impact on the direction I have taken- here is my list:

My mom- My mom is awesome, most people say that about their moms but let me assure you, mine is actually awesome. She has put up with a lot from her kids, but despite our failings, misdeeds, and less than positive attitudes she has continued to put up with us. She is my model of patience, perseverance, and dare I say long suffering. You know those moms that bake cookies, have dinner ready at 5, help you make your prom dress, grocery shop until they drop, take you to soccer practice, and make sure that you say your prayers at night- that is my mom. She is a model of service, and while it took me longer than it should have to notice and appreciate her I do now (which is what counts, right?)

Dr. X- Dr. X has helped to shape my life more than she knows, she encouraged me to challenge myself, strive for excellence in everything, consult my Heavenly Father in my academic pursuits, and showed me that being assertive is an admirable quality in a woman. I fought her guidance every step of the way, sometimes it was painful, but in the end I am better for having known and worked with her. On a daily basis I think to myself what would Dr. X do? I know it is strange, but working with her has encouraged me to examine many aspects of my life and think to myself- is this something that would be acceptable to her? There are many days that I don’t measure up, but the simple thought has encouraged me to try harder, be more aware, and not accept mediocrity.

S- S was the best boss I ever had, my favorite professor, and the reason in the end that I chose to go to graduate school (one of the best decisions I have ever made). She encouraged me to follow my passions, was my cheerleader the whole way, wouldn’t let me give up, and taught me that embracing life- both the good and the bad- is important. She taught me that anything is possible as long as you are willing to work for it, encouraged me to examine the consequences of my decisions, and taught me that caring about what you do is vitally important to success.

There are so many other amazing women that have touched my life through their selfless service- there is the friend that introduced me to the west wing (seriously a service), told me it was okay to miss Brian while he was in texas and I was in utah, taught me that being uptight in okay, and told me I would make new friends even though I was (am) seriously missing my old ones. There is the friend that let me watch her care for her two little boys, showed me that being a wife and mother is one of the greatest things I will ever do, put up with my crazy husband, let us spend hours doing nothing at her home, made it okay that I missed (still miss) Utah, and supported my ATK obsessions (move to dallas), the sister in law that gave me a place to stay, incorporated me into her family, let me spend time with her wonderful kiddos, and showed me that parenting with guidance from Heavenly Father is the only way to go. There are too many to mention (if you weren’t mentioned you are still awesome!). I hope I can follow the example of these wonderful women and help and serve those around me as they have done. Thank you, thanks for everything you do, and thanks for making my lesson way more interactive tomorrow!

I am convinced that Nyquil is one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century. I have been sick since Friday- well to be fair I have been sick since last Thursday but I was pretending my sore throat was due to talking too much. Anyway on Friday I developed a fever, on saturday it was still there, and what a shock it lingered through sunday, monday, and tuesday. My company has a three sick day policy (that is how many you get per year) so let's just say the fever is gone, I am headed back to work tomorrow- no sick days, no being sick. Anyway that isnt the purpose of this post, so I caught whatever this happened to be- I am waiting for the strep culture to come back, right now the choices are: 1. strep, 2. mono, 3. some other viral infection. So let's just say this has been a pleasant week, I have slept more than the cat, havent moved in days, but on a very happy note I am getting better, why? Nyquil. I love Nyquil. I love that when you are sick and you take the magic blue pills that you feel better and you sleep, and when you are sick you need to sleep. The only problem with Nyquil is that is slows your reaction time, let me give you a for instances. The other day I took some Nyquil, took a nap, and got up (4 hours left in the dose), brian and I went to the grocery store (he drove), I went to get some eggs, or milk, something and then went to go find him to put whatever it was in the cart and I couldnt recognize him. I saw someone that looked familiar, but I couldnt place them, I decided to walk up to them to see if that helped- it didnt but it turned out to be Brian. See this is the downside of Nyquil- I didnt even recognize my own husband. Other downside, today I went to go work on something in the other room, I walked the 20 feet to the other room, got there and couldnt remember why I was there, I sat there for a good 15 minutes trying to figure it out- still no idea why i went in there. On the other side though- I have slept... a lot. If i hadnt taken Nyquil I am sure whatever I caught would have killed me off by this point. Oh Nyquil I will miss you tomorrow when I am back at work and still dying.

