Been There, Wish I'd Done That

The Lord Sings

2009-02-05T13:56:00.002-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: Build a "fort" on your stair landing, under a table, behind the couch. Make a simple one using a sheet, or find a large piece of cardboard to help. Kids love the small spaces; things that are just their size. It should occupy them for quite a while. Maybe you could climb in too? When LA was 4, she was into Ghost Busters. She built a camp on the stair landing every day. My brother came to visit, and he spent 2 hours there with her. What a guy!

"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love,

he will rejoice over you with singing."

Zephaniah 3:17

Praise God! His Word encourages me each day with the promise of what He does for me. He loves me, in spite of my deceitful, selfish ways.
As we celebrate Valentine's Day next week, let's remember to Whom our heart really belongs!

Girl's Weekend #2

2009-02-04T14:06:00.004-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: For each holiday, main ones and obscure, involve your little ones in the decorating and preparations. It makes them feel needed, and through crafts or just markers you can inspire creativity. For the upcoming Valentine's Day, have your kids make homemade valentines from doilies, lace, construction paper and sequins. Use safety scissors to let them cut out hearts and so on. Go crazy!

My sister Jana has moved to Pampa, TX. Mom, Sharla and I have invited ourselves down for another girl's weekend. Last year's event was at my house, but this year, it's just the "old girls". After LA graduates in June, I'd like to gather all the girls at our house again.

Jana has plans for us to antique, go to a tea room, and shop. We're heading over to Amarillo for a day, and I think there's mention of a movie or two.

I'm so excited. I told my sisters and Mom that we will make plans for the next gathering each time we meet. If we don't, it will never happen.

I cherish my sisters; I wish I lived closer to them. I miss Mom every day......

Praise God for families who love you anyway, no matter how weird you are.(Yes, I know this is terrible grammar, but still!)

A Bit of Heaven on Earth

2009-02-03T08:00:00.002-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: Make friends with the people at the appliance store. You need a contact there! Nothing beats a winter day like making a fort/playhouse/whatever out of a giant refrigerator box. Paint, markers or nothing at all. Kids will have a ball, and when it's all broken up, put it out in the trash!

I've just returned from my little bit of Heaven. (I use this term loosely!) Ace gave me a gift certificate to a spa in Tulsa for a facial.
Oh, my.
Never should have done that, Ace.
Now, I feel the NEED!
A relaxing hour of oils and lotions, massage, WARM TOWELS, even a foot rub! Afterwards, a steam shower and more lotions.
Wow. A girl could get used to this......
Thanks, Ace.
I love you!
(It's Marilyn Ihloff Salon, if you want to try it too!)

God Inhabits the Praise of His People

2009-02-02T15:24:00.007-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: While my two were very small, I made sure to keep the Tupperware and pots and pans low in the cabinets. While in the kitchen cooking or cleaning, the kids could join me and play safely in those dishes. Was it noisy? Yes, but it SURE beats the quiet I hear now!

God Inhabits the Praise of His People

Yesterday's worship service was so marvelous!My heart was bursting with the praise of the One Who created me.Many of our church family read scriptures our pastor had dictated.The singing part of our service underscored all the Words spoken.God manifested Himself in the people's praise.

Really a wonderful time of fellowship and worship.

"Oh Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below - you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way." I Kings 8:23

"Oh, the depth of the rices of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgements, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has know the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen" Romans 11:33-36

"Praise the Lord.
Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute,
praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord."
Psalm 150: 1-6

48 Days and Counting

2009-01-31T07:58:00.003-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: If your little ones are fans of a certain TV show, incorporate events on the show into your lives. For example, when LA and AA were little, Sesame Street had a wedding. I invited some neighbors over, and we had a wedding cake, mints and punch while the kids watched the show. My kids didn't watch much TV, but I wanted to make it more interactive when they did.

Since we've been attacked by ice this week, I thought it would be fun to LOOK AHEAD!

Spring is in 48 days - yea!

However, with spring comes many chores: weeding, mowing, sweeping, raking, watering, weeding, potting, weeding, etc....

So, while I don't like ice, there are many advantages to this season.

I thank God for a warm fire, a great book and no particular place to go!

Hey, also, I've gotten on Facebook. It's really fun, so come join me. Lots of techno going on here....

Next week: healthy recipes.

Ice Days

2009-01-27T13:32:00.005-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: Despite what my friend, Sharon, would say, snow and ice days are great for being lazy, playing games, staying in pajamas all day, and just general horsing around. Kids need to see you take a load off, relax and have fun. It won't kill you to miss a day of "perfection"!

In spite of the previous advice, (I like to contradict myself) I've used today's ice storm to clean closets. I know; I REALLY hate to do this. You can tell, because I've got church dresses from 1991 still in my closet.....
Anyway, the hall closet was first, and the BEST. Because in it I found those large pictures we had taken of the kids at Sears, Wal-Mart, etc. when they were very small. LA as a baby, AA as a gun-totin' cowboy - you get the idea.
I found a studio picture I'd forgotten about. One of my whole family. I was pregnant with AA - I guess it was Thanksgiving, 1986. Jana's girls and LA were wearing dresses my mom had made them. Just darling little things.
My dad was healthy and smiling between my brother Rick and Jana's husband, Bart.
If only I had known how fleeting a time; how precious that picture.
Dad began to exhibit slight Alzheimer moments in the next few years, and those days passed in a flash.
Cuddle close; and remember: enjoy today!
(If I ever get a really big scanner, and post that picture!)

Jury Duty

2009-01-26T08:03:00.003-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: When LA and AA were little, when they or one of their friends got the measles or chicken pox, I made a cake. We decorated it together - red hots for the spots, a red Twizzler in a frown, M & M's for eyes. We had lots of fun, and the sick one always had a smile!

I'm off to perform my civic duty. In the middle of the coming ice storm, I'm going to serve my jury duty. I hope I can serve this week, and finish my term.
I'll be anxious to give you all the scoop - when we're done!

I've already been sent home! Really, Judge, I didn't mean it!
I never got to say a word; they just pulled and my name and sent me away. (I do have to return next week, tho.....)

What's For Dinner?

2009-01-22T13:53:00.004-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: Plan meals out for a week or two. That way, you will have all ingredients on hand, and there won't be that mad scramble to think of what to make. You could make a whole month's worth, and keep repeating it over and over. Stock your pantry with items you always use: pasta, rice, canned tomatoes, soup base, potatoes, etc. Meals will be a cinch!

On that note: What's for dinner at your house?

We're having a great stir fry. In my quest for better health, I'm using different veggies. Tonight, I'm adding zucchini to the mix, along with the traditional broccoli, carrots, onions, etc. Rather that the rice, I'm serving mine over spaghetti squash.

If you haven't tried this, I really recommend it. Slice the squash in half from stem to end, place face down in a microwaveable dish, add a bit of water, and micro 10 minutes on high.

Take it out, and remove the seeds. The rest of the squash can be pulled into spaghetti strings by using a fork run through the pulp.

Amazing, and really good!

The squash is also great served with grated Parmesan with chives or chopped green onions.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-01-21T07:11:00.000-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: From my friend, Dana - store old books in plastic tubs with lids. She'd stored some in cardboard. You guessed it: a flood, and she lost all her precious books!

Ace has come through once again! For 3 years (I know!) I've wanted molding in my kitchen/dining. We just never got around to it. I finally decided to hire someone, since I didn't want to nag. I had really about decided to change the whole paint and everything, when Ace mentioned something about molding. He said, do you want it for your birthday? Sort of unconventional, I know, but I really love it!

It really finishes off the space - I went back and touched up the glaze on the walls, and now I just love the way it turned out!

Laura did the Scripture for me years ago; I scraped the popcorn ceiling last spring and refinished the ceiling with paint and glaze. (no, she won't do it ever again - I guess I scared her)
The foolish man asked if we were done now (with home improvements), and I just laughed!
Who ever heard of anything like that?
Now, we move to the bathrooms and master bedroom with all that molding. He said it wasn't hard!........

Growing Things

2009-01-20T08:00:00.001-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: Ace and I always measured our kids on their birthdays. We had a really cute growth chart with Scripture that we put on the back of the kids' bathroom door. When they got taller, we moved the measurements to the kitchen door frame. If we ever move from this place, I'm taking the door trim with me!

For Christmas, one of my favorites is this herb garden. LA knows how I love to use fresh herbs, so she gave me this:

The set included seeds for: lemon basil (yum!), Italian parsley and marjoram. I'm excited to watch the herbs grow. It's so cold and brown outside, it's great to have something green and growing on the inside.

The real challenge will be keeping them alive until harvest time. I'll post periodic pics to see how things are growing.

Thanks, kid!

Remember to pray for our country and our new president. He will needs the prayers of God's people.

Collections

2009-01-19T14:52:00.006-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: In today's world, child safety is a grave concern. When your little ones are 4 or so, teach them a "password". This helps when you have someone new pick them up from pre-school, church, or wherever. Unless the new person knows the "password" your child should not go with them. This is handy, and can be presented in such a way your child won't be scared, just cautious. Obviously, if it's Grandma, they don't need the password; you get the idea.

I love to go to garage sales, auctions, antique and junk stores. I've found lots of great things, and I loved doing it with my parents.

One of the things I love most is cobalt enamelware. You can find enamelware in lots of colors: yellow, green, grey, etc., but my favorite is cobalt.

My dad gave me the coffee pot, and I bought the cup and saucer. Later, Mom gave me the other saucer. We had so much fun together digging around for our treasures. Dad found the coffee pot in some junk place, and Mom said he was so excited to find one for me for such a great deal. He loved to bargain and talk to everyone he met during our outings.

I don't remember where I found either of these pieces, but I love the different mottling on them. Great!

The pot on the left that's upside down came from my grandmother. She didn't collect anything, she just had it lying around, and I wanted it! She probably used it for washing dishes, or something. Anyway, it's special since it came from her.

Grandma was a real hoot. I don't think she was even 5 foot tall, but she could cook like something you've never seen. Jana says she turned the heat up and cooked everything on high. She had 10 kids - one every 2 years. She made the very best noodles I've ever tasted! Gosh.......She always had a German chocolate cake on her kitchen table, too.! Wow!

I move my stuff around all the time, but I always keep this group out, because it reminds me of great times with Mom & Dad and my Grandma Headrick.

Love Life

2009-01-16T07:09:00.002-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: As you are gathering all that stuff to take to Goodwill, put some of the stuff on the kitchen table and let them be creative. Use the old paper napkins, leftover craft feathers and other project "orphans" and let the kids go crazy. Good for their creative skills, and it's less you've got to haul away. Display their creations for a week, then out they go, too!

I Love My Life
1. All my needs are met
2. Personal freedom
3. Freedom to worship
4. Great family
5. Great friends
6. Great church family
7. Fairly close to my extended family
8. Kids are healthy, happy
9. Husband healthy, happy
10. My Redeemer loves me!

Laundry List

2009-01-15T08:28:00.000-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: I've been cleaning cabinets, closets and drawers. You're supposed to get organized in January, right? I throw lots out, but the remainder I take down to Goodwill. Someone might get some use from that stuff; I just don't need it anymore. It is freeing to cart stuff away. If that's true, why does buying more give me such a buzz sometimes? Hmmmm....
.

10 Things Wrong with Keeping House

1. Cleaning toilets

2. Dusting window blinds

3. Cleaning baseboards

4. Ironing (unless there's a good old movie on TV)

5. Doing taxes/accounting stuff for LauraSartin.com

6. Changing seasons of clothes from upstairs to down

7. Doing dishes

8. Going to Wal-Mart

9. Washing windows

10. Cleaning bathrooms

Agony and Ecstasy

2009-01-14T07:02:00.003-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: For a great cold-weather activity, my friend Priscilla says to wait for a REALLY cold day - 0 degrees or below. Get a glass of water, go outside and throw the water into the air. She says the water crackles and freezes. Try it! Your kids will love it. Just stand them at the back door - you won't even have to get them all bundled up!

