Birthday Blessings

A Happy Birthday Song for You!

To my hubby on the day he was born:

September 11th 1970

Happy happy happy birthday to you!

When we met, we were 18 years old...the "geek" and the "snob."

And I never imagined that 18 years later,

we'd be married for 10 years with two sweet kids

...and still so much in love!

I love all the memories we've made together!

I love all the fun we've had together!

Thank you for asking...I'd still say "YES!"

Enjoy YOUR special day!

You're so very special to Emily, Edward, and me!

9.11

It's hard to believe that it's the 5-year anniversary.

"Where were you when it happened?"

I remember asking my mom and dad that question about President Kennedy's assassination. It was a major news event that we learned about in school. Of course, it happened a few years before I was born, so I didn't have the personal experience of having gone through it. But my parents did. It was a horrific event, they said. One that shocked a nation. One that brought a nation together in tears. My mom had been shopping with her grandmother. She heard the news on the car radio and started to cry. She said it was a memory that never left you.

Isn't that what happened to our nation 5 years ago today? An awful moment in our nation's history, but one that brought everyone together in tears...and in camaraderie. Sometimes, sadly, it takes a tragedy to bring people together.

We visited New York City yesterday. I told Stuart I found it ironic that we'd be going there on the anniversary weekend. I hadn't been back to visit the city since December 2000 when we stood across the river from the New York skyline and pointed to the Twin Towers. We told Emily, then 3, that we'd be back next Christmas with her new sibling. And we'd go visit those Twin Towers together. "Bye-Bye, Twin Towers. See you next year," she said.

Of course, the rest is now recorded in the history books.

We didn't get to visit those towers the following year. But we did watch as they crumbled to the ground, deliberately destroyed by terrorists using planes as missiles. We did cry with others at the thought of all those innocent people killed for an evil "cause." We did hang our flag with a renewed sense of patriotism that said, "United we stand!!"

I was in my livingroom, listening to the radio. I heard about the first plane and turned on the television. I called Stuart to let him know that somebody had accidentally flown into one of the Twin Towers. Midway through my message, I went completely silent and began to babble as I witnessed the second plane flying into the other tower. It was a slow-motion movie in my mind. A joke...definitely not a reality. I sank to my knees and realized that it wasn't an accident; nor were the rest of the terrible events that continued throughout the morning.

3-year-old Emily's drawing of the World Trade Center

The memory burns bright in our hearts for all those affected by the happenings on that day. You're still in our prayers!

* * *

Where were you when it happened?

Start Spreading the News...

"...I'm leaving today! I want to be a part of it...New York, New York!"

Well, we're back from our trip to New York City. What "country mice" we are! We left the city -- and the sounds of people and cars and horns -- at 12:30 a.m. It was just as alive as when we arrived earlier in the evening. We returned home to W. City with a few cars on the road and the sound of crickets. Amazing!

The reason for our trip? To see a movie about an Indie rock band's -- Rocco Deluca and the Burden -- premier tour in Europe. Since the movie had a very limited release in a select few cities, we were very interested when we saw it would be shown in New York -- a mere 2.5 hours from us... LOL! It took us over 3.5 due to horrendous traffic around the Holland Tunnel. Oh, well. We made it, with 2.5 hours to spare. Our show wasn't until 10 p.m.

The movie, a rockumentary called I Trust You to Kill Me (the name of the band's first album), was excellent! The band is actually very good. I'm not particularly fond of rock music, per se, but they have a very unique sound, and the lead, Rocco Deluca, is phenomenal on the guitar. That said, each of the band's members is very good at what he does. What struck us is that they aren't worried about image. It's all about the music. It was humorous to watch them learn the ropes of touring.

The clincher? Their manager for this first tour was none other than Kiefer Sutherland. (He has since been "let go.") And, okay, he was probably the draw for me -- and lots of others -- to this band in the first place. But both Stuart and I found ourselves wanting to buy the album by the end of the movie.

So it was a wonderful adventure to the Big Apple to see a good movie.

And....


(Clicking on the photos makes them larger.)

...to get a photo or two of Kiefer Sutherland in person, including one with his arm around me. And get his autograph on the insert to my 24 -- Season One DVD set. (Yes, I was shaking after the whole thing!!) He and the director of the movie were there for a Q & A after the 7:45 p.m. showing. We caught him on his way in since we didn't have tickets to that show. And, WOW! I was feeling very shy...but Stuart wasn't about to let him get by without saying "hi" and asking for a photo and an autograph. (Have I mentioned how much I love my hubby??) Kiefer was very polite, very friendly, and very accommodating.

So an added bonus to a wonderful adventure to the Big Apple to see a good movie...and a very nice actor!

More another day on our trip and the theatre...I'm pooped.

Home Again...Home Again...Jiggety Jig

My mom has a saying posted on her refrigerator: "If I rest, I rust."

Well, after only two days of sunshine on the beach, I'm guessing my idea of getting a golden tan was finally dashed. We left yesterday around lunchtime, deciding we'd be more likely to "rust" than enjoy some extra time on the beach in the rain.

Nevermind. There's always next year. And we had fun, despite it. And that's what's really important, right?

So now we're in the process of unpacking from our vacation...a feat unto itself.

On another note, Stuart and I head to New York City tonight to view a movie. Yeah, yeah, I know, a fairly long drive just to see a movie. But this movie is only being offered at three venues (New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles) for a limited screening...and there's a chance of seeing one of the "stars"....

More on that tomorrow....

More on Tanning...

When I was younger I was the "queen" of sun. My sister used to say that if anyone even mentioned the word "sunshine" I would turn tan. It seemed like such an easy task then. But then I didn't care an iota about turning brown. It was just my "summer color."

So I'm still at it.

We have one more day here at the beach, and I'm determined to go home a different shade of brown than I started with. So far I've got a bit of a tan on my arms and legs and something similar to a cooked lobster's tail on my shoulders.

Back in my glorious tan days, who would have thought it would take so much work to get just that much??

I was thinking to myself this afternoon as I toasted: at what point in my life did I decide I actually wanted to get a tan? Because that would be the moment it ceased to be so easy.

You know, as a kid you were running around, playing outside in the grass or wading pool. You were too busy to realize you were getting a "healthy glow" that rivaled a Malibu Barbie doll's.

Oh, for days gone by...

Until then, I'll have take the slow, boring route to golden brown.

On Getting a Tan...

Okay, so I'm sitting outside in the sun, trying to get a tan. (Isn't that one of the points of going to the beach?)

5 minutes....I'm sweating. Am I tan yet? My book is okay -- not great, but interesting enough. 10 minutes. I feel like my skin is sizzling. No change. I'm humming the song to Jeopardy. 25 minutes. I think I'm going to pass out from the heat. How fun is this??

Not very.

Vanity....vanity.

An aside: When I was in high school, I tried to "lay out" in the sun -- to turn a golden shade of brown and put blonde highlights in my hair. Remember the baby oil and lemon juice regiment? I usually lasted about 12.2 minutes....

30 minutes...this is really boring. (Did I mention that already?) My eyes are blurring. 40 minutes. The kids are looking kind of red. Maybe we should go inside... Move a strap. Tan yet? 45 minutes. I'm parched.

Okay...okay.... Enough is enough. And I've had enough. Being tan isn't worth it. I'll stick with "library pallor"...

