Ginger snap recipe

1 1/2 cups margarine 

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup molasses 

2 eggs

4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp each cloves, ginger

2 tsp cinnamon 

1 tsp salt

4 cups flour

Cream margarine and sugar. Add molasses, eggs and spices. Mix well. Add flour, mix. Chill for a minimum of 1 hour. Form dough in 1" balls, roll in sugar. Bake at 350

Braelynd makes Christmas

Braelynd had a great time making these finger puppets for her nephews. She spent many hours and gained a lot of confidence in her sewing and crafting skills. Whew I'm glad they're DONE!

My first Memories

I have a few "snapshot memories" of  the little house in Vacaville California where I spent my first three years.

-watching homemade pinwheels turn as we held them up to the grate in the hallway
-eating trix cereal sitting on the floor with Marshall and our cousins Gwyn and Ty after a sleepover
-sitting on the tailgate of our station wagon with my Dad's seminary students after the annual waffle breakfast
-dropping my favorite doll Pebbles in the gutter as I crawled into the car

When my Dad returned to school we moved from that house to a TINY student apartment in Solano Park in Davis California  .  As I remember it the front door opened into the living and kitchen area my parents also called their bedroom.  My Mom was expecting my little sister Shelly the following April so the "Makeout couch" that folded out into a full size bed was less than ideal. There was no room for a table that would seat a family of 6 let alone chairs so my parents bought a table with 2 large leaves that folded down on each side. Two stacks of stools were stored underneath.
The girls room was to the left behind the kitchen side and  behind the living room on the right was the boys room with red bedspreads for the boys and tied quilts for the girls. I remember the floral pattern and the ruffle around the edge of those quilts Linda's was tied with pink and mine with green.  Maybe that's why to this day my favorite color is green. When I looked out the window in my room I could see the enormous sand box where we spent much of our time playing. I would guess it was at least 20x20 flanked by the laundry building which also held each tenants storage and 2 other 8 unit apartment buildings.
We participated in several community events.  There was a parade and we made our wagon into a carriage for little sister Shelly who we dubbed "Princess Solano".  Shelly was always picture perfect beautiful with her wavy blonde hair and brown eyes.  Making that carriage with Linda was the first big project I remember assisting with.  For most of my childhood years Linda sent me to get her supplies as she worked. I'd ask "what doing?" and her answer was always "you'll see.  Linda played the ukulele at a talent show one evening.  There were so many young families that life was always busy and fun.
Our upstairs neighbors had a boy named Wael that was Marshall's age.  The Dad's name was Sham.  For years I thought of him every time I washed my hair :).The Mother taught our Mom to make "Arab bread" known these days as pita bread.
The community also had a garden.  Each family could cultivate one row.  When Shelly was still a baby Mom went to work in the garden.  It was far enough away that she wouldn't hear Shelly crying. One day Shelly was sleeping in her crib and Mom left me to play outside the apartment and listen for Shelly.  If I heard her I was to run get Mom.  I felt pretty important to be babysitting my precious little sister although the house was locked to protect her from me!
The Exchange was a small building in the center of the apartment complex where people left anything they didn't want and took what they needed.  My Mom would go in and organize it and a few weeks later it would be a disaster again.  The little dresser I used for all my babies is a relic from the exchange.
I started Kindergarten while we lived in Solono Park.  I wanted to take a record "Peter and the Wolf" to show and tell but my Mom said no.  I took it anyway and as I walked by the back sliding glass door carefully held the record "hidden" beside me. The record stayed home that day.  Another memorable show and tell that year was my little brother Marshall.  As I struggled to sound out each letter 3 1/2 year old Marshall taught himself to read.  I brought him to school and he read a book to my class.  I was so proud of him that it made being behind him in so many ways a little easier.
I rode the bus to school but often my Mom would come pick me up.  I would wait at the corner by the stoplight.  Many times I would reach that light and wet my tights before Mom came. My mom insisted that we wear dresses to school every day.  The first day of school we always had a new dress and often a new purse.  We wore full slips under our dresses and when I got home from school I would take my dress off and nap in my slip.  One day I pried a wad of gum off a pole and was chewing it.  I knew my Mom would make me get rid of it for my nap so I hid the gum in my belly button.  When I woke up the slip me and my hair were all covered with my precious find.
I had the habit of sucking my thumb.  Only those who have enjoyed this practice know how good a thumb can be.  My Mom received all kinds of advice to cure my habit: terrible concoctions on my thumb, gifts, bribes and who knows what else bu I continued until I was 9 or 10.  I recall sitting outside  the kitchen window crouched down with my back against the wall listening to my Mom doing dishes sucking my thumb in secret so I could get the promised bribe for abstaining that day.

