We lived in a great neighborhood growing up. Our ward was amazing (and included a LOT of family members), so it was difficult to get in trouble without your parents knowing about it. In other words, it was easier to just avoid trouble to begin with because your parents were bound to find out from someone else what you'd been up to, and others would be more honest about it than you would. "It takes a village ...." So true!
When I was about five years old, I went to a friend's house one afternoon without telling Mom and Dad (or anybody) where I'd gone. Normally, Mom didn't have a problem with me going to other people's houses, but she did ask that I always leave a note to say where I was so she wouldn't worry and would know where to find me if she needed me. On this particular day, I either forgot to leave a note (unlikely) or figured it wouldn't matter where I was because I'd be home before she would be home (likely). My five-year-old brain thought that made perfect sense.
So, I went over to Jennifer's house to play. She lived across a major street and down a block, so it wasn't too far, but it also wasn't normally where I went. It wasn't like going through the hole in the fence to Shauna's house. Jennifer's mom worked, so the house was left to us for the taking. The problem was that we played outside at her house most of the time, so we couldn't have heard the phone ring, even if it had.
I don't remember the details exactly, but I remember walking home, and as I looked both ways to cross the busy street I remember seeing Mom sitting outside of our house on the front porch steps. It was unusual. Mom was busy all the time. If she wasn't teaching school or running errands or cooking or cleaning the house, she was serving others or working in some other way to make the world a better place. She was NEVER just sitting outside on the front porch steps.
Now, remember, this was the "old days" before cell phones were even an idea.
As I came across the street, I hollered out to her. "Mom! Hi!" And then I realized something was really wrong. If it had been possible, there would have been steam coming out of her ears. I approached her and she said, calmly (which should have been my first clue I was in deep, deep trouble), "Katherine Janae, where have you been?" Uh oh. Full name usage. Put me in jail now and throw away the keys. "Over at Jennifer's house," I managed to say.
And then she teared up a little as she explained that she'd been looking for me for almost three hours. She'd called everyone she could think of to call. Nobody had seen me. Nobody had talked to me. My siblings didn't know where I was. Dad didn't know where I was, but he was out looking for me, and they had decided to call the police if he hadn't found me by the time he returned home. My aunts and uncles and cousins that lived nearby hadn't seen me and didn't know where I was. She was at her wit's end and thought I'd been kidnapped - or worse. I tried to explain that I thought I'd make it home before her, etc. (As a kid, I was terrible with time. I got that from Dad. Now that I'm older, I have a pretty good sense about what time it is, even without looking at a clock. I get that from Mom. Guess that means I'm a pretty good 50/50 mix, huh?)
We went in the house, Dad finally came home, everything seemed tense, but nothing was said about punishment, so I was living in mortal fear of what would happen. The rest of that afternoon was a blur, but then as we were getting ready to go to bed, Mom called me into their room and said she and Dad had come up with my punishment. I would need to write the following 100 times on a piece of paper: "I will never go anywhere again without asking Mom and Dad for permission first." At five years old, that was a LOT of writing. I probably cried and said how sorry I was and please forgive me and on and on.
The next day was a Saturday. I got up early to watch cartoons. Dad was awake and getting ready for work. He asked if I had started on my 100 sentences. I said no, so he got me a piece of paper and a pencil and said to get started. Dad could make me crumble in tears by looking at me the wrong way, so I obviously did what he said. I didn't want "the look." He left the cartoons on while I worked, and then he asked if I wanted to have eggs for breakfast with him. Yes, please!
While Dad cooked some fried eggs with runny yolks on toast, I wrote and wrote and wrote. And used my tongue to play with a loose tooth that needed to come out, but I couldn't bear the thoughts of having yanked. Dad always yanked them out pretty quick with little pain, but that one second of grief just wasn't worth it to me. I tried to let them fall out "naturally" instead. So I continued to write my sentences and wiggle my loose tooth with my tongue while watching cartoons.
Finally, Dad brought breakfast into me. He finished whatever he needed to do to get to work, kissed me on the head and left, and just as he walked out the door I finished my last piece of toast with the runny egg yolk on it. I always liked to try and make the yolk "burst" in my mouth without spitting any onto my plate. (Don't ask - I don't know what the big deal was.) Anyway, when I burst the yolk in my mouth, it created enough pressure on my tooth that it came loose, and I accidentally swallowed it with the yolk. I just sat there with pencil in hand wondering what I should do now that I'd swallowed my tooth. And then I kind of started to freak out. By then, Mom was up and getting ready for the day, and when she came into the family room where I was watching TV she saw me crying.
Looking back, she probably thought I was crying over the punishment of having to write 100 sentences of the same thing. But before she could even ask what was wrong I said, "I swallowed my tooth! Is it because I was naughty yesterday? What will happen now? Will I die?" Bless my mother for not laughing directly at my face. I'm sure she wanted to - more than once! Instead, she reassured me that my tooth was not forever lost, but we wouldn't be looking for it (smart move, Madre), and maybe if I left a note for the tooth fairy she would see about leaving me a quarter. (Yeah, you kids that get $5/tooth these days? Ridiculous. Even with inflation, you shouldn't be getting more than $1 a tooth! Count your blessings.)
I finished my sentences later that same day. I worked all day on that piece of paper. I'd even tred to make it look nice, so if I messed up I'd erase it as good as possible and start the sentence over. I remember how much my hand hurt, but I also remember being really grateful that I wasn't going to die because I'd swallowed my tooth. Plus, I was glad to know that swallowing my tooth had nothing to do with my disobedience. Somehow, I'd connected the lost tooth and swallowing it with going to Jennifer's house and not leaving a note.
I'm not sure which "punishment" was worse (or more effective): writing 100 sentences of the same thing on a piece of paper, or swallowing a loose tooth with egg yolks. Either way, the lesson remained with me, and I never went anywhere again without asking Mom and Dad first or without leaving them a note explaining where I was, who I was with, and when I'd likely be back.
Isn't it funny the associations you make as a kid? To this day, I can't eat a runny egg yolk without thinking of that experience. It's really kind of ridiculous!
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
For the Love of Netflix and Amazon Prime
As part of my "winding down" process every night, I turn on the Roku and watch a little TV. I know, I know - "they" say it's bad to have the TV on right before you go to sleep or to use electronic devices, etc. Supposedly, you're better off lying in a dark room of complete silence in order to go to sleep. It just doesn't work for me. After a long day at work, the last thing that will turn my brain off is a quiet room and darkness. That kind of situation will ultimately make my brain start a whirlwind of what-ifs and whys and hows. And then, no matter how tired I am or how sleepy my eyes are, I won't be able to sleep until I've resolved all the world's problems, including finding a solution for world peace and world hunger. That is not an over-dramatization either. Believe me when I tell you how difficult it is to shut my brain off and actually sleep.
Instead of obeying what "they" say, I turn on the TV instead, watch something silly or light, let my eyes get sleepy, and then just as I'm starting to nod off, I turn the TV off and settle in for the night. It generally works great, and I find that I sleep better because my brain is not solving major problems, mulling over the day's news of catastrophes that I can't fix, and creating spreadsheets or sets of data to show how we can fix poverty and solve homelessness. Heavenly Father has a big job. I don't know how He does it.
Lately, there are a few fun things I've found to watch on Netflix and Amazon Prime. Some might say it's a waste to pay for both, but sometimes there are shows only one of them will carry. Besides, I buy enough from Amazon every year that the membership pays for itself in free shipping, so it's like I don't even pay to watch TV there. I thought it would be fun to write down what I've been watching (for my own future reference). These are probably shows I'd watch again in the daylight. Some would even be worthy of buying the series if I could afford it. But who knows when DVDs and Blu-ray will suddenly be extinct? It's a risk I haven't been able to take yet, although I do own some series on DVD because they are priceless (such as As Time Goes By - how I love a British series!).
Here's what I've been watching lately (in no particular order):
Eureka (which should have an exclamation point, I think)
This show is quirky and silly and funny and fun, and I really like watching it. It was only on Amazon Prime for a short time, so I'll have to buy it if I want to re-watch any of it (actually, I think the 4th and 5th seasons are still free, but if you don't see the first three seasons it will mean nothing). The characters are kind of ridiculous, but it's fun to be in their world where all the smart people are lumped into one city and chaos ensues. Plus, it's hilarious to me that Colin Ferguson (The Marshal, aka The Sheriff) is the guy that plays in the Maytag commercials. I didn't connect those dots until recently, and it made me chuckle to see him as the Maytag guy.
Alphas
I love this show! And it's been canceled (I think). It's kind of a neat concept though. Basically, the characters all have some sort of super power. They're under the guidance of one man who kind of leads them and helps them use their super powers for good. The acting is really good, and I enjoyed the character development. I love the guy that plays an autistic man. It gives some idea of what goes on in the brains of those smart people who just don't relate as well socially.
Longmire
A&E totally screwed up when they canceled this series, and I hope some other network will pick it up in the near future and continue on. Dad would have loved this show. I still need to watch the last season (which just became available on Netflix, I think). The acting is incredible. The character of Sheriff Longmire is so bruised and beaten; it's a miracle he can get out of bed every day. I also like how they interact with the Indian nations of Wyoming and address some of today's issues and concerns with that culture. The characters really show what it might be like for American Indians today as they're still dealing with problems stemming from long ago.
Warehouse 13
A classic! I have loved this show from the very beginning, and although it's not really a bedtime kind of TV show, I can watch the episodes of this show over and over. Marathons on TV? Yes, please! I will admit that I liked it better when Elliott was there because he and Olivia were the best combination of partners in every way. It's kind of neat now, though, that Olivia is the new captain and gets to guide her teammates on some serious cases. Not since S. Epatha Merkerson was a captain in the original Law & Order have I enjoyed a woman in a roll as intense as this one. Criminal Minds takes a close second with their female cast, and NCIS comes in close as well, but SVU takes the cake for strong female leads.
On the note of Criminal Minds and NCIS, Criminal Minds only had a few seasons on Netflix (that I could find), and many of those were from their Suspect Behavior series, which I have yet to get into. I really wish one of them would pick up NCIS (another show I could watch over and over again), but I hear CBS is a little grumpy about giving up their best and highest rated show. I get it. But don't you think they'd have even more following if those who don't have TV could watch the show via streaming? My bet is they'd see another boost in ratings, but whatever CBS.
And that's what I've been watching lately! I noticed that Cheers, Frasier, The Wonder Years, and Friends are all on Netflix and/or Amazon Prime as well, so I won't go without something to put me to sleep for a long time, and I'm good with that!
Instead of obeying what "they" say, I turn on the TV instead, watch something silly or light, let my eyes get sleepy, and then just as I'm starting to nod off, I turn the TV off and settle in for the night. It generally works great, and I find that I sleep better because my brain is not solving major problems, mulling over the day's news of catastrophes that I can't fix, and creating spreadsheets or sets of data to show how we can fix poverty and solve homelessness. Heavenly Father has a big job. I don't know how He does it.
Lately, there are a few fun things I've found to watch on Netflix and Amazon Prime. Some might say it's a waste to pay for both, but sometimes there are shows only one of them will carry. Besides, I buy enough from Amazon every year that the membership pays for itself in free shipping, so it's like I don't even pay to watch TV there. I thought it would be fun to write down what I've been watching (for my own future reference). These are probably shows I'd watch again in the daylight. Some would even be worthy of buying the series if I could afford it. But who knows when DVDs and Blu-ray will suddenly be extinct? It's a risk I haven't been able to take yet, although I do own some series on DVD because they are priceless (such as As Time Goes By - how I love a British series!).