...for now.

Afterall, beauty isn't without its pains. And we are at the beach.

Ready? Set? Drive!

Everyone has a stomping grounds of sorts, right? I have many, many. Not that I mind. But sometimes the memories all merge together in my head.

Well, we're off on our holiday trip to Nags Head, N.C. (If I ever get my scanner working again, I'll scan the photo of my first trip there when I was 3. Or maybe not. I forgot...I'm topless.)

One thing I enjoy about visiting places (new or old) is seeing different "stomping grounds" since it must be that sort of thing for some local folks.

We took a trip around Europe and I was more interested in seeing everyday life (Stuart thought that was another way of saying: shopping) than in seeing the sights and history. Mind you, I love history...but I can read about that. I cannot read about everyday life and really get the jist of it. You know, the smells, the sounds...seeing people going about their normal routines...like walking the kids to school, or driving to work, or doing the weekly grocery shopping.

So...get ready, get set, drive. Vacation time! And time to see "everyday life" in someone else's stomping ground.

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

Emily, between ages 1 and 3, and her hats.




It's a cold, wet, rainy day here today -- Ernesto's "Last Stand," I think.

Not much to blog about...and not much time to do it anyway, since I'm packing for our vacation to the beach.

I was perusing the photos on my computer, looking for some with the kids in their wellies. (Goes with a rainy day, right?) Well, I gave up after I realized I've got about a gazillion photos saved on my hard-drive.

Instead, I opted for several of Emily, our "hat-girl." She used to love hats! In fact, a friend of ours gave her a book for Christmas one year called The Hat because she knew how much she loved them.

I loved her inscription on the inside of the front cover: "For Emily, a girl who always wears a hat with such panache."

"Howl"iday Time

No, I'm not in the Halloween spirit.

We're supposed to leave Saturday to go to Nags Head, N.C., for our annual holiday (to borrow the British term). It's an 8-hour trek that usually takes us 10 due to the fact that we stop along the way for sanity breaks...bathroom breaks...shopping breaks...dinner breaks...or just-because breaks.

Sadly, this year we're going to be delayed until Sunday by Tropical Storm...no, just storm...no, back to Tropical Storm...no, almost-Hurricane-strength..."Ernesto." You have to give it credit, this storm is trying in "earnest" to become something. Appropriately named?? Stay tuned to the Weather Channel.

The week we go is the "peak week" in the Hurricane Season. Yes, there is an actual season. Spring, Summer, Hurricanes, Fall, and Winter. (Didn't know there are five, did you?)

So why do we go that week?

Well, about 25 years ago, my parents invested in a week at a time-share...and now it's paid for. Their week just happens to coincide with the "peak week" of hurricanes. For awhile, when he first started joining us, we thought Stuart was an "albatross around the neck" of our vacations. Three out of five years, we had to leave, or not go at all, due to hurricanes. Poor guy. We eventually broke that "curse"...until this year.

Not a problem though. Just thinking about the beach and the ocean and the sunshine... What's a few more days?

In the "life" of a hurricane that can be the difference between being a Category 1 to 5...or becoming just another storm.

I vote for the latter.

Quote of the Day

"If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you."
~Winnie the Pooh to Christopher Robin

Ready? Oh, K.!

Hooray! Hurrah! Hooray!!

Can you imagine why I'm so excited today?

Well, it comes after an enjoyable viewing of the Emmys last night. The show actually was quite funny at times -- though it could have done with less politics.

The winners were all very gracious, keeping their speeches short and to the point. (Music played whenever they went a little too long.) The actors looked nice in all their finery. The host kept the show rolling with witty tidbits. And a fitting tribute was held for Dick Clark and those in Hollywood who had passed on....

Best of all, I got to see my favorite-most show, 24, win an Emmy, along with my favorite-most actor, Kiefer Sutherland, and his buddy, director Jon Cassar.

The real winner, however, was me....

I thought I was going to be alone in my celebration, sharing the excitement with only myself. But I got to watch the show with my hubby , someone who had vowed a pledge to never, ever, ever, ever, ever watch an awards show.

Isn't he sweet?

* * *

I think so!

Emmy Time

Kyra Sedgewick, Kiefer Sutherland at the 2005 Emmys

Okay, I admit it. I'm actually excited about the
Emmy Awards tonight.

I've never, ever, ever been a person to get excited about such stuff. (They're a tad overrated maybe?) But I do think awards ceremonies are great for those involved -- though Hollywood always manages to go "over-the-top" at such events.

Tonight is different for me somehow.

I have very few criteria in deciding if I like something: Is it good? (ie: good-looking, good story, good laughs...etc.) Yes? Then I like it.

When I was shopping for my first car my deciding factors involved a "good" checklist. It was red. Check. Good color. It had four tires. Check. Good tread. It ran well. Check. Good engine. And it had a cool-looking radio. Check. It even had a good cassette player. Sold! And the little cherry-red Hyundai named "Happy" stayed with me for over 120,000 miles and nearly 6 years...not bad for a person with limited knowledge of cars.

So back to the awards... I haven't ever really been a person to follow Hollywood. I don't care about trends. I don't care about this particular actor or actress. (I'll admit, I did like some of the "Brat Pack" in the '80s. And I did borrow copies of my friends Teen magazines....or buy the occasional copy of Seventeen, with cute teen-actor centerfolds. Okay...okay. So I'm aging myself a bit.) But I don't watch these kinds of things regularly.

This year, however, quite a few of my favorites (ie: 24, 24, and 24...oh, and maybe its lead actor) have been nominated which makes it even more interesting for me.

Having been a regular reader of TV Guy for the past half-year our so, I've become more savvy about the various movies and shows out there, along with the actors who make them possible. (Check out his blog! It's very informative and entertaining!) I've also enjoyed perusing a ton of Kiefer Sutherland movies which have introduced me to a bunch of new actors I'd never heard of, many of whom are up for Emmys tonight.

So I'm going to enjoy this evening's performance. (And that's exactly what it is, right?) And will I tune in again next year?

That will depend entirely on who's been nominated...and if they're "good."

Running Point

I'm feeling a little heady. Only a couple more days until...I see the above!

Since I'm a huge Kiefer Sutherland fan, I'm very much looking forward to The Sentinel coming out on DVD next Tuesday -- despite how it got panned in the reviews. Who heeds reviews anyway?

The following article had me laughing:

==========================

Douglas "Humiliated" by Sentinel Co-Stars

Veteran actor MICHAEL DOUGLAS found shooting the new movie THE SENTINEL "humiliating," because he couldn't keep up physically with his younger (Ed. note: key word) co-stars. KIEFER SUTHERLAND and EVA LONGORIA left the 61-year-old trailing during the shoot last year ('05), and he confesses he felt his age.

Douglas says, "I had a bad knee and a pulled hamstring. So it was tough -- physically -- and actually quite humiliating. In one scene Kiefer takes off running and I go after him. I said to him, 'You're pretty fast,' and he said, 'I had a state record in school for 400 metres.' Then later I'm running again and Eva passes me in high heels and I'm, like, 'How can she run like that in those heels?'"

==========================

No kidding! The guy is about 22 years older than Kiefer (who holds a state record for running...) and almost 30 years older than Eva. But I guess being passed by a woman in high heels could be embarrassing....

