Friday, December 31, 2010

Happy New Year!

When I stand before God
at the end of my life...
I would hope that I would not
have a single bit of talent left,
and could say...
"I used everything you gave me."
~Erma Bombeck

This is one of my all time favorite quotes.
I believe you do not have to be "great" at something to have talent.
I believe everyone, no matter how young or old, has talent.
It may be something as simple as wiggling your ears,
(Oh yes, I can!)
or as difficult as painting a Masterpiece.
(Not even close.)
As I shared my blog with you these past two years,
I hope I was able to sprinkle a little talent onto the pages,
and give you a little smile or two.
(Or 2,109 or 4,367...)
I thank those of you who shared your talent with me,
and your great sportsmanship when I wrote about it.
May God bless each and everyone
 of your little pea pickin' hearts.
I can hardly wait to see all the talent 2011 has in store!
Happy New Year!
Desiree


Thursday, December 30, 2010

Slip Slidin' Fun!

We're in the middle of a snow storm!
One of my Day Care Mom's got stuck in the driveway today.
Good thing Tim's hunting truck has 4 wheel drive!

And she's out!
Travel safe. It's a mess out there!

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Random Acts Of Kindness

Last week I received an email from Landon's teacher with
"Random acts of kindness," in the subject box. At first I thought it was a "Christmas" email that she had probably sent to all her student's parents. Nope.
It was a very special email intended for just our family.

Here is what she wrote:

During lunch a can of pop got spilled on the classroom floor.
Landon came in like a Knight in SHINING armor with tons of paper towels
in hand to help out and clean it up.
SUPER SWEET!!!!!!!! He deserves a pat on the back.

Now if you know me, not only did that email make me proud, it made me cry. Happy tears. It's those tiny little unexpected things in life that bring out the biggest, best, happiest feelings. Landon's teacher probably spent 30 seconds typing that email, and had no idea that those 30 seconds would give me a whole day's worth of smiles. It's a very special teacher who does that. Landon's teacher deserves a pat on the back too!  When Landon got home that day, I showed him the email.
His chest puffed up and he too, smiled and smiled. Imagine if everyone took 30 seconds out of their day to simply say something nice to someone else.
Random acts of kindness would no longer be random.
It would just be an everyday way of life.
Wouldn't you love to live in a world like that? I sure would.

Monday, December 27, 2010

New Years Resolution

Well, it's that time of the year again. Time to make my New Years Resolution. Normally every year I say,  "This is the year I'm gonna get my groove back!" Meaning, I was gonna lose the 40 pound ball and chain that I had been dragging around for the last 5 or 6 years. Well, This year I did it! I lost that ol' ball. But what was left behind is a new problem. The "extra softness" on my arms and a few other areas. I talked about it in a previous post, and said I was fine with it because there wasn't any way I was gonna exercise it off! I do not like to exercise. At all. All day shopping is about as strenuous as it gets for me. But, it's been getting on my nerves a bit, so a few days ago I thought I'd give the hand weights that have been tucked away (and never used) in my closet a whirl. I thought maybe I could just lift weights a bit while I watched T.V. and tone up that way. After about 5 lifts my arms were burning and hurting! I thought maybe the weights were too heavy for me to be starting out with. They felt like maybe 10 pound weights and when I checked the weight on them I was SHOCKED to find they were only 3 pounds each! Say what? I have no idea what happened to my upper body strength. It's gone. Just a couple of years ago, I could and did easily move a love seat UP the stairs by myself, when rearranging the furniture. Now, I can barely push it across the floor. With sliders. So, my New Years resolution this year is to get healthy! I do take vitamins, but apparently it's not enough. I did a little research and all roads led to my years and years of being a "selective" eater. They pointed big ol' fingers right to my soft limbs, thinning brittle hair, and fine one day and not so fine the next day complexion, that are supposedly a result of very few veggies, fruit or meats in my daily life. I live on grains and would have made a really nice goat in another life. Since there is no way I am ever going to be able to get down the 5,678 servings of veggies, fruit and meat you are "suppose" to eat every day, I decided to try a few other options that I had found on the great, world wide internet. Yesterday when I was at my handy dandy Walmart, (Yes, it was the day after Christmas, but it was only Alexandria and the crowds were nothing like Fargo!) I picked up some V-8 Frusion juice, some special hair vitamins that I had read about on line, and some Chocolate Soy Protein powder. Today was the first day of my new sorta healthy life style. (Healthier than yesterday, anyway.) The V-8 juice is a combo of veggie and fruit juice. It really isn't that bad. I drank it on ice and it tasted kinda like a funky weak Hawaiian punch. So, the V-8 is gonna be do-able. Then I popped open the hair vitamin bottle. Holy smokes! Talk about horse pills! The bottle "suggested" I take one capsule, two to three times daily. Oh yeah, right. I have a suggestion for the pill company too...o.k  never mind. I'll be nice. One a day will be fine, thank you very much. Then on to the soy protein powder. This is apparently suppose to help supplement the meat that I don't eat enough of. Now seriously, how can eating a ton of animal flesh every day be healthy for you? O.k. that's a whole 'nother post... moving on. The can said to mix one scoop with 6 to 8 ounces of water or milk. I chose milk. I guess I was thinking the scoop was going to be one of those nice little ones, like the kind that comes with baby formula. Nope. It was more like a giant texas size back hoe scoop! I shook the heck out of that mess and still it was a little gritty and kinda thick. I only gagged a couple of times. Not sure if just eating a few chicken legs might be easier. I might have to downsize the scoop a bit. So anyway, the plan is to give this new routine a month and see what happens. I can hardly wait to be super healthy and twirl those weights around like a baton!
That is if I don't choke to death from my new health plan first.

