The incredibly rare Saturday evening post

I must be getting tired because the title just made me giggle.  When I was a little girl, my parents got the Saturday Evening Post and I always enjoyed reading it.  It wasn't rare at all in our house.

Now, back to the topic at hand.

It was spring break.

We took a trip to the state capital for a speech tournament.  Great experience but no ribbons at this one.  Because of an impending snow storm, we opted to stay over for an extra night.  Snow came much later than expected but my youngest lil one got a chance to swim outside as the snow was falling which is pretty stinkin' cool.  We were at a hotel with an indoor/outdoor pool.  (You swim under a partition and you are outside.)  Plenty of her friends might tell stories of swimming in the ocean over spring break but I pretty well imagine she will be the only one to swim outside with snow falling on her head!

While in the state capital we managed a little shopping--stocked up on chocolate which is terribly important.  Then we made the drive back home, leaving the snow behind but not heading into any kind of tropical paradise.  It was cold and grey back home.

The day after we got home we spent some time working in the basement.  We have a lot of free carpet we picked up from a friend who opened a new business.  That was two years ago and we finally got around to rolling out the carpet and getting it cleaned.  My insistence was to get one side of the basement done--and not return any of the junk to that side. So we have a lovely guest bedroom started.  The bed is pretty good and there are two couches in the room.  OK, so it's not really a "room" but more like a side of the basement.  But it is starting to take shape as a space to live in rather than a space to throw junk.

We did a huge "house cleaning"and went shopping for Easter clothes.  Thankfully, we had success.

The kids had friends for a sleepover.  We just hoped they would sleep.  Eventually they did.

Next on the list was shopping for shoes.  In took a few stops but we got everyone take care of in time.

We baked kuchens. . .for ourselves, for friends, for family. They were yummy.

I had a moment of idiocy when I went to the basement to get Cool Whip from the freezer and ended up moving filing cabinets and putting a countertop on them so the kids would have a work station again (like they did at the old house).  Then I went in search of lamps because we have primitive lighting in the basement so you can have all nine 100 watt bulbs on with the flick of one switch or you can turn on one of two lamps.  I need to make some hanging lamps.

This morning we hung out in the basement making plans for our new space.  Should we do a wall of four bunk beds?   It would cost me my book nook, huge closet and sewing space.  Or should we keep the book nook et al space and just do one set of built in bunk beds?  Should we do parallel shelving or units on adjacent walls (we decided on adjacent walls for now).  We planned out the kitchenette.  And bathroom--again.

It's been crazy busy.  Dreaming.  Screaming.  Hanging out laughing.  Arguing.  Living all together in 1 room for 2 nights.  Spreading out across the house.

And tomorrow, we celebrate Easter.  Just before we have to go back to reality. . .just eight weeks until the end of school, right?

Because it's Saturday, how about a little Saturday night music?  We aren't in Louisiana but you don't have to be to enjoy the song.  This one's a performance video so it's a bit different from the one I listened to all those years ago but I like the energy in it.  Enjoy!

Sleepovers and cookies

Midway through spring break so it was time to do a sleepover.  I'm a fan of having them on Saturday nights but since we were out of town for the first Saturday of break and the second Saturday turns into Easter, we settled on the Wednesday night sleepover.

We like to start the sleepover with supper.  Sometimes we make homemade pizza or maybe grill burgers or just whatever kid-friendly meal sounds good to the majority.  Last night we settled on taco night.  Definite good idea.

And for our special treat for the kids, a giant chocolate chip cooke!  This one is so easy.  I swear I wonder where it was all my life.  A friend shared a link one night and the next night we decided it was our new family favorite cookie.

I have read several versions online but this one is the tried and true favorite in our home.  It comes from The $5 Dinner Mom's One Dish Dinners.  Click on that and head straight over to the blog.  It has pictures that look so yummy you will see why we had to make one right away.

(Yes, the kids loved it.  No, they couldn't finish it all off in one sitting.  Yuuuuum!)


 

Wishin' and Hopin'

Just have to say that I appreciate how some of you have been peeking in to see if I am here.  We are in the middle of spring break for the family and I must say, it's been good for us.  We're still grouchy but not because we have homework to get done and deadlines to meet.  No, this is run of the mill grouchiness that comes with spring break and snow.

Yes, snow.

We should be well past the snowy part of the year but we are not.  We were out of town for a few days and got caught up in a 10" snowfall.  We waited it out and changed our return route to avoid messy roads.

Then we got home and watched it snow some more.

Crazy.

