That's Life Too

2010-10-02T09:32:00.002-05:00

Today I'll be at Pryor Band Days with these kids. What a great day for a contest.........

Sunshiney and beautiful!

Love~ First or Last?

2010-08-28T11:21:00.002-05:00

Men always want to be a woman's first love. Women like to be a man's last romance

~ Oscar Wilde

Me & Min

2010-07-18T08:03:00.003-05:00

This is my BFF from Middle School to HS, Mindi. She lived down the street from us on Irene Lane. We had many adventures over the years, including boys, softball, basketball, boys, driving in my dad's jeep, walking all over creation, boys, Colorguard, summer band camp, boys, church camp and oh yes, boys.

We may not be in touch every day, but she is still considered one of my closest friends. It's amazing to me that when we get together (which is not near enough) we can just slip right back into a level of comfortable friendship.

An upperclassman took this picture and posted it to Facebook. I was so glad to find it this week!

What the Hail!? or Hail Storm 5-10-10 Moore OK

2010-05-23T08:52:00.003-05:00

These 'hail balls' look alien-ish

This is the biggest piece of hail I have ever seen. Glad I didn't see it hurling toward me or mine!

It hit so hard it left a divot!

None of this hail reached us in Ft Gibson. It was in the Oklahoma City area. (these particular photos were taken in Moore, OK, south of OKC) It seems OKC always gets the brunt of storms. We have friends in the area and we always worry about their safety when we hear of weather like this. Thankfully no friends of ours were hurt. One great thing about living in Oklahoma, there is never a dull moment in the weather!

The One with Art

2010-04-11T17:52:00.003-05:00

I grew up with a beautiful little girl named Tracey. She grew up to be a fantabulous artist. We all knew she was destined to be an artist.....take a look at her work and you will see why. So beautiful......just like her.

Tracey Harris

Portable Coffee

2010-01-17T18:14:00.003-06:00

Shopping in Staples last night I stumbled across these wonderful little candies: Bali's Best Coffee Candy. It's like a little teeny cuppa coffee you can carry in your purse!! It was very tasty and all Joes over the age of 10 loved them.

Our Carly

2009-12-26T13:24:00.002-06:00

Photo by Leslie

Dry Gulch

2009-12-20T09:38:00.003-06:00

Cassi and Salani (either in the middle of a blink or she has had too much egg nog!) at Dry Gulch waiting to ride the Christmas Train. Thanks for Uncle Tom and Aunt Therese for taking them......

2009-12-12T00:01:00.000-06:00

Team Jacob

We loves us some wolves around here.....

Time Flies

2009-12-11T10:00:00.001-06:00

My girls are growing up so fast.

Carly turned 15 on November 16th and Cassidy turns 10 today.

Happy Birthday Bubble Girls!!

Twilight is Everywhere!

2009-11-29T23:07:00.001-06:00

Mattel is in on the Twilight madness. Here is an Edward Cullen "doll" we found at KMart this weekend. He even sparkles......

CassiJo Golightly

2009-10-23T19:58:00.003-05:00

CassiJo wants to be Holly Golightly for Halloween....it's a work in progress. How do you think we are doing? Final product. Cutie patootie!!

Ginormous Guys

2009-09-10T21:56:00.001-05:00

They aren't giants.....the house we are visiting just has low ceilings in the kitchen.

The Wheels on the Bus

2009-09-10T21:51:00.002-05:00

Kai is all boy. Give him a few cars or a big bus and plenty of passengers and he is happy!

Maya Gets a Guitar Lesson

2009-09-10T21:45:00.001-05:00

Uncle Joe playing with an electronic guitar with Baby Maya.

The Original Spiderman Kiss

2009-09-10T21:41:00.000-05:00

I love old romantic photos. :o)

Bat Bug

2009-09-07T17:13:00.002-05:00

I want to buy one of these for Uncle Joe.

16 Years of......

2009-08-14T23:41:00.000-05:00

Today is our 16th anniversary. Can you believe Uncle Joe has been able to put up with me and my silliness for that long?? :o)

Dear Joe,

Thanks for being my BFF, my love, my husband, and the father of our girls. You are awesome and I am glad to share my life with you.

Love,

AJ

Summer Fun

2009-08-12T22:53:00.002-05:00

Cassidy gives a thumbs up to a go-cart race with Mom on our Branson trip last weekend.

Pie So Good You Might Drive to Oklahoma and Hug Me

2009-08-03T18:19:00.002-05:00

Peach Pie

3/4 c. white sugar
1/4 c. light brown sugar
1/4 c. all purpose flour
4 ripe peaches peeled and sliced
(about 5 cups)
1T lemon juice
1/4 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 ground nutmeg

Bake at 425 for 10 min then reduce to 350 for approx 40 minutes
in the following pie crust::::>

NEVER FAIL PIE CRUST

3 c. all purpose
1 t salt
1 1/4 c. shortening BUTTER FLAVOR CRISCO
5 1/2 T water
1 egg
1 t. vinegar

sift flour and salt together. Cut in shortening. Mix water, slightly beaten egg and vinegar together and add to flour mixture.

Roll our on lightly floured board (add more flour if too moist)

Makes (2) 9'' pie crusts

My Kid is Funny!

2009-07-12T09:18:00.003-05:00

Recently, Cassidy and I were driving (well I was driving) and listening to Black Water on the radio.......

I said, "Cassidy did you know we got to see these guys sing this song for real the other day?"

She replied, "Mom, who was it? The DOOZIES?"

I Cracker Heart You

2009-07-11T00:47:00.003-05:00

UJ doesn't whisper sweet-nothings in my ear. He spells them out in crackers.

Past and Future

2009-07-08T18:37:00.002-05:00

Do you spot anyone that looks AJ-ish?
(Back row third from right.)

This is the year that we nicknamed Angela, Peanut. Can you see why?? She is on the bottom row second from the left. Tiny little thing isn't she?

Good times......

This is the camp that Carly is attending.....I had so much fun when I went waaaay back when. See me? Third row from bottom, second from the right. My BFF, Mindi is right in front of me in the sunglasses.

Sweltering hot, but good times.........

Cassidy and her new cousin :o) I think they loves each other!

Cassidy test her chop-stick skills in OKC

Here is my brother and his new bride.

Our summer is going well. We bought a pool at the end of the season last year and got it up and have been enjoying it a lot. Moonlight floats are wonderfully relaxing.

Cassidy

2009-07-05T22:36:00.002-05:00

Cassidy July 4th, 2009

Hey!

2009-06-27T09:51:00.002-05:00

My BF, Carol and I had a GNO last night.

She had her maiden voyage at Sam & Ella's and we tried the Dominiquer pizza. (ranch dressing for sauce, chicken, bacon, mushrooms, black olives and onions) It was tasty and different but nothing compares to Rock Island Red. :o)

We went to see My Sister's Keeper, a movie based on the book by Jodi Picoult. It was pretty accurate til the end of the movie. I was SO disappointed! It did not end like the book did. I wanted to stand up and say, "HEY!!!!"

I hate it when the movie isn't as good as the book. Don't you??

We had to go get a frozen yogurt/ sherbet from Braum's after the movie to cool down. Mmmmmmmm

We had a much needed respite from being "Mom" and just got to be our silly selves.

Eureka!

2009-06-21T20:43:00.002-05:00

This weekend our family traveled to Eureka Springs, Arkansas to watch my brother, Tom marry Therese and begin their new life together. The ceremony was very sweet and they even included Therese's 6 yr old daughter, Therese Yvette in the ceremony. Tom presented her with a beautiful flower pendant and necklace to represent and remind her of his committment to her and her mother.

Eureka Springs is a beautiful old town hardly touched by time. The streets are narrow and perfect for motorcycles to maneuver down, and a little more tricky for passenger vehicles. You can see very quickly that it is a destination for many many motorcycle travelers. We managed to get around after driving around several times to get our bearings. UJ said, "One thing you will never happen here: widening the streets!"

We stayed in The Piedmont House bed and breakfast compliments of Tom and Therese. You can see our room: The Magnolia Room. It was very beautiful and you could just imagine yourself going back in time (except for the cable tv and airconditioner!) It was a very fun experience and we hope to go there again.

Have any of you stayed at B&B's?? What was your experience like?? We had breakfast with everyone in a family style setting and it was very nice. It looked like a lot of work and a lot of fun.

We drove downtown and walked up and down the hills looking in several shops and treating ourselves to some new cook books, some new TEVA flip flops for me. (Thanks for recommending them Susie! I love them!) UJ must have been wearing pheremones or something because several of the shop keepers were very chatty with him and engaged him in looooooong conversations and I just browsed around with a smile on my face. :o)

All in all we had a very nice weekend and a wonderful time together. My parents took our children Saturday night after the wedding so we could have a peaceful night in the B&B. We were very grateful. :o)

If you go to Eureka Springs, be sure and get either a really good map or a GPS because it is very hilly, windy, narrow and confusing....but very beautiful and fun.

DB's

2009-06-09T21:50:00.003-05:00

Last week Uncle Joe and I (along with 3 additional friends) went to see:

that's right.....The Doobie Brothers.

They came to our little state and put on a great show for us. I am sad to report the arena was FAR from sold out, but they gave us our money's worth in good Southern Rock. It was great to hear the whole audience singing along with all their famous tunes: Old Black Water, Takin it to the Streets, China Grove, and one that I hadn't heard but LOVED: Dangerous.

I have great photographs but was forced to promise not to post them. I will email them privately for a small fee and a waiver.

Note to self

2009-06-07T14:58:00.002-05:00

Ask "So, how big is your yard? What kind of mower do you have?" BEFORE offering to help out and mow someone's yard.

I learned that the hard way......3 hours, a mile of walking, umpteen trips to empty the grass bag later.