I hope you all remember last week's big TU football bowl game win over then-ranked Ball State, because today, I must report on a sad loss.
TU hadn't beaten Memphis, a conference foe, in 7 tries. Last night, we played them at home on ESPN2. We were behind the entire game, but in spite of some bad luck, missed calls and 22 turnovers, we had a chance to win.
Our best guy, Ben Uzoh, went to the free throw line with 4.5 seconds left. He shot 2, made both, and TU went ahead.
Memphis took the ball down and shot over our 7 foot Jamaican dream, Jerome Jordan, and the ball went in as the buzzer sounded.
So sad! Memphis hadn't lost a conference game in forever (44 wins in a row), and we thought we finally had them.
Oh, well!
Very exciting, but disappointing.
Ace & I have season tickets in the same seats as last year. I'm going to have to move next year, because we've got some doozies who sit behind us. They have nothing but negative things to say about our kids - I don't know why they come.
As a parent of an athlete, I know how deeply these kids want to win; they are trying their hardest to do their best. Sometimes, that doesn't happen. I'm so tempted to ask these so-called "fans" if they've ever played a college basketball game, or any sport, for that matter.
It's a great lesson for me to always be positive: someone is always listening!

New Year Smoothie

2009-01-13T08:00:00.002-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: When you assign your kids their chores, once in a while give them a great surprise! Tape $1 to the EndDust can, put cash in the dishwasher, tape money to the vacuum. Not every time, but enough that they may not whine when assigned a chore. If they whine, take the $ away before they get there. Or, have a rule about surprises, cash and whining.

In my quest for better health, here's my breakfast solution. This gets more calcium into me, and I love it. It's always been a great thing for me. I got this recipe years ago while on Weight Watchers, although I've put my own spin to the recipe.

1 cup skim milk
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 pkt. Equal (or like)
Blend all in a blender. This will be thick, like a milkshake. Low fat, low cal and yummy.
Variations: frozen peaches, half a banana added to the strawberries, 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (love the texture that adds), blueberries, mangoes. Protein powder is great to add, as well as a few pecans or walnuts.

Doing My Duty

2009-01-12T07:57:00.004-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: Help your kids learn Scripture by making the whole thing a game. One of my favorites: Blow up lots of balloons (I know!, I can't do it, either!). Put one word of the Scripture on one balloon. Pin them to the wall (or tape them, whatever), and have the kids read the Scripture. Each kid gets a turn, and they pop a balloon. They have a great time, repeat the Scripture lots of times, and when the balloons are popped, Scripture learned! It's easy and fun, and they will learn the verse (so will you!)

I'm off to jury duty today. Don't you feel more confident in our legal system now, knowing I'll be deciding some poor smuck's fate?

This is what I'll recommend for all convicted offenders!

Seriously, it's important to serve. Don't try to get out of service, no matter how inconvenient, or distasteful. If all of us did, who would be left to serve? I don't think we want the criminals to be the only jurors!

I've served several times, and it's interesting, if nothing else.

Restaurant List

2009-01-10T09:41:00.004-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: Let your little ones experience failure. I know, that's hard. It will help them in the long run. Don't always let them win at Candy Land. It will be easier later on for your kids to know that we can't always be number 1: sometimes, others will be better at something. It's tempting to go before our kids and make things easy for them, but it's great for them to learn to work things out.

Tulsa Eats

1. Big Al's - 15th and Harvard - health food, but great!

2. Hideaway Pizza - several locations - great pizza

3. Bill's Jumbo Burgers - east Admiral - a dive, but close to TU: greasy burger mecca

4. Sonoma - Brookside - great pizza, salad and more

5. Brook - Brookside - comfort food, great breakfasts

6. Charleston's - 2 locations - love the croissants!

7. McNellie's - downtown - sweet potato fries!

8. Queenies - Utica Square - desserts, and a super grilled cheese

9. TiOmo's - 2 places - great Italian, ambiance is cool

10. Wild Fork - MY VERY FAVORITE! Love everything there, especially the jalapeno cole slaw.

Tell me your favs in Tulsa. I need to try some new stuff. It's not hard to sign up to comment here. Do it!

Another List; and Soup!

2009-01-07T16:40:00.002-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: Develop a real talent for listening to your kids. You know them better than anyone, and it's vital you listen carefully to what they tell you: both verbally and physically. LA was complaining about something one time, and I said, "That's not important." She replied, "Well, it is to me." I learned a valuable lesson that day: LISTEN. Really engage in what your little one is telling you. It's a great investment in your family, and those listening skills might come in handy in other places, too!

Italian Sausage Vegetable Soup

Here it is, Pam and Sally!

2 lbs Italian sausage

2 medium onions, chopped fine

5 cloves garlic, minced

4 carrots, peeled and diced

4 small zucchini, diced

2 green bell peppers, diced

11 cup chicken broth

2 28 oz. cans diced tomatoes

2 tsp. dried basil, crumbled

1 tsp. dried oregano, crumbled

1 cup uncooked orzo (cooked according to pkg. directions)

1 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Brown the sausage in a heavy Dutch oven until no longer pink. Remove sausage and drain. Spoon out most of the sausage fat and discard. In remaining fat, add the onions and garlic. Cook until soft, but not brown. Add the carrots, zucchini, peppers, broth, tomatoes, basil and oregano. Bring to a boil. When soup is boiling, add the cooked orzo and cook for 20 more minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, put in soup bowls and top with Parmesan. This soup is best if cooked the day before serving. May also be frozen. Makes 12 - 16 servings.

Where to Go Next

1. Grand Canyon

2. Australia

3. San Francisco

4. Yellowstone

5. Washington, D.C. (again)

6. New York (again)

7. New England

8. Charleston, S.C.

9. Mediterranean

10. ITALY

Where would you go, if you could go anywhere?

Lists

2009-01-06T08:56:00.004-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: In honor of 2009: give yourself a break! Relax! Don't worry about - taxes, the economy, getting into Harvard, what's for dinner, etc. Just enjoy the day. You've put away Christmas decorations, and straightened up the house. Isn't that enough? Play games, and have a ball!

Things to Do in 2009

1. Treasure each day. God has given me this day, take advantage of my opportunity!

2. Pay attention to my family: husband, kids, siblings, parents. Consider my chance to make their day a special one.

3. Love my friends. God has blessed me with some great ones.

4. Employ random acts of kindness. Let the impatient one in line behind me go first. Let the nice lady in line behind me go first. Go to a playground and sprinkle a roll of nickles under the play stuff-kids love that. Give someone an anonymous present.

5. Make God's Word and time with Him my priority.

6. Love my pastor and his family. Show them I love them.

7. Tell others how to know Christ.

8. Disciple my Sunday School class to love the Word.

9. Read lots of books.

10. Get healthy.

Bowling Hopes

2009-01-05T08:28:00.003-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: Once a month, schedule a "date night" with your hubby. It doesn't have to be anything expensive, maybe just a trip to the grocery store, but spend time with the guy. When you have little ones, they tend to take all your attention. The big guy needs some alone time, too. I know you are frazzled, tired, talked-out, etc., but it's a great investment for your marriage.

TU plays Ball State tomorrow night in the GMAC Bowl. We decided not to go, since Ace needs to work this week. We'll be watching the game, and rooting on the kids.

LA begins her next-to-last term in grad school today. I see Chicago's temp is about 20 degrees. Nice......

AA is skiing today in Breckenridge. The kids have a big group, stay together in a great condo, and ski for 4 days or so.

Now that all the Christmas stuff is put away, I find myself at loose ends. Not a bad feeling, but I need to get a great book to read!

I've been called for jury duty next week. I get called often, it seems. I must be really good at it?.....

Ace Comes Through!

2009-01-02T14:03:00.006-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: When LA was little, I never let the poor little girl get dirty, play in the dirt, or generally get messed up. When AA came along, I was more relaxed and let them both have lots of fun. Take my advice: dirt is good; the kids develop resistance to germs!

You all may remember my sad tale about this cup:

My souvenir from London's National Museum, I'd broken it; knocked it off the kitchen counter. I loved it! I'd tried to replace it and had looked everywhere online, but no luck.

On Christmas morning, I opened this from Ace, my sweet husband:

He'd ordered it from London; it's not Van Gogh's Sunflowers, but he remembered I love the Monet pond paintings we've seen. Wasn't that thoughtful? I love it, and now I have another great memory associated with my cup.

I still can't bring myself to throw away the other cup - I'm crazy, right?

Hope your Christmas was fun and safe.

I pray 2009 will bring you all blessings and God's wisdom and grace.

Return to "Normal"

2008-12-28T08:32:00.003-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: As you are moving in all the new Christmas toys, put the same number of old toys away, or better yet, donate them to Goodwill. You'll keep organized, and you won't be overrun with more "stuff".

We just took LEA to the airport to return to Chicago for another round of grad school fun. We've loved having her at home since Thanksgiving, but I know she's looking forward to getting back to her friends and life up North.

We did lots of fun stuff while she was here, but I had more things I wanted to do. Time together is precious, and so I wanted to do all I could.

My house is a wreck! Is yours?

I feel very "undone" the day after Christmas with all the boxes, gifts and stuff lying around the house. I feel ready to put everything away right this minute, but some of us here like to enjoy the mess for a while longer. I try to curb my anxieties for a few days, but I feel like this afternoon might be a good day to sort, or something.

Before the kids went out last night, I caught them for a picture. My hair needed some attention (as always), but I seized the moment to be immortalized with the two I treasure most.

They are such great people, I can't believe God gave them to us.

AA had a mess coming home for Christmas. He was coming on the 23rd, but the roads around Fayetteville were bad, so he waited for Christmas Eve. His Jeep broke down in Tulsa, and had to be towed to B'ville, so he and Ace missed the Christmas Eve service at church. We've never not gone, so I was very sad.

LA and I went, and God was so clearly present. He spoke to the lowly shepherds about the birth of His Son. I'd never before thought about why He did. He uses the most common circumstance to speak to us. As we sang the familiar carols, He reminded me of how He uses the "lowly" to do His work. He uses even someone like me to minister and bless others. Awesome!

As you "clean up" after Christmas, be blessed by His gift to us that never wears out, or is the wrong size.

Happy New Year!

Thou shalt call His name Jesus

2008-12-22T20:25:00.003-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: Every Christmas Eve, we go to the candlelight service at our church. When we come home, we have some special snacks. Many years, some friends have come over to share with us. This is when we read the Christmas story. Mostly, we read the Luke 2 account. Do this without fail. Be sure your kids know that Christmas is centered on God's gift to us; His son Jesus.

Matthew 1:21:" ...thou shalt call his name Jesus. For he shall save his people from their sins."

Before God created me, He knew all I would be. My failures, successes: all of it. In spite of that, He sent His son - the One who spoke the universe into existence - to die as a sacrifice for my sins.

"Immanuel" God with us. I can't put my mind around something so incredible. While I was yet a sinner, Christ died for me.
Rather than worrying about getting the gifts wrapped, the pies baked or whatever, consider His gift to you.
A small baby - not one of us would have chosen to send our son to die for sinners. But God did, and Jesus came willingly.
He became one of us; yet without sin, and offered Himself as a gift for me and all who would accept.
Have a blessed Christmas.

More Christmas Goodies

2008-12-19T19:49:00.004-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: Read, READ, READ! I can't stress this enough. Your kids need to be read to from the moment they arrive here on earth! Read to them everything you can get your hands on. I really treasure those memories reading "chapter books" to LA every night before bed. The Secret Garden, Little House, etc. Nothing is better than that. I really don't think it's an accident my 2 kids are both voracious readers. AA is reading classics right now, and he doesn't even have to!

Grandma's Southern Living Fudge

As I've said before, Ace's family are sugar addicts. It's really no secret, so I feel comfortable sharing this with you. His mom has made pies, cakes and all sweet things his whole life; the family had a "cake break" at 3 p.m. every day - you get the drift. Aunt Bess makes the best candy in Arkansas, so I've got lots of competition and expectations when I join the family.

The cookies I make (see Wed.) fit right in with this madness, but I wanted to perfect some of the Perkins family favorites.