So here we are, half way through spring break.  And not quite ready for Easter.  So again, if you don't see me, just assume I am trying to figure out what we are all wearing for Easter and what we are all eating for Easter as well as who all will be here for Easter.

Maybe we need a little something extra for spring. . .How about a special Wednesday song for spring?

Happy Wednesday everyone!

At a bit of a loss for words

So today I'm just going to quietly connect you to some Floyd Cramer, my go-to feel better music, and let it go at that.

This week took a real toll on me.  I need to collect my thoughts and get back on track.

Have a great weekend.

Ahhhhh, vacation!

And we need it!

No spectacular plans for spring break but that's OK.  Just a break in the routine sounds marvelous.

Plus we get a whole week to figure out what we will wear for Easter.  And to dye our eggs! And plan for a good Easter Sunday together.

Good stuff.

If you don't see me next week. . .well, I apologize.  But sometimes a girl just needs some time off.

Practically Perfect, Right?

Families are really something else.

We all look at our own and think "there is no one else with a family that is so messed up."

Newsflash!!

All families are a mess.

Some just hide it better than others.

And yet when the news is bad, who do you count on to help you through?  Family.

Mine showed that once again.

Five days ago our family was handed a bundle of bad news.  And as soon as word spread, family did just what it does best--take care of each other.

Proof that even when it seems that your family is a bizarre mix of personalities, they know just how to react to a crisis.  Key components are always food, hugs and prayers.

And at those three things we are practically perfect.

Definitely.

And as was pointed out during the funeral yesterday, Love keeps us going.

Homeward Bound

Although it's probably more fitting to have this on Saturday as part of my Saturday music series, I'm putting this one out there for you today.  Just a little Simon and Garfunkel for a day when we say goodbye to one who left us far too early.  Simon and Garfunkel's music reminds me of my childhood.  And since my greatest memories of "that boy" are from when I was just a little girl, I think it fits.  He is homeward bound with God.

As a footnote, another branch of the family is saying goodbye to a family member today and while I was never as close to that individual, it is noted that his family will miss him too.

Lime Chicken Tacos for a Tuesday

I found this recipe several years ago over at Allrecipes.com and it became a huge family favorite.  Gosh, I bet we have been eating this one for more than 10 yrs now. 

In order to make meals faster during the week, sometimes I put 3 pounds of chicken breasts  and a can of vegetable or chicken broth in the crockpot on Sunday morning before church.  Then on Sunday evening I can shred it and divide for meals.  Our favorite meals are BBQ chicken, chicken salad and of course today's special recipe--Lime Chicken Tacos.

1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast meat shredded.

1/8 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 lime, juiced

1 teaspoon white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 green onions, chopped (or use onion powder so the kids don't even see it!)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

 

We use flour tortillas and the regular taco fixings like lettuce, cheese, salsa, and sour cream

Ideally you mix the vinegar, lime juice, sugar, salt, pepper, garlic, onions and oregano together to simmer then add the shredded chicken.

This meal always makes my middle girl a happy girl!

Original recipe found here

That Boy

When I was little, I never could keep them straight.  So I always referred to the two of them as "that boy," usually with a point or a nod of the head to more accurately indicate which one of them had done something.

They were both older than me.  By the time I started kindergarten they would have been in high school.  They took their turns working at "The Little Red School House" which was the unofficial name of the little diner down the road from their house.  All the kids in that family took a turn working there, I do believe.  There were six of them all together.

I never had trouble keeping any of the other kids straight. There was the dark haired older boy and three sisters.  The oldest sister was probably 15 yrs old when I was born.  The middle one was probably 13.  Their baby sister was just 4 when I was born. 

But those two middle boys, both with blond hair were hard for me to tell apart.

Eventually as they got older I could tell them apart.  One went off to the Marines and later got married.  The other stayed here.  He didn't marry or have kids of his own.  But he came to be known as "Super Dad" to a bunch of kids over the years.

This one, the younger of the two known as "That Boy" was a mechanic.  He took excellent care of my car for me when I was in college.  When the dealership he worked at closed, he shifted his career to work full-time as stage crew.

It was in that role he became "Super Dad."  At one of the summer musical productions put on by students from all of our high schools, it was noted that this one dad was there all the time and he seemed to know something about everything that went on in the musical.  The kids asked "who's dad is that?"  And then the found out he wasn't anybody's dad. . .but they called him "Super Dad."

We lost him over the weekend.  Words are so difficult.  It shouldn't have turned out this way.

He made a mean potato salad. 

He loved to play pranks (especially as a kid who knew all too well that ketchup was a great substitute for blood, right?)

He loved his family.

He loved IU basketball.