Siegel Idol

And the winner is....
The Siegel Boys... singing... The Oakridge Boy's...
Elvira!!
Wish you could have been there.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

I Am Blessed! And Blessed! And Blessed!

A while ago, I made the comment,
"I sure wish little kids footie pajama's came in big kid sizes."
(Meaning my size!)
Well, someone was listening...


Thank You, Landon!


Thank You, Tara!!

Thank You, Courtney!!!

WOW!!!

Friday, December 24, 2010

Oh Holy Night

Oh holy night!

The stars are brightly shining.

It is the night of the dear Savior's birth.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining.

Till he appear'd and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices.

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees!

Oh hear the angel voices!

Oh night divine.

Oh night when Christ was born.

Oh night divine.

Oh night divine.

Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming.

With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.

So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming.

Here come the wise men from Orient land.

The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger.

In all our trials born to be our friend.

Truly He taught us to love one another.

His law is love and His gospel is peace.

Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother.

And in His name all oppression shall cease.

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we.

Let all within us praise His holy name.




The Most Precious Gift Of All

Landon's special project.
Landon drew a picture of our family at school,
 and his teacher Mrs. Deal,
 had it made into a plate!!
 What a wonderful present!!!
Thank you Landon and Mrs. Deal!

Landon made his dad a mallard plaque
 during art class at school.

Made with pride and a ton o' love!!

It's All Good

Christmas Eve with Grandpa Al.
I love Christmas Eve with my dad.
My heart is filled with love when I am with my three guys!


Landon rockin' out with his paper jam guitar!
He played for almost an hour!
Wonder if I can talk him into taking real guitar lessons?

Landon's new hunting game.
He and his dad have been playing it for three hours straight!!
All night I was saying a silent prayer regarding the "Absent DS."
(See previous post.)
When I told Landon I was sorry that I wasn't able to get the
DS he wanted, he said "That's o.k. mom, these are great too!"
Oh yeah, my heart was just bursting and the tears were on the verge.
That boy is so getting a DS for his birthday!
If he doesn't play it. I will!

All I Want For Christmas

Every year I ask Landon what he would like for Christmas, and every year he says the same thing. "I don't care." So, I get him all the usual camouflage, fishing, and hunting gear that he loves along with a few art supplies (Landon loves to draw and some of his "floor plans" are amazing!) games, and balls. Way too easy it has been! Well, this year he actually asked for something! An electric guitar, (Easy!) a club house (apparently he has forgotten he has one, as his dad filled it with his geese and deer decoys!) and a Nintendo DS. The Nintendo thing is where I am stuck. It's not a $10 trinket. It's $150 plus the extra games are $25 a pop! Now, I do believe Landon is worth that and so much more, however I also know he will play with it for a week and then toss it in the drawer along with his Wii, MP3 player, laptop games, and all the other electronic gadgets we wasted our money on. So, do I get him what he wants, when I know in my heart he probably only wants one because "all the other kids have one," or do I get him something that I know he will truly love and use all year 'round? I don't want to raise him to think he has to "keep up with the Jones" or has to pretend to be into something all the other kids are into just to fit in. I don't live like that and I never will. I could care less what anyone else has or is into. To thine ownself be true, baby! But, can an 8 year old boy get that? Should I just buy the DS because it's what he asked for? Because it's Christmas? Hmmmm.....just had a lightbulb moment!  Maybe I'll go ahead and get it, but keep the receipt. Walmart will let you return anything within 30 days! Right? Guess I better go back and research their return policy on electronics before I get too excited.
Sometimes having Morals is the pits.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Merry Christmas From Desiree's Day Care

Click on the link below for a little taste of our Day Care Christmas Party!



http://www.photoshow.com/watch/UK5Uj6pA?source=em_ps_show_recipient

Snack Time!


Guess we won't be having snack outside for awhile...
The kids have been patiently (O.k. that might be stretching it a bit.)
waiting for a warm sunny day,
so they go outside and "dig out" their picnic table.
Me too.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Hey! That's My Good Stuff!

