December | 2009 | No Whining Allowed

New Years Thoughts

December 31, 2009 at 6:38 AM (Confessions, Family Life, From the Heart, Help Me Please, Honey, Lists, This and That)

I have been up since before 4. I have no idea why. I hope I can sneak a nap before we have to go to a CareGroup party tonight over at The Oreo Mom and Dad’s home. I need to be fresh as a daisy to play all of those games.

We had my Dad and his wife over for lunch yesterday. It was nice to see them. My Dad has had a very challenging year health-wise. He is looking forward to exchanging The Mitten home for Florida home for a few months. To have the summer that he didn’t have.

The Boy is sick. I mean sick. He barely got out of bed at all yesterday, except to go to the bathroom. Many, many times. He either has the flu or food poisoning from a Mexican place he and LMNOP ate at in Ann Arbor. He called me several times from his room on his cell phone, to ask me to bring him water. Ah, technology. I hope he is better today. He’s probably getting hungry. Or not.

Mousey, her 2 friends and I went to The Value World yesterday for about 3 hours. When we went a couple weeks ago, they gave us a coupon for this week. Good for 50% off our purchase!!!!!!!! Who can turn THAT down??? Between the 4 of is, our bill was $54 or $56 dollars!! By Grapthar’s Hammer, Oh what a savings! That’s from Galaxy Quest, FYI. A truly GREAT movie.$20 of THAT was the friend’s, so The Mouse and I saved about $35 . We had 2 BIG bags of goodies.

I have one more coo-pin that needs to be used by New Years Day. We have heard from LMNOP that there is another Value World location somewhere over where she goes to school. We may try that one for a look-see. And maybe today, because we are heading over to that vicinity this morning to take The Ab-Cats van in to have something done to it. Something that needed parts ordered.

I forgot to tell you what I got for Christmas!!! CHAI!!!! From Honey and Beeve and Stacey! I am thoroughly enjoying it. I usually limit myself to 1 cup in the morning, but I may have 2 this morning. Because I have been up FOREVER and it feels like 2 mornings.

So, about those New Year thoughts. I am not much of a resolution, reflection type of girl. Oh, I do reflect, just not on a yearly Dec. 29-Jan.1 basis. More on a daily, weekly, monthly basis. Makes it easier to keep up with. You know, all that refining by God business. Here are some thoughts, or prayers.

1. That we would continue to train up our children in the way that they should go, so that when they are old, they will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6) We aren’t finished yet. There are things still to be said. Are you ever really finished?

2. That our sewer debacle would come to a conclusion this year. And Honey can move the whole mess to his “DONE” file.

3. To try to tighten our belts even more this year. Ford is not out of the woods yet. We are kickin’ The Ford Fiasco Family Budget into higher gear.

4. To literally tighten my belt. I know my back would feel better with 10 less pounds.

5. This last one only God can do. I have tried for many years to not let certain types of people rub my fur the wrong way. I admit before God, the CREATOR of the UNIVERSE, that I am not capable of doing this on my own. Over the years, He has strategically placed these EGR’s (Extra Grace Required’s) in my life. They have come and gone, some have stayed, and I avoid others like The Plague . No one (except perhaps Honey, as he has to listen to my word vomit, because we are married and we do everything together) knows more about this than God. Because He gets an earful. Regularly. And while I don’t feel wrong in whining about this to God, because I am supposed to take my troubles and cares and hurts and other’s offensive comments and my resentments and furious, acid, annoyances to Him, what would REALLY make me happy, is to be released from caring about it all. Why do I care? Why does it stick in my craw? Why do their comments and behavior annoy, surprise, grind, offend, hurt, or drive me crazy?

What I always tell our kids is that we can’t control other people’s behavior, we can only control our own. So, with GOD’S HELP, I will continue on, hopefully with grace, with those who are thorns in my side. Barnacles on my boat. Flies in my ointment. And wrong way fur rubbers. It will take an act of GOD for me to accomplish this. I need God’s wisdom.

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. James 1:5

So my New Year’s resolution is to ask for wisdom!! 2010 seems like a good year for a miracle!

