I'm ready to move. I'm ready to have all my belongings back ( especially my stand up mixer...oh, how I miss you!) . I'm ready to decorate. To at least think about a baby room with an actual room that exists.
But tonight, it is none of these things that makes me want to move. Its the fact that Brett drove 25 minutes to give a guy from Bible Study a ride.
So, annnnyway, we're on the waiting list for a place on post, so if you're bored and you wanna shoot up a little prayer on behalf of the Wilsons....that someone just MOVES OUT and we get to MOVE IN. Well, that would be awesome. Because then Brett's driving time would be cut down to, like, THREE MINUTES. ( Even I can do the math there.)
March 31, 2010
Here, you say it for me...
So, a few weeks ago when reading through the end of Luke I was "wowed" once again by one of Jesus's simple phrases and I told several friends about it...however, I don't think I actually blogged about it ( shocking, I know). HOWEVER, today, I was reading a new blog that I'm currently in to and he had TOTALLY STOLEN my post!!! But, since he's pretty funny and also makes pretty much the same point I would have made ( just a little different wording, mind you.) I'm sharing it with you today. So please, click on this link...
Right Here.
Right Here.
March 29, 2010
Success
Well, we're back....we got back at 1:30am on Monday morning so we've been walking around in a bit of a fog today...but our weekend was a success!
Us with the happy couple:
Us with the happy couple:
March 25, 2010
Missing my other half
March 22, 2010
taxrefundtaxrefundtaxrefund
That's what I've been telling myself over and over again the last 18 hrs or so since I realized that the tickets I'd booked for Brett and I to the Navigator Conference in April, I had booked a WEEK LATER THAN I SHOULD HAVE.
SERIOUSLY?!?!
And the sad thing is, this is the SECOND TIME I've made an error like this in the past four months. The first time I didn't have to pay the piper because it ended up being the "Trip that never happened" to Maryland that just so happen to coincide with a snow storm. That time I booked our return ticket not four days later, but a MONTH and four days later.
*sigh*
Anyway, I've now turned in my hat as "Family Travel Agent" until further notice.
I want to cry. There are SOOooOooOo many things that the extra FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS ( that's with transferring fee + the difference in ticket price so close to the date of flying) could have gone towards. SO MANY THINGS.
Large items that we are currently saving for:
washer and dryer
guest bed/mattress
nursery furniture
stroller/carseat other large baby items
So, anyway, that's my LAME-O move of the month. Honestly, my brain use to work better. I promise.
SERIOUSLY?!?!
And the sad thing is, this is the SECOND TIME I've made an error like this in the past four months. The first time I didn't have to pay the piper because it ended up being the "Trip that never happened" to Maryland that just so happen to coincide with a snow storm. That time I booked our return ticket not four days later, but a MONTH and four days later.
*sigh*
Anyway, I've now turned in my hat as "Family Travel Agent" until further notice.
I want to cry. There are SOOooOooOo many things that the extra FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS ( that's with transferring fee + the difference in ticket price so close to the date of flying) could have gone towards. SO MANY THINGS.
Large items that we are currently saving for:
washer and dryer
guest bed/mattress
nursery furniture
stroller/carseat other large baby items
So, anyway, that's my LAME-O move of the month. Honestly, my brain use to work better. I promise.
March 18, 2010
Not just pregnancy tears...
I'm pretty sure this'll make just about anyone cry...but just to test my theory, go check out this photo shoot of a US soldier meeting his daughter for the first time....
HERE
You totally cried didn't you?!?
HERE
You totally cried didn't you?!?
Using what you've got
So, I live out in the boonies. This has been established. And while its nice to not have blinds in your front windows ( because there is NO ONE to look in), there are times when you really ( really) miss having a grocery store in a 20 mile radius.
But, the good Lord has been gracious to me, and slowly weened me off of constant grocery access. When we first got married, Brett and I lived directly behind an Alberstons. I could LITERALLY walk a few hundred feet and be in arms length of a forgotten gallon of milk or vegetable for tonights dinner. I did not have to think ahead at ALL when it came to the weeks groceries. Life was good.
Then, when I moved to Dupont, I was shocked to find that the nearest grocery store was 10 minutes away!! How horrible! How could things be so unhelpful?!? But, since a Starbucks was right next door...I learned to deal with my problems.
And then we moved here...where there is nothing, nothing nearby.
