"To avoid situations in which you might make mistakes may be the biggest mistake of all." 
- Peter McWilliams, Life 101

Life is an interesting teacher, isn't it?  Trying things and having those things not live up to our expectations teaches us more about ourselves and who we are than anything or anyone could. 

I was really terrified when I was planning that silly conference I did.  What if it was an epic failure? I was becoming paralyzed with the fear of failing that I almost quit. Like every day for about a month.

Then my wise little sister told me to stop and breathe (and quit being a giant pansy). The mere fact that I was trying something proved that I wasn't an epic failure. The only time you are an epic failure, she said, is when you don't even try. Taking the first step and trying moves you from being a failure to a success. Failure is simply not trying.

So what if things don't go the way you "scripted" them... you tried. That's success. People who love you and care about you don't care about "the end result" they care about you and the fact that you had the courage to try.

That pep-talked changed my life.  I had been a pansy for years-- afraid of being that epic failure so I wouldn't put myself out there and try to do something . . . daring.  I realized however that it takes courage to try and in the process of trying you get more courage. If you're going to do something, have the courage to fail big because you will already be a big failure if you don't even try.

*****
 Speaking of failure: I am an epic failure at being the Tooth-fairy.  Every single one of my children has had to call "central command" to complain about the fact that the Tooth-fairy isn't doing her job.

Thing 3 lost yet another tooth at the beginning of the week and I forgot every single night this week to pick it up and leave some cash.  Until last night that is when I was tucking her into bed and she lifted up the pillow and said "Mom. My tooth is RIGHT. THERE. See? Do you think she'll come tonight?"  I promptly replied "Central Command said she was on vacation this week, but they would send a substitute, so don't get upset with what she leaves." 

That substitute woke up in a panic at 6:30am and rushed around trying to find something to leave.  (a crumpled up dollar should work, right?)

Me as the tooth-fairy = epic fail. And, I'm totally OK with that.

*****
Last week I was so sick I figured the second-coming must be on it's way.  I conquered death, and now I'm working on figuring out the secrets of the resurrection.

I'm on the mend. Slowly, but surely.

Let's keep our fingers and toes crossed that the kids don't get it... we've got Disneyland people. DISNEYLAND. And who wants to be sick for Disneyland?

*****
School starts in TWENTY-FIVE DAYS.

Not that I'm counting or anything.

Cause I'm totally not.

Only sort of.

*****
I am in need of a good mind-less read.  I just finished something kind of heavy, and I want fluff people. FLUFF.  Light on the sex but fluff none the less nonetheless none-the-less.  (how do you write that?)

Do you have any good suggestions?

*****
I'm hungry all the time. It's such a pain, really.  I love to eat and preferably eat out. When I'm hungry, I immediately start thinking of places I could go eat. Like right now. I want a Kamikaze Burger and Bottom-less Fries from Red Robin. Yum.

Right now Red Robin (yum) is doing this thing where if you bring a bike you can have a free burger. I have two bikes I need to get rid of so does that mean I can have two burgers?

Inquiring minds want to know. Those minds are hun-ree.



*****
I do have one little confession to make regarding hamburger consumption.  I could eat a hamburger for every stinking meal and never get tired of it.  Ever.  Even for Breakfast. I loves me some hamburger and fries.

My sisters tease me because when we go places I am more than willing to try new restaurants. As long as they have a burger on the menu.  That's not to say that I won't try other foods, because I do. I LOVE with all my heart mind and soul Mexican food. But, I love burgers too. It's a torrid affair between burgers and Mexican food.

This week its Burgers and fries.

Two weeks ago it was Carne Asada Tacos. (twice in one day. Shut up.)

Which makes this next confession rather sad: apparently I am a total sinner when it comes to hamburger consumption because I have never eaten at In&Out Burger. Like Ever.

I am an In&Out Burger Virgin.

So tell me people if one were going to rectify being an In&Out Virgin Burger Eater, what would one order?

*****
That's it folks.  I'm headed to Twin Falls this weekend. So if you see me, don't flip me off when I cut you off in traffic.

Catch ya on the flip side!

1.  Skipping Stones  -  Amos Lee
2.  If I Ask You Nicely - Gomez
3.  Knock 'Em Out - Lily Allen
4.  These Days - Ayo
5.  No One Is To Blame (Acoustic) - Howard Jones *hello 1985. where have you been?*
6.  River Song - Dennis Wilson
7.  Laughing With A Mouth Full Of Blood - St. Vincent
8.  All Summer Long - Kid Rock
9. Day Dreamer - Donavon Frankenreiter
10. Feels Like Home - Chantal Kreviazuk

Bonus: Daughter - Loudon

No matter what your religious practices are this video is what we all should strive to be like: Frankly Forgiving and Truly Christ-Like.