Landon has a little problem exactly like his dad. They are both pack rats. Can't throw away a thing! Landon is a little worse as he goes "hunting" for his treasures. He has promised me that he "finds" his treasures laying in the alley or on the sidewalk. I am praying that he isn't digging in any garbage cans and that the neighbors aren't watching him. I can't say I believe him 100%, but am willing to look the other way as it brings him so much pleasure. I am a bargain shopper, and I know that thrill of finding something for almost nothing. So, Landon's happiness at finding something for absolutely nothing is something I get. I am not thrilled about it, but I get it. The other day he came home with an extension cord that had the plug in part cut off and a stick that looked like it might have had a for sale sign attached to it at one time. When I told him that he really needed to toss them in the dumpster, he explained to me (In a tone you would use with a small child, no less!) how yes, the extension cord might not be any good for use as an extension cord, however it still would make a mighty fine tying rope! Also, the stick had a nice little point on the end, which is perfect in case you ever need to make a little hole in the ground. I should have known. So, Landon collects all these treasures almost on a daily basis and the pile in his room just grows and grows. So every two or three months while he is in school, I clean house! I try not to toss things that he will obviously miss. I toss things that are dirty or not very safe or I just don't like in my house. Most of the time, he is o.k. with it and thinks I just straightened up his room a bit. Today he was outside playing and I thought I had at least an hour, so I thought I would tackle his treasures. I had a box that I was putting the throw away stuff in and I had a few pieces of paper as a "decoy" on top in case he came in and caught me. He came in and caught me. He lifted the paper up and said, "Mom! What are you doing? You can't throw that away! That's all my good stuff!!" Unfortunately it hit my funny bone and I started to snicker and yep, he got mad. He started to put everything back and told me that I needed to "respect his stuff." (I say this to Landon about my stuff a lot! I guess he gets it after all.) He was right of course, but I can't promise tomorrow when he is in school and the kids are napping, I won't be back up there, in his room, disrespecting his stuff.
I can't help it. It's my job.

Thermal & Flannel

I LOVE THERMAL AND FLANNEL SHIRTS. I guess it goes back to when I was a little girl and every winter my dad and my grandpa would wear their thermal and flannel shirts. (Oh, Dr. Phil would have a field day with me!) I don't know if it was the softness or the plaid colors or what. I just know whenever I see someone wearing thermal and flannel I immediatly get a cozy feeling of  "comfort." I can't explain it. My favorite flannel shirt was a soft pink one my mom had given me for Christmas about 10 years ago. I wore it every year until it literally fell apart. In Florida, where it is only cold for a month or a month and half tops, my flannel shirts lasted forever! For years, the only place I could find "ladies" flannel shirts was Fleet Farm. I would also wear the men's flannel shirts from Wal-mart. Once I made a dress out of a man's large size red flannel shirt. I sewed a big piece of white lace around the bottom, put a belt around it, added my white cowgirl boots and, "PRESTO!" I had a cool new outfit! I have a bad flannel addiction, so you can only imagine how ecstatic I felt when this year nearly every ladies store I walked into was selling thermal and flannel!! It's everywhere!!! I wanted to shout to the clothing industry,
"Finally! You got it! It's about time!!"
Now I know that it's probably only a fad and next year there won't be a thermal or flannel shirt to be found.
Next year you can find me at Fleet Farm. I'll be in the flannel section.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

It's A Date!

Landon and I had a bowling date!
But, first we had to stop at Homers for a little pizza.

Bowling Buddies!

Grandpa Al stopped by to watch the action!

Oh, yeah...
What a great afternoon.

He's A Winner!


Landon won $5 in a drawing from Santa Days!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Dear Santa


Dear Santa,
Please tell my mom I'm too old for this.
(I only agreed to do it one more time,
because she said it was all she wanted for Christmas.)
Landon Siegel
P.S. You can still bring me that guitar I asked for though.


Dear Santa,
I have been a very good girl this year.
(So good, my friends are starting to worry about me!)
I did a little Volunteer Service.
(Notice I said "Volunteer Service." 
 Not, "Community Service." BIG difference!)
I didn't sluff off.
(I put in 50-55 hours a week with the kiddos, and many weekends
making many women happy with my purses! Hmmmm....that might
have something to do with why I've been so good....)
I said my prayers every night.
(I tried to say "Heaven help me."
 More than I said, "Heaven help me!")
And I tried to be kind to everyone.
(Even the 1,402 annoying people that seem to constantly cross my path!)
So Santa, all I want for Christmas this year is just one
little itty bitty piece of pink paper with six little winning lottery numbers on it.
 That's all.
Love,
Desiree Siegel
P.S. Tell Mrs. Claus to call me
and I'll hook her up with a great purse!



Dear Santa,
Please bring my wife a winning lottery ticket.
(So I can retire!)
Tim Siegel
P.S. I apologize for all the pictures the other night.
I have this crazy wife you see, who makes us
do all these crazy things, all the time...



