The Reading Is All Fizzled Out

Per my old post, I have been reading like a mad woman. Summer has been hot, so of course I've been lazy. Reading a good book sounded like the perfect solution, and it was, if only for a while. I've read "Something Borrowed" by Emily Giffin, great read. It's quite the page turner, and quite enjoyable. I then went on to her next novel, "Something Blue". This was a good read as well though I felt she spent too much time catching those who have not read the previous one up on all the details. I have just started her third novel, "Baby Proof". I've read the first three chapters and have yet to be enchanted.

We are having our new roof put on in the next few days, so I will have to be out of the house the entire time. I'm thinking a trip to the library is in order to help fill the space. Maybe I'll see what else they have. Oh, I also started reading "Can You Keep A Secret?" by Sophie Kinsella. Read thru the first couple chapters and not hooked. Hmmm, is it me or the books? I'm not sure. With everything that's been going on lately, I'm in a bit of a funk. I got my new espresso machine in the other day, haven't even taken it out of the box.......This is big for me-I'm a latte lover.

Tonight is meet the teacher night up at Megan's school. She starts Monday, so it's back to the grindstone. Maybe that will get me back in the swing of things....

We'll Miss You, Norman

Norman was our wiener dog that Chandler and I got when we were first married back in 96. He was a mini black and tan that caused so much trouble, but we loved him anyway. We nursed him thru two back surgeries and one broken heart. He was very attached to Junior, one of my other dachshunds that passed away in 2002. That's the time we got Annabelle from dachshund rescue. Norman had become much less active after his back surgeries, especially this last one in 2005. Chandler and I debated on whether or not to put him down at that time, but he seemed happy, so we did everything we could to help him. Between the physical therapy, and acupuncture, he made great strides and still had quality of life. In the last couple of years during his routine vet visits, the vet mentioned that his heart was deteriorating. He was just diagnosed with congestive heart failure last month. He had actually collapsed a couple of times in the last couple of weeks, but after a period of rest, was okay. Well, Saturday night, we think he experienced a stroke. Sunday morning he was alive, but lifeless. He didn't seem to be in any pain, so I thought that maybe he just need to rest for the day. But, then he started to vomit, and seemed to be in pain, so at about 1:30 in the morning on Monday morning, I took him into the emergency vet. I really wanted to take him to his usual vet, but I was not going to let him suffer.

The vet took very good care of him, he was very respectful. Norman went so peacefully. I know this sounds crazy, but I think he was relieved. I was relieved for him. I spent the day yesterday remembering all his antics, and the crazy things he would do, like eat a jar of Vaseline.....That dog opened the jar, and ate the entire thing! He pooped Vaseline for a week.....Those things make me chuckle, and remember him fondly. I will miss him always. We have taken him to our normal vet, and we're having him cremated so that I can keep his ashes with pictures, his collar, and favorite toy.

So....I've Been Reading

That's where I've been. I checked out a book from the library on a whim, and turns out-it was great. It's called "Remember Me?" by Sophie Kinsella. Apparently she has a whole "Shopaholics" series and a couple of others as well. I went back today to get something else of hers, and they were all checked out. I'm thinking, "Wow, she must be good". I am now onto "Something Borrowed" by Emily Giffin, we'll see how that works out.

In the meantime, I am still boycotting the Olympics, though I'm finding it hard to miss out on the swimming and gymnastics. I'm hanging in there though.

I have heard on the news that China may be cheating on the girls gymnastics.....and apparently the committee is not investigating.....geez people.....

Oh well, I think I'll put my nose in a book and enjoy the last days of summer.....

The Baking Bender

The last few days have been filled with one of my favorite pastimes, baking.

In the past, I have created very yummy bites when I bake. Since we've been in the new house, I've been disappointed with the results. Part of me was wondering if it had to do with going from a gas oven to an electric. I have since realized it's more than that.