Whew!

Randomly Photographic

2009-05-16T09:28:00.004-05:00

Welcome to my "catch up" positively photographic post!

I have had problems with my camera lately and someone finally got these downloaded for me. :o) Whoever you are, thankyouverymuch.

In random order:

Joe prepares to devour his Mom's Curry at Siam House in Denton. He smiled the whole time. The curry was fresh and very yummy.

See what I mean??

He licked his plate clean!

The birds even enjoyed some left over Thai the next morning! Terry and Sharon dropped their go-box and the next morning we found the local birds having a chow down. Those Texan birds sure do have good pallettes!

On our mosey home we found a Piggly Wiggly. I can barely remember having one here in our area and I loved going. Who wouldn't love going somewhere named Piggly Wiggly!? Joe went in to inquire about a t-shirt and came out dejected that they didn't have them on site, but with our photos maybe we can make our own. :o)

If we ever opened up our own place.....this might be what it might look like. :o)
(except it would serve coffee too!)

Cowboy Batman?

I was pretty happy to be in Denton with friends

We wore Sharon out at the Jazz Fest. She took a small snooze. We allowed it and didn't even bother her......except for the taking the picture part. heehee!

Who knew caterpillars liked jazz?? Terry did apparently.......

I think they were going to have a Mullet Contest later. This guy won.

not really

The first musician we saw. Joe, what was their name??

Joe and Jo's Big Jazzy Adventure 2009

We had a very nice and relaxing trip and look forward to next year when we can go again. Next year we promised to take Cassidy. She will be 10 and that is the age that Carly first went and of course she wants to follow in her sisters footsteps. That should be interesting.....she might even end up on a stage as much as that kid sings! :o)

Please Stay Tuned Jazz Fans

2009-05-09T23:41:00.003-05:00

I have not forgotten about my poor little bloggie here....just been busy at work and home.

We had a great time at the 5th Annual Joe and Josefina's Big Jazzy Adventure down to Denton Texas April 25th. We went to the JazzFest and had a laid back and relaxing time.

Since I have started my new job and I am currently considered "in training" I did not feel it wise to ask for a day off, so we left town after I got off work at 415pm. We arrived in Denton about 10pm, right on schedule. (and no wrong turns!)

The only mishap on the way down there was supper. We will (hopefully) never set foot in a Carl's Jr/Green Burrito again. UJ ate a green burrito that turned him green a little later. Bleh......

The weather on Saturday was very nice: sunny with a little wind. Perfect for sittin', readin', eatin' , relaxin' and visitin' with friends.

We had a good time sharing some JazzFest fare: ginormous cinnamon roll, strawberry crepe, hot coffee, strawberry lemonade, gyros, roasted corn and Mr. Pibb. :o) My only complaint was about the vendors. None of the vendors I was looking forward to seeing were there. I had certain things I was looking for and didn't find them....and I had a hard time choosing anything else, so I left with nothing NOTHING! Can you believe that?

Terry and Sharon arrived mid afternoon and after we had our fill of the music, we trekked off to our next destination: Siam House, our fave Thai restaurant in Denton.

Russell, the owner has always been our server and he remembers us each time. This time he and UJ got to talk shop: music. In particular: guitars. It took us 2 1/2 hours to eat our meal due to their chattering. I had a good time listening to them talk......they bantered back and forth about who was the better guitar player and I was smiling to see Joe go head to head with him.

We must be getting old because that was just about the extent of our fun for Saturday, other than our bedtime visit to the Finish Line convenience store for late night snacks for us. :o)

Sunday morning we slept in and decided to mosey home after check out time. We stopped and shopped at World Market and bought the girls something to take home and headed back to Oklahoma after a loud lunch at TGIFridays in McKinney.

I had bought us some new tunes to listen to on the way: Brad Paisley, Foreigner and Lynard Skynard so we belted out some songs all the way down there and on the way home. (even with all that practice I still can't sing!)

All in all I would say it was a great weekend. Any time spent with the one you love is good in my book.

Stay tuned for pictures. I have had difficulty downloading pictures this week and haven't figured out why.......

Chilly Chili Cook Off

2009-04-19T17:57:00.002-05:00

Saturday was the 25th annual Chili Cook Off in Muskogee.

UJ went and sampled a boat load of chili and came away thinking maybe our (ok his) chili might be our favorite. :o) The weather was overcast and we left minutes before a downpour came and washed all the chili eaters away.

A classmate of Joe's had a booth and gave away Dinky Links. DL's are a hotlink made with a secret recipe that is guarded by a security system that would rival Fort Knox. :o) I tried one bite of one and my stomach was on fire the rest of the day. He won 3rd place in hotlinks. He was robbed!

I got to meet my future SIL and had lunch with her, her 6 yr old daughter, my mom and Cassidy. We went to Flair and had a nice visit. Cassi isn't quite sure she is ready to relinquish her spot as "Baby Grand-daughter". I could tell by the look on her face.......

Aside from the rain.....buckets of rain, we had a nice weekend. Friends, Family and Food!

Have a good week where ever you are Blogger Friends!

Toasty Goodness

2009-04-16T18:49:00.002-05:00

Next time you eat Angel Food Cake put it in the toaster for a bit and get it nice and toasty warm and crunchy.

WOWIE! It was good!!

Fresh berries and whipped cream and you have sweet delights!

Land of......

2009-04-13T19:11:00.004-05:00

Yesterday as we drove through town Uncle Joe said

"Josefina I think we should rename JoeTown....Land of a Thousand Speed Bumps."

Maybe it is a coincidence, but it seems there ARE a lot of speed bumps and dips in our town. There are two speed dips on our way to Nana's house and I hate them so much (after driving on them over 20 years) I will drive out of my way to avoid them. There are several speed bumps in and around the school and we are driving those roads constantly!

When I was in High School my friend, Carol used to pick me up for early band practice at 7:00. Let's just say we are not known for our punctuality....so it was usually 6:59 and we would go FLYING down Walnut street and FLY over the speed dips. BAH DUMP!! BAH DUMP!! (SPEED UP!) BAH DUMP!! BAH DUMP!!

We loved the speed dips when we were in Elementary school on the school bus ride home. If you sat in the last seat, when the driver went over the dip we would fly up and plunk back down in our seats screaming with delight.

Bah-dump!

Sing Praises

2009-04-12T09:19:00.002-05:00

There is a sweet song bird on my porch singing praises to Jesus....He is risen!!

9 Ways to Get Happy in the Next 30 Minutes

2009-04-11T08:02:00.003-05:00

I found this article on Yahoo! today and thought it had some great mood-lifters. We have not had enough sunshine in Oklahoma this month- We have had unseasonably cold weather the past few weeks and it has definitely dampened the mood in the Joe house.

We already do a couple of these suggestions and I am glad to say UJ has engaged in cleansing and purging the garage of useless stuff we brought with us in our move and have accumulated since we arrived. Garage sale next week! Yay Joe!!

from: Real Simple Magazine
byJay Gosney

In the next half hour, tackle as many of the following suggestions as possible. Not only will these tasks themselves increase your happiness, but the mere fact that you've achieved some concrete goals will boost your mood.

1. Raise your activity level to pump up your energy. If you are on the phone stand up and pace. Walkt to a co-workers office instead of sending an email. Take a 10 minute brisk walk or, even better...

2. Take a walk outside. Research shows that light stimulates brain chemicals that improve mood. For an extra boost, get your sunlight first thing in the morning.

3. Reach out. Send an e-mail to a friendyou haven't seen in a while or reach out to someone new. Having close bonds with other people is one of the most important keys to happiness. When you act in a friendly way, not only will others feel more friendly toward you, but you'll also strengthen feelings of friendliness for others.

4. Rid yourself of a nagging task. Deal with that insurance problem, purchase something you need or make that long-postponed appointment with the dentist. Crosing an irksome chore off your to-do list will give you a rush of elation.

5. Create a more serene environment. Outer order contribtes to inner peace, so spend some time organizing bills and tackling the piles in the kitchen. A large stack of small tasks can feel overwhelming but often just a few minutes of work can make a sizable dent. Set the timer for 10 minutes and see what you can do in that time.

6. Do a good deed. Introduce two people by e-mail, take a minute to pass along useful information or deliver some gratifying praise. In fact you can also....

7. Save someone's life. Sign up to be an organ donor, and remember to tell your family about your decision. Do good, feel good. It really works!

8. Act Happy. Fake it til you feel it. Research shows that even an artifically induced smile boosts your mood. And if you're smiling, other people will perceive you as being friendlier and more approachable. There is not need to walk around in a constant state of worry. After all, what's the worst that can happen if you bounce a check or leave wet clothes in the dryer?

9. Learn something new. Think of a subject that you wish you knew more about and spend 15 minutes on the internet reading about it, or go to a book store and buy a book about it. Be honest and choose something that really interests you and not something you think you should know.

~OK Bloggie Buddies, hop to it!

Chicken Enchiladas

2009-04-09T21:51:00.003-05:00

We found a really EZ recipe for Chicken Enchiladas

3 boneless chicken breasts boiled and shredded
1 pkg cream cheese cut into cubes
1 small can green chilies (do not drain)
2 cans green enchilada sauce
tortillas (we used flour)
shredded cheez (we used colby jack)

preheat oven to 400 degrees
spray a 13x9 pan with cooking spray

mix shredded chicken, cream cheez and green chilies in a skillet and cook over medium heat until cheez melts.

place a large spoonful of chicken mixture in tortilla and roll up. Place seam side down in pan.

cover enchiladas with green sauce then sprinkle cheez over the top.

bake 20 minutes

I got lots of praises from the Family Unit on this one and I believe it will be added to the supper rotation. :o)

February Throw Back

2009-04-07T23:16:00.001-05:00

My photo for work has just been posted on the work website today.