Enter Buttermilk Fudge. Sounds weird, but trust me, you will be in Heaven.....

I learned to make it when we first got married, and after a few years, I sent the recipe in to Southern Living magazine. I neglected to think ahead, however, and entered the recipe under my name, rather than Ace's mom's name. Hmmmm......

Anyway, the recipe was published, and I was thrilled. Kathy didn't care it was under my name, but I've felt really strange about it ever since.

Here's the famous fudge recipe. Be aware - addictive; both flavor and texture and superb!

2 Cups sugar

1/2 Cup butter

2 Tbsp corn syrup

1 Cup buttermilk

1 tsp soda

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 Cup chopped, toasted pecans

Combine sugar, buttermilk, butter, soda and corn syrup in a buttered Dutch oven. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches soft ball stage, or candy thermometer registers 234 degrees; remove from heat. Cool to 180 degrees. Stir in vanilla. Beat at high speed of electric mixer until the fudge begins to thicken and lose its gloss. Stir in pecans. Pour out on waxed paper; cool. Yield: 1 1/4 pounds

Mom's Famous Sugar Cookies

2008-12-17T08:00:00.002-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: From my friend, Linda, at the Taste & Spit: keep a bucket in your car with kitty litter, your scraper, icee defroster stuff, a candle, matches, flashlight and small camp shovel. You are ready for winter's worst!

Mom's Sugar Cookies

Yes, I know. You have the best sugar cookie recipe. However, trust me when I say that I've got that one covered. Mom made these for us for every holiday, and she brought them to school on our birthdays, too. She shaped them with a big coffee can, so each kid got a really big cookie. Since I had only 13 kids in my class, Mom personalized each one with their name. She was famous in Mullinville for those things. The cookies roll out amazingly well because they use powdered sugar, rather than granulated.

1 Cup oleo, softened

1 1/2 Cup powdered sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 Cup

1 tsp soda

1 tsp cream of tartar

1/4 tsp salt

Cream oleo and sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Add dry ingredients; blend well. Chill covered until very firm. (Don't skip this step) Overnight is best. Roll out to desired thickness. Cut into shapes. Bake at 400 degrees for 6 - 8 minutes, until very slightly browned. You may also roll dough into walnut-sized balls, roll in sugar and flatten with a glass bottom. Bake as before. Frost the cutout cookies.

Start a tradition with your little ones this year. Let them in the kitchen to decorate, eat the dough, and generally make a big mess. You won't be sorry!

Christmas Goodies

2008-12-15T21:05:00.001-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: Buy your kids some Christmas pjs. Then, on Christmas Eve, you'll have something for them to unwrap when they are clamoring to open a gift. Wrap the pj's in paper you'll easily recognize, and place them together somewhere under the tree. Then you can say "yes", and you'll be a hero when they get to open a package. Your kids will be all cute and Christmas-y on Christmas morning for your pictures!

Cranberry Salsa

These are the little Christmas goodies I'm giving to the project leaders and staff of the Taste and Spit today. They just turned out so cute, I can't stand it! I found these little jars at Hobby Lobby, and filled them with - - - Cranberry Salsa! Julia, our Children's Director at church, gave me this recipe last year, and it's a sure winner. Serve this over a block of cream cheese with some really great wheat crackers, and you've got a unique appetizer everyone will enjoy. The gorgeous red is an asset to your table, too.

Julia's Cranberry Salsa

1 bag fresh cranberries, washed

2 jalapenos, seeded (or just one, if you're a wimp!)

1 bunch green onions, chopped in a large chop

1/4 Cup cilantro (opt)

3/4 Cup sugar

1 Tbsp oil

2 Tbsp lime juice

Chop first 4 ingredients in food processor. (yea, I finally get to take it out of the back of the cabinet!) Add remaining ingredients. Chill overnight. Drain, and top a block of cream cheese. Serve with crackers. Makes enough for 3 blocks of cream cheese.

I made cute little recipe cards to put on these jars for my friends at work. They are great! Hope you like the salsa.

Tulsa, Tea time, and Tiny cookies

2008-12-15T08:00:00.002-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: My friend Donna suggests a great idea for cleaning up the place. She puts the timer on for 10 minutes. The kids race to see how much cleaning/picking up they can get done in that amount of time. Another friend suggested using music; 3 songs would be about 10 minutes. It's a game, it's to music, and the house gets picked up/cleaned!

Tulsa Tea Time

Mom, LA and I escaped to Tulsa last week to investigate a tearoom there. Dragonmoon is a fun girl place with lots of great food and an assortment of teas from around the world. We all tried different lunch foods; they change daily. My turkey soup with stuffing dumplings was a hit with all of us. I had some quiche, too.
The 3 cup teapot we tried was "Blue Sapphire", a tea from South Africa. Really great, and they brewed it twice, so we got lots of tea. It really hit the spot on a sleet-spitting day.

For dessert, a sugar cookie filled with chocolate ganache, a nutmeg log, and a "shooter" of pumpkin mousse. Just enough sweet after a wonderful lunch.

Here's the blue sapphire tea in their adorable cup. Take some time out and enjoy a cup of tea.
Dragonmoon is on Harvard in Tulsa, just north of 21st Street.

Guest Blog

2008-12-11T17:31:00.010-06:00

The blog's been on a tiny hiatus this week, but I'm back today with a special guest blogger: my daughter, Lauren. She's appeared in the blog before in my anecdotes; you may remember her as WordGirl, LA, or the grad school kid. Lauren's been home from school for a few weeks and offered to blog today.

Christmas Charity

When my brother and I were growing up, our parents made sure we understood the importance of giving to others. I remember in grade school they encouraged us to set aside some of our allowance money for the Lottie Moon offering at church or for the Salvation Army bucket outside Wal-Mart. I’m thankful that they taught me about giving when I was younger. Watching my parents give to others made it much easier for me to be a giver myself once I was off on my own—even on a grad assistant salary. I’d like to share a few of my favorite charities with you; feel free to tell us about your favorite charities in the comments.

826 National
826 is a national chain of community writing centers; it was started by one of my favorite authors, Dave Eggers. 826 chapters offer free after-school tutoring, in-school writing seminars, and writing workshops for elementary through high school aged students. Their goal is to work with local schools to encourage writing and creativity in children. Each 826 chapter features a storefront with a quirky theme; my 826 in Chicago is called “The Boring Store” and conceals a secret spy organization. Other chapter stores supply superheroes, robots, and pirates.

I’ve enjoyed the time I’ve spent volunteering at 826 Chicago—they’re truly a valuable service for kids who might not get enough attention at school. But if you don’t live near an 826, you can always give monetarily. And here’s the big bonus: 826 is always good about sponsoring unique fundraising programs. The Chicago store has a yearly mustache-growing contest, and 826 national usually releases several fantastic books a year to fund their programs, including some recent titles, The New Kings of Nonfiction and My Mistress’s Sparrow is Dead. My favorite fundraiser took place last week; 826 teamed up with one of my favorite online art galleries, 20x200.com, to release an edition of affordable artwork.

Kiva.org
Kiva is a fairly new grassroots organization that lends money to entrepreneurs in the Third World. Donors can give as little as $25 per loan and are able to choose which recipients they’d like to give to. So you can support only the specific projects or entrepreneurs that you want to—from computer schools in South America to soda salesmen in Africa to farmers in Asia. Entrepreneurs have their own pages with their pictures, brief stories about their businesses, and information about the local loaning organization that they receive the loan through. After the loan is collected, entrepreneurs repay their loans at an incredibly low interest rate in small installments, usually spread out of the course of the year. These payments are deposited into the donors’ Kiva accounts; they can then choose to reinvest the money in other projects or withdraw the money. Donors also receive periodic emails that update them on the entrepreneurs’ progress.

The above picture is Guzman Velazquez; he's the first entrepreneur I loaned to on the site. He's using his $775 loan to open a computer school so the people in his town in Paraguay can train for technology jobs. Guzman received the loan a few months ago and has already made payments on it. I’ve enjoyed using Kiva because it’s easy to give in small amounts and it’s gratifying to see exactly who you’re giving to. Kiva is also completely transparent—they publish the default rates of all their partner organizations and keep donors well-informed.

Christmas Gift Ideas

One fun way to be charitable during the holiday season is to combine charity giving with gift giving. 826 books make great gifts; Kiva has a store that sells calendars, shirts, and other goodies, including these totes.

You can also buy Kiva gift certificates that allow others to donate to entrepreneurs of their choosing.

Another great gift is Good Magazine. When you buy a subscription, the entire price is donated to a charity of your choice (Kiva.org and 826 are both options).

Christmas Goodies

2008-12-06T08:00:00.007-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: While traveling to Grandmother's house for Christmas, give kids an old "pocketbook". When LA and Double A were little, my Grandma would get her old "pocketbooks" and fill them with all sorts of goodies. (I suspect this is how she cleaned out her junk drawer, but anyway....) She stuck something in every pocket, nick and cranny. The kids spent hours digging through those things. It really works, and Grandma had a blast doing it.

Here's a simple appetizer to take and serve anywhere. My "foodie" friends at the Taste and Spit were impressed with this, and that's saying a lot! Enjoy!

Terri's Crostini

One loaf french bread - the very small diameter ones

Slice thin and toast slowly in a 300 degree oven, about 10 minutes.

Feta cheese (or blue cheese, or Gorgonzola, etc.)

Honey

Toasted pecans (or walnuts or almonds)

Top crostini with cheese. Sprinkle on nuts and drizzle with honey. Be prepared to accept compliments! Very simple, but really great! Merry Christmas!

Hurricane Warning

2008-12-05T11:53:00.002-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". This may seem a strange parenting tip, but trust me, if you are a pregnant person, take heed. Many times, when LA was a newborn, Ace and I would be tempted to disturb her in her sleep or just being happy time. We soon learned to leave her alone if she was happy. When kids are happy, LEAVE THEM ALONE. Don't change their diaper, wake them, move them, whatever......Trust me, you'll be glad you listened to me someday....

Tomorrow, TU plays in Tulsa for the conference championship. This is joyous. However, you may remember that also tomorrow is our Open House. Poor planning. It wasn't that I didn't think the Hurricane would make it there, but I naively hoped the game would be played at night.
So, I'm going to miss the great event, which may never happen again in my lifetime.
Oh well, I struggle......

Great stuff about TU:
Great student to professor ratio: I think it's about 10/1.
No grad students teaching classes.
Great scholarship opportunities.
Located in a super town.
Good student athletic teams, if you're a sports buff.
Small classes.
Top 100 university in the US.
Wonderful reputation across the US.
And the best thing about TU:

Lovely, wonderful alumni......

Have a marvelous weekend: Go TU, beat ECU!

Thanksgiving Re-hash

2008-12-04T07:57:00.012-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: To protect my floor while my two babies ate, Ace made me a 4 X 4 foot sheet of hard plastic to put under the highchair. It was easier to wipe up than the carpet in my dining area!

Please pray for Sharon today; she's off for chemo treatment #2. Give her peace, strength and protect her from nausea.

It was just the four of us on Thanksgiving Day since Ace's mom was still in the hospital. Ace carved up his smoked turkey - we hadn't ever done the whole-bird-on-the-table thing before. He liked doing it!

I kept waiting for that bird to go flying across the table, but Ace persevered, and he successfully carved the bird up!

LA did my flowers; they still look great today.....We had a lovely, family day of food, football and sitting in front of the fireplace.

2 days until the Open House! Bring your friends - there's going to be a door prize this year!

Counting Down......

2008-12-03T17:15:00.005-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: Take advantage of your local library's story hours. You'll get a break (of sorts) and your kiddos will learn how fun books are. Let them check out several afterwards, and spend an hour going through them. You're promoting reading, and they'll sit in your lap!

Three days until the Open House! We've done a TV ad, and put an ad on the Women's Page of the B'ville paper........Planning the goodies today, and decorating tomorrow. Gosh, what fun!

LA is home, and that's so much fun. She's on trimesters at DePaul, so she's off til after the New Year.