Water You Know

Another label from GLACEAU vitaminwater, nutrient enhanced water beverage:

focus
kiwi-strawberry (a+lutein)

now that everyone is glued to their cell phones, no one really pays attention to what's going on around them. with all that walking and talking, you never know what you could be missing: birds chirping, flowers blooming, shoe sales, really good-looking people, celebrities without make-up, telephone poles, or piles of poo. (and we don't mean winnie.) that's why this stuff has vitamin a and lutein to give you all the focus you need. so keep your eyes peeled or that smell could be your shoe.

vitamins + water = all you need

for best results, stick in the fridge.
the inside is natural. the outside is plastic. RECYCLE.

Gotta love the way this company thinks.

Enjoyable Past Times

Do you ever feel as if Life is whizzing by at an incredible pace?? I feel that on a regular basis. I like the expression: "Stop the world; I want to get off!" I think that could be my mantra.

* * *

I took a drive down "Memory Lane" the other day. We were on our way to visit friends, and I took a 'round about way to avoid a slow moving truck I'd been following. It's funny how you can drive past the same scenery day in and day out and not really take notice of it. It becomes a part of your mental photo album, I guess. And on this particular drive I found myself paging through it with my kids.

I was driving by my old "stomping grounds," past Daniel Boone High School (then a Jr.-Sr. High School) where I met the first teacher to really encourage me in writing and embarrassed myself in front of my "cute" geography/government teacher. I showed the kids where I used to have to "run" around the perimeter of the schoolgrounds when I was in Track & Field in 7th grade. (We usually walked it.)

We passed the Birdsboro IGA -- a small grocery store now named something else. I remembered shopping there with my mom and finding it funny (in a good way) how she seemed to know everyone there. It was like "old home week" when we shopped there. I bought a leash for my first pet bunny's there. And it's just up the road from Brown's Feed where I always bought my rabbit food and straw.

Then we passed Shed Road where as a family we did circles in the car on the ice on our way to church one snowy Sunday. That didn't impress my mom too much...or any of the rest of us, for that matter. We returned home and had "church" there. We zipped past Hopewell Furnace -- named Hopewell Village during my youth -- where we used to take all out-of-town guests because it was fun, educational, informative, and FREE.

When we drove down a stretch of Joanna Road (Rt. 82), I remembered how we tested out the turbo charge on our gold Mazda 626 hatchback. (It really did go 0 to 60 in 6 seconds (slow by today's standards, I guess).) And then we passed the swamp where a dead tree we called the Vulture Tree once stood. I can still picture those buzzards sitting there.

Funny how a few familiar sights can conjure up a world full of memories and stories to slow down Life...if only for a few minutes.

Pop!

You know the Nursery Rhyme about the monkey and the weasel... "All around the mulberry bush, the monkey chased the weasel..." Well, every time I open and shut our roller blinds I'm reminded of it. Especially when they go, "POP!" (Like the biscuit can from this entry.)

I like the idea of venetian blinds except for the fact that they gather so much dust and are hard to clean. Plus, I get kind of anal about having them exactly even, and with all those slats and strings that can be nearly impossible.

So we opted for roller blinds when we moved into our house and decided against the "fishbowl effect" that comes of having 19 uncovered windows.

For the most part, they're wonderful.

It's just the occasional "rebel" that decides to flip up on its own or shoot off its brackets and hit me in the head. That's when I think of the "monkey and the weasel"...or those dumb little cans of Pillsbury biscuits.

Like just the other night...the moment I heard a "POP!" on my head and "monkeys began chasing weasels"...and blinds began flying around the room...

Only a Mother...

You've heard the expression, "only a mother could love it," right? Well, here's a case of only a "father/owner" could love it since those are gold crowns costing over $900 each covering this here puss's jutting underbite. (Have you ever seen anything so....hmmm? Indescribable. Poor kitty!)

But "beauty is in the eye of the beholder"...and "you can't judge a book by the cover."

Though for this cat, I'm not so sure. He may need to be put back "in the bag"....

Loving Language

Emily, at 8 months, was our little English baby
I love the English language. I love the words and accents and connotation and denotation and phonemes...American or British. I just love our language.

I discovered this love while I was studying at university, during classes such as Chaucer, Shakespeare, History of the English Language, All About Words. Since I was a Journalism/English major, I wasn't required to take Linguistics. Now I really wish I had. It's like the science of a language. I think I would have enjoyed it.

But while I enjoy our language, I also know how important it is to learn other languages. (View the following: Fishbowl.) It's the key to understanding other cultures and reaching out beyond ourselves. Our kiddos will enjoy learning a foreign language this year in school. Hopefully, it'll help me refresh my past years of learning a foreign language. As my French professor at university used to say, "Use it, or you'll lose it." From my own experience, I think that's very true.

Besides, isn't it fun to stretch beyond our borders? I've always felt that way.

Happy! Happy!

If you visited my blog last week, you would remember hearing the R.E.M. song "Shiny Happy People" playing on my video player. Well, this is the first version of that song I heard, which subsequently encouraged me to look up the original. It's hard to figure out which I like better...

Enjoy!!

Furry Happy Monsters

(Un)Inspired

* * *

Emily, age 2, with a mixed-up Mr. Potato Head

A couple of things to bring a smile (and/or a chuckle?) to you today.

Click on the following to send a funny e-mail to someone:

Monk-E-Mail

AND

Some funny, satirical versions of those "inspirational posters" you see around workplaces:

APATHY
If we don't take care of the customer,
maybe they'll stop bugging us.

STUPIDITY
Quitters never win, winners never quit,
but those who never win AND never quit are idiots.

COMPROMISE
Let's agree to respect each other's views,
no matter how wrong yours may be.

MEETINGS
None of us is as dumb as all of us.

IDIOCY
Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

CLUELESSNESS
There are no stupid questions,
but there are a LOT of inquisitive idiots.

DEMOTIVATION
Sometimes the best solution to morale problems is
just to fire all of the unhappy people.

Steeled Nerves

Have you ever been in a situation where you completely blank out due to nervousness?

Every time I go into England, I feel a guilt like I'm hiding the crown jewels or something. I forget where I'm going and why I'm going there. It doesn't help when the immigration officer has such a scary face....

Watching a "roasting" show on DVD recently, I chuckled when I noticed that even famous people get nervous, judging by their warbling voices and shaking hands. I guess when it isn't something scripted out for them, even they blank out and/or feel scared.

(The following is used by permission of the story subject. Copyright 2006)

So Stuart is heading into Canada on a service trip for his company. The man at the border crossing says to him, "So where are you going." To which Stuart replies, "Canada." (Insert catchy Beach Boys tune here for the song "Wipe Out"...but change the words to "Blank Out!")

I'm not sure if the border guard was amused or not. But he said, "No kidding. Wanna be a little more specific?"

On Exercising...

Decided on a little added amusement today...click on the colored, underlined words for a more interesting read.

* * *

I hate excercise! I mean it! I abhor it! (Love that word though.)

Probably has something to do with the fact that I like to eat...especially chocolate! Or maybe it's how incredibly boring and dull and meaningless it seems.

So why bring it up? Because I need to exercise. My body needs it...my hubby needs it...my kids need it. I need to be healthy, especially for them. We're in a wellness program with my husband's insurance company. They have someone call every other month to see how we're doing. I feel so guilty when they ask how much I'm exercising. Ummmm....I'm getting better...I trot up the stairs now?