I started 2-2-09. :o)

I had a good hair day...

I Betcha: You're Crazy!

2009-04-01T20:41:00.002-05:00

Lately I have taken on an annoying habit. When Uncle Joe does something silly or outlandish (which is often) I say, "You're crazy!"

While that in itself is not annoying, the accent I take on is. I say it like Jack Black's character in Nacho Libre.

You can imagine how annoying that is after about 18 times.

He proposed to me, while we sat at the Sunday dinner table that he would pay me $1 per day if I would not say that phrase to him for 1 month.

"Deal!" I said, thinking it was going to be the easiest $30 I had made in a long time.

"But if you mess up even once, you lose it all....." he added.

Thirty minutes later as we cleaned up the kitchen he said something, well, crazy and I slipped.

I didn't even make it one hour.

Oh well.......I'm crazy!! Now I can say it all I want since I already lost for the month. haha Uncle Joe!! I win!!

Crazy Doesn't Even Begin to Cover It

2009-03-23T21:13:00.007-05:00

Uncle Joe had an idea to go to Frisco, Texas to visit the IKEA store there so we could look around and hopefully purchase some nice barstools he found in a catalog. I was up for a road trip so away we went.

Hotel with indoor pool: check

Truck cleaned and gassed up: check

Google Mapped directions: checkmate

We headed out midmorning Saturday. The trip was estimated to be about 4 hours. It was a long 4 hours with little voices in the back seat singing loudly and asking every 5 miles, "Dad are we in Texas yet?"

Our Googlemap directions were not clear so we made one wrong turn, but eventually got to our hotel. I was embarrassed to admit to UJ that I had no idea what hotel we were staying at. I had looked at several and forgot which one I chose. I did however keep the phone number just in case we needed it. :o) Silly AJ!

We let UJ rest and the girls and I went swimming for a bit in the heated pool. Wow that was nice. If I had ever been a heated pool it has been so long I forgot about it. We splashed around for a while then went back upstairs and got ready and went to IKEA.

IKEA

There are not words in my vocabulary to express the confusion and near panic this place caused us both to feel. Escalators and elevators going up and down exiting on different sides, people elbow to elbow all over the place and The Joes wandering around looking for the stuff we came to look at.

I looked at Joe and said "This place makes me dizzy." He agreed whole heartedly.

We made our purchases: wine glasses, meat cleaver, apple corer, candles, candle holders, Swedish chocolate, fish roe, pickled fish, crackers and aprons and got outta there!

We had dinner with Sharon, our friend from Texas at TGIFridays and either we were really hungry or the food was exceptional. Joe had a thick cut pork chop that was very tasty and I had a steak sandwich with fried plantains!

Sunday we went on another accidental adventure while searching for World Market. It was recommended by my desk mate from work, Lynn. If I would have had her telephone number I sure would have called her! We got so confused. Apparently "on the corner of 121 and Preston" means the BIG corner....not the small street corners we could see. Apparently everything is big in Texas even the HUGE INTERSTATE that hid World Market from our view. The shops around this intersection were so plentiful that we could have visited one shop per day for one year and not have seen them all. It was huge!

World Market gave us our first large painting purchase. I loved the picture the moment I saw it and so did Joe, so of course we bought it!! I will post photos later. We will be repainting our living room to coordinate with it soon I hope.

Our tummies told us it was lunch time and our baby girl told us it was her turn to buy something so we headed to Stonebriar Mall where we at lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. (my only regret....$$ lunch!)We had our first gourmet appetizer: Ahi Tartare. Mmmmm! Very tasty!! We walked around the mall two times bought a few things and headed out for home.

Four hours later we were pulling into our home sweet home.

Our bed sure did feel good that night. It was a lot of fun crammed into 24 hours!

Spring Broke

2009-03-19T17:16:00.003-05:00

It really really stinks for the kids for Mom to get paid the last day of Spring Break .

Our Spring Break was sprung broke.

Good thing I didn't procrastinate, as in past years, and got our taxes done and sent before Tax Day and we should have in our grubby little hands, a nice tax refund check and go on a little day trip with the girls down to Texas.

We shall be springing hither, thither and yon and will keep you posted on our progress and purchases we have planned. :o)

It Took Me

2009-03-15T18:20:00.002-05:00

What a great Sunday afternoon at home.

I jacked up the fish I tried to grill....heretoforevermore I will let UJ be the Official Meat Griller. But the veggies were a success. Here is our menu:

Grilled Cod (well mostly grilled...then finished in a pan)
Grilled Zucchini and Yellow Squash (THE BOMB!)
Roasted potatoes, onions and carrots.
Lemon Cake with Lemon icing

Very yummy and light.

A nap overcame me once my tummy was full and I let it take me and I finally got caught up on some of my missed sleep.

oh. i. feel. good.

How was your day??

I think I need a cuppa coffee to wake up now.

A Bit of Sad Trivia

2009-03-06T18:46:00.003-06:00

I was looking around on the Veteran's Administration website today and found the following facts:

Since World War I, more than 142, 000 Americans have been captured and interned as POWs
93 of those were women
93,000 additional Americans have been lost or never recovered
About 29,350 or one fifth of America’s former POWs since World War I are still living
More than 90 percent of living former POWs were captured and interned during World War II
At the end of the Vietnam War there were 2,583 unaccounted for American POWs
As of September 1, 2006, 1,798 are still listed as missing by DOD—90 percent in Vietnam or in areas of Laos and Cambodia
126 Americans are still listed as missing in action and unaccounted for from the Cold War

The one with chocolate cake

2009-03-01T08:19:00.001-06:00

I got to take the whole cake home too! Mmmmm

40 ain't so bad so far.......

Suz Chef

2009-02-28T09:25:00.003-06:00

Last night Uncle Joe and I made home-made pizza. He texted me at work and can apparently read my mind because I had just been trying to decide what to have for supper and pizza sure did sound good.

Text: Pizza at home for supper?
My reply: Yesss! You are reading my mind!

I stopped at the grocery, list in hand, to pick up some last minute things for the Pizza De Jour. I only had to call Joe once to ask about yeast preference and only had to go back for one forgotten item. (Good thing I was still in the parking lot!)I got home and he prepared all the toppings: Ham, pinapple (fresh!), onion, mushrooms, pepperoni, sausage and cheese.

The recipe for crust we found was easy and tasty. I would recommend you try it next time you want to impress your family. :o) This batch makes TWO regular crusts.We made two batches of this dough after one other recipe flopped. Our company loved it and the girls had fun making their own pizza.

Quick Pizza Dough

1 pkg Quik Rise dry yeast
1 cup luke warm water
2 T olive oil
1 T honey *** yes honey! it was delish!
2 1/2 cups flour
pinch of salt

*this recipe also calls for 1/2 t garlic powder and 1/2 t onion powder, but we didn't use it.

Mix yeast in water in glass bowl. Add other ingredients. We used our stand mixer and it worked beautifully. Place in a bowl that has about a teaspoon of olive oil..just enough to coat the bottom. Cover and let it sit for 15-30 minutes.
Turn out dough on lightly floured surface. Cut in half. Flatten out on a floured surface and place in pizza pan. Add sauce, cheese and toppings of your liking and bake at 450 degrees for 12 (or more) minutes.

I was in charge of mixing dough. UJ patted most of the pizzas out and i topped them. I didn't do TOO bad for my first "Suz Chef" job. Hey... at least I got lots of kisses while I was working. I bet Chef Gordon Ramsay doesn't kiss his sous chefs!

My 39th Year

2009-02-23T22:39:00.000-06:00

My 39th year.

Hardest by far and by far the most rewarding.

On the eve of my 40th birthday

I am stronger

mentally

physically

emotionally

and spiritually

than I have ever been.

40?
Bring.It.On.

Holiday?

2009-02-16T11:07:00.001-06:00

Just sittin' @ home enjoying a cuppa joe with Joe on my first Federal Holiday!!

Be My Valentine?

2009-02-14T08:42:00.006-06:00

Do you see love?

********

Have I Told You Lately

Song by Rod Stewart

Have I told you lately that I love you

Have I told you there's no one else above you

Fill my heart with gladness,

take away all my sadness

Ease my troubles,

that's what you do

For the morning sun and all its glory

Meets the day with hope and comfort too

You fill my life with laughter,

somehow you make it better

Ease my troubles,

that's what you do

There's a love that's defined

And it's yours and it's mine

like the sun

And at the end of the day

We should give thanks and pray to the one,

to the one

Have I told you lately that I love you

Have I told you there's no one else above you

Fill my heart with gladness,

take away all my sadness

Ease my troubles, that's what you do.

******

Dear Uncle Joe,

Will you be my Valentine?

Love,

Aunt Josefina

Hurry Up and Wait

2009-02-07T14:04:00.002-06:00

Well my first week of Federal employment is over. I heard from our trainer that there is a lot of "hurry up and wait" going on.

Oh. How. True.

With 88 people in my trainee group, it takes us a while to do ANYTHING.

When we do something in unison, like getting on the internet, we crash the system. (Tech guys said they were glad we crashed it because they had been asking for more bandwidth....now they'll surely get it!)

I sit by a really nice lady.....Beth. She is so quiet and I have to lean over every now and again to try and make her crack up. The lady behind us however is pretty close to getting hurt. She doesn't know what is going on because she won't keep her mouth shut. She talks loudly making it difficult for us to hear. Since she doesn't know what is going on she has to ask a "coach". She dominates them with her incessant chatter and I am getting very annoyed. We haven't been doing any real training yet so I have been patient, but if she causes me to miss something I will have to tape her mouth shut and tie her to her chair. Let me also add that I sit on the back row.....a very different experience for me. I am a "B" so I am usually at the front, and it is very weird being in the back. (although at break time, I get to the bathrooms first!)

