A Glorious Spring Day with Our Granddaughters

After an especially cold winter, we've all been ready for a beautiful spring day, and yesterday we got our wish! Fortunately, we had set the day aside to spend with our granddaughters, Britt/Gingersnap and Ky. Steve and I picked them up at 10:00a.m. and we all headed for Branson to do some shopping at a favorite outlet mall. The girls had good success and came away with new shorts and tops for the warmer weather.

We headed to Applebee's where we enjoyed lunch, and then we headed west on 76 to the Dutton Theatre for the 2:00p.m. show featuring The Cat's Pajamas. I had attended The George Dyer Show in Branson recently, and The Cat's Pajamas came out and sang one "teaser" song to entice us to come and see their show. Obviously, it worked. I was sure our granddaughters would love them, and I was right. The chance to have their picture taken with the members of the group wasn't bad either. (You can check them out at http://www.vocalmeow.com/)

Following the show, we headed for TJ Maxx (it was my turn to score with pickled asparagas and sea salt grinders, and a cute flower pot I thought would be the perfect accompaniment for the pansies I wanted to give a young friend who just miscarried). We also had fun checking out a new bookstore (Books a Million/BAM!) but quickly learned that it wasn't like the publisher's clearinghouse we're used to at another mall, and despite the fun look-see, came away empty handed.

We headed back toward home and Papa invited his three girls to have dinner at the club where he plays golf; I think he was enjoying their company as much as I was. It was so much fun, in fact, that the girls didn't hesitate to respond enthusiastically when I suggested we do it again soon. Actually, during the performance of The Cat's Meow, George Dyer came out and sang a song from Phantom of the Opera, which just happens to be Britt's favorite opera. We may just need to take the girls to see his entire show soon.

Let's see, I spent Thursday in St. Louis at the Temple with friends and Saturday in Branson with family. And today, being Sunday, was spent in Church, resting, and . . .All play and no work makes for a messy house (or something like that, yes?), so I guess I'll do a little laundry tomorrow and clean a thing or three, before heading to pick up Reed and Ky from school and take them swimming. Never a dull moment, and I'm so glad!

Spring Break Horse Camp

March 22-26 was Spring Break here for the public school children. For the past two years, Miss Ky has participated in the Spring Break Horse Camp at Sac River Stables, and wanted to do so again this year. Reed joined her for the first time this year, and loved it!
Fortunately, they are all about safety, and take great measures to ensure the children have been properly trained before turning them loose on the horses. That meant that with Reed being the newby on the block, he never rode without a counselor directly with him. And they were always required to wear riding helmets.
A couple of days it rained, one day most of the day, so the campers rode in the inside arena. This didn't excuse them from their daily chores, however, of feeding the animals and scooping poop. I thought perhaps Ky would have grown tired of that but, if so, it failed to "disenthuse" her from participating. (I coined a new word and kindof like it, don't you? I'll bet you know what I mean, anyway!)

Because Ky is older and has had some experience "under her belt," she was allowed to ride solo this year in the indoor arena. She still had a counselor with her on the trail ride. (Not surprising what with the litigious society we live in, yes?)



As evidenced by the following photos, Ky has grown considerably over the three years that she has participated in spring break horse camp.


My d-in-law Sara told me that after I dropped Reed off on Friday (the final day of the camp), he said, "Mommy, I'm kindof sad." She asked why and he answered, "Because I think I'm really going to miss horse camp tomorrow." The camp is thirty minutes one way from our home, so I spent two hours every day just driving them to and from camp. It would not have been worth it had they not enjoyed it so much.

Having grown up on a cattle ranch/farm in WY, and having learned to ride a horse almost before I learned to walk, I truly love horses, so our grandchildren come by it honestly, even if their horse-riding experiences are, from necessity, slightly more conjured or artificial. I thought this would be a good place to include some of my favorite people/equine photos. Pictured in this first photo are my sister Lynda and me (with the straw hat). We look pretty happy to be on our horse, don't we? See what I meant when I stated earlier that I learned to ride almost before I learned to walk?
In this next photo are my Mother and my sisters Donna (L) and Sharon (R). They both still love to ride and, in fact, Donna has spent many hours (and, I'm afraid, a few bones) breaking horses. I think we've all convinced her to stick to her horse-whispering and riding for the rest of her life. We like having her around too much for the risky stuff!
These next three photos feature three of my favorite cowboys: my brothers, Mike, Joel, and Bobby. They elicit many fond memories!


Finally, the cowboy featured in these last two paintings (yes! paintings, not photographs!) is my cousin Steve. The artist is Steve's wife, western artist Ann Hanson. I love Ann's artwork as it also stirs many fond memories of life on the ranch.
It has been fun to see my love for all things equine being shared by our grandchildren. Gingersnap also loves to ride but I guess has outgrown Spring Break Horse Camp and is on to preparing to take her driver's test. Go Britt!