Which brings me to my point: About a month ago, we saw a new building going up on the side of the highway about a mile and half from our turn off ( making it about 3 miles from our house)...soon this building began to take shape and then they put the sign up....DOLLAR GENERAL in big bright yellow letters.
I was so excited that I exclaimed to Brett as we drove passed, "I can't wait till the Dollar General opens!!"
And that's when we both knew that we really were living at the edge of civilization.
This past weekend I went to Texas and when I came back on Tuesday evening I noticed all the cars out front of the Dollar General and I knew that my dreams had finally come true! It had opened!
So, it seemed only right that yesterday afternoon when my sweet tooth started calling my name loudly and I realized that I had ALL the ingredients minus one can of peaches for the Lazy Mom's Peach Cobbler that it was obviously the time to make my virgin trip to the Dollar General.
It did not disappoint....here it is in all its glory.
Ok, so now to the real point of this post....
When you live out in the middle of no where ( or even if you don't) you can appreciate when a recipe is SO simple and has SO few ingredients that you pretty much CAN'T FAIL.
And that is how I have come to stand by this new recipe that was posted over here at this great blog ( I am a Lazy Mom)-see?! I'm already starting my training early! hahah!
But basically all you need for this recipe is three cans of peaches ( or some other fruit...I just so happen to have the peaches), a box of white cake mix ( although, in the future I think I'll go with a yellow cake mix...they taste just a little better), some cinnamon and a stick of butter. I mean, these are all STAPLES in my house, I don't know about yours....so impress your husband, your girl friend, your neighbors or just your own taste buds and the next time you have a hankering for something yummy and fast...WHIP THIS RECIPE OUT!
( your welcome)
But, the good Lord has been gracious to me, and slowly weened me off of constant grocery access. When we first got married, Brett and I lived directly behind an Alberstons. I could LITERALLY walk a few hundred feet and be in arms length of a forgotten gallon of milk or vegetable for tonights dinner. I did not have to think ahead at ALL when it came to the weeks groceries. Life was good.
Then, when I moved to Dupont, I was shocked to find that the nearest grocery store was 10 minutes away!! How horrible! How could things be so unhelpful?!? But, since a Starbucks was right next door...I learned to deal with my problems.
And then we moved here...where there is nothing, nothing nearby.
Which brings me to my point: About a month ago, we saw a new building going up on the side of the highway about a mile and half from our turn off ( making it about 3 miles from our house)...soon this building began to take shape and then they put the sign up....DOLLAR GENERAL in big bright yellow letters.
I was so excited that I exclaimed to Brett as we drove passed, "I can't wait till the Dollar General opens!!"
And that's when we both knew that we really were living at the edge of civilization.
This past weekend I went to Texas and when I came back on Tuesday evening I noticed all the cars out front of the Dollar General and I knew that my dreams had finally come true! It had opened!
So, it seemed only right that yesterday afternoon when my sweet tooth started calling my name loudly and I realized that I had ALL the ingredients minus one can of peaches for the Lazy Mom's Peach Cobbler that it was obviously the time to make my virgin trip to the Dollar General.
It did not disappoint....here it is in all its glory.
Ok, so now to the real point of this post....
When you live out in the middle of no where ( or even if you don't) you can appreciate when a recipe is SO simple and has SO few ingredients that you pretty much CAN'T FAIL.
And that is how I have come to stand by this new recipe that was posted over here at this great blog ( I am a Lazy Mom)-see?! I'm already starting my training early! hahah!
But basically all you need for this recipe is three cans of peaches ( or some other fruit...I just so happen to have the peaches), a box of white cake mix ( although, in the future I think I'll go with a yellow cake mix...they taste just a little better), some cinnamon and a stick of butter. I mean, these are all STAPLES in my house, I don't know about yours....so impress your husband, your girl friend, your neighbors or just your own taste buds and the next time you have a hankering for something yummy and fast...WHIP THIS RECIPE OUT!
( your welcome)
March 17, 2010
Bumpy
So, this weekend started out with a bang...finding out that Baby Hiphopopotamus ( some of you have asked how this is pronounced...break it down like this: hiphop ( like the musical genre) and opotamus ( like the end of the word hippopotamus)
annnyway, we found out that Baby Wilson is a BOY!!!! WOO HOO!!
Here is his first picture ( those "bubbles" come up from his mouth is his hand)
And then I spent the rest of the weekend with my wonderful family ( with a few "just like family, friends thrown in for good measure)
Somehow I got away without any of the traditional "belly shots" ( so I need to work on that) but this one is cute of Anna and I right before I left town.