Here's what I've been watching lately (in no particular order):
Eureka (which should have an exclamation point, I think)
This show is quirky and silly and funny and fun, and I really like watching it. It was only on Amazon Prime for a short time, so I'll have to buy it if I want to re-watch any of it (actually, I think the 4th and 5th seasons are still free, but if you don't see the first three seasons it will mean nothing). The characters are kind of ridiculous, but it's fun to be in their world where all the smart people are lumped into one city and chaos ensues. Plus, it's hilarious to me that Colin Ferguson (The Marshal, aka The Sheriff) is the guy that plays in the Maytag commercials. I didn't connect those dots until recently, and it made me chuckle to see him as the Maytag guy.
Alphas
I love this show! And it's been canceled (I think). It's kind of a neat concept though. Basically, the characters all have some sort of super power. They're under the guidance of one man who kind of leads them and helps them use their super powers for good. The acting is really good, and I enjoyed the character development. I love the guy that plays an autistic man. It gives some idea of what goes on in the brains of those smart people who just don't relate as well socially.
Longmire
A&E totally screwed up when they canceled this series, and I hope some other network will pick it up in the near future and continue on. Dad would have loved this show. I still need to watch the last season (which just became available on Netflix, I think). The acting is incredible. The character of Sheriff Longmire is so bruised and beaten; it's a miracle he can get out of bed every day. I also like how they interact with the Indian nations of Wyoming and address some of today's issues and concerns with that culture. The characters really show what it might be like for American Indians today as they're still dealing with problems stemming from long ago.
Warehouse 13
This show is just silly. It's also been canceled, I think. It cracks me up to think that there might actually be a warehouse somewhere that houses all the gone-wrong patents and other paraphernalia that causes the world to rotate incorrectly on its axis. And the little gizmo that they talk to each other on while on the job? Too funny. Even though there have been some intense moments in this show, it's mostly just a light-hearted adventure for me.
Law & Order SVU
On the note of Criminal Minds and NCIS, Criminal Minds only had a few seasons on Netflix (that I could find), and many of those were from their Suspect Behavior series, which I have yet to get into. I really wish one of them would pick up NCIS (another show I could watch over and over again), but I hear CBS is a little grumpy about giving up their best and highest rated show. I get it. But don't you think they'd have even more following if those who don't have TV could watch the show via streaming? My bet is they'd see another boost in ratings, but whatever CBS.
And that's what I've been watching lately! I noticed that Cheers, Frasier, The Wonder Years, and Friends are all on Netflix and/or Amazon Prime as well, so I won't go without something to put me to sleep for a long time, and I'm good with that!
Monday, May 18, 2015
What I'd Do if I Won the Lottery
This is a post that will probably change a million times before it's final final. The reason for that is not because I keep thinking of other ways to spend the money, but because I'm torn over what I would give away and how much and when and ... gah! It stresses me out, and the money isn't even real! Imagine if the money were real. I'd be a wreck.
But there are some things I would like to do if I won the lottery. In no particular order, here they are (another list!):
Donate to Humanitarian Aid and other welfare-based charities
Retire early (I'd do this after a few years so I'd know how the money had "settled")
Design and build a house - a one level house that would be easy to get around in old age (the plans are already in my head, just need the cash to do it)
Buy property (like, 25 acres)
Adopt or buy more dogs
Spend a lot of time researching a successful way to build/run/manage a homeless shelter
Do Family History
Travel (in order to do Family History, of course)
Learn how to make my own cheese, yogurt, etc.
Grow a HUGE garden
Maybe even make a community garden (fun, right?)
Take all sorts of college courses on whatever topics I wanted
Make a gazillion quilts
Have a library in my house
Have an outdoor kitchen
Make sure each of my siblings had a home that was paid off and a vehicle (or two) that was paid off
Pay for a funeral plan and buy a cemetery plot
Make an iron-clad will
Volunteer at schools to help kids learn to read and write
Tutor for free
Make my own bread
Cook and cook and cook and bake and cook and bake and bake
Buy ATVs so I could ride with Mom
Learn photography and buy a very nice camera
Have an indoor gym and an outdoor tennis/basketball court
Make pajama pants for every family every year for Christmas
Write, write, write, write, write
Maybe even write a book
Buy an iMac so I can write a book
Projects, projects, projects - I could project every day
Do a lot of reading and studying
Visit the temples around the world
Build a cabin and property in the mountains so we have a family time share
Have a paved walking/running trail around my property
Have a built-in fire pit station
Plant a lot of trees
Grow fruit!
Eat better - a lot better because of all the cooking and baking
Regularly make homemade ice cream
Make my own pasta - with my Kitchenaid Mixer and all its handy tools and attachments
Join or create clubs (book club, sewing club, quilting club, etc.)
Make my own curtains
Take a few classes in interior decoration/design
Start a scholarship fund in memory/honor of my mom and dad
Get healthy and stay healthy
Exercise every day (lots of dogs = lots of walking)
Have a projector and a white screen so we can watch movies outside
Take the family to Disney World - all expenses paid by me
Have a totally awesome two year supply of food, water, and whatever else
Find a place to put a barn (because I like them)
Build a pergola
Share my garden crops with family and neighbors
Maybe learn to ride a horse (the thought actually scares me as much as I'd love to do it)
Pay off the homes (or buy homes for) a few of my very close friends
Live debt free (after the government sucked me dry paying off student loans, of course)
Make my own weed killer and perfect it (dang dandelions!)
Learn how to knit and crochet (but I don't know how much coordination it would take or if I have enough of it to manage)
Build up the town library with books, magazines, etc.
Start my own newspaper or magazine
Learn how to make pottery
Paint ceramics
Be organized (oh please let me win the lottery just for this one!)
Make a play house out of an Airstream trailer
Install a playground (a big one) on my property for the neighbor kids
Stay busy with civic stuff and be involved in the community
Maybe teach some music courses (big maybe - not sure if I'd enjoy this or not)
Spend every minute I possibly could with Mom
Have enough money, time, and strength to take care of Mom in her "old age", or provide the means for someone highly qualified to do it
That's a long list, I know. Basically, I just want to do good and have the time to do good. I'd retire, yes, but I'd live a VERY full life and not just sit around being dull or boring. A lot of good comes from donating, so I definitely want to do that, but I think more good comes from actually doing. I want to get out there and do good. Learning is also important, so that would be at the top of my list. Never stop learning.
The thing about winning the lottery is that you could let it all go to your head, blow all that money on cars or gambling or whatever, and never accomplish good in the world around you. That's what happens to a lot of people. There's even a well-known curse on lottery winners that most of them end up going bankrupt. For me, I want to have nice things (as in secure things, e.g. a nice home), but I'd like to spend my time learning, growing, and doing.
Think how much a community garden could benefit a neighborhood, especially if some of those neighbors were really struggling to eat (much less eat well) and what that good food would do for them and their families. The idea would be that I pay for what is planted and provide the property to grow it, but each family that wants to participate has their own little "plot" to care for. If they let it become overgrown with weeds they lose their portion. If they care for it and love it and encourage its growth, they reap the rewards when it's time to harvest. It's an "earn your keep" mentality, but also provides a way for the earning to be there for some people. It's just a cool idea I've been mulling over for years.
Same thing with the homes and vehicles for my siblings. I would want them to always have a place that they owned outright. And, of course, I'd want them to have a vehicle that was new and capable of getting where they needed when they needed to get there. I would want reliability for them, not just for me.
I realize much of these would take a lot of money to accomplish, but many of them would require mostly just time and effort. If I won the lottery and retired, I'd definitely have the time to put in the effort to make them happen. And a lot of lives could be blessed from that time and those efforts. How many people can afford to volunteer at a school? Not many, but it would be so much fun! Those kids would be able to teach you so much. What you could teach them would be invaluable as well. It's a win-win. And I'd love to do that kind of thing.
Wishful thinking, right? You can't win unless you play, right? All true, but it's fun to imagine what I could or would do! All good things, I hope. For now, I'll keep dreaming.
But there are some things I would like to do if I won the lottery. In no particular order, here they are (another list!):
Donate to Humanitarian Aid and other welfare-based charities
Retire early (I'd do this after a few years so I'd know how the money had "settled")
Design and build a house - a one level house that would be easy to get around in old age (the plans are already in my head, just need the cash to do it)
Buy property (like, 25 acres)
Adopt or buy more dogs
Spend a lot of time researching a successful way to build/run/manage a homeless shelter
Do Family History
Travel (in order to do Family History, of course)
Learn how to make my own cheese, yogurt, etc.
Grow a HUGE garden
Maybe even make a community garden (fun, right?)
Take all sorts of college courses on whatever topics I wanted
Make a gazillion quilts
Have a library in my house
Have an outdoor kitchen
Make sure each of my siblings had a home that was paid off and a vehicle (or two) that was paid off
Pay for a funeral plan and buy a cemetery plot
Make an iron-clad will
Volunteer at schools to help kids learn to read and write
Tutor for free
Make my own bread
Cook and cook and cook and bake and cook and bake and bake
Buy ATVs so I could ride with Mom
Learn photography and buy a very nice camera
Have an indoor gym and an outdoor tennis/basketball court
Make pajama pants for every family every year for Christmas
Write, write, write, write, write
Maybe even write a book
Buy an iMac so I can write a book
Projects, projects, projects - I could project every day
Do a lot of reading and studying
Visit the temples around the world
Build a cabin and property in the mountains so we have a family time share
Have a paved walking/running trail around my property
Have a built-in fire pit station
Plant a lot of trees
Grow fruit!
Eat better - a lot better because of all the cooking and baking
Regularly make homemade ice cream
Make my own pasta - with my Kitchenaid Mixer and all its handy tools and attachments
Join or create clubs (book club, sewing club, quilting club, etc.)
Make my own curtains
Take a few classes in interior decoration/design
Start a scholarship fund in memory/honor of my mom and dad
Get healthy and stay healthy
Exercise every day (lots of dogs = lots of walking)
Have a projector and a white screen so we can watch movies outside
Take the family to Disney World - all expenses paid by me
Have a totally awesome two year supply of food, water, and whatever else
Find a place to put a barn (because I like them)
Build a pergola
Share my garden crops with family and neighbors
Maybe learn to ride a horse (the thought actually scares me as much as I'd love to do it)
Pay off the homes (or buy homes for) a few of my very close friends
Live debt free (after the government sucked me dry paying off student loans, of course)
Make my own weed killer and perfect it (dang dandelions!)
Learn how to knit and crochet (but I don't know how much coordination it would take or if I have enough of it to manage)
Build up the town library with books, magazines, etc.
Start my own newspaper or magazine
Learn how to make pottery
Paint ceramics
Be organized (oh please let me win the lottery just for this one!)
Make a play house out of an Airstream trailer
Install a playground (a big one) on my property for the neighbor kids
Stay busy with civic stuff and be involved in the community
Maybe teach some music courses (big maybe - not sure if I'd enjoy this or not)
Spend every minute I possibly could with Mom
Have enough money, time, and strength to take care of Mom in her "old age", or provide the means for someone highly qualified to do it
That's a long list, I know. Basically, I just want to do good and have the time to do good. I'd retire, yes, but I'd live a VERY full life and not just sit around being dull or boring. A lot of good comes from donating, so I definitely want to do that, but I think more good comes from actually doing. I want to get out there and do good. Learning is also important, so that would be at the top of my list. Never stop learning.
