Friday, July 16, 2010
No news...good news?
Greetings, blog family. Sorry to keep you all waiting about the exam results. As of right now, I know nothing yet myself. It hasn't officially been 48 hours; so, I am hoping that no news at this point is good news. I will definitely post whatever I find out as soon as I find out. Thanks for all of your prayers and positive thoughts sent my way. I'm still thanking God that the exam is over. I'll be ready to thank Him for another opportunity to take the exam if need be, but I really hope I can just thank Him for "prayers answered"! -EW
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
My life in a nutshell
Dear blog family and friends-
I've been preoccupied for the past couple of days with last minute preparations to take my board exam for nursing licensure. I would sure appreciate it if you could take just a moment tomorrow, July 14, 2010, to join me in praying that I pass the first time around.
All of my life I dreamt of being married with children. I wanted to stay home and raise my kiddoes and love them unconditionally and be the model wife who keeps a "Better Homes and Gardens"-neat home (complete with daily scrumptious home-made meals and desserts and fresh cut flowers on the dining room table) and wears sexy clothes and is active with all sorts of volunteer organizations, etc...I think you get the picture. Up until now, I have worked only part time, and still been there to serve on the PTA, teach Sunday school and drop off and pick up kids from school and extracurricular activities. My husband has been a real trooper and advocate for my staying home; however, our financial situation is rather grim. Hubby picks up extra shifts and signs up for overtime hours as often as he can, but he simply can't do it all by himself. I have a bachelor's degree in Family Studies from Texas Women's University from some time ago, and I loved all of the coursework. As my advisor liked to say, it entails human development from womb to tomb. I took classes in child development, sociology, psychology, nutrition, human development, etc. As the name suggests, though, there's only so much you can do with an undergraduate degree in that field. I selected Social Work as my minor thinking I could always get a Masters in Social Work and go into counseling if need be. Meanwhile, I figured the degree in Family Studies would help me since my main agenda was to be a stay at home mom anyway. Right?
Well, after college (the first time around) I ran off and joined the Peace Corps and spent 2 1/2 years in Honduras, Central America. I worked with local nurses and midwives as a rural health educator. One of my few material possessions was a copy of Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin. I marveled at the birth stories and the lives of the midwives. I wanted a piece of that natural childbirth world!
After I returned home, I met my husband through a mutual friend and married him and worked full time and had my kiddoes (both at home with a midwife) then quit my job and attempted to settle in to my life as wife and mama. I thought about pursuing a "direct entry midwife" certification. This is where you apprentice yourself with a practicing midwife, take courses, attend a certain number of births as an assistant and then a certain number of births as primary caretaker. Finally, you take a certification exam. The downfall to that approach was that your schedule has to be such that you're available to attend births around the clock. With small children at home and a husband who works from sun-up to sundown at times, that didn't seem to be the best option for me (not to mention you have to build up a clientele, so steady income was not a sure thing either).
From a financial standpoint, it has been an uphill struggle ever since I quit working full time after my daughter was born. Even though my Hubby and I are both very frugal, and we try to live within our means there just never seems to be enough money in the bank. I do not regret the sacrifices we choose to make everyday, but I do wish there was "a little extra" to do fun stuff with the kids and with each other.
So, for a while I floundered between education and nursing, with nursing being a means to get to the wonderful world of midwifery eventually. I decided that nursing entails quite a bit of education, too, and there's always the option to teach nursing courses somewhere down the line. Three years ago I dusted off my backpack and enrolled in nursing school. I had to take all of my science courses and a couple of other prerequisites-chemistry, microbiology, anatomy & physiology I and II, speech and P.E.--before I could apply to the 2-year program. I just graduated May 18, 2010.
Now, here I am about to take my board exam. I need to pass because I need a job. I thank God for the past 12 years of being able to be home with my kids. I also thank Him for helping me make it through nursing school. Now, I'm just praying for the faith to "believe and receive" the blessings God has in store for me. Won't you join me? Thanks! Until next time...