So, Happy New Year my Friends! And may The Wrong Way Fur Rubbers in your life be few!

Catch you in 2010!

6 Comments

Way Back When-sday-The Dressing

December 30, 2009 at 8:08 AM (Family Life, Way Back When-sday)

Our computer is at the hospital. It has a vicious virus. I am using The Boy’s laptop. Which is giving me carpal tunnel syndrome.

We could only use it for about 10 minutes before it started to do all manner of wrong things and it would have to be shut down. I was able to download my Christmas pictures and get them into posts, but I did not have the foresight to arrange any Way Back Wednesday scanned posts. BUT, what I am going to talk about is a very Way Back sort of thing, so I hope it will buffalo you Guy’s into thinking that it qualifies.

I am here to talk turkey about dressing. Our holiday meals would not be complete without it.

It has been around for FAR longer than I have, and always in its same form. But, there has never been a written recipe. Evidently, it has been an oral, smelling, tasting, texture sort of recipe. Like an Appalachian myth. Or Tennessee Folklore. I come from a heritage of very good cooks. It would appear that they did not NEED no stinkin’ recipe. Unfortunately, that gene skipped a generation with me. I am an adequate cook at best. I need a stinkin’ recipe. And so does my sister-in-law Stacey, and my cousin Lindsay, who REALLY needed it last Thanksgiving, when she worked at Boy’s Town in Omaha, and made it for them. And whoever marries The Boy will have to have it, because he has decided that dressing is one of his FAVORITE things. EVER. And, most likely, anyone who follows us. We began to badger The Elders for a recipe.

I have never made the dressing without my Mother as my WingWoman. She has always been there to say, it needs some more of this, it look sa little dry, add more that. I used her as a crutch, and never wrote anything down for about 22 years. I assumed that one day, I would just remember it, like all magical myths. Just like one day I would become a delectable cook. It’s not happening. Good thing I have Honey.

So, a couple of years ago, we started the arduous process of getting her to commit this folklore to paper. It has required much tweaking and downright revising.

I sautéed the celery and onion (Mousey had chopped the onion the night before). That was her maiden voyage helping with The Dressing! Oh, I have a tear in my eye, the torch is being passed! Not really, it’s probably the onions, but it sounds sweet!

Dumped that onto the batch of regular cornbread and certain number of dried slices of bread, all crumbled up.

We then added the gut water and salt and pepper. A little bit of turkey broth. And the special ingredient, sage. It wouldn’t be The Dressing without it.

Then the eggs. There are a lot of eggs.

My Mom says it is looking GOOD!

It worked. It was a good batch. My Aunt Phyllis said it was perfect. We wrote everything down in its new and improved form.

Whew, that’s a relief. The Tradition can now be passed down!

Thanks for making Way Back Dressing with me!

3 Comments

ABC, Easy as 123

December 29, 2009 at 8:01 AM (Family Life, Pretty Things)

When Mousey was 2, I made her an ABC book. Sort of a scrapbook of her own personal, short, little life. She loved it and still has it in her bookshelf today. I have been toying with the idea of making one for Goomba, because he loves nothing more than looking at pictures of himself and others. Preferably, The Pets.

Friend Marlene gave me the little denim Creative Memories book. A handy size for little hands.I didn’t get it started before his birthday in October, so I gave it a shot for Christmas.

As I looked back through the year, I was pleased to see how many nice pictures I had gotten. I heart that new camera! By the way, happy birthday beloved camera! It was a Christmas gift from Honey last year. I asked Goomba’s Mom for some pictures of her family to round out the people.

Made sure to include plenty of animal shots. He is a big supporter of the animals. They are, unfortunately, not such big supporters of him. They are big toleraters.

I had 2 years worth of pictures to choose from. I also threw in some stickers if there was room. Important stickers like Santa and Tigger. And Pooh Bear.

I think he’s going to like it. After all, he’s in it!