Right now I know I would be unable to be like this man; However, I am humbled when I watch this and find myself desiring to be more like Him. And him.

A bunch of my readers have sent me some crazy photos over the last little while, and since my muse is still on her eternal-freaking-potty-break, I decided to share with you the joy that has come to my in box.









99 Phenomenal Digital Photo Tricks: Crazy Fun with People & Places (US English)

Thing 1: You know what's really cool about the commandments, Mom?

Me: Nope. What?

Thing 1: It's totally cool how you can know exactly which commandments God wanted to be important to you.

Me: Really? How?

Thing 1: The commandments that are the hardest for you to keep are the ones that God wants to be the most important to you.

{insert my jaw dropping}

I think I was just schooled by my child.

At my lemonade stand I used to give the first glass away free and charge five dollars for the second glass. The refill contained the antidote. 
- Emo Phillips

I think I have mastered death and now I am trying to conquer the resurrection. I'll let you know how that goes.

I have been sick for over 10 days now and this past week it hit me full force and with a vengeance.  I have been "knock-knock-knocking on heavens door" and surely death would be better than how I have been feeling. The sad thing--or at least sad for me-- is that when the Mom (that's me) is seeing the spirits from the grave coming to escort her home, the rest of the family still wants dinner. And a drive to their friends house. And a drive across the state to EFY. And more dinner.

It's tragic really.

I think what I have is a cross between Ebola and Pneumonia.

Please put daisies on my grave.

*****
While I have been dying, I have also been reading.  I just finished reading Little Bee and have to say that it was a fantastic read.  It was a clever sort of marketing that Chris Cleave did when he put this on the back cover:

"We don't want to tell you WHAT HAPPENS in this book.  It is a truly SPECIAL STORY and we don't want to spoil it.  NEVERTHELESS, you need to know enough to buy it, so we will just say this: This is a story of two women.  Their lives collide one fateful day, and one of them has to make a terrible choice, the kind of choice we hope you never have to face.  Two years later, they meet again-- the story starts there . . .   Once you have read it, you'll want to tell your friends about it.  When you do, please don't tell them what happens.  The magic is in how the story unfolds."

You know what? It's true.  I was hesitant to read this book.  I could find nothing that said what the story was really about, so I took a chance.  I'm glad I did.  The way the author weaves words together is incredibly moving.  I found myself highlighting passages from the book simply because the way he wove the words together made them sing a hauntingly beautiful song.  For instance:

" We must see all scars as beauty. Okay? This will be our secret.  Because take it from me, a scar does not form on the dying. A scar means, I survived." 

I loved that passage. The other one that I find myself thinking about is this one:

"Sad words are just another beauty.  A sad story means, this storyteller is alive."

If you feel adventurous, you should most definitely take a chance on Little Bee.  I read it in one weekend, and I can't stop  thinking about her.

I give this book Two Thumbs Up.  Way, WAY Up.

*****
There is a boy in my ward who is really sick and the neighborhood has been putting together a fundraiser for him.  I feel really honored to be able to be able to participate in the event.  It's quite the stellar event-- a Nitro Circus Movie Screening with a sneak peek of the upcoming season along with signed memorabilia being auctioned off; Utah Blaze Football Camp; Miller Motor Sports Park Stunt riding and Live Entertainment!


I was updating the website and putting more information on it, when I read a post that he wrote.  I was feeling rather sorry for my sad, little self and his words knocked the wind out of me.  He is a wise young man, who truly has a grasp on what is important.

If anyone has any reason at all to complain, it's this young man and yet he keeps on smiling and looking for the good in his day.  That is a remarkable trait.  His mother has taught him well.

She is a remarkable woman and is always the first one there when someone is in need.  She goes about serving people silently-- never wanting any recognition.  She is the kind of faithful, thoughtful, spiritual woman whom I hope to be like when I grow up.  I watch her care for her children-- and she is a remarkable mother.  You can tell how she mothers them and cares for them by the way her children treat other people's children.

One of her son's is Thing 2's age and I absolutely LOVE having him in my home. He is kind, thoughtful and appreciative.  He is so kind and caring to my two younger girls-- he loves on them and always acknowledges them. He goes out of his way to say "Hi" to them-- especially Moxie-- when he sees them.  He makes such a fuss over them, I don't know how anyone wouldn't fall madly in love with him. 