I came home from a haircut, and walked in to a house that smelled fabulous! I didn't realize what a blessing that is! I guess I haven't experienced that since I lived at home and Mom was cooking. I could really get used to this.....

She's making my brother's famous soup: Headrick's Hamburger. It's great, filling, and smells terrific!

Headrick's Hamburger Soup

1 lb. hamburger

1 cup chopped onions

1 cup cubed carrots

1 cup cubed potatoes

4 cups tomatoes (2 cans)

1/4 cup rice

3 cups water

Italian seasonings, to taste.

(LA adds corn, and green pepper; whatever she has available)

Salt and pepper

Brown hamburger with onions. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer for 1 hour. Enjoy!

Christmas Open House

2008-12-01T15:45:00.007-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: Buy (or make) a Christmas calendar for your little ones. This will make the time go faster until the big day. I made the ones with a treat or a very small toy behind the door. You can buy them almost anywhere now, and that would be easy! Let your kids count down the days until all the excitement!

Christmas Open House

Only 5 days until our Open House for http://www.laurasartin.com/. We have some really great savings for all who attend. I'm making some treats, and there will be hot cider to ward off the cold. Do your Christmas shopping with your friends. If you have one of our invitations, (or if you mention this blog!), we'll give you 10% off your whole order!

This painting is great framed in an antique gold. I've got it in my bathroom. Your mom and/or sister would really like this!

This one below is on sale Saturday. You'll be able to buy 3 16 X 20's for $90, plus an extra 10% off! A $115.50 value, you can get 3 for $81! That's a great buy, and the prints are easy to mail, too.

Buy this one (remember, they are double-matted), for all your friends with little ones, or those who are pregnant. We sell so many of these - they are really a unique and wonderful gift for babies.

All three of the larger sizes are on sale if you buy 3 of the same size, so come see what's new.

Laura has done 2 new prints, so you'll want to check those.

We have gifts for everyone; men, grandma, sister, mom ~ even something for yourself.....

Come by and get started on your Christmas shopping, or just stop by to visit - we can't wait to see you!

Thanksgiving Preparations

2008-11-25T13:59:00.002-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: Let your kids make the place cards for Thanksgiving. I love the ones with an Oreo cookie. Stick candy corn in the filling, use some icing to make a face (or just write guests' names) and set at every place setting. If the kids do the arranging, no one can blame you because they've got to sit next to crazy Uncle Fred!

We're looking forward to AA coming home today (fixing lots of meat for him), and Wordgirl is coming in tomorrow.
I'm so excited to have them home in front of the fire with us. We all enjoy a fire in the fireplace and a great college football game on TV.
Please pray for Ace's mom, Kathy. She's been in the hospital in Ft. Smith since Thursday. An accelerated heartbeat that they are monitoring. We were going to go pick her up tomorrow, but she won't get out of the hospital until Thursday.
So, it's just the 4 of us for the big day.
We'll head over to Ft. Smith for the weekend to see what's going on.
I'm being flexible about meals/lists/stuff; I'm really proud of myself! I love the planning and prepping for big meals.
I'm off to make the cornbread and biscuits for the dressing. I like to leave them out on the counter drying for a day or two.
Ace is smoking the birds (3 turkey breasts and one whole one) Wednesday. He does it once; and does a lot. Then, we have plenty for Christmas too.
Count your blessings. The simple things in life are more special to me this year. Love on your friends, tell your family you love them, and eat a piece of pumpkin pie for me!

32 and Counting

2008-11-24T14:57:00.005-06:00

Wish I'd Done That : My friend and business partner, Laura, has a great suggestion for keeping kids quiet and occupied during church. She gave her kids pipe cleaners, and they could make all sorts of shapes and people and whatever. They didn't wear out, and kept them quiet. Brilliant!

32 and Counting

Rather than a Thanksgiving meal, our church focuses on missions during the month of November. We are an action church who go out and evangelize and serve. During the past year, we've been to Nicaragua, New Orleans (yes, they still need help!), the Gulf coast for all the hurricanes, Mexico, and other places near and far.

The Sunday before Thanksgiving, we have a missions banquet where we make an offering to support missions around the world and at home. We review where we've been this year, and look forward to the next.

For the last 2 years, I've been in charge cooking for the mission banquet. This year, we made 32 pumpkin pies for dessert. I've never made that many pies, but Mitzi prepped my ingredients, and over the course of a few hours, turned out this:

Wow, that's a lot, even when you start cutting them all up to serve. Nothing says Thanksgiving like pumpkin pie!

Laura decorated for the banquet. She made this "earths" last year. Just a glass bowl painted with textured paint, and then joint compound to form the continents. They are really great, and look marvelous.

I'd encourage you to focus out during the holidays. Look for others to bless. Give generously to those in need.

Getting ready to start cooking tomorrow. What's your favorite Thanksgiving food? I'm going to have to go with the dressing.

Earrings, and other lost things

2008-11-20T08:45:00.003-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: Try a coat/mitten/hat swap. I always thought my friends' kids had coats my kids could wear. I know mine outgrew coats at an amazing rate, they don't get worn out, and still had lots of good wear in them. In these days of recycling, try it!

Last night at overflow (our youth group), I noticed one of my earrings was missing. I was irritated, since I'd only worn them 3 or 4 times. I'd been trying on clothes at the mall, and I assumed I'd lost it there. After church, I was tempted to return to Dillard's to check the dressing room, but I was just too lazy. I wanted to get home to a new book I have. I also almost threw away the earring, but slipped it into my purse instead.
When I got home, I went upstairs to put on my pj's, went into the bathroom and there on the counter was the other earring! I'd talked to lots of kids and adults, and no one commented on the one earring!
Did they think I was making a fashion statement? Or, as I suspect, have I joined the ranks of the invisible "old people"?
I can't believe I went around with one earring. I remember I picked one up to put on, and then wandered off, distracted by who knows what?
Ace loses things all the time. However, they are usually right in front of his face. His TU sweatshirt, for example. He said he couldn't find it, but it's right in the center of his closet. I used to go look for stuff, but I was only enabling him to continue his lazy looking! Now, I figure, if he wants it, he'll look harder......
Is that wrong?

Party Time!

2008-11-19T07:36:00.003-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: Choose a nondescript day, and make it special. Get out your best dishes, a nice tablecloth and the good silver and crystal. Set a nice table; use a centerpiece and candles. Your family will feel special, and you'll get to use your good stuff. Don't worry about serving a fabulous dinner (although that would be great); the idea is to do something different. In fact, it would be crazy to buy the fast food meal and serve it on china! This lets your kids use the china, and learn to be careful with mom's crystal. So what if something gets broken? This stuff is meant to be used. Don't put off the "special" occasions; make your own. Even if you don't have china, you can make the dinner special by putting candles on the table, gathering flowers from the garden, or just make an artistic centerpiece of sticks from the bushes. Whatever you do, just make it different from the normal hum-drum. Recently, the Lord's been showing me that you shouldn't postpone special things or doing the extra something you want to do.
It seems really trite, but build a fire when you want one, use the good china, buy the Harry and David pears.
While we are at a point where we have some extra to spend on special things, I'm not talking just material things. Take the time to read that book, visit someone lonely, start a poker night.
I'm in two groups from church that celebrate birthdays of the members. It's really an excuse to get together, laugh and have a great time getting to know one another better.
We all know people who say "someday". Let's be the ones who say "today".

Aloysius

2008-11-18T07:28:00.005-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: When my oldest, Wordgirl, was about 2 or 3, she began to be afraid to go to bed. She thought there were monsters or "bad guys" hanging around. We weren't sure what to do, but one day Ace brought home this guy:

Wordgirl named him Aloysius. We weren't sure where she got this, but when she was older, she said it was Snuffleupagus's name (from Sesame Street).

Aloysius was a Super guy. He could look in the closet for the bad guys, he could see under the bed. Mostly, he protected a little girl who had a fabulous imagination. Imaginations are great in the daytime, but at night, they can be the enemy.

I thought Ace was a genius for coming up with a wonderful solution. Wordgirl had Aloysius for a few months or a year; just enough time to get through that stage.

He's a little worse for the wear, but if you were a 20 year old dinosaur, you might look rough too!

Try this idea if your little ones are having trouble at night, or any time. Aloysius travelled with us in the car, but mainly, he protected our house.

Refrigerator Ramblings

2008-11-17T07:35:00.003-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: My friend, Opal, suggests making sure your movies of kids' activities are not all lumped together. Keep birthdays separate from holidays, recitals, etc. She's right. All of mine are lumped together. Wordgirl and AA should have separate "videos" of their lives......Great idea!

My Refrigerator

Does yours look like this? I used to have alphabet letters and crayon drawings. Now, I've just got pics and coupons. I do have some great magnets Laura made years ago.

There are pics of my kids, my nieces, and my whole family. It's a happy reminder of times together and how important it is to treasure times together. You never know when circumstances will change.

I was reminded of this again this week. One of the guys who worked for Ace had a heart attack and died last week. He was only 52.

Since turning 50, I've been concerned about leaving a mark on others. What difference have I made in my life?

That can only be measured in eternal things, so I'm trying to concern myself with making that eternal difference. Ministering to others, using my spiritual gift of service and administration.

This week, our church is celebrating being thankful by having a missions dinner. We are a mission-oriented church, so we are looking outward into Eternity by investing our offerings on spreading the Gospel of Jesus. A group of us are cooking for 250. I love doing stuff like that: the camaraderie of fellowship in the kitchen! Then, we take an offering that is strictly for mission work.

Upcoming recipes:

The "famous" sugar cookie recipe, Julia's cranberry salsa, and other tips for a lovely holiday season.

Holiday Beginnings

2008-11-14T08:00:00.003-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: A hint for the holidays.....Let your kids help with giving to those less fortunate. Have them shop for the Salvation Army angel, or let them choose items to fill the Samaritan's Purse Christmas boxes. Find out info for the Christmas boxes at: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/. Kids will love picking out stuff for others, and it's a great way to show children their blessings. Use it for a geography lesson, too!

I'm beginning to think about holiday cooking. Less than 2 weeks 'til Thanksgiving! We have a smoked turkey (Ace is in charge of that), cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes, etc. Something my mom made was a frozen cranberry salad. I love it for the holidays, but it's also really great in the summertime.

Mom's Cranberry Salad

1 can cranberries (jellied, or with whole berries)

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 cup crushed pineapple, drained

1 - 1 1/2 cups Cool Whip

3/4 cup chopped pecans

Whip cream cheese until smooth. Add other ingredients. Pour into 9 inch freezer-proof dish. Freeze. Before serving, set out of freezer about 15 minutes to soften slightly. Great!

Veteran's Salute

2008-11-13T11:25:00.004-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: Get an American flag and fly it for all holidays: Memorial Day, Flag Day, Veteran's Day. Your kids will get a sense of how important our country is to you. Let them help with the whole ceremony of hanging the flag. Teach them about how to fly it, when to fly it, etc. Don't fly it at night, or in the rain. Teach them to respect the flag by your actions.

A friend from church sent me this link. It's a group of school kids singing The Battle Hymn of the Republic.
http://www.greatdanepromilitary.com/Battle%20Hymn/index.htm

It was a great encouragement to me in these uncertain days of a new administration, bad economy, problems in government.

I know it will bless your heart, and encourage you, also.

Thank a veteran today for their sacrifice.

God Bless America!

Computer Problems

2008-11-12T18:43:00.002-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: I always bought my little ones' clothes one year ahead. I could sort of predict their sizes, then I'd shop at the end of the season for the next year. If I made a mistake, I gave it away as a birthday gift!

I HATE Computers!!!

Last week, I had a glitch or something with my Outlook Express. I couldn't access my mail for our website, www.laurasartin.com. Now, since it's coming close to the shopping season, I want to be able to get and fill any orders that come in. For some inexplicable reason, it wouldn't accept my password, and I got that dreaded error message: "There was a problem logging onto your mail server" I decided to try to fix it myself - I need to learn these things, after all.

OK. I tried. Followed the "help" stuff from Outlook; the whole 9 yards.