Facebook album to come for those of you who are Followers of Anna ( aka. the girl without a facebook account.)
annnyway, we found out that Baby Wilson is a BOY!!!! WOO HOO!!
Here is his first picture ( those "bubbles" come up from his mouth is his hand)
And then I spent the rest of the weekend with my wonderful family ( with a few "just like family, friends thrown in for good measure)
Somehow I got away without any of the traditional "belly shots" ( so I need to work on that) but this one is cute of Anna and I right before I left town.
Facebook album to come for those of you who are Followers of Anna ( aka. the girl without a facebook account.)
March 09, 2010
Not so bad
So I just wrote this whole whiny and complainy post about the trials and tribulations of trying to buy a new ( to us) car...and then when I got to the end of it I took a moment to think how just DARN LUCKY we really are...that these are the problems that we're having...problems like, "I don't know anything about car shopping" problems.
THAT'S not a bad problem to have.
Another bad problem that's not that bad is having the smell from last nights dinner ( Peanut Thai Satay*) still permeating the kitchen. I mean, its not really the greatest because I'm TOTALLY over the meal now that I've eaten it, but at the same time...it was good...and who doesn't like a reminder of goodness?!
Anyway, so I deleted that post...which is kind of a shame because I said some witty things in there amidst all the whiny and complainy stuff...but ah well, such is life.
And in other news, I'm flying to Texas this weekend to see my sister's pregnant belly for myself. I have only seen ONE PICTURE of it since Christmas and so I must travel the hundreds of miles to behold it for myself. I have a feeling it will make me feel a lot less pregnant once I am able to compare my own pregnant bulge with her 8 month one. But, I promise that this weekend I will also make sure that I get some "belly shots" of myself too...because people keep asking me for them and I keep procrastinating because I have honestly felt like there wasn't much to see until recently and then, now that there IS something to see I do NOT feel like getting my picture taken ( what happened to the whole "pregnant women GLOW" thing?!?! ).
And in baby related news, Hiphopopotamus has started full fledge kicking and punching this week. The favored time to do this kicking?! While I'm on the computer. I'm not sure if its because I'm usually lying on my back or because the whiring of my laptop is making he/she active...or maybe none of the above. But its pretty crazy that my child is ALREADY annoyed that I'm on the computer all the time. ;-)
GET USE TO IT, KID!
THAT'S not a bad problem to have.
Another bad problem that's not that bad is having the smell from last nights dinner ( Peanut Thai Satay*) still permeating the kitchen. I mean, its not really the greatest because I'm TOTALLY over the meal now that I've eaten it, but at the same time...it was good...and who doesn't like a reminder of goodness?!
Anyway, so I deleted that post...which is kind of a shame because I said some witty things in there amidst all the whiny and complainy stuff...but ah well, such is life.
And in other news, I'm flying to Texas this weekend to see my sister's pregnant belly for myself. I have only seen ONE PICTURE of it since Christmas and so I must travel the hundreds of miles to behold it for myself. I have a feeling it will make me feel a lot less pregnant once I am able to compare my own pregnant bulge with her 8 month one. But, I promise that this weekend I will also make sure that I get some "belly shots" of myself too...because people keep asking me for them and I keep procrastinating because I have honestly felt like there wasn't much to see until recently and then, now that there IS something to see I do NOT feel like getting my picture taken ( what happened to the whole "pregnant women GLOW" thing?!?! ).
And in baby related news, Hiphopopotamus has started full fledge kicking and punching this week. The favored time to do this kicking?! While I'm on the computer. I'm not sure if its because I'm usually lying on my back or because the whiring of my laptop is making he/she active...or maybe none of the above. But its pretty crazy that my child is ALREADY annoyed that I'm on the computer all the time. ;-)
GET USE TO IT, KID!
March 08, 2010
( More) Life lessons
So, in my last post I talked about how other people's blog posts had inspired me and so I started with a little something about my Grandmother, and as these things tend to do, it got longer than expected and so I have waited to post my other Lesson about Life here today.
This one is brought to you by, my dear friend Tabitha, and more specifically, this post that she did on picking out a new cell phone.