6 unspectacular quirks

Ok  Jenn tagged me but for some reason I cannot figure out how to follow her blog so it took me awhile to see  it.
 The rules
1. Link to the person who tagged you and comment in the comment section on their original "quirk: post. 2. Mention the rules on your blog. 3. Tell 6 unspectacular quirks about you. 4. Tag 6 bloggers ( or more) by linking to them( I do NOT know how to do this, sorry). 5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger's blogs letting them know they've been tagged.

  I must admit I had trouble trimming down my list to 6. I'm sure my kids will wonder why I didn't include my passion for trash, ability to loose and misplace, my tendency to stop everything while I finish a book or other oddities. There is simply not enough room!
 I tag Julia , Dani , Penny , Cathy and Vicci (who really doesn't have a blog but don't you agree she needs one)
1- clean ears.  Probably the strangest on my list. I really cannot stand dirty ears. I mean looking at them AND having them. I will not elaborate.
2-want to share every discovery and joy.  I guess I am a teacher at heart.  When I learn something new I can't wait to share it.  I love to teach sewing, swimming, everything. 
3 -correct language my most spectacular dislikes are  hiegTth(by the way no one ever says weigTth I wonder why), double negative ("we don't got no") and the correct use of me and I.
Also is there really any educated person that has not been taught how to say "new cleeR" properly. This is the one reason I am glad Obama won. At least I don;t have to hear Sarah P say nucUlar. Come ON get it right people.
4- get carried away with creativity want to make each project a show piece   This was especially difficult when I was a custom sewing major in college taking 5 sewing related classes. I have learned to give myself a time limit is the easiest way to reign myself in on this one. Either that or start a new project!
5- Fall asleep w/ my kids when putting them to bed. I inherited this talent? from my Dad. Another medal for Kevin who wakes me up to go to bed with him.

6-love to take over.
Oh did I mention I get carried away even if it's not really my project?.The most egregious example is my 2 sister-in-laws double wedding which I took over sewed both wedding dresses and all 10 attendants dresses, took the pictures for their newspaper announcement and helped them make the right decisions on colors etc.  Never mind that I had 3 children and was also caring for my 2 year old nephew, plus the Dani and Ro  were flower girls Vicci was a junior bridesmaid  I was a bridesmaid and Kevin a best man. All was done in less than 4 months from engagement to wedding. Yes, my husband Does deserve a medal.  (We won't go into the 3 week vacation I took to help when my 2 brothers were married on the same day.)

Vicci is amazing! (with God nothing is impossible)