Christmas Countdown Panic

I am starting Christmas Countdown Panic mode. I am well aware that it is August 3rd and that Christmas is a ways away but still it is time to get ready. Let me tell you my theory- in my world the christmas countdown begins July 5th. July 4th is my favorite holiday, after that is over it is time to countdown to my second favorite holiday- Christmas. This christmas everyone is coming to our new house in Texas- this is the first christmas where I will be the hostess instead of the kid and it has to be special. This is also the last christmas where my younger sister will still be at home instead of away at school- so you see there is some added pressure. So readers this is where you come in, I need some fun christmas ideas- since this is the first year we are having christmas at our house we are able to incorporate new traditions into the mix, what are some of the traditions you have (I need to steal them), what are some fun pre christmas ideas, and some fun christmas new years transition ideas? I need food suggestions, games, activities, come on share your ideas...

Branching out and my 400th post

Several months ago (can you believe it has been months, with an S!) Brian's grandpa gave us a list of places to eat in dallas. We came home, put it on the fridge and made plans to visitthem... then we got busy, and the list got ignored, but then we decided to stick to the original plan- and let me tell you the places we have been so far have been worth the wait.

Our first visit was to a place known as "Norma's". It is basically your generic roadside cafe, complete with the 1950's decor, the promise of "fresh pie" on the windows, and the crowd that has been frequently the place since it's opening in the 1950s. I had chicken fried steak (which i was told was a house specialty) and Brian had the pot roast. Both were good, but not the best I have ever had. My main complaint with the chicken fried steak was the amount of gravy it came with- most would be happy, but I dont like gravy, sauce, or ketchup, so a small drop is too much. The place did have the best rolls ever. Seriously, the food was good, but the rolls were incredible. Totally recommend making a trip out there for that... and to see the waitresses, think stereotypical 50's diner waitresses, where the waitress's name is actually "marge", "betty", or "may".

Our second stop was the "twisted root cafe". A quick work of caution, twisted root is located in one of dallas's more interesting areas, meaning, do not visit at night if you are a small white girl. Anyway the place sells burgers and fries- two of my loves. We decided to visit yesterday, I should tell you that my visit was clouded by the massive amount of nyquil i had taken to help alleviate my cold/flu symptoms, swallowing was painful, and my appetite was gone. We walked in, placed our order and waited. I should mention the place was packed at 12pm on a saturday- the line was literally out the door. I ordered a bleu cheese bacon burger ( I love bleu cheese) and brian ordered a green chili guacamole burger. Two things you should know, 1. the burgers are giant, 2. these are the best burgers you will ever eat. Despite my "drug induced state", lack of appetite and difficult swallowing I ate half of my giant burger. It was delicious! They gave me a ton of bleu cheese (hate it when you order bleu cheese burgers and they dont actually give it to you), topped it with crispy bacon, and even toasted the bun- seriously 2 thumbs up- and thank goodness the place is near downtown or I would put on 50 lbs very quickly.

Stay tuned for more dallas food adventures, and sorry for the delay in posts!

PS pictures to come when the internet stops being ridiculous.

Dear Ford F250 Driver

Some days I wish I could send this letter to all big truck drivers on the road.

Dear Ford F250 Driver,

Please pay attention while you drive. Dont assume that because you get 3 miles a gallon that you should run me off the road. I know my car is small, but to be fair it is white and it does contrast nicely with the road- you can see me, dont pretend you can't. Please get off your cellphone, there is no one in your contact list so important that you need to talk to that you should endanger my life. See those red lights, yeah they apply to you to, fyi so do the stop signs, lane markers/lines and medians. Just because you can drive on the grass doesnt mean you should. Oh yeah, and when you see me waiting patiently in line at the gas pump- you probably shouldnt cut, I know I cant do anything about it but come on, once we get into the store you wont have your giant truck to protect you- think about that as i grab the last of whatever item you needed, i probably have two at home but this is how us compact car drivers get our revenge. I know you can see my car, dont pretend you can't.

Thanks,

Concerned in Texas

Giant Spaceship Walmart

I love walmart- I know it is a bit mullet in a trailer park of me, but I do. There are those people out there that think that wally world aka walmart is out to exploit the little guy, ruin small town american, and sell cheap junk- I am not one of those people. I like buying my shampoo with my fabric, picture frames, groceries, and plants all while getting my oil changed. I am a fan. The other day I went to what can only be described as the best walmart on earth. Apparently there are varying degrees of walmart, there are the normal ones all of us go to, the lame neighborhood market, the ridiculous walmart minus food, and what I can only describe as the BEST WALMART EVER!