When my children's friends are kind to my other children, they endear themselves to me in ways that can't be explained. There are only three of Thing2's friends who are like that and I tell you what-- I will bend over backwards to help those children.

So. This boy and the fundraiser.

If you feel so inclined-- will you spread the word on your blog?  You can copy anything you want from the website and put it on your blog to help promote it.  There are press releases, fliers, and buttons.  The committee has been able to land some pretty amazing sponsors for the event-- Like Comcast Cable, The Utah Blaze and Mtv's Nitro Circus to name just a few.  It is going to be the event of the century, that's for sure!

For more information visit www.daviscoxfundraiser.com

*****
Thing 1 has been off to EFY and I got a text last night that simply said: "I am SO HAPPY!"

What more can a mother ask?

Best money we've ever spent.

Bar. None.

*****

Football starts in two weeks.

Two weeks of freedom and then our family will be eating, breathing, sleeping and dreaming football.

I'm not so sure Jefe is as excited as Thing 2 happens to be.  He is the assistant coach of Thing 2's team, and it is a long, taxing season.  Practice 4 nights a week for two hours. Games all over Northern Utah every Saturday. It's a lot.

Someone quite a while ago said they just didn't see the value in team sports-- particularly football.  They felt like you would gain more from Gymnastics, or Dance or Music Lessons. That those events taught you how to compete against yourself.

I have to disagree, and I had to keep my mouth shut. While that may be true, there is a lot to be gained by being involved in a team sport. The biggest is learning how to work with others. There can't be a lone star in a football game.  When there is-- that team suffers. When they all pull together and work hard-- that team profits.

Thing 2 is not a natural athlete, but he wants to be an athlete.  He has learned valuable lessons from this sport that will help him in aspects of his life.  He's learned that you don't always get what you want-- just because of who you are; Hard work will get you further than anything else and if you want something you have to work for it but you still may not get it.  And, that's OK.

I appreciate the life lessons he is learning.

I watched one of the Coaches last year working with a boy.  He made a grave mistake in a play that cost us dearly.  The boy pulled himself off the field and went and sat on the bench.  The coach went to the boy and said "What are you doing? Get back in there!"  The boy responded "I screwed up and made a huge mistake. I shouldn't be playing."  The coach then said a remarkable thing to that boy: "Welcome to life. You're going to make mistakes.  That's how life is so get back out there and learn from that mistake!"

Those are life lessons people that some of us STILL need to learn.

*****
That's all for this week's addition of Random 10 Friday.  The TEN part comes in with the songs I list all random like.  I throw Rhapsody on shuffle and write down the first ten songs that pop up. No fast forwarding to something cooler. It's just totally random.

I've been pretty lucky lately because none of the crappy Wiggles songs have shown up in the list.

Now watch I've totally jinxed myself and there will be like four of them. 


1.  Quelqu'un M'a Dit  -  Carla Bruni
2.  All the Color Green - Peter Breinholt
3.  The Best Day Ever - SpongeBob SquarePants (See?)
4.  The Way I Am  - Ingrid Michaelson
5. Win Park Slope - Gomez
6.  Keep It Loose, Keep it Tight - Amos Lee
7.  Falling for the First Time - Jules Larson
8.  California Gurls (feat. Snoop Dogg) - Katy Perry
9.  Sink or Swim - Tyrone Wells
10. Something To Be Proud Of - Montgomery Gentry

Bonus: Slow Dancing In A Burning Room (Acoustic) - John Mayer

Facebook.

It's the veritable reunion-connection-stalker-Oprah-Esq-long-lost-friend/lover/cousin-maker-tool.

Really.

Think about it.

People from your past you haven't seen in YEARS suddenly find you on Facebook and wah-lah! You're friends. Again.

Sometimes you never speak to each other after that first "Hey, thanks for the friend!"

And others, you pick up right where you left off ten years ago.

That has been my experience.

I have recently reconnected all Oprah style with long lost friends from my past and frankly I love it!

I had dinner last night with my very best friend from college.  We reminisced about all the dumb stuff we did in college-- skipping class and hanging out in the bookstore reading greeting cards and laughing so hard we may have actually peed a little-- and realizing that it totally sucks when life gets in the way of friends.

It was good to be laugh with you again, Melinda!

And, the best part of the night? Hearing your twenty-four year old brother call you and ask WHY, for the love of all things holy, are you still out at ELEVEN pm? You're 40 years old, for Google's Sake!

Made my night!

*****
I heard a song recently that punched me in the stomach.  I don't know why it affected me the way it did, but it has been haunting me and I can't stop thinking about it. 