I made croissants from scratch Friday. They were enjoyable-don't get me wrong, but the dough wasn't as light and flaky as I would have liked. The two loaves of bread I made were also too dense. Then came the pie crust. Pie crust is one of those things I don't particularly enjoy making, but had perfected (so I thought) about 2 years ago, so I don't see a reason to buy the refrigerated ones anymore. The last few times I have tried, it is a total disaster. The first batch I actually threw away, the second was tough-too wet, and the third was awful as well-cracked, fragile. I don't know what I'm doing wrong and it's driving me crazy! I'm using Martha Stewart's recipe as always, also using my Cuisinart, as always. I researched it, and it appears that I'm not adding enough water.......about a 1/4 c.

So, what pies did I make you ask? I've made two rustic tarts. Plum, and peach. They're in the oven now, so we shall see......

The Olympics

For any of you following the Olympics, you all know that it kicks off Friday. I have always been excited about the Olympics, its beginning, and thru it all ready for its end. That is after the ladies gymnastics, and of course watching cutie Michael Phelps. This year however has brought on new feelings. I am not sure that I will watch any of the Olympics, even previously mentioned cutie....

Why you ask? I know this sounds silly to some, but because of where it's being held, and how they treat their people. How can I be excited to watch the gymnastics, and Mr. Phelps when they are performing the very land that so many people were forced off of. These people were were made homeless so that China could put on appearances. Shame on you China. I don't understand why the committee that chooses where the Olympics are top be held chose China in the first place, and why they allowed the construction to continue when they found out what was going on, in the second place. Why are more people not boycotting this event?

Here's Your Pint Cont'd

After spending time on what I thought was one of my best posts, it didn't post....Weird.
Hmmm, I'll attempt to recreate today what was great yesterday. I'm picking up from yesterday. Here goes.

Where I didn't have to order anything off the kids menu, or make sure drinks came with lids. We met Mom and Dad for lunch, enjoyed our time and left them with the kids. We then started out for the museum, got our tickets, and started what was an amazing two hours. We got to see Monet, Renoir, Cezanne and other's amazing work. I know for some this doesn't sound all that amazing, but even Chandler who wasn't as excited as I was enjoyed this. I of course appreciated their beauty, but along with that-what I didn't expect was seeing what you don't in the reproductions. Their talent. When you get up close to the paintings the amazing talent comes thru. The colors are so vibrant, the brush strokes on some deliberate, and others look like they were done with speed, yet turned out such detailed pictures. Speaking of detail, the clothes, skin, jewelry on the works were unbelievable. I swear I felt that if I touched the painting, it would feel lifelike. We spent that time with many others who enjoyed the exhibit as well. As you walked the rooms all you could hear were whispers of people saying how unbelievable, amazing and incredible they all were.

After the museum we went to Barnes and Noble just to enjoy the peace and quiet. Before we knew it, it was 6:30. We ventured off to dinner and had a wonderful meal before going home.

I had a great birthday, thanks to everyone who played a part in making my day so enjoyable.

Now for the pint of rocky road. You know how in rocky road there are different parts that come together to make it perfect.? Above is the sweet, below is the rocky.

There is a "man" on death row in Ohio who is set to be executed on Oct 14th for the 1986 rape and murder of two young women. His lawyers filed a federal lawsuit yesterday stating that he couldn't be executed because he is too fat. He's 5'7" and 260 something. His argument is that they will not be able to get to his veins to administer the first drug that puts him to sleep which would make the administration of the second, which kills him, very painful. I had to shake my head at this one. Many things came to mind, I share but a few with you now. Why are we as taxpayers forced to pay for this kind of trial, when I'm sure most of us would rather put money towards cancer research? The gov has cut funding for this because we can't afford it, I get that we can't afford it and I understand why, but why cut that and not cut the appeals of animals like this? Why not give him literally bread and water until Oct 14th, I bet he loses a few pounds....And why is he so overweight? What are they running in Ohio, a resort with midnight buffet? I'm totally fine if he doesn't want the needle, in fact I think they should have a choice. The needle, the oak tree or the chair-any of these work fine for me. Last question-why oh why do we care about his comfort when he cared so little for the women he tortured then murdered?