The thing about winning the lottery is that you could let it all go to your head, blow all that money on cars or gambling or whatever, and never accomplish good in the world around you. That's what happens to a lot of people. There's even a well-known curse on lottery winners that most of them end up going bankrupt. For me, I want to have nice things (as in secure things, e.g. a nice home), but I'd like to spend my time learning, growing, and doing.
Think how much a community garden could benefit a neighborhood, especially if some of those neighbors were really struggling to eat (much less eat well) and what that good food would do for them and their families. The idea would be that I pay for what is planted and provide the property to grow it, but each family that wants to participate has their own little "plot" to care for. If they let it become overgrown with weeds they lose their portion. If they care for it and love it and encourage its growth, they reap the rewards when it's time to harvest. It's an "earn your keep" mentality, but also provides a way for the earning to be there for some people. It's just a cool idea I've been mulling over for years.
Same thing with the homes and vehicles for my siblings. I would want them to always have a place that they owned outright. And, of course, I'd want them to have a vehicle that was new and capable of getting where they needed when they needed to get there. I would want reliability for them, not just for me.
I realize much of these would take a lot of money to accomplish, but many of them would require mostly just time and effort. If I won the lottery and retired, I'd definitely have the time to put in the effort to make them happen. And a lot of lives could be blessed from that time and those efforts. How many people can afford to volunteer at a school? Not many, but it would be so much fun! Those kids would be able to teach you so much. What you could teach them would be invaluable as well. It's a win-win. And I'd love to do that kind of thing.
Wishful thinking, right? You can't win unless you play, right? All true, but it's fun to imagine what I could or would do! All good things, I hope. For now, I'll keep dreaming.
Saturday, May 16, 2015
My Name by the Decade
A friend of mine sent me this link: http://time.com/3856405/baby-name-popularity/#
You fill it out with your name, the year you were born, and your gender. From there, it gives the popularity of your name for the year you were born, and then gives the name in each decade that matched the popularity. So if your name was the 32nd most popular in the year you were born, it would give you the 32nd most popular name in each of the decades. Kind of fun to see!
My list went like this:
Name today would be Aurora (ew, ew, ew ... and sorry to any Auroras out there)
2000s would be Nancy (really?)
1990s would be Jacquelyn
1980s would be Yvonne
1970s would be Tonia
1960s would be Grace (I like!)
1950s would be Francine
1940s would be Irma
1930s would be Maggie (cute!)
1920s would be Angeline
1910s would be Johnnie
1900s would be Rena (huh?)
And 1890s would be Sue
It's kind of interesting to see how the trends go.
Now, if I put in my real name my list would be like this:
Name today would be Gabriella
2000s would be Briana
1990s would be Kristina
1980s would be Kristy
1970s would be Kristen
1960s would be Gloria
1950s would be Doris (Day?!)
1940s would be June
1930s would be Beatrice
1920s would be Marian
1900s would be Beulah (no, no, no!)
1900s would be Maude
1890s would be Lydia (pretty!)
Fun, huh? So, then I put in my middle name just for the heck of it. (The middle name that I really have, but that the government doesn't recognize? Yeah, that one.) And this is how that list went:
Name today would be Martha
2000s would be Viridiana (excuse me?)
1990s would be Dianne
1980s would be Anitra (what the?)
1970s would be Spring (um ... that's a season ...)
1960s would be Goldie (Hawn?!)
1950s would be Fredia
1940s would be Maxcine (the spelling?)
1930s would be Eilene
1920s would be Leocadia (are you kidding me right now?)
1910s would be Gayle
1900s would be Nezzie
1890s would be Rutha
You can just start calling me Nezzie now, thank you.
And finally, if I went by my Dad's nickname for me, the list would look like this:
Name today would be Nova (as in Super?)
2000s would be Aimee
1990s would be Kala (the spelling ... again)
1980s would be Wendi
1970s would be Lesa
1960s would be Clare
1950s would be Leola
1940s would be Nedra
1930s would be Augusta (kind of cool)
1920s would be Elsa (Anna's sister, you know - see Frozen, the movie)
1910s would be Claudie
1900s would be Winnifred
1890s would be Albertine
And Nezzie wins! Coolest name ever. Long live the Nezzter!
You fill it out with your name, the year you were born, and your gender. From there, it gives the popularity of your name for the year you were born, and then gives the name in each decade that matched the popularity. So if your name was the 32nd most popular in the year you were born, it would give you the 32nd most popular name in each of the decades. Kind of fun to see!
My list went like this:
Name today would be Aurora (ew, ew, ew ... and sorry to any Auroras out there)
2000s would be Nancy (really?)
1990s would be Jacquelyn
1980s would be Yvonne
1970s would be Tonia
1960s would be Grace (I like!)
1950s would be Francine
1940s would be Irma
1930s would be Maggie (cute!)
1920s would be Angeline
1910s would be Johnnie
1900s would be Rena (huh?)
And 1890s would be Sue
It's kind of interesting to see how the trends go.
Now, if I put in my real name my list would be like this:
Name today would be Gabriella
2000s would be Briana
1990s would be Kristina
1980s would be Kristy
1970s would be Kristen
1960s would be Gloria
1950s would be Doris (Day?!)
1940s would be June
1930s would be Beatrice
1920s would be Marian
1900s would be Beulah (no, no, no!)
1900s would be Maude
1890s would be Lydia (pretty!)
Fun, huh? So, then I put in my middle name just for the heck of it. (The middle name that I really have, but that the government doesn't recognize? Yeah, that one.) And this is how that list went:
Name today would be Martha
2000s would be Viridiana (excuse me?)
1990s would be Dianne
1980s would be Anitra (what the?)
1970s would be Spring (um ... that's a season ...)
1960s would be Goldie (Hawn?!)
1950s would be Fredia
1940s would be Maxcine (the spelling?)
1930s would be Eilene
1920s would be Leocadia (are you kidding me right now?)
1910s would be Gayle
1900s would be Nezzie
1890s would be Rutha
You can just start calling me Nezzie now, thank you.
And finally, if I went by my Dad's nickname for me, the list would look like this:
Name today would be Nova (as in Super?)
2000s would be Aimee
1990s would be Kala (the spelling ... again)
1980s would be Wendi
1970s would be Lesa
1960s would be Clare
1950s would be Leola
1940s would be Nedra
1930s would be Augusta (kind of cool)
1920s would be Elsa (Anna's sister, you know - see Frozen, the movie)
1910s would be Claudie
1900s would be Winnifred
1890s would be Albertine
And Nezzie wins! Coolest name ever. Long live the Nezzter!
Friday, May 15, 2015
Margarine (or, as it's sometimes called, Oleo)
Please don't judge me. I know (now) that it's strange I did this, but in reality a lot more people have done it than I ever could have imagined. The discussion has come up in some pretty random settings, and the people who have admitted to doing the same thing I did as a kid seem fairly normal and well-adjusted. Lest you think I was strange ....
As a kid, we never had butter in the house. It was always margarine. Maybe butter was too expensive? Or maybe it wasn't as readily available as it is today? I don't know the reasons, but I do know that Dad often complained (or lamented the fact) that we never had real butter in the house. I didn't know the difference, and I remember when I first tasted butter I thought it was gross. Now, the thoughts of eating margarine make me want to gag. I might cook with it if a recipe calls for it, but if I can replace it with butter instead, I will. Butter = better. And now I know why Dad lamented.
Anyway, we usually left the margarine out instead of keeping it refrigerated so it was soft and didn't rip our bread. This makes me think we also ate a lot of grilled cheese sandwiches. I hate it when the bread rips!
One particular day, I was left to my own devices, and the margarine was out, so I stuck my finger in and had a lick. And deemed it good. So I had another lick. And another. And pretty soon that stick of margarine was gone. (Don't ask. I'm dry heaving and gagging as I typed that out.) And, like a responsible child, I threw the wrapper away. No evidence!
Later, Mom came in the kitchen (probably to make dinner) and needed the margarine for something (grilled cheese sandwiches?), and it wasn't there. She asked me if I knew where the margarine was, and I said no. She went about making dinner, adjusted for the hard margarine instead of the soft, and things were fine.
Until she went to throw something in the trash and saw the wrapper.
UH OH.
And then I admitted my horrible deed. I can't remember, but I'm sure she probably looked at me like I was an alien from some foreign planet existing outside of the Milky Way. Or it might have just been a look of disgust. Because who eats just plain margarine?
A lot of people, I tell ya! A LOT!
Today, I don't do that. I'm smarter. More refined. And when nobody is looking, I might actually steel a little lick of butter. Not margarine. That's just gross. But butter? Mmmm. That's good stuff.
Thank you, Dad, for refining my palate.
And thank you, Mom, for keeping me after I ate the margarine. I'm sorry. It won't happen again.
As a kid, we never had butter in the house. It was always margarine. Maybe butter was too expensive? Or maybe it wasn't as readily available as it is today? I don't know the reasons, but I do know that Dad often complained (or lamented the fact) that we never had real butter in the house. I didn't know the difference, and I remember when I first tasted butter I thought it was gross. Now, the thoughts of eating margarine make me want to gag. I might cook with it if a recipe calls for it, but if I can replace it with butter instead, I will. Butter = better. And now I know why Dad lamented.
Anyway, we usually left the margarine out instead of keeping it refrigerated so it was soft and didn't rip our bread. This makes me think we also ate a lot of grilled cheese sandwiches. I hate it when the bread rips!
One particular day, I was left to my own devices, and the margarine was out, so I stuck my finger in and had a lick. And deemed it good. So I had another lick. And another. And pretty soon that stick of margarine was gone. (Don't ask. I'm dry heaving and gagging as I typed that out.) And, like a responsible child, I threw the wrapper away. No evidence!
Later, Mom came in the kitchen (probably to make dinner) and needed the margarine for something (grilled cheese sandwiches?), and it wasn't there. She asked me if I knew where the margarine was, and I said no. She went about making dinner, adjusted for the hard margarine instead of the soft, and things were fine.
Until she went to throw something in the trash and saw the wrapper.
UH OH.
And then I admitted my horrible deed. I can't remember, but I'm sure she probably looked at me like I was an alien from some foreign planet existing outside of the Milky Way. Or it might have just been a look of disgust. Because who eats just plain margarine?
A lot of people, I tell ya! A LOT!
Today, I don't do that. I'm smarter. More refined. And when nobody is looking, I might actually steel a little lick of butter. Not margarine. That's just gross. But butter? Mmmm. That's good stuff.
Thank you, Dad, for refining my palate.
And thank you, Mom, for keeping me after I ate the margarine. I'm sorry. It won't happen again.
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Rice Ortega
I have NO idea where this recipe came from, but Mom makes a mean Rice Ortega. We almost always eat it with Mexican food (tacos, burritos, etc.) as a side dish, but it can easily be put with other things as well. Or, you know, eaten as a meal all by itself, which we often do. It's so tasty and filling, and it just hits the spot when you need something warm and comforting.
Here's the recipe (Off the cuff, so no measurements - sorry! It's how we roll....)
Cook some Minute Rice in a large pot, or plan to transfer the cooked rice to a large bowl in order to mix it with the other items (usually 3-4 cups will do for a 13x9 pan and a good-sized crowd)
One carton of sour cream
One carton of cottage cheese
Shredded cheese (the more, the better, in my opinion)
Two (or more!) cans of diced green chilies (you can also use jalapenos here for some extra kick, but personally I think that makes it too hot)
Salt and pepper (season it until it tastes good to you)
Spray a 13x9 pan with non-stick spray really well. Make sure to get the corners. (Dairy sticks.)
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Once the rice is cooked, fluff it with a fork (transfer to a large bowl if necessary).