Too Busy Living Life to Blog It

When, for the past MONTH-plus, one has been too busy living life to blog it, how does one catch up? I'm not sure one can, thus, for journaling purposes, I will briefly recap some of the busy-ness that has kept me other-than-blogging-occupied.

On February 19, I got together with former co-workers to celebrate the impending retirement of our friend Linnie. I always thoroughly enjoy the opportunity to get caught up a bit with these friends.

February 22 - For the past couple of years (since retiring from the University), I have been volunteering one afternoon a week at the Family History Center. Genealogy is a passion and I've enjoyed this opportunity. Our Center Director has been in critical health most of that time and, though very knowledgable, has not been able to provide training for us "newbies." We have a new Director who, bless her heart, is in her 80's and though very willing, was feeling more than a little overwhelmed. I assured her we would help her. I then called the Director in my former Stake and asked if we could come and "pick her brain." Better than that, she volunteered to come to our Center and train us on our materials, and continue the training until we felt we could handle it on our own. Such generosity and very much appreciated!

I attended the first training session and then, before I could attend the second, I was giving a new responsibility as First Counselor in the Relief Society (Women's Organization). I will still try to find at least a couple of hours a week to volunteer at the Center but have a lot of new responsibilities on my plate now. I'm even more appreciative of my friend Janice for her willingness to do the training at the Center.

February 26-27 - Attended the St. Louis Stamp Expo with my hubby (a fun, two-day "date night")

Feb. 27 evening--Annual fly-fishing club banquet. It's their annual fund-raising event to keep the club solvent. Steve is generous in his purchase of raffle tickets and we are proportionately "lucky" in the fun raffle items we get to bring home. This year's prizes included a food basket with ham, bologna, jars of assorted salsas and spreads, and a HUGE block of pepper-jack cheese. I was fortunate to have my ticket drawn for another piece of our friend Mark's (an artisan from the Branson area) pottery (love it!). And Steve came away with some nice prizes, too. He had donated one of his coveted, handmade bobbins, along with two beautiful fly plates that brought about $700 in the live auction. It's always a fun event and a nice opportunity to catch up with friends we see just a couple of times a year. I also had the opportunity to meet the wife of a man I've known for years, and whom we trust so much with our automobiles that it determines the brands we will and will not buy (only those Rick works on!). Steve had invited Rick to attend a class taught by a world-class "deer hair fly tyer," who came to Springfield to conduct this workshop and stayed at our home. Rick was enamored with the flies and, when Steve framed two fly plates featuring those flies, Rick "had to have them." He was the successful bidder for both of Steve's plates and was ecstatic to get them. That always makes volunteering one's time and efforts rewarding. And we really enjoyed finally meeting Donna.

On Sunday, February 28, I took on new responsibilities as I was sustained First Counselor in our Relief Society. Our Stake hosted a Spring Break Women's Conference for five stakes on March 12-13, and our Ward Conference was on March 14. I needed to "hit the ground running," and I tried to do just that. More to follow on that subject.

On March 1, I enjoyed a "Wax Museum" experience at Ky's school that I found a delightful way to learn about some very famous and some not-as-famous people. Each student impersonated a famous person. The student was to research his/her character and write a speech (they were to be "not less than 2 minutes," although some were considerably shorter). The students, dressed as their respective characters, were placed throughout the school library. Each had a paper "button" on his/her wrist which was to be pressed by the visiting parents, teachers, or students, at which point the student began the memorized speech about herself as if she were that person. I was not familiar with Ky's famous person--Ida B. Wells--but gained tremendous respect for this Black woman who did much to promote not only the rights of Blacks but the right of women to vote.

Ky's speech was the required two minutes and she did a great job memorizing and presenting it. As her teacher said, "She's outstanding; she really spit it out." I thought to myself what a great help all those 2-1/2 minute talks in Primary have been!





On March 2, you would have found me with my daughter-in-law and grandson at a candlelight vigil for one of Reed's classmates, an absolutely beautiful little girl who will turn 6 later this month. Kali has a rare (and very aggressive) form of leukemia. To watch her parents go through this has been heart-breaking. At the same time, it is both an opportunity to join with prayer warriors from many other faiths to join our faith in behalf of Kali and her family, and a reminder of how thankful I am for the knowledge that families can be forever. My advice to anyone reading this: Love one another, each day, every day, for one never knows . . .

On March 4, my friend Roxanne and I took lunch to our friends Terry and Shirley. Shirley was diagnosed a few months ago with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). She is an amazing woman and such a great example of a Christian woman with faith. I told her she looks great and she said that she is not in pain; her body simply doesn't work right any more, particularly her right leg. We had such a good visit. I've since learned that she fell and broke her leg. Dang! I must call Roxie again and we'll plan another visit and meal soon. There's so much to be said for friendship, particularly when the time is right to lend a helping hand.

