The flowers

For the past few years, Greg has sent me a sweet floral arrangement for Valentine's Day. Delivery was bungled a bit yesterday by the florist, but I did finally get my flowers at the theater after I got to work. Customers commented on what a sweet husband I must have. Of course I agreed. :o)

My Valentines

Happy Heart Day to everyone. I wish you much laughter and love in your life.

And another...

Lewis just turned 24 - belated Happy Birthday wishes to him!

Another birthday...

Happy, Happy 21st Birthday to Sara!

We love you, sweetie, and wish for you a wonderful year full of fun and happiness!

My Valentine's tree

Each year after Christmas I leave up a small tree for a few months. During January it is decorated with the crocheted snowflakes Mom made for me, and some other snowflake/men ornaments. In February it is adorned with hearts, in March and April it gets Springtime and Easter decoration. I don't have lots of these decorations, but try to add a little to each theme every year.

Here is the Valentine's tree this year. A few of the ornaments were gifts from some friends I've met through an email list.

The cross-stitched hearts are from Grandma & Grandpa Regier's 50th anniversary celebration. We stitched a heart for each family member with their name and birthdate on the back, then hung them from a tree. Grandma kept that tree in her living room, then each time a new member joined the family, another heart was added. When Grandma moved to the nursing home, each family got their hearts. I have my family's and Arlan's, and they make decorating for this "Hallmark holiday" a little more meaningful.
These ornaments are the reason I learned to do counted cross-stitch. Aunt Kathy got the patterns, and each family made their own hearts. Mom had moved to California by then, so it was up to me to make them for our family. I wasn't happy, thinking counted cross-stitch was going to be tedious and difficult. Turns out I loved it and cross-stitch became my biggest hobby for many years.

Look at that smile!

She knows how to work it, too! Grace is just enjoying some play time and posing for the camera on Monday afternoon, but beware when she decides she wants something from you. That smile is lethal!

How to take a nap, unless you're in the circus

This is Max, napping on the living room floor in the middle of the day.

I come from a family of nappers. Mom and Dad did, and Tonita and the boys all appreciate a nice afternoon snooze. I've always been a big fan of the same.

Well, maybe not when I was six and Mom would make all five of us lie down at the same time.

Tonita and I were bored one day, didn't want to sleep, so we thought we'd play "circus". (Okay, it was my idea.) We (I) took one of the boards out from under the springs on our bed and set it over the footboard like a fulcrum. I had Tonita sit on the end of the board, on the bed, then I jumped from my bed onto the high end of the board. The intention was to toss her up in the air, hopefully touching the ceiling. Right.

No, we hadn't studied physics yet in Kindergarten and First grade. We got a good lesson, that day, though, when the board snapped in half with a deafening explosion and I fell to the ground. Oh. No.

Tonita and I scrambled to hide the board under the bed and get under our covers as quickly as possible. Then we lay there in fear, waiting for Mom to come thundering into the room, demanding to know what just happened?!

We waited. And waited. No one came. Whew. But we didn't sleep.

When Mom finally came in to tell us we could get up (seemed like hours we were in there!) we knew we needed to confess. I took the board pieces out to the kitchen and told her what happened. I could see she was trying not to laugh, and that made me feel so much better!

We didn't get in trouble, but we did learn a lesson. The next time we didn't want to sleep, we chose paper dolls for entertainment and decided to leave the stunt work to the boys!

How good are you?

At geography? Try this:

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/states_experiment_drag-drop_oneState15s_500.html

I only scored a 32%, but in my defense, I was within less than a hundred miles many times. . .

The twins are 2!

Friday was Grace's and Garett's birthday, and I waited until today to do a Happy Birthday blog post so I could have a cake and candles photo. No such photo op presented itself while we were at their party, so you get the cake, instead. We ate cake and ice cream while the birthday kids had their nap. Wyatt was excited about the festivities and kept insisting HE was 2 and everything there was for HIM.