Add the sour cream, cottage cheese, diced chilies, salt and pepper, and a few handfuls of shredded cheese. Mix until well blended. You should be able to see flecks of the shredded cheese throughout the mixture. If you can't, I'd add more. (So I'm addicted to cheese ... you got a problem with that?!)
Spoon the mixture into the greased 13x9 pan and add more shredded cheese to the top.
Cover with tinfoil and place in the pre-heated oven; bake for 35-45 minutes until the cheese on top is melted. Uncover and bake for another five minutes.
Serve.
Eat.
LOVE!
Seriously though, this is so good. We just had some on Sunday for dinner, and it was some of the best Mom has ever made. It gets better and better the more you make it and fine tune it. I like it to be moist, so if you have to add more sour cream or cottage cheese don't be afraid to do it.
It's also fun to eat as a side with roast beef, chicken, or pork. Turkey not so much, but I'm weird about what I'll eat with turkey (mashed potatoes and gravy, duh). It adds a little extra bit of flavor to the meal without being overpowering or making a non-Mexican dinner suddenly turn into a Mexican meal.
Thanks to whoever taught Mom about this recipe. It's been a versatile part of our meals for as long as I can remember. Plus, it's cheap and feeds a crowd. You can't beat that when you're on a budget. And kids love it, too. Even with the green chilies, it's mild enough that kids will eat it and like it. Try it - I promise you'll like it, too!
Here's the recipe (Off the cuff, so no measurements - sorry! It's how we roll....)
Cook some Minute Rice in a large pot, or plan to transfer the cooked rice to a large bowl in order to mix it with the other items (usually 3-4 cups will do for a 13x9 pan and a good-sized crowd)
One carton of sour cream
One carton of cottage cheese
Shredded cheese (the more, the better, in my opinion)
Two (or more!) cans of diced green chilies (you can also use jalapenos here for some extra kick, but personally I think that makes it too hot)
Salt and pepper (season it until it tastes good to you)
Spray a 13x9 pan with non-stick spray really well. Make sure to get the corners. (Dairy sticks.)
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Once the rice is cooked, fluff it with a fork (transfer to a large bowl if necessary).
Add the sour cream, cottage cheese, diced chilies, salt and pepper, and a few handfuls of shredded cheese. Mix until well blended. You should be able to see flecks of the shredded cheese throughout the mixture. If you can't, I'd add more. (So I'm addicted to cheese ... you got a problem with that?!)
Spoon the mixture into the greased 13x9 pan and add more shredded cheese to the top.
Cover with tinfoil and place in the pre-heated oven; bake for 35-45 minutes until the cheese on top is melted. Uncover and bake for another five minutes.
Serve.
Eat.
LOVE!
Seriously though, this is so good. We just had some on Sunday for dinner, and it was some of the best Mom has ever made. It gets better and better the more you make it and fine tune it. I like it to be moist, so if you have to add more sour cream or cottage cheese don't be afraid to do it.
It's also fun to eat as a side with roast beef, chicken, or pork. Turkey not so much, but I'm weird about what I'll eat with turkey (mashed potatoes and gravy, duh). It adds a little extra bit of flavor to the meal without being overpowering or making a non-Mexican dinner suddenly turn into a Mexican meal.
Thanks to whoever taught Mom about this recipe. It's been a versatile part of our meals for as long as I can remember. Plus, it's cheap and feeds a crowd. You can't beat that when you're on a budget. And kids love it, too. Even with the green chilies, it's mild enough that kids will eat it and like it. Try it - I promise you'll like it, too!
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Strange Life Hacks
You know how some people come up with amazing and useful ideas for products that are already out there for another use and you wonder, "Why didn't I think of using it for that?" It happens to me all the time. Items I use every day have the potential to be life changing if I'd just stop and think about how else to use them. It dawned on me last night that I've come up with a few of my own that might be helpful for others, so I thought I'd jot them down and share them here.
This stuff
is not just for what the bottle indicates. Honestly, I don't have problems with what most people use this for, but I have had another problem it has completely eradicated from my life (as long as I'm consistent about its use). In the summer (mostly) I tend to get heat rashes. Whether it's in my armpits, under my breasts, in creases of skin, etc. - doesn't matter. (TMI? Sorry!) This beats those heat rashes into submission. Just make sure you've washed yourself well and dried off the affected area. Shake your bottle of MoM up, and apply it to the rash. It doesn't take much - just enough to cover the problem area. Voila! Let it dry, get dressed, go about your bizness. Overuse of water tends to dry out my skin, so I usually shower every other day and apply it when I get out. It does the job for 48 hours (it has for me, anyway), and I don't have to deal with the stupid heat rashes that itch and hurt and bother and annoy. It's been a lifesaver for me. No more misery! And it lasts a lot longer than hydrocortisone cream, which only masks the symptoms anyway.
This stuff
is not just for dandruff, people. Dandruff is not an issue for me, but I do tend to have a rather sensitive head when using certain shampoos and hair products. (It just plain itches!) Head and Shoulders was my go-to once a week ritual to get rid of the build up of products in my hair and level out the ph so my head didn't itch.
But then, I developed a problem with a stinky belly button. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get it (or keep it) dry enough to keep the stench away. It wasn't obvious to other people (at least nobody said anything ...), but it was terribly bothersome to me. I did some research online (the internet knows everything, right?) and found out that it's something about the zinc in this product that can prevent a lot of things if you use it as a body wash. For several weeks, I tried it, and lo! It works! I just use it on my loofah like a regular body wash. I actually buy both the 2-in-1 and the regular (without conditioner). The 2-in-1 I use on my hair and as body wash. It really helps keep my skin from drying out and itching. Plus, you can get it in other scents (the apple is kind of fun, especially as a body wash). The regular kind, without conditioner, I use on my face, and it has helped reduce face acne. Weird, right? Totally a life hack that has solved annoying problems.
Two other things that work great together are Q-tips and rubbing alcohol. Do you ever get swimmer's ear? Did you know that putting rubbing alcohol on the end of a Q-tip and placing it gently in your ear canal creates a "vacuum" effect on the water and sucks it out? I tilt my head to whichever side I'm cleaning out, and it works like a charm. Since it worked on my ears, I thought it would probably work for the wet belly button issue as well. The alcohol would suck the water out and dry it up - and I was right! After washing with Head and Shoulders, just dry out the belly button as good as possible, use some alcohol on a Q-tip, and then use the dry end of the Q-tip to dry out whatever fluid is left. It's legit, cheap, and totally works.
Mom and I have both been battling warts on our fingers. Well, hers is on her index finger, and mine is on my thumb. Hers is worse than mine, and she's had hers for ages. She even went to the dermatologist (three times?) because it was growing from under her fingernail, and they shot her finger full of stuff to "kill" the wart, but it still hasn't worked. What it did give her was a lot of pain and money out of her pocket. One day, I found this:
We've both been using it, and I think it's pretty much killed my wart dead (or it's on the way to death anyway). Mom's seems to be taking longer, but hers was also bigger than mine. We keep putting it on regularly (until it hurts too bad and the skin has peeled off) and I think it's been a relief to know we're at least helping the problem. And all of it is done without extra fees to visit a dermatologist.
When we use the wart stick, we use these bandages:
These are amazing! They let no water in, which basically lets the wart stick suffocate the wart. Brilliant! They're my go-to bandage for almost every owie. And I like that they come in the variety of sizes because sometimes you have a small cut and don't want to wear a HUGE bandage so that it's obvious. Plus, since they're clear, the only part you see is the bandage itself, and it's more of a flesh color which makes it not so obvious.
Lest you think that's all these bandages are good for, allow me to share a life hack. Several weeks ago I was having a really bad bout of insomnia. And I mean really bad. There was one night I only slept for an hour. That's ONE hour. I had to call in to work the next day and take a sick day because I was too afraid to drive the 60 miles to work for fear I'd kill myself or someone else. It was bad. And I couldn't figure out how the problem started because I've always been a pretty good sleeper. I like sleep! Sleep likes me!
Finally, one night I was lying in bed and just as I dozed off I woke up again. I realized it was because of a light that flickered on the air freshener in my room. I immediately got up and moved the air freshener to another part of the room, and it helped. I slept okay that night. But I've noticed since then that if I'm turned toward the air freshener at all and see the light (or my closed eyes detect it) it wakes me up. It doesn't matter how soundly I'm asleep, if it's detected by my eyes it wakes me. Rude!
We've moved a lot of stuff around at our house recently, so I had no idea where the electrical tape was (another life hack that dimmed the little lights on my white noise fan), and I was desperate to find another solution that would help. As I was showering one night, it dawned on me that I could use a small Nexcare bandage over the light and probably prevent it from bothering me, and it also meant I didn't have to dig through unmarked boxes to find the electrical tape. So I tried it. And it worked! I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of it sooner, but those bandages are MUCH more than bandages. They are sleep savers! Bless you Nexcare.
The laundry hack I rely on most is this:
This has literally saved too many of my clothes to count. Did you get grease on you? Treat it with this, let it sit for a few days, wash it. Problem solved. Did you get something oily (peanut butter) on you? Same thing. Did you spill curry sauce? Treat it with Dawn and let it sit for a couple of days. Then, treat it with a little liquid laundry detergent and let it sit for a few days. Wash it. The color is gone and so is the grease. Problem solved! It's rare that I go a laundry day without using Dawn to help me out. And it gets out grease stains that have been washed and dried, too. You have to let it sit a little longer and be sure to scrub it in with an old toothbrush or something, but it does work. It also doesn't add any more bubbly to your laundry water, which means you don't have to use an extra rinse because you've used it. Just wash it like normal and you're good to go. This one is a clothing saver.
I'll have to recognize and document more of the life hacks I use and share them. Maybe they're helpful, maybe they're not. I just figure if they worked for me maybe they'll work for someone else. And if it's any help, I've used the generic in some of these items (except for the Q-tips, wart stick, Nexcare bandages, and Dawn). The MoM, Head and Shoulders, and rubbing alcohol don't have to be any name brand as long as they're comparable to the original. The Walmart or other pharmacy brands work just as well. Plus, buying them in generic is cheaper, and using shampoo instead of body wash is cheaper, too.
I love it when a product invented to do a certain thing ends up doing more than that. I bet there are millions of things we could find to do with products that already exist and we don't even know it yet. Kudos to inventors of products that end up being multi-use and multi-purpose. You were inspired!
This stuff
is not just for what the bottle indicates. Honestly, I don't have problems with what most people use this for, but I have had another problem it has completely eradicated from my life (as long as I'm consistent about its use). In the summer (mostly) I tend to get heat rashes. Whether it's in my armpits, under my breasts, in creases of skin, etc. - doesn't matter. (TMI? Sorry!) This beats those heat rashes into submission. Just make sure you've washed yourself well and dried off the affected area. Shake your bottle of MoM up, and apply it to the rash. It doesn't take much - just enough to cover the problem area. Voila! Let it dry, get dressed, go about your bizness. Overuse of water tends to dry out my skin, so I usually shower every other day and apply it when I get out. It does the job for 48 hours (it has for me, anyway), and I don't have to deal with the stupid heat rashes that itch and hurt and bother and annoy. It's been a lifesaver for me. No more misery! And it lasts a lot longer than hydrocortisone cream, which only masks the symptoms anyway.
This stuff
is not just for dandruff, people. Dandruff is not an issue for me, but I do tend to have a rather sensitive head when using certain shampoos and hair products. (It just plain itches!) Head and Shoulders was my go-to once a week ritual to get rid of the build up of products in my hair and level out the ph so my head didn't itch.