It's the song "Live Like You're Dying" by Tim McGraw.  I don't know why it hit me so hard, but I love the lyrics. I find myself thinking about the line: ". . .He said I was finally the husband [wife] that most the time I wasn't and I became a friend a friend would like to have . . ."

It's really easy to get so caught up in life--work, chores, bills-- that you forget to live life and be what it is you are looking for in others.

I told my friend last night that I had an ah-ha moment when Jefe told me I didn't need to do all the things I was doing to prove that I was more than just a Mom. I had a lifetime to chase my crazy dreams-- but only a short time where these kids would actually want me around.  What a shame to waste this valuable time on my dreams and forget the kids in the process.

I know that little comment could create a veritable fire-storm, but for me it rings true.  I'm not saying AT ALL you should put your dreams on hold, I'm just saying for ME I have nothing but time to chase my dreams and a limited amount of time with my children living under my roof.

I'll take my kids, thankyouverymuch.

*****


Record Club: INXS "Never Tear Us Apart" from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

Oh me, Oh my! This is simply the best cover of an INXS song I have ever heard! St. Vincent is absolutely delicious and I want to eat this song every day for breakfast bathed in chocolate sauce.

Listen and see if you don't find it dripping with awesomeness.

The violin is haunting and it adds incredible depth to a 1980's New Wave Band.

It's one of my new favorite songs and I could listen to it over and over again. And, frankly?  I do.

*****

Thing 1 got invited by a boy to a swim party.

A BOY people. A boy.

He actually came to our door and invited her.

I think I was more excited than she was. Maybe. OK. Probably not.

If I didn't thing this boy was the most adorable critter on the planet, I would be a little freaked out. However, his Mom is my friend and his sisters were my young women and he is adorable.

I'm a little worried about the beginning of High School.  She doesn't turn 16 until the end of NEXT summer and seriously?

Have you seen her lately?


*****

I ran over something on the road earlier this week and literally popped my tire.

We all heard it inside the car and all of us said at the same time "Oh No. That didn't sound good." By the time I pulled over to the side of the road, the tire was F-L-A-T.

Thing 1 immediately started chanting "I know how to change a tire! I'll do it! I'll do it!"

I asked her how and she said "Well, I need that weird taker-offer-thinger.  When she said that I lost all confidence in her and called Jefe and then my Mom. Cause really? When you're in trouble, who ya gonna call? Yo Mamma.

I feel sort of bad for not trusting her because apparently she really can change a tire and Jefe had to change it with his bum hand.

*****
Speaking of who ya gonna call? Thing 2 went to sleep over recently and came home in the middle of the night (read: midnight).  I just happened to be up  in the kitchen eating (shut up) and heard the front door start to jiggle.  It scared the wah-jeebers out of me! I creeped to the front door just in time to see his face peer in at me.

I may or may not have screamed.

I asked him why he was home, and he said because the boys were making him feel uncomfortable.

I didn't question him, just praised him for getting the heck out of dodge when he found something that made him feel uncomfortable.

Silently I was doing a cheerleader show because he had actually been paying attention in Family Home Evening when we spent an entire month talking about how when Joesph- who was sold into Egypt- didn't just saunter away from temptation he ran so fast he left his coat.

People. That's fast. 

Thing 2 ran home because he was uncomfortable with the stuff the boys were doing. And, I wanted to cheer!

We told the kids that summer when we had those lessons that they should always run home when stuff was happening that made them uncomfortable and we would never quiz them. They just had to use our "code".

He did just that, and I'm pretty proud of him.

Maybe I'm not such a crappy parent after all.

*****
I wrote a post over on MMB this week.  I think it's pretty good, and it's a call to action. Care to join?
It's for a good cause, and it will make you feel all sparkly inside!

*****
That's all folks! I hope you have a swell weekend!



1.   Fresh Pair of Eyes - Brooke Waggoner
2.   Soviets  -  The Boxer Rebellion
3.   Crazy -  Katy Herzig
4.   Falling For The First Time - Jules Larson
5.   Loving You Is Easy - Ben Recktor
6.   Good Thing - Patty Larkin
7.   Dead Skunk - Loudin Wainwright III
8.   Your Heart -  Donavon Frankereiter
9.   Ma Jeunesse  - Carla Bruni
10. 1901 - Phoenix

Bonus: Skipping Stone - Amos Lee

I think the mistake a lot of us make is thinking the state-appointed shrink is our friend. - Jack Handy

You have been dying to hear the conclusion of the Qwest saga, haven't you?  I knew it.