EARLY Tuesday Oct 7 Vicci informed me she was moving to Provo and asked me to buy her a ticket. She could pay me back with her upcoming paycheck. After waking up Kevin in Waco and discussing it with him we decided it would be better for her to find her own way to buy the ticket. Saturday she was on the plane with a little money in her pocket to hold her over till Wed (payday).
Vicci spent the first couple of days cleaning cooking and entertaining Danielle and her roommate Julia. They were having a great time.
Tuesday morning she got a call for an interview as a leasing agent at an apartment complex (she had sent her resume to every complex in Provo she could find before leaving Houston). I got a tear filled call from her. She had been walking for 30 minutes and just realized she was going the wrong way. I encouraged her to call the manager and explain she would be late and turn around. The interview went well but she still had over a mile to walk home. Her feet were blistered and she was miserable. Luckily Danielle was able to bring her some sensible shoes to make the last few blocks more bearable.
Wednesday they wanted her to come in and meet the big boss. I put a few dollars in an account for her to buy a bus pass. She simply could not walk that far on her blistered feet. 30 minutes later Vicci was on the phone crying her eyes out and ready to come home. The grocery store she walked to would not have bus passes until the next month. I suggested she call Grampa who has ridden the bus quit a lot. Nana answered and was thrilled to pick Vicci up and take her to the interview.
The big boss was listening to Vicci talk with the manager from the other room. She walked in and hired her without another word! Sounds easy get a job in the first 5 days but it Wasn't easy. I know she is seeking and following sacred promptings. This week she is teaching everyone in the office how to use their computer program. They have been using all paper because no one in the office knows how to use the software. Success--Go Vicci!

Now the fun begins

This week I helped Vicci get her things out of storage and sell them or pack them away in the attic. Saturday she left for Provo. She is now showing Provo what it means to have fun and feeding Danielle better food than I make.  All while looking for a job and learning what it means to be so cold you need a coat and mittens (something thats hard to even IMAGINE in Houston). 
With Kevin in Waco M-F and the kids in school I will have to be very creative to avoid those things I don't really want to do.  But have faith, my avoidance techniques are honed to an art form. This blog and Facebook will fit in perfectly. 
Seriously, I am looking forward to getting into a schedule and having the time to do some things I love like sew, garden, read, have friends, workout, go to the temple, and volunteer at the school a little bit.  I'd love to figure out how to be a better housekeeper and have more time to have fun when the kids get home from school too.  I love ALL the things I do I just wish I could do them BETTER. 

Last night I went to the adult session of stake conference on my motorcycle. It is so fun! I just put a full skirt on over capris and pulled it up for the ride.  I do hate getting ready and leaving the house but riding makes it easier to get motivated.  The conference was well worth it.  Our stake President talked about reading the scriptures and he is such a real person, so accessible.  He gets me every time.  (add individual scripture study to the list)

y"IKE"s!!!! It looks like a hurricane came through here!

So-- I will take it from the beginning. 3 years ago when Rita was threatening Houston we took our jet skis 2 vehicles the cat AND a boyfriend on a leisurely drive to visit family 241miles away in Marshall TX. Because we were so smart and left early we beat the traffic and it only took us 16 hours. The night the storm hit Marshall (oh yes Rita FOLLOWED us) Danielle was riding on the back of a four wheeler driven by the afore mentioned boyfriend -in the dark, no shoes, no helmet when they decided to race down the hill. You guessed it CRASH Dani's head split open and a hot metal bolt burned a 1" deep hole in her ankle. She also received some lovely bruises. Then to top it all off we were W/O power for 3 days while our neighbors in Houston had the power back on within 1/2 a day. For these reasons (and also because our mayor Bill White did a great job of telling people who should stay and who should get out quick) we elected to fight our urge to go play and stay to face the storm.

IKE-We were without power for about 3 days but had a generator to keep fans and refrigerators going. We all spent the storm in the master bedroom with mattresses up against the window (a great comfort very time the wind shook those windows like a throw rug). A couple of neighbors had trees on their houses and MANY trees snapped off or uprooted. A large pine blocked the street but was quickly removed by neighbors working together. Our neighborhood really took care of each other. When our power went on on Monday night our neighbors across the street still had none. The rest of the neighborhood spent nearly another 2 weeks without power. We saw several extension cords across the street! I guess most people we know were well prepared because as we offered help many times people refused our help. The cool front we got shortly after the storm DID help. All frozen foods were missing from stores for about a week and for the first 4 or 5 days staples like bread were absent. The kids enjoyed playing outside together while adults worked.