I looked up walmart on wikipedia to see what this wonderful new concept was and was greeted by this helpful blurb, "In March 2006, Walmart sought to appeal to a more affluent demographic. The company launched a new Supercenter concept in Plano, Texas, intended to compete against stores seen as more upscale and appealing, such as Target.[35][36] The new store has wood floors, wider aisles, a sushi bar, a coffee/sandwich shop with free Wi-Fi Internet access, and more expensive beers, wines, electronics, and other goods. The exterior has a hunter green background behind the Wal-Mart letters, similar to Wal-Mart Neighborhood Markets, instead of the blue previously used at its supercenters."

It just so happens that this "more affluent" wally world is less than a mile from where I work. The other day I needed to stop in and pick something up on my lunchbreak, usually I would go to target since there is one right by my work, but i had to go to walmart for this particular item. I looked up the nearest location (which was so close and i didnt even know it), got in the car (dragged a few coworkers along), and headed for what i assumed was going to be a regular walmart adventure- i was so wrong. This was the BEST walmart ever. It wasnt like walmart at all, it was like a spaceship of reasonably priced items, with nice music, good smells, and so much stuff i didnt even attempt to explore- to sum it up, it was awesome. So next time someone asks why come visit dallas, this is what I am going to tell them- come visit dallas/plano to see the most amazing walmart ever, it is worth the trip- trust me.

To all those people out there that have honest to goodness moral objections to walmart, I applaud you, I have objections to swearing, we should all have principles, i dont happen to agree with yours but whatever pay more for junk elsewhere (we all know you are going to buy it). To all those people out there that dislike walmart because it is "lame", "trashy", "ugh the man", shut up and get over yourself, we all know you secretly shop there when you think no one is looking.

Dear Self...

Do you ever wish you knew back in the day what you know now? Sometimes I do. Sometiems I wish I could go slap my BYU freshman self and tell her to get out bed, get dressed, and get to class on time. The past few weeks I have been hearing quite a few references to this idea and it got me thinking. I would like to show up to my lovely DT room and tell my freshman self the following:

Dear Self

get out of bed, you are paying to go to school, not to sleep, get out of bed and get what you paid for. Go to bed early, get a job where they pay you to work normal hours. Study. Choose a major you like, not just one you think will rile up the relatives. Call home at least once a week, sometimes they are irritating, but some day you will miss them. Enjoy this time, some day when you leave the comfort of the Y you will miss it. Make new friends, leave your comfort zone. Wear something besides black. Don't waste your time dating one boy, make friends, avoid the preemies, they seem safe but they just want the packages. Learn to get along with your roommates, you will keep in touch with some of them for years. learn to love the experience, forget that provo is like a foreign country, embrace it and join it.

Good luck

What do you wish you could tell your freshman selves? My sister leaves for happy valley next fall and i keep wondering, what should I tell her? I cant go back and slap my freshman self but can "inform" em, what should i tell her, what do you wish your freshman self knew?

What Not to Wear Where Are You?

Do you ever have those days where every item of clothing you try on is horrific? I am having one of those weeks. I dont even want to walk by the closet. I realize I am being over dramatic, but at the moment it seems like every article of clothing either was made for a 50 year old woman but somehow ended up at my house (and i am not 50), is too tight in the wrong places, too loose in the wrong places, slightly worn/faded/from 1999, or just plain ugly. Why am I having one of those weeks, last week most of the clothes seemed fine, and I am sure next week they will too, but this week I think my wardrobe has been replaced with that of a 50 year old soccer mom. It's not that I dont want to someday be a 50 year old soccer mom, it's just that I dont want that day to be tomorrow, or the next day, or the next day. Today is one of those days when I want "what not to wear" to kidnap my clothes, fly me to New York, and replace them with clothes that are cute, free, and fit right- oh yeah and I want them to give my hair a makeover. Somehow I think the likelihood of that happening, especially the free part, is pretty slim...

On a slightly related but not so much note i recently bought a pair of jeans for $5, yes that is correct. Oh yeah and I bought a t shirt for $3 (not the best deal ever but hey). Hm... maybe that's is what i hate all of my clothes today.

When did we become those people?