So we decided to do a little Ebay shopping for a treadmill. We had very narrow search criteria: It had to be cheap and it had to be local.

Only one item popped up from our search. An older model treadmill located in Reading for ONE PENNY Buy-It-Now. Wow!! After reading every word in the item's description and checking the seller's feedback rating, we "bought-it-now" (how could we go wrong?) and e-mailed the seller to get the location. Turns out the address was one block from our first apartment...and the seller works with my husband!

Small world! Too bad it's not small enough to jog around. It might make exercising seem a bit more interesting and fun and...amusing.

Quote of the Day

I haven't done a "Quote of the Day" here at Writer's Block so I'll post this one...especially funny to me, having worked awhile in the newspaper business.


"If you don't read the newspaper, you are uninformed. If you do read the newspaper, you are misinformed." ~Mark Twain


Check out this video -- Photo Fraud -- for more on present-day news misinformation...

Saying Thanks

I love simple things. And I love them even more when they mean something special to someone else.

Here's something fun and simple you can do to say "THANK YOU" to a soldier.

Let's Say Thanks

Click on the above link, choose a card, and Xerox will send it for you.

Simple...and special. For people who do so much for us!

What's Up, Chuck?

Okay...okay. So I've "lucked out" so far on my parenting journey. I can actually count on one hand the number of times my kids have gotten physically sick. I confess, I always feel extreme sympathy for those whose kids often...hmmm...vomit? Throw up? Upchuck? It really doesn't matter how you say it, or what term you use. It's not pleasant, right?

Okay...okay. So I've been "paid back" tonight. (One day I'll listen to her when she says her tummy hurts so much....)

Emily has a loftbed. We got it for her when we lived in a 2-bedroom apartment, in order to give her more space in the room she shared with Edward. Now, in her own room, it still gives her lots more space. I've always thought it a grand idea...that is, until tonight. How does an 8-year-old get out of a loftbed, run across her room, and make it to the trashcan in time to throw up in it?

The answer? She doesn't...

I'll spare you the details -- because my stomach is still queasy thinking about it -- but it was everywhere. In spots...well, I'm not still not sure how she managed it. We did clean up her room and wash her bedding...and her 6-foot stuffed pegasus....

Now, she's resting in the livingroom with a trashcan beside her and a bathroom within a few steps. And I'm off to find my can of Lysol....

Feeling Hungry?

One of my favorite photos. Stuart with Emily, Christmas 1997. --->

Hungry? Try some Squid on the Grill.

Lost your appetite? Well, that's okay. My hubby took the plunge and joined the world of Blogdom. That's actually the name of his blog...not an actual meal. ("Eeeew!" as the kids would say.)

I thought I'd give a little plug for his blog since he's so incredibly sweet, handsome, and funny...and my biggest fan!

As an aside: We met 18 years ago, outside a pub in Shaw Ridge, England. We were a mere 18 years old. Funny how fast time goes by, huh?

One of his favorite memories is when I told him I could never marry him. Ha! Ha! Ten years of marriage later.....

Drive-In Dreams

"The past is a foreign country. They do things differently there." ~L. P. Hartley

I love Drive-In Theaters!! You know the kind of place Gidget hung out in with her friends in that 1960s show. I've always dreamed of taking my hubby and kids to one.

I think I've been to one twice in my life. The first time was in a gold Ford Fiesta to see The Empire Strikes Back in California. I think I fell asleep. (But I was 9, okay? And it was dark!)

The second time was in college to see One Hundred and One Dalmations and...hmmm...I can't remember the second movie. I know it was a triple-feature. And we (about 5 or 6 of us) squooshed into my little red Hyundai Excel. For some reason, we didn't stay to watch the last movie which was Next of Kin. Maybe we were too cold and cramped.

I grew up hearing the story of my parents going to the drive-in the night before my mom went into labor with my oldest sister. Mom said she "pigged out" on candy and popcorn, never realizing she was in labor. I think she regretted it the next day...and so did the doctor.

I've always wondered what movie they watched....

Still, Still More from Hell-ish Kitchens

The weather shifted back to more sultry summer temperatures today so I'm inside enjoying the air conditioning and thinking about making some yummy treats...

Thus, I present, without further adieu, another installment of "Hell-ish Kitchens Tres Simple Recipes:"

<--- A new sport -- Naked Nascar? (Edward, July 2002)

Foolproof Chocolate Fudge

Estimated Times: Preparation - 6 min Cooking - 5 min Cooling Time -

2 hrs refrigerating - Yields - 36

Ingredients:
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels (preferably a good brand)
1 can (14 oz.) Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions: LINE 8- or 9-inch square baking pan with foil. COMBINE morsels and sweetened condensed milk in medium, heavy-duty saucepan. Warm over lowest possible heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat; stir in nuts and vanilla extract. SPREAD evenly into prepared baking pan. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. Lift from pan; remove foil. Cut into pieces.

Et voila! Eat and enjoy! A tiny piece of "Heaven." And it really is foolproof!! Ask this fool!

Summer Sounds

I grew up in the "country" for most of my life, so summer sounds -- you know, frogs, crickets, locusts, etc. -- were like an annual summer songfest. Click here for a sample.

It wasn't until we were getting in the car after VBS the other evening and Edward commented on how "noisy" it sounded outside that I realized how much I'd taken those sounds for granted. My kids miss out on that summer concert living in W. City, a suburb of the City of R. The noises are there, but they are somewhat muted by the cars, sirens, and buildings around us. I guess you have to listen harder for them. (Kinda makes me want to take them outside at night more often.)

Still, we could always go for evening drives to the "country"...or, pending that, Google such sounds on the Internet and "camp out" in our livingroom listening to them.

Thank the Lord for technology...and imagination.

Click on any of the following for some fun:

Pond Peepers (my favorite!!)

Crickets

Katydids

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Here's a fun tidbit from the National Aquarium in Baltimore. You can create your own Frog Chorus. Click on each of the frogs to add it to the "singing" group. Enjoy!

Il Est Mort

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!


Well, I finally did it... I killed Jack...the PS2-game version of him, of course.

My hubby's amazed that I haven't done so before now. (There's faith in my abilities, huh?)

I haven't played the 24 game for awhile due to the awfulness of my driving. I mean, we're not just talking bad...I'm horrific! People on sidewalks a mile up the road are not safe with me and Jack at the wheel. "Hey! Watch it!" is meaningless with me and Jack at the wheel. I finally got through that stinking level (thanks to my incredibly, devastatingly, wonderfully handsome hubby with the limber fingers), and now I'm back at it.

Funny enough, in this new level I had to drive Jack into a gate to get into the building where the "baddie" was hiding. Jack got in and out of the van several times...rammed the walls several more times...hit a garage pole even more times...and then I finally got him to ram the gate. Phew.... Jack needs to have his eyes checked...and his motor skills, too, it seems.

Well, I made it through most of the building and then my fingers got muddled on the 3,562 buttons and I forgot which joystick to move around and with his back to a "baddie," Jack was mowed down in cold blood. Well, pixelated blood anyway.

Il est mort. Je suis triste....tres triste! (Click here for a translator.)

Oh, well. Good thing there are auto-save checkpoints.