(I never read directions for anything, so you can understand that this was major for me to follow the steps from something technical.)

Yesterday, Donna called about a prayer request, and I happened to ask if she had a computer person in her house. (Her husband, James, is REALLY great at that)

He got on the phone to try and help. He even came over to work on the machine himself. No luck.

I finally emailed (on the other account) my website guy, Jared. He asked for my password, and I gave it to him.

He emailed me back that he'd had success; I should try myself using my password. (I'd already done this, of course)

I typed in the password, and of course, it worked! Why?!

I just don't get it.

Anyway, to all you computer geniuses out there ~ way to go. I don't get it, but I'm glad you do......

Praying for Sharon, Chris, Mattie, our kids in Iraq/Afghanistan, and our great country.

My Life in Cups

2008-11-10T09:29:00.009-06:00

Wish I'd Done That : WordGirl and Double A got on the bus for the 2 mile ride to school at our mailbox at the front of the house. Before I let them gather with their friends, I prayed with them on the stairs inside the house. We prayed about a test, friends, special projects, or just a simple prayer of protection and peace. I know God blessed them in those moments, because I know He blessed me. Pray out loud with your kids every day for the things that affect them.

Coffee Cups

I love to drink coffee. 5 pounds of Dunkin Donuts regular roast beans come to my house every three months or so. I love the ritual of grinding and making coffee in the morning. Best of all, I love to choose the mug I use every morning. I have my favorites. Here's one of Ace's favs. WordGirl gave him this when she was in the 1st or 2nd grade. Our elementary school had a fund-raiser where kids could choose inexpensive gifts for their family. She gave Ace this mug. It's worn out, but even tho it's faded, we can't throw it away! Who could?

This is the mug I got in Chicago in May when Double A, Ace and I went to visit WordGirl. We went to Oak Park to see all of Frank Lloyd Wright's buildings and museum there. I love the Guggenheim-ness of it! (I know, it's blurry, but you get the idea....)
This is from Lake City, Colorado. My family had a mini-reunion 2 or 3 summers ago. I always like to bring a mug home as a souvenir. I love this since it reminds me of a gorgeous place, and a special family time together.

This is a Chicago trip from years ago. The summer after WordGirl graduated from high school, we made a quick trip there. We'd never been there, so we did the museums and parks, and Navy Pier. Little did we know our oldest would head up there 4 years later to grad school. I love the Impressionist wing at the Art Institute of Chicago.

This is from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. Ace & I went there for our 25th anniversary in 2000. What fun! I love NY!

Now, for the saddest moment........This was my very favorite mug until I knocked it off the counter and broke it. I got it in London at the National Museum. While we were over there, to fool ourselves into thinking things cheaper than reality (the dollar was weak against the pound), we pretended things were priced in dollars, rather than pounds. (2 pounds to the dollar, then) Anyway, this mug was china, and a replica of Picasso's Sunflowers. It's the perfect size, and the china is so nice to drink from. Oh, well. Clumsy......I knew it would happen some day, but I still hate that it's broken!

Why?

2008-11-07T11:56:00.002-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: From the very beginning of your children's lives, take them to church with you. Kids don't learn by what they hear, but what they see. When they see your faith as an important part of your life, they will believe what you say. God does miraculous works in the lives of children; let yours experience Him from the start of their lives.

Just talking to my sis who's just moved to Texas. Things are going well there, but she's off today to see her first grandchild, Maddi, who lives in Oklahoma. Maddi is 3 months old, and a really good, darling girl!
We were talking about God's blessings in our lives, and I was thinking. Why?
Why do some of us experience loss and grief? Some of us get cancer and have to go through difficult struggles. Some of us have terrible work problems, or get laid off. Others prosper, are healthy, and seem to have it all.
Why?
Why should God choose to allow me to have a lovely life, while my friends struggle with many problems?
I'm not more spiritual than others, I'm not worthier; so, why?
I'm sort of having "survivors" guilt today. I don't know why I've been so blessed.
My life isn't perfect, but God has blessed me beyond what I deserve.
The Calvinists believe we are "chosen". Why are some, and not others? I've a difficult time believing that, because of John 3:16. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Who is whosoever, if not all of us?
As our country embarks on these dark times, I'm afraid for the United States. What does the future hold?
I know Who holds my future, but....
God is in control; He weaves the parts of live into a beautiful tapestry I cannot see.
Praying for my family, friends, church and country....

Happy November!

2008-11-06T12:13:00.008-06:00

Wish I'd Done That: Make sure your kiddos get outside every day. You don't want a bunch of pasty-faced kids living in your house. Of course, this may necessitate you leaving the friendly confines (forgive me, World Series hangover....) of your homestead. Get out there with them; play a gave of tag, or just ride the bikes around the block. Come on, it'll be fun!This is our sugar maple last week before we left. While we were gone, it turned a gorgeous red and the next day, all the leaves flew off in the Oklahoma wind. We missed it all, but the gold was really great, too.
I know you all know that TU lost to Arkansas Saturday, and are just too nice to bother me about it. (sniff) We didn't play well, but....We saw Double A, dropped off lots of home cooking, and headed off to Branson for some fun at Big Cedar.
My friend, Dr. Ruth, recommended this place, so that was good enough for me. I didn't know it was "Bass Pro" does resorts, but that's what it was.
It was gorgeous there.

One day, we went in to Branson, and took a spin on the Lake Queen, a boat on Lake Taneycomo. A nice 1 1/2 hour trip, and they let me drive!

Here's Ace on the terrace at Devil's Pool, a restaurant on the property. Notice Table Rock Lake in the background.

Outside our room, a waterfall was a popular spot for photos by everyone on the place. We heard the water at night, and it was really great.

The view from our patio...

Looking up towards our lodge...We sat up there most nights and watched the sun go down over Table Rock. So relaxing.....I recommend it.

God is in control. Let's see how He manifests Himself in our country's politics.

TU Travels

2008-10-31T09:10:00.004-05:00

Wish I'd Done That: Sit down at the table together as a family for your meals. I know that is a bold statement, but you must do it! Turn off the TV, and spend time talking to one another. You might be amazed at what happens.....

Ace and I are off on another TU adventure. Earlier this month, we went to Dallas to see TU take on SMU. That was a nail biter, but the Golden Hurricane won.
Tomorrow, TU takes on the Arkansas Razorbacks. AA goes to school there, so it will be a family affair. He grew up going to all the TU games, but he's a Razorback at heart. It should be a great time. 90,000 screaming red fans calling the Hogs, and 1,000 or so blue people trying to keep a perfect season going.
We'll see AA before the 1:00 game and take him and his roommates out to lunch.
I love going to the Hog games: tailgates, crazy fans, calling the Hogs. It's like nowhere else!

After the game, Ace and I are headed up to Big Cedar Lodge in Branson. We've not been there, but I've heard only raves about it. Looking forward to some time away from home, and work. I'll report back in a week or so about the Lodge.
Then, I think we'll swing by Eureka Springs. We used to go there every fall to celebrate our anniversary, but haven't been for a while. I love walking around there and seeing all the Victorian houses and the great fall colors.
I'm off to vote early! Remember: vote early and vote often!
Prayers for Sharon: God's healing mercies and comfort in tough times......

Wigging Out!

2008-10-29T15:18:00.013-05:00

Wish I'd Done That: When your kids want to try Every activity and club in the universe, DON'T! I know you want them to experience everything, but it's really important for kids to have time to read, play, create and pretend. If they are hurrying off to Scouts, soccer, dance and church activities every day, when will they relax and be unscheduled? I learned to let the kids have one activity at a time, and we were all much happier.

Sharon

Sharon has been diagnosed with breast cancer. I can hardly type that. Unbelievable.....Anyway, she's had 2 lumpectomies, and is going to start chemo soon to get that one last bad boy cell out of there....

So, a trip to the wig shop was in order! None of us had ever been to a wig shop, but Sharon's mom had a friend with a shop in Tulsa.

5 of us headed down to see what that was all about. We had a rough start, 'cause who wants to think about losing hair? (especially if it's as gorgeous as Sharon's)
Anyway, we trouped in there like a bunch of dopes, grabbed some heads of hair, and headed back to try some on.

We weren't going to let Sharon do this alone. We all tried on samples, with varying results. I'll let you be the judge...

These two look like sisters in the 'hood!

A blonde?!!

Dangerous?!

Love it!

Shirley Temple lives!

She got this one - gorgeous! We did remove the tag.....
We all got one!

Love you, friends....

Remember: Pray for the election and our country!

Tulsa Run

2008-10-27T08:10:00.004-05:00

Wish I'd Done That: For my fussy little ones, I put them in the car (in their car seats, of course) and drove around for a while. It calmed my nerves, and put them right to sleep. Getting them out of the car was another matter, but I'm sure you will figure that out!

Ace Runs!

Ace has been training for the Tulsa Run for a few months, and Saturday, he completed it...He ran the 5K, and had lots of fun. Here, he's just crossed the finish line. He said he passed 2 pregnant women and a man with a wooden leg!

We got up early Saturday and headed south for the big race. We stayed to watch the Kenyan win the 15K. He's a runner with the Razorbacks.

There were about 9,000 runners here, and 630 ran the Tulsa Run in Iraq. Really a neat deal.

I think Ace really liked the swag he got after the race, snacks, candy bars, etc.

He set a goal and accomplished it. Great!

Hey, if anyone has a recipe for an applesauce/carrot cake, I'm looking for a good one for the church mission dinner later in November.

Have a great week!

Warm Up with Soup

2008-10-23T16:51:00.004-05:00

Wish I'd Done That: If your little one is teething, freeze a good-sized carrot. Let them hold it and chew on it. The cold will calm down their aching gums, and they will get a little nutrition to boot!

Tortilla Soup

The weather has turned colder here, so I thought I'd share a favorite soup with you. My company has a 10th anniversary cookbook, and it's filled with marvelous stuff.

Since we are all in some degree "foodies" this cookbook is filled with our family favorites.

This soup, from the lovely Roopa (also her husband, Bijon) is enjoyed at our house several times during the cold months.

The addition of refried beans gives a great thickening texture I really like.

Bijon's Easiest Tortilla Soup

1 30 oz. can refried beans (I use non-fat)

1 can chicken broth (or equivalent)

1 10 oz. can Ro-Tel

1 14 1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes with onions & garlic

3/4 Cup water

6 corn tortillas, cut into 1/2 inch strips

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 Cup cooked, shredded chicken

1/2 Cup sour cream (room temperature)

1/2 Cup grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

1 avocado, peeled and chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Warm tortilla strips on a cookie sheet until lightly browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. Cool. In a big saucepan, combine beans, chicken broth, Ro-Tel, canned tomatoes, water, cumin and cayenne pepper; heat to just under boiling. Pour into bowls; top with tortilla strips, grated cheese, sour cream and avocado.

Christian Challenge

2008-10-22T18:47:00.002-05:00

Wish I'd Done That: Let your little ones "help" you in the kitchen. Yes, I know it makes your job harder, but in the long run, they will get used to being in there helping you. Trust me, it will be worth it in the loooonnnggg run. They can wash veggies, set the table, measure flour(!) and cut in the shortening. Take pictures, have Dad clean up the mess, and move on.

My spirit has been heavy these last weeks. Election ads are negative, the banks are in trouble, the stock market is a mess ~ you know.
I've just felt such a burden; a hopelessness.
Then someone reminded me: God is still in control November 4th, no matter the outcome.
I urge all Christians to PRAY now and after the election. We must be faithful to Biblical principles.
Hebrews 11, the great faith chapter, reminds us of Christians who've gone before us. In difficult circumstances, they stood for Godly values and went against popular thought.
Hebrews 12:1-2 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Heaven is filled with those who've gone before us. They are the witnesses (as is the rest of the world) of our behavior in these difficult times.
God is in control.
He still draws us to Himself.
He reigns for Eternity.
His children will live with Him Eternally in the new heaven and the new earth.
My spirit is calmer now; I know my Redeemer is in control.