I've been preoccupied for the past couple of days with last minute preparations to take my board exam for nursing licensure. I would sure appreciate it if you could take just a moment tomorrow, July 14, 2010, to join me in praying that I pass the first time around.
All of my life I dreamt of being married with children. I wanted to stay home and raise my kiddoes and love them unconditionally and be the model wife who keeps a "Better Homes and Gardens"-neat home (complete with daily scrumptious home-made meals and desserts and fresh cut flowers on the dining room table) and wears sexy clothes and is active with all sorts of volunteer organizations, etc...I think you get the picture. Up until now, I have worked only part time, and still been there to serve on the PTA, teach Sunday school and drop off and pick up kids from school and extracurricular activities. My husband has been a real trooper and advocate for my staying home; however, our financial situation is rather grim. Hubby picks up extra shifts and signs up for overtime hours as often as he can, but he simply can't do it all by himself. I have a bachelor's degree in Family Studies from Texas Women's University from some time ago, and I loved all of the coursework. As my advisor liked to say, it entails human development from womb to tomb. I took classes in child development, sociology, psychology, nutrition, human development, etc. As the name suggests, though, there's only so much you can do with an undergraduate degree in that field. I selected Social Work as my minor thinking I could always get a Masters in Social Work and go into counseling if need be. Meanwhile, I figured the degree in Family Studies would help me since my main agenda was to be a stay at home mom anyway. Right?
Well, after college (the first time around) I ran off and joined the Peace Corps and spent 2 1/2 years in Honduras, Central America. I worked with local nurses and midwives as a rural health educator. One of my few material possessions was a copy of Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin. I marveled at the birth stories and the lives of the midwives. I wanted a piece of that natural childbirth world!
After I returned home, I met my husband through a mutual friend and married him and worked full time and had my kiddoes (both at home with a midwife) then quit my job and attempted to settle in to my life as wife and mama. I thought about pursuing a "direct entry midwife" certification. This is where you apprentice yourself with a practicing midwife, take courses, attend a certain number of births as an assistant and then a certain number of births as primary caretaker. Finally, you take a certification exam. The downfall to that approach was that your schedule has to be such that you're available to attend births around the clock. With small children at home and a husband who works from sun-up to sundown at times, that didn't seem to be the best option for me (not to mention you have to build up a clientele, so steady income was not a sure thing either).
From a financial standpoint, it has been an uphill struggle ever since I quit working full time after my daughter was born. Even though my Hubby and I are both very frugal, and we try to live within our means there just never seems to be enough money in the bank. I do not regret the sacrifices we choose to make everyday, but I do wish there was "a little extra" to do fun stuff with the kids and with each other.
So, for a while I floundered between education and nursing, with nursing being a means to get to the wonderful world of midwifery eventually. I decided that nursing entails quite a bit of education, too, and there's always the option to teach nursing courses somewhere down the line. Three years ago I dusted off my backpack and enrolled in nursing school. I had to take all of my science courses and a couple of other prerequisites-chemistry, microbiology, anatomy & physiology I and II, speech and P.E.--before I could apply to the 2-year program. I just graduated May 18, 2010.
Now, here I am about to take my board exam. I need to pass because I need a job. I thank God for the past 12 years of being able to be home with my kids. I also thank Him for helping me make it through nursing school. Now, I'm just praying for the faith to "believe and receive" the blessings God has in store for me. Won't you join me? Thanks! Until next time...