March 12-13 Our Stake hosted a 5-Stake Spring Break Women's Conference in Branson this weekend. Two or three of the Stakes had conflicting events planned but we still had several hundred women in attendance. It was awesome!!! The "Love Is Spoken Here" Conference began at 4 p.m. Friday evening and registration and a humanitarian project (packing and shipping boxes of requested items to military service personnel); a Readers' Corner; a Lotions and Potions pampering activity; hair styles for children and formal occasions, among other things. My friend Linda (she now lives in Branson and invited me to stay at her home) and I chose to attend the George Dyer show. I was not familiar with him and didn't know what to expect. Well, just let me say this, If you're a Josh Groban fan, you'd love George Dyer! He just signed a five-year contract at the Dutton Theatre (where our Conference was held, along with the Dutton Inn) and one of his daughters also sang two solos and a duet with her dad ("The Prayer"--maybe you've heard Josh Groban and Charlotte Church perform it, or Il Divo and Celine Dionne). Oooooh, goose bumps! I urge you to check out his website and treat yourself to his fabulous voice. http://www.georgedyer.com/

We also got a special treat by The Cat's Pajamas, a four-man group similar to SIX, who just signed a 3-year contract in Branson. Like SIX, all the "percussion," "instruments," etc. are performed with their mouths. They were fantastic! I would like to attend the entire show soon.

We were treated to great speakers along with musical selections from Women of Destiny performed by some very talented members of our Stake (some of whom are professional entertainers in Branson). A special treat was having Sister Allred from the Relief Society General Board in attendance. She spoke Saturday morning, and then conducted a two-hour training on Saturday afternoon (after the Conference ended) for R.S. presidencies from the five-stake area. I've never attended a better, more inspiring training! We, in Third Ward, were really spoiled; inasmuch as today was our Ward Conference, Sister Allred attended and spoke in Sac. Meeting (Church) and again in Relief Society (the women's meeting). What an amazing woman.

As an ambassador for the Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (BTW, at 6 MILLION women, the largest organization of women in the world!), she travels throughout the world, teaching and training and instilling in women of many cultures the knowledge that they are daughters of a Heavenly Father who loves them. What an awesome responsibility!

March 17 found me baking two batches of cinnamon rolls and taking them to our son's offices. The occasion was that Gary passed his Series 7 exam, for which he has been studying--almost day and night--for some time now. You can imagine the stress involved when keeping your new job (as a financial advisor) depends upon your passing the test. HE DID IT! and we're proud of him. I figured it was almost as easy to bake two batches as one, so made the second batch for Jon and his office mates. I told Jon to thank his brother since it was Gary's accomplishment this time that prompting the baking. (Jon requested turtle brownies not long ago to share with his office mates so, as you parents know, each child gets his/her "turn.")

I always enjoy celebrating St. Pat's Day by calling my cousin Connie (who is like a fifth sister to me, and my sisters and parents claim her, too) and wishing her a happy birthday. She even takes her turn caring for our precious Daddy, and I'm most thankful for that.

Thursday, March 18--I rounded up some favorite gal pals and we headed to St. Louis to spend the day at the Temple. Always the best of days. I treasure these experiences and associations. (No fried ice cream this time, though!)

On Saturday, March 20, Sara, Reed and I attended Kali's funeral (the little girl I mentioned above). We were broken-hearted when she succombed to the cancer while, at the same time, relieved that she did not have to suffer further. The service was held at their large church and it was full, mostly of adults but Reed was one of several children who attended. At the end of the very nice service, the Pastor said they would like to allow a few minutes for attendees who desired to say a few words about how they knew Kali and what she meant to them.

Two adults raised their hands for the microphone and said a few words, and then Reed told Sara he would like to speak. Sara raised her hand for the mic, and I think both of us held our breath for a minute, wondering what Reed would say. He took the mic, looked both directions at the congregation, and then proceeded: "My name is Reed. Kali was my best friend." Everyone was so touched. As he handed the mic to me to pass back, I said that I did not know Kali personally; rather, I was there to support my grandson and daughter-in-law. But, I added, I would like to share with them something that Reed said to me a few months ago. He said, "When I grow up, I would like to be Mr. Kali Stewart." The congregation loved that. Kali was a very special and very loved little girl who in her not-quite six years made a lasting impression on everyone who knew her. As one woman put it, "Perhaps life is not measured by length but by intensity, and Kali was a very intense little girl who was loved by everyone."

Although it's now April 5th, I'm going to end this update here because I want to do separate entries for at least a couple of events in our lives. If I'm lucky, perhaps I can even get back on "schedule" (hmmmm, that's a lofty goal). As I've said many times before, and am sure I will say many more times: There are far worse maladies than busy-ness. So, I shall continue to try and sort out the good, Better, and BEST! Wish me luck, will you?