5 Comments

Christmas Day

December 28, 2009 at 7:27 AM (Family Life)

We had dinner for 16 here on Christmas Day. That neatly divided into 8 each at our tables. Our dining room table looks the same every year. We use the Christmas dishes that my Grandmother Georgia gave us, and the gold ware that was a wedding gift from my Dad and his wife , Marilyn. My Mom and Dad gave us the water goblets for Christmas another year. Goblet is a funny word. A small turkey word.

It would have looked nicer had I straightened up those chairs.

I always use those candlesticks on the table. They were my Grandmother Georgia’s, and I inherited them when she passed away. I always use them. It’s like her place at the table. I also always use her 9×9 Pyrex when I bake the cornbread for the dressing, and her holiday sugar and creamer. Just a small remembrance of her on a special day. She passed away on Thanksgiving Day 1992. I miss her still.

This table is hard to dress. It is an odd size. An odd width actually. The only tablecloth that I have ever found to fit was a hunter green catering tablecloth. Which is fine, but I can only use it if I am not using the leaf. I was using the leaf. I just folded up another table cloth that I love, but have never used. It has pine cones and grapes on it. It would be perfect in our kitchen, if it actually fit on the table. I have some ideas I would like to discuss with my own personal seamstress, Capri Deb, to make this more functional. Perhaps a REAL runner. Or add some sort of fabric to make it a functional table cloth. There are possibilities.

Perhaps you are wondering why I have a tablecloth that doesn’t fit my table? My Mother likes to buy us tablecloths. It’s what she does.

Here is my cousin Lindsay and her new husband, Rob B. Bernard. Rob B. said he loves to be on the blob. I told him we would see what we can do about that! Number 1. He is a big old Hunk-of-Honey.

Here he is doing dishes. It may or may not have been staged. Number 2.

evidentially, there was some sort of eating contest going on at the other table. Mike and The Boy were seeing who could eat the most plates of food. Mike is almost a professional eater, and he had been giving The Boy tips at Thanksgiving dinner. He won the contest that day. BUT, here he is congratulating the NEW champ! The Boy topped Mike’s 2 1/2 plates with 3. Then they both went into a food coma and had naps.

Grandma Ruth spent most of the day here, visiting with those moving in and out of the family room.

Grandma and “P-Paw” as The Goomba calls him.

Rob B. Bernard and Lindsay and their fur child, Ava. Who looked precious with her new haircut and Michigan State coat! Number 3 for Robbie!

Mike’s going home : ( Look, he’s underneath the mistletoe and no one smooched him!

Jeremy, Uncle Bob and Honey sat at the table and talked for hours. I’m guessing all the problems of the world are solved now.

We weren’t solving any problems in here. Just Kari, Phyllis, Rob. B. Bernard and I spelling words playing Quiddler. Number 4 for Rob!

Stacey, Beeve, and Goomba were there.

There’s Aunt Phyllis, Uncle Bob, Lindsay and Rob. B. with the newly coiffed and coated, Ava. And picture number 5 for Rob! The clear winner for the person most featured on the Christmas post! WOO HOO!

Merry Christmas from The NutHatch!

4 Comments

Potent Quotable

December 27, 2009 at 8:53 AM (Potent Quotable)

Old minds are like old horses; you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order.
John Adams

The Reason We Are All Merry And Bright

December 25, 2009 at 7:31 AM (From the Heart)

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins”

Matthew 1:21

2 Comments

Way Back When-sday-1999

December 23, 2009 at 10:03 AM (Family Life, Muggins Q. Mouse, Our Boy, The Ab-Cat, Way Back When-sday)

I was not going to post today. I am feeling ever so much better and need to get on Bulls Eye and “ride like the wind”. But then I clicked over to Sassy Cat Hill and read Schmenky’s Way Back post. I then slid over to Capri Deb’s and shed a tear while reading hers. There was no help for it. I had to go Way Back.

I have 1,497 things I need to do in the next 2 days. So, of course, I am downstairs sifting through pictures and scanning for Way Back When-sday. Makes perfect sense. But once I started, I got all caught up in the nostalgia and memories of a decade past.

It is hard to believe that 10 years have passed! We moved into our new house in 1999. Our children were 10, 8, and 4 then. I miss my little Guys. I will now inundate you with pictures. Through the Christmas wonder that is scanning.