Here's Your Pint....

Saturday was my birthday. What a day it was! I decided in lieu of gifts, I wanted to have a child free day to enjoy the Impressionists Exhibit at the Kimball Art Museum, and go to dinner with my husband.

I Am So Confused......

For those of you who have been reading my blog, you're aware that I have been using the "Love and Logic" approach on my children for the last couple of months. You have to really be on top of everything with this approach, and be prepared to enforce the consequences when things go in the wrong direction. I am in general a pretty easy going person. I don't want to micro parent my children. The last few weeks I have been easing up on them, because they've been good, and I thought they earned a little freedom. When they would pull their antics I should have jumping right on it, but I let it go a time or two. I figured, kids are kids they make mistakes. But then they just kept pushing, taking things to the next level. I know they're testing the limits, to see if I'm still serious about things.

Here's the confusing part. I noticed when I was on them like white on rice, they were better behaved. When I give them more freedom they're heathens. What gives? I don't like to be micromanaged, why do they? Maybe I'm weird, but even as a child, I hated people watching my every move, making sure I had done what I was supposed to. I policed myself. I went to bed on time, did my chores (except for picking up the dog poop-I hated that), did my homework-you get the idea. Why do my children want me to be a drill sargent?

And....the thing that really gets me.....is when you do take away a privilege or ground them, their friends and the friends parents don't seem to get it. They think you're the unfair one....

If there is anyone out there with wisdom to share, please send it my way.......

How Did I Get Here?

The last year has been a true whirlwind for me.

My husband had been talking about moving to the DFW area from Austin for the last few years, but since my family lives here, I didn't think he would really pull the trigger on that one....Then he just decided that it was time for a change. I couldn't think of a good reason to hold him back from a good job opportunity, he is the only one bringing in a salary......So, I supported him, managed the home improvements, put the house on the market and packed up our life and moved on. Everything seemed to be going so well, the house sold in two weeks-pretty great considering the market. Chandler came up here about a month before me, because his job started before the house sold and closed. He stayed with my parents, and all was well. We really thought we would find a home in no time-WRONG! It took three miserable months. We found a beautiful home, more than we wanted to spend but....you know how it goes. We moved in late March, and the home repairs started. You know that movie The Money Pit? We're living it.

In thinking about all the projects to be done, the thought occurred to me....How did I get here? We live one street away from my parents-same neighborhood. In the same town I graduated high school in and couldn't wait to get out of.

I graduated on a Friday night and started college the very next Monday. I never thought I would be back here, and here I am. Weird....Moral of the story-never say never.

Who Knew Pinking Shears Were So Expensive?

Megan's birthday is Friday. We have planned a slumber party with her two best buds, where there will be a cookout, croquet,spa time, and an art project.

The art project is making those fluffy flip flops. The girls are all excited, and we went and bought the fabric today down at the local JoAnn's. I went to get a pair of pinking shears, and those little gems are thru the roof! The Fiskar's were $35........I'm not the craftiest girl in the world, so I had no idea of their apparent value.

Needless to say, we went with plain straight edge. This could turn out to be a mistake, one I'm willing to risk....

I'll let you know how it goes.

Chuy's in Round Rock

We went to Austin the other day on the spur of the moment. After our errands we wanted to go to our favorite mexican restaurant, Chuy's. We have now been in the metroplex about 8 months and have not had truly wonderful mexican food-a shame really......So as you can imagine we were dying for some good ol queso, margaritas, chuychangas, enchiladas, creamy jalapeno dip and pico. We stopped by the Chuy's in Round Rock on our way out of town and I think it might be up there with the best meal of my life. To understand my loyalty to Chuy's you should probably know that we used to go there every Friday night while pregnant with Jacob, and most Friday nights after that-so you see I love the place. We had a short wait and were seated in the back. I had a sublime margarita which I enjoyed every drop. The food was better than I had remembered, and the service-perfect. If you ever get a chance to go there-do yourself a favor, run don't walk.