Dear Siegels,
Suck it up. Ya ain't gettin' no winnin' ticket.
(If I knew those numbers, the wife and I'd ditch this friggin' job!)
Santa
P.S. Leave those tasty frosted sugar cookies
like you did last year, and I'll see if I can't rustle
up a couple o' scratch tickets for ya.
Ho! Ho! Ho!








Just A Little White Fluff


Got a little white fluff
 on top of the ol' school house last night...

Hey, see that fence behind the school house?
Those are our grapes! They came with the house.
We never water them, trim them, nothing!
We have some friends who pick them each year,
 and they make wine out of them.
Other than that, we do nothing.
And they keep coming back, year after year after year...
Wish it was a money fence!


Wednesday, December 15, 2010

One More...

One more goodie from Cochise CHOPS.
(You might need a kleenex for this one!)

There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind.
She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her.
She told her boyfriend, "If I could only see the world, I would marry you."
One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off,
she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend. He asked,
"Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?"
The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind.
The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that.
The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him.

Her boyfriend left in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying:
"Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they were yours,
they were mine." This is how the human brain often works when our
status changes. Only a very few remember what life was like before,
and who was always by their side in the most painful situations.
Life is a GIFT.

Today before you say an unkind word, think of someone who can't speak.
Before you complain about the taste of your food, think of someone who
has nothing to eat. Before you complain about your husband or wife,
think about someone who's crying out to God for a companion.
Today before you complain about life, think of someone who went too
early to heaven. Before whining about the distance you drive, think of
someone who walks the same distance with their feet. When you are tired
and complain about your job, think of the unemployed, the disabled, and
those who wish they had your job. When depressing thoughts seem to get
you down, put a smile on your face and think: You're alive and still around.
Always foster an attitude of gratitude, it will change your life.

The Charles Schultz Philosophy

I found this article in a magazine I picked up in Florida,
called Cochise Chops.
It really hits the nail on the head!

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz,
the creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip.
You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just ponder on them.
Just read this straight through, and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series Winners.

How did you do?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.
These are no second-rate achievers.They are the best in their fields.
But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten.
Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special!!
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier?

The lesson:
The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones
with the most credentials, the most money or the most rewards.
They simply are the ones who care the most.


R.I.P Mr. Schultz ~
You were a good man.

Heaven In A Box


Here it is.
Kathy Kelly's To Die For Crumb Cake!
I couldn't believe it when she told me
 it was just a Krusteaz mix.
(They also have a wonderful almond poppy seed mix!)
Betty Crocker should be green with envy!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