It reminded me of a particular feeling I've had in life, sadly, many many times. I will call it Fear of Commitment and it is brought to you by this picture of where I lived in New Zealand:
I would like to go ahead and blame ALL of New Zealand, and the life that I lived there for what happened after I left, but I think that's probably pretty unfair. I mean, sure it was a beautiful place, a place that has SO MANY picturesque elements that you could be a HORRIBLE photographer and come away with a piece of art just by pure accident. And sure, I met some of the most fantastic people that I have "carried" them with me ever since and some of them are still some of my very best friends. And sure everyone's college experience has elements of the "ideal" that hindsight can only shake its head at you and say, "man, if you had only known how GOOD you had it!" -but ultimately I know that this Fear of Commitment would have reared its ugly head after any amazing experience-and happily, I've had quite a few so far in my life...but now I'm getting ahead of myself. First let me say that the first time I really and truly baulked at Change and Commitment, I had just moved back to Texas after living in New Zealand for several years.
I won't go into the details about how hard it was, and how much I missed my friends and I missed the country-but lets just say it all came to a head one fateful day when I went to get a cellphone.
Things were going pretty well at first, I found a cute little phone that was Red. Which was important. Color is always important. And since this was back in the day when cell phones did not double as appendages, other than the color and whether or not it rang when people called...the only other issue to be settled that day was the cell phone contract. And that's when the sweat beads started to form. I was told that to get this Shiny Red Phone, I would need to sign a contract for 2 years. TWO YEARS!!! For serious!?! It was at that moment that a very boring, uneventful, void of beauty and happiness two years flashed before my eyes! HOW could life POSSIBLY be as wonderful as it had been when I'd lived overseas?! How could life in my humdrum home town EVER make up for the excitement of far off adventure?!?! I mean, suuure, I had agreed to move back to Texas and back to my home town, but I had never been faced ( as of yet) with the FINALITY of having to stay in the United States for TWO WHOLE YEARS until that moment in the AT&T store.
Now, I'll go ahead and ruin the suspense for you and say that I ended up swallowing that sinking feeling and going ahead and getting the cell phone ( after all, it was red. BUT it took much, much longer for me to learn to NOT be afraid of Change. To not be afraid that my Past had truly been "the best" and that my Future had no chance in the competition! In fact, while I couldn't possible imagine it then-my two years in Texas proved to be very important. I went to Italy with friends, I even went BACK to New Zealand for a visit. So my fear of no adventure was wrong. I also gained a new best friend. My sister and I would probably never be the friends we are today if I had not moved back to Texas were we could finally bond over cupcakes and episodes of The O.C and so my fear of never making such good friends again was also wrong....Oh, and I probably would not have re-met Brett and we would not be married today so my fear that truly wonderful things would never happen again, well, that was DEFINITELY wrong.
So, really, those "boring, uneventful" two years turned out to be very important to my life!
And yet, I hate to tell you, I still struggle with the Cell Phone Contract Syndrome even today. I still longingly look backwards and wish for past days. Moving to Georgia has been hard on me yet again, hard because its not nearly as exotic and fantastical as my life in Washington had been, and I have yet to make friends that could possibly compare to my Washington friends....or so I think! At this point I should know that every season of Life has offered me Beauty, Excitement, Friendship, and Adventure and so I should just go ahead and commit already. It'll be worth it.
This one is brought to you by, my dear friend Tabitha, and more specifically, this post that she did on picking out a new cell phone.
It reminded me of a particular feeling I've had in life, sadly, many many times. I will call it Fear of Commitment and it is brought to you by this picture of where I lived in New Zealand:
I would like to go ahead and blame ALL of New Zealand, and the life that I lived there for what happened after I left, but I think that's probably pretty unfair. I mean, sure it was a beautiful place, a place that has SO MANY picturesque elements that you could be a HORRIBLE photographer and come away with a piece of art just by pure accident. And sure, I met some of the most fantastic people that I have "carried" them with me ever since and some of them are still some of my very best friends. And sure everyone's college experience has elements of the "ideal" that hindsight can only shake its head at you and say, "man, if you had only known how GOOD you had it!" -but ultimately I know that this Fear of Commitment would have reared its ugly head after any amazing experience-and happily, I've had quite a few so far in my life...but now I'm getting ahead of myself. First let me say that the first time I really and truly baulked at Change and Commitment, I had just moved back to Texas after living in New Zealand for several years.
I won't go into the details about how hard it was, and how much I missed my friends and I missed the country-but lets just say it all came to a head one fateful day when I went to get a cellphone.