Ready to travel!

It's official - Jan is retired!
We attended the open house at the hospital today in her honor. Lots of people who will miss her. I got a little teary as they came in and hugged her goodbye. :o)

She worked hard and for a long time.
Now they can travel.

Where to first?

Changes

I came across this quote that pretty much describes last week:


"As a mother, my job is to take care of the possible and trust God with the impossible."


Jessi is living back at home now. She's taking a semester off from school, broke up with her boyfriend, and is thrilled to have her life begin a new chapter.


I understand her need to begin anew. To replace the stress with calm. To be with people she trusts. To know that respect and kindness are unconditionally given.

I pray that she finds her path and that it leads to good things.

baby's profile

Angela sent this the other day after her second ultrasound.

Apparently there is some discussion as to the size of baby's nose.

I think baby is gorgeous!

Beginning of the 2007 birthdays

Fran -
Our best wishes for a HAPPY BIRTHDAY and many, many more!

long Christmas recap

We had our final Christmas celebration tonight with Greg's family. Since I was sick on Christmas Eve, and Jessica had to work, they graciously postponed our gathering until we could all be there. We enjoyed yummy pizza, even if Nick did pick off all the veggies. :o) Many thanks, not only for the gifts, but for gathering on a school night. This was yet another component of...

THE LEAST TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS EVER..

It begins with...

The Hanging of the Trim:
12/23/06

The festivities began on Saturday when Greg and I hung the interior trim that I made him take down, um, last July. Jessi and I painted it on Wednesday before, then Jessi finished painting (in a manner of speaking), and Greg began re-trimming the doors. Lots of the trim was marked as to where it came from, but lots of it was not. (Greg is SO GOOD at puzzles!)

I also began prepping food for the next couple of days, chopping veggies, mixing dips, and making breakfast casseroles to store in the frig in Ziplock bags. Good thing I did, too.

The "Festivities" begin:

4:22 a.m., Sunday, December 24 - I awoke with a start . Something wasn't right.

Oh.

I have the flu. I'll spare the details, but suffice to say I cried like a baby when Greg told me Jan had called the hospital about treatment, and they said just to rest. I didn't want to be sick anymore.

I didn't want to miss the weekend.

I missed singing in the choir for Sunday morning church.

I missed candlelight service in the evening and hearing Angela play her violin.

I missed supper with the Lott family.

What I did get to witness was my family stepping up and getting things ready for the big day. Nick peeled 5 pounds of potatoes, and Greg roasted garlic, and they made some of the tastiest garlic mashed potatoes ever.

My in-laws invited my siblings and family for supper so I could rest. They enjoyed ham and turkey and all the trimmings. They told me how good it was. I believed them.

Alan and Angela made cookies. Alan didn't hear my instructions, but the cookies were awesome nonetheless (Ziplock bag and rolling pin to crush the Oreos!). :o) They made Lemon snowflakes, Oreo truffles, and dipped pretzels and orange slices.

It took me 8 hours to sip about 6 ounces of Sprite. At 11 p.m. I enjoyed a piece of dry toast and a cup of hot tea (you know I was really sick if I drank hot tea!).

The Big Day:

I awoke feeling much better. Tired, but at least the smell of food wasn't revolting.

Jessi called to say she was out of the shower and ready to head home. Did I want her in her pajamas, or should she get dressed? I asked her why on earth would I want her in her pajamas? Her answer: "It's tradition!" My reply: "Honey, this is the least traditional Christmas we've ever had!" She came home fully clothed. :o)

Alan and Angela had made a baked French toast casserole the night before. They got that in the oven, along with the mushroom/spinach casserole, and the sausage/egg casserole.

Greg got the rib roast going in the roaster.

I started on the salmon. I'd made the salmon in phyllo recipe a few times, but this time it was the best ever. Alan made the creamy dill sauce (I think he's a closet gourmet cook!).