Lots to Celebrate

With three February birthdays and Valentine's Day, our family had a lot to celebrate.
Sara's birthday came first and she celebrated with a trip to Mexico with three girlfriends. Megan and Sara were born in the same hospital room and have been friends since. Megan is an E.R. doctor and has lots of airline and hotel "miles," so she took Sara for her birthday. We had a chance to help out a little with "The Reeders," but Reed is at the age now where he and his Daddy are "buds," and Gary handled most of the parenting without our assistance. Sara's favorite birthday cake is Red Velvet (and it came in the form of cupcakes this year), and she loves Strawberry Pretzel Salad. Actually, it's our family's favorite jello salad, and being red, was perfect for Valentine's Day, too.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
Yield: 8 to 10 servings (9" x 13" inch pan)

Ingredients
2 cups crushed pretzels
3/4 cup melted butter
3 tablespoons sugar, plus 3/4 cup sugar
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1 (8-ounce) container whipped topping
2 (3-ounce) packages strawberry gelatin dessert mix
2 cups boiling water
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen strawberries
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple
Whipped topping or whipped cream, to garnish
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

For the crust, mix the pretzels, butter, and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Press this mixture into a 9 by 13-inch pan and bake for 7 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.

In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and 3/4 cup of sugar. Fold in the whipped topping, and spread over the cooled crust. Refrigerate until well chilled.

In a small bowl, dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water, and allow to cool slightly. Add the strawberries and pineapple, and pour over the cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate until serving time.

To serve, cut slices and serve with a dollop of whipped topping, if desired.




Jon's birthday was next and he would love to have had the opportunity to make the trek to CA to be there "up close and personal" for the national off-road races he loves so much. Jon has loved "motorized vehicles" since he was old enough to talk, and has made a name for himself as one of their "golden voice" announcers. Instead of the trip, he took one day off work and watched the race from the comfort of his own home. He requested Turtle Brownies instead of birthday cake and took them to work to share with his co-workers and then, later, his family and friends.


Ky's birthday is last, and we're actually celebrating hers a little early. Instead of the usual birthday party, she opted this year to spend the day with her BFF (Best Friend Forever), shopping and having lunch at the Olive Garden, which we will do tomorrow since the public schools are closed for Presidents' Day. I think she's growing up and, in a way, it makes me sad, but I guess we can't keep them little forever.

Judging from what Ky is wearing, one might guess that she's a TWILIGHT and Edward Cullen fan. Do ya think? The sweatshirt was what she wanted for her birthday and I thought I'd have to send it back because it was so large. But, she said she loved her "Edward dress," and it's fine the way it is. Makes it easy on me.
I decided to include the photo of the raspberry lemonade, despite the fact that you really can't tell that the ice cubes are heart-shaped and pink. I had made heart-shaped ice cubes for Ky's birthday party last year, so she wasn't surprised by that, but she asked me why they were pink. I said, "Well, you tell me what tip I taught you about making ice cubes for punch." She thought a second and then said, "Oh yah, you make the ice cubes for the punch out of some of the punch so that when you add them it doesn't water down or dilute the punch." She did remember! And she is growing up.

Everyone in our family LOVES bar-b-que beef brisket, and Steve is our Master of the Big Green Egg. The brisket sandwiches were a hit with our birthday kiddos and our Valentines.



Finally, inasmuch as it's practically a universal declaration that one CANNOT celebrate Valentine's Day without chocolate, I'll share the recipe for the Chocolate Buttermilk Sheet Cake we enjoyed. DISCLAIMER: If you are "dieting" (bannish the word for this holiday!), there is not a single redemptive quality about this decadent cake (unless you believe the old addage, "calories disappear when the food is eaten with friends or family"). I've been making this cake for as long as I can remember and there are dozens and dozens of similar recipes out there, but as you can see, this particular recipe is provided by Ree Drummond (pioneerwoman.com). ENJOY!

Chocolate Sheet Cake
- makes one 18x12-inch cake -

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond.

Ingredients
Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
4 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder

Icing
1 3/4 sticks butter
4 heaping tablespoon cocoa powder
6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound powdered sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)

Procedure
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Stir together and set aside.

3. In another bowl, mix the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and baking soda. Mix with a fork and set aside.

4. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and add the cocoa.

5. Whisk together to combine. Meanwhile, bring 1 cup of water to a boil.

6. When the butter is melted, pour the boiling water in the pan. Allow to bubble for a moment, then turn off the heat.

7. Pour the chocolate mixture into the flour mixture.

8. Stir together for a moment to cool the chocolate, then pour in the egg mixture.

9. Stir together until smooth, then pour into an ungreased jelly roll pan (or rimmed baking sheet) and bake for 20 minutes.

10. While the cake is baking make the icing. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. (I just wash out the same one I used for the cake. Makes me feel responsible and productive.)