Things were going pretty well at first, I found a cute little phone that was Red. Which was important. Color is always important. And since this was back in the day when cell phones did not double as appendages, other than the color and whether or not it rang when people called...the only other issue to be settled that day was the cell phone contract. And that's when the sweat beads started to form. I was told that to get this Shiny Red Phone, I would need to sign a contract for 2 years. TWO YEARS!!! For serious!?! It was at that moment that a very boring, uneventful, void of beauty and happiness two years flashed before my eyes! HOW could life POSSIBLY be as wonderful as it had been when I'd lived overseas?! How could life in my humdrum home town EVER make up for the excitement of far off adventure?!?! I mean, suuure, I had agreed to move back to Texas and back to my home town, but I had never been faced ( as of yet) with the FINALITY of having to stay in the United States for TWO WHOLE YEARS until that moment in the AT&T store.
Now, I'll go ahead and ruin the suspense for you and say that I ended up swallowing that sinking feeling and going ahead and getting the cell phone ( after all, it was red. BUT it took much, much longer for me to learn to NOT be afraid of Change. To not be afraid that my Past had truly been "the best" and that my Future had no chance in the competition! In fact, while I couldn't possible imagine it then-my two years in Texas proved to be very important. I went to Italy with friends, I even went BACK to New Zealand for a visit. So my fear of no adventure was wrong. I also gained a new best friend. My sister and I would probably never be the friends we are today if I had not moved back to Texas were we could finally bond over cupcakes and episodes of The O.C and so my fear of never making such good friends again was also wrong....Oh, and I probably would not have re-met Brett and we would not be married today so my fear that truly wonderful things would never happen again, well, that was DEFINITELY wrong.
So, really, those "boring, uneventful" two years turned out to be very important to my life!
And yet, I hate to tell you, I still struggle with the Cell Phone Contract Syndrome even today. I still longingly look backwards and wish for past days. Moving to Georgia has been hard on me yet again, hard because its not nearly as exotic and fantastical as my life in Washington had been, and I have yet to make friends that could possibly compare to my Washington friends....or so I think! At this point I should know that every season of Life has offered me Beauty, Excitement, Friendship, and Adventure and so I should just go ahead and commit already. It'll be worth it.
March 06, 2010
Lessons about Life
So, over the last few days I've had a few random stories come up from my past in response to some friends current lives. And I've thought, "OO! I should tell them this Perfect Situational Story from Abigail's Past" to help them through their current predicament. But, I've been too tired. I have not been sleeping well. And who's to say why?
ME! ME! I'LL SAY WHY!!!
I wake up to pee ALL THE FREAKIN TIME. And then, no matter how hard I try, I cannot go back to sleep because it is always at 1:30am, and 3:30am and 5am that one can think of alllll the things in your life that are out of your control, or alllll the things that you haven't done that you need to do...or ( and this is everyone's favorite) allll the things BRETT hasn't done that you'd like him to do. ( hahaha!) Anyway, at the end of the day ( or the night) I haven't gotten enough sleep and therefore by Friday I was a complete zombie mess.
So I went to bed somewhere between 7 and 7:30 and slept until 8:30am. SCORE! GO! ABIGAIL GO!
And now I will tell you Stories that have shaped my life:
The first one is about my Grandmother. And this story is brought to you by my friend Amy's post entitled Expiration Dates
My grandmother, who died when I was around 14, was really something else. There are SO many great stories about Grandmother ( as she was so practically called by all her grandchildren...because she made us PRACTICE till we could say it right.) that they could really fill a book. And, since she's been gone, those stories have grown and gotten wilder and more fantastical so that she really has become the ESSENCES of what a Grandmother should be. But, this particular story about Grandmother happened after she had already passed away. You see, Grandmother had SUCH a strong personality she could actually effect your life from beyond her OWN life. Which is amazing.
Anyway, something you should know about Grandmother was that she was a CHAMPION shopper. For one thing she could do it for long periods of time ( something I've never mastered), she could some how finagle sales people to give her special deals and let her go back into the store room and 'root around' if she wasn't satisfied up front, and for another thing she recognized a good deal a mile away and then she STOCKED UP. And thus, my grandmother had a gift closet that had a gift option for every possible gift experience. Birthdays, Christmases, SummerHolidays, Babies, Housewarmings....you name it, there was a gift in that closet ready and waiting. But, this story is not about her gift closet, its about her PANTRY. Which was really ( to my child's eyes) as big as a room. And it was STOCKED from floor to ceiling with "good deals". There was never just ONE of something, there was always fifteen of somethings. And so, when you visited Grandmother you always got this sense that things would be taken care of...that things were prepared for...that, in fact, Grandmother had been preparing for your visit since the beginning of time. And to be specific, she'd been preparing for your visit since last May when they first put cans of fruit cocktail on sale for 35cents a piece.