So, I am enjoying NOT anwering the phones, NOT having to deal with difficult patients in person or on the phone, NOT pulling faxes, NOT filing charts,and NOT balancing my money. I know that this job will ramp up real soon and all these slow days will be a thing of the past.........

Have a great weekend!

First Days

2009-02-05T06:28:00.002-06:00

My first days at the new job have been good. Very busy with do's and don'ts, training and orientation. There are 88 people in my "class" that is a lot of new faces and names to learn. We are the largest group to train in the history of this office.

The hours are 730 to 415 and if any of you know me I am morning challenged. It will take a concerted effort from my whole family to get everyone up and ready on time and get me out the door by 710am. I may be putting my shoes on on the car, but I will be on my way!!

It was so nice to be in a room full of people who are "thrilled to be here", "tickled to have this job", "happy to serve our Vets", etc. everyone WANTS to be there and will work very hard to maintain the awesome reputation of the Muskogee Office. Let me say here that in all the Veteran's Services that Muskogee offers.....we are the top office in all of them. We get extra work because we rock it out so fast.........can you believe that?? Okies know how to work and we ROCK!!

Gotta skitter.....look at the time.

2009-02-03T06:30:00.002-06:00

Closed for computer maintenance and upgrades.....

Y'all come back now...

Fortunately

2009-01-31T23:58:00.002-06:00

Today we went to Whole Foods in Tulsa. What a beautiful store! When we walked in I thought I would like to work there. It was so vibrant and colorful and the smells were heavenly......

We have seen Alton Brown and Emeril shop at Whole Foods and we have wanted to visit one for a long time. UJ learned there was one in Tulsa so we went on a spur of the moment today.

Came home with several interesting items: Tandoori bread, veggie chips, sweet potato (ha UJ I spelled potato right!) chips, roasted veggie dip, beets, clementines, and an organic frozen pizza.

We stopped off at Pei Wei for lunch and here is the fortune I got:
A secret admirer will soon send you a sign of affection. I can't wait!! I love affectionate signs. I hope it is a sweet love note. :o)

Don't be jealous

2009-01-30T22:21:00.001-06:00

I am getting my an up close and personal concert at Tedly's house. Uncle Joe and Tedly are jammin away........I am listening and blogging. :o)

2009-01-30T05:44:00.001-06:00

It just isn't fair when on your first day "off the job" you are awake at 4am. Just. Isn't. Fair.

Onwards and Upwards!

2009-01-29T20:51:00.002-06:00

Today was my last day at the office.

I arrived and there was a gas leak. We couldn't open the clinic for about an hour. There was no sense in everyone standing around getting asphyxiated so I suggested they go get breakfast and I would remain behind to answer the phones. If they came back and found me comatose then they would know the gas company didn't show up. (The smell actually was very faint and we had plenty of ventilation so I was in no danger I was assured by the physicians)

what a memorable last day on the job!!

I said farewell to my 8-5 family and left knowing that I am doing what is best for me and my family. Onwards and upwards!!!!!

The List

2009-01-28T06:53:00.002-06:00

This scene takes place at the Sunday dinner table.

Cast: CarlyJo, CassiJo, Uncle Joe and Aunt Jo

UJ: AJ did you all go to church today?

AJ: Yea, we just went to big church though, we missed Sunday School.

UJ: Good, that'll keep you off Papa's List.

CassiJo: What list?

UJ: The list.

CassiJo: What list?

UJ: The list you get on if you don't go to church.

CassiJo:............... You're on the list.

UJ's drink almost came out his nose.

New Beginnings

2009-01-21T23:16:00.003-06:00

Good news Blogger Friends.......

I got a new j-o-b! woohooo!!! I have been with my current employer for almost 20 years and finally decided it was time to try something new. I am mentally prepared and ready for a new beginning.

I will be starting a Federal job on Feb 2nd.

I am very excited to be getting a raise, a few more paid holidays, great benefits and better hours.

Yay!

.....and We're Back

2009-01-18T19:37:00.003-06:00

Did you EVEN know we were gone??

Our computer has been ill with several nasty viruses and various computer germs and we have been computer-less for several (long) days.

My Computer Genius Brother In Law, Ron has disinfected and de-virus-ized our little machine and we are back to normal.....and somewhat faster thanks to his computer prowess. :o)

Getcher Free Smile......

2009-01-06T23:04:00.002-06:00

Did you hear about the NEW corduroy pillows?

NO?

They are making headlines all over the world!

:o)

Colder Than.....

2009-01-05T22:04:00.004-06:00

It is so cold here my eyeballs got cold when I ran last night.

The Buttah Post

2009-01-02T21:07:00.003-06:00

Aunt Lil got us some sheets for Christmas. White sheets (antibacterial too!)250 thread count.....and they feel like buttah! They remind me of the hotel sheets in Chicago. I could hardly go to sleep last night for rubbing my feet on them while I snuggled in for the night. :o) Ahhhhh

I think I hear them calling me now.......

New Year

2009-01-01T10:35:00.004-06:00

Last night was JorySan's final night at home. He left with his family and Outlaws early this morning. They should be in Japan late tonight.

Before their departure I got one last dose of lovin' from the children. I arrived at G-moms shortly after the office closed and picked up Maya as soon as I arrived. She was getting a teeny bit fussy so we went to the rocking chair and rocked for a long time.........a very long time. She looked around and smiled at me, pulled my hair, scratched me a while and wallered me while I rocked her for miles. I thought I might give up when she started making I-don't-want-to-go-to-sleep-but-I-am-about-to sounds and the end was in sight. I didn't miss the opportunity to snuggle with her so we went to G-mom's big tall bed and got under the covers and had ourselves a little nappy. It was sweet to wake up and see her little face smiling at me with sleepy eyes.

We all had such a good time with the children. It will be several months before they have a chance to come back. I wonder what they thought of our family of what probaby seemed to them to be GIANTS? :o)

Oh and Happy New Year! Thanks for reading my blog for one more year........

She Works Hard for the Money

2008-12-29T22:01:00.002-06:00

Today UJ and CassiJo went to G-mom's to help out with the babies, visit and generally soak up all the love they could.

They put in a full day of it, arriving at noon and not returning home til 8pm tonight.

Joe bragged on how much of a help Cassi was with keeping Kai occupied and being sweet with Maya. (UJ got a big dose of love when Maya fell asleep on his chest......ahhhhh the sweet sounds of babies sleeping on you...)

Cassi and I were engaged in an embrace so I could love on her and brag on her and she whispered, "Can I get paid?"

I replied, "How much do you want?"

She said "Well I worked 8 hours how about $8?"

"Done!"

Let's hope she feels the same way in a few years. Yea right.

There is No Such Thing

2008-12-27T10:18:00.005-06:00

There is no such thing as too much love.

But there may be a point of exhaustion.

I think we may have reached it yesterday.

We spent the entire afternoon and evening with JorySan and the babies.

We played, wallered and kissed them all day and they tolerated it very well.
Kai is a hider. He hides his toys and puts them in cabinets, under sofas, behind furniture. Jory has to hide his wallet so Kai doesn't get a hold of it and hide it! (he almost forgot where he hid it too!)Maya is a doll baby. She rarely cried and tolerated all the girls holding her and playing with her. She got a little fussy last night and when we took some of her clothes off and went outside to cool off and rock in the swing at Papa's she went right to sleep. I can still put "the moves" on these babies!

We even made time to squeeze in a Walmart trip with Mr.& Mrs. Iwabe, Noriko's parents. They don't speak much English but did very well. We lost them for a while and after I walked the store, it dawned on me to look in the music section. They love country music and whenever they get a chance, they buy lots and lots of cd's to take home. When I found them.....at the check out with Joe, I admired all the cd's they had. Mr. Iwabe could say all the names of the artists. :o) They also can't believe the price of ham here. In Japan a small (maybe) 3lb ham might be $200!!! Mr Iwabe (or J-Pop as Jory calls him) loves ham, so last night when we had ham on our little snack buffet, you know he was there eating some of that!

We ended the evening at Papa's for a little Christmas with them and took the Iwabes through the Garden of Lights or Illumination as they called it. Kai kept saying "atah" or "look what I found"!

Needless to say we were glad to see that bed last night! (But can't wait to see the babies again......but tomorrow.)

Christmas Themes

2008-12-26T10:34:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas to all you Bloggers!

We revved up Wednesday for a busy few days. Started with lunch with my family followed by a visit to G-moms followed by visit to Nana's then a lovely candle light service at church. We ended the day with a supper of snack foods and punch with my Aunt Joyce and her family. The children got to read the Christmas story from the Bible and I thought that was pretty special. (All our babies can read now!)

We had a very nice Christmas day at the Joes too. (Pictures will follow later)

Joe and I stayed up way too late on Christmas Eve and didn't get to bed til about 130am, watching movies piled up on the couch. I won't promise that I didn't snooze a little, so don't expect me to pass any quizzes about the movie!

Cassidy was the first to wake up and God bless that child, she let us sleep in til 8am. :o)

What followed was wrapping paper flying,lots of smiles and giggles and a few "Are you serious?"s

Cassi was pleased with her purple big-girl bike and itty bitty tv with dvd.

Carly was thrilled with her small HD tv for her room to. Now we need an inexpensive dvd player to use with it. Who knew that thing wouldn't pick up any local stations??

Joe's theme for this Christmas was Iron Chef at Camp. He got several cooking themed gifts and some camping lanterns. They should come in handy for our next camping rendevous. :o) He also got some silly gifts in with his real gifts. A shower curtain liner and compressed air. I had to throw him off the trail!