We warmed up the leftover garlic mashed potatoes, got out the muffins and breads I'd made a few days earlier, and Angela made up a fruit plate.

We had a feast.

Post-Feast:

Gifts for the kids. A teary moment for me when the boys gave Ben a shotgun that belonged to Dad. He'll be the "keeper" of that gun for the moment. It will stay in the family and be passed around to his younger cousins.

Fun with the little ones who enjoyed ripping the paper off the packages.

Grab-bag gift exchange for the grown-ups. Not much stealing, but that happens some years. Alan and Angela will choose the theme for next year.

Individual family photos are taken.

Twins go home with Mom for a nap; Tonita lays down for a nap; Ben and his uncles Greg, Randy, and Alan, Aunt Angela, and cousin Jessica go shooting bluerock. Gotta try out that shotgun! Nick and Caleb must get their technology fix.

Tammy does dishes. Tammy wishes she had a dollar for every load of dishes she runs over the next few days.

Abbie makes cornbread using corn she helped pick, shuck, process, and freeze last summer.

We feast again on finger foods and later there is turkey noodle soup. No one is hungry, but we eat anyway. (Okay, so that part is traditional!)

The Tournament:

We learned how to conduct a Blackjack tournament while we cruised last summer, so that was our evening's entertainment. Took turns being the dealer so everyone who wanted to could compete. Miss Abbie did quite well, and once Tonita learned to play, she was a formidable opponent. We did splits and double downs. FUN!

Winners of the white elephant prizes were the top four chip-holders: Caleb, Abbie, Alan, and Jessica. Alan took home the evil dancing Santa doll. I know we won't see that again at our house - ever.

Then we played for money! Alan gave away his winnings. Tonita did not give away hers. :o)

Lots of fun and laughing. But I sure was tired. And a little crabby. Time for bed.

More Regier Fun:

Tuesday morning we were able to gather with all of our Regier cousins at Bobbi and Kurt's house in Grand Island. More laughing and visiting and holding the newest cousin, 3 month-old Mason. (Mason got to play Baby Jesus at the Singing Christmas Tree in G.I. - his big brother Cullen wasn't sure that was a good idea and didn't want "those manger people" messing with his little brother.)

Wednesday was pretty quiet around here with all the visitors gone. I started reclaiming the house and planning my next interior decorating project (what? The trim is hung up again, I can start another project!). That's another blog post, though.

handwashing cat's paws

For those of you who see Greg on a regular basis, ask him about this. I know he'd love to tell you about it. Cats and water - nice mix.
Cats and paint - don't mix. :o)

The Eve of "The Eve"

I found this on another blog and thought it was amusing. I'm not feeling quite this bad, but must admit there have been years...

Enjoy!

Funny, Funny Mother!
See Mother.
See Mother laugh.
Mother is happy.
Mother is happy about Christmas.
Mother has many plans.
Mother has many plans for Christmas.
Mother is organized.
Mother smiles all the time.
Funny, funny Mother!

See Mother.
See Mother smile.
Mother is happy.
The shopping is all done.
See the children watch TV.
Watch children, watch.
See the children change their minds.
See them ask Santa for different toys.
Look! Look!
Mother is not smiling.
Funny, funny Mother!

See Mother.
See Mother sew.
Mother will make dresses.
Mother will make robes.
Mother will make shirts.
See Mother put the zipper in wrong.
See Mother sew the dress on the wrong side.
See Mother cut the skirt too short.
See Mother Put the materials away until January.
Look! Look!See Mother take a tranquilizer.
Funny, funny Mother!

See Mother.
See Mother buy raisins and nuts.
See Mother buy candied pineapple
And powdered sugar.
See Mother buy flour, dates, pecans,
Brown sugar, bananas and spices.
Look! Look!Mother is mixing everything together.
See the children press out cookies.
See the flour on their elbows.
See the cookies burn.
See the cake fall.
See the children pull taffy.
See Mother pull her hair.
See Mother clean the kitchen
With the garden hose.
Funny, funny Mother!