So, after she passed away, and her house started to loose the feeling of "Grandmother-ness" my sister and I would go in the pantry. Because, you better believe it was still stocked to the brim. It was as if she'd known that we'd need another two years worth of canned goods to help fill the "corners" that had been left empty after she was gone.
Anyway, on one such visit my sister and I were trying to scrounge up something to eat and so we entered The Pantry. And there was a large block of Velvetta Cheese! So, of course, some Mac and Cheese was in order and so I busied myself getting out pots and pans as my sister opened the Velvetta. Now, I know that you all probably know that Velvetta is the most amazing man-made-color-orange in the history of the world. And that usually, on a good day, if you plugged a light bulb into a brick of Velvetta it would probably light up a city street just on its Neon-ness alone. But, this particular block of Velvetta had seen much better days In fact, its "good days" were so long gone, all that was left was the color BROWN. And it was there, standing in that kitchen that I realized that ALL THINGS have an Expiration Date. That no matter how much I'd like them to last and last and to be there when I need them to be, eventually I was going to need to go ahead and USE THEM. I needed to embrace the moments. I needed to stop storing presents up in a closet, but actually start givingthem away!
Ok, ok, I probably didn't think any of that at the time, I as 15 years old for pete's sake! At the time I think my sister and I laughed until we cried over the gross Velvetta because we realized that it wasn't just ONE YEAR over expired it was about FIVE YEARS over expired! So, even my "perfect" Grandmother, may have had a little too much of a soft spot for a good deal and a little too much of a penchant for not actually USING her purchases! I bet HALF of her pantry had pretty much ALWAYS been filled with expired items, because "Hey, they were a good deal! You can't pass up a good deal!!"
The thing about this trait of Grandmother's...the trait of buying up a million of something if she liked it, or if it was "a must buy" , or if "this might be the only time"...is that it's TOTALLY hereditary! And I know this for a fact because of my very own father! If you were to go into my parents pantry RIGHT NOW, you'd find a giant stack of Handmade Pasta made in some fancy far of place. And it makes me happy to go in there and see the large quantities of pasta ( and also rice, who knows why the rice) because it reminds me of my Grandmother. And it reminds me that I too have the tendency to buy not one or not three, but maybe fifteen of things that I reeeeally like. Yes, Grandmother lives on-pantry style. And THAT doesn't expire.
ME! ME! I'LL SAY WHY!!!
I wake up to pee ALL THE FREAKIN TIME. And then, no matter how hard I try, I cannot go back to sleep because it is always at 1:30am, and 3:30am and 5am that one can think of alllll the things in your life that are out of your control, or alllll the things that you haven't done that you need to do...or ( and this is everyone's favorite) allll the things BRETT hasn't done that you'd like him to do. ( hahaha!) Anyway, at the end of the day ( or the night) I haven't gotten enough sleep and therefore by Friday I was a complete zombie mess.
So I went to bed somewhere between 7 and 7:30 and slept until 8:30am. SCORE! GO! ABIGAIL GO!
And now I will tell you Stories that have shaped my life:
The first one is about my Grandmother. And this story is brought to you by my friend Amy's post entitled Expiration Dates
My grandmother, who died when I was around 14, was really something else. There are SO many great stories about Grandmother ( as she was so practically called by all her grandchildren...because she made us PRACTICE till we could say it right.) that they could really fill a book. And, since she's been gone, those stories have grown and gotten wilder and more fantastical so that she really has become the ESSENCES of what a Grandmother should be. But, this particular story about Grandmother happened after she had already passed away. You see, Grandmother had SUCH a strong personality she could actually effect your life from beyond her OWN life. Which is amazing.
Anyway, something you should know about Grandmother was that she was a CHAMPION shopper. For one thing she could do it for long periods of time ( something I've never mastered), she could some how finagle sales people to give her special deals and let her go back into the store room and 'root around' if she wasn't satisfied up front, and for another thing she recognized a good deal a mile away and then she STOCKED UP. And thus, my grandmother had a gift closet that had a gift option for every possible gift experience. Birthdays, Christmases, SummerHolidays, Babies, Housewarmings....you name it, there was a gift in that closet ready and waiting. But, this story is not about her gift closet, its about her PANTRY. Which was really ( to my child's eyes) as big as a room. And it was STOCKED from floor to ceiling with "good deals". There was never just ONE of something, there was always fifteen of somethings. And so, when you visited Grandmother you always got this sense that things would be taken care of...that things were prepared for...that, in fact, Grandmother had been preparing for your visit since the beginning of time. And to be specific, she'd been preparing for your visit since last May when they first put cans of fruit cocktail on sale for 35cents a piece.