Retail Theraphy

2008-10-21T19:19:00.003-05:00

Wish I'd Done That: Set up a station by the back door (or in your garage) with bins for each one of your little darlings. (Maybe include your husband, too) Drop in backpacks, shoes, papers, coats, etc. You will know where the homework is and where it should go when finished. It might help with the early morning rush out the door.

Today, after a morning of training newbies at the Taster home, I headed south for some early Christmas shopping.

Now, don't hate me, but I had an idea, and when I get an idea for Ace, I've got to act on it, or I'll forget.

I will be hard-pressed to better last year's gift: a remote starter for the Chevy pickup. Ace has really enjoyed it; nothing is better on a cold morning than getting in a warm truck.

However, I think I've got a good candidate, but I had help from my grad school kid up north. I got it on Ebay: gosh, I'm such a techie...

Anyway, while shopping, I did manage to come up with a few things for myself, too. I'm not really a marathon shopper, but once in a while, it's great fun.

For the kids, tho, I've not started. Kids in college like gift cards to coffee houses, bookstores and restaurants.

TU in Top 25!

2008-10-20T11:49:00.004-05:00

Wish I'd Done That: I've learned something recently: not everyone makes lists! I'm shocked. I thought this was a universal way of life.....Without a list, I'd be lost - what do I do next, when do I go where?, etc. Make a list of your main objectives for the week. Try this for a month; you might be surprised that you not only are more at ease, but that you get more done. When you have little ones, time is at a premium, so make a list!

Golden Hurricane

As you know, Ace and I are fans of the University of Tulsa. We support their academics and their athletics. Our oldest is an alum, now, too, and so we've spent lots of time there.

Nothing recently has been as exciting as these last few weeks at TU. We've been to the home games, and even followed them to Dallas for the SMU game.

To be an athlete at TU, you must meet certain academic requirements, and while not as exhaustive as those the regular students face, the athletes there are generally great kids who value the opportunity to receive a great education from a top 100 university.

We put up lots of points. In strictly a point-per-dollar deal, a ticket to a TU game will give you a lot of entertainment.

Saturday, TU played UTEP in what might have been a close contest. It was for a quarter: tied at 28 all after the 1st period. Lots of points, and not much defense. After that, TU's defense stood up and the offense went crazy.

My favorite player, Brennan Marion (the Milkman, because he always delivers!), had 150 yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter. He finished the game (without playing the last quarter) with over 250 yards.

If you like college football, turn on ESPN Sunday night, Oct. 26th at 7 p.m. to watch TU play Central Florida. It won't be anything, if not a scoring extravaganza.....

Friendly Thinking

2008-10-18T10:00:00.001-05:00

I'm thankful for all my friends. Those who challenge me, make me laugh, support me and love me. A few years ago, I felt lonely for the type of friendship that Christian women have: support, care, concern and love. God brought several new women into my life as a result of that prayer.
He's given me so many over the years, but in our town, due to the major employer, people tend to move in and out, so many of my great friends have moved away.
With all really good friends, tho, time and distance make no difference. My friend, Robyn, and I could go without talking for years, and still pick right up where we left off. She is the greatest at showing me how to reach out to everyone, to challenge me to do the same. By nature, I'm the type to be lazy in friendship; she shows me how to keep at it, to always pay attention.
I so regret my laziness. I always think of great stuff, but don't always carry through with things. Why is that? I'm not sure, but it's definitely a character flaw.
All that to say:
Thanks, friends, for loving me in spite of my faults, for challenging me to be faithful and do the right thing, and for making me think. Sometimes, that's hardest of all.
God shows His love through His people. Friendship with a Christian sister is different than a friendship with a non-believer. We should have these friendships, because it spreads the Gospel of Christ, but those relationships with Christian sisters have the Holy Spirit in common, and oh, He makes all the difference. You've got an altogether deeper connection going on than with someone without Christ.
Pray for your friends. Be one. Reach out today to make another. He expects us to be His hands.

Open House

2008-10-17T08:35:00.001-05:00

I'm deviating from my usual tips today to invite all to the laurasartin.com Open House at my house tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. We have matted prints and framed Scripture. Also, for something new and different, we've got photo boxes with Laura's prints in the photo space. A great wedding or baby gift.
Also, there are TWO new prints that are so new, the paint's not dry enough to scan it in. Come see what she's done now!
They are really different from her other art, so come take a look. We've also got specials, and we may give away something!
6883 Lee Dr. Bartlesville, OK

Aunt Myrtle

2008-10-16T13:52:00.009-05:00

Wish I'd Done That: Let your little ones dress themselves! Is this fraught with danger? Yes, but how fun. It will be great fodder for stories later on. Seriously, they need to learn, and it will help you out (eventually). Let them choose between two outfits, and then let Joey have at it. You may want to practice this before a command performance with Aunt Myrtle, but he will soon get the hang of the whole dress yourself thing.

Aunt Myrtle

OK. This isn't really Aunt Myrtle; but I did really have one. Maybe my great, great or something? Anyway, Aunt Myrtle was a tightwad of the highest magnitude. She brought cakes or pies or something to a family dinner, and only cut half of it.

She said, "We don't need to eat all of this, anyway."

If there were leftovers, of course, Aunt Myrtle always took them home so they wouldn't go to waste.

Anytime anyone in our family serves a dessert and doesn't cut the whole thing, we call her Aunt Myrtle. I wish I'd known her. Do you suppose she deserves all our spoofing?

If Aunt Myrtle were alive, she wouldn't cut any of this pie; she'd want it all for herself!

Kathy's German Chocolate Pie

(from Ace's mom)

1 1/2 Cup sugar

2 Tblsp flour

3 Tblsp cocoa

2 eggs

1 can evaporated milk

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 Cup butter, melted

1/2 Cup coconut

1 Cup chopped pecans

1 unbaked pie shell

Mix sugar, flour and cocoa. Beat eggs lightly and add dry ingredients, milk, butter and vanilla. Stir in coconut and pecans. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 - 50 minutes, or until center looks like egg custard.

Enjoy!

Jana's Going South!!

2008-10-15T20:23:00.005-05:00

Wish I'd Done That: I know it's tempting to let fussy sleepers into your bed, but fight the urge! It's easy to get started, and terribly hard to break that habit. Instead, for the toddlers, make a pallet on the floor next to your bed. Gradually, move the pallet away from the bed, towards the door. Then, it goes down the hall, ever closer to the child's room. Pretty soon, your little darling will be at home in their own room, and not in your bed!

One of my sisters is moving to Texas! I can't believe it, but it's true. Her husband has taken a job down there; they are moving November 1st. (She's the one on the far right)

She's lived in our home town, or very close to it, all her adult life. The small town is a great Western Kansas town of close-knit families, and long-time friends. Jana grew up there, raised her girls there, and didn't expect to ever leave it.

I know she is looking forward to this new adventure, but at the same time, she hates to leave our family behind. My brother and mom live there too, and they all see each other, get together and go to church together. It's been so wonderful for them.

Since I've never gotten to live close by the family, I know Jana's future feelings will be those of feeling sad at missing the milestones of my brother's girls, not seeing Mom whenever she feels like it, and not knowing the total history of everyone she meets.

Mullinville is a great town of community pride and taking care of one another. I'm sure the Pampa folks will welcome them, but it will be awhile before she's as comfortable there as she is now.

So, off on the great adventure, Jana. You'll be the only K-Stater for miles around, so you must "represent"!

The home folks will miss you, but we're already planning a January visit for sister-time.

Pray for Jana and Bart as they leave their home and head south.

Welcome them down in Pampa - she's my sis, after all, and I'd like to know she's being taken care of....

Soup for Friends

2008-10-14T21:27:00.003-05:00

Wish I'd Done That: Organize your toys in clear plastic tubs you can see through. Make a game of putting away their toys while they are young, and they'll develop that habit before you know it. Do the same with craft supplies and sewing stuff, too.

During times of grief and stress, I cook. Maybe you do, too. A group of friends gathered to comfort one of our own, and I made this soup. It's a stick-to-the-ribs sort, but you'll have most of the stuff in your pantry.
Make a big pot of this and invite the neighbors over so they don't have to cook. Get a tub of ice cream, make some bread in your machine, and you are all set!

BC Mac & Cheese Soup

1 c. pasta, uncooked
¼ c butter
½ c finely chopped carrot
½ c finely chopped onion
½ c finely chopped celery
4 c milk
1 ½ c Velveeta
2 tsp chicken base
1 c frozen corn
½ c frozen peas
1 cup frozen broccoli (cut small)
1 mild Rotel

Cook pasta to al dente, drain, rinse. Melt butter and saute carrot, onion, celery and broccoli. Cook until tender. Combine milk and cheese – cook until cheese is melted. Stir in chicken base. Add pasta and veggie mixture. Heat. If too thin, thicken with a little cornstarch and water.

Golf Course?

2008-10-13T21:41:00.005-05:00

Wish I'd Done That: Make long car trips more fun by allowing your kids to tell stories. Give them three dissimilar objects: i.e. a blue cat, a sleepy mommy and an old red shoe. They must use all the items in the story. It's amazing how creative they will be. However, I want to caution you: this may be a dangerous beginning of wild stories that never end. My oldest, told unbelievable tales that boggled the mind. On the other hand, my son always killed off the protagonist in short order. He did use all the objects in his stories, though. I'm not sure what all that means......

Speaking of being creative.....

While Ace was interviewing for his job here some 30 or so years ago, I came along to see what this place was like. After his discussion with the potential boss, said boss gave us a tour of the 'ville to show us what was available in housing. We wanted to get a feel of the place, so to speak.

We drove by parks, golf courses, housing additions, shopping centers, etc. We were driving along, and I saw an open field-type place, with trees and flowers. I said, "Oh, is this another golf course?" Ace turned around and looked at me like I was a crazy person. (The wife must sit in the back; that's my excuse...the view was bad from there)

His boss-to-be said, no, this is a cemetery!

I wanted to die!~(oops, that was an unintended pun, there...!)

I kept my mouth shut for the rest of the tour.

Not to worry, tho, Ace got the job, in spite of his loving, demented wife.

Laundry and forgetfulness

2008-10-10T12:40:00.002-05:00

Wish I'd Done That: Go to your library before a trip and check out books on tape. Your kids will love this, once they get used to it! Their imaginations will swell (?) and they will be taken to another world as you travel......Anyway, they will really like this, once they get used to the idea. Start while they are young, and your kids will develop imaginations and be really smart, and go to Harvard........

OK, friends. How many of your ordered your Rotato Express yesterday? That's what I thought. You'll be sorry when Thanksgiving rolls around, and you are stuck in the kitchen with Aunt Myrtle peeling 25 tons of potatoes for your 52 cousins and their offspring. Don't say I didn't warn you...

I came home from work today (testing brats...not brats-the kids...) and wanted to move the wash to the dryer. Of course, the dryer was full, so I removed the laundry from the dryer, took it to my "folding station" - the couch, and folded it. While folding, I remembered I wanted to get a list together to copy 5 X 7 prints for next week's open house, and I went to the office to do that.

That caused me to see the disgusting state of the office, which required cleaning said office, and then....

2 hours later.....I went to the kitchen and saw the dryer open in the adjoining laundry room. I remembered my original idea of laundry.
Do you ever do that? hmmm.

Hey, no one is going to win the free 8 X 10, so you might want to post a blessing sometime today......

Rotato Express

2008-10-09T18:07:00.003-05:00

Wish I'd Done That: Have a craft box available for your kids. Include the usual, but also add felt, glitter (don't laugh) old magazines, foam sheets, fabric scraps. Create an area that is easy-to-clean (or just relax and clean it up when the kids are done...), and let them at it. It's important to encourage that creativity, and it keeps them busy for quite a while!