My theme was Iron Chef at Camp also. (unplanned! Hey great minds think alike!) I got a nice two burner camp stove. That will be so nice not to have to load up our huge grill to take with us next camping trip! Whew that thing was heavy! When Joe bought the stove he said, "Let me just say that my gift in NO WAY implies you are the woman and I am the man." Note:I will make sure he cooks on it just as much as me. Promise!

We got to see my BIL Jory and his sweet family from Japan yesterday too. Kai, my nephew was very sweet and let me hold him and play with him. It's funny that play does not need language. Laughter is the same in all languages. He is a busy little thing and kept us laughing. I have a funny picture of the first moment Kai saw Uncle Joe. He was soooooo tall!

My niece, Maya got to hold Uncle Joe first.She was snoozing when we got there and Noriko, her mother brought her to Joe for her first snuggle. She is the sweetest baby! She laughed and smiled at us and was generally an angel.

We can't wait to see them again today. I am pretty sure they are missing me. I can feel it. :o)

My gift to myself was a nice 2 1/2 hour nap after lunch.

And the Children Said, "Whew!"

2008-12-22T22:38:00.002-06:00

Last night I finally got some gifts wrapped and under our tree.

The girls' gifts are all wrapped and color coded. CassiJo's are wrapped in mint green paper with snowflakes and CarlyJo is wrapped in B/W stripes. UJ's are wrapped in Batman paper, what else??

I wish I could have been here to see the look on CassiJo's face when she saw all the gifts. She knew I color coded them and called me to ask which color was hers. I almost didn't tell her but decided that unless I wanted 88 phone calls today asking me "What color is mine?" all day I had better tell her, so I did. She helped me out by putting tags on the gifts. She put 10 on her "big" box. I guess she didn't want anyone to open HER gift.

My brother in law, Jory and his family (from Japan) will be in attendance this Christmas. We are waiting (im)patiently for Kai and Baby Maya to arrive so we can squeeze them and kiss their little cheeks!

Merry Christmas Y'all!

A Series of Unfortunate but Funny Events

2008-12-20T21:38:00.006-06:00

Today I ran in my first 5K run. I finished in 45:23. According to a runner's website that is moderate. I am ok with that.

The race was held at Honor Heights Park in Muskogee. We ran in the park, around the outside to the "back" entrance then up a large hill (you don't realize how long and steep the incline is until you are walking it!)and back down. The uphill part was about 1K. I walked up it, not wanting to overdo it.....remembering the good advice from Leslie and my SIL Andi......slow and steady......compete with yourself only.....don't pay any attention to others. I loved the downhill part and was SO grateful for it!

Here is the ingredients for a funny story:

1. prior to departure, people in my house were having laundry issues. damp clothes cannot be worn in frigid air. we had to wait for the pants to dry.

2. a person in my house had toilet issues right before we left. (and said person cannot and will not be rushed)

3. We had hoped to be at the park at 415 for the race to start at 445. we left our house at 422. I refused to look at the clock because it was going to give me anxiety.

4. we decided to take both children AND the dog.....thinking it would be a fun adventure for them. (next time it will be me and Joe.)

5. Joe had to drive at unsafe speeds.....and dart in and out of traffic. Why were all the slow-pokes out today? Going the same direction we were?? And why was the Batmobile in the shop?? Man we really needed that jet engine today. He also S-T-O-P -Go at a stop sign when we were in a hurry to the registration. We got honked at by a old people car.

6. The start line was NOT where we thought it was and there is only three entrances to the park. They are spread WAY out. We, naturally went to the wrong one.

7. Joe dropped me off at the closest point to the registration desk. I ran up there and didn't have time to search for my packet....so I had to start with out a number. (keep that in mind for my finish line story) I wasn't too worried about the number since I was "competing with myself".

8. I was overdressed a bit and had to try and keep track of all my clothes as I shucked them during the race. At the 4K mark the wind picked up and it got really cold so then I had to put all the stuff back on.

9. I came up on the finish line....so grateful to see it. I was freezing and dizzy and looking for my family among the people cheering on the sidelines. I didn't spot Carly until the camera flashed. She almost missed me!

10. The finish line people take this running stuff very VERY seriously. When I arrived, I expected "Good Job!!"
I got: Where is your tag?? No number? TURKEY! If you don't have a number you SHOULD NOT CROSS THE FINISH LINE."
Wow. Who knew?? NOT ME CAUSE I WAS LATE!! I should have just gobbled and went on.

11. Carly took my picture crossing the finish line and said Joe was in the truck. She said, "Dad was worried about you and almost ripped the front of the truck off on a rock he parked on."
WHAT??? When Joe parked, there was a rock sticking up and it cracked the plastic part of the lower bumper. He was not happy. I examined it later and determined in all my mechanical prowess (none) that we could order the part off the internet. When I told him that I got "the look". I didn't talk any more. :o)

12. The dog wasn't happy either. She was panting the whole time and really was over stimulated by all the people and strange smells not to mention the the ride over in the truck. Poor baby.

13. Leslie asked if I got a t-shirt since I didn't get my packet. I told her I sure did. I went right over to the table and "stole" one. I paid for it with my registration but didn't want to wait around to find someone to hunt my packet down....so I helped myself and got the heck outta there.

It is funny now.........well actually it was funny to me as it was happening......
I was just too stunned to laugh out loud.

On a positive note:

I have been assured that this is not normal and my next race will not be this way.

I am counting on it.

Rush? What Rush?

2008-12-20T06:43:00.000-06:00

Christmas shopping at dawn's crack insures short lines and peace while shopping. (you just have to walk around the Stockers and their pallets of stuff) I was done shopping and home before anyone stirred from sleep at my house. Woohoo!!

Gifts are bought and hidden.

Do I have to wrap them??

There is not one wrapped gift under our tree.

Yet.

I'll fix that!!

Round She Goes

2008-12-16T18:33:00.002-06:00

Last night it was frigid here in Greencountry Oklahoma. So cold we had ice on the roads. Uncle Joe offered to drive my running route to check for ice so I wouldn't fall down and hurt myself. He also offered to follow me in the truck in case I got cold or couldn't finish. How sweet!!

After we pulled into the driveway to let Cassidy out I immediately got out of the truck and started running. I got to to the end of the block and he was still there. I ran further and could see him through the neighborhood through the yards. He was still there. I thought he was just giving me a head start.

He was still there when I came around the corner. I thought to myself: he must just be staying warm in the truck. Maybe he was talking on the phone. Yes he is on his phone. I can see the light....oh wait. He is just playing a game. He probably has the seat all nice and warm for me when I am done. I wonder if he even sees me. He has to see me I am wearing a pink jacket.

Fourth lap I am coming around the final turn and he is getting out of the truck. I think to myself: (y'all don't laugh) WOW He is coming out to cheer me on. He is meeting his woman in the time she needs him most. He will pat me on the back and say, "way to go honey". What a sweetie.

Uh. No.

When I get to him, he said, "Where have you been? I have been waiting on you to come out of the house! haha!! I thought you were inside! I went looking for you in the house and out in the back yard."

He never saw me leave and go to the road and start running. He never saw me......

I laughed about that all day!!

I could have tapped on the window while he was playing the game, but he said I would have scared him to death.

We crack me up. :o)

It's a Gouda Thing

2008-12-14T10:26:00.004-06:00

This my gourmet supper I whipped up last night.

Note the fancy glass full of Diet Pepsi. We are fancy around here people!

Yummy and easy chicken noodle soup with bowtie pasta for added fanciness.

Haha!!

Grilled Cheese, gourmet style.......

Gouda cheese (shredded) with cumin and sauteed onions on Rye bread.
Very interesting and different but all in all a.....
pretty tasty dish!!

Secrets

2008-12-13T17:54:00.004-06:00

The secret ,( according to Uncle Joe and Aunt Jo) to making soup so good you say Mmmmm all through the meal is:

Swanson Vegetable Broth

We have used it in most of the soups we have made lately and what a yumm addition!! It is even good when you are sick plain with crackers.

There you have it folks.......free secrets. Can you beat that?

Great Expectations

2008-12-12T08:52:00.004-06:00

Last night was a huge surprise and exciting time for us in the Joe house.

It was Finals for the swim team in Claremore. This was CarlyJo's age group competing, age 11-15. There were quite a few more swimmers competing and the competition was great!

CarlyJo had to be begged to participate. She dug her heels in and would not relent.......until we made a deal with her.

Short story: she had been grounded for several weeks and in order to get some days knocked off for "good behaviour" she agreed to compete in two events.

Coach Christa chose Backstroke and Breast stroke. CarlyJo has a beautiful and graceful stroke, but she just needed to put her "all" into it and s.w.i.m.! We just wanted her to complete the event....competing with herself and work to overcome her performance anxieties. Get this.........

She won.

Both events.

Road Trip Dos

2008-12-11T10:10:00.006-06:00

Another roadtrip was enjoyed by the Joes yesterday. I was nice and gave Joe a weeks notice this time and it sure did make a difference! haha. He slept like a log and got some good rest while I took the children to school and got ready. I let him sleep until he woke up...which took a while even with me blaring harmonica music from the internet radio. :o) I on the other hand was awake at dawn's crack, excited about our trip. :oD

We chose a new destination: Fayetteville AR. It is only about 80 miles away and a great day trip destination. We mapped out our plans and got on the road about noon. We planned to go to Dickson Street and explore the local restaurants and shops. If you don't know, Fayetteville is the home of the University of Arkansas, so you can imagine the great things they have to keep students busy. (staying in trouble or out....you be the judge)

Our first stop was lunch since we were pretty hungry. We snacked on Clif Bars on the way down there but they don't fill you up for too long. We stopped at Bangkok for lunch. Take a look below at the beautiful food we ordered.

Our appetizers.

Spring Rolls.

very tasty and look at the beautiful presentation

Next course:

Tofu soup.