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Homemade pesticide
After all of that bragging about my gardening skills, I went out this morning to admire my flowers and noticed little holes nibbled in several of my white petunias :(. I patiently examinted the blooms for the culprit and several small worms (inch worms/tent worms) of various sizes and colors scooting around and munching as they went along. Well, of all things! I carefully removed them with a popsicle stick out of the kids' craft bin and placed them in a used butter tub while I went to my computer to research what to do about the situation. Since I'm an amateur gardener and would rather not have chemicals lying around the house, I didn't have any Sevin Dust (I only know about that stuff because I've heard my dad mention it), but I'd heard of home-made concoctions that will get rid of the pests without harming the plants. Here's a recipe I found at http://eartheasy.com/grow_nat_pest_cntrl.htm#c, a website that boasts "solutions for sustainable living" (note: there are underscores between grow_nat_pest_cntrl):
1 Tablespoon canola oil
a few drops of Ivory dish soap
1 quart warm water
Combine ingredients and stir gently. Pour into a spray bottle and spray affected plants (including under leaves) early in the morning or just before the sun sets in the evening. I'm guessing those are the times the little critters are out doing their damage. I mixed up a batch with a couple cloves of crushed garlic just for good measure because I heard most pests don't like that too much, and sprayed it directly on the worms in my butter tub. Within minutes three of them were dead, one was stunned (as I discovered when after several minutes he was trying to crawl up the sides of the tub again), and one climbed to higher ground on a small leaf that was in the tub with them. I might've sprayed a bit much and drowned them, or the oil interfered with their ability to breathe or the soap irritated them in some way. Whatever the case, the spray had the desired effect! My spray bottle and I will be taking on the rest of the critters in the morning. Thanks for stopping by. Until next time...
1 Tablespoon canola oil
a few drops of Ivory dish soap
1 quart warm water
Combine ingredients and stir gently. Pour into a spray bottle and spray affected plants (including under leaves) early in the morning or just before the sun sets in the evening. I'm guessing those are the times the little critters are out doing their damage. I mixed up a batch with a couple cloves of crushed garlic just for good measure because I heard most pests don't like that too much, and sprayed it directly on the worms in my butter tub. Within minutes three of them were dead, one was stunned (as I discovered when after several minutes he was trying to crawl up the sides of the tub again), and one climbed to higher ground on a small leaf that was in the tub with them. I might've sprayed a bit much and drowned them, or the oil interfered with their ability to breathe or the soap irritated them in some way. Whatever the case, the spray had the desired effect! My spray bottle and I will be taking on the rest of the critters in the morning. Thanks for stopping by. Until next time...
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Rain, rain, don't go away!
What a happy way to start the day! I awoke this morning feeling refreshed and well-rested after sleeping in until 8:30 a.m. When I went to let the dog out, I noticed it was raining ever-so-lightly. My big green tub near the patio was full so it must have rained overnight as well. This has been the rainiest summer in a long time, and I'm enjoying it. I'm sure what's left of my lawn is, too. I tipped outdoors in my gown and filled my watering can with the rainwater to water the plants on the patio. They're a little too fragile to put directly in the rain because around here we never know if it will sprinkle, rain or storm. Anyway, I tipped across the backyard and thoroughly enjoyed the sensation of the raindrops soaking through the thin cotton of my gown as I stooped to admire the one bell pepper on my plant. I guess it's time to pick it because it's beautiful and orange if a little small. I was trying to wait and see if it would get any bigger.
I don't claim to be a gardener by any stretch of the imagination, but the kids bought me a couple of petunias and a sweet pea plant for mother's day this year. The sweet pea plant looked a little worse for wear so, with my daughter's permission, I traded it for the pepper plant. I also planted a sweet potato because it started to sprout on it's own while hanging in my vegetable basket over the kitchen sink. I thought of the pretty light green leaves adorning the flowerbeds of my neighbors. That thing has practically taken over the entire little "garden." It's leaves are dark green, and it creeped all over the tomato cage I put around the pepper to protect it from that rowdy, squirrel & bird-chasing dog of mine. C'est la vie. That about sums up my feeble attempt at gardening. I thank God for all of the lovely rain.