Manic Monday

No real reason for this tidbit, except that I'm left thinking, "More power to you, Doc." Some "disorders" just cannot be cured. Click here to read more: Anti-Stupidity Pill.

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I've come to realize that my mind is a mental scrapbook of people, ideas, and memories. (Probably everybody's is...) I've no need to craft an actual book since my mind is so chock-a-block. I find myself constantly distracted by it all, although it does help in my writing.

Watching our daughter lately and hearing all the things she wants to do, I'm reminded of the saying, "Jack of all trades; master of none." In fact, I taught her that phrase the other day. Thinking about it, though, I realize I'm exactly the same. My mind is brimming with things I'd like to do, people I'd like to have over, places I'd like to visit again....and it's hard to make any of it happen. She's my "Mini Me," I guess.

My biggest distraction, though, is my memories. Having moved around so much in my life, I've met a ton of people. I think about many of them during my days. As I'm doing my chores or shopping for groceries or surfing the web, people I once knew pop into my head. I wonder what they are doing...where they live now...if they are married...

...and if they still remember me. Kind of silly, I guess.

"It seems to me that the best relationships, the ones that last, are frequently the ones rooted in friendship. You know, one day you look at the person and you see something more than the night before, like a switch has been flicked somewhere, and the person who was just a friend is suddenly the only person you can ever imagine yourself with." ~Dana Katherine Scully, The X-Files

Joyeux Anniversaire Ma Soeur

Click here to hear the Happy Birthday Disco.

Well, my oldest sister, Sandy, (a.k.a. "Old As Dirt" to her niece and nephews) reached another milestone today.

She's a palindrome. That's right. 44 years ago on this day, after an excessively long time in the "bathroom" (not much has changed, right?) getting ready for her big appearance, Sandra Lynne Wilson adorned the world with all her cherubic cuteness! (I'll post a photo once I get my scanner working again.)

Ah, the memories....

Let's see... Our favorite phrase growing up was "You're not my mother!" (Mothering must go with being the firstborn. But, in fairness, we "gave" as good as we got, really. Certainly, there could be studies done to prove that bossiness is, in fact, genetic. Still in all, we all "survived" one another with flying colors.) How about those Saturday morning water-wake-up calls that followed the blasting of guns played at top volume from the "Victory at Sea" record? And times when we were sent by Mom to spy on her -- and the "boyfriend-of-the-week" -- to be sure they were "behaving" themselves? And they were.

She always makes me proud!

My sister has been a fantastic wife to a wonderful man named Tim since April 4th 1987. She's the special teacher and "part-time mom" to 15 (or so) special ed students each year. She has an adorable cat named Thomas who is her pride and joy.

And, most importantly, she's a breast cancer survivor.

That makes her a gift and blessing to all of us! Happy HAPPY Birthday, Sis!

Wistful Thinking

No real reason to post this, except that I love this photo of the kids. They're looking across the ocean and thinking about their Granny and Grampy in England.

The Atlantic Ocean seems so very, very large from there, doesn't it....

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"Roy: Have you ever seen it snow on the ocean?
Natalie: I don't think so.
Roy: It's the sound of the snow, really. It's as if each individual flake has its own... voice. A hiss as it hits the water, and then this whisper that tames the ocean's roar... peacefully. It's my favorite Christmas thing."

~Behind the Red Door

Harvest Moon

Wishful thinking? ---->

I guess the "honeymoon" is officially over...as far as home ownership goes.

I'm outside with my combine-harvester (a.k.a. my trusty Black & Decker Electric Mulcher Mower), thwacking my way through the knee-high grasses, wondering to myself why we ever thought home ownership was "to die for." (We're in the middle of a heat wave and the grass (a.k.a. weeds) is thriving! I'm certain I used the wrong kind of seeds.) I know. I know. Back in our apartment-living days, we didn't have a yard for the kids to dig up and leave things like broken shells and rocks around for unsuspecting tootsies to find play in. So?? Call me a Grinch. We had the sideyard of the school across the street and the school personnel to maintain the grass for us. Ahhh, those were the days....

Idle grass.

I put a lawn tractor on my "Wish List" for Mother's Day a few years ago. I just about had the kids convinced. But somehow their father (who will remain unnamed) didn't think it necessary for our .10 of an acre. Think about it! I'd be done mowing in a mere 10 minutes. Swipe, swipe. I'd be a Lawn Goddess out on my John Deere, revving the engine to "rabbit" speed, flicking on the headlights.

Instead I was out there tonight -- did I mention the intense HEAT wave? -- sweating in the 100 degree-F setting sun, harvesting our hayfield before our borough comes 'round to collect the Hay Tax Bill.

Of course, my hubby did offer....

Shut the Beep Up

Things that make you go "hmmmm."

I always like how something can sound different than intended. It was something I learned early on in my newspaper days. I could say a person "declined to comment" or "refused to speak." I'm saying EXACTLY the same thing, but the meaning and how another person perceives it changes with the word choice.

Idle grass....

* * *

So I'm making one of my infamous noodle salad dinners -- a staple in our diets during the summer -- adding a mystery meat (I think it's turkey) I found in the far corner of the freezer and some of our homegrown cherry tomatoes. And I'm reading the package to see how long to cook the noodles.

7 minutes = al dente (slightly firm). The timer goes off. I hit reset, but it doesn't stop it. Do I let it continue through the factory-prescribed amount of beeps...thus letting the noodles cook a few more minutes, or do I shut the annoying thing off by smacking it? It's very tempting to let it go, since technically 9 minutes = done, but I opt for al dente.

That shuts the beep up quicker.

* * *

Did I say something naughty?

Burning Question

Having a "wee bit" of Scottish blood in me -- on my father Robert Bruce Wilson's side -- I've always been very mesmorized by kilts. I inherited mini versions of said "skirts" when I was a lass, but I never realized there was a tradition to be followed when worn by the opposite gender.

I have it on good authority -- from several prominent and local sources -- that when a man wears a kilt, it is considered bad luck to wear undies with it. See above photo....some agree; others do not.

My burning question: What would you do...if you wore a kilt?

Dog Days of Summer

"Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the mid-day sun..." So the old song goes.

Well, it's August 1st. I guess we're in the "Dog Days of Summer" -- we're certainly into another heat wave. Phew! (I "googled" that phrase to find out what it means and where it came from. Click here for a short definition and history.)

It won't be long until school starts, and we're back in the grind of another schoolyear..... (Okay, smack me now! I'm pushing that out of my brain for now!)

I smelled Summer today. Sounds odd, huh? But for someone with chronic sinus issues, that's a feat in and of itself. And cause for celebration.

I once wrote a passage in one of my stories about a little girl who sat by her window and smelled the scents of Summer. A college friend of mine from Philly read it and asked me to describe what "Summer smelled like." He really had no idea what I meant by that. No easy task. I'd been smelling it every summer all my life... How did I describe that to someone who hadn't?

Sweet honeysuckle, pungent grass, and warm humidity. Put those smells together with a little hot tarmac and you've got a sample of summer smells.

Okay, okay. It isn't the "Summer" scent you'll smell when you pick up the little souvenir bar of soap at the beach. Or the aroma of the "Summer's Breeze" air freshener.

Ah, well. Everyone's Summer smells a little differently anyway.