He loved his mom.

And we miss him terribly.

May he rest in peace.

In 1814 we took a little trip. . .

Hahaha--not really.  But that's how one of my childhood songs starts off.  My dad always loved the songs that told a story.  And Johnny Horton told some good ones.

I heard this one the other day in the car on the way to a movie with my daughter.  I sang along and she didn't object.  She knows good music when she hears it. . .or at least she knows not to interrupt on of her mama's "memories" kind of moments.

So here it is, just for you "The Battle of New Orleans"  I am partial to this video because it's Johnny Horton, not someone putting pictures of their own (ahem, the internet) to his song :-)

Time to say goodbye

I knew the day would come.


After all, it is March.

And spring break is right around the corner.

We don't live in an area where boots are year round fashion necessities.

Therefore, the time has come to start planning life without boots.

It will be sad.

But I can manage.

I think.

If you notice that I'm not around, it could be that I'm in a deep dark depression, missing my boots.

Surely it won't last forever.

Cute skirts and tans are just around the corner, right?

And white pants.  Happy days.

Habemus Papum!

And there you have it.  A new pope.

Riveting?  It was for me.  I was just a child when Pope John Paul II was chosen.  I remember Pope Benedict's election better since it was just eight years ago.

But I do not recall sitting to watch him be announced to the world.

This time I did. 

What an electric moment.

I read a line on one of the news sites about how once you see the white smoke and you are waiting to see who will be the pope, it's something like waiting for a baby to be born.

True.

So true.

Initial thoughts on Pope Francis I?

He is in my prayers.  He faces many challenges.  The Roman Catholic Church has faced struggles and scandal over the years.  By all accounts he seems to be a traditionalist. . .not likely to make radical changes to the Church.  He is compassionate without compromising Church teachings.  He is humble.  Many are pointing to the symbolism of his name--the first Pope Francis and the idea that Francis of Assisi was a humble man who worked to rebuild the Church.

Prayers for our Pope Francis.  May God bless him.

The Grand Tour

I just couldn't wait to share this old one from George Jones.  We heard it in the car the other day. . .good old stuff.  I can't help but love old country music because the songs tell a story.  They will make you laugh.  They will make you cry.  This one is the latter.

 

Thank goodness it's Wednesday.  I don't think I have recovered from the time change yet.  

Crab Rangoon. . .a meal just once during Lent

We used to go to this one little Chinese buffet years ago and I loved their crab rangoon.  Many years ago someone showed me how to make it at home but it was too much trouble to make for just the two of us.  Since we have a family now though. . .and they love fried foods. . .well, once each Lent we just make this our meal.

 

 

 2 packages of wonton wrappers

1 lb of crab meat (we use imitation crab) cut up small
2 8-oz packages of 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1 slice of onion (1/4" thick) finely diced

Blend the crab meat and onion into the cream cheese. We thin the mixture with a tablespoon or so of pickle juice.

Separate the wrappers. Put about a teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture in the middle of a wrapper. Dip your finger in a small dish of water and line 2 sides of the wrapper with water. Fold the wrapper over to form a triangle. (The water helps seal the wrapper).  Try not to stack them on top of each other before you fry them.  If they stick together and the wrapper rips, you have a crazy mess when you go to fry them.

We fried them, 4 at a time in a mixture of Crisco shortening and vegetable oil, about 2" deep for about a minute on each side.  When you take them out of the fryer, be sure you put them on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

We fry up the mess of them (taste-testing them along the way) then sit own with our bowls of sweet and sour to dip them in and call it a meal.  For all that work, they might as well be the star of the meal, not just an appetizer.

Hope you enjoy them! 

Sharing some pride in my second girly

Yesterday we went to Mass. . .on time thank you despite my phone failing to update the time.

When we got there, we discovered that there were no servers.  Mass had already started and my girls were certain it was not their turn to serve.  But there we were, in (almost) the front pew and no one was serving.

The girls talked quickly and quietly.  One was not comfortable serving in the outfit she was wearing (not all skirts and shoes are the best attire for serving).  The other one was reluctant to serve by herslef.

But she went and dressed in the robe and served anyway.

Well done young lady.  Well done. 

You make me feel like dancing!

There's just something about this song.  Not exactly great music but it will make you feel like dancing! 

Hope your Saturday is great!

Royal Wedding!!

Oh boy, made you look!  I was just delighted to find Royal Wedding on YouTube!

Sit back and enjoy today's classic movie.  I love Fred Astaire!  He was dancing on the ceiling before it was cool!

Make a Happy Happy Happy Face!