  I fired them back in May AFTER spending 3 hours on the phone with them trying to cancel their service.  They promised that they would come and bury the cables that have been strung along the length of my .75 acres since FEBRUARY.

Yeah. They suck.

They promptly sent someone out the next day to bury those cables. Or so they told me. The dude they sent wasn't a cable bury man, but a repair man. He was supposed to talk us into staying, and beef up our service so we wouldn't dump them.

He told us we should fire them too because we were paying for a 12mg download but were only getting about 8mg.

Nice.

Then they turned off my phone instead of my Internet.

Even nicer.

Finally, yesterday, they came and buried our exposed lines.

Seriously? Five months to do your job is ridiculous.  Most companies would fire your butt if it took you that long to do a job.

Which is why I did. Fire them, that is.

Have I mentioned that I love Comcast and I know it's true?

I do and it is. 

*****

Moxie has figured out how to open the front door. Which, in and of itself really isn't that big of a deal. Except that the dog has now figured out if she will stand by the front door and whine, Moxie will let her out of her prison.

In a one day period she set the dog free no less than 4 times. FOUR times of me then having to run outside yelling and screaming like a lunatic to chase the friggin' dog back home.

Which the dog AND Moxie both love.

I guess I'm the major pooper to their party.

*****
Thing 1 is able to get her learners permit in a month. She took one look at that drivers manual and rolled her eyes so deeply I thought they were stuck.  She tried to read a chapter, she said, but it was so boring it made her fall asleep for FOUR HOURS Mom. 

I told her I refused to let her get her learners permit if she couldn't even be bothered to learn the rules of the road. 

Then she said the most remarkable thing:  "That book is dumb anyway. I mean, who really needs to know how close you should follow someone or where you can park?"

Ummm.... Sweetie, You Do.

So, until you do "No license for you!"  {said in my best soup Nazi voice}

*****
I have to complain about the person that built my house. Will you indulge me for a moment?

He's a MORON.

He isn't a builder by trade, but an LDS Seminary teacher.

He shouldn't quit his day job, is what I'm saying.

(or maybe he should? )

He wired the entire house backwards. And, the GF plug for the basement is upstairs--on the third level-- in the laundry room.

Doofus.

(I'm trying really hard not to swear.)

(Which is what I really want to do. Because he's more than just a Doofus.)

He ran the furnace WHILE he did the dry walling (which is a big no-no).

He did the HVAC all by his lonesome--which is evident by how screwy the vents are.

If I ever see him in person, it will take every single ounce of self control that I have to not punch him in the throat.

Seriously.

*****
Thing 2 has been invited with his football team from last year to go and be the half-time entertainment for the Utah Blaze game tonight.

His team of 11-12 year old boys are going to play all the mascots.  Like the Jazz Bear, and the Utah Bee's thing.  You know. Mascots.

I think that is going to be hilarious to watch and I plan on taking a plethora of photos to show you the hilariousness of watching pre-teen boys open a can of whoop A on a bunch of grown men dressed up in costumes.

It's going to be a stellar night!

*****
Have a great weekend!

My A/C is getting fixed so hopefully we will have a nice COOL weekend.

Here's hoping.

1.  Smile  - Uncle Kracker
2.  Freedom - Amos Lee
3.  Everybody Everybody - Black Box
4.  Breathe Me - Sia
5.  Sweet Jane - Cowboy Junkies
6.  Friend Like You - Joshua Radin
7.  Voyager II - Virginia Coalition
8.  The Way It Is  -  Donavon Frankenreiter
9.  Forgiveness - Vaughan Penn
10. Slow Glass - Noah & The Whale

Bonus: Nothing But The Whole Wide World - Jakob Dylan

I use the Pillsbury Frozen buttermilk biscuits and put them in to cook once I have started on the gravy.

I have the found that the trick to creating enough drippings for the gravy is to cook bacon before I cook the sausage, and reserve the bacon drippings for later.

Cook 1 pound of Jimmy Dean Regular Sausage on medium heat. Crumble while cooking. Trust me, this is easier.

Pour Bacon drippings into sausage drippings and then slowly reheat.

A good gravy has the ratio of 2 Tbsp flour to 2 Tbsp drippings to 1 cup milk. You need at least 4 Tbsp of drippings to make the gravy.

I cook the flour and drippings mixture for a little bit and slowly stir in the milk. Once it is thick and bubbly, I add in the sausage and simmer to marry the flavors. I add salt and pepper to taste-- usually more pepper than salt because we like our gravy spicy.  Serve over open faced hot biscuits and it is DIVINE!

*My Family LOVES this for dinner.

Never in a million years did I ever think I would say that I love living where I live.