11. Add the cocoa powder and stir until smooth.

12. Add the milk and vanilla.

13. Add the powdered sugar. Stir together.

14. Dump in the chopped pecans and stir until well combined.

15. Immediately after removing the cake from the oven, pour the warm icing over the top. You'll want to avoid doing much spreading, so try to distribute it as evenly as possible.


It was fun to celebrate all three of our February birthdays, and oh, how we love our kids and grandkids. But it is Valentine's Day, afterall, so I will close this blog by thanking my hubby--and best friend--for another wonderful year. I love you, Sweetheart!

A New and Healthier You . . . Well, Most of the Time

On Tuesday evening, the women's organization at my church hosted a special evening titled "A New and Healthier You." It was a freezing cold evening (snowy and blowy, with a windchill temp. of 6 degrees!) so I wondered what the turnout would be but about 30 turned out so we had a good group.

A darling young mother of five (Jamie) taught the first class on stretching and strengthening exercises and relaxation. Jamie is a great example of someone who turned her passion into her profession, second of course, to being a mother. She took a yoga class four years ago and loved it so much that she became a pro at it. She now teaches yoga, jazzercise, pilates and more, and has been able to greatly supplement their family's income by so doing.

Following Jamie's great instruction, we had healthy refreshments. Amber is our "food coordinator," and you can trust anything she touches to be both beautiful and delicious. She made the darling, smiley-faced melon with the wild "fruit kabob hairdo." I took shrimp and some veggies with a dip I concocted using low-fat cottage cheese and non-fat plain yogurt, blended smooth in my Magic Bullet, and seasoned with dry Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning. The gals seemed to like it. There were a number of other yummy offerings and I don't think anyone missed the extra calories.


The second class was taught by Gaylynn and she made me proud. I say that because a number of years ago she and her husband transferred to MO from UT. She had been pursing a B.S. degree at the University of Utah in exercise physiology. Missouri State did not offer that degree, although we offered coursework to support it. She came to me to see about an Individualized Major (a program I coordinated prior to retirement). She got her Individualized Major, then a Master's degree. She is now the Wellness Coordinator for one of the two large hospital systems here. She also teaches at MSU. She is very knowledgeable and a great teacher. She taught us how to set (and reach) realistic goals, and provided great answers to a number of questions from the audience.

It was a great evening with lots of good information.

Life is life, though, right, and sometimes ya just gotta celebrate. I mean, when your 90-year-old friend looks at the menu and asks, "What is fried ice cream?" and admits she's never tried it, and a second friend says she hasn't either, isn't it sortof in the job description of the remaining two of you (who, by the way, HAVE had it and loved it) to make sure they don't leave this life without adding that experience to their culinary repertoire??!!!! Well, yah! :)

You can see from the picture that we all partook of this not-so-healthy, but very fun dessert, at the Mexican restaurant we ate at on the way home from our trip to the St. Louis Temple today.

We had so much fun and such an uplifting day. I'll just close this entry by saying, "Oh how I love my SISTERS, both biological and "adopted."

My Take on "Afternoon Delight"

If you are someone who neither loves the smell of bread fresh from the oven, nor drools over it when it's warm, slathered with butter and maybe some homemade strawberry jam, you will not appreciate this blog. But, as for me, and my family--well, you can blame my Mother. I was raised on homemade bread.

Actually, it was Daddy who was first raised on homemade bread, and having little desire to switch the store-bought, "white fluffy stuff," he took pride in taking credit for teaching Mother to bake bread. Well, she was a star pupil! She raised our family on it. And, my sister Donna took a precious video of Mother baking her last batch just two days before she died. Mother literally rose from her sick bed, announced that she wanted to bake bread, and asked to be transported to the kitchen in her wheelchair. Ingredients were placed on the table before her and she proceeded to mix her bread and knead it in a large, stainless steel bowl on her lap. My son Jon and I were in WY at the time and were blessed to be participants in that experience. It will be forever etched in our memories.

At the end of 2009, I purchased a Nutri-Mill (grinder, for anyone who might not be familiar). I opted for an electric one. With travel and the bustle of the holidays, I had not had a chance to even open the box, and I decided it was high time I tried it out. Fortuitously, I received an email last week from a friend through whom I order the steel-cut oats we love (mixed with Canada's Red River Cereal) for breakfast. Lynn was hosting a bread-making demonstration. I decided that was just the shot in the arm I needed to get going, so off I went. I have baked bread on many occasions and for many years; I had yet to grind my own wheat. I came home armed with confidence and eager to give it a try. Alas, with a weekend full of Reed's basketball games and other kiddo-commitments, the bread-baking got put on the back burner. But, yesterday afternoon the time was right!

I unpacked my Nutri-Mill, acquainted myself with the machine, gathered my ingredients, and went to town. I don't have a Bosch (like Lynn and other members of my family use) but my professional-grade Kitchen Aid mixer has a dough hook and plenty of power to accommodate a two-loaf batch (she didn't even break a sweat so I don't think I'll burn her up any time soon).