See Mother.
See Mother wrap presents.
See Mother look for the end
On the Scotch tape roll.
See Mother bite her fingernails.
See Mother go.
See Mother go to the store
Ten times in one hour.
Go Mother, go.
See Mother go faster.
Run, Mother, run!
See Mother trim the tree.
See Mother have a party.
See Mother make popcorn.
See Mother wash the walls.
See Mother scrub the rug.
See Mother tear up organized plan.
See Mother forget gift for Uncle Harold.
See Mother get hives.
Go, Mother, go!
See the faraway look in Mother's eyes.
Mother has become disorganized.
Mother has become disoriented.
Funny, funny Mother!

It is finally Christmas morning.
See the happy family.
See Father smile.
Father is happy.
Smile, Father, smile.
Father loves fruitcake.
Father loves Christmas pudding.
Father loves all his new neckties.
Look! Look!See the happy children.
See the children's new toys.
Santa was very good to the children.
The children will remember this Christmas.
See Mother.
Mother is slumped in a chair.
Mother is crying uncontrollably.
Mother does not look well.
Mother has ugly dark circles
Under her bloodshot eyes.
Everyone helps Mother to her bed.
See Mother sleep quietly
Under heavy sedation.
See Mother smile.
Funny, funny Mother!

Our winter, um,

iceland? This was the scene yesterday morning when I stepped out the front door. No snow yet, though they say maybe an inch tonight. It'll all be gone before The Big Day. At least everyone will have safe driving that way.

Happy Birthday, Baby!

The boy child turned 23 years old today. We had a nice brunch at Granite City Brewery to celebrate.
He was born on a Saturday, fifteen days overdue. (Never been one to be rushed into something!)

We took him home in a blizzard. Greg was so nervous, he put him into his carseat face-down, not knowing which side was up. :o)

I don't understand how 23 years went by so fast, but he's grown up into a funny, intelligent, kind, responsible, hardworking young man. We are very proud of him.

Happy Birthday, Nick!

A little sparkle

Started some decorating this weekend. Instead of the big tree, we put up three Alpine trees. That's all that's done inside...

Finito - for now

Took my last three tests last night.

Have until 4:00 Monday to mail my last few assignments for this semester.

Finished those tonight. The envelope is pictured here. It will be in the mail first thing tomorrow morning.

Now I can decorate for Chrismtas.

Now I can work on our Christmas letter and address cards.

Now I can make a recipe list for baking with Jessi next week.

Now I can shop and wrap and dance merrily around the house to jolly Christmas tunes! :o)

Did I mention we have tickets to see Eric Clapton in March?

Time to go to bed, I think.

Tomorrow my time is my own - yippee!

I'm SO EXCITED!

Intense research and creation of a fake in-service interuppted by this IMPORTANT BULLETIN:

Guess who we're going to see in concert?!!

Guess!

Look at the photo!

We're going to see ERIC CLAPTON!

Eric Clapton, people!

I can't contain my excitement, obviously.

Be happy for us - and if you're so inclined get some tickets and come along!

(March 31, Quest Center, Omaha)

He's a handy man

I'm always impressed with how Greg can do a little research, purchase some parts, and then repair whatever is broken around here. We save so much $$ because he likes to take things apart. :o) Here he's working on the dryer. It's close to 20 years old and died last weekend. For about $40 we'll probably get another 20 years out of it.

Yes, he's a handy guy to have around.

Edited 12/06: It's another week, $100 more dollars, and a new motor later, and I got to use my dryer this morning - Yea! He got pretty good at disassembling it and putting it back together. :o)

Edited 12/07: I told Greg last night that I used the dryer. He asked how it worked. I said it worked "alright" and shrugged. I was able to dry a load of towels in 50 minutes that used to take a 60 minute cycle and then another 30 or 40 minute cycle. He said, "Then I think that dryer worked DAMN GOOD!" :o)

New Heights

0f feline naughtiness. Tucker is pictured here on top of the very most top cabinet we have. It's higher even than the refrigerator! He knocks the baskets down, then looks at me like he's so innocent, those baskets just "jumped" down!