Perfect.

Not too hot but hot enough to be very comforting on a wintery day.

Joe's entree (i can't remember the Thai name)

Tofu Curry with pineapple.

Very yummy! He said it was his favorite of all the Thai we have had.

My entree: Pad Thai with shrimp

I usually stick with things I know since we usually share our meals. Joe usually goes for a walk on the wild side and gets "new" dishes. :o)

This was very yummy and full of shrimp. I really liked it and ate every bite!

Next you will see our next stop: Dickson Street Bookstore. This store took our breath away. It was like the bookstores we have seen on movies. Books from floor to ceiling, wall to wall, stacked in corners and going on for what seemed like miles! It was a sight to behold and very overwhelming to book lovers. We did manage to find something for each of us and one Christmas gift for G-mom. (Shhhh don't tell!)

We also found the NorthWest Arkansas Mall and it was very nice. Full of nice stores and food vendors. We found a few Christmas gifts there as well and generally had a nice time looking around. Found some decorating ideas for when we repaint the living room and had a nice walk from one end to the other.

Headed back to the Dickson Street restaurants and ate a gyro at Kosmos Greek Restaurant. If you have never tried a gyros, you really missing out. They are very good and such a change from the same ole hamburger! The dipping sauce was very dill-y and cool on the hot lamb. Mmmmm We love gyros!

We headed home with our tummies full and our heads full of ideas for our next trip back. There were many more things we wanted to see, but just ran out of time. The trip home was very pleasant and really flew by since we were chatting about all we saw.

Daytrips are very fun and I look forward to the next one.........

******************

Note to self: recharge camera before road trips!

Just Keep Swimming

2008-12-09T22:23:00.002-06:00

Today we took CassiJo to the finals for her swim season. The meet was in Claremore, about a one hour drive away. We only made one wrong turn (a record for us....er I mean me.)

CassiJo swam in 3 events and placed in two. We were so proud of our little swimmer....even when she was doing a Rockette dance while waiting for her turn to swim. UJ asked if that little number was the "PeePee Dance." (Mom's know exactly what I am talking about) No. It was not. It was just a little number for the entertainment of the parents in the stands. :o)

Way to go CassiJo!

One down and one to go. CarlyJo's age group competes Thursday. I'll keep you posted.

Baby Brudda

2008-12-07T21:57:00.002-06:00

While we were at our family Christmas gathering this weekend I asked our little cousin, Nicholas if he wanted CarlyJo to come and live with him and be his big sister.

He agreed.

Wholeheartedly.

He really liked CarlyJo who played a lot with him and his baby brudda, Zachary the whole time we were visiting.

He liked the idea so much that when he did something (semi) naughty he was afraid she would not want to come and be his big sister. He sat in her lap and held her hands and said, "I want to talk to you about being my big sister."

We thought this kid was a hoot!

He was not happy when we had to leave. He was talking it over (tearfully I might add) with his mother when we left. His mother, Candace assured me that he would be fine as soon as his grandparents came to pick him up. Apparently a big sister is NO competition for grandparents!

Reversing

2008-12-07T21:42:00.003-06:00

CarlyJo on Crazy Day during Homecoming week at school. I love her eyelashes!! She got them at Sephora when she and Megan went shopping.

A Gaggle of Giggly Girls

CarlyJo's 14th Boobay Party

Top L to R: Cassidy, Kyndra, Sarah, Ashley, Taylor

Middle: Lillian, Megan and Kaitlyn

Bottom: Carly holding Domo, and Bailey

Cheezin for Christmas

2008-12-07T08:49:00.004-06:00

Ho Ho Ho

from the Joes!

Here we are in Heavener OK for an early Christmas celebration with Joe's side of the family.

We had a nice drive down there, Joe pestering me the whole way.......

....and he is so funny he cracks himself up!

A rare sight: Carly smiling in a picture....voluntarily. :o)

She loves taking B&W's. I can see why. They change the look of the photo so wonderfully!

I had to work really hard to get this photo. I have two daughters that take after their father and LOVE LOVE LOVE to ham it up for the camera. I have heard people say they have stacks of pictures of Joe making silly faces. :o)

I only wish our daughters were as innocent as they looked in this photograph. Soon as the flash went off they started arguing again. haha!!

Happy Sunday Blog Friends!

Stockin' Stuffers or Santa's Old Elves

2008-11-30T20:23:00.010-06:00

Saturday The Joes went to Miss Debbie's house to stuff some stockings for 100 Oklahoma soldiers serving in Iraq. Miss Debbie (shown above right, CJ on left) is a classmate of Uncle Joe's and was very sweet to volunteer to be the coordinator of their community project. The MHS Class of '78 in conjuction with the FTG Class of 2013 (Thanks to Carly's efforts with her teachers and classmates) collected enough to fill each stocking.

Just a sample of some of the items our community donated......

AJ, Box Taper Upper

Cambryn and Cassi, two of our box stuffers

(Carly is taking the picture)
Thanks for helping girls!

Santa needs worker elves of all ages and Class of '78 isn't too old! Thanks to all of you for pitching in to show some hometown soldiers some hometown caring!

Leslie and Joanie preparing to stuff some bags with goodies.

There were Idea Thinkers, News Coordinators, Stocking Makers, Stuff Collectors, Box Tapers, Box Stuffers (Thanks CarlyJo, CassiJo and Cambryn!)and Organizers, all very important jobs and we are grateful for each and every one of them. On behalf of the military personnel that will benefit from a small box from home:

THANK YOU!

The Stretching Post

2008-11-26T22:37:00.004-06:00

I am really bored and stretching here for a blog post.

I am one of those people who has a pretty big purse full of useful things such as:

1 lip balm mint flavored...very tasty
1 lip gloss Rimmel Snog
1 bendy foldy brush
1 cell phone
2 Rx bottles
1 lotion B&B Tuberose bottle but full of Johnson's Vanilla Oatmeal
2 calendars
1 pair 3-D glasses
5 3-D cards
12 Holiday Giveaway tickets (i sure hope one is a winner!)
1 small notebook mostly full
12 notecards blank
2 written cards half addressed
1 gel pen
1 digital camera
1 ipod
1 Rib Crib mint
1 coupon for lightbulbs
3 bills
1 hot pink Cross pen
3 sticks of gum
1 address book
1 extra large emery board
2 bottles of fingernail polish
make up bag: tylenol, ibuprofen, naproxen, vitamins, zantac, tweezers, mascara and safety pins, emergency girl supplies
wallet weirdness: UJ's old college ID circa 1978, UJ's old drivers lic circa 1986. sweet note Cassi wrote me (Mom, you are the nicest mom I ever had. Love Cassidy) several expired American Eagle gift cards that I have been forbidden to throw away and sworn to keep, movie ticket stubs, 82 receipts (jk)
keys on my stretchy keyring to: my car, Joe's truck, home, work, and Gmom's
2 keyless entry remotes.

I would post a picture but that would mean laying it all out and I just don't want to do that right now. I have things to do before tomorrow like watch a movie, paint my nails, read a magazine and take a long hot bubbly bath.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tell It Like It Is CassiJo!

2008-11-23T14:27:00.007-06:00

Yesterday I decided to try my hand at baking a pie. No, that is NOT a picture of my pie....I forgot to photograph my progress and finished product last night.

Sweet potatoes are on sale dirt cheap at the local Walmart so Uncle Joe, being a sweet potato lover, bought 10 pounds for us commenting that they will keep in the cool garage. (send me your sweet potato recipes!)

Google discovered a cornocopia of recipes: some with nuts and some without. When I asked Joe if he wanted nuts in his he shouted from the other room, "NO! No nuts! Just sweet potatoes! Don't go jackin' around with it! Just sweet potatoes!" Ummmmm. OK. No nuts. I get it. :o) He is a sweet potato purist I guess. I have heard of these people, but never dreamed I was married to one. ha!

I boiled the taters, peeled them, smashed them stirred some yummy spices in and put them in the oven to bake. It was a nice and simple recipe. Just the kind I like!

We had some warm sweet tater pie with ice-cream and whipped cream while we watched OU stomp Texas Tech late last night. :o)

While Cassi ate hers at the kitchen bar she said, "Mom this looks like pumpkin pie."

"Yes it does, but it is sweet potato pie." I replied.

Her dad chimed in, "How can it be pumkin pie when there is no pumpkin in it?"

Without missing a beat she said, "Well you can call it sweet potato pie if you want to, but around here WE call it PUMPKIN pie."

Joe and I looked at each other and cracked up.....where does this kid come up with this stuff? She is funny!

Best Laid Plans

2008-11-21T09:46:00.002-06:00

I totally got Joe today. I have never "gotten" Joe. Ever.

I planned earlier this week to surprise him by taking today off. I didn't tell a soul in my house. I arranged to have Nana pick up the girls so we would not have to rush home. I had several ideas to choose from and I told my co-workers to tell him I ran an errand if he called me at the office before 9am, the appointed surpise hour.

I got up, showered and left as usual so I wouldn't give any secrets away. It was a long hour before I could come home and surprise him. I got a cup of coffee, read the paper and went to the Dollar Store to pick up some stuff and waited.

I was in the house when he walked in from taking CassiJo to school. He had a sick look on his face. He HAD called and was told I had "stepped away from her desk". When he saw my car at home he panicked and thought something was wrong.

"SURPRISE!!" I squealed. "I took the day off!!"

He was totally speechless.

It took him about 20 minutes to calm down.

He doesn't do surprises well. (Next time I think I'll give him a heads up.)

I totally caught him off guard and surprised him.........now we are off for a surpise day trip. :0) Who knows where we will end up!

Aunt Jo, The Surpriser
Over and outta heeeeeere!!

Do You Like My New "Do"?!