I love to cook. I don't, however, love to peel potatoes. When my kids were at home, they consumed large amounts of said potato. Since I love my progeny (good word, huh?) I would break down and peel away.
Every summer for 10 years or so, I've gone to Falls Creek, a Baptist youth encampment. I have cooked for 60 - 100 people, 3 meals a day for 6 days. It's quite an undertaking, but I've always enjoyed it so much.
Once during that week, we would serve baked turkey and all the trimmings. This includes LOTS of mashed potatoes. That takes lots of time, but we did it, because nothing is like homemade.
One summer, my friend Kendra brought her Rotato Express for peeling potatoes. I must admit, I laughed to myself. How would it work, and is she crazy?
Well........It worked so well, we had kids vying to operate the crazy thing. It makes quick work of something messy, and your kids might actually want to operate it. Even your husband...

Rotato Express

We found out last year, that if we washed the potatoes first, we could use the peel for a super snack of fried potato skins. Serve them with seasoned salt, and ranch dip and your family or guests will think you are all that!

They are only $20, and Thanksgiving is coming. Google "rotato express" and it will come up.

Just trying to help; you know me!

Thinking

2008-10-08T07:40:00.004-05:00

Wish I'd Done That: Don't volunteer too much while your kids are small. I know you like to get out among people, and you do need to volunteer, but just be conscious of how much you're away from your family. Trust me, when your kids are gone, you'll have lots of time to donate!

I had surgery recently, and was out of circulation (so to speak) for 6 weeks. Growing up in a small Kansas town, I learned from an early age to care for one another and to pay attention to those who needed help. So I notice when people care for one another.....
During my "confinement" my church family rallied around me and cared for me in such lovely ways. It wasn't just my close friends in church, either. Those who are my friends, but I don't talk to all the time. You know what I'm saying...
God blessed me and humbled me and reminded me that little things do matter
.
Take the time to email someone who's hurting; call your friend who's in crisis; take a meal, pay a visit, send a card.
I always think of lots of ways to help, but don't always do what I think. I let the business of life get in my way.
DO IT! Those little things really do make a difference. While I felt so bad, I knew many were praying for me and thinking of me.
So thanks, friends, for the prayers, meals, cards and calls. I really do appreciate your kindnesses.

"Bear one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ" Galations 6:3

Favorite Places

2008-10-07T16:06:00.011-05:00

Wish I'd Done That: We always took our kids on a vacation every year. If you have to scrimp to do it, be sure you do. Time away from home as a family is important; you'll build family memories that will last forever.

My Favorite Places

New York

Colorado

Chicago

London

But, of course, my favorite place of all is home....

We enjoy sitting outside at our fire pit, beside our little pond, and relax and talk. A simple thing I'm thankful for.

Count Your Blessings

2008-10-06T07:24:00.007-05:00

Wish I'd Done That: Keep a small trash bag in your car. An old gift sack works great. Train your little ones with a game of "toss the wrapper in the bag" or whatever! It will help keep your car neater and save you time when you clean out your car.

Blessings

"...there will be showers of blessing." Ezekiel 34:26

Here are my 3 biggest blessings. I'm not going to list all the Lord has given me, but of course, He is in all my blessings.

What are your blessings? I'm giving away one of our prints to the most creative blessing listed by a reader. On Friday, I'll announce the winner. Leave a comment with your "interesting" blessing. I'd love to list some of them.........

Friends

2008-10-03T07:38:00.003-05:00

Wish I'd Done That: Plan menus ahead. Before you shop, make an outline of possible meals for the week. You'll feel more prepared for the week if you know where you're going meal-wise. You might even want to prep some items on the weekend, to avoid that last-minute crush.

Sharon

This crazy nut is my friend Sharon, country woman extraordinaire. She is such great fun, and so caring. Pray for her today. She's got a diagnosis we don't like, but I'm standing on God's promise of healing and peace. She's having a procedure today, so she needs your prayers. Thanks.....

Clergy Appreciation

2008-10-02T16:34:00.007-05:00

Wish I'd Done That: When your kids are young, find yourself a good Mother's Day Out program. Lots of churches have them and they are available at day care centers, too. Give yourself one day to go to lunch, read, run errands, or take a nap! It's money well spent....

Clergy Appreciation Month

Did you know October is Clergy Appreciation Month? It's a great time to thank your pastor(s); let them know you appreciate their efforts. Send them a note; better yet, send them a gift. This painting Laura did for her husband, Bill, is the October special on http://www.laurasartin.com/. Many pastors are fishermen, and all of us are to be "Fishers of Men"

Our pastor is just about perfect. He's been at our church for many years; you'd think we'd know his faults, but really, he's just a wonderful shepherd to his flock. I admire his leadership, wisdom and grace under hard conditions. I pray God will bless him and his wife and family as their ministry continues at our church.
What a great guy! He's a missionary kid who grew up in Zimbabwe (Rhodesia), and played soccer at Baylor. What's not to love? Thanks, so much, Paul for loving us and leading us. I pray God's mercies on you, Carol and the kids.
Lest anyone think I'm getting too sentimental........Love you, Paul and Carol!

Fall

2008-10-01T07:45:00.007-05:00

Wish I'd Done That: In the trunk of your car, always carry: blankets, changes of clothes, coats, bottles of water, crackers, books. You'll be surprised how much those things will help when you get stuck somewhere. Put it all in a bin, and it will stay out of your way until you need it.

Fall Color

The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us fro the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8:38-39

Praise Him today for all He Is! What are your blessings?

Staying Young

2008-09-30T07:38:00.006-05:00

Wish I'd Done That: If you've got an extra refrigerator or freezer in the garage, use that as an additional place to display all the artwork from your kids. Each time you drive in the garage, the kids will see you value their creative efforts!

Sunday Morning

I teach in our youth group on Sunday mornings. This girls are part of the class. They're standing by our youth guy's bike. (It's not mine!)

I've so loved doing this. At first, I thought I was too old, but God has shown me that what these girls need is love. They need to know someone besides their parents is interested in them and loves them for who they are.

What I didn't expect was what these people have shown me so much about God's Word. They are remarkably insightful. I just love the study of His Word, and they have made it so fun. My girls know what they are talking about, and they have super ideas about how He speaks to us. They challenge me to know what I'm talking about, and to think outside the box.

You never know how God will bless you. If someone calls and asks you to teach, pray about it, and then open yourself to His blessings. You can see mine pictured above!

Jana's Peanut Butter Popcorn

2008-09-29T05:50:00.002-05:00

Wish I'd Done That: Play lots of games with your kids. Start when they are very young: Candy Land, etc. As they grow older, they will learn to lose gracefully (!) and to win in a nice way, too. It gives the family opportunities to talk about serious stuff without having a dramatic sit-down, and the great dialogue that develops is vital for families and for kids. Your kids will know that you value them when you spend time with them.

I was talking to Jana the other day, and she was going to a card party. She had to take a snack, and this is what she made. Again, the ingredients are in your pantry, and it is fabulous. It's also a great fall snack.

Jana's Peanut Butter Popcorn

1 C sugar

1 C white Karo syrup

Cook until it reaches a boil.

Add 1 C peanut butter and 1 tsp. vanilla.

Pour over 2 bags popped microwave popcorn. Stir and cool. (I added 1 C peanuts, and it was great!)

We took this to the TU game on Saturday (we are now 4-0!) and it was a hit. Great for tailgating..

Terri's Toffee

2008-09-26T08:07:00.005-05:00

Wish I'd Done That: Iron and lay out all of the Sunday clothes on Saturday night. Gather all your Bibles, offering, shoes, etc. together. It makes Sunday morning so much more pleasant if you don't have to scramble around.

For a quick treat, or if you need a dessert to take somewhere quick, you can't beat this one. I'll bet you've got everything in the pantry right now. They are quick and fabulous!

Terri's Toffee

1 C butter (don't substitute oleo, either!)

1 C brown sugar (either dark or light)

Boil these two together for 3 minutes.

Line a jelly roll pan with saltines. (You may also use graham crackers or club crackers. I think chocolate grahams would be great, too, but I've never tried those....)

Pour the butter mixture over the crackers.

Bake at 400 degrees for 5 - 6 minutes.

Take out of the oven and top with 1 package of chocolate chips. I used semi sweet, but you could use dark or whatever.

Let the chips sit on the crackers for 5 minutes and then spread the chocolate out.

Sprinkle with 3/4 C chopped pecans or whatever nuts you want.

Chill. Break apart and serve. Yummy

Thanks to Pam for bringing these last week to the tailgate. Remember, if you make them, be sure to take them somewhere to serve or you won't be able to stay out of them......

Have a great weekend! Tulsa plays at home again, and my kid at U of Arkansas is coming home! Yea!

Quiddler

2008-09-25T17:47:00.008-05:00

Wish I'd Done That: Have a pajama day! All of you stay in your pj's and watch DVD's, read books, eat popcorn - anything that isn't normal for you for that day. You'll be surprised how much the kids will enjoy it, and you might find you do too! Relax; have fun.....

This is Edna, my favorite Philippine friend. She is a marvelous blend of fun and sweetness. She works with me at the Taste & Spit. During breaks, we play http://quiddler.com/, and she wins every time! That wouldn't be so bad, but it's a word game, and English is her second language! For all of us former teachers, that is hard to take.

Today, however, was a different day. These are the cards she drew: With no vowels, she was hard-pressed to beat us. She of course managed to do very well, but she didn't win this time!

We are doing a project that involves exercise, sweat and holding an implement while doing so. We're to measure the moisture on our hands after applying a product. Look at these two employees. Should anyone look so cute? They've already done the exercise tape (80 degrees, 45% humidity) twice, and they are ready to go again! Is that fair?

Here's a crazy bunch of fellow tasters. We've had lunch together and are playing Quiddler. I'm so fortunate to have a great working environment, where we care about and for one another.

I pray God blesses each one of my fellow tasters. (and please, let me win, just once?!)

Game Day

2008-09-24T07:48:00.009-05:00

Wish I'd Done That: Rotate your toys periodically. You have less toys out, which means less mess and less picking up! Of course, if you follow the last post's advice, the kids are doing all the picking up anyway....About every month, go through the toys and put some away. When you bring them out, magic: new toys!

For the first home game, Ace and Dan were having some great fried chicken. We got in the middle of someone else's tailgate, which made it interesting. A fun game atmosphere.Here's Ace in front of the new scoreboard at TU. The old one was circa 1970....while we were students there. Needless to say, TU needed a new one!

The Hurricane wore "throwback" uniforms for the first game in the renovated stadium. TU has a high-powered offense, and they didn't disappoint: 6 touchdowns and we never punted! Really a fun game, and with noise bouncing off the new pressbox - REALLY LOUD!!!

After a convincing win over New Mexico State, we fly our Hurricane colors proudly.

Girls Weekend

2008-09-22T16:18:00.010-05:00

Wish I'd Done That: Share responsibilities - don't try to be SuperMom. You can't do everything yourself. While children are little, let them "help" fold clothes, put away dishes, and dust. They'll be in the habit of doing it, it will be fun, and they won't know they're working! You'll find that those little ones can really help.

Last year, I had an idea to gather all the girls in our family together for a weekend of fun and craziness. These are 4 of my 5 nieces (one had just broken her leg playing basketball and so was unavailable to come....) my mom and Lauren.

We did a craft project for the nursing home where sister Jana is a nurse, watched movies, cooked and shopped.

I'm not saying the craft projects were beautiful, but the centerpieces we made for the homes' Valentine's Day decorations were made with love.

Since we are like many families, we are scattered over portions of Oklahoma, Kansas and Illinois and we don't see one another very often. I've had such fun with my 2 sisters, I wanted Lauren to experience some "girl time" with the rest of the family.

My two sisters are on the right, and Mom next to me on the left. We all look so much alike, and Mom looks so young, we are sometimes mistaken for 4 sisters. Mom just loves that.

It's hard getting everyone together, but its so worth it. I encourage all of you to get your family together. Start early. Our next one is going to be the summer of 09, after Lauren graduates from DePaul. That gives us all time to get organized.

Any ideas for a theme, project, or ideas you all have? Let me know. Love to all the Headrick girls....

Sales & Friends

2008-09-21T19:00:00.002-05:00

Wish I'd Done That: When the baby goes down for his morning nap, make a run through the house and do a quick pick up. I was amazed at how much better I felt after I did this. I couldn't get it all, but I'd made a dent. Even if you don't get back to all of it, you can sit down and see that you've accomplished something for the day!