He's a bad boy.

It's the HOLIDAY SEASON!

Ushered in here with Kleenex, cough drops, and Sudafed. Ugh.

I put up a small tree in a corner to see what the cats will do. They pretty much ignore it unless I'm fussing with the branches or lights. I'm still not sure about putting up the big tree... Photo is of the tree last year. I LOVE my big tree... :o)

No "Black Friday" shopping for us today. I would have drug my sorry self out if there had been some burning need for something, but fortunately there was not. I have a couple of big things left to put together for a class, then I can concentrate on finishing my shopping. I'd say I'm about halfway done.

I also did not get to go to Lincoln to see Debbie and her family, which I was disappointed about. I thought if I slept awhile this morning, maybe I'd go this afternoon, but felt even worse when I woke up at 10:30, so I called her and cancelled. We'll get together next time. Or maybe I can talk Greg into a trip to Tennessee...

I did have Greg reach down my toter of Santa mugs, and I sorted through those and the ones I got from ebay this Fall. I have a pretty huge collection now, along with salt and pepper shakers. Wonder where I'll put all of them?

I did get to watch most of the second half of the Nebraska/Colorado football game. I came in just as CU scored their second touchdown to tie the game. I almost went back to the bedroom to watch HGTV, but I'm glad I didn't. Way to go HUSKERS!

Jessi should be back any minute with our Chinese takeout for supper, and Greg is watching "Titanic", so I'll join him and snuggle in for the evening. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

Be Thankful

This was an email from Aunt Jan. I copied and pasted, so I don't have an author.

Have a wonderful Thanksgivng!
Much love,
Greg & Tammy



Be Thankful

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don't know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times. During those times you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations,because they give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes.
They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you're tired and weary,
because it means you've made a difference.

It's easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.
Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,and they can become your blessings.

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace. And always be thankful.Colossians 3:15

Prayer request

Just got off the phone with my friend Cindy's mom. Cindy is in the hospital in Omaha and is scheduled for brain surgery later today. She had surgery for an aneurysm several weeks ago, and has now developed infection in her brain. Please keep her in your thoughts and say a prayer for her and her family. She's been down a long road that just got longer...

Thank you.

time keeps tickin', tickin' away

Nothing much to post about - I'm living at the library with my nose in a textbook. I'll be done in a couple of weeks, then I can concentrate on "the holidays".
So for now I just wanted to wish everyone the Happiest Thanksgiving!

Salmon for supper

Since we got back from Alaska, I've made a few different salmon recipes. Remember that Randy caught that 10-pounder? He made me responsible for cooking it. It's in a plastic bag in my freezer, waiting. I've been cooking those salmon fillets I buy at Sam's club. That way if the recipe bombs, I didn't ruin "the" fish. Well, and because there isn't that much of "the" fish, and we really shouldn't eat it without Randy.
Anyway, we had salmon again tonight and I used a recipe from Aunt Jan. She got it from a lady in Anchorage, and it is goo-ood! :o)

I'll post it here the way she gave it to me:

de-skin & cube salmon

de-seeded & diced jalapeño pepper

diced onion

fresh grated ginger root

equal parts sour cream & mayonnaise

sea salt

bake 375 degrees, 45 minutes

sprinkle fresh grated parmesan on top last 10 minutes

Here's last week's recipe:
Salmon with capers
1/2 - 3/4 lb salmon fillets
salt & pepper to taste
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. capers
1/2 c white wine, divided
4 oz. Italian roasted red peppers, cut into pieces
6-8 small new potatoes
1 head broccoli, cut into florets (1 cup)

Preheat oven to 450. Spray inside of 2-quart Dutch oven and lid with olive oil.