Mid-afternoon, I took the loaves from the oven and, while the bread was still warm (of course!), I sliced three slices and headed downstairs to share the treat with my hubby (he LOVES homemade bread). He liked my version of "Afternoon delight." :)
.

I commented to him that I thought I might start saving for a Bosch, and maybe buy one by the end of the year. Not only would it allow me to make 4 loaves at a time (enough to share with the kids) but I would likely get the food processor attachment inasmuch as the food processor I'd used for years died a few months ago. Steve's comment was that if I continued to bake homemade bread, he just might need to buy me one for Christmas. Hmmmmmmmmm..... Sounds like a win-win situation to me!

Often when Mother baked bread, she would save some of the dough to make hot scones when we got home from school. Hot scones with butter and honey are one of the best DESSERTS ever! We always felt well cared for and loved when Mother baked bread for us. Our grandchildren are eager participants when it comes to sampling homemade goodies, as well. And it makes me feel good when I know that bread made from wholewheat flour is so healthy for them. Ky wanted to test it out with a piece of toast with her breakfast, and happily gave her stamp of approval to use Nana's bread for her sandwich in today's lunch. (Paula has to be at the hospital at 6:30 a.m. and Jon to work a little before 7 a.m., so Jon drop Ky off each morning at 6:40. She has breakfast with Nana and Papa, gets ready, and practices her piano. We have scriptures and prayer together and one of us takes her to school. Jon pays me her lunch money--that I use for an allowance for Ky--then I make her a lunch for school which is far healthier than the school lunches they serve.)

I think the bread was an all-around hit. Mother--and Daddy, too--would be so proud.

NOTE: Due to my own experience, and because some other member of my family (or yours) might have a similar situation, I want to add a note about allergies. Although I grew on my Mother's bread (mostly white when we were younger), as an adult, I could not eat Mother's bread without getting a severe migraine within half an hour of consumption. It was so good that I was a slow learner, but after 4 tries and 4 migraines, I declared, "I may be a SLOW learner, but I'm not a NO learner," and I gave up trying it again. Thanks to my sister Lynda, who thankfully loves me enough to do some detective work and figure it all out, we learned that the difference in the bread Mother was baking (at least in recent years) and the baked goods I make without problems is the yeast. Mother used SAF and I am allergic to it, I've learned. As long as I use Fleischmann's or Red Star, I have no problems. I'm so glad Lynda figured that out. (And, I might add, she baked with yeast I could have when we were in WY together. I hope she knows how much I appreciated both that and her figuring out what the problem was.) So, if you have trouble tolerating a particular kind of bread, you might consider what it is that you could be allergic to.
Two of our eager bread samplers, of course, are Reed and Ky. The picture of rosey-cheeked Reed was taken immediately following his second basketball game on Saturday. The picture of Reed and Ky was taken after the games when we took them to
eat. It's not the best picture of Ky but I included it because it reminded me that she loved the new top I got for her on Friday so much that she "begged" to wear it on Saturday. Why not? And the black hat she's wearing is one she bought recently with a little spending money she earned for getting such a great report card. Way to go, Princess! Like I've said before, "We're not proud or anything." :)

From Daylight to Date Night, Fun, Fun, FUN!

On more than one occasion,I've been accused of being both "determined" and "resourceful." Perhaps last Friday I was both. I was, in short, a "woman on a mission" and was not to be easily deterred.

I think it was in November that I found some microfiber dish clothes which turned out to be my favorite of any I've ever tried (and let's face it; if we cook--and I do--we do LOTS of dishes). I loved them so much that I shared them with several of my favorite people, namely my sisters and a couple of friends. All of them seemed to want "More, please, and we'll pay for them."

I've tried for three months to get more but to no avail. I bought them at T J Maxx (a store that proudly advertises, "never the same shopping experience twice"). That's because they don't order their merchandise; rather, it is shipped to them from a massive "warehouse in the sky" (my words, not their's), and they never know what they will receive from one shipment to another. I think Thursday afternoon was my fifth trip across town to T J Maxx since November, for the express purpose of buying more of the dish clothes for these favorite women in my life. Alas, they still didn't have them. I decided to talk with management and determine whether I could order them or talk to someone who have enough pull to try and get some more sent to the store. They reiterated the fact that they have no control over merchandise received but asked if I would be willing to drive to Joplin (70 miles) or Branson (40 miles) if either store had them (they would call and check for me). I said I would be willing to drive to Branson (love that drive and most any excuse to go is acceptable).

Long story shorter, Branson said they had them. I said, "Please hold them! I can't come this afternoon (I had an appointment) but I'll drive down in the morning and get them." Well, Friday morning it was snowing, and rain and/or snow were forecast for most of the day. The temperatures were in the high 30s so the roads were wet but not slick. I would normally have called a girlfriend or two to go with me, but I was afraid that delaying might mean winding up in Branson facing slick roads on my return trip. I decided to head out on my own.

