Thursday Thirteen--Driving Lessons Needed

Wick and I went shopping today, while the RV was in the shop again.
Normally, neither of us is much on shopping. We decide what we need, where to go to get it, get in and out as quickly as possible.
Especially since I have had back trouble.
Since I have to use one of those little electric cart thingies the stores provide.
But today was fun. We were looking at stuff for the cabin we hope to start building soon.

1. We found some really neat brick pavers that look just like used brick, in a rosy red color, not the usual brownish or orangy color.
2. I nearly wrecked the electric cart at Home Depot, trying to back up. Sometimes the aisles are too narrow, or something is sticking out from a shelf, or whatever, and I have to back up.
3. Since I don't back up very well, I usually run into something.
4. But this time, I was actually going forward, and I still ran into something.
5. The guys who work in flooring at Home Depot had a great laugh at my expense--I think I made their day
6. because when we went to the tile department, two aisles over, I could still hear them laughing.
7. In the tile aisle, I of course immediately picked out the most expensive, which turned out to be real marble, which I don't want any way, because it would not be very durable, even though it is pretty,
8. So next I asked about butcher block--not formica, but real wood--which would fit the rustic look we are going for, but is also expensive, and not very practical.
9. When the sweet little girl in that department said well, you can't cut on it, and you can't put raw meat on it, and especially you can't put chicken on it, becaused of salmonella,
10. I quickly moved on. Salmonella. I mean. Yuck.
11. Then we went back to the flooring department so we could look at antique oak flooring, and
12. I promptly ran into a display rack,
13. Which really made the day for the flooring department guys, so we gave up, turned in the cart, and went home.

At this rate, it's gonna take us a long time to get this cabin built.

Thursday Thirteen--Stuff I Learned This Week

Since our Rv, which we live in, has been in the shop for a week, we have been visiting our kids. These are things I have learned this week.
1. It always takes longer to get where you are going than you think it will.
2. Every time we stop, I *need* a coke.
3. Every time I get a coke, I Need to stop again.
4. The more times we stop, the more cokes I drink.
5. The more cokes I drink, the more often we have to stop. (anybody else seeing a pattern here?)
6. Leaving one Pomeranian alone with five cats is probably not a good idea.
7. The cats can get into places where the Pom can not go, but the Pom can't find a place that the cats can't go.
8. Kids love helping to strip a chicken carcass, because it is greasy and messy.
9. There is an amazing amount of meat left on the carcass even after you think it is stripped.
10. All little girls raised in the South need to know that *white* meat chicken salad is the only acceptable version to serve to company, although leftover *dark* meat is perfectly acceptable to serve to one's husband for lunch.
11. My daughter Jeana does not know how to pronouce "victuals" and neither does my husband.
12. Two of my grandchildren prefer to watch movies at maximum volume; I'm talking loud enough to rattle the windows.
13. My dil Jamie is a great cook, and if I stay here much longer, I won't be able to fit into any of my clothes.

Thursday Thirteen--Pork Rinds

Wick and I have been working at low carbing for quite a while now. Truly living the low carb way means either giving up most of our comfort foods, or finding ways to replicate them without so many carbs. If you are low carbing, pork rinds are your friend.

1. Pork rinds as a substitute for chips with a sour cream based dip.
2. Mix melted butter with a little salt and pour over microwaved pork rinds as a sub. for popcorn.
3. Mix melted butter with cinnamon and brown sugar substitute for a sweet snack.
4. Combine pork rinds, mixed nuts, and pumpkin seeds, as a sort of trail mix.
5. Mix pork rinds with pecans and cashews, then add the same kinds of seasonings you would use to make Chex Mix (garlic powder, butter, worcestershire sauce, among other things).
6. Crush pork rinds and use as breading on chicken or fish.
7. Crushed pork rinds can be the basis for faux stuffing for turkey--e-mail me if you want the recipe.
8. Use crushed pork rinds on top of faux-tato casserole (made with cauliflower instead of potatoes) instead of bread crumbs.
9. Pork rinds come in a variety of flavors:
10. Barbecue
11. vinegar and salt
12. cheese
13. Use crushed pork rinds as the basis for faux bread pudding, instead of the usual bread.