2008-11-16T09:53:00.002-06:00

My funny new blog header was created (and installed) by lesliereid didn't she do a great and goofy job?!

I have never been Simpson-like, so this will be fun! I am just glad she didn't create me with tall blue hair. :o)

Thanks Leslie!! You are a peach! (and I like peaches)

Aren't All Women Puzzles?

2008-11-14T00:27:00.002-06:00

Create your own Rubik's Cube

I could never solve a Rubik's Cube......so if you can't beat 'em, join em!!

List of Important Information

2008-11-12T23:38:00.002-06:00

Foods I Didn't Try Until I Was an Adult

I am sure you have been waiting for this .......ha!

1. Jelly beans (Jelly Bellies)

2. Asparagus

3. Turnips ( I only like my MIL's....cooked with a bit of sugar)

4. Cornbread....JIFFY CORNBREAD

5. Bread and Butter Pickles

6. Maltomeal

7. Tortellini

8. Ravioli

9. Alfredo sauce

10. Hawaiian Pizza

11. Guacamole

12. Heinz 57

13. Coffee

14. Cappaccino

15. Cottage Cheese

16. Pepper Jelly

17. Crab Legs

18. Pesto

19. Hot Tamales (the candy)

20. Beets

21. Chinese Food

22. Thai Food

(My mom was a picky eater.......can you tell?? Picky eater=Picky cook!!)

Uncle Fro

2008-11-08T09:02:00.001-06:00

I forgot to post a picture of Uncle Fro....er I mean Uncle Joe's Falloween Get-up.

*snicker* :o)

Sundies and What Not

2008-11-06T22:28:00.002-06:00

Hi Folks! It's me, AJ.......

Look at these funny mannequins we found at Sam & Ella's

Uncle Joe you have some 'splainin to do. Why did I come home from work and find a lipstick kiss on your face? ;o)

My friend's hands are filled with music. Her fingers dance on the keys and fill my ears with joy.

Sundies??

We had a sundie...no wait, a sundae on Sunday on our way home from camping.

Strange Things in the Ditch

2008-11-06T22:24:00.003-06:00

I am sure there is a logical and reasonable explanation for this.......

God, please let the person who lost their wheelchair in our ditch find it soon. Amen

I Guess It's Over

2008-11-05T06:44:00.004-06:00

The Fat Lady sang.

I don't like her.

I had hope!!

I was at least glad to see that McCain won our state.

Onward and upward!!! (or at least onward......)

Procrastination Obliteration

2008-11-02T12:44:00.002-06:00

Ladder Golf is fun!!

Wanna learn how to make it and play??

Go here

We first played with some friends from UJ's Class of 78 at a picnic and had such a ball we went right out and made us a set to take camping with us. We won't discuss who won this match. (I was tired and the sun was in my eyes OK??!!) :o)

I found a wooden duck stick on a picnic at Wildwood in September......

CassiJo and Hoghead aka Octagon Man aka Terry
These two love each other and love to torment one another.......

pretty flower arrangement by CassiJo and AlliJo

AlliJo and CassiJo have an impromptu picnic at our house on a beautiful Saturday.......

Falloween Princess

2008-10-30T22:50:00.004-05:00

Updated with photo!! Princess CassiJo sans long white gloves

This Halloween CassiJo decided she wanted to be a princess. She decided this after choosing a lavender satin candy basket at Super Target in Edmond. We searched the local mall for a costume and unless I want my daughter to be a harlot, we will not be selecting a costume from their store. We settled on long white gloves and a crown from Claires, with the understanding I would comb the resale shops the next day for a perfect princess dress.

First stop....not much luck. I found a hunter green bridesmaid dress and that was the only thing that wasn't too long or too revealing. At the low low price of $6 how could I go wrong? I wasn't thrilled with the selection and decided to make one more stop at Twice Is Nice and check thier selection. BINGO!! SCORE!!! I found a tea-length pink chiffon dress that was perfect for our little budding princess. I scored major brownie points with this dress people!! (pictures will follow tomorrow)

I noticed rather quickly that CassiJo's demeanor and personality changes when she is HRH Princess CassiJo. There is apparently some unspoken rules about being a princess:

1. Attire must be long and flowing
2. Crown is required, the more jewels the better
3. Gloves, long and white, preferred but not required
4. Shoes must high heeled and/or sparkley. Bonus if they "snap" when you walk
5. Cupped hand wave must be perfected
6. English accent is required apparently
7. Princesses get to boss everyone around
8. Drinks must be consumed with the pinkie finger pointed up
9. Lips must be pursed
10. Princesses blink in excess
11. Everyone in the room MUST kiss the hand of the princess upon greeting.

This is for your information should you ever visit the Joe Household while we are still in Princess Stealth Mode........

Happy Falloween!

Fall Break

2008-10-16T21:33:00.002-05:00

Today is the first day of Fall Break for the little kiddies across Oklahoma.
CarlyJo spent it with friends doing what girls do best.....talk about boys and paint their piggies. CassiJo and her daddy went to a movie after she spent the night with Nana and Papa. (BTW if any of you would like to invite her over for a sleepover, she would be glad to come. She is feeling a little blue that CarlyJo has so many friends to spend the night with and she really doesn't have many.....)

ME? I was at work. Someone beat me to the punch and took off first. Shoot!!

Here are some things I have learned this week:
1. More football rules and what-not, while watching the OU/Texas game
2. Heated seats are wonderful (we got a new-to-us truck with heated seats)
3. Running in cold weather makes me dizzy
4. 4am is very early to wake up every day. If you need a wake up call at 4am Central time, I am your girl.
5. Never engage a disgruntled doctor as to why drugs are so expensive
6. Never assume things will go off with out a hitch.....something always comes up. Thank goodness for family to help out. Right AndiJo?
7. My beautiful niece and nephew from Japan will be here for a Christmas visit.
8. There is such a thing as a chocolate ovarian cyst. (but it is not filled w/chocolate.)haha
9. Uncle Joe still sneezes really loud
10. Carlyjo talks really fast when she is excited.
11. Cassijo still sings ALL the time. The other night she sang herself to sleep. (and another day we caught her singing to herself in the mirror after her shower...The CassiJo Show!)
12. Only bad mommies forget to pack their baby's swim suit when going on a weekend trip. (Thank Goodness for Super Target!!)
13. Running to music is fun.
14. I was told by one of the providers, after defending a disgruntled and grumpy employee that I "could find something good in a pile of C-R-@-P." I think that was a compliment.
15. I have spent 3 out of 4 lunch hours in Walmart. I spend way too much time in Walmart.

That's all from AuntJo tonight folks!

Happy Fall Y'all!

Things I Learned While Camping

2008-10-05T18:19:00.004-05:00

The Joes, (less CarlyJo who is too cool and waaay to busy to camp with us.....haha) went camping this weekend at Greenleaf State Park. We had a really good time and here are some things that I learned on our 48 hours while there.

1. Don't sit downwind from someone sprinkling red pepper. It burns your eyes.

2. Set up your tent to catch the cross wind, otherwise it will just blow your tent in and scare you in your sleep.

3. Don't serve chili one night then beans the next day. (but do mix the left over chili with the beans!!)

4. Don't try to walk to the farthest bathroom when participating in #3.

5. Bring a small basket to carry your shower paraphenalia.

6. Leave modesty at home when showering in the bathrooms. There really is not privacy. (or shower late and get dressed lightening fast like I did)

7. Be glad that your daughter collapses , exhausted, in her camping bed....put there by her very own self.

8. Bring lots of wood for the camp fire, and don't forget to protect it from rain.

9. Listen to the weather man and believe that a 30% chance of rain is a big enough chance you should put everything up for the night.

10. Invest in an air mattress. Totally wonderful! Beats sleeping on the hard ground and makes snuggling to keep warm much easier....

11. Inspect (and double inspect) the ground for sticky-up items before setting the tent up.

12. The smell of fresh coffee and bacon in the morning beats any alarm clock.

13. Rising with the sun and the birds (sometimes making funny noises) is wonderful.

14. Slow down and enjoy all the quiet.

15. Our universe is a wonderful and marvelous thing.....take a blanket and admire all the stars.

16. In quiet camp areas, voices carry so don't talk about your neighbors or say naughty things.

17. Electricity is overrated.

18. Camping is fun.

French Fry How To's

2008-09-25T22:00:00.004-05:00

I was eating my lunch in a hurry today as I had to run some errands on my lunch break......I was driving down the road eating french fries pondering these questions:

1. When you eat FF's do you eat one at a time or are you a multiple-consumer.

2. If you are a multiple-consumer how do you determine the acceptable number of FF to eat at once?

3. Does the texture of the FF have any bearing on your decision? If I am eating crinkle cut fries, I tend to eat them one at a time but thinner cut fries are consumed at least two at a time.

4. Are you a conscientious selector of fries? Choosing the largest, crispiest or longest fry to eat first or do you just dive in, grabbing and eating?

5. What is your ketchup application technique? Do you dunk one fry at a time or do you pour/drizzle/dump ketchup on all the fries and eat them with a fork?

I am a dunker but have wandered over to the drizzle side of the fence occassionally....it depends on the situation, the availability of the condiment and the number of diners also engaging the condiments. I also like pepper in my ketchup. (Don't say ewww until you try it!)

6. Lastly, who makes the best frenchfries?

Our Baby

2008-09-21T16:40:00.004-05:00

got saved last night. We went to the Community Block Party put on by our church and she gave her heart to Jesus. She was very excited to make her decision public this morning. We will be thrilled to watch her baptism soon....