I don't claim to be a gardener by any stretch of the imagination, but the kids bought me a couple of petunias and a sweet pea plant for mother's day this year. The sweet pea plant looked a little worse for wear so, with my daughter's permission, I traded it for the pepper plant. I also planted a sweet potato because it started to sprout on it's own while hanging in my vegetable basket over the kitchen sink. I thought of the pretty light green leaves adorning the flowerbeds of my neighbors. That thing has practically taken over the entire little "garden." It's leaves are dark green, and it creeped all over the tomato cage I put around the pepper to protect it from that rowdy, squirrel & bird-chasing dog of mine. C'est la vie. That about sums up my feeble attempt at gardening. I thank God for all of the lovely rain.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Take me out to the ball game
Well, not so much as a spectator but as a volunteer at hot dog stand P144 for the high school Band Booster Club. My son is heading to high school in the fall, and he plays trombone in the band. His school boasts that their band fees are very low compared to other schools because of the fundraising efforts of the Band Booster Club. Selling hot dogs and beer at The Ballpark is a major contributor to those said funds, and every family is asked to work at 6-8 games. So, last night was my first go at this. Who knew what I was getting myself into!
Let me just interject a word or two about fundraising: I understand the need for it, but in my opinion it is a necessary evil! I strongly dislike having to do it. I don't mind the magazine subscriptions so much or even the individual candy bars, but peddling all of the overpriced gift wrap, boxes of chocolates & candles, etc. drives me bonkers. I'd rather give the organization a $10 donation than spend the $10 on a $2 box of chocolates and have the school only get $4. I'll get off of that little soap box. Back to the main story...
Another parent stopped by my house to drop off a badge and directions about parking and where to go and when I arrived. Cool so far.
I was told by the parent who provided the information that business has been a little slow since this is a 10-game home stand (probably botched that up-sorry, folks, I know relatively nothing about sports lingo) and I'd probably be assigned the menial task of "wrapping hot dogs." Okay, I can deal with that. What I was not told was that it was "Dollar Dog" night and hot dogs were only a buck, which compared to $4.50 for a 20-oz bottled Coke or $3.oo for a 16.9 oz bottled water was a steal. Then, there were already 640 hot dogs warmed and wrapped and waiting for the eager customers, so no further wrapping was required for the time being. So, wanna take a guess as to what task the "new kid on the block" was assigned? How about cooking! There were three other adults and 2 student volunteers and nobody wanted to cook, so I said I'd do it. Volunteering is volunteering, right? I donned my hat and apron and set out to grill onions & warm "fully cooked" sausages on sticks & bratwursts on the grill as well as grilled countless boxes of dollar dogs. And to think I thought I'd just be wrapping/selling hot dogs! Beer was sold from a different location by volunteers with their Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) licenses, but in addition to the above mentioned fare, we had nachos, prebagged peanuts in the shells and assorted drinks. I had my handy meat thermometer to ensure the dogs and sausages reached an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees, which took longer than I ever thought it would. How about an industrial sized George Foreman grill, folks? That would be handy.
All in all it wasn't a bad night, just busy, which in my opinion makes time pass a lot faster than when business is slow. They need help tonight and tomorrow as well, so I'd better get myself in gear so I'll be available for one or the other. Thanks for stopping by. Until next time...
Let me just interject a word or two about fundraising: I understand the need for it, but in my opinion it is a necessary evil! I strongly dislike having to do it. I don't mind the magazine subscriptions so much or even the individual candy bars, but peddling all of the overpriced gift wrap, boxes of chocolates & candles, etc. drives me bonkers. I'd rather give the organization a $10 donation than spend the $10 on a $2 box of chocolates and have the school only get $4. I'll get off of that little soap box. Back to the main story...
Another parent stopped by my house to drop off a badge and directions about parking and where to go and when I arrived. Cool so far.