Every Monday morning the people I work with come in and rehash their weekends. A couple of weeks ago it occurred to me (yes it took that long) that my weekend plans never matched with theirs. This has been a new thing for me, in utah we were pretty normal. On the weekends we studied (grad school does that to you), did our laundry, saw friends, went to church, rested, and attended Sunday dinner. In dallas, we do some of the same things, we grocery shop, work on our yard, rest, go to church, and visit with family (via webcam). This isn’t what everyone our age does. At some point we diverged from people in our age group- it might have happened when we got married early, or when we decided to live the lives of BYU grads, whenever it happened I failed to notice. Our utah peers did the same things so it seemed wonderfully normal, but now it is a little “peculiar”. At some point we became “grown ups”. Some days the stark contrast makes me miss Utah terribly, other days, I remember why we came to texas, and that not everything is permanent. Either way, our lovely Utah (and CA) friends and family we miss you tons and tons!

This past Saturday night, while other people our age were off doing, well not sure what they do we were making homemade margarita pizza. For those of you we left behind in Utah that spend your Saturday nights with the West Wing, ticket to ride, and cooking we thought we would pass this along- just in case your Saturday evening is currently blissfully free.

ATK Margarita Pizza

Dough

1 ¾ c. all purpose flour

1 c. cake flour (you HAVE TO use cake flour)

2 t. sugar

1 ½ t. salt

1 ¼ t. instant rapid rise yeast

1 c. warm water

Topping

1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes

¼ c. chopped fresh basil

½ t. sugar

1 garlic clove minced

¼ t. salt

olive oil

1 oz fresh mozzarella cheese cut into chunks

kosher salt

1. both types of flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a mixer, combine with dough hook. Pour in water, mix until a ball is formed, let dough rest 2 minutes. Turn dough out on lightly floured surface, knead 2 minutes. Form into tight ball, cover with plastic, let rise in a warm place 1.5 hours or until doubled in size.

2. For the topping: pulse diced tomatoes in blender. Transfer to wire mesh strainer, place over bowl, let drain 30 minutes.

3. Adjust over rack to lower middle position, place baking stone in over, heat to 500 degrees. Leave baking stone in over for 30-60 minutes.

4. Break dough into 2 pieces, form into crust. Brush outer ½ inch with olive oil

5. Combine tomatoes, sugar, and garlic, spread over crust

6. Place in oven, cook on baking stone 5 minutes

7. Add cheese, and bake 5 more minutes

8. Remove from oven, sprinkle with basil, salt, and olive oil

9. Repeat with second crust

*do not make this without a baking stone- I did, it was disappointing.

Where have we been?

Lately, I have been getting emails from friends and family inquiring about our whereabouts, as I was driving home I realized this may be because we have been MIA in the blogging world (maybe I just want to believe people read this). So here are the answers to your questions:

Where have Brian and Ashley been? At work, where grown ups go. nothing thrilling to report here EXCEPT Brian recently received his annual performance and review and he got a 1 (the highest ranking)! Way to go Bri!

What have Brian and Ashley been up to? Not much, just working. Exciting news- our garden is out of control at the moment (well our tomatoes arent producing but the plants are giant).

How is having a pet going? AMAZING! Cj is so funny, we still think rescuing her from the pound was the way to go!

Just in case you are still skeptical about CJ we thought you should see this picture, yes she is in a paper sack, and yes she put herself in there, we were just lucky enough to witness it.

Where have we been?

Thanks for Being Awesome...

Every once in awhile I hear someone blame their miserable situation on their parent's decisions and for some reason hearing about "awful parents" always bothers me. I am not so naive as to think that there arent truly awful parents out there, people that really do destroy their children's lives, but I would like to think that the majority of people had parents that have tried their best. I once heard a Jeff Foxworthy skit where he said something along the lines ofof you never hear anyone say, "my mamma was great, daddy was great, I'm just an idiot!" So true! Too often we hear about the extreme bad examples and just skip the awesome parents.

So in honor of Father's Day (and Mother's Day) I would like to say thanks Mom and Dad. Thank you for your patience, your long suffering, and for footing the bill for my childhood. Thank you for not putting me up for adoption when I turned 13 and deserved it, thank you for checking in on me to the point of being obnoxious when I was an angry teenager, thank you for forcing me to apply myself in school when all I really wanted to was get a B and be done with it, thank you for strongly encouraging me to make the right choices, and teaching me that "wickedness never was happiness". Thank you for teaching me to wake up and try again when yesterday was a generally sucky day, for forcing us to eat dinner together, thank you for letting me yell at you because I was angry and hadnt quite learned to channel my anger into something productive, thank you for teaching me too much garlic is never enough, for introducing me to the wonders of NPR, for listening to me recap my boring day, and for keeping the family close as we grow up and move away. Thank you for being awesome.