I am pretty certain that I have the best dad in the world.  He always paid attention to us as kids.  He made sacrifices for us.  He chose us over his own wishes, time and time again.

And he was funny.

Going in to "wake him up" on Saturday morings turned into a game..  He would pull the sheet up over his head and we put one hand out over his face to do a little magic spell.  We would say "Make a happy happy happy face" while moving our hand in a circular motion.  Then he'd flip the cover back and we'd be surprised by the face he made--it was anything but happy!  It might be sad or scary.  We'd laugh and go another round.  Flip the sheet over his face and say "Make a sad sad sad face" and when he flipped the cover back, there he was--silly face that led to more giggles.

We could go on and on with it.  Hey, we were kids.

Just one of the little happy memories from Saturday mornings at my house.

Thanks Dad. For all the fun. 

Youth Dew

When I was a little girl, my family spent a good amount of time hanging out with a nun and her friends at the convent.  This nun had been a good friend of the family for many years. . .she had in fact been my mother's first grade teacher.  And when I was born, I was named after this nun.

So for many, many years, we made the trek up the high way to visit with her.  Sometimes she would sign out a car and drive into town to stay with us.  She was simply family.

She was always interested in what my sister and I were doing and she was just genuinely tickled to spend time with us.

At the start and end of each visit we would get wrapped up into hugs.  The kind of hugs that when you are a little girl you find almost suffocating.  And yet you know they are good hugs.  But have mercy, a girl needs to breathe, right?

Nuns give up so much in order to spend their lives in prayer.  Sister often put away little bits of money here and there so that we could have treats from the vending machine when we visited.  And she bought us birthstone rings one year for Christmas. 

She also had one little luxury for herself--Youth Dew perfume. 

I'm rambling.

I haven't smelled Youth Dew in years.  Sister died ten years ago.  I hadn't seen her much during the last few years as I was busy working and raising my own family.  Yet I still remember her laugh, her soft brown eyes and the scent of Youth Dew.

Completely unrelated, several years ago my sister in law gave me some relaxation bath gel and lotion.  The bath gel smelled minty on it's own.  But when I put the lotion on, something magical happened.

I smelled Youth Dew.

How odd.  I never thought of Youth Dew as smelling minty.  Yet the combination of the matching relaxation bath gel and lotion made Youth Dew.

And I felt like Sister sent me a little message.  She's still looking out over us.  And it was like I found a way to get a hug from her any time I need one now.  Because those hugs never really were suffocating.  No, they were the tight embrace of someone who loved our family.

RIP Blow Dryer. AKA how do I get used to a new blow dryer?

Surely I cannot be the only person who whacks herself in the side of the head when using a new blow dryer.

It's insult to injury, yanno?

Devastating enough that I came home the other day to discover that my oldest had borrowed my blow dryer and it "blew up" on her just before the cord melted.

Yes.  Melted.

I don't believe any of my blow dryers have ever done that.  She said that it glowed then the cord just melted apart.

So I had to go searching for a new blow dryer.    Finally found one at a price I thought I could live with.  And it looked to be shaped around the same as my recently deceased blow dryer.  It had the same heat settings and fan speed.

Of course, it's not the same.  Not even close.  It doesn't seem to get as hot (probably good) nor does it dry as fast.

The initial running of the blow dryer went fine.  My hair got dry anyway.  And the diffuser does a nice job on those days when I want my hair to be curly.  So maybe it will work out.

But I still miss my other one. 

And I will wait I will wait for you

Great song to kick of the week. . .whether you want to pick at it for deeper meaning or just have something to force you out of bed and into a good mood to face the week.

Happy Monday!

Sayelle Yarn, Blue Light Specials and the Carpenters

Kmart.

Funny what the mind puts together.

I remember many trips to Kmart when I was a little girl. 

"Attention all Kmart shoppers. . . ."

Oh gosh, I just remembered the black myna bird they had in the pet section of the store (and the aromas of the lawn and garden center next door to it).  My sister and I used to get permission to wander over to toys then pets to talk to the bird while my mom shopped.  Now how crazy is that?  Mom must have felt awfully safe in Kmart to let us do that.

Sayelle yarn was a favorite stop in Kmart for me.  All the colors.  All the possibilities.

Probably not surprising at all is the fact that music at Kmart stands out in my memory.   I remember a lot of the Carpenters.

This one was a favorite back in the day.

Friday Movie!! Charade

Just can't help but fall back on one of my favorite Cary Grant movies. . .OK, truth be told they are probably all my favorites. 

Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant did a fantastic job with this one.  I just know you'll enjoy it.