So, after she passed away, and her house started to loose the feeling of "Grandmother-ness" my sister and I would go in the pantry. Because, you better believe it was still stocked to the brim. It was as if she'd known that we'd need another two years worth of canned goods to help fill the "corners" that had been left empty after she was gone.
Anyway, on one such visit my sister and I were trying to scrounge up something to eat and so we entered The Pantry. And there was a large block of Velvetta Cheese! So, of course, some Mac and Cheese was in order and so I busied myself getting out pots and pans as my sister opened the Velvetta. Now, I know that you all probably know that Velvetta is the most amazing man-made-color-orange in the history of the world. And that usually, on a good day, if you plugged a light bulb into a brick of Velvetta it would probably light up a city street just on its Neon-ness alone. But, this particular block of Velvetta had seen much better days In fact, its "good days" were so long gone, all that was left was the color BROWN. And it was there, standing in that kitchen that I realized that ALL THINGS have an Expiration Date. That no matter how much I'd like them to last and last and to be there when I need them to be, eventually I was going to need to go ahead and USE THEM. I needed to embrace the moments. I needed to stop storing presents up in a closet, but actually start givingthem away!
Ok, ok, I probably didn't think any of that at the time, I as 15 years old for pete's sake! At the time I think my sister and I laughed until we cried over the gross Velvetta because we realized that it wasn't just ONE YEAR over expired it was about FIVE YEARS over expired! So, even my "perfect" Grandmother, may have had a little too much of a soft spot for a good deal and a little too much of a penchant for not actually USING her purchases! I bet HALF of her pantry had pretty much ALWAYS been filled with expired items, because "Hey, they were a good deal! You can't pass up a good deal!!"
The thing about this trait of Grandmother's...the trait of buying up a million of something if she liked it, or if it was "a must buy" , or if "this might be the only time"...is that it's TOTALLY hereditary! And I know this for a fact because of my very own father! If you were to go into my parents pantry RIGHT NOW, you'd find a giant stack of Handmade Pasta made in some fancy far of place. And it makes me happy to go in there and see the large quantities of pasta ( and also rice, who knows why the rice) because it reminds me of my Grandmother. And it reminds me that I too have the tendency to buy not one or not three, but maybe fifteen of things that I reeeeally like. Yes, Grandmother lives on-pantry style. And THAT doesn't expire.
March 03, 2010
Major Props for last nights dinner
Honestly friends, a big shout out to all of you for making my life easier and providing ample inspiration to my dinner menus. All your suggestions and website recommendations have been dutifully bookmarked and Brett's life is ALREADY benefiting.
First off, I must thank Sarah for the www.smittenkitchen.com recommendation because last night's dinner rocked.
We had Asparagus, Goat Cheese and Lemon Pasta, because I already had all the ingredients sans the goat cheese and so I feel like ultimately it was a really 'cheap' meal ( though a 4 oz. package of goat cheese costs $3.45! It better be good!!!).
Its not the prettiest picture...but you should FOR REALS make this dish. Its easy. Its fresh tasting...and Brett and I were in food heaven.
Go to Smitten Kitchen for the easy-peasy recipe pronto!
First off, I must thank Sarah for the www.smittenkitchen.com recommendation because last night's dinner rocked.
We had Asparagus, Goat Cheese and Lemon Pasta, because I already had all the ingredients sans the goat cheese and so I feel like ultimately it was a really 'cheap' meal ( though a 4 oz. package of goat cheese costs $3.45! It better be good!!!).
Its not the prettiest picture...but you should FOR REALS make this dish. Its easy. Its fresh tasting...and Brett and I were in food heaven.
Go to Smitten Kitchen for the easy-peasy recipe pronto!
March 02, 2010
Successful Pre-Mom moment
So, it turns out the consignment sale was NOT as scary as I thought it would be...I mean, I'm not gonna say it was a success but that's only because I will not fully know what success is until I have a kid and that kid does or doesn't take full advantage of the items that I bought. As Rachael pointed out, there is nothing like actual experience when it comes to parenting and I'm sad that all the books I'm reading can not give that to me. Gosh Darn it! I was hoping I was going to be a SUPER MOM from the beginning...but after standing over a large train of baby swings all looking up at me, trying hard to think if I needed one, and if so which one...it became clear that I do not know what I'm doing.