But then, I developed a problem with a stinky belly button. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get it (or keep it) dry enough to keep the stench away. It wasn't obvious to other people (at least nobody said anything ...), but it was terribly bothersome to me. I did some research online (the internet knows everything, right?) and found out that it's something about the zinc in this product that can prevent a lot of things if you use it as a body wash. For several weeks, I tried it, and lo! It works! I just use it on my loofah like a regular body wash. I actually buy both the 2-in-1 and the regular (without conditioner). The 2-in-1 I use on my hair and as body wash. It really helps keep my skin from drying out and itching. Plus, you can get it in other scents (the apple is kind of fun, especially as a body wash). The regular kind, without conditioner, I use on my face, and it has helped reduce face acne. Weird, right? Totally a life hack that has solved annoying problems.
Two other things that work great together are Q-tips and rubbing alcohol. Do you ever get swimmer's ear? Did you know that putting rubbing alcohol on the end of a Q-tip and placing it gently in your ear canal creates a "vacuum" effect on the water and sucks it out? I tilt my head to whichever side I'm cleaning out, and it works like a charm. Since it worked on my ears, I thought it would probably work for the wet belly button issue as well. The alcohol would suck the water out and dry it up - and I was right! After washing with Head and Shoulders, just dry out the belly button as good as possible, use some alcohol on a Q-tip, and then use the dry end of the Q-tip to dry out whatever fluid is left. It's legit, cheap, and totally works.
Mom and I have both been battling warts on our fingers. Well, hers is on her index finger, and mine is on my thumb. Hers is worse than mine, and she's had hers for ages. She even went to the dermatologist (three times?) because it was growing from under her fingernail, and they shot her finger full of stuff to "kill" the wart, but it still hasn't worked. What it did give her was a lot of pain and money out of her pocket. One day, I found this:
We've both been using it, and I think it's pretty much killed my wart dead (or it's on the way to death anyway). Mom's seems to be taking longer, but hers was also bigger than mine. We keep putting it on regularly (until it hurts too bad and the skin has peeled off) and I think it's been a relief to know we're at least helping the problem. And all of it is done without extra fees to visit a dermatologist.
When we use the wart stick, we use these bandages:
These are amazing! They let no water in, which basically lets the wart stick suffocate the wart. Brilliant! They're my go-to bandage for almost every owie. And I like that they come in the variety of sizes because sometimes you have a small cut and don't want to wear a HUGE bandage so that it's obvious. Plus, since they're clear, the only part you see is the bandage itself, and it's more of a flesh color which makes it not so obvious.
Lest you think that's all these bandages are good for, allow me to share a life hack. Several weeks ago I was having a really bad bout of insomnia. And I mean really bad. There was one night I only slept for an hour. That's ONE hour. I had to call in to work the next day and take a sick day because I was too afraid to drive the 60 miles to work for fear I'd kill myself or someone else. It was bad. And I couldn't figure out how the problem started because I've always been a pretty good sleeper. I like sleep! Sleep likes me!
Finally, one night I was lying in bed and just as I dozed off I woke up again. I realized it was because of a light that flickered on the air freshener in my room. I immediately got up and moved the air freshener to another part of the room, and it helped. I slept okay that night. But I've noticed since then that if I'm turned toward the air freshener at all and see the light (or my closed eyes detect it) it wakes me up. It doesn't matter how soundly I'm asleep, if it's detected by my eyes it wakes me. Rude!
We've moved a lot of stuff around at our house recently, so I had no idea where the electrical tape was (another life hack that dimmed the little lights on my white noise fan), and I was desperate to find another solution that would help. As I was showering one night, it dawned on me that I could use a small Nexcare bandage over the light and probably prevent it from bothering me, and it also meant I didn't have to dig through unmarked boxes to find the electrical tape. So I tried it. And it worked! I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of it sooner, but those bandages are MUCH more than bandages. They are sleep savers! Bless you Nexcare.
The laundry hack I rely on most is this:
This has literally saved too many of my clothes to count. Did you get grease on you? Treat it with this, let it sit for a few days, wash it. Problem solved. Did you get something oily (peanut butter) on you? Same thing. Did you spill curry sauce? Treat it with Dawn and let it sit for a couple of days. Then, treat it with a little liquid laundry detergent and let it sit for a few days. Wash it. The color is gone and so is the grease. Problem solved! It's rare that I go a laundry day without using Dawn to help me out. And it gets out grease stains that have been washed and dried, too. You have to let it sit a little longer and be sure to scrub it in with an old toothbrush or something, but it does work. It also doesn't add any more bubbly to your laundry water, which means you don't have to use an extra rinse because you've used it. Just wash it like normal and you're good to go. This one is a clothing saver.
I'll have to recognize and document more of the life hacks I use and share them. Maybe they're helpful, maybe they're not. I just figure if they worked for me maybe they'll work for someone else. And if it's any help, I've used the generic in some of these items (except for the Q-tips, wart stick, Nexcare bandages, and Dawn). The MoM, Head and Shoulders, and rubbing alcohol don't have to be any name brand as long as they're comparable to the original. The Walmart or other pharmacy brands work just as well. Plus, buying them in generic is cheaper, and using shampoo instead of body wash is cheaper, too.
I love it when a product invented to do a certain thing ends up doing more than that. I bet there are millions of things we could find to do with products that already exist and we don't even know it yet. Kudos to inventors of products that end up being multi-use and multi-purpose. You were inspired!
Friday, May 8, 2015
The Green (With Envy) Dress
Mom was quite the seamstress, but she did NOT enjoy sewing. She was good at it, but it was probably one of the things she disliked doing the most. When she did pull out the old sewing machine and put up the card table and go to work, I would find things to do under the card table so I could be near her and watch whatever creation she was working on. I'm sure that playing Barbies interfered with her use of the foot pedal more than once, but she never really complained.
One year for Easter, Mom decided to make me an Easter dress. There was another lady in our ward who loved to sew and was also great at it. This lady sewed every day, whether it was an article of clothing, making a repair to something, or just whipping up something for fun, she sewed every day. Contrast that to Mom who only sewed when she absolutely had to because nothing else made her pull her hair out quite as much as sitting at the sewing machine. The fact that she wanted to sew an Easter dress for me was huge. I didn't know she was making me a dress though. She kept it quiet and surprised me.
The dress was beautiful. I still think of it often and remember how pretty I felt in it. It was a very light green, almost mint colored. There was a pattern of white throughout the green fabric that almost looked like a floral pattern, but not quite so florally that it was obvious. It was delicate, not powerful or overbearing. The fabric had more of an embroidered feel to it. It was an interesting texture. I remember the dress had a collar and a long tie that made a big bow in the back. It came to just below my knees and poofed out just below the waist. For some reason, I remember there was kind of a band around the middle. It wasn't too wide, but it wasn't so small it couldn't be noticed. The sleeves were short and a little bit poofy so that they stood up just off the shoulders. That poof made me feel just a little bit taller. I think I was probably six or maybe seven when Mom made that dress. I'm not sure how long I wore it, but I remember being sad when it didn't fit anymore.
The other lady in the ward that loved to sew had a daughter that was just a couple of months older than me. Her daughter also went to Church in a new Easter dress, but it wasn't anything to write home about. I think it was a lighter red dress with a white apron (?) over the top that was trimmed in lace. It was pretty, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't pastel and filled with Spring like my Easter dress. I distinctly remember sitting next to this girl in the red dress on Easter Sunday in our Primary group. We were friends, after all, so sitting together is just what we did. I complimented her on her Easter dress and she asked, "Where did you get your dress?" I told her, proudly, that my mom made it for me. With a scowl on her face she said, "Oh."
At six or seven you think that's about it, right? Big deal, someone has a dress, yada, yada. Oh, no. That is NOT how this other mother worked. The daughter went home and told her all about my dress, how my mom had made it for me, how it was pretty and green and light and Easter-y. Well, they couldn't have that! They couldn't have me "one-upping" the daughter, especially on Easter. How dare we?! So, her mom got to work the next day. And, from what I understand now, she spent that entire week putting together a dress for her daughter that "exceeded" the dress my mom had made for me.
You know what I remember about the week after Easter? Nothing. Not. one. thing. Mom was the one who told me, years later, about the Easter fiasco when I came to Church in a new homemade green dress.I don't remember my friend having a new dress or what the dress looked like or anything. I don't even remember complimenting her on the dress. Why? Because I was still wearing my mint green Easter dress the following week. (And probably for several weeks after that; I liked it that much.)
The interesting thing, to me, about all of this is that when I see pictures of me in that dress I have nothing but feelings of fondness. I reflect back on how beautiful I felt and how special it was that my mom devoted her time and effort to making me a new dress. I am flooded with memories of being under the card table and watching fabric fall to the ground and bounce all around me as it was shifted in the sewing machine by Mom. I think of the times I fell asleep under the sewing machine, being lulled into slumber by it's humming as Mom pressed the foot pedal. And I feel some sadness for the other girl whose mother thought it was all a competition and that more had to be done to impress the masses. It's sadness that it became a selfish thing for her mother, and probably for her, to "out do" someone else.
Having that green dress taught me a wonderful lesson, one that I'll probably never forget. The lesson is this: you never know as a parent what things you will do that will make your children feel beautiful, but do the good things anyway, and take comfort in the fact that when your children feel beautiful (and you've helped them feel beautiful) it will stay with them forever.
Do not be the mother or father that has to "out do" the other parents. That's not how winners act or what winners do.
The winner is my mother because she not only helped me feel beautiful and special and loved, but because she didn't give in to the other mother's whacky ideas about what was important and compete with her over a stupid dress. There is so much more to life than who has the better dress (homemade or not), and if you're teaching your kids that being better is all that matters, you're creating a monster that the rest of society gets to deal with and clean up after. Just stop. Stop it now.
Create moments of beauty and love instead. Then, everyone's a winner.
One year for Easter, Mom decided to make me an Easter dress. There was another lady in our ward who loved to sew and was also great at it. This lady sewed every day, whether it was an article of clothing, making a repair to something, or just whipping up something for fun, she sewed every day. Contrast that to Mom who only sewed when she absolutely had to because nothing else made her pull her hair out quite as much as sitting at the sewing machine. The fact that she wanted to sew an Easter dress for me was huge. I didn't know she was making me a dress though. She kept it quiet and surprised me.
The dress was beautiful. I still think of it often and remember how pretty I felt in it. It was a very light green, almost mint colored. There was a pattern of white throughout the green fabric that almost looked like a floral pattern, but not quite so florally that it was obvious. It was delicate, not powerful or overbearing. The fabric had more of an embroidered feel to it. It was an interesting texture. I remember the dress had a collar and a long tie that made a big bow in the back. It came to just below my knees and poofed out just below the waist. For some reason, I remember there was kind of a band around the middle. It wasn't too wide, but it wasn't so small it couldn't be noticed. The sleeves were short and a little bit poofy so that they stood up just off the shoulders. That poof made me feel just a little bit taller. I think I was probably six or maybe seven when Mom made that dress. I'm not sure how long I wore it, but I remember being sad when it didn't fit anymore.
The other lady in the ward that loved to sew had a daughter that was just a couple of months older than me. Her daughter also went to Church in a new Easter dress, but it wasn't anything to write home about. I think it was a lighter red dress with a white apron (?) over the top that was trimmed in lace. It was pretty, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't pastel and filled with Spring like my Easter dress. I distinctly remember sitting next to this girl in the red dress on Easter Sunday in our Primary group. We were friends, after all, so sitting together is just what we did. I complimented her on her Easter dress and she asked, "Where did you get your dress?" I told her, proudly, that my mom made it for me. With a scowl on her face she said, "Oh."