Melancholic Mindset

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I'm such a sucker for sad things: sad songs, sad movies, sad books. I wonder what makes these things so compelling to me? I figure it must be the "writer" in me. I love melancholy and poignancy. I told my hubby this morning that I miss England. When he asked me why, I thought about it and said lots of great writers came out of England. I think it has something to do with the climate.

I just finished watching Behind the Red Door (the proof is on my tear-stained face), and while there are subtle themes I don't agree with, the overall theme of the movie is beautiful. It's about reconciliation; the reconciliation of a dying man and his sister, who together face their family's violent past and find peace in their lives. It's handled delicately and sweetly, with a great soundtrack to boot. And the metamorphosis in their relationship is poignant.

Several things struck me while watching it. If we knew the exact moment of death, or at least knew we had a certain number of days to live, how would we look at everyday things differently? Would we marvel more at sunsets, snowstorms, budding flowers, enjoy the simple stuff more? And would we treasure our loved ones more, knowing that we only had a finite amount of time left with them?

My favorite scene comes just before the main character, Roy, dies. He's sitting with his sister in the above shot and says, "I love you dearly, Natalie." It was something he had struggled to say to her all of their lives. It was something he had wanted more than anything to hear from his father all of his life. Earlier in the movie, as he is "talking" to God, he says that he would give everything he has (and he's very affluent) just to have a father who once said, "Son, I love you."

I wonder why it sometimes takes death to make us cherish that which we have now?

A memorable quote:

Natalie: It just seems so unfair, you know? I mean, if I have to do this family thing, shouldn't I get to experience some of the good stuff, too?

Julia: Well, who says the family thing has any rules? Wasn't it you who said, "Happy families are always happy in the same way", and...

Natalie: ..."every unhappy family sucks in a different way"? No, that was Tolstoy.

Julia: Well, gotta love those Russians.

Simple Pleasures

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"Babyface, you've got the cutest little babyface....."

I had to pay a visit to my midwife today to get some advice on calming down the hormones. They're a bit wonky at the moment -- due, sadly, to my "progressing" age. (We discussed among other things how we'll give it to Eve upon reaching Heaven. Us and half-a-bazillion other ladies, I'm sure.)

Anyway, that aside, I'm always thrust back in time when I visit her office...to the times when my hubby and I went to hear a growing heartbeat in my tummy. Which is very odd now when I walk in with an 8- and 5-year-old in tow. We were talking about how quickly the kids grow and how much they change. She is a grandmother now and loving it!

Then she said something which struck me. She was talking about her nearly-2-year-old granddaughter, and how she is able to enjoy her "firsts" with her.

"Do you remember Emily and Edward discovering shadows?" she asked me.

I thought long and hard, and I couldn't really say I did. All the memories seem to blend together these days.

She agreed and said she was the same with her three girls. "You're so busy being Mommy to them that you know you experienced it but can't remember it specifically."

Her granddaughter discovered shadows the other day, she continued. And it was good for nearly 2 hours of fascination and entertainment.

Oh, the joy of simple pleasures!

Word of the Day

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Halloween "Bugs" from 2004

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Speaking of bugs of the virus kind...

So we were re-watching Season 3 of 24 and came across this fantastical word: epidemiological. I love the way it sounds. (You can click on it to hear it.) And they used it, not once, but TWICE on the same show.

Just goes to show what a great word it is! I think the writers and actors enjoyed hearing it, too.

As an aside, Emily announced her favorite word as cataclysmic. We were very impressed that she knew such a big word, especially when she pronounced it correctly. To which she then asked, "What does it mean?"

A Eye for London

Kid's Eye View

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***
Speaking of London...

Here is my very favorite photo of the kids on the "London Eye" taken in May 2002. You can see Parliament in the background. It's like Edward is pointing out the various sights to Emily.

London Town Memories

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That certain night
The night we met
There was magic abroad in the air
There were angels dinin’ at the Ritz
And a nightingale sang in Berkeley Square.

I may be right
May be wrong
But I’m perfectly willing to swear
That when you turned and smiled at me
A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square.

The moon that lingered over London town
Poor, puzzled moon
He wore a frown
How could he know we two were so in love
The whole darn world seemed upside-down.

The streets uptown were paved with stars
It was such a romantic affair
And as we kissed
And said good night
A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square.

How strange it was
How sweet and strange
There was never a dream to compare
With that hazy, crazy night we met
When a nightingale sang in Berkeley Square.....

A memory popped into my head the other day. It was a particular night I spent wandering some of the streets in London taking "mental photographs." (We saw so much, but a camera wouldn't have done it justice.) I'd walked around London lots of times before then...but never at night.

It was the Spring of 1990. I was headed back to Brighton from my parents' house in Swindon. We had to take the train from Swindon to Paddington Station and switch over through the London Underground to Victoria Station to get to Brighton. I was with five others -- three American university students, one New Zealander (affectionately known as "Jif"), and my little dwarf rabbit, Peepers (who travelled around England with me in my big straw totebag). I was 19 and felt invincible at that moment. Usually, I'm a real homebody. But somehow on that night I felt like I could go anywhere.

It's a memory that will stay with me all of my life: the lights, the smells, the shadows on familiar sights. Probably wasn't a safe thing for us to do. But there was a definite "magic" in the night air of London Town that night.

As an aside, the "magic" wore off quickly when we had to run to the Underground to get to Victoria Station in time to catch the last train to Brighton. We nearly didn't make it....LOL!

Confidentially...

*Sigh*


Well, I did it to myself. I've no one to blame but me...myself...I.

I found the "lost pilot" to a TV show that was cancelled before it ever aired. I ordered it from Canada, and after waiting nearly a month, I finally received it. Okay...are you catching on faster than I did? The "lost" pilot...of a TV show that never ran...

The show was L.A. Confidential, based on the book and movie by the same name. It starred -- you guessed it -- Kiefer Sutherland as Det. Jack Vincennes.

Okay, so I'm settled down in our comfy chair, remote in hand, happily enjoying this interesting show. There are lots of characters, lots of developing storylines, lots of plot twists. I'm hooked. Then it hit me: This is beginning of a show that DIDN'T continue. They're setting up the viewers for a series, but the series never got off the ground.

I'LL NEVER KNOW WHAT HAPPENS!!

It was very well-done. I enjoyed it immensely. But I guess I'll just have keep enjoying Kiefer as the "other" Jack -- on 24.

Still More from Hell-ish Kitchens

Our first pickle cucumber of the season

Isn't that a huge pickle cucumber?? I think I may have left it on the vine too long. Still, it tasted very yummy in our salad last weekend, much to the chagrin of our two kids who thought it should be bronzed and displayed. Maybe that comes of watching all those VeggieTales shows. You kinda expect the vegetables to grow faces and chat with you.

Our garden is prolific in weeds this year. (I cannot seem to keep up with them.) But we also have an abundance of cherry tomatoes growing and a small crop of cukes coming. Hopefully, our peppers and watermelons will catch up before long.

That's all for the W. City Garden Report. Stay tuned now for another great (and tres simple) recipe from Hell-ish Kitchens...

Cake Mix Cookies

1 box any flavor cake mix

2 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Mix all the ingredients together. Add chocolate chips, raisins, nuts...if desired. Spoon onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes.