Car Talk and Bird Zappers

I have a not so secret affinity for Car Talk. I grew up listening to the show on Saturday mornings, granted it usually interrupted my plans to sleep in and be lazy and I never chose to listen to it, but I like to consider myself a lifelong listener. If you have never “wasted a perfectly good hour” tuning in to “Click and Clack the Tap It Brothers” your life is incomplete and you need to immediately rectify that. As a kid, and a teen, I thought the show was “beyond lame”. I remember one time telling a friend that the hosts though they were “all that and a bag of sun chips” but that they were clearly mistaken. Obviously, somewhere along the way I got over myself, and learned to come to the other side of life. Last weekend I heard something on car talk that must be shared with the general public- someone called in complaining that birds were using the mirrors of his truck as their own personal toilet. He had tried everything to get rid of them, but to no avail- but he had a sudden brainwave- to turn the motors on his mirrors into bird zappers- no I am not kidding. Click and Clack talked him through it, suggested he choose a less “barbaric” option, and when that didn’t work, told him how to zap the birds. If I hadn’t been listening how would I know to rig up that nifty little zapper (granted my car doesn’t have mirror motors but still)? Oh car talk you teach me so many important things! For those of you who have lived without car talk tune in to NPR on Saturday mornings at 10am- trust me it is worth the lost rest and relaxation.

Memory Lane Beans and Rice

Some people say music takes them back in time to specific memories, but I disagree, for me it is food. I grew up in a family where food was important, meals were planned in advance, everyone was required to participate in food prep, and cooking shows dominated saturday mornings- dinner was the center of the day not an afterthought.

There are some foods that just take me back to the days of scrunchies, the Babysitter's Club, and braces - things like cheesecake for breakfast, spinach pies, and beans and rice. All of these foods remind me of a kitchen full of family, NPR, and laughter. The one recipe that never fails to take me back to my childhood is beans and rice. My dad loves beans, I remember him saying on more than one occasion that what he was "craving" was a nice pot of beans- strange. Beans were something we ate after church on Sundays, something we ate in the winter when the sunset around 4:30, and something that made the Wright's Lake menu every year.

As a child and especially as a teen I HATED beans and rice for dinner. I thought they were boring, unfulfilling, and "vegetarian". In reality I was wrong about that, but then again at that time I would have given my right arm for a poptart. Now I am a fan of that dinner. I made it the other night, and I agree with my dad- this is fabulous.

These beans are delicious, cheap and take about 5 minutes to prepare.

"Memory Lane Beans and Rice"

Serves 4

2 c. great northern beans

1 onion, sliced

1 t. salt

2 t. pepper

1 hamhock

water

Place all ingredients in the crockpot. Cover the beans with water. Cover, cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Serve with rice.

CJ Update

As mentioned in the previous post we recently adopted a cat- a 5 month old black cat to be exact. Her name is CJ- after CJ the press secretary from the West Wing (aka greatest show EVER).

Why did we decide to get a cat you ask, well because we like them. Since before we got married Brian and I agreed that at some point during our married life we would get a cat. Up until this point we havent been allowed to get one, but ever since moving into our house the option has been open. I have been bringing up the subject on and off since we moved in, but we have always brushed it aside, agreeing that a cat is a big responsibility. Several weeks ago at work that all changed, one of the girls i work with was giving away kittens and we told her we would take one. Sadly that didnt work out, but it did inspire us to start looking at animal shelters. I should tell you that I have always wanted a black cat, for some reason I think they look cleaner than other cats (they arent but they look that way to me), so when we were searching at the shelters i was on the lookout for a black kitten. The shelter also told me that black cats get adopted last (people are afraid of them), so i had to give one a good home. I found the perfect kitten at the animal shelter, we called, and they told us she was sick and we couldnt have her. I made brian call the next day, and saturday we went to go and see her. While we were waiting to hear about the black kitten we met CJ. We had seen her online too, but she was a bit older (1 month) so we didnt pay much attention (mean of us). Well it turns out the other kitten ringworm and needed to stay for a bit longer, so we started looking at there other kittens. There was a cute and playful grey and white one that Brian wanted and CJ (and a bunch of others that we didnt like as well). Cj was calm and cuddly, and so sweet so we made our "donation" and brought her home. So far having a cat has been great, I sincerely apologize to everyone that told us not to get a cat, but i really like her, so I think it was a great decision.

Just in case you are not familar with the West Wing and CJ here is a snippet to give you an idea

Meet CJ

Meet CJ, more information to come... sorry Di