I adored Mousey’s little dress. She adored Pikachu.

Beeve and Stacey wrapped this block of wood to confuse The Boy as to his real present.

Oh, it was SO worth the subterfuge! Star Wars was HUGE at our house. For many, many years.

Ab-Cat was in the throes of her “I Love Lucy” phase. She has much memorabilia.

Grandma’s Girls. Have I mentioned that I adored Mousey’s dress?

Mousey and Beeve. The two babies of their families.

Beeve and Stacey. Pre Goomba. What I miss most about this picture is the genuine smile on The Ab-Cat’s kisser. She rarely gives us a good one anymore. She has beautiful teeth, we know, we paid the ortho bills! We just don’t know why she won’t show them.

Bud E. Bear and his Grandma.

Ab-Cat reading The Christmas story from The Message.

The GrandParental Units with their Furlings.

It is possible for a 4 year old to have enough Christmas!

I want my baby back.

Thanks for meandering Way Back with me. You all have a very Merry, Blessed Christmas.

6 Comments

A Bear Done Got Me

December 21, 2009 at 8:56 AM (Family Life, Friends, Help Me Please, Whatever)

I’ve got “The Sickness”. That’s what Honey calls being under the weather, of any sort. It was a long time coming. I was feeling a little sniffy as long ago as Thursday, but it hit me like an anvil on Saturday evening . A massive sore throat and headache.

I did not have time in my schedule for that. We were celebrating with our delightful friends, The Hostlers. Their daughter, Lauren, is now officially Nurse Lauren! We are SO happy for her!

That’s the nurse on the left. She already has a job. Because she is a reliable, capable, lovely girl. Congratulations!!!

I am trying my best to press on and be productive. Because anyone who knows me well, could tell you that I am a world class procrastinator, who is in no way ready to relax and enjoy the Christmas season.

My symptoms, because I know you are dying to know, are as follows. A grizzly bear has grabbed my throat and is scratching and choking me with its massive claws. Squeezing me viciously, and simultaneously causing my head to want to explode, and making some sort of toxic waste to run down the back of my throat. Burning me as it goes. That’s it.

I am taking Tylenol every 4 hours. I don’t even need to pay attention to the clock, I just know when it has worn off. I am also eating grapefruits and taking my multi vitamin. I am hoping that yesterday was my worst day. It.Had.To.Be.

Are you up for a little pet peevishness? Why do people go to the picture developing thingy at Sam’s, and stand there for hours cropping and sizing every stinkin’ picture they are having developed? Especially , when there are 2 out of 4 machines broken? They ought to have a time limit, or an express lane for people who just need to load their disk and GET OUT OF DODGE!!!!!

Seriously, Honey and I finished our shopping and those same 2 jokers were still cropping, and sizing , and tweaking their pictures! Are they not aware that they can do that in the comfort of their own home, without their children sitting in the cart for an hour?

OK, all done. Back to my work at hand. I could be scarce around here this week, or not. Just depends how productive I am. I have quite a bit to produce. But you will NEVER see me hogging the picture thingy at Sam’s. Never.

5 Comments

Potent Quotable

December 20, 2009 at 7:08 AM (Laura Ingalls Wilder, Potent Quotable)

Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time. ~Laura Ingalls Wilder

3 Comments

Avocado!

December 17, 2009 at 6:05 AM (Family Life)

The Little Goomba got a new coat and hat! No more baby here, he’s all big boy.

Since this fall, he has exploded in words. Some, he uses regularly, but he will try to say anything you ask of him. Sometimes he will really tell you something, and even repeat it, and we still aren’t sure what he is saying. His favorite words are names. His personal favorites are Abby, Katie, Mia and “P”Paw for Grandpa. His most commonly used line is “what happened?” Here he is with my brother Beeve, or to him, Daddy.

The Boy loves to teach him hard words. Big words. Odd words. Words he won’t need for years. If ever. Words like pistachio, and antiestablishmentarism, super-cali-fragilistik-X-pea-ali-docious, and avocado. That is his favorite. It’s not a good word to say before having your picture taken, but he willingly says it.