I usually keep out what I think we might eat that day (storing the cookies in a ziploc bag), and then I freeze the rest. These cookies are NOT keepers. They don't store well and become stale very quickly.

ENJOY!

Days of Malaise

Been having a lot of joint pains lately. (Kind of odd given my "young-ish" age. LOL!) I used an online symptom chart to see if maybe I could pinpoint a particular virus and came up with this word: malaise. Very non-descript in some ways....yet, it describes my symptoms to a tee.

Main Entry: mal·aise Pronunciation: m&-'lAz, ma-, -'lez Function: noun Etymology: French malaise, from Old French, from mal- + aise comfort 1 : an indefinite feeling of debility or lack of health often indicative of or accompanying the onset of an illness 2 : a vague sense of mental or moral ill-being <a malaise of cynicism and despair -- Malcolm Boyd>

I often wonder where we get some of the words in our language. Reading a dictionary is a fun and quick way to discover this. And now with a handy-dandy online version of the trusted Merriam-Webster's version Click here, I can find out even quicker.

What's even better is that it distracts me from my malaise...if only for the moment.

Cute Pair o' Buns

Very "slow brain" day here at Writer's Block.

So I decided to post a photo of our two adorable bun-girls.

Bubble and Squeak in a bun-sandwich.

Water Shed

[waah-der] versus [waw-ter]

In The Canterville Ghost Oscar Wilde wrote: "We have really everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language." In a 1951 book of quotations, and without attributing a source, George Bernard Shaw was credited with saying: "England and America are two countries separated by the same language."

My hubby and I have learned that firsthand throughout our marriage...and his dealings with the public.

I love language. I love lingo, slang, accents, everything to do with lexiconography (is that a word?). When I lived in England I learned very quickly that language -- even a common one -- can create a barrier. I also learned that I don't speak English...I speak American English. There are many, many words that mean completely different things. I'll leave it at that. LOL! I basically had to change my way of talking in order to be understood. Soon enough I began to "sound" English...at least to people who didn't know me well.

Well, fast-forward five years and switch sides of the Big Pond and you had my hubby facing the same problem. He's been here 11 years. Most British people think he sounds American now. But in the beginning I actually had to "translate" for him. Funny, huh? We speak the same language -- for the most part -- and I became his translator.

The funniest word he had troubles with was WATER. He pronounced it [waw-ter] in an area that says [waah-der]. People looked at him in complete confusion. One salesclerk actually asked if he wanted a wheelchair. When he closed his eyes, sucked in his breath, and said it in the local "dialect," she asked if he wanted ice with it.

I just tell him people are mesmerized by his accent...no one actually listens to what you're saying anyway. That sounds good, right? Right?

Psst! Drop the Gun!

Here's a funny video tidbit involving my favorite PS2 game at the moment: 24-The Game.

24 Horas "Drop The gun!" com Kiefer Sutherland

Jury Rigged

<----- My souvenirs. Well, I did my civic duty -- my deed of good citizenry -- and served as a juror today. Quite amusing really...esp. after my hubby assured me I "wouldn't be picked."

After arriving at the prescribed 8:15 a.m and waiting in an airport-lounge-like atmosphere with 179 other nervous potentials....we didn't actually enter the juror selection process until about 10:50 a.m. Not really gripping, Judge-Judy stuff. I know she doesn't actually have a jury, but I'm certain if she did they would have to speed up the process to 5 minutes to fit it all in during a 1/2-hour show. (On a side note, we did get to watch FOXNews and see the Discovery Space Shuttle land. Way cool...esp. since we don't get that channel at home, and I would have probably forgotten the shuttle was landing anyway.)

So...enter the juror selection process. They (the Judge, Commonwealth (a.k.a. Prosecutor), and Defense Counsel) asked each of the 45 chosen jurors ALL 4,634 questions, trying to stare us down/catch us up, I think, and eliminate us from the pool. We were a tough bunch. (Well, all but one of us who seemed to answer "yes" for all the questions even when they didn't pertain to him. He just wanted out.) The rest of us were in for the long haul...even the woman who stood up late because she didn't think being a victim of a drunk-driving-hit-and-run accident constituted "being a victim of a crime." The Judge set her straight.

Finally, after a volleying, "Go-Fish"-like match with the juror namelist in the blue folder, they came up with 12 jurors and 2 alternates. I was Juror #6...so much for NOT being picked. It was now 12:05 p.m. Lunchtime. We were dismissed to find our own food and return by 1:35 p.m. (I thought they'd feed us...sheesh.) Mind you, they were paying us $9 for the day. Lunch totaled $5.50.

We returned and lined up, yet again, and went back into the courtroom to hear all about the case. Case #1, 298 on the docket: The Commonwealth vs. the Alleged Dognapper (names changed to protect the innocent). We heard the evidence in a total of 15 minutes and then there was a recess because it was over so quickly. Traipse out...traipse back in. It was now 3 p.m.

It turned out that there wasn't enough evidence to prove "beyond a reasonable doubt" that the man was guilty of any of the three charges brought against him so the defendant was acquitted. No, duh! The 10-year-olds who testified couldn't corroborate their stories and the mother admitted to cussing out the defendant in order to get his confession. The only crime was that the we the jury never got to deliberate...though we did so on the elevator ride back down to the jurors' waiting room. Many of us still had questions...one man had wanted to say, "I object." And there was still Commonwealth Exhibit #1 to contemplate: the broken leash. Hmmmm...

I'm glad I was chosen for this experience. It certainly gave me an inside view of our judicial system and brought along a few chuckles with it.

Judging By What You Say

I've been called to do the dreaded JURY DUTY tomorrow. Watch this hilarious video (to help teach English of all things) and think about what verdict you'd give it. And think of me...hopefully not having to decide someone else's verdict.

Japanese robbers

Almost Is a Relative Term

Baby Blues

I've come to realize now that we have children, that ALMOST is a relative term. For example, when I call up the steps to ask if they're ready for bed and they shout, "ALMOST!" I know that they haven't even stripped. Or if I ask Edward if he's finished his breakfast (after nearly an hour) and he says, "Almost." I know that he's eaten approximately 1/100 of his bowl of cereal.

Think about it. It encompasses so much. Almost means you've at least started, right?

In that case, I'm almost grown up...

Pretty in Plaid...or Paisley?

Gotta love the look of the 70s. We look back at our photos and laugh (or cringe) at some of the outfits we wore. (Doesn't my hubby look adorable in his retro outfit?) Remember the plaids, paisleys, and stripes with rick-rack trim in mustard, plum, and avocado colors? My mom had a shirt with lines of black and red horses on a gold background. I loved that shirt.

Mom is always laughing at the outfits she put us in. Being the youngest of three girls, I ended up with at least two to three seasons of the same outfit since she usually matched at least two of us. But back then it was all we knew. We were semi-stylish, I guess.

But then again it wasn't about being in style. It was all about being a kid. We didn't care so much about what we looked like. We just enjoyed being kids and having fun. (Does anyone remember playing "Colored Eggs" or "TV Tag"? I was watching the movie Flatliners the other day and heard a line that took me right back to the past: "Ollie ollie oxenfree!" Do you remember that? It was almost haunting!)

I remember one of my favorite things was getting a new pair of Keds sneakers...usually red with the little rubber toe protectors. Those new sneaks gave me "super powers" and helped me run really fast! I could outrun my friends and any imaginary monsters! I could race the wind or a thunderstorm! With the help of a roll of Smarties, I could hurry even faster to make it to the ice cream truck...