I was told by the parent who provided the information that business has been a little slow since this is a 10-game home stand (probably botched that up-sorry, folks, I know relatively nothing about sports lingo) and I'd probably be assigned the menial task of "wrapping hot dogs." Okay, I can deal with that. What I was not told was that it was "Dollar Dog" night and hot dogs were only a buck, which compared to $4.50 for a 20-oz bottled Coke or $3.oo for a 16.9 oz bottled water was a steal. Then, there were already 640 hot dogs warmed and wrapped and waiting for the eager customers, so no further wrapping was required for the time being. So, wanna take a guess as to what task the "new kid on the block" was assigned? How about cooking! There were three other adults and 2 student volunteers and nobody wanted to cook, so I said I'd do it. Volunteering is volunteering, right? I donned my hat and apron and set out to grill onions & warm "fully cooked" sausages on sticks & bratwursts on the grill as well as grilled countless boxes of dollar dogs. And to think I thought I'd just be wrapping/selling hot dogs! Beer was sold from a different location by volunteers with their Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) licenses, but in addition to the above mentioned fare, we had nachos, prebagged peanuts in the shells and assorted drinks. I had my handy meat thermometer to ensure the dogs and sausages reached an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees, which took longer than I ever thought it would. How about an industrial sized George Foreman grill, folks? That would be handy.
All in all it wasn't a bad night, just busy, which in my opinion makes time pass a lot faster than when business is slow. They need help tonight and tomorrow as well, so I'd better get myself in gear so I'll be available for one or the other. Thanks for stopping by. Until next time...
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Strawberry muffins
Strawberries have been abundant and oh-so sweet and inexpensive this summer, so we usually keep some on hand to snack on. Back around Mother's Day, I had a taste for strawberry muffins, and I found the following recipe and whipped up a batch. I've made them several times since then as well. They make a perfect breakfast with a cup yogurt and/or fresh fruit and juice or mint tea...
Strawberry Muffins
Batter:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chopped fresh strawberries
Topping:
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or grease bottoms only (I use cooking spray and no liners). In a large bowl, combine dry batter ingredients. In a small bowl whisk egg, milk and oil. Add liquid to dry mixture and stir until just moistened. Stir in strawberries and spoon batter into muffin cups. For the topping combine 1 T. sugar and 1/4 t. cinnamon; sprinkle even over batter in cups. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Makes 1 dozen muffins
Note: I cannot eat cinnamon so I just omit it and sprinkle with plain granulated sugar. One time I forgot that step, so I brushed a little melted butter over the warm muffin tops and dusted them with powdered sugar to make a glaze.
Strawberry Muffins
Batter:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chopped fresh strawberries
Topping:
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or grease bottoms only (I use cooking spray and no liners). In a large bowl, combine dry batter ingredients. In a small bowl whisk egg, milk and oil. Add liquid to dry mixture and stir until just moistened. Stir in strawberries and spoon batter into muffin cups. For the topping combine 1 T. sugar and 1/4 t. cinnamon; sprinkle even over batter in cups. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Makes 1 dozen muffins
Note: I cannot eat cinnamon so I just omit it and sprinkle with plain granulated sugar. One time I forgot that step, so I brushed a little melted butter over the warm muffin tops and dusted them with powdered sugar to make a glaze.
Monday, July 5, 2010
5th of July
What a busy weekend! I can hardly believe it's Monday again already, and I haven't blogged since last Monday. Whoever said "time flies" wasn't kidding. I guess I've been visiting some of the new blogs I'm following and neglecting my own stuff...I just have to find the right balance and stay on top of it all. I'll touch on the highlights and try to keep it brief. Warning: "keeping it brief" rarely works for me!
Tuesday 6/29 Mike & Aaron had their semi-annual dentist appts. Marching band practice was cancelled for Aaron since the a/c was out at the high school, but he still met at his section leader's house for a modified rehearsal. They were playing "Rock Band" on some video game system when I went to pick him up. I guess that's sort of considered practicing, huh?
When I stopped by my mom's house to pick up my nephew, Xavier, (who happens to be my daughter's best friend since I watched him since he was 5 weeks old and they were practically raised together), my grandmother (Grandmom) hopped in my car and buckled up as well. She just turned 92 and has dementia. She recently moved in with my parents because she was getting too forgetful to live alone. Was I going to tell my own grandmother to get out of the car? No I was not. She came on over to the house, too. Xavier and Alisa played for a while & when it was time to pick up Aaron, we all loaded back up in the car so I could deliver Grandmom and Xavier back to my parents' home after a trip to the pet store. When all was said and done, Grandmom returned to my home with her overnight bag packed. She told my mother she was going to spend a few days with me! Wow, this was news to me. I mean I'm not working right now, so it was okay, and Grandmom really isn't much trouble, but I should be studying for my Board exam for my nursing license at some point.