When you go garage saleing (is that even a word?!) with a couple of professional-type salers, watch out. Such was the result this weekend when off I went with two friends to try to find.......I'm not sure what! We had a great time, and found such bargains as:

I'm not sure what you call this guy, but he said all the things the "perfect" husband would say: "Yes, dear, I'm taking the garbage out now", "You look marvelous in that dress" and "You are so special". Dot paid a $1 for him, and he'll find a new home as a gift at a future Christmas exchange, or even a prize in a cooking contest. See this girl above and the one on the right below? That's "Dot". She's the artist who does the calligraphy on our website http://www.laurasartin.com/. She's very talented, but she's also a madcap sale-goer.

Here are my compatriots with a trunk load of treasures. You can't tell by looking, but these two kooks are "professionals" . I'm surprised they are allowed to roam free here in our 'ville. I wish I could give you a rundown of all the goodies in here, but suffice to say we had fun and didn't laugh a bit. (I didn't know so many people smoked in this town)

I'm thankful for these two birds. They are dear and weird and my sisters in Christ. Thanks for bringing the rookie along on your excursion, girls. (They paid me extra to call them girls.......)

University of Tulsa

2008-09-18T15:34:00.014-05:00

Wish I'd Done That: For you SAHM, organize a babysitting co-op. We did in our neighborhood, and it was a great success. Kids made new friends, moms could run errands or go out to lunch, and no one was taken advantage of. There are many websites to help you set one up, but here's one to try: http://www.stretcher.com/stories/00/000925a.cfm. You'll find other moms at church, pre-school, or your neighborhood. We formed one in our neighborhood, and it served us well until all the kids went to school. Try it, you'll see!

Only 2 days until the University of Tulsa unveils its new stadium. Since last year, the old one has undergone a $26 million overhaul and remodel. It looks really great, and I'm excited to see the Hurricane play at home for the first time this year.

Ace & I are huge fans of college football, and TU in particular. We love the tailgating, the bands, the friends, the kids.
Here, Ace is showing his Hurricane spirit while on vacation in Colorado. The TU alumni magazine put this in an issue last year.
Last year, TU had the highest total offensive year average in the nation. They pass a lot and score lots of points. We went to a bowl game and did really well. Mark & I have followed them to Memphis for the Liberty Bowl and to Ft. Worth, for their bowl. We are off to Dallas in October to see the TU/SMU game.

Are you a football fan?

Nanni

2008-09-16T21:50:00.005-05:00

Wish I'd Done That: While cooking, make two. If you are making chicken tetrazzini, just make an extra one and freeze it for a day you are too busy to cook. If you have casseroles in the freezer, you are always ready to minister to someone who needs love and care. It's marvelous for your children to see you ministering to God's children. Nothing feels better after a busy day than to know dinner is already finished!

As my bio says, my kids have escaped home to continue their lives and education. Here they are with "Nanni", my mom. Mom is the most creative person I know. She is never bored (I get in trouble if I ever say that word), and she's always making something. My girl is just like her. The two of them discovered a quilt shop/fabric store in a small town north of here, and spent the whole afternoon there planning projects and looking at fabric. When I go there, I like to look for 5 minutes, and then I find a chair to wait for them.

My son is also like his Nanni. (Not the fabric store, you nut!) While a girl in school, Mom was the fastest, most athletic kid in town. The Razorback kid is like her, and has enjoyed sports all his life. He also has Mom's easy way with people.

Mom has a great relationship with my kids, and since my dad has died, this is so important to both my kids and to me. She always knows the right things to say, and loves them unconditionally. I've always felt sorry for my kids that they didn't get to grow up around either set of their grandparents.

If God has blessed you to be able to be near your parents, get together often to build those memories and traditions. Time is short.

2008-09-16T07:47:00.005-05:00

Been There, Wish I'd Done That : I did do this: I read to my kids from the very beginning. I know people thought I was crazy, reading to a 2 month old, but I wanted to make it a habit. Now, both my kids are big readers. I'm not sure if the early reading has anything to do with that, but I know they read early and a lot.

Speaking of reading, I've just finished a marvelous old book God's Smuggler, a great story of Brother Andrew, a Dutch missionary who began during the Cold War. It's such an easy read, I recommend it to everyone. I got it from my daughter; she reads anything and everything. She's got a great library of "missionary stories".

Brother AndrewOf course, my all-time favorite book is Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. It sounds like a Harlequin romance, but it's a re-telling of the book of Hosea. Rivers has many really good books, but RL is my fav. I love also her Scarlet Thread. It's a super read. I woman is reading a journal of someone in the 1800's, and the heroine experiences many of the same struggles as the woman in the journal.

What are your favorites? What should I begin next? Always looking for new stuff.....

Queen's Visit

2008-09-15T14:09:00.009-05:00

Been There, Wish I'd Done That: When shopping for staples, buy two of everything: toilet paper packs, paper towels, toothpaste, etc. If you have the storage space, it will save you lots of time. You won't be making an emergency run to the store. I got this idea from Robyn, whose mom had given her this advice early in her marriage. It helped me a bunch.

For our 25th wedding anniversary, Ace & I went to London to visit the Queen. Our daughter was doing a semester study abroad, and she agreed to be our tour guide.

Here we are in the London Eye. While in it, you have a great panoramic view of the city. In the beginning of our ride, I was mostly intent with not being trapped with some pushy tourists. We managed to avoid them and had only one other couple in the pod with us.

Here we are at 221b Baker Street. The fictitious address of the great Sherlock Holmes. Can you believe 3 educated people actually put this stuff on and posed for a picture? No wonder some parts of the world don't understand Americans.

This is a window from Canterbury Cathedral, but my favorite church was Westminster. It contains a knave (or something!) with many literary greats. As an English major, I could not believe so many great authors were surrounding me. (Too bad they were long dead!) Anyway..

God has blessed us with a marriage that has thrived for many years. Why has ours survived while others have not? I'm not sure, but I know we love each other, are committed to God and family, and we are just really stubborn. We laugh a lot, and do many things together.

If you are in a rough spot, pray and seek His will. His Will is never, to split a family. In tough times, seek help from your pastor, or a friend you trust.

Remember: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Phil. 4:13

Food Fun

2008-09-11T17:47:00.008-05:00

Wish I'd Done That: Kids love anything on a skewer. If you've got picky eaters, or if your kids are just beginning solid table food, buy some toothpicks with cute toppers, and make food chunks your friends! Cut fruit, cheese or any other food into cubes and put it on the toothpicks. Give food special names, and kids will be inclined to try something unfamiliar. For instance, if your child is into a certain book, give the food a name from the book. For veggies, cut them into shapes and serve with ranch dip, and they might try the veggie. Remember, presentation is everything when dealing with 3 year olds!

Some of you may wonder at the "Taste & Spit" in the description of my occupation. Many have heard of "taste testers", and everyone wants to be one. Images of good food, and telling the client what tastes "good" cause the general populace to envy us. However, the reality is, we never get to say whether something is good, we create what's called a flavor profile of the item. Also, this is our only prop:

You may not get the significance of this, but try to visualize a shelf-life study of a grain product, a frozen meat product, or even a cookie. Now, let's look out at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year. Now do you see where the styrofoam comes in? Hmmmmm......

I work with great professionals who are type A, linear and detail-oriented. We have great fun and comradarie, but, we can taste old oil in those french fries you are scarfing down!
Everyone wants me to tell them what ingredients are in the food, but I only do it if they pay me.....

Don't be envious - I don't really eat cookies for a living!

Dinner Talk

2008-09-08T17:28:00.011-05:00

Wish I'd Done That: When your kids are old enough to carry on a conversation, make up different questions and place them in a container. Every night, draw one out, and discuss it during dinner. Some examples: If you could ask God one question, what would it be? Describe your day in three words. What is your favorite book? Name someplace you would like to visit. If you could add one room onto our house, what would it be?

This encourages everyone to speak to a group, and this definately draws family together!

Speaking of speaking......This is my family - Mom in the center, me on the left and two sisters. My poor brother had to contend with 3 sisters. We were all chatterboxes, and so he never had a chance to say anything. The idea of having conversation starters in my family is a real joke! My sister next to me in the picture always had some dramatic tale, and my youngest sis, on the right, usually had an athletic exploit to share.

If you have some quiet ones, or teenagers who refuse to talk, keep trying. Rick eventually got a word in edgewise, and we girls finally got smart enough to listen to what he had to say. Now he's got 2 girls: one is 14, the other almost 12. (I wonder if he gets to talk at the dinner table?)

Fig Trees

2008-09-08T09:30:00.004-05:00

Wish I'd Done That: color code cups, towels, toothbrushes, etc...Each child has their own color. No more squabbling over who gets what cup. If things don't get put away, Mom knows who did it!

Brilliant idea.....wish I'd known that when the two kiddos were still at home.

When we moved here 20 odd years ago, we spent time meeting new friends at church and from my husband's office. A man from the office invited us over for dinner. I was very excited, and looked forward to it all week.

We went to their home, and the wife met us at the door and invited us into their home. She was a large woman-and her name was Pat (remember that). Being a plump girl myself, I felt right at home with her.

After dinner, we moved to the living room, where the conversation sort of died. Being the resourceful person I am, I looked around their home for something to talk about. They had an entire wall full of plants, and one was a weeping fig tree. I had one, too, and her plant looked really good, so I thought I'd comment on it.

I said, "Oh, Fat, your Pig tree is really great!"

The love of my life started to slide down on the couch in an attempt to disappear, because I didn't stop, I tried to get out of what I'd said.

"Oh, of course, you're not fat!"

"Oh, I didn't mean it like that!" On and on, in exhaustive repetition.

Pat sat there and tried to ignore me, as did her husband.

My ramblings only made it worse, but I couldn't seem to stop. Pat was very gracious;I was never so embarrassed in my life!

We couldn't get out of there fast enough, and I ignored my rule of reciprocating all invitations and never invited them to our home.

When we left, my husband looked at me in amazement and just shook his head.

Tell me you do stuff like that too.........

Oh, well. I struggle.

Stillness

2008-09-05T09:52:00.007-05:00

Wish I'd Done That: My great friend, Marcia, had 5 children. Her marvelous tip was to buy shoes with velcro closers, rather than ones with shoe strings. When the child learns to tie shoes, then buy them ones with shoestrings! Brilliant. Think of all the time you'll save by having your kids take care of their own shoes. Now if they can just find those shoes.......

The picture on the right is one of my favorites. Laura saw a picture of a flower similar to this one, and just loved the color and vibrance of it. She painted the flower on the black and then added the Scripture. To be still - very difficult in our busy lives. I encourage you to meditate on His Word and take this to heart. No matter what, your strength, peace and all around success comes only from Him. Be still........

Since I'm a Kansas girl, I love this picture! I'll try to get Laura to paint one of these!

He said What?!?!

2008-09-02T16:53:00.012-05:00

Wish I'd Done That - When your kids reach a milestone, say something cute, or you just want to record what happened, don't bother dragging out the journal. You won't do it; you just don't have that kind of time. (You won't remember it later, trust me.) Grab a pen and scribble it down on the calendar hanging in your kitchen. Make sure the boxes on your calendar are large, and you'll have a space to quickly jot down the info. Keep your calendars, and you'll have a wonderful record of family events.

Speaking of remembering stuff kids say....

Guess which one is mine....

When our second kid learned to talk, it was the beginning of the real fun and games at our house. He said the funniest stuff. Our daughter complained at dinner one night that the neighborhood boys wouldn't let her play with them - just because she was a girl. (There weren't very many girls in the neighborhood)

The kids' dad was trying to explain to Son that he was responsible for making sure his friends included his sister in their fun. Dad told him to let her play with them.

"I don't have control over all the boys in the neighborhood, but I do have control over one of them."

Our son replied, "Who's that, Dad?"

He really didn't know. At age 7, he was curious to see who Dad controlled in the neighborhood. We laughed and went on. I ask you, what would you say to that?

Oh, well. I struggle.