The Old Daytona Ain't What She Used To Be

Daytona Beach, Fl. My home for almost 20 years. (Well, Daytona and two other Florida towns that is.) I took a four hour direct flight to Sanford, Florida from Fargo, N.D. last week. Left on Thursday and came back on Sunday. (We only had two and a half days as our Sunday flight back was at 7:00 A.M.!) I was meeting one of my oldest and best friends, Theresa in Daytona. She was flying in from Delaware. 23 years ago Theresa and I lived in Daytona, a block off the ocean, on the same street. We were both single. You can imagine the trouble we got into! We used to walk or cab it to all the hot spots and some not so hot spots too. Supper (Dinner in Fl.) was usually whatever club was offering free appetizers at happy hour. But, then I met my (Ex) husband Charlie, and Theresa moved back to Delaware where she is from, but we kept in touch over the years. Seeing Daytona was a little sad and a little scary! In 2004 they had three hurricanes and a lot of the buildings/hotels were totaled or just damaged so bad they never re-opened. There have always been homeless/druggies on the beachside, but without the tourists they really stood out! (That was the scary part!) On Thursday, we met with my mom and her husband for supper/dinner. She looked great and it was so wonderful to see her. She is hoping to retire in a year or so. She is going back and forth with the thought of selling their house/land after retirement and moving back to Mn. She hates the cold weather and I don't blame her for wanting to stay in Florida. Time will tell. Later that night, Theresa and I checked out a few of our old favorite spots. (The ones that were still there anyway.) We took a cab, had a few drinks, and were both happy to be in bed at a "reasonable" hour. (That NEVER would have happened 23 years ago!) Friday, we met Charlie and his friend Carlos, at a little restaurant. I rarely talk about Charlie. Mostly out of respect for Tim and because those years are private and between Charlie and I. While my marriage to Charlie didn't last, we did have 7 years together and most of those years were great! I wouldn't trade those years for anything. I was very happy to see him and very happy that he had remarried too, and had a great wife. I wish him nothing but the best! After dinner, Theresa and I went and checked out the Daytona Flea Market. As a teen, I worked at one of the booths selling socks. Don't laugh. There were many days where I sold over $1,000 in socks!! Too bad the socks didn't belong to me though. (Hmmm....got another business idea brewing here...lol) Theresa decided she wanted to take a nap and I wanted to finish my book that I had started on the plane. We stopped at Krispy Kream (The same KK that didn't make it in Fargo! That was a sad day for me as I LOVE KK!) and I got one of my favorite doughnuts (Cream filled!) and a cup of coffee to go with my book. So at 5:00 we were in our p.j.'s napping and reading. (That NEVER would have happened 23 years ago!) Around 7:00 we got up and got dressed and headed out to a little place by our hotel for wings and beer. Once again, we were back in bed at a reasonable hour. (NOT 23 years ago!) Sat. morning, I went to visit with one of my oldest and sweetest classmates, Michael Kelly. I hadn't seen him since the 80's when we would carpool to school together. My favorite memory of Michael was when he and I would ride up to the convenience store at lunch time in his little blue VW beetle for hotdogs and pop. (Micheal, weren't those the best dogs ever!?!?!) We had a wonderful visit and his Aunt Kathy made the best crumb cake! (I'll share that with you in another post.) We had a great visit and I was so happy I had the opportunity to see them both. That afternoon we headed over to Deland, where I used to live and work. I was going to surprise my old boss, George and a friend Tara. Boy, was he ever surprised!! (With a ton of Tara's help!!) I love moments like that. We had a great visit and the time just wizzed by. That night we checked out the boardwalk and then headed to Boot Hill to buy Theresa's boyfriend a T-shirt. Boot Hill is a famous biker bar in Daytona on Main St. It's across the street from a cemetery. Their motto is, "Come on in, pull up a seat. You're better off here than across the street!" They had remodeled and it looked really good in there. Years ago, the women would throw their bras up on the ceiling with a thumbtack and a quarter. They were hanging everywhere! (I never did that. I needed mine!) This time there was just a single file of them hanging over the bar. Guess times have changed. Theresa and I used to go to Boot Hill during the day (Night crowd is a little rough!) on Tuesday's for nickle draft beers. Sometimes we drank a whole dollars worth! Ha! This time we had one beer and headed out. (That NEVER would have happened 23 years ago!) We had to get up at 3:30 in the morning, so we were in bed early that night!! (23 years ago, we would have just stayed up!) So, while we weren't the wild and crazy kids we used to be, it still was so worth it. To see my mom, Theresa and the people who were such a huge special part of my life was just fabulous!!! Last week when I commented to one of my dc girls how she was getting so big, she replied to me, "Yep. I growed up."
So like her, I guess I too, "growed up." Kinda bittersweet it is.

Monday, December 13, 2010

I Would Find A Girl Walking

This book is based on a true story and written by
 my friend Michael Kelly's, Aunt Kathy Kelly.
(And Diane Montane)
 I was so fortunate to visit with them on my trip to Florida last week.
(Click on the picture above to read the back cover of the book.)
It's gonna be one you will not be able to put down!
I already ordered mine!!
You can order it by going to:

Michael and Kathy Kelly.

A Taste Of Daytona





Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Jack's Magic


Looks like Jack Frost has been working his magic!


Simply Spectacular!


A Special Night


Last night was Landon's School Christmas Concert.
See.
Once in a while, we can clean up pretty good!



Dad cleans up too.



A couple of Landon's buddies.
Tate and Jett.




Oh Holy Night...
Or Holy DARK Night!
I wish they would stop having the concerts in the gym
I swear I have never gotten a good picture in that gym yet!


Have a FUZZY little Christmas.
O.k. it's light, but all blurry!
Oh, Merry Christmas anyway....




Friday, December 3, 2010

Fried Bologna

I had a sandwich today that I haven't had in years. Fried Bologna! (Actually, it's just browned a bit in a frying pan. You don't actually "fry" it. Think fried egg...)  On toast with a little butter. But, of course you can have it however you like. A little mustard maybe. It brought back a lot of memories. Years ago, I used to date this fella who made me this sandwich. I had never heard of it and at first I wasn't sure I would like it. (You know with that "selective eating" problem I have and all.) But, I LOVED it!! I would take one of those sandwiches over a dozen roses any day. They were so good!  My sandwich today was good, but not as good as I remember. Funny how everything tastes better in your memories. I have never heard of anyone making them around here, so it might be a southern thing.
Go ahead and try it. You're gonna love it.
Make yourself a new memory.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Snail Humor

A friend of mine shared this joke with me.


What did the snail say while riding on the turtle's back?
Weeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!


Guess you had to be there.
It was funny.
:) :) :)

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

All You Can Eat Buffet


Lucky is telling me "something" is out there.



I've been asking Tim all week to put the pumpkins
and gourds that are in the front of the house in the dumpster.
(They are frozen solid and stuck to the ground!)
This morning, Lucky told me to look out the window.
Here this little fella was going to town!
We watched him fill his cheeks and run to his tree house
several times. I am sure he feels like he hit the jackpot!
His tummy will be nice and full all winter.
I hope he has a little family in that tree to share it with.
Now I don't have the heart to toss the pumpkins.
Dang it.