Now that's the power of style!

Reflective Thoughts

I turn a bit reflective today. Not sure why...except there have been a few reminders of a happening from nearly 5 years ago that have me remembering. Is it perhaps because it's July 11th that I'm thinking about September 11th?

September 11th is my hubby's birthday. It's the day we celebrate him and his birth and the joy it's been to be a part of his life. We have cake and open presents and think of all sorts of ways to have fun with him.

It's also a day of national mourning.

This year marks the 5th year since those horrific events that shook our nation to its very foundations...brought our country -- and the world -- to its knees. Funny how quickly -- in our busy day-to-day lives -- we forget though. We move on. I'm sure the 1,000s who lost loved ones don't forget.

Several movies recounting the horrors that day have been released since that date. One was even nominated for an Emmy this year. I watched the documentary called 9/11 not long after the actual event. But I cannot seem to bring myself to watch anything else since.

Is it because I don't want to remember the shock of first hearing on the radio the news of a plane hitting the towers? (I thought it was only a little twin-engine Cessna off its flight path.) Is it because I can't bring myself to think about the moment my heart stopped as I watched the second plane hit the twin towers? (I was phoning my husband to tell him the news. He said the sound of my voice and the moment of shocked silence that followed made him catch his breath.) Or perhaps it's not wanting to recall the bark of my voice when I ordered our nearly 4-year-old daughter back up to her room to protect her from seeing the towers crumbled into dust? (I collapsed on the floor and prayed for all those people who didn't make it out.)

But I realize I need to remember. I need to mourn with those who lost loved ones and friends. I need to think that such a thing could happen again if our country does not remain on guard. I need to remember that I must tell my family how much I love them ALL the time and quickly heal rifts that come between us. Some of the families of the victims wish they could do just that: Go back to that one moment when they could have said "goodbye" or "I love you."

On New Year's Eve 2001, we sat together as a family and thanked God for different happenings in 2001. Edward joined our family in February. We'd been able to see Granny and Grampy from England in May. (They'd even been able to visit the World Trade Center.) Emily turned 4 years old. We'd gone to visit Niagara Falls. Then the mood turned somber, and we prayed for the families of all those who died on September 11th.

"And thank you, Jesus, for all those people who made it out of the buildings before they fell down," prayed our 4-year-old.

What an even more important reminder to us. The silver lining in a very dark cloud.

Game to Meet Again

Recently, I posted an entry about a game my hubby and I began about meeting famous people -- living or dead -- (if you missed it, click here) who we'd say "hi" to, who we'd ignore, and who we'd slap. It's a fun and silly way to see how we think. Well, I picked some more names. Why don't you give it a try! Post a comment with your choices!

Famous Writers:

Hi: Maeve Binchy (excellent in characterization)
Ignore: Ernest Hemingway (very overrated, in my humble opinion)
Slap (gently): John Steinbeck (leave some details to the imagination, please!)

More from Hell-ish Kitchens

Sitting down to dinner tonight, Edward, 5, said the grilled chicken and macaroni salad looked good. I said I hoped it tasted good. "I hope it tastes good, too," he agreed. The honesty of a 5-year-old.

Another tasty recipe to share. This one came from cooks.com and fits my criteria of being yummy and tres simple:

Seasoned Pretzels

6 cups miniature pretzels (or broken sourdough pieces)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Original party dip mix (or any flavor dry dip mix)
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt (I bypassed this since the pretzels are already salty, but...)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Place pretzels in a large shallow baking pan (13 X 9 inch). In a small bowl, combine all other ingredients. Pour mixture over pretzels, stir well. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Pour onto waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container.

More another day!

Water Fountains of Truth

I got a huge chuckle out of the labels on the bottles of flavored water we bought recently. I'm the sort of person who enjoys the ads sometimes more than the actual TV show. Must be something to do with my journalism background and loving clever writing. So anyway...

Here are the actual labels from the bottles of Glaceau vitaminwater:

power-c
dragonfruit (c + taurine)

legally, we are prohibited from making exaggerated claims about the potency of the nutrients in this bottle. therefore, legally we wouldn't tell you that after drinking this, eugene from kansas started using horseshoes as a thighmaster or that this drink gave agnes from delaware enough strength to bench press llamas. heck, we can't even tell you this drink gives you the power to do a thousand pinkie pushups... just ask mike in queens.

legally, we can't say stuff like that -- 'cause that would be wrong, you know?

vitamins + water = all you need. for best results, stick it in the fridge. the inside is natural. the outside is plastic.

essential
orange-orange (c + calcium)

ah, orange juice commercials. funny stuff. mom cheerily prepares some huge breakfast while the rest of her family sleeps. sure, this could happen. but every morning? please. maybe if mom were heavily medicated, in which case, we wouldn't condone operating a stove or any electrical appliance.

for those of us who don't live in an orange juice commercial, there's still a way to get your morning nutrition. this product has calcium and lots of vitamin c, so you can get your day started right, minus the whole stepford mom thing.

vitamins + water = all you need. for best results, stick it in the fridge. the inside is natural. the outside is plastic.

Makes you want to buy some more just to read the labels, huh?

Apropos

Goodness....I do believe I've aptly named this blog. I'm having a definite time of "writer's block." So I'm sitting here trying to decide what to have for din-din -- my usual quandary this time of day -- and I'm trying to catch up on some blogging. (I was doing well for awhile.)

But nothing is coming to mind...nothing, I mean, nada, zilch, squat. I blame it on hormones -- they've got to be "good" for something, right? (I mean, it's like when the kids were teething and got miserable, we just blamed it on teething. I think you can use that excuse until they're at least finished getting their wisdom teeth. So all the teen problems in the world? Their attitudes and rebellion? Just plain ol' teething pains.)

So back to my blogging "blues"... It's summertime, and the kids seem to be enjoying the break in routine. I'm enjoying the break in the heat. It's been absolutely gorgeous the past few days. Highs in the low 80s, nice breeze, and low humidity. I'll take it. It certainly gives us a break on our electric bill! Weather is always a good conversation starter....

We're real "gamers" in our house. Not really PS2 or computer gamers...but physical boardgame gamers. We especially love to play Cranium games. Those people are geniuses for coming up with fun games that use all parts of your brain! Here's the link to their website: Cranium It's lots of fun to explore!

Speaking of PS2 games, I'm improving on my 24 game....though Jack may have his driver's license revoked sometime soon. I've managed to move on to Level 4 which is -- as you may have guessed -- a driving level. Wow! If I thought I made Jack look drunk walking...I'm even better at making him look like he should be pulled over for a DUI! On one attempt, I managed to mow down every human being walking on a sidewalk and hit a bus parked outside a church. Bits of Jack's car were flying in all directions. Then he decided to get out of his car, and I steered him back into the car, only to have him get out again. This went on for several more seconds before I realized I had my fingers on the wrong buttons. Go figure. I'm bound to improve before Jack has his license taken due to old age, right?

Well, enough drivel. I'll try to come up with something more interesting soon...promise.

Happy 4th of July!

July 4th 2004

Happy Fourth of July from our house to yours!

Enjoy this link! And enjoy the holiday!

Fireworks Display