I did, in fact, find my coveted dish clothes (and they also had dish towels in the same microfiber; the colors were not ideal but, hey, I was thrilled with them in any color at this point). I bought so many that all the clerks were curious. I should have received a commission because I think I convinced all of them to buy some themselves!

I found a few more bargains, including a darling top for Miss Ky (that, thankfully, she also loved) for $7.50 and Gold Toe tennis socks that I'd been hunting for a while. Don't you love it when that happens?!!

Now for the fun part. The temperature stayed above freezing and the roads were fine. In fact, after a while it cleared, and I decided to visit a couple of favorite haunts when I got back to Ozark (about 10 miles south of here). It was past lunchtime and I was hungry so I decided to get a bite to eat at the Riverwalk Jazz Cafe. Some yummy Chicken Salad and a cup of Tomato Basil Soup later, I headed next door to The Persimmon Tree.

I've always counted on it for a healthy dose of eye candy, and I've yet to be let down. They had a wonderful display of old-fashioned, popout Valentine's cards. I would love to have photographed them but supposed that might not be appreciated so I restrained myself. They had a display of handcrafted albums, from Valentine greetings to Recipe albums to wonderful Journals---hmmmmmm--gave me lots of great ideas.
A couple more miles closer to home and I decided to check out a new store I'd seen advertised but had not visited (my friend "Garage Sale Susan" confirmed it was someplace I'd want to visit). Susan was right! Oh my! I was running out of time by now and it's probably a good thing because they already had wonderful prices on designer overstock items, and they were having a huge sale (50% off the discounted prices on shoes and handbags). I decided to buy myself a Valentine's present and treated myself to a new pair of red boots and a matching designer bag (only $12.50 each!!!!). Don't you love them?!!!! It's simply so much more satisfying to buy something you love when you truly get a bargain for it. The only way I'd have paid less is at a garage sale, and Susan has earned the distinction of being the garage sale pro (she finds designer clothes and accessories with the price tags still on them at garage sales for $2-$3!!).

I thoroughly enjoyed my "solitary outing" but it was time to head home because Friday night is our Date Night and we had plans for dinner and a movie. We went to Millwood (the golf and racquet club where Steve--and Gary--play golf whenever the weather permits) for dinner. Steve had recently framed a plate as a favor to Gary, and paid for by Gary and several of his friends who belong to Millwood. The plate was in honor of one of their friends who recently died. The friend had hit a "hole-in-one" just before he died, so the plate included the flag, golf ball, score card and pencil, etc. It is hanging at Millwood at the present time but will be given to the friend's son after a while.

Following dinner, we went to see AVITAR. WOW! If you've seen it, you know what I mean. If not, well, it's hard to describe. It's a far cry from the 3-D movies we saw as kids (I saw maybe one that I can remember with the little red and green thin plastic glasses). I spent the entire movie asking myself, "How in the world did they film that?" Like everything from electricity to computers--how it/they actually work, I mean), it's beyond me! A date with my hubby was the perfect ending to a very fun day.

I LOVE PEOPLE, but once and a while, it's fun to spend a little time by one's self, with lots of time to just think or sing along with the radio, or whatever. I highly recommend it.

The End of the "Birthday Season"

I come from a very large family, so when birthdays come around, birthday greetings may start coming in a day or even a few before the actual birthday, and may extend for several days beyond. Frankly, I like extending one's birthday celebration for as long as possible, and have always said, "Never mind shooting for the actual day; any time in the 'birthday season' will be great."

This year our family has had even more than the usual number of things going on it seems, so when my birthday rolled around earlier in January, there simply wasn't a time when all of us were available to celebrate. Jon and Paula and the girls came one evening, bearing roses and tulips and cards, and we had a great visit. But Gary and Sara and Reed were not available to join us then. Each weekend since, one family was available but not the other, until this Sunday. The kids announced that they would be bringing dinner and we would, finally, celebrate Mom's/Nana's birthday."

So, last evening, they came and brought a yummy spaghetti dinner AND my birthday cake. I really had to laugh, and will smile for some time in the future, every time I think about it. Sara went to the supermarket to buy a birthday cake. Reed went with her and really, REALLY wanted to pick out "Nina's" birthday cake. (Reed has always called me Nina, despite the girls calling me "Nana;" hey, that works for me!) Sara finally agreed and Reed picked out my cake.

When they arrived, Reed came through the front doors, carrying the cake himself, and beaming ear to ear. I got so tickled at the cake he chose and thought his Nina would LOVE. And, of course, I did! Don't you?
I love Monday evenings because I pick him up from school and his Papa and I get him through dinner. That gives us plenty of time to practice our skills at playing Old Maid, War, Crazy Eights, Dominoes, Chinese Checkers, Wii, and a growing repertoire of activities. He always wants to top the evening off with an ice cream cone and is much fonder of ice cream than any cake. As for me, well, more even than the Cookie Monster cake, I just love this adorable, blue-eyed boy.