Monday, November 29, 2010

Oh, Deer.

As you can see from the previous post, we hit a deer. Here's the story...
Since I am no longer doing home purse parties, I try to attend at least one or two "Events" (Festivals, Craft fairs, Expo's, etc..) a month with my purses. Normally when we do an event, we go the night before and stay in a hotel. Sometimes we bring Landon and go swimming and make it a fun family weekend. However, last weekend we just decided to get up early and go the same day. So, Landon spent the night at his grandparent's and Tim and I were on the road at 6:00 A.M.! I am a GREAT backseat driver. I let out no more than 1,235 "GASPS!" "SLOW DOWN!" and  "WATCH IT!" during every road trip. I have worn out the carpet in all of our vehicles on the passenger side from stomping on my imaginary brake. I admit it. I am not a joy to ride with. (Kinda ironic considering how I used to "tear up the roads" in my younger days!) Anyway, we were about a mile from Alex (in my purse van) when a car was approaching from the other direction. Tim dimmed his lights and 2 seconds later this HUGE deer head popped up in front of the van! It went THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! The deer went flying into the ditch and the van started squealing and smoking!!! Tore off the whole front end of the van. I had covered my face with my hands, as I thought for sure that deer was going to come flying through the window. Thank goodness it did not. Now here is the crazy part. After we hit the deer, I felt calm. (Tim, not so much.) I can't explain it. Even when the van was smoking and the radiator was pouring out water and squealing, I felt calm. (But, not calm enough to try and find the deer to take a picture. Sorry.) Guess it's the little things that make me nervous, while the big things are a piece of cake! Go figure. We drove to the truck stop about a mile up the road and called my dad who brought us our enclosed trailer, and we headed back out to our event in his truck. Now that would have made a great picture! Tim, my dad and I, all tucked in his little tiny truck! Breathing room only. The event was a great show and I am so thankful for that.
Even with the dead deer and totaled van.
I'll take my blessings however they come.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

%$@#! Deer!


Apparently the hunter's missed one.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Happy Turkey Day!


Here it is.
The PERFECT picture,
for the perfect
MINNESOTA
Christmas Card!
After only 1,209 more attempts with the exact same results,
we were as frozen solid as our butterball turkey!
We finally gave up and went in the house to take an indoor picture.
There's a fine line between a gentle breeze and a wind so strong
it feels like it's gonna rip your hair out by the roots! We had a root ripper today.
I have to admit when I was ordering my cards, 
 it was very tempting not to use this picture anyway.
I was even going to write on the card, "Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!"
But, I was afraid not very many would get my sense of humor.
 I used the BORING indoor one.
Oh well, there's always next year...
(Click on the picture to "feel" the full effect!)

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

I Love Peanut Butter!

My favorite candy bar in the whole wide world is a "FRESH" Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. To get a fresh one, you can't just buy any ol' bar off the shelf. You have to do "the thumb test" to it first. Gently press your thumb (Do not open the candy bar. Do this through the wrapper.) into the center of the cup, and if it presses through a bit leaving a little indention, then it's fresh. If it doesn't move, then drop it and run! It will be hard and dry and no good. Totally not worth the $2,889,000 they charge these days for a figgin' candy bar. Anyway, since it's getting close to the holidays, I thought I would share with you my favorite peanut butter bar recipe. I swear these taste just like a Reese's Cup, but you have to use quality ingredients! If you buy the ol' generic brand ingredients, it's gonna taste like an ol' hard and dry candy bar. You get what you pay for here.

No Oven Peanut Butter Squares

1 Stick of REAL Salted Butter
2 Cups Powder Sugar
1 1/2 Cups NABISCO Graham Cracker Crumbs
1 Cup of SKIPPY or PETER PAN Peanut Butter

2 Melted Giant Size HERSHEY'S Chocolate Candy Bars

LINE a 13x9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan.

MELT Butter in large microwavable bowl on HIGH until melted. Stir in sugar, crumbs and peanut butter. Mix well. (I use a hand mixer) Spread mixture into prepared pan. (I use my CLEAN WASHED hands for this. Spray a little Pam on them to help with the stickiness.)

MELT Chocolate bars in microwavable bowl on high until smooth, stirring after one minute or so. Cool Chocolate slightly, then pour over Peanut Butter mixture in pan. Cool. Cut partially through mixture to mark
squares. Refrigerate 1 hour or until set. Lift from pan, using foil handles. Cut all the way through mixture into squares.

ENJOY!!!!

Monday, November 22, 2010

I Love My Job!