The following morning, Wednesday, 6/30, Alisa & I had our dentist appointments, so I dropped Grandmom back at my mom's house. Later that evening, my mom dropped off my 5-year-old niece, Sasha, around 5 p.m. I had already made the arrangements with my brother and sister-in-law to take Sasha to a singing dinosaur concert that evening and then let her spend the night. I guess mom dropped her off so we would avoid another "Grandmom hopping in my car to go, too" incident. That's about the time the rain started coming down. I held out hope that it wouldn't last and the concert would go on as planned, but I had no such luck. Sasha & I ran a couple of errands and then stopped by the Levitt Pavilion at 7:20 just to make sure the concert was indeed cancelled. It was. So, we returned home, cooked and ate dinner. We had cupcakes for dessert and then popped popcorn and watched "The Little Mermaid" (one of my favorites).
When Thursday July 1st rolled around, I was planning to attend the Carabali concert at the Levitt that evening. Aaron was at band practice, and Alisa didn't want to go, so Mike and I swapped Grandmom for Alisa and the three of us enjoyed the "salsa & merengue with energy" under the stars. I admit that I have 2 left feet, but still the music made me want to get up and merengue with the rest of the crowd. I had no willing partners, though.
Early Friday morning, 7/2, my grandmother's sister and nephew arrived in town from Chicago. My mom called and asked if I would bake a cake for Grandmom's birthday celebration on Saturday. 24 hours notice? Really? I felt like Larry the Cucumber on the intro to VeggieTales.
Bob: "Go on out there" [and play the tuba]
Larry: "But I'll look silly!"
Bob: "It's for the kids."
Larry: "Well, okay, but they better not laugh!"
(My kids have outgrown VeggieTales, but I still love them!) So, back to the grocery store I went trying to decide what kind of cake to make for Grandmom's birthday: strawberry or lemon. I decided on lemon cake with fresh strawberry filling and lemon buttercream frosting. The filling was a little on the runny side, but it tasted great, like stawberry lemonade.
Saturday morning, Aaron had to be at the high school at 6:30 a.m. to get ready to march in the 4th of July parade. I wanted to crawl back in my bed for just a little while because the parade didn't start 'til 9 a.m., but I figured I'd better make my buttercream frosting so all I'd have to do was assemble the cake after the parade. Grandmom's birthday luncheon at Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen was scheduled for 1:30, and I wasn't sure how long the parade would last.
Although it had rained earlier in the morning, the weather was actually very pleasant for the parade. My cousin Barrett joined Alisa and me for the festivities. A little senior citizen set up camp right next to us and proceeded to talk incessantly throughout the parade. His wife was home sick. He has 2 beagles, named Honey and Sammy. He lives across from Lamar high school and watches his neighbor's dogs on occasion. He's a runner and also rides a bicycle. I thought to myself "bless his heart" and listened intently, excusing myself to snap a picture every once in a while. I could tell he really was a sweet person even if a couple cards shy of a full deck.
I rushed home (after stopping by Pep Boys to get a bulb for my front headlight which I just noticed was out) to decorate the cake and flat iron Alisa's hair and get myself read for our lunch date. We arrived only 7 minutes late, and that was because I missed a turn and had to circle around the construction on I-30 & Collins. North Arlington is like another city to me where I rarely venture.
Lunch went well. Aunt Ruth, Cousin Maurice, mom, dad, Barrett, Lorenzo Jr., Shannon & her crew, my sister-in-law, Renee and my kids and I all joined Grandmom to celebrate. Then we headed back to Mom's to have cake and open gifts. I think everyone was about stuffed to the point of being uncomfortable after Pappadeaux, so I served small slices of cake. Grandmom opened her gifts: beautiful cards, a night gown and several sets of bath and body stuff. What else do you get someone who is 92 and has recently moved in with someone else and has limited space for "stuff"? Consumables and gift cards, I guess.