At six or seven you think that's about it, right? Big deal, someone has a dress, yada, yada. Oh, no. That is NOT how this other mother worked. The daughter went home and told her all about my dress, how my mom had made it for me, how it was pretty and green and light and Easter-y. Well, they couldn't have that! They couldn't have me "one-upping" the daughter, especially on Easter. How dare we?! So, her mom got to work the next day. And, from what I understand now, she spent that entire week putting together a dress for her daughter that "exceeded" the dress my mom had made for me.
You know what I remember about the week after Easter? Nothing. Not. one. thing. Mom was the one who told me, years later, about the Easter fiasco when I came to Church in a new homemade green dress.I don't remember my friend having a new dress or what the dress looked like or anything. I don't even remember complimenting her on the dress. Why? Because I was still wearing my mint green Easter dress the following week. (And probably for several weeks after that; I liked it that much.)
The interesting thing, to me, about all of this is that when I see pictures of me in that dress I have nothing but feelings of fondness. I reflect back on how beautiful I felt and how special it was that my mom devoted her time and effort to making me a new dress. I am flooded with memories of being under the card table and watching fabric fall to the ground and bounce all around me as it was shifted in the sewing machine by Mom. I think of the times I fell asleep under the sewing machine, being lulled into slumber by it's humming as Mom pressed the foot pedal. And I feel some sadness for the other girl whose mother thought it was all a competition and that more had to be done to impress the masses. It's sadness that it became a selfish thing for her mother, and probably for her, to "out do" someone else.
Having that green dress taught me a wonderful lesson, one that I'll probably never forget. The lesson is this: you never know as a parent what things you will do that will make your children feel beautiful, but do the good things anyway, and take comfort in the fact that when your children feel beautiful (and you've helped them feel beautiful) it will stay with them forever.
Do not be the mother or father that has to "out do" the other parents. That's not how winners act or what winners do.
The winner is my mother because she not only helped me feel beautiful and special and loved, but because she didn't give in to the other mother's whacky ideas about what was important and compete with her over a stupid dress. There is so much more to life than who has the better dress (homemade or not), and if you're teaching your kids that being better is all that matters, you're creating a monster that the rest of society gets to deal with and clean up after. Just stop. Stop it now.
Create moments of beauty and love instead. Then, everyone's a winner.
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Places I Want to Go
1. Ireland
It's just so green there. Plus, they have a coast line. Sheep and goats and other animals graze freely. The countryside looks so beautiful. It feels cozy to me. I've been to Europe, and this would definitely take me back to some of those fond memories. Even if I had to see "another damn castle" (which is another story for another day). Ireland is definitely on the top of my list of places to visit.
2. Scotland
For many of the same reasons as Ireland. But there are also the bagpipes and the very cool and very distinct accent. I could just go and listen to people speak. That would be an expensive trip to hear people speak, no? It's green in Scotland, too, which makes things feel cozy. I don't know why that is though. Maybe because I grew up in a desert?
3. Switzerland (again)
I've been to Switzerland (Bern) and loved it. We stayed in a hotel where all the bedding was down filled. The bed was even down filled. It was heaven! Plus, the Swiss people are very gracious and like visitors. It wasn't like France where they tried to pull the "good" food from the Americans and save it for their other guests. And the cities and streets are clean. They're not rat-infested like the tube in Paris. I have fond memories of Switzerland and really, really want to go back some day. The plan was to retire there, but the American dollar makes that impossible if you're not a millionaire.
4. Hawaii
This is kind of a strange one for me because I'm not a fan of the water. I don't surf or scuba dive or enjoy being in or near the water at all. Beaches are okay, but I'm not a fan of large masses of people, so the main island beaches would be taxing on me. I think the draw to Hawaii is that it's part of America, but it's so different from every other part of the country. I have friends who live in Hawaii, and they live a very laid back, relaxed lifestyle. It would do me good to slow down a bit and soak up the fact that we're living and breathing on this planet every day, you know? I would definitely have to visit a pineapple plantation, and I would want to send home 5,000 pounds of coconut. I've heard the swap meets there are pretty amazing, so that would be fun, too.
5. Alaska
This is another frontier of America that seems so different than all the rest. I'm not really an outdoorsy girl, but I do love to see a bear or a moose or other animals roaming around. (Not close to me, but close enough that I can see them.) Alaska has some of the best fishing in the world. Not that I would fish for it, but I would totally pay someone to catch me some salmon and halibut and have it shipped back to the home front for my enjoyment. We have neighbors who live in Alaska part-time, so occasionally we get to share in their fish goods. The only drawback is knowing that Alaska is freaking cold eight months out of the year, and much of that time it's also dark. I couldn't live there, but a summer visit for a few weeks would be incredible.
6. The Antarctic/Arctic
I just want to see a polar bear and penguins up close in their habitat, okay? And then I want to be on a nice, warm plane back to civilization. No, I do not want to sleep in ice caves.
7. Greece
The draw for Greece are the photos you always see of the white and blue houses lined up on the hillside and not plunging into the sea. It looks so quaint. There's also a lot of history in Greece, so it would be interesting to get in on that kind of tour and really hear it from the locals. The problem with Greece is the food. I've heard both good and bad things about it. I'd probably have to find one or two things I really loved and just stick with those the entire trip. Totally worth it though.
8. Spain
I don't even know what to say about Spain. The people, the culture, the food, the history. It would be so amazing to spend time there and soak in the local atmosphere. In order to make this trip, however, I'd totally have to brush up on the Spanish speaking skills. As in I'd have to learn Spanish all over again to make this trip worthwhile. How cool would it be to speak the language and know exactly what people were talking about without having to use a dictionary?
9. Italy
The food! That's the main draw to Italy. I love Italian food. I like the spices, the flavors, the pastas, and the cheeses. This trip would be at the very top if I could shadow a professional chef for six weeks while I was there and then take another six weeks to explore the countryside. There are so many different flavors in Italy, too. The food in the north is different than the food in the south or east or west. I would definitely need time to explore all of it. Plus, colorful houses. Fun, fun!
10. Puerto Rico
I think this would be the best trip to observe people. The Latin cultures really live it up, and I would love to watch as people lived their lives and found happiness in every day things. There's sand here, too, so I could get the beach experience without having to go in the water. Do they have nude beaches? I might have to re-think that part of the trip.
11. New Zealand
We had a guy from New Zealand who lived in our ward, and I loved to listen to him talk. This is another place of accents that I would love to visit and just listen as people talked. New Zealand also has green and a coastline and history and good food. The problem is the water. I don't like boats, and I tend to get motion sick, so as long as everyone understood we go nowhere on a boat I'd be fine.
12. Australia
For all the same reasons as New Zealand, but I'd also like to see the outback portion of Australia. I want to see a kangaroo up close and in real life. I want to see koalas and elephants. The dust would definitely not do me good, and I'm not willing to camp out anywhere (shower and toilet, yes please!). I'd love to see the whole of this country though.
13. British Columbia
I don't know why, but the western part of Canada really intrigues me. I don't really care about visiting the eastern part of the country, although I'm sure it's very nice. In British Columbia you get to fly to certain areas because you have to cross water. How cool would it be to take one of those planes that lands on water? Could you imagine commuting to work like that every day? Awesome. Probably expensive though.
14. Hungary
I'd have to go with Mom though because she loved Hungary when she visited. It would be fun to have her along for her previous perspective and be able to discover and explore new things with her. Budapest is of special interest here, but Mom would definitely have to be with me.
15. Prague
Same reasons as Hungary, and Mom would also have to travel with me.
16. Jerusalem
If it weren't for all the violence in that region I would be on a plane right now and plant myself in the middle of the Holy Land and not come home for three months or until I'd seen the whole place. It would be incredible to walk the same streets that the Savior walked. Obviously, the streets today look different than they did then, but I bet there's a spirit about them that would be amazing to feel and carry with you. My guess is Mom would have to come on this one, too.
17. Peru
Mom really wants to see Macchu Pichu. I'm game for that. I think there's a lot more to this country though. One of my former bosses lived in Peru for a while, and he invited us to come and stay with them if we could afford a ticket there. I'd love that. We could explore by day, crash at night, and start all over again. This would definitely need to be an extended vacation though.
18. Mexico (again)
We only saw a few little cities in the state of Morelia while we were in Mexico. We stayed in Mexico City at the beginning and end of our trip, but there's not much there I'd be interested in seeing again. I would, however, love to return to the country for other areas (Cancun) and walk on those sandy beaches in the blazing sun. The trouble is a lot of the places are saturated with visitors, so I'd have to go at a time when the rest of the populace was elsewhere. This would probably require a bit of research, and it would definitely need to be an extended vacation.
19. Chile
I want to see where my parents met. My feelings about Chile are very special, and yet I know very little about the place. I want to go and experience the history there. There are different foods and cultures. I'd want to see the European influence and the Spanish influence in the way the cities are built and the homes designed and the neighborhoods developed. This would have to be more than an extended vacation. It would need to be weeks of time, even months, in order to savor it all.
20. Wales
Home of some of my ancestry. I would love to visit Wales and learn more about the history and culture there. It might give some insight as to why I am the way I am. More than anything, I feel a draw to this place because people from there sacrificed so much in order for me to have what I have today. I owe those people a lot. It would be fitting to pay tribute by visiting their land and realizing their circumstances and life experiences.
21. Iceland
For the same reason as Wales. I feel like I can't pronounce any Icelandic name on my family tree, and I want to change that. I don't feel a strong pull to learn the language, but I do want to see where my family members lived and breathed and worked and rallied.
22. Belgium
The architecture is kind of what pulls me toward Belgium. I like how there are streets lined up against the water (like Venice), but that it has a European feel and flair. The country is OLD, so you know there's a ton of history there. I'd love to walk the streets and soak it all in.
23. Philippines
My grandparents served a mission to the Philippines. My grandfather also served in WWII there. I would love to see this country and meet the people. I understand the culture is very distinct, the people are very good and kind and humble, and the environment is amazing. It wouldn't surprise me if Grandpa had mixed feelings about serving his mission in a place where he fought for America's freedom. It had to be kind of bitter sweet. I want to go for myself so that I have fond memories of the place.
24. Sweden and Norway
I combined these two because it's for the same reason: to see where my ancestry came from. A few years ago, my mom was offered a beta DNA test through Ancestry.com. My dad had just passed away, so we were trying to determine where he came from since many of their family records were lost in fires or records just weren't kept. The DNA test came back with an original finding that I was 94% Nordic and 6% Other. Those are some strong Nordic ties. I'd love to get there and feel the countries. There is history there, too, and I'd love to experience it.
25. England (again)
England, like Switzerland, was a great experience. I'm still confused by the whole pound v. American dollar transaction rates, etc., but I would love to go back. We did some of the major touristy things while we were there (watched the changing of the guard, saw Big Ben, etc.), so I'd love to go more into the countryside and visit the nooks and crannies of the country that we missed. This is another place where the accents are killer, so you would probably find me lost in a crowd just listening to people talk. That's why this would have to be another one of those months of vacation places.
There you have it! My top 25 places I want to go. The order shifts around sometimes depending on what I'm feeling drawn to at the moment, so these aren't really in a particular order. Ranking them would be too difficult. They're all great!
Now, I've either got to work on winning the lottery or making millions at work in order to visit them all. Wish me luck!