Place salmon in bottom of pot (my fillets were frozen), skin side down if with skin. Spray fillets lightly with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with garlic and capers. Pour 1/4 C wine over the fish. Top with roasted red peppers.

Pierce each potato multiple times with fork and drop into pot. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add broccoli and arrange to fit inside pot. Pour rest of wine over all. Cover and bake 45 minutes.
(I buy the 4-paks of small bottles of white wine to use for cooking. If you don't want to use wine, you could substitute vegetable stock.)

And one more. This is a little more work, but so worth it!
Salmon in Phyllo

2 lbs. Salmon fillet, skinned and boned and cut into 8 portions
Juice of one lemon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
Salt and pepper to taste
8 sheets phyllo dough
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon heavy cream
Fresh dill for garnish
Creamy Dill Sauce (recipe follows)

Marinate salmon in lemon juice and dill for about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; rub the spices in well. This can be done several hours ahead of time.

Preheat oven to 375F. Take a sheet of phyllo dough. Combine melted butter and mustard and brush lightly over the phyllo. Put a strip of salmon at the long end of the dough. Fold phyllo over salmon and roll up. Two inches from the end of the sheet, tuck the sides in toward the middle. Finish rolling and place roll on buttered baking sheet, seam side down.

Repeat with remaining salmon strips. This step can be done and hour ahead and refrigerated. Combine egg yolk and heavy cream and brush pastry with this egg wash. Bake until phyllo is puffed and browned, about 5 to 7 minutes.

At serving time, put pastry on a heated plate, garnish with dill and serve.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Creamy Dill Sauce

2 T. dry white wine
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2/3 c. heavy cream
2 T. chopped fresh dill
1 T. Chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat (or use the skillet in which the fish was cooked). Add the wine and lemon juice; bring to a boil. Add the cream. Simmer until well combined and cream has reduced slightly. Stir in the dill and parsley. Taste for seasoning.

This sauce is excellent with all sorts of fish, especially if you use the pan in which the fish was prepared and scrape up the bits to get extra flavor. Makes about 2/3 c. sauce.

Happy News!

We are very excited for them - they'll be great parents!

Quiet Halloween

It was a quiet evening with only about a dozen trick-or-treaters. Greg got to take a big bag of candy to work with him. We enjoyed having the kids visit later in the evening. :o)

A Great Day

Garett and Grace stayed here today and we had the best time! They're 21 months old now. Garett finally has almost all of his teeth, and Grace is talking up a storm. Sorry this photo is a bit blurry - that's what I get for not wearing my glasses and making sure it was focused. No sight sweeter to this former preschool teacher than this one. They were so intent on these books! Eventually they made their way to my lap so I could read to them. That was probably my favorite part of the day. Well, that, and naptime. :o)

Dinner's in the Freezer

I taught my first Community Ed class tonight about freezer cooking. I think it went quite well, and I wasn't nervous at all. I had 12 people sign up and all of them showed up and paid to hear me! They were a great group - asked lots of questions and shared some tips of their own. They asked for a follow-up class, so I'll have to check into that. I teach this same one again in Feb/March. There were several people who wanted to come tonight, but couldn't because of harvest, so I was asked to do a second class.This was fun! :o)

Pumpkin girl

Grace was here for awhile today and enjoyed playing with the gourds and pumpkins. She didn't feel well, though, so it was a short day and she went home right after her nap.

My week thus far...

Jessica cooks: Monday we planned and shopped, then Tuesday she cooked. She made sour cream chocolate chip muffins, sausage biscuits, chili, and browned hamburger for future spaghetti with meat sauce meals. She was home for Fall Break and we enjoyed having her and Megan hang out here.