Yesterday as I stepped outside onto the back deck, I didn't realize that there was a thin layer of ice covering the deck. As my foot made contact with the deck, the ice sent me straight down into a perfectly painful split! (I haven't done that since high school!) I wasn't hurt. Just stretched a few muscles that I haven't used in a loooong time. So, today I am very, very thankful for my job. I not only have a job that I love, but it also allows me to work from the comforts of INSIDE my home! In the summer, I am thankful that I can work OUTSIDE (In the back yard.) of my home, in the warm sunshine. I love my job!  I have been so blessed with a great group of little kiddos. They make me laugh all the time, and make my job so much fun!  I sure do appreciate each and every one of them. Allow me to share with you, a few tibits that are spoken pretty much on a daily basis around here. Welcome to a little piece of our world here at Desiree's Day Care!

Lifting her halloween mask, (They get to play with them year 'round.) "It's just me, Desiree." (I love that she is trying to comfort me in case I am scared.)

"I gotta poop. Can you wipe me?" (I know. Ewww...but it is said in such a sweet little voice, it's hard not to smile.)

"Can we go outside?" (This is said 4,677 times a day. Even when it is pouring down rain or whipping freezing cold snow.)

"Daddy's coming!" (This is said 3,433 times a day, from the same little girl whose dad picks her up at the end of the day. After saying it for the 3,432nd time, the kids start telling her "We knooooow!!!)

"Can we have pizza for dinner?" (This is said 2,988 times a day, even as the plates are being set down in front of them and it's not pizza.)

"You're a great cook!"  (This compliment is usually reserved for only the days that we have pizza or a sweet sugary snack!)

"If you don't help clean up, you have to starve!" (Not really. I tell the kids that we can't have dinner until all the toys are picked up.)

"I smell poopy pants!" (A lot of times, there isn't really any poopy pants at all. It is just an an excuse used by the kid who just passed a little gas.)

I'm not gonna sleep. I'm just gonna rest my face." (This child usually falls asleep within minutes of laying her head on her pillow.)

"More ketchup, please." (This is a must have, no matter what is for dinner. I think the ketchup companies should give me a little free stock, considering how much of their ketchup I buy!)

"Take my picture!" (I try to take 6,788 pictures of the kids each day and email them to the parents. The girls love being the "star" of the picture. The boys, not so much.)

"OOOO.KKKK. Deeeessssiiirrreeeee...." (This is said 2,616 times with a sweet little smile after being told 2,616 times not to step on the toys or put them in their mouth.)

"I like it here!" (This one melts my heart every time and calls for an immediate hug!)

I like it here too. (((hugs)))

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

What's For Supper?

I don't like to cook. It's kinda nuts, considering I love to watch cooking shows and I am the owner of 1,016 cookbooks. If I didn't have Landon, I would be quite content to have frozen cheese pizza for supper every night of the week. Tim would not. Nor would Landon. So, I cook. Since I started my diet, my new goal is to have supper together at the table at least three nights (as opposed to five) a week. On those nights, I try to prepare meals that I can also eat along with Tim and Landon. The other nights, I let Tim and Landon eat the meal I've prepared for them, in the T.V. room, on the couch, in front of the T.V. I sometimes join them with my own supper, but for the most part, I like to be by myself at the table or in the living room. I know it isn't how we're "suppose" to do things and it's probably not a "healthy" way to raise Landon, but it works for us. (I apologize to Landon's future wife and children for any damage this may someday cause.) So, that's the way we do it. On their T.V. nights, I probably make four or five trips from the kitchen to the T.V. room while "serving" them their supper. Salt, pepper, ketchup, napkins, milk, blah, blah, blah... I don't like this either, but for the most part I suck it up and just do it. Oh, I admit I throw out a few sarcastic "Oh Thank you Mom/Honey! Your the best Mom/Honey in the whole world!" to let them know how I really feel about the whole situation. They get the point and respond like good little robots, while their eyes never leave the T.V. screen. But, every now and then I get really fed up. On those nights, when Tim comes home and asks "What's for supper?" I look him in the eye and say slowly and quietly, "Whatever you're making us." Tonight was one of those nights. Usually, when Tim cooks we eat at the table and I help put it all on the table. Not tonight. Tonight I decided Landon and I were going to eat in the T.V. room. Tim made eggs, little smokies and toast. He knows how I eat my eggs and prepared them scrambled with cheese for me. But, whatever possessed him to give Landon a soft fried egg, I'll never know. I have never, ever given Landon an egg prepared that way. I know him. He would hate it. Tim came into the room with the plate, set it down on the T.V. tray and told Landon to break open the egg so the yolk would run out and dip his toast in it. I held my breath. Landon stuck his finger in the middle of the egg, the yolk ran out and went under his toast and smokies. Landon said,
"That's just sick." Oh man, that hit my funny bone so hard, I almost choked on my eggs! Tim got all huffy and took the plate and went back into the kitchen to make up another plate for Landon. While he was cooking and I was trying really hard to stop laughing, Landon called out to Tim, "Dad! Bring me a glass of milk!" He did. Then Landon called out, "Dad! Bring me a napkin! I spilled my milk!" He did. But, he wasn't so pleasant about it. He was fuming and annoyed. Guess he didn't like making all those trips. Watching him huff and puff and stomp off all frazzled, only made me laugh all the harder. I really tried hard to stop laughing and was good until he would yell out, "Knock it off! It's not funny!" (Why does he do that? He knows it only makes it worse!) Now, when I make eggs, I take out the blender and whip them with a little milk and garlic salt. Then I add shredded cheddar cheese at the last minute to melt all gooey and warm on top. They are the lightest, fluffiest, yummiest eggs ever. But, that takes a little effort. Tim didn't make that effort, and as a result, his eggs were flat, hard, bland and glued together with cheese. Neither Landon or I finished them. So, when Tim said to me  "Is there a reason, you couldn't eat all your eggs?" I gave him no words of reassurance.
Instead I said, "Oh dear, are you feeling a little under appreciated?"
He's still mad at me. But, don't worry. He'll get over it.
When he gets his nice, hot plate of supper, served by his nice, hot wife... tomorrow! ;)