Number 13 is the one to which Jeana is referring in her Thursday Thirteen today. I'm sure she will be happy to explain the experience to you ;)

Thursday thirteen--What's Been Happening This Week

1. Son Scott and two of his kids, Buddy and Sunshine, have been with us at the lake.
2. We have gone out in the boat.
3. We have been swimming.
4. We have been smoking---no, no, not that kind of smoking--cooking brisket and chicken in the smoker.
5. Scott has stacked up firewood, picked up all the kindling, and raked the dead leaves and burned them. Yay!
6. The washer and dryer have been on double duty this week.
8. I did actually hang three loads of laundry today.
9. Then it actually rained, so the clothes on the line may be a little moldy by tomorrow.
10. Gracie the pug mix and Oreo the Boston terrier and Frankie the pom have learned to share the couch, and sleep in an untidy bundle. They all snore.
11. Wick and Scott cleared the brush around the storage barn, and it looks much better.
12. I got hit in the head by the boat canopy bar, the kitchen cabinet, and by falling over in a lawn chair, but I didn't spill my grape cooler.
13. Pie and her soccer team won their regionals, and will be going to nationals in Iowa!

Thursday thirteen bonus points:

14. Watching the kids blow up fireworks last night.
15. Snuggling with Sunshine on the couch under a quilt while watching a family friendly movie.
16. Having time to talk, at leisure, about trivialities and about heart thoughts.
17. Weather in the 80s during the first week in July!
18. Instead of 100-105!
19. Scott's home made peach ice cream--yummmmmm!
20. Chicken salad made from the leftover smoked chicken--also yum.
21. God is giving me peace about the fact that we neither have jobs yet for this fall.
22. Did I mention rain? The lake is low again, so we are hoping for a downpour tonight, and then sunshine tomorrow.

Thursday Thirteen--Packing for a Trip

If you have ever had your child walk out the door wearing an orange and pink t-shirt, with red plaid pants, and one blue sock and one yellow sock, today's post is for you.
1. Get a box of gallon-size zip bags.
2. Pick out a shirt, shorts, and socks that match.
3. Lay the shirt on the table.
4. Fold up the shorts.
5. Put the shorts, a pair of undies, and a pair of socks on the shirt.
6. Fold the shirt around the aforementioned garments.
7. Insert the resulting bundle in one of the zip bags.
8. Repeat, until you have a number of outfits bagged that corresponds to the number of days you plan to be gone.
9. Repeat at least twice more, to allow for extra changes of clothes.
10. Every day of your trip, hand a bag to your child, and put his/her dirty clothes in the empty bag.
11. When you get home, the dirty clothes will not have had the opportunity to odorize your remaining clean clothes (if any), or your suitcase.
12. If your husband has ever turned your suitcase inside out looking for his clothes, undies, socks, razor, etc., make a set of baggies for him too.
13. And if you, like me, have trouble coordinating an outfit in the dark (because you don't want to turn on the light and wake up the kids) after only two hours sleep (because one of your kids threw up all over you, the bed, and the floor during the night), make a set of baggies for yourself.

Enjoy your trip.

P. S. If you (like me) are too cheap to buy the baggies, Wal-mart bags work equally well, except that once you put dirty clothes in them, you need to tie a tight knot to keep the scent confined to the bag, and not all over your remaining clean clothes.

Thursday Thirteen--Blogging: Love/Hate

I'm just about at the end of my week of blogging about blogging. I've written more than 50 posts now, and visited quite a few other blogs. I've come to the conclusion that it is a love/hate relationship.

1. I love to write, and blogging sort of nudges me into writing more regularly.

2. I hate it when blogspot is contrary, and I can't even get to the posting page.

3. I love reading what other people have written.

4. I hate it when I enjoy someone's post, but can't think of anything to leave in comments.

5. I love the discussions that get started.

6. I hate the anger and bitterness that is sometimes revealed.

7. I love hearing people's stories.

8. I hate sad endings.

9. I love it that so few of the blog stories end unhappily--despite great challenges and difficulties, most end with an expression of faith in God.