While she cooked, I hung out to lend support. Kept myself busy with the checkbook. See my helper in the upper left corner? He gave up lying amidst the papers and settled for just being near them...
Wednesday morning found us driving to Grand Island in some sweet snow flurries. Randy had to be at the Surgery Center by 6:30. Nothing major, just an outpatient procedure, but when he offered to drive home, I politely declined. :o)

This morning the yard was glistening in the sunlight when I went outside. I didn't really capture it like I wanted, but you get an idea of the frosty morning we had. I had to run to Lincoln this morning, then spent the afternoon working on my presentation for the Community Ed class I'm teaching next week. Worked at the theater tonight for a couple of hours.

Tomorrow I will have Grace for the day - I'm thinking we'll plant some tulips since it's supposed to be a decent afternoon weather-wise. I'll let you know...

Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter.
~Carol Bishop Hipps

Study Buddies

Yeah, I've been procrastinating with my schoolwork the past couple of weeks, but today I spent several hours studying and writing essays and interviewing preschool teachers. I did all of this DESPITE the help I got from "the boys". I got my books and papers, etc. out on the table and went to get a paper clip. Came back and found them lounging on my things. They must want a degree, too.

Little punkins

Took Wyatt and Grace out to Earl May's today to get pumpkins (Garett was still sleeping). They loved the animals - fish, birds, various rodentia, and Grace wanted to get in with the bunny. Wyat was a little freaked out by the parrot that flew around the store and kind of sat on my hand. :o)

We picked out many little pumpkins and they both helped load the wagon. Little Grace would grit her teeth and try to pick up nice big ones that probably weighed almost what she does. I distracted her by filling some bags with tulip bulbs and letting her load the wagon with those.

Wyatt was my wagon driver. He pulled, pushed, turned, and went in reverse, maneuvering the inside of the store as easily as the parking lot. It was a big wagon, too. People were impressed.

We stopped at the shop and gave Mommy a pumpkin to have at work, then took some home so Garett could have one, too. When I left, Wyatt was hauling them around the house, lining them up in various configurations, counting them, and protecting them.

It's not a very good photo - neither would look at me and I couldn't see much on the camera screen in the sunshine. Oh well. We had lots of fun even if my photographic documentation doesn't show it! :o)

The progeny of Bob & Elsie...

After this afternoon, there had to be a cousins post. Had to be.

Patty and Toni started it all, wanting to know who came where age-wise. Now, there are 32 of us - I had to look things up. Fortunately I have a copy of the "The Samual Adams Family of Lawrence County Illinois" (published 1980 by Barbara P. Quealy - all our parents got one) and we're all in there, so it was easy to list everyone. A few errors in dates, but pretty accurate.

Then I challenged them to list the cousin's children and grands. Long story short, we got a pretty comprehensive list made of the descendents of Bob and Elsie: 7 kids, 32 grandkids, 36 greats, and 15 great-greats (those are the ones we know of). (There are some steps in there that we'll add when we get that information.)

So, after playing with this all afternoon, and spending hours on the phone chatting with Debbie and Barbie, and emailing back and forth with Patty, I'm compelled to search out the definitions of cousins. You know, first cousin, second cousin, removed, etc. Here's how to figure it out (from Wikipedia):

The name of the cousinship is not determined by oneself, but rather is always determined by the generational level of the individual most closely related to the ancestor in common. Cousinship is actually a description of three individual's relationships with each other. Oneself, the cousin, and the ancestor in common. The following assumes there are no double cousins:

Step 1: To work out if two people are first, second, or third cousins, count back the generations to their common ancestor. For example, if the common ancestor is one's grandmother, that is two generations. If it is one's great-grandmother, that is three generations.

Step 2: Take the closest descendant of the common ancestor. For example, if one of the cousins is a great-great-grandchild (four generations) and the other is a grandchild, just consider the grandchild for now.

Step 3: If the closest descendant of the common ancestor is a grandchild (two generations), the cousins are first cousins; if three generations, second cousins, and so on.

