Another phone camera picture!

So - the fuzzy picture taker is back again - I really have to remember to take my camera! But this is Sheala at her first cheerleading competition. They did great! For such a small team they were very precise and their drills were in unison - I was very proud watching them work together.

There were five teams - Sheala's had six girls the other teams had 10-30 girls. That makes competition difficult because those huge teams had girls flipping all over the place. It was fun watching them work so hard and then while they were waiting for the first place winner to be announced the girls were on the mats just talking to each other - then they all started having fun in their separate groups - but it was amazing to watch them gravitate towards each other and start having fun together. Someone in the middle of the circle would do a cartwheel or flip then go back to the circle and then someone else would go in the middle and do something. They all had such fun - that was really great to see.

Dinner at 6 on Hoyt Street

Lately - I've been cooking in the crock pot adding one package of Lipton dry onion soup mix on top for 12 hours whether it is pork, beef or chicken. Then when I get it out I shred it and put it in small containers for one meal easy cooking. It sure has been making life easier on the run. And I love the garlic mashed potatoes in the refrigerator containers - ee gad - I'm starting to cook like Mom after just Jim and Jane were home!!!!!

When Jane tells you something tastes like Mom's cooking - well - I'm not sure whether that is compliment or not because Mom was working and after Dad died I don't think cooking dinner was a top priority - when Kathy or Larry tell you it tastes like Mom's cooking - you know that is a compliment - when Jim tells you - again - not sure because he had both styles of cooking. When we were growing up Mom spent hours cooking our dinners - 6:00 (right after Kathy came home from work at Bertie's Bakery. Sometimes after watching Superman on TV - Dad and I would walk down to meet her. It was always an experience walking with my Dad - he would do a double take with his feet if you were trying to walk in the same cadence as he was and then you had to do the same to get back in rhythm! It was fun.

Anyway - every night a friend of my brother Jim's would call - and Jim would have to tell him we were eating dinner and he would call him back! Can you imagine - every single night! And lots of times my sister's friend, Nancy, would come over to eat with us.

Sometimes after dinner we would get to go to Andersen Pool to go swimming during family night swimming. That was my favorite time with my Dad and sister Jane - he would pick us up and throw us into the water (until a lifeguard would yell at us.)

Jane and I were talking about memories this morning - it triggered these: I have many fond memories of the kitchen on Hoyt Street. Mom's several kinds of jam in the cupboard, the Novena we were praying every night after dinner written on the chalk board, the maid's stairway up to the pantry and to the maid's bedroom (of course we never had a maid - but it was fun having a back stairway, looking out to the backyard where every winter Mom would say she was taking the fry pan outside to melt the snow, the times when Mom would put our names on milk bottles so she knew if we were getting our milk, Kathy and I sitting at the table while I listened to her as she practiced her forensic talk from "Please Don't Eat the Daisies," Dad sitting at the head of the table, helping Mom do dishes at the sink, watching Larry eat Peanut Butter sandwiches when he didn't like what was for dinner (most anything other than chicken or spaghetti caused him to have a sandwich!)and best of all when Mom and the aunts made Christmas cookies weeks in advance.

We are planning a family get together - Jane and I were saying it will be fun to get to hear everyone's memories! I can't wait to see all of you!

7th Grade Basketball

Even though this picture was from my phone and the kids were all running - it's our Robbie in red number 12! We have been to three of Robbie's games - they lost all the games - HOWEVER - in the first game the team scored 5 points and Robbie scored all 5 of those - in the second game - the team scored 7 points and Robbie scored 5 of those - in the third game the team scored 12 points and Robbie scored 8 of those! He loves playing and we love going to the games. There are only 7 kids on the team so Robbie plays a lot and is exhausted but after every game we ask him if he had fun - and the answer is always YES!

Hope

After watching all the presidential TV yesterday - only one thing remains constant to me - I keep thinking - What if it works? What if all of us begin to hope again that the United States of America will pull out of this financial mess? What if the youth in our country begin to want to be part of the change? Every time the media showed one more story of hope I kept looking over to Pat and saying "What if it works?"

I am excited about the possibility that we may be on the verge of our politicians working together. There was so much speculation yesterday - everyone kept saying that when so many people want change and when so many people made the trip to Washington that the politicians will have to listen to what their constituents want. So many interviews yesterday hinted at the possibility that things could turn around.

I've been having fun with CNN's "The Moment"

They had people submit photos of the swearing in and then matched the pixels together to create a huge 3D photo - it's been fun to play around and people watch and just imagine all those people in one spot.

Grissom's Last Show

Well - the VCR taped everything but the last 10 minutes of CSI - I know you think, just like Jan always did, that stupid in = stupid out - BUT in my defense - I HATE THE VCR!!! I know we should get up to speed with technology - but - that costs money and I would rather drive with my honey 500 miles than spend it on something stupid. So Stupid is as Stupid does - MMMM.....

We went online this morning and watched the last ten minutes - it was really good. It ended just the way I wanted it to - when was the last time that happened on a show?

Thank God it is Friday - I hate LONG weeks after the holidays give us time off - and - we get MONDAY - YEAH! And my New Year's resolution of never being at work a whole week without time off is already broken - I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw my time sheet with NO TIME OFF for the whole two weeks - YUCK!

So - a goodbye party for one of the sgts at work tonight - I will miss the little poop - it seems as if so many people are leaving right now - it makes it harder to keep on working when your friends keep leaving.

Our contract was ratified this week - I can't say how happy I am that it does not expire until I will be gone - if we had been getting contracts on time I would have had three contracts to lose benefits in - now I can leave with just one hit to health care - I have to really count that blessing - who knows what will happen in the next contract?