10. I hate it when I know what I want to say, but feel that what I said is not what I meant.

11. I love looking at the pictures, graphics, and beautiful designs on other blogs.

12. I hate it that I am having such a difficult time learning to do the things I want to do.

13. I love the people who blog; I love the ones I visit, frequently or infrequently; I love the ones who visit my blog, and especially the ones who leave comments and links to their sites; I love the sense of community I see among bloggers who take the time to get to know each other, and support each other in hard times, and share the joy.

I hope this is the end of the week of blogging, since I have pretty much said all I have to say about blogging, at least for this week.

Thursday Thirteen--Summer Stuff

Things I hope to accomplish before the end of summer:
1. Getting to sleep as late as I want (only I still wake up about 5:30 or 6:00)
2. Savoring and lingering over my coffee in the morning.
3. Wearing whatever is clean and goes together reasonably (read: denim shorts and any t-shirt or sleeveless top), instead of having to look "professional".
4. Hanging the sheets on the line in the sun and wind instead of leaving the dryer running as I rush out the door to work.
5. Falling asleep in sheets that smell like sunshine.
6. Reading mind candy ;)
7. Finishing the three crochet projects I already have started, and starting another.
8. Cooking at least twice a week, instead of depending on Wick to do it.
9. Having lots of company come to visit at the lake.
10. Sitting on the dock (which son Scott and DH Wick just roofed this weekend, so now I have shade all afternoon!)
11. Not having to worry about not sleeping well if I drink coffee late at night, because I don't have to get up early to go to work.
12. Cleaning out drawers and cabinets and sort out the junk drawer
13. Watching the birds, squirrels, ducks, cranes, herons, and listening to the plop of fish in the water, the wind in the trees, and the waves on the shore.

Thursday Thirteen--weird blogging habits

Jeana asked for this, so here goes:

1. I read blogs first thing every morning as soon as I get to work.
2. I write directly, rather than into a word document, which would make so much more sense, because then I would not lose those brilliantly funny sketches that get lost in the blogosphere when I don't hit the right key to publish.
3. I laugh out loud when I am reading other blogs,
4. and then have to explain what was so funny to the other teachers who are looking at me as if I am a loon.
5. I just discovered yesterday that I can change the font and the size,
6. but I realllly wanted chocolate to be in massive, cursive, or gothic letters yesterday,
7. and none of the fonts available really showed my deep and abiding passion for chocolate.
8. Sometimes I have a lot of trouble staying on topic, and tend to wander off on rabbit trails,
9. but usually I remember in time what my point was (and I do usually have one), and get back to it before I run out of time or words.
10. I *love* comments!
11. Even if they all say the same thing, they are from different people, and it is soooo much fun to read what they say.
12. I am tryng to think of another blog about chocolate, since that one generated more comments (other than family) than any other blog I have posted.
13. I am worried about fighting with my husband this summer, when we have access to only one computer at home, and he wants to read his message boards (I call them boreds, because they are all about politics), and I *need* to be reading blogs, and writing blogs, and commenting on other people's blogs!
14. to say nothing of the time I spend on e-mails.

Okay, yeah, I know that was 14 instead of 13, but that makes up for the time I didn't have 13 things to say.

Thursday Thirteen--Teaching

I love teaching.
I can't think of anything else I'd rather do--
other than live on the lake full-time,
sleep until whenever I wake up,
have someone to clean my house every day and cook all the meals and wash all the dishes,
have an independent fortune--
as I was saying, I can't think of anything else I'd rather do.

1. I get to work with some of the best and brightest kids in our district.
2. And some of the most needy.
3. I get to read their journals, which are often bright, funny, and inspiring,
4. But also sometimes tear my heart, because they have seen way too much, done way too much, know WAY too much for their age.
5. I learn from them all the time,
6. and once in a while, one of them tells me what he/she has learned from me.
7. I have the satisfaction of knowing that I am making use of a gift God has given me, and sharing it with others.
8. but I also know that I am lacking in many ways, and sooooo thankful for the help and support of others on my team.
9. I am confronted daily with the fact that I can't help every child, every day.
10. But I have the comfort of knowing that occasionally, for one child, I make a difference.
11. Every day I see growth in at least one child,
12. even though he/she may still have a great deal of growing to do to get to "age appropriate" behaviors and decision-making.
13. It's just 7 more days until summer!