I left with a full tummy and a happy heart as it was not just nourishment for my body, but for my soul as well.

We got home late that night, and after telling a neighbor about our visit, she tells me there is a Chuy's in Dallas. Woo hoo I'm a lucky girl :-).

What's a pimento?

That is a question I have asked many times, and have never answered.

The wait is over people! I have a definition according to Epicurious.com.

Pimento: A large, red, heart-shaped sweet pepper that measures 3 to 4 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide. The flesh of the pimiento (the Spanish word for "pepper") is sweet, succulent and more aromatic than that of the red bell pepper... Pimientos are the familiar red stuffing found in green olives.

Let's all make a martini and celebrate, shall we?

PawPaw's Grandbaby's

I was on Martha Stewart's blog the other day and under her "pets" section she talks about her chow chow, PawPaw's passing. Now I know in my logical mind that this is ridiculous, but I was so upset. I actually cried about a dog I don't know passing. I have seen him on her show forever, he definitely had a presence about him.Well, the good news is that I was on her blog again this morning, and she blogged about the possibility of adopting his grandbaby's. It turns out that his daughter has had a litter, and they are just precious. There are three in the litter, and she's trying to decide which one to pick, though all on her blog insist she take them all. I guess she does have the space......Anywhooo, if your a dog lover like myself you should go to her website and check out the picks.BTW-I'll miss you Estelle Getty. Megan and I still watch Golden Girls re-runs, and you make us laugh every time.

Barn Swallows

In this "new" home we have had visitors for the last few months. A couple of barn swallows. They are lovely in theory. A place for birds to take shelter, have babies- what could be sweeter?

Well, I tell you their poop is not so sweet. They poo on everything! Forget sitting on the back porch, their home, they poo on the chairs, table, grill, anything they can find, really.

When I went out to feed the dogs this morning, at 530, they were not in their nests. They haven't been around all day either. Could it be true? Could they really be gone?

I hate to admit this, but I would like to make it where they won't come back. In the meantime, I'll be power washing.......

Trip to Brady

The day started off quite early, 5:30 to be exact. We hit the road at about 5:45 coffee in hand. The kids were actually pretty good. The griping didn't start until about 6:00.......

We arrived in Brady about 10 after a few potty breaks, and of course a stop at Starbucks. My Dad's mom lives in Brady which was the purpose of our trip. We had a great day, Granny had made 2 german chocolate cakes-from scratch. One for my family and one for Mom and Dad.

She met my son for the first time, and fell in love. J's 3, but he had not been on previous trips. Granny gave Meg some jewelry, and J a piggy bank. We ate at Hard 8 BBQ. Very good-if you go thru, get the turkey-surprisingly moist....

Granny is dying to get the measuring cups that Paula Deen has been using lately. They're made from pewter-very pretty. She's not computer savvy, so asked me to locate them. I called her this morning with the news. The good-I found them, the bad-they're $158.00......
We both decided they're not that pretty.....

We left at about 3:30 and got home a bit before 8.

It was a great trip.

Burgers Lake

So, I was invited to go along to Burgers Lake today, with the kids that is. We went and had a good time. Of course my dad was freaked out, because I had a cousin who died after swimming in Lake Texohma a few years ago. He died from the amoeba parasite. He was about 9 at the time if I remember correctly. I told the kids to just keep their faces out of the water, and it should be fine. What was I thinking? I feel more and more every day that I'm just a ghost around here-no one listens to me......Of course their faces are going to get wet.....I'm feeling a bit better about it though, because it is a spring fed lake, that is definitely not stagnant, and is constantly filtered.


The good news-the kids are worn out, and are taking a nap. Ah...if only for a little while....