Sunday, July 4th, I had to serve at 10 o'clock mass, and the kids wanted to go to early service, so Barrett picked them up and I went by myself. After mass, I stopped by my mom's to pick up the kids, and ended up visiting for a while with my Great Aunt Ruth whom we call "Ruthie Dear." Although she still uses words like "colored" and repeats the "N" word when quoting things her grandfather said, I just love to hear her talk about her mother, her Papa and her grandparents. Such a rich living history! I just try to take it all in because I know she won't be around forever to recount such stories. I guess that kind of counts for my "cherish the moment Monday."
Later that evening, my family headed to my sister's in-laws for a cook-out. Ed made the big, old-fashioned hamburgers with all of the trimmings. There were also hot dogs & hot links, assorted chips, fruit platters laden with grapes, strawberries and the best watermelon and canteloupe I've had this summer! I brought deviled eggs and my mom brought a cherry frosted cherry chip cake (I was off the hook for a change!). We left a little after 9 o'clock in search of a place to watch fireworks, and ended up in the parking lot near Steak N Shake watching the fireworks from The Highlands. It was the kind of carefree day that a holiday should be!
I'll try to keep my blogs a little shorter and more frequent so as not to bore my faithful followers to tears. I'm also going to post some yummy recipes from time to time as well. Thanks for stopping by...until next time!
Tuesday 6/29 Mike & Aaron had their semi-annual dentist appts. Marching band practice was cancelled for Aaron since the a/c was out at the high school, but he still met at his section leader's house for a modified rehearsal. They were playing "Rock Band" on some video game system when I went to pick him up. I guess that's sort of considered practicing, huh?
When I stopped by my mom's house to pick up my nephew, Xavier, (who happens to be my daughter's best friend since I watched him since he was 5 weeks old and they were practically raised together), my grandmother (Grandmom) hopped in my car and buckled up as well. She just turned 92 and has dementia. She recently moved in with my parents because she was getting too forgetful to live alone. Was I going to tell my own grandmother to get out of the car? No I was not. She came on over to the house, too. Xavier and Alisa played for a while & when it was time to pick up Aaron, we all loaded back up in the car so I could deliver Grandmom and Xavier back to my parents' home after a trip to the pet store. When all was said and done, Grandmom returned to my home with her overnight bag packed. She told my mother she was going to spend a few days with me! Wow, this was news to me. I mean I'm not working right now, so it was okay, and Grandmom really isn't much trouble, but I should be studying for my Board exam for my nursing license at some point.
The following morning, Wednesday, 6/30, Alisa & I had our dentist appointments, so I dropped Grandmom back at my mom's house. Later that evening, my mom dropped off my 5-year-old niece, Sasha, around 5 p.m. I had already made the arrangements with my brother and sister-in-law to take Sasha to a singing dinosaur concert that evening and then let her spend the night. I guess mom dropped her off so we would avoid another "Grandmom hopping in my car to go, too" incident. That's about the time the rain started coming down. I held out hope that it wouldn't last and the concert would go on as planned, but I had no such luck. Sasha & I ran a couple of errands and then stopped by the Levitt Pavilion at 7:20 just to make sure the concert was indeed cancelled. It was. So, we returned home, cooked and ate dinner. We had cupcakes for dessert and then popped popcorn and watched "The Little Mermaid" (one of my favorites).
When Thursday July 1st rolled around, I was planning to attend the Carabali concert at the Levitt that evening. Aaron was at band practice, and Alisa didn't want to go, so Mike and I swapped Grandmom for Alisa and the three of us enjoyed the "salsa & merengue with energy" under the stars. I admit that I have 2 left feet, but still the music made me want to get up and merengue with the rest of the crowd. I had no willing partners, though.