But, I do.

I live in the town where I was raised-- the town where I lived from the time I was four until I was twenty-three (minus those 20 months that I was on a Mormon Mission).

When I got married, I left for bigger and better things. Never EVER to return. Or so I thought.

I can remember when there was only one stop light in town, and only one place to eat--a greasy hamburger joint called Hobo Joe's. Only we all called it Homo Joe's.  (we were not politically correct teenagers. don't judge.)

 I remember when The Pizza Company came to town and that you could find all the Junior High kids in the back party room every single Friday night gorging themselves on pizza and sarsaparilla.

The house that I live in now used to be where the stinky dairy farm was.

I remember when there was only one grocery store in town-- the one where I met Jefe. In the produce section.

It was a small town then, and it still has that small town feel.

My Town has an amazing tradition every Fourth of July:



We have your typical cheesy parade, full of advertisements and off key little kid singers. But, once those pass by, the real fun starts.










I can't imagine spending the Fourth of July any where else.  I was really bummed when I lived in Illinois and realized that not all parades were like My Town's Parade.

Small towns. They are a curse when you are young.  But when you get older, they are a comfort.

As a child, I was the one who said I was going to move as far away from My Town as I could get. I never wanted to live here as an adult. And yet, when the time came for us to start putting down roots, we compared every town we looked at to this town-- to My Town. 

I love this video with all my heart!

None of the kids want to sit by Moxie at the dinner table any more.

It's a huge shift in loyalties because up until about 2 months ago, everyone wanted to sit by her. They would argue about her.  She was a super good eater, and just happy to eat at the table.

Now? Not so much.

She has taken to stuffing her mouth with as much food as is humanly possible to stuff into a two year olds mouth and then she'll stuff it away into her cheeks. Much like a squirrel storing her nuts for the winter.

Then she puts her Binky in her mouth.

And sucks on it ALL.

It's really gross.

Then she gets a panicked look in her eye, and spits everything out. On whatever is around.

People.

The table.

The floor.

My Hand.

Then, rinse and repeat all the live long day.

Seriously.

Two year olds can be so gross.

Good thing she's so adorable! 

German Pancakes

4 Eggs
3/4 C Milk
3/4 C Flour
1/4 C Sugar
1/4 - 1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla
3/4 Butter - melt in 9x13 pan

Mix all ingredients and beat together until fluffy. Bake in 9x13 pan at 400 for 30 minutes or until puffy. Serve with syrup, warm jam or powder sugar and fresh fruit.

Sometimes I find myself sitting at the computer trying to find something amazingly witty and insightful to write.

I'll sit and wait and wait and sit; then the idea comes.

I start typing only to strike out that and delete this and edit that... and then suddenly?  There is nothing left on the screen.

 I tap my nose, squint my eyes and look heavenward, calling out to that magical writing muse to download something hilarious or deeply insightful to my brain.

I wait.

I ponder.

I look at other people's blogs.

And then it happens.


An idea starts to formulate and I start writing again.  But, Moxie starts crying and the dog is running around like a freak-a-zoid. So I tend to Moxie, put the crazy dog out and make Thing 3 another sandwich. When I am finally able to sit back down to the computer, do you know what happened? My amazingly hilarious and deeply insightful post has flown south for the winter. I cannot remember where I was going with what I was writing.

Toss it into the draft pile.

I start again.

I tap my nose (which is what you do when you are thinking deeply) and squint my eyes some more and call out a little louder for the magical writing muse to download something else wonderful. I wait. I sit. I surf. I eat some candy and drink my diet coke and then, like magic…

Brilliance! Sheer brilliance is downloaded into my brain! The process starts all over again of writing this and striking out that and deleting this paragraph and editing that.

Then the phone rings.

Thing 1 forgot her money and if I do not bring her something, like RIGHT NOW! She will surely die before she gets home in another 3 hours. DIE. She said die. So I push save and deliver the money to the dying child.

While I'm out, I remember that I needed to take the stuff in the trunk back to Kohls; get the tires balanced; pick up a birthday present; buy the stuff to make a salad for a church party; get some more paint rollers; go to the Good Will to get another pair of jeans for painting in—since the ones I have been using now have paint hand prints on my rear AND 2 giants holes in the knees; Change the baby's diaper, make dinner and walk the dumb dog.

Whew.

I'm tired.

When I get home and pull up the amazingly funny and insightful post that the magical writing muse has downloaded to my brain, this is all that was left:


Huh.

I have no idea where I was going with that little phrase or even where there was.

I decide to try one more time.