Hoping to go to the Kimball Art Museum soon to see the Impressionists Exhibit soon-will let you know....

A Visit to the Doctor

Do you ever wonder why it takes so long to see the Dr. when you have an appt, and then he/she only spends 3-4 minutes with you? I do....

So, we had an appt with the dermatologist this morning for my son (he has eczema) at 945. Yes, the doc takes Sat appts-great.

We got there a couple of minutes early, like your supposed to....and then waited an hour and ten minutes to see the doctor. Yes, waited with a 3 yr old boy, and 9 yr old girl-lots of fun.

When I asked the receptionist how much longer it would be at 1015, she said there was 6 patients in front of us. That is absolutely ridiculous!

The doctor finally came in at 1035 or so. I swear he didn't spend more than 3 minutes with us....

Whew, I feel better....thanks for letting me vent.....

The Jonas Brothers

I finally got the pleasure of rockin with the Jonas Brothers.

Quite honestly, I had heard of them, knew my nine year old daughter loved them, but beyond that-forget it.

My best friend from high school had two extra tickets for Wednesday's concert in Dallas, and invited Meg and me to go. It was outside, which at first wasn't the most exciting prospect seeing as how it was 100 degrees outside.....but it was actually pretty nice. We sat on a blanket out on the lawn and got to listen to about 10,000 girls scream at any inkling of a sighting.

The concert lasted about two hours, I really didn't understand 3 words out of any given song, but it was good for some mother/daughter bonding time. It didn't hurt that I was the coolest mom on the block that week, because nobody else had tickets....

State of the Economy

We're all being hit with higher prices on everything, but no higher incomes. There are times it really does worry me. I know we can let our minds wander, and make things worse than they actually are, but things are looking bleak-in my opinion.

Yet, in an election time, we're not hearing much from our candidates on how they are going to handle this. I know McCain and Obama came out today and said a few things, but they didn't really answer all of our questions. I don't know that they ever will, really. I know McMcain is ready to continue tax cuts to big business, and all Bush's tax cuts. I know Obama has come out and said he wants to give more tax cuts to the middle class and families with children. That sounds great. But, how are we really going to get our economy back to where it needs to be? Back to a point where not all companies are looking at layoffs just to survive, where filling up your gas tank didn't cost 2 arms and 2 legs, where a gallon of milk didn't cost more than an hour of minimum wage.

At the end of the day, I would like them to be more specific. This is incredibly important, I want to know what I will be voting for, not a glossed over version of the truth.

I have always been republican, big Bush supporter (hate me if you will) but now I find myself identifying with democrats more each day......

I would love to see more efforts to save the environment, more efforts to help the middle class, and more jobs of value so people can actually earn a decent living. Though, I don't think we should bring all the troops home just yet, and I don't agree with having illegals (without work visas) in our country, and supporting their children.

Well, one thing I can say for certain, this election with be heated, and it will be interesting......

Trash TV

I don't usually watch a lot of reality TV.

Disclaimer: I did watch Survivior the first season or two, last season's Big Brother, and Paradise Hotel. These are things I am not proud of.....

But yesterday, I just wanted to veg out. I discovered The Kardashians, Denise Richards, and Kathy Griffin. I can't believe I'm going to admit this, but I actually enjoyed them....

The following is my opinion of each.

The Kardashians:
I feel sorry for Bruce. He lives with all those women, who I think the mother has lost her mind. To convince Kim (her oldest daughter) to pose for Playboy...what is up with that woman? Having her daughter pose, and then nagging her to take it all off...get a grip! Then to publish the calendar that she made for Reggie, without even asking-I felt for Kim.... You really do have to watch this show to believe it all.

Denise: She doesn't seem to be as much of a B as she has been portrayed to be. Her show is my fav. She seems to be a great mom, and a down to earth person.

Kathy: Wow does she have a mouth on her. What is her obsession with gay people? I don't have a problem with gay people, but she is just in love with them......