It has been so cold lately - right now it is -4 degrees - and that is not the wind chill factor. I can't wait for our trip to Arizona to see my brother Larry - we will welcome the warm weather that is for sure.

Dinner with the Little Princess

oh - and her parents and grandparents, too! We had Jesse and Caroline and Crystal and Chad over with Ayva. She is such a doll - she is getting big and smiling, too. I love to hold her. We missed Javier - he was with his other Grandma and so we didn't get to play. We thought the next time he comes over we would get the blocks out and build towers to knock down, I can't wait. We had such a nice evening - it is always fun to visit with them.

Well I've started back on the WW diet - I am waiting for WW at work to start if we get enough people. I never do real well on my own but I have to start on something. We had the best 6 point dinner the other night (no not when Jesse and Caroline were here that was MUCHO points). I thought I would share the wrap 6 point recipe:

Fat Free Tortilla Wraps
Jennie-O Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage
1 small onion, sliced thin
half bag broccoli slaw
Mrs. Dash, garlic and pepper
Lauging Cow French Onion Cheese wedges

Saute the onion, take the casing off the sausage and saute with onions, add seasoning, cook until the sausage is done. Add the broccoli slaw and cook until starting to wilt but still crunchy.

Steam the wraps, spread one LLC on it - top with the hot mixture. It was very filling - and Pat loved it too..... MMMMM 5 servings - 6 points each.

A Cruise?

Update to this Blog already!!!!

Nope - when I went down to the calendar in the kitchen this morning I realized my first big weekend show is in Frankenmuth on the weekend we would be on the cruise - so 8-( I had to call Cindy and tell her we can't go with them. That is a huge show and I just can't miss it - if it was a one day show I could ask Joanna to cover it - but not a whole weekend. Have fun Jim and Cindy!

Yup - the two people that said they would never go on a cruise - said yes last night to Jim and Cindy. We'll be going on a cruise this fall out East. All the ports of call are in the US and Canada. It sounds like it is going to be a fun time with Cindy's first husband's family. They had a couple extra staterooms booked and voila - it didn't even take any talking us into it - we both immediately said yes!

While we were at Jim and Cindy's we called Larry and Kathy to finalize our trip to Arizona. You know it is a good thing Pat went back to work and that there is LOTS of work right now - he's going to have to save for the trips.

While there we read a reference letter that someone wrote for Michael. It was such a beautiful testimony to Michael's amazing life. And he explained to a T what Michael is like - it was so nice to read it and we appreciate Jim and Cindy sharing it with us.

We had dinner last night with our friends we haven't seen in a long time - Jan and Rod - it sure was nice to catch up and hear all about their family - they are both retired and loving every minute of it.

So - Jesse and Caroline and anyone else in the family that can make it are coming for dinner tonight - of course Caroline demanded fettucini - I told her that they all will think that is the only thing I can cook - every time they come over she asks for it - really - I CAN make other things Carolina Moon.

That's all on the homefront for today!

Earthy Possessions Closes in Grand Haven

We were so sad to hear that the consignment shop that had my wrapped silverware for sale is closing in Grand Haven. We went Saturday to pick up our pieces that hadn't sold. Leah and Hank made that store so fabulous. I told them they couldn't just stop using their talent they had to find a way to continue somehow - even if they designed store windows or something.

I have never seen a space so beautifully utilized - even better than Jacobsons which was always my favorite store to walk through in awe of the artistic way everything was displayed. This consignment shop was elegant and warm and smelled of flavored coffee.

I know they will do something when the economy gets better - I hope I'm one of the first they call so I can have them sell my serving pieces. Good Luck friends.

Visiting

We had Joanna, Robin, Sheala and Robbie over for dinner the other night. Pat picked up Robbie after basketball practice so he got here first. He is such a great help in the kitchen. And - a Pfalzgraft outlet went out of business and we bought a new set of Cuisinart knives - oh my goodness - I have never had such good knives in my kitchen. So I warned Robbie to be very careful. When he used one for his salami - he said "Oh my goodness it cuts right through the salami!" - I told him, "You are right that is exactly how it would cut through your finger!"

He then helped Papa make a great salad for dinner. I shouldn't ever worry because he has been helping in the kitchen since he was just a toddler and he loves to cut up veggies - of course - more goes in his mouth than in the bowl but that is how I got his mother to eat her veggies when she was little, too. I made some mashed potatoes and took the roast out of the slow cooker. I still have to thank my friend Cathy for teaching me the secret for making the most tender meat in the slow cooker - just add one package of dry onion soup - it works every time with 12 hours cooking.

Then Joanna came in from work and we enjoyed some "couch" time. I love it when I get to cuddle with my daughters or grandchildren on the couch. We watched Robbie on the Wii fit - and we laughed the whole time. He likes to sit on it, stand on it, twist on it - always trying some different position to see if he can get the top score - and of course he does in many areas. But it is nice that Nana gets to be top Penguin fish catcher and super hula hoop twister.

Then Jesse called to say hi and Caroline got on to say hi - they both were working and it was an extremely slow night at the restaurant so they were watching TV. We figured they could all come for dinner on Saturday - so that will be a nice visit.

Then Robin and Sheala came in and we had a great dinner - everyone laughing and recounting their days at work and school. Sheala had to jump up to show us her splits at one point - and Robin had to tease her about never getting to drive because she couldn't possibly already be 15 next month. And Sheala teasing him about how he learned to drive from his Mom and then had to learn all over. Telling stories on Jesse about when he saw a police officer at the corner and so he used his blinker and both Sheala and Robbie looked around to see why because that so seldom happens.

Then after dishes and a few more minutes in the living room they all went home. These nights are what such great memories are made of - I love it.