Heaven is celebrating!! We are too. :o)

A Stellar First

2008-09-20T13:05:00.005-05:00

Last Monday night Uncle Joe and had a "Stellar First". We went to the football track for our nightly exercise and on our first lap around we noticed a lone soul sitting on a bench in front of the stands. In front of this person were two instruments on tripods. We walked closer and closer and the face came into view.....it was my HS Basketball Coach, Coach (Glenda) McClain. She is married to my old MS Science teacher, Mr.(Cleon) McClain. They are both retired, but Mr. McClain came out of retirement to teach his dream subject: Astronomy. He went above and beyond the call of duty to make this class happen for Fort Gibson High School students. He wanted a class of 12 due to the limited amount of equipment he had but the turn out was so great, he has 17 students interested in Astronomy.

We stopped to chat with Glenda because she and UJ have the same heart condition and they compared notes and medications and it did them both good to share a little of their stories....moving on........she invited us to stay and view what the students were about to view: Jupiter and its moons. HOW COOL IS THAT? (of course we took them up on that offer!)

We stayed and listened to Mr.McClain teach a bit and it really took me back. I really enjoyed his classes. He was a great teacher and she was a great coach. Both were encouraging in their own way. He was more dry but funny and she was a positive, upbeat person who you just loved to be around. We all found it very strange they got married, but they have been together for a long time now and seem as happy now as ever. They never had any children, I guess all the students they had were enough. :o)

This is almost the exact view we saw from the huge telescope they had set up.

It was the first time I had ever viewed anything like this and I was so thrilled to finally see something so awesome. Glenda invited us to come back again for the next viewing: Saturn. I hope they don't forget to call.......

I think I know what I want for Christmas.

Stretching My Noodle-making Muscle

2008-09-14T11:11:00.002-05:00

Saturday I finally got up my nerve and tried our pasta maker attachment for our KitchenAid mixer we bought this spring. The mixer came with a "Mixer Bible" and was chock full of recipes. The first pasta recipe is for beginners so I decided to start at the beginning and stretch my noodle muscle with a fairly easy noodle. So what if I messed up? It was only flour, egg and water!

It was much much easier than I thought to make them, and I would do it again.
I have been wanting to make Fettuccini Alfredo so this was the perfect opportunity. Uncle Joe seasoned up the chicken to saute, I made some mushrooms to add and when the combination came together, well let's just let the picture below tell the story.

Mmmmmmmm

UJ liked it and fussed a bit over the tasty plate. I ate that up along with the yummy noodles. :o)

Next I'll work on my tomato noodle muscle

Thank Goodness for the Day After Thursday!

2008-09-12T22:06:00.002-05:00

I'll start by saying I am glad it is Friday and we all get to rest a bit tomorrow. I am a little short on words tonight so I'll just tell a funny story that Joe told me one day this week on our Nocturnal Stroll.

*Disclaimer: This is told in my own words and will not exactly match the story word for word as it was told to me. End Disclaimer*

One night while UJ was visiting Memaw and Pepaw in Heavener (translated: out in the boonies) he decided to take a stroll up to Aunt Dodo's house, about 1/4 mile away. (Approximately)

The night was dark and quiet. So dark he could not see his hand in front of his face. So dark it made your eyes feel strange to be open and not able to visualize anything. So quiet all he could hear were the country insects and the sound of his footsteps walking down the road.

The sounds he heard made him start to wonder what kind of varmits were lurking near by. Pepaw was forever telling a tale about a cougar or some other scary critter up near their house. Joe became a little nervous.....what if one was about to crawl acoss his foot and bite him?

He began to run in the darkness, feeling his way by the feel of the road beneath his feet. The farther he ran the faster he ran until he was at a fever pitch pumping his 20-ish yr old legs as fast as they would carry him. He was wearing Roper boots so he was really clippety cloppety running down the road in the pitch black country night.

When he came to his senses enough to look around he had run PAST Aunt Dodo's driveway and had to back track a bit. When he arrived at the house Aunt Dodo greeted him in true Blevins Sister fashion...."Hi Huh-neeee! What are you doing here so late? Did you hear all that racket on your way? It must have been a horse running down the road." He laughed. "No Aunt Dodo, it was me running down the road." They had a good laugh and I am not sure she believed that the noise she heard was him galloping.....er running down the road.

I have this picture in my mind......a skinny, (handsome) guy with quite a bit more hair, in Wranglers and Ropers running down the road in fast motion....like what you would see on an episode of The Little Rascals.......looking around realizing he missed his turn and running back, trying to get his aunt to believe thta racket really was him running down the road and NOT a horse. I laughed out loud every time I thought about it at work this week. I am still smiling. :o)

Did You See That?

2008-09-05T21:07:00.004-05:00

Did you hear that speech by Sarah Palin?? (Did you see her daughter lick her hand to make the baby's hair lay down? So cute!)

Did you hear that speech by John McCain? Cindy McCain?

Wow.

Yea. What they said..........

I can't wait for November. I have never NEVER been interested in politickin' but this year has piqued my interest. I may not have watched the speeches if Joe hadn't been in charge of the tv remote, but in any case I paid attention and learned a lot and was inspired by the two candidates and their families.

McPalin! McPalin! McPalin! McPalin!

Gusty

2008-09-03T07:15:00.002-05:00

Last night on my nocturnal stroll, I could feel the effects of Hurricane Gustav. He was blowing and throwing rain around a little here in Oklahoma. I just enjoyed the breeze and the cool drizzly rain ....

Pei Wei's Big Adventure

2008-09-01T11:29:00.005-05:00

Saturday Uncle Joe asked me if I had heard of a restaurant called Pei Wei. I had because a drug rep catered it in for us last year. Then yesterday I had a fabulous idea: go try it. I knew exactly where it was, and it was easy to find for us country folk so off we went after CassiJo and I got in from Sunday School.

We bribed the children into staying home so we could have a nice lunch alone with Subway. Gotta love Subway!!

We arrived at PeiWei and were lucky enough to get a parking spot on the front row. :o)

We were greeted just inside the door by a man serving samples of honey seared chicken; a very tasty little tidbit to get our appetites whetted.

If you have never been to Pei Wei here is the proper procedure. (do not vary from this procedure or their may be consequences. All the dear folks in line with us complied with all the protocol so no one was hurt during our dining experience. ) A line is formed from the door to the cash register where your order is placed before you are seated. The menu appears on panels in the line area. You are to review and select your food choices before arriving at the cash register. The cash register is attended by a Soup Nazi. Do not dillydally or lollygag while ordering. You are allowed one question. Answer quickly any question asked of you, pay and get on down the line and wait for your seating assignment. Take your seat and wait for your food. Do not make eye contact.

We were seated right by the fountain drink station. Something that later I appreciated.

I ordered Shrimp Thai Coconut Curry with fried rice. (wish i had gotten white sticky rice, but that guy at the register scared me!) Joe ordered Thai Blazing Noodles with Beef and for our appetizers (we went a little crazy) Lettuce Wraps and Crab Wontons. Our appetizers arrived minutes after we were seated and they were very tasty.

When our entree's arrived we admired them a minute before digging in. Mine was very pretty with all the red peppers and greenbeans and Joe's was very colorful as well with quartered tomatoes and carrots and lots of noodles with a reddish tint. After the first taste he realized the reddish tint was Hell Powder.

Now let me tell you UJ has a tough tongue and a palate for hot and spicy things. ;o) After several bites of these hot noodles UJ wiped his brow and commented how hot they were. I tasted of them and I must have had some noodles off the bottom or some that escaped the Hell Powder because mine were not that hot. Apparently the heat is a cumulative effect because with each bite the heat multiplied exponentially until I saw steam coming from Joe's ears and nose and sweat beading up on his brow. He took several bites of my dish to cool his palate(or jump up to the fountain drinks that we were seated near) and would bravely dig back into his Blazy Beefy Bowl until he had just had enough. He couldn't finish it. I was famished and totally ate every bite of mine save the extra rice. By the time we left both our stomachs were on fire. We were in need of something to cool them down, so after a short trip to Sam's Wholesale Club we stopped at a custard shop called Freckles and UJ chose a Chocolate Alley for us: Chocolate frozen custard with smashed Snickers topped with whipped cream and chocolate chips. Mmmmm very nice coolness for the tummies on fire. :o) I was driving so he fed me and didn't even get any on me. Way to go Joe!

So in conclusion: Pei Wei's is a great place. The prices were very reasonable and the food was tasty. I would love to go again and try my favorite Thai dish: Pad Thai. (I am pretty sure UJ is done with Thai Blazing Noodles too, wouldn't you agree?) We had a nice day out and came home for a rest before our nocturnal walk and the movie Vantage Point.

A very good day was had by the Joe's

Today my laboring efforts were extinguished when the carpet steamer we rented Saturday will not work. Great. Lesson #1...always check to make sure the unit is working BEFORE filling with water. Now I have to move all the furniture back into the living room from the kitchen. Yay. They better give me a really good deal to make up for this.

Have a great day! Take a nap! You deserve it........I think I will.

Walker's Etiquette

2008-08-27T21:27:00.003-05:00

Uncle Joe and I have been walking at night for a long time now. We went through a spell in the winter that we didn't get out much but got started again this spring and have kept it up most nights. We walk after dark so it is cooler for him (and more private for talking. :o)

We recently started walking at the track at our school. This gives us an exact distance and we don't have to worry about the cars . I have been pondering a few things along the line of etiquette and oddities

1. Why does everyone walk the same way?
2. Why is it counter clockwise?
3. Should you move out of the way when you hear someone coming up behind you or do you have the right of way in your lane?
4. Are you obligated to speak and 0r acknowledge someone every time you pass one another?
5. Is it rude to laugh if you hear a rude noise emitting from the derriere of the person in front of you?

This is a great time of the day for us and we relish it and look forward to it every night. It is great exercise for both of us and I am actually looking forward to some cooler days for our nocturnal strollings. Try it.....it's a good thing!:o)