That being said, the sale was in a very large, previously empty, strip mall and therefore it was nicely spaced so that I never felt crowded or pressured about my buying. This was a huge relief because of the whole Not Knowing What I'm Doing thing that I mentioned before.
So, now I'll tell you what I bought and you can judge me in the comment section ( though I might cry, because pregnancy hormones cannot be reigned in.)
I got this for $15
I got this for $25, which was a huge score with all its gadgets and gismos...it does have a few stains on it-but nothing I can't handle.
I an activity mat for something like $6 I think...its not this one exactly, but very similar
This is the one item I am semi-regretting getting. It was really cheap, something like $5 or around there...and I was delighted by it being in its original packaging, that it was Edie Bauer and that it was travel friendly. Its called a Travel Hammock, but its basically a little rocker.
And then I got this in its original unopened packaging for $2! Score!
That being said, the sale was in a very large, previously empty, strip mall and therefore it was nicely spaced so that I never felt crowded or pressured about my buying. This was a huge relief because of the whole Not Knowing What I'm Doing thing that I mentioned before.
So, now I'll tell you what I bought and you can judge me in the comment section ( though I might cry, because pregnancy hormones cannot be reigned in.)
I got this for $15
I got this for $25, which was a huge score with all its gadgets and gismos...it does have a few stains on it-but nothing I can't handle.
I an activity mat for something like $6 I think...its not this one exactly, but very similar
This is the one item I am semi-regretting getting. It was really cheap, something like $5 or around there...and I was delighted by it being in its original packaging, that it was Edie Bauer and that it was travel friendly. Its called a Travel Hammock, but its basically a little rocker.
And then I got this in its original unopened packaging for $2! Score!
March 01, 2010
The Mother of All Sales
So, a friend of mine here at Fort Benning, who should be called "SUPER MOM" because she has four children under the age of five...and she still seems to be sane. Anyway, this friend told two mothers-to-be and myself that we should really get involved in this GIANT CONSIGNMENT SALE that they have every year for all things baby and child related, and if you volunteer to work a few hours at the sale then you get to go to a Pre-Sale. And therefore get first dibs on all the 'good stuff'
When I first heard about this I was in a daze. I was barely pregnant. All I wanted to do was throw up and I would pretty much do whatever people told me to do, so I signed up. Besides, it was WAAAAAY far in the future! I mean, MARCH for pity sake!
But, today is March. And today is the day of the Pre-sale.
And the closer I get to the thing the more stressed I become. I mean, standing in line with a bunch of Mothers. Waiting to RUSH into a giant room full of baby/child things ( foreign objects to me)...and then try to QUICKLY figure out what to get and what not to get...honestly. WHAT WAS I THINKING?!?!
I hate shopping and I hate hate HATE doing scary Black Friday Type shopping, and that's exactly what this seems to be.
Anyway, the odds of me actually walking away with anything worthwhile are slim to none, but I'm doing it anyway...JUST IN CASE.
So, because I'm so stressed about it all I've decided to make a list. ( because those are very calming) A list of all the things I need to have/buy/acquire before this Sweet Potato ( that's how big Hiphopopatomus is now!!!) arrives.
When I first heard about this I was in a daze. I was barely pregnant. All I wanted to do was throw up and I would pretty much do whatever people told me to do, so I signed up. Besides, it was WAAAAAY far in the future! I mean, MARCH for pity sake!
But, today is March. And today is the day of the Pre-sale.
And the closer I get to the thing the more stressed I become. I mean, standing in line with a bunch of Mothers. Waiting to RUSH into a giant room full of baby/child things ( foreign objects to me)...and then try to QUICKLY figure out what to get and what not to get...honestly. WHAT WAS I THINKING?!?!
I hate shopping and I hate hate HATE doing scary Black Friday Type shopping, and that's exactly what this seems to be.
Anyway, the odds of me actually walking away with anything worthwhile are slim to none, but I'm doing it anyway...JUST IN CASE.
So, because I'm so stressed about it all I've decided to make a list. ( because those are very calming) A list of all the things I need to have/buy/acquire before this Sweet Potato ( that's how big Hiphopopatomus is now!!!) arrives.
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