It's just so green there. Plus, they have a coast line. Sheep and goats and other animals graze freely. The countryside looks so beautiful. It feels cozy to me. I've been to Europe, and this would definitely take me back to some of those fond memories. Even if I had to see "another damn castle" (which is another story for another day). Ireland is definitely on the top of my list of places to visit.
2. Scotland
For many of the same reasons as Ireland. But there are also the bagpipes and the very cool and very distinct accent. I could just go and listen to people speak. That would be an expensive trip to hear people speak, no? It's green in Scotland, too, which makes things feel cozy. I don't know why that is though. Maybe because I grew up in a desert?
3. Switzerland (again)
I've been to Switzerland (Bern) and loved it. We stayed in a hotel where all the bedding was down filled. The bed was even down filled. It was heaven! Plus, the Swiss people are very gracious and like visitors. It wasn't like France where they tried to pull the "good" food from the Americans and save it for their other guests. And the cities and streets are clean. They're not rat-infested like the tube in Paris. I have fond memories of Switzerland and really, really want to go back some day. The plan was to retire there, but the American dollar makes that impossible if you're not a millionaire.
4. Hawaii
This is kind of a strange one for me because I'm not a fan of the water. I don't surf or scuba dive or enjoy being in or near the water at all. Beaches are okay, but I'm not a fan of large masses of people, so the main island beaches would be taxing on me. I think the draw to Hawaii is that it's part of America, but it's so different from every other part of the country. I have friends who live in Hawaii, and they live a very laid back, relaxed lifestyle. It would do me good to slow down a bit and soak up the fact that we're living and breathing on this planet every day, you know? I would definitely have to visit a pineapple plantation, and I would want to send home 5,000 pounds of coconut. I've heard the swap meets there are pretty amazing, so that would be fun, too.
5. Alaska
This is another frontier of America that seems so different than all the rest. I'm not really an outdoorsy girl, but I do love to see a bear or a moose or other animals roaming around. (Not close to me, but close enough that I can see them.) Alaska has some of the best fishing in the world. Not that I would fish for it, but I would totally pay someone to catch me some salmon and halibut and have it shipped back to the home front for my enjoyment. We have neighbors who live in Alaska part-time, so occasionally we get to share in their fish goods. The only drawback is knowing that Alaska is freaking cold eight months out of the year, and much of that time it's also dark. I couldn't live there, but a summer visit for a few weeks would be incredible.
6. The Antarctic/Arctic
I just want to see a polar bear and penguins up close in their habitat, okay? And then I want to be on a nice, warm plane back to civilization. No, I do not want to sleep in ice caves.
7. Greece
The draw for Greece are the photos you always see of the white and blue houses lined up on the hillside and not plunging into the sea. It looks so quaint. There's also a lot of history in Greece, so it would be interesting to get in on that kind of tour and really hear it from the locals. The problem with Greece is the food. I've heard both good and bad things about it. I'd probably have to find one or two things I really loved and just stick with those the entire trip. Totally worth it though.
8. Spain
I don't even know what to say about Spain. The people, the culture, the food, the history. It would be so amazing to spend time there and soak in the local atmosphere. In order to make this trip, however, I'd totally have to brush up on the Spanish speaking skills. As in I'd have to learn Spanish all over again to make this trip worthwhile. How cool would it be to speak the language and know exactly what people were talking about without having to use a dictionary?
9. Italy
The food! That's the main draw to Italy. I love Italian food. I like the spices, the flavors, the pastas, and the cheeses. This trip would be at the very top if I could shadow a professional chef for six weeks while I was there and then take another six weeks to explore the countryside. There are so many different flavors in Italy, too. The food in the north is different than the food in the south or east or west. I would definitely need time to explore all of it. Plus, colorful houses. Fun, fun!
10. Puerto Rico
I think this would be the best trip to observe people. The Latin cultures really live it up, and I would love to watch as people lived their lives and found happiness in every day things. There's sand here, too, so I could get the beach experience without having to go in the water. Do they have nude beaches? I might have to re-think that part of the trip.
11. New Zealand
We had a guy from New Zealand who lived in our ward, and I loved to listen to him talk. This is another place of accents that I would love to visit and just listen as people talked. New Zealand also has green and a coastline and history and good food. The problem is the water. I don't like boats, and I tend to get motion sick, so as long as everyone understood we go nowhere on a boat I'd be fine.
12. Australia
For all the same reasons as New Zealand, but I'd also like to see the outback portion of Australia. I want to see a kangaroo up close and in real life. I want to see koalas and elephants. The dust would definitely not do me good, and I'm not willing to camp out anywhere (shower and toilet, yes please!). I'd love to see the whole of this country though.
13. British Columbia
I don't know why, but the western part of Canada really intrigues me. I don't really care about visiting the eastern part of the country, although I'm sure it's very nice. In British Columbia you get to fly to certain areas because you have to cross water. How cool would it be to take one of those planes that lands on water? Could you imagine commuting to work like that every day? Awesome. Probably expensive though.
14. Hungary
I'd have to go with Mom though because she loved Hungary when she visited. It would be fun to have her along for her previous perspective and be able to discover and explore new things with her. Budapest is of special interest here, but Mom would definitely have to be with me.
15. Prague
Same reasons as Hungary, and Mom would also have to travel with me.
16. Jerusalem
If it weren't for all the violence in that region I would be on a plane right now and plant myself in the middle of the Holy Land and not come home for three months or until I'd seen the whole place. It would be incredible to walk the same streets that the Savior walked. Obviously, the streets today look different than they did then, but I bet there's a spirit about them that would be amazing to feel and carry with you. My guess is Mom would have to come on this one, too.
17. Peru
Mom really wants to see Macchu Pichu. I'm game for that. I think there's a lot more to this country though. One of my former bosses lived in Peru for a while, and he invited us to come and stay with them if we could afford a ticket there. I'd love that. We could explore by day, crash at night, and start all over again. This would definitely need to be an extended vacation though.
18. Mexico (again)
We only saw a few little cities in the state of Morelia while we were in Mexico. We stayed in Mexico City at the beginning and end of our trip, but there's not much there I'd be interested in seeing again. I would, however, love to return to the country for other areas (Cancun) and walk on those sandy beaches in the blazing sun. The trouble is a lot of the places are saturated with visitors, so I'd have to go at a time when the rest of the populace was elsewhere. This would probably require a bit of research, and it would definitely need to be an extended vacation.
19. Chile
I want to see where my parents met. My feelings about Chile are very special, and yet I know very little about the place. I want to go and experience the history there. There are different foods and cultures. I'd want to see the European influence and the Spanish influence in the way the cities are built and the homes designed and the neighborhoods developed. This would have to be more than an extended vacation. It would need to be weeks of time, even months, in order to savor it all.
20. Wales
Home of some of my ancestry. I would love to visit Wales and learn more about the history and culture there. It might give some insight as to why I am the way I am. More than anything, I feel a draw to this place because people from there sacrificed so much in order for me to have what I have today. I owe those people a lot. It would be fitting to pay tribute by visiting their land and realizing their circumstances and life experiences.
21. Iceland
For the same reason as Wales. I feel like I can't pronounce any Icelandic name on my family tree, and I want to change that. I don't feel a strong pull to learn the language, but I do want to see where my family members lived and breathed and worked and rallied.
22. Belgium
The architecture is kind of what pulls me toward Belgium. I like how there are streets lined up against the water (like Venice), but that it has a European feel and flair. The country is OLD, so you know there's a ton of history there. I'd love to walk the streets and soak it all in.
23. Philippines
My grandparents served a mission to the Philippines. My grandfather also served in WWII there. I would love to see this country and meet the people. I understand the culture is very distinct, the people are very good and kind and humble, and the environment is amazing. It wouldn't surprise me if Grandpa had mixed feelings about serving his mission in a place where he fought for America's freedom. It had to be kind of bitter sweet. I want to go for myself so that I have fond memories of the place.
24. Sweden and Norway
I combined these two because it's for the same reason: to see where my ancestry came from. A few years ago, my mom was offered a beta DNA test through Ancestry.com. My dad had just passed away, so we were trying to determine where he came from since many of their family records were lost in fires or records just weren't kept. The DNA test came back with an original finding that I was 94% Nordic and 6% Other. Those are some strong Nordic ties. I'd love to get there and feel the countries. There is history there, too, and I'd love to experience it.
25. England (again)
England, like Switzerland, was a great experience. I'm still confused by the whole pound v. American dollar transaction rates, etc., but I would love to go back. We did some of the major touristy things while we were there (watched the changing of the guard, saw Big Ben, etc.), so I'd love to go more into the countryside and visit the nooks and crannies of the country that we missed. This is another place where the accents are killer, so you would probably find me lost in a crowd just listening to people talk. That's why this would have to be another one of those months of vacation places.
There you have it! My top 25 places I want to go. The order shifts around sometimes depending on what I'm feeling drawn to at the moment, so these aren't really in a particular order. Ranking them would be too difficult. They're all great!
Now, I've either got to work on winning the lottery or making millions at work in order to visit them all. Wish me luck!
Monday, May 4, 2015
The Dog that Followed Me to School
It was Fourth Grade. I remember because Miss Sant was my teacher. And our classroom was in the portable units closest to the playground. Some of the girls would sit outside on the steps of the portable units during recess and tie friendship bracelets. Those steps got icy in the winter because the portables were close together and there was no sunlight between them, so even though the snow got was shoveled and removed, they still had a lot of ice on them. We had heat though, and we had the best teacher, so all seemed right with the world.
I only lived a block from the school, so I walked to and from school every day. It was no big deal. Dad would watch me from the front room window to make sure I got there safely. Plus, there were lots of other kids who lived nearby, so we had safety in numbers whether we wanted it or not. We did have to cross one major street though, so Dad always watched me until I made it to the school grounds.
One day after school there was a dog hanging out in the school yard. He was kind of a scraggly looking thing. He was medium-sized with dark brown and black hair. It looked like he hadn't been bathed in a long time, but you could see he was being fed okay and was obviously healthy in other ways. To this day, I have no idea whose dog it was, but when we met that day after school he was my forever friend. He followed me home from school that day and hung around for a few minutes so I could play with him. (We had lost our dog, Taffy, at this point, so the idea of having another dog around sounded good to me.)
The next morning, he was at the end of our driveway waiting for me. He walked me to school. In fact, he walked me right up on to the portable steps. And then he waited. He waited outside until recess, and the girls came out and tied their bracelets while I scratched the dog and he laid in my lap. When we went back in for more schooling, he waited. He stayed all day. And when the day was over, he walked me home again.
I have no idea where that dog lived. He could have been miles from his own home for all I knew. But he was faithful. For weeks, he walked me to and from school, waited on the school grounds, played with us at recess, cuddled with me, slept in my lap, and went home at night - wherever that was. I told Dad about him. Dad watched him walk me to school in the morning. All I had to say was, "C'mon" and he was right there with me.
All these years later, I still think of that dog. I think about how loyal he was. I think about what a good friend he was to me and to the other kids. I remember one of the boys got mad at him over something and lifted his foot to kick that dog, and I was right there giving that boy what for and telling him that is NOT how you treat an animal. I remember that boy walked away as I scowled at him, but he must have spread the word because nobody ever tried to hurt that dog again. And all of these years later, my heart aches because I don't know what happened to that dog.
He just didn't show up one day to walk me to school.
I thought maybe his family had gone on vacation and taken him with them.
I thought maybe he wasn't feeling well and needed some rest.
I thought maybe he was helping his owner with some chores or a good project.