I tap my nose vigorously and squint my eyes, looking heavenward I yell:

"Oh Mighty Magical Writing Muse! I petition you one more time! Please, for the love of all that's holy, tell me where the bah-da-bah-da bing hubba hubba ding ding was going?"

Silence!

There is nothing but very loud silence.

I think my muse went on a freaking coffee break and forgot to come back.

Stupid magical writing muse.

So, here's my amazingly funny and deeply insightful post.

Or at least what was left after all the editing, the chores and the stupid magical writing muse went on her never-ending coffee break..
*pulled from the archives

That's a long time.

I graduated from High School over Twenty Years Ago.

I remember sitting at the school, waiting for a ride home and my neighbor showed up to pick up her child and offered me a ride home too. Playing on the radio was today's song. She was singing her heart out, at the very top of her lungs and got really emotional.

I remember she looked me right in the eyes and said: "This song nails it on the head! It really was easier 20 years ago!"

I remember being a little shocked. I thought for sure this meant she hated her life, and was offering me some kind of "confession".

Now that I am looking back, I don't think she was making any sort of confession to me that she regretted her choices. I think she was just telling me that it was easier when you are young. When you have no one's lives depending on you.

I agree. It really was easier twenty years ago. As I sit and sing this song, I understand it better.

I grew up in this town-- the town I call my home. I remember what it was like twenty years ago.

I remember the drug store where we could ride our bikes to and buy penny candy. It's closed.

I remember when 7-11 came and all the grown ups were angry because it brought with it "those types of people". We now have two.

I remember the pizza place we used to hang out on Friday nights, drinking sarsaparilla. It's closed. And, I remember the old high school, the old football field, and Friday Night Games. It's gone.

Those really were the days.

If I could go back would I change anything?

Sure. But not many things.

I would just do them better. I would be a better student, a better friend. I would be a better daughter and I would be a better sister. I would just do things better. BE better.

I would not change the way my life has evolved one little bit.

My choices have led me on a wonderful journey. I have learned many things and I would never change that, because to do so would rob me of who I am now.

I like me -- now.

I love the lessons my life has given me. I wouldn't change where I am today one little bit. I am in a good place.

But if I could go back, I would tell myself to be better and to do better.

Stop stressing out about things that are out of your control, and just enjoy yourself. All too soon you will be a grown up, with your own family and your own responsibilities.

Don't be in such a hurry to get to "there" that you miss the joy in the journey to "there".

Life really was so much easier Twenty Years Ago.

"Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body." - Sir Richard Steele

My very favorite thing about summer is the fact that I read, and I read a lot. Not only that, but my kids all like to read too. Going to the library is one of their favorite things to do. The trick is convincing them that they really cannot read seven books in one week and that they should only check out what they could realistically get through in a seven day period.

Thing 3 would bring home every book in the library if she she could actually get away with it.

We get home from our weekly adventure, and then everyone pulls a Harry Potter and disparates.

I pink, sparkly, puffy heart love it.

Currently, I have several books on my night stand. I just finished Plainsong and thoroughly enjoyed it. There is also Sarah's Key, Little Be and Eventide sitting there waiting for me to embark on their adventure. Then I have Mennonite in the Little Black Dress, South of Broad, That Old Cape Magic, Olive Kitteridge and Sh*t My Dad Says.

I follow this last guy on twitter and often find Diet Coke spewing from my nose. He's fuh-nee!

*****
When Thing 1 was about three she went through a phase where all she would wear is this UGLY dress that she stole out of the charity box at church.

Every summer our church would have a big clothing swap in the gym. You could riffle through the clothes put out on tables and take what you wanted and leave what you didn't. At the end of the month, the clothes left were then taken to the Good Will.

I didn't think much of the ugly dress that she found and actually let her wear it.

It promptly became her favorite and she lovingly called it "The Crab Dress". There was no convincing her that it was anything less than ravishing.

It was, however, hideous.

HID.EE.OUS.

It got to the point that I told her it was a "house dress" and she could only wear it in the house. Which she did. Every. Single. Day.

Thing 2 had his favorite outfit as well. It started out as Bob The Builder Pajama's and they quickly turned into his daily outfit. I had to trick him to get those suckers off so that I could wash them.

It's one thing to wander around in the same clothes months at a time-- its an entirely different thing to do it in dirty clothes.

At least he didn't want to sleep in them. He had is other favorite night clothes.

Day clothes.

Night clothes.

Don't get those two confused.

Thing 3 was easier to deal with. She only wanted to wear Thing 2's clothes. Particularly his Chicago Cubs T-shirt, his Star Wars T-shirt and Truck T-shirt. As long as she had Thing 2's clothes, she was happy.