Knowing that I will grow old, and likely "laughable," whilst my grandchildren are still young and mentally alert enough to cause me great embarrassment, should they choose to do so, I really should be guarded in what I say. But, throwing caution to the wind, I simply must share on my blog something that Reed said that is too cute (and innocent) to go unmentioned.

We all know how children can pick up sayings at school that aren't necessarily what we most like for them to be saying. Reed had heard the kids refer to their hind ends as their "butt." Gary and Sara had been encouraging him to use milder language such as "behind" or "buns." Reed promised to try to remember to use these preferred terms.

I think it was following an ice storm, when the kids had been sledding (although I seem to be somewhat fuzzy on that detail), but Reed came in and told his parents in all seriousness that he'd had an accident and his "breads" hurt. Of course, we simply couldn't let that go, so as the evening wore on, several mentions were made of "the Jensen men and their great 'breads'."

A yummy dinner and an evening with the family--what a perfect ending to my 2010 "Birthday Season."

One More Time . . .

Okay, okay, it's probably "enough already," but I woke up this morning thinking about Steinbeck's book OF MICE AND MEN, and got to wondering what connection it might have to the "best laid plans of mice and men" quote by Burns. I continue to be amazed by the wonderful resources the internet places at our disposal, and when I Googled it, lo and behold, this is what I found:

"Of Mice and Men is a novella written by Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck. Published in 1937, it tells the tragic story of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers during the Great Depression in California.
Based on Steinbeck's own experiences as a bindlestiff in the 1920s (before the arrival of the Okies he would vividly describe in The Grapes of Wrath), the title is taken from Robert Burns's poem, To a Mouse, which read: "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men . . . ."

I am a real genealogy buff, so I'm a huge fan of the internet for the doors it opens to those of us searching for relatives, both living and dead. But, in addition to that, there's simply little that one cannot find there. When I was in WY in December, spending a couple of weeks with Daddy, there were at least two occasions when he asked me a question about something neither of us could remember (I can't now recall the particulars). In both instances, I said, "I'll be right back." I went to Mother's computer (although she's no longer with us, I still call it that because it was Mother who used it and not Daddy) and returned shortly with the answers we were seeking. Dad just looked at me and shook his head. "You can find ALL THAT on the computer?" I said, "Oh yes, and lots more. In fact, there's little one can't find on there."

I love many old-fashioned things and ways, but I must say I'm extremely thankful for modern technology, as well.

With that said, I'll sign off for now and head to our grandson's basketball game. Perhaps more about that later. Have a great day and stay safe and warm!

"The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men . . ."

I sat down at my computer a few moments ago to add an addendum to my "Feed My Sheep" blog, lest I leave any readership with the false impression that I did, indeed, feed the missionaries evening before last (as was my intention, no doubt!).

The thought that came to my mind as I searched for a title to this blog entry was "The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men." Rather than simply type it in as today's blog entry title, it occurred to me to Google it to learn to whom the quote should be attributed. Imagine my surprise when I learned that it was none other than the Scottish bard Robert Burns, himself! And with this quote pertaining to my failed "Burns Night Supper," I could not help but laugh. What a coincidence!

My research revealed that the quote did, indeed, come from Burns, who used to be a farmer. The poem from which the quote comes was written after Burns ploughed through a mouse's nest out in the winter fields. I guess even mice can prepare for everything but the unexpected. Source: To a Mouse, November 1785

At Book Club last evening, my friend Eden remarked that she had read my blog about feeding the missionaries and the resultant fiasco. I told her that I had typed up that blog while I was waiting for the missionaries to call and let me know they had returned so I could deliver the food to them (for the second time).

Well, it turns out that with all that was involved in the transfer, they were not able to return before 10pm, and dinner didn't work out afterall. I did not mind the inconvenience; I did worry that they went without dinner. I know we can skip a meal, and sometimes it's even good for us, but still . . . I kept thinking, "It could be my son, or yours." Afterall, my sister and her husband are serving a mission right now, and . . . My mind wandered and then I reminded myself that my sister is a great cook, and is always sharing her food with everyone within delivering distance! On the other hand, my cousin is serving a mission in Mozambique, and Jake and his companions usually rely on the members to share meals with them.

The bottom line is, I certainly don't plan to stop feeding the missionaries; further, I hope to continue to try to serve their favorites. But, I hope next time not to "plough through the mouses' nest!"

So, what does one do when one has prepared enough taco meat, fresh chopped tomatoes, avacado, etc. to feed four hungry missionaries? It sounded to me like Taco Soup. So, I used half of the taco meat for a pot of Taco Soup (I froze the other half); made some cheese Quesadillas, and we had a hearty meal on a cold winter day during which we were blanketed with beautiful, white snow! The Ozarks feel a lot more like my home state of WY tonight!