It went on for days. The dog never came back. I was devastated. Dad said the dog probably moved on to another little girl that needed a good friend, but that he would never forget me and how good I was to him. In my heart, I knew. I knew that dog had died. Whether he had been hit by a car, or been sick and finally found relief, or something else had happened, I knew that dog had died. And it made me sad. It still makes me sad, and I don't even know that dog's name.
Because of that, I can't watch those ASPCA commercials on TV without getting a lump in my throat. If nobody is home and one of those commercials plays on the television I will openly cry. Like a baby. With the big, wet, drippy tears.
That's probably why I started bawling when Bear yelped out in pain a couple of weeks ago. And probably why, even though the vet says he's okay, I still worry about him and won't let him jump off the beds or the couches if I can help it. And probably why I baby him and cuddle him and let him get away with whatever he wants. Because who can resist this cute face?
I hope I get to see that other dog in heaven some day and thank him for taking care of my Fourth Grade Self. It really meant a lot to me to have him for a friend. Those four-legged humans are some of my very favorite kind!
I only lived a block from the school, so I walked to and from school every day. It was no big deal. Dad would watch me from the front room window to make sure I got there safely. Plus, there were lots of other kids who lived nearby, so we had safety in numbers whether we wanted it or not. We did have to cross one major street though, so Dad always watched me until I made it to the school grounds.
One day after school there was a dog hanging out in the school yard. He was kind of a scraggly looking thing. He was medium-sized with dark brown and black hair. It looked like he hadn't been bathed in a long time, but you could see he was being fed okay and was obviously healthy in other ways. To this day, I have no idea whose dog it was, but when we met that day after school he was my forever friend. He followed me home from school that day and hung around for a few minutes so I could play with him. (We had lost our dog, Taffy, at this point, so the idea of having another dog around sounded good to me.)
The next morning, he was at the end of our driveway waiting for me. He walked me to school. In fact, he walked me right up on to the portable steps. And then he waited. He waited outside until recess, and the girls came out and tied their bracelets while I scratched the dog and he laid in my lap. When we went back in for more schooling, he waited. He stayed all day. And when the day was over, he walked me home again.
I have no idea where that dog lived. He could have been miles from his own home for all I knew. But he was faithful. For weeks, he walked me to and from school, waited on the school grounds, played with us at recess, cuddled with me, slept in my lap, and went home at night - wherever that was. I told Dad about him. Dad watched him walk me to school in the morning. All I had to say was, "C'mon" and he was right there with me.
All these years later, I still think of that dog. I think about how loyal he was. I think about what a good friend he was to me and to the other kids. I remember one of the boys got mad at him over something and lifted his foot to kick that dog, and I was right there giving that boy what for and telling him that is NOT how you treat an animal. I remember that boy walked away as I scowled at him, but he must have spread the word because nobody ever tried to hurt that dog again. And all of these years later, my heart aches because I don't know what happened to that dog.
He just didn't show up one day to walk me to school.
I thought maybe his family had gone on vacation and taken him with them.
I thought maybe he wasn't feeling well and needed some rest.
I thought maybe he was helping his owner with some chores or a good project.
It went on for days. The dog never came back. I was devastated. Dad said the dog probably moved on to another little girl that needed a good friend, but that he would never forget me and how good I was to him. In my heart, I knew. I knew that dog had died. Whether he had been hit by a car, or been sick and finally found relief, or something else had happened, I knew that dog had died. And it made me sad. It still makes me sad, and I don't even know that dog's name.
Because of that, I can't watch those ASPCA commercials on TV without getting a lump in my throat. If nobody is home and one of those commercials plays on the television I will openly cry. Like a baby. With the big, wet, drippy tears.
That's probably why I started bawling when Bear yelped out in pain a couple of weeks ago. And probably why, even though the vet says he's okay, I still worry about him and won't let him jump off the beds or the couches if I can help it. And probably why I baby him and cuddle him and let him get away with whatever he wants. Because who can resist this cute face?
I hope I get to see that other dog in heaven some day and thank him for taking care of my Fourth Grade Self. It really meant a lot to me to have him for a friend. Those four-legged humans are some of my very favorite kind!
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Choking on Bacon
My mom graduated from college while she was still pregnant with me. She didn't start working full-time as a teacher until I was in Kindergarten. Prior to that, she held several jobs, but we were by no means wealthy. We never went without the things we needed, but if it was a want, you couldn't have it. My older siblings know and remember that fact a lot more than I do, but I do remember how far Mom could stretch a can of tuna fish to feed five kids and her and Dad. It was more Miracle Whip sandwich than it was tuna sandwich, but we didn't know the difference, and I don't think it mattered anyway. We were taught to be grateful for what we had.
Because of our monetary situation, it was rare that we ate things like bacon. It was too expensive, so the only time I remember eating it was when it was on super reduced sale or given to us by someone else (which I don't think ever happened). The same thing happened with hamburger and any kind of beef, pork products, and probably chicken as well, although chicken probably would have been cheaper and easier to come by. We ate a lot of rice and pasta dishes. And casseroles. And lots of vegetables and fruits because they were cheap at the time (unlike now where you can't eat healthy without giving up your firstborn and 12 batches of your own plasma) and because Grandpa Koyle's garden was full of them in the Fall. (Thinking of his fresh tomatoes still makes me salivate!)
There must have been a good sale on bacon during the summer that I was four. I remember I was four because I hadn't started school yet, and I was both excited and nervous to go to Kindergarten. I also remember that it was summer because my brother, Jon, was home that morning for some reason, and I was wearing shorts and a lightweight T-shirt. Mom had cooked bacon that day, and we were having bacon and tomato sandwiches for lunch. Sometimes (probably more than I knew) she would make lunch and take it to Dad at the dry cleaning shop. Other times, he would come home to eat, but more often than not he had a hard time getting away from that place (for lunch or anything else, including vacations).
I was standing in the kitchen as Mom finished cooking the bacon and started putting Dad's lunch together. I asked Mom what she was cooking and what we were having for lunch. With an excited smile on her face Mom replied, "We're having bacon! Bacon and tomato sandwiches."
My response (as always) was, "I don't like (fill in the blank here with any food item, and this time it was) bacon."
She assured me I would love bacon. It's not that I was necessarily a picky eater (was I?), but it was more that I was afraid of the things I didn't know. I wouldn't eat mushrooms because (I got words mixed up a lot as a kid) I thought they were mushworms, and by being mushworms it meant they were worm poop that had been "mushed" up into that shape. So you can see how new foods might have been problematic for me, right? Anyway, Mom assured me I would like bacon if I would just try it. And besides, she reminded me, it wasn't often we got to have bacon.
After a lot of coaxing and convincing (and probably some bargaining with something I wanted, like cheese), I decided to try the bacon. Mom handed me a piece that had been well-cooked (not burned, just not fatty) and said, "Now, be sure to chew it up really well. Just keep chewing and chewing and chewing until it's small enough to swallow, okay?" I stared at the bacon and nodded my head in the affirmative.
Who knows how long I stared at the piece of bacon before taking a bite? It could have been hours knowing me and my stubborn ways. Eventually, I took a bite.
It was kind of a big bite.
Mom noticed how much I bit off and reminded me again to chew it and chew it and chew it.
Yeah, uh huh, okay, sure Mom. I will chew this until the cows come home. I will chew it so well you won't even ...
... UH OH.
I had swallowed without chewing really well and there was a huge piece of bacon caught in my throat and I couldn't breathe and I was choking and the world was caving in on me and my eyes were going black and the room was getting small and ...
... then Jon reached around me and gave me the Heimlich maneuver. Where did he learn that?!
And then Mom was all over me. "Are you okay? Are you all right? Can you breathe?"
YES, thank you.
And on the floor was a balled up piece of bacon. Which Jon promptly picked up and threw away. Thank him! I couldn't have seen it for much longer without losing more than my bacon.
Things calmed down after that. There were no adverse effects. Jon sat down to eat his bacon and tomato sandwich, and I went with Mom to take lunch to Dad.
When we got home, I believe I ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch.
Or was it mostly Miracle Whip with a little tuna?
Either way, it tasted good to me and helped Mom keep her sanity. Win-win.
For the record, I really like bacon.
Because of our monetary situation, it was rare that we ate things like bacon. It was too expensive, so the only time I remember eating it was when it was on super reduced sale or given to us by someone else (which I don't think ever happened). The same thing happened with hamburger and any kind of beef, pork products, and probably chicken as well, although chicken probably would have been cheaper and easier to come by. We ate a lot of rice and pasta dishes. And casseroles. And lots of vegetables and fruits because they were cheap at the time (unlike now where you can't eat healthy without giving up your firstborn and 12 batches of your own plasma) and because Grandpa Koyle's garden was full of them in the Fall. (Thinking of his fresh tomatoes still makes me salivate!)
There must have been a good sale on bacon during the summer that I was four. I remember I was four because I hadn't started school yet, and I was both excited and nervous to go to Kindergarten. I also remember that it was summer because my brother, Jon, was home that morning for some reason, and I was wearing shorts and a lightweight T-shirt. Mom had cooked bacon that day, and we were having bacon and tomato sandwiches for lunch. Sometimes (probably more than I knew) she would make lunch and take it to Dad at the dry cleaning shop. Other times, he would come home to eat, but more often than not he had a hard time getting away from that place (for lunch or anything else, including vacations).
I was standing in the kitchen as Mom finished cooking the bacon and started putting Dad's lunch together. I asked Mom what she was cooking and what we were having for lunch. With an excited smile on her face Mom replied, "We're having bacon! Bacon and tomato sandwiches."
My response (as always) was, "I don't like (fill in the blank here with any food item, and this time it was) bacon."
She assured me I would love bacon. It's not that I was necessarily a picky eater (was I?), but it was more that I was afraid of the things I didn't know. I wouldn't eat mushrooms because (I got words mixed up a lot as a kid) I thought they were mushworms, and by being mushworms it meant they were worm poop that had been "mushed" up into that shape. So you can see how new foods might have been problematic for me, right? Anyway, Mom assured me I would like bacon if I would just try it. And besides, she reminded me, it wasn't often we got to have bacon.
After a lot of coaxing and convincing (and probably some bargaining with something I wanted, like cheese), I decided to try the bacon. Mom handed me a piece that had been well-cooked (not burned, just not fatty) and said, "Now, be sure to chew it up really well. Just keep chewing and chewing and chewing until it's small enough to swallow, okay?" I stared at the bacon and nodded my head in the affirmative.
Who knows how long I stared at the piece of bacon before taking a bite? It could have been hours knowing me and my stubborn ways. Eventually, I took a bite.
It was kind of a big bite.
Mom noticed how much I bit off and reminded me again to chew it and chew it and chew it.
Yeah, uh huh, okay, sure Mom. I will chew this until the cows come home. I will chew it so well you won't even ...
... UH OH.
I had swallowed without chewing really well and there was a huge piece of bacon caught in my throat and I couldn't breathe and I was choking and the world was caving in on me and my eyes were going black and the room was getting small and ...
... then Jon reached around me and gave me the Heimlich maneuver. Where did he learn that?!
And then Mom was all over me. "Are you okay? Are you all right? Can you breathe?"
YES, thank you.
And on the floor was a balled up piece of bacon. Which Jon promptly picked up and threw away. Thank him! I couldn't have seen it for much longer without losing more than my bacon.
Things calmed down after that. There were no adverse effects. Jon sat down to eat his bacon and tomato sandwich, and I went with Mom to take lunch to Dad.
When we got home, I believe I ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch.
Or was it mostly Miracle Whip with a little tuna?
Either way, it tasted good to me and helped Mom keep her sanity. Win-win.
For the record, I really like bacon.
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