Early Friday morning, 7/2, my grandmother's sister and nephew arrived in town from Chicago. My mom called and asked if I would bake a cake for Grandmom's birthday celebration on Saturday. 24 hours notice? Really? I felt like Larry the Cucumber on the intro to VeggieTales.
Bob: "Go on out there" [and play the tuba]
Larry: "But I'll look silly!"
Bob: "It's for the kids."
Larry: "Well, okay, but they better not laugh!"
(My kids have outgrown VeggieTales, but I still love them!) So, back to the grocery store I went trying to decide what kind of cake to make for Grandmom's birthday: strawberry or lemon. I decided on lemon cake with fresh strawberry filling and lemon buttercream frosting. The filling was a little on the runny side, but it tasted great, like stawberry lemonade.
Saturday morning, Aaron had to be at the high school at 6:30 a.m. to get ready to march in the 4th of July parade. I wanted to crawl back in my bed for just a little while because the parade didn't start 'til 9 a.m., but I figured I'd better make my buttercream frosting so all I'd have to do was assemble the cake after the parade. Grandmom's birthday luncheon at Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen was scheduled for 1:30, and I wasn't sure how long the parade would last.
Although it had rained earlier in the morning, the weather was actually very pleasant for the parade. My cousin Barrett joined Alisa and me for the festivities. A little senior citizen set up camp right next to us and proceeded to talk incessantly throughout the parade. His wife was home sick. He has 2 beagles, named Honey and Sammy. He lives across from Lamar high school and watches his neighbor's dogs on occasion. He's a runner and also rides a bicycle. I thought to myself "bless his heart" and listened intently, excusing myself to snap a picture every once in a while. I could tell he really was a sweet person even if a couple cards shy of a full deck.
I rushed home (after stopping by Pep Boys to get a bulb for my front headlight which I just noticed was out) to decorate the cake and flat iron Alisa's hair and get myself read for our lunch date. We arrived only 7 minutes late, and that was because I missed a turn and had to circle around the construction on I-30 & Collins. North Arlington is like another city to me where I rarely venture.
Lunch went well. Aunt Ruth, Cousin Maurice, mom, dad, Barrett, Lorenzo Jr., Shannon & her crew, my sister-in-law, Renee and my kids and I all joined Grandmom to celebrate. Then we headed back to Mom's to have cake and open gifts. I think everyone was about stuffed to the point of being uncomfortable after Pappadeaux, so I served small slices of cake. Grandmom opened her gifts: beautiful cards, a night gown and several sets of bath and body stuff. What else do you get someone who is 92 and has recently moved in with someone else and has limited space for "stuff"? Consumables and gift cards, I guess.
Sunday, July 4th, I had to serve at 10 o'clock mass, and the kids wanted to go to early service, so Barrett picked them up and I went by myself. After mass, I stopped by my mom's to pick up the kids, and ended up visiting for a while with my Great Aunt Ruth whom we call "Ruthie Dear." Although she still uses words like "colored" and repeats the "N" word when quoting things her grandfather said, I just love to hear her talk about her mother, her Papa and her grandparents. Such a rich living history! I just try to take it all in because I know she won't be around forever to recount such stories. I guess that kind of counts for my "cherish the moment Monday."
Later that evening, my family headed to my sister's in-laws for a cook-out. Ed made the big, old-fashioned hamburgers with all of the trimmings. There were also hot dogs & hot links, assorted chips, fruit platters laden with grapes, strawberries and the best watermelon and canteloupe I've had this summer! I brought deviled eggs and my mom brought a cherry frosted cherry chip cake (I was off the hook for a change!). We left a little after 9 o'clock in search of a place to watch fireworks, and ended up in the parking lot near Steak N Shake watching the fireworks from The Highlands. It was the kind of carefree day that a holiday should be!
I'll try to keep my blogs a little shorter and more frequent so as not to bore my faithful followers to tears. I'm also going to post some yummy recipes from time to time as well. Thanks for stopping by...until next time!
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