Hers was an easy phase.

I was rather confident that we would be able to by-pass this little phase with Moxie. She really has no preference for any one item of clothing except her diapers. She loves them and will have NOTHING to do with pull ups. NOTHING.

However, on my birthday I bought the little girls new Jammie's. She really wanted Dora, but they didn't have any in her size so she was got stuck with Minnie Mouse.

Moxie didn't let us change her clothes for a week.

No kidding.

This time around, I was smart. I went back to the store and got another pair just like them, and added Little Mermaid to the mix.

She will get dressed to leave the house. Occasionally. But as soon as we're home, she is wandering around looking for her Jammie's to change into.

Sometimes its just easier to let them wear what they want than to fight with them. Pick your battles, I always say, and right now if she wants to wear Mickey Mouse Jammie's every single day. I don't care.

So if you see us out and about around 3pm and Moxie is still in her Jammie's, just know they ARE clean Jammie's.

*****
Since I have been trying to prove to the haters that I really do cook a hot breakfast on most days, here's what was on the agenda for this morning:

Puffy Toast1 C Flour
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Cup Milk
2 Eggs
8 slices bread
Oil for frying

Heat Oil in skillet. Mix top 5 ingredients together. Coat bread, fry in oil. Serve with syrup or strawberry preserves and cool whip.

******
There are only two mini series (from recent history) that I can say I have no problem watching over and over again. I may even hold my breath hoping that the outcome is going to be a little different each time. Or not.

The first one is The Band of Brothers.

'Nuff Said.

The other one The Stand.

I know. Cheesy. But, seriously. Oh. So. Good.

My only wish is that someone would remake The Stand to the 2010 standards because the only reason it's cheesy is that it was a made for TV movie done in 1994.

I can only imagine the awesomeness that it would be with the technology we have today.

Won't you please, oh mighty Hollywood Gods, please remake The Stand?

******
"My Radio Station" has changed formats.

I don't know who gave them the horrid idea that it would be a good idea to go all Mo-Town Philly on everyone, but they did and it's just sad.

Sad because it's Mo-Town Philly.

And, because I know all the lyrics to Mo-Town Philly.

It reminds me of the Friday and Saturday Nights that I would spend "scammin'" at The Bay.

I was "Huggin' and a kissin', dancin' and a lovin', wearin' next to nothing" . . . (name that tune) when I let it slip to the kids that this kind of music is what they used to play in the clubs when I was in college.

{insert crickets chirping}

"What do you mean 'Played at the Clubs?'" Thing 1 asked me. "Are you saying you used to CLUB?"

Yup. I did. Every Friday and Saturday night until I went on my mission.

And a little after my mission too.

I got a horrified look from her and then a shudder.

Hey! I said, It's not like I'm clubbing now.

"I know Mom. It's just that I can' imagine you clubbing. Like EVER."

Uhhh... Gee. Thanks.

Really!

I was cool.

Once.

A long time ago.

And in a galaxy far, far away.

******
That's all for now folks. I have a family reunion on the agenda for this weekend.

I gave Jefe the "Get Out Of Jail Free" card and told him as long as he put in some face time on Saturday (read: 1 hour) I didn't care if he bailed and went fishing. I know. I'm a nice wife.

Have a great weekend!


1. So Far Away - Donavon Frankenreiter
2. Sweet Pea - Amos Lee
3. Smile - Lily Allen
4. Rock & Roll - Eric Hutchinson
5. Come On Get Higher - Matt Nathanson
6. Something's Come Over Me - Ernie Halter
7. Quelqu'un M'a Dit - Carla Bruni
8. Speck Out In The Blue - Cameron Rafati
9. Ladybug Picnic - Elizabeth Mitchell
10. Blue Canoe - Frances England

Bonus: Crash Into Me - Dave Matthews Band

* 3 (12 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough
* 1 cup white sugar
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1/2 cup margarine
* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional - I omit)
* 1/2 cup raisins (optional - I omit)


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9 or 10 inch tube/Bundt® pan.

2. Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a plastic bag. Cut biscuits into quarters. Shake 6 to 8 biscuit pieces in the sugar cinnamon mix. Arrange pieces in the bottom of the prepared pan. Continue until all biscuits are coated and placed in pan. If using nuts and raisins, arrange them in and among the biscuit pieces as you go along.

3. In a small saucepan, melt the margarine with the brown sugar over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute. Pour over the biscuits.

4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 minutes. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate. Do not cut! The bread just pulls apart.