Put The Comma, Where?

I have a comma problem. Not a common problem. A comma problem. I was watching the show "Lie To Me" the other night, (The one where "Dr. Lightman" can read people's facial expressions and know if they are telling the truth or not. Love it!) and on the show, Dr. Lightman has been trying to write a book. He has a semicolon problem. He likes them, over uses them and puts them in places they shouldn't be. I have a comma problem. I tend to write run on sentences and then I need to insert commas, but I am not always sure where they should go. So, I put them everywhere. If you look back at the last sentence, I am not sure if the comma should have gone after the word "commas," or after the word," but." I am not even sure if that last sentence was correctly comma'ed. (Is that even a word?) I need to refresh my English class skills. I suppose I could look it up on line and figure it out, but I don't want to. So, as you are reading my posts, I apologize for all the comma mistakes. When I hit the lottery, I'll have my editor take care of it.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Magical White Stuff

When I looked out our back door this morning, there was some white stuff covering the deck. Looked like snow. Felt like snow. Yep, it's snow. It's here. Funny how as I get older, my feelings toward the white stuff has changed. I remember many "first snowfalls" of the year as a good ol' Minnesota kid. Usually it was during class at school. Someone would happen to look out the window and scream, "It's snowing!!!' Then all the kids would jump up out of their seats and rush to the windows to oooh and ahhhh. It was such a magical moment. I never paid attention to the teacher's reactions back then, but I am now pretty sure they were probably muttering a few non-magical words under their breath! Now, don't get me wrong, sometimes snow is good. I love to play in the snow with Landon. Snow angels, snowmen, sledding down the hills, all the fun magical stuff. It's just that as an adult, I know with the snow comes the freezing cold temps., and the wind, and the ice, and the blizzards. I don't like to drive in it. I don't like to ride in it. I don't like it in my shoes. I don't like it in my car. I don't like it in my house. I don't like green eggs and ham... (Oops got off track here!) So, why do I live here? Because even if I get cold, wet, or frostbite,
I don't want to miss even one magical moment.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Trivia For Dummies

A long time ago, I bought the game Trivia For Dummies. We also have the regular trivia game, which I hate. I hate it because I don't know any of the answers. I do have a little college under my belt, but that was many years ago and I've forgotten most of it. However, I have been around the block a few times and I am very "life smart." I thought this would be a good game for me and some of my other "life smart" friends, but we never got around to playing it. Life was just too busy I guess. I never opened the game until this afternoon. I was sitting at the computer for 3,002 hours trying to find a pair of flip flops to take to Florida. Apparently all the stores here in Minnesota think it's winter and there isn't a pair to be found! I wasn't having much luck on line either. (I did eventually find a pair.) My back and neck were cramping, so when I streched my arms and neck upwards, I happened to look up at the shelf above my computer. There is where we keep our 1,233,999 games. I spotted the Trivia game and decided to take a look at it. At first the questions seemed a little insulting to anyone's intelligence. For example: Q: How many chocolate wafers are in an Oreo? A: Two. See? Isn't that a little too easy? Then as I was flipping through them, I realized that this could be a really fun game! Imagine the response if you got the Oreo Cookie question wrong! I'll give you a few more.... Q: TV's Arnold the Pig inhabits ____Acres.  Q: True or False? On a clear night you can see Uranus without a telescope. (Come on! That one's funny without the answer!!) The answers are: Green Acres and you cannot see Uranus without a telescope. (Doesn't matter what the weather.) Some were a little harder to me, but maybe to someone else it would be easy. For example: Q: What is the most popular color used in professional Jell-O wrestling? (I didn't even know there was professional Jello-O wrestling!) A: Green (Or Lime) Then there was one that really grossed me out. I didn't know the answer and wasn't sure I wanted to either. Q: True or False? Parchment paper is made from animal skin. TRUE!!! Oh, man. That's just not right! So, there you go. You learned something new today, or maybe not. It might not have been a "life smart" lesson, but you've got to admit it was at least more interesting than trigonometry!