Step 4: If the cousins are both separated from the common ancestor by the same number of generations, there is no "removed". If the number of generations from the common ancestor is different, that difference is the number of "removed"s.

For example, if one is a grandchild of (2 generations from) the common ancestor, and one's cousin is a great-great-grandchild of (4 generations from) the common ancestor, then one and one's cousin are first cousins twice removed.

Still with me? Shake your head, rub your eyes, and don't worry about it. We're FAMILY. That's all that matters.

Another birthday day!

Found out that today is my cousin Toni's birthday - HAPPY WISHES TO YOU!

Today also is my Uncle Tom's birthday - he passed in 1993, but I know he was thought about and loved today {{{Patty}}}.

Last, and NOT least, today is my Father-In-Law's birthday! What a happy day to celebrate his increasing health and well-being.

Happy Birthday Bob!!

just dessert

Ever since we returned home from our cruise, Greg and I have been searching for a particular recipe. I think it was our second night in the dining room that the dessert menu read "Light Almond Espresso Cake". I don't care for coffee, so I passed on that one. Can't even tell you what I ordered instead, because once I got a taste of that Light Almond Espresso Cake, I didn't want anything else. Greg let me have ONE bite of his, and Leslie gave me a couple bites of hers. YUM. No coffee taste, no almond taste, just rich, gooey chocolate encased in crispy, chewy phyllo, with a side of vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. (Yes, my eyes rolled up inside my head after my first bite!)

We have Googled and searched and read endless recipe lists looking for something that just might be the world's best dessert. Tonight I believe I hit the nail on the head. It's called "Chocolate Peanut Butter Phyllo Purses". Obviously I left out the peanut butter, and I must say it was a very close approximation of what we had on the ship. I kept involuntarily going "mmmm" when I'd take a bite. Kitties wondered what was up. :o)

I'm posting the recipe here since I doubt I could find the link again. And the photo, well try not to lick your moniter!

Oh, and we ate this right before we watched "Biggest Loser". (Heehee.)

CHOCOLATE-PEANUT BUTTER PHYLLO PURSES

Flourless chocolate brownies

9 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

4 large eggs, separated

3/4 cup sugar

Chocolate ganache

1/4 cup whipping cream

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 1/2 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

4 teaspoons sugar

6 17x13-inch sheets frozen phyllo pastry, thawed

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Vanilla ice cream

For brownies: Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper. Melt chocolate and butter in heavy medium saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Using electric mixer, beat egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar in large bowl until thick and pale. Stir chocolate mixture into yolk mixture. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Carefully fold egg whites into chocolate mixture. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Press down edges until even with middle of brownies. Cool completely. Using 2 1/4-inch-diameter cookie cutter, cut out 12 rounds. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature.)

For ganache: Bring 1/4 cup whipping cream and vanilla extract to boil in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate and whisk until completely melted. Refrigerate ganache until firm, about 1 hour. (Ganache can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly butter rimmed baking sheet. Stir peanut butter and 4 teaspoons sugar in small bowl to blend. Cut each phyllo sheet in half crosswise to form twelve 13x81/2-inch strips. Place 1 phyllo strip vertically on work surface. Brush with melted butter. Place second phyllo strip horizontally across first, forming cross; brush with butter. Stack 2 brownies in center of pastry. Top brownies with 1 tablespoon ganache and 1 tablespoon peanut butter mixture. Gather ends of phyllo strips together over brownies to form purse. Twist ends closed. Brush purse with melted butter and place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining ingredients to form total of 6 purses. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.) Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve with ice cream.

Makes 6 servings.

Bon Appétit

R.S.V.P.

March 2001

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Happy Birthday
to Tonita today!

from my kitchen window

This was taken this morning shortly after the sun came up. You can see the sunlight making the top of the tree glow. I saw it from my kitchen window and went outside to look and knew I needed to share. Enjoy.