Walker's Etiquette

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)

Beautiful Bargain: Bitty Baby Bananas

Cassidy and I went shopping yesterday at Homeland. Look at the cute little bananas she found! Aren't they cute!? They are very tasty and more intense than a full sized version. Bigger does not always mean better in the banana flavor department. :o) haha They are the perfect size for the children's lunches or a small snackie before bedtime. Mmmmmm Enjoy!

First Day of School and Other Stuff

CarlyJo Eighth Grader Extraordinaire
CassiJo Third Grade Brainiac
A super supper plate!

Uncle Joe made the meat:Marinated Pork Tenderloin with mushrooms, onions and garlic. (marinated in syrup, balsamic vinegar and garlic) I made the Garlic Smashed Potatoes (used Yukon Gold.....try them. They are so yummy!) and Broccoli Salad. We had the B-Salad when we went to OKC to lesliereids house. When I served this to my family on this night they all said, "We liked it better at lesliereid's house." That is funny because *I* made it at lesliereid's house! So the old saying is true? Location! Location! Location! I was the only one who ate much of it. I refused to throw it out, so every night I ate a few bites and ate the last bite yesterday for a snack. It is very tasty! It has broccoli, raisins, sunflower seeds, onions and bacon with a tasty dressing If you are are a broccoli lover this is the salad for you! I'll be posting the recipe on the "Everyday Gourmet" link later.

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In other news: I need a day off. Another staff member has given notice and will be leaving the first of September. This was a shock to me and I am very sad as this person is my favorite! She is my 9-5 Mother! She has been with the clinic for 20+years and she will be missed. We have begun training on the front desk receptionist, Jennifer, and that is working out nicely. Jennifer is a friend from our old church in Muskogee, and in a surprise move she and her family joined our local church! I am very excited about getting to know her and her family. (they even have a daughter CassiJo's age....that is extra great!)

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In other other news: Uncle Joe reports that he can feel his brain function returning to normal now that the children are back at school during the day. :o)

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Something funny: Yesterday I made some homemade chicken noodle soup for lunch. Cassidy didn't want any and was asking to eat a sandwich in the living room. Uncle Joe did not understand that she was eating a sandwich.

"Daddy, can I eat my lunch and watch tv?"

Uncle Joe's reply, "No you can't. You spill things and don't clean it up." (thinking she was going to be eating soup)

"Well I am eating a sandwich.....am I gonna spill that??"

Needless to say she didn't get to eat in the living room after that remark.

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This is really getting to be a long post. I sure didn't think I had this many words in me today. I have a headache and want to go back to bed. UJ massaged my neck and it feels better, but I still feel some sleepy in me.

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I have another "first": I am reading a Larry McMurtrey novel, Dead Man's Walk. I have never read anything by this author and I am pleased to report I am enjoying it. It is the story of the characters of Lonesome Dove, Gus and Call's beginning. This is a recommendation from Uncle Joe. He checked the book out and was about to return it unread when he saw me searching for a new book to read. "Here try this." he said........so I am.

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I wonder how much longer I can make this post so it is as annoying as possible?haha!!

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We didn't go to church today and it is 11:14am and I am still in my pj's. I should go get dressed. Right after I snooze a little more.

AJ over and outta here......

The Prequel

As you can see by the date of the picture above, we travelled to Sam & Ellas with friends a long time ago. This is Hoghead aka Octagon Man aka Terry on one of our many trips to Sam & Ella's for some pizza that's the bomb!! When we go with Terry and Sharon we always get cheezy bread, a big salad (and Terry always gives me his red peppers) and a large Rock Island Red pizza. Needless to say we leave stuffed....but not too stuffed, because sometimes we stop off at Braum's for a dip of ice cream. :o)

Terry and Cassidy have a great relationship. They annoy one another to high Heaven and love every minute of it. When we go to S&E, I usually drive. (I dont' know why) Sharon sits in the front with me leaving Terry and Joe to pester Cassidy all the way to Tahlequah. All 16 miles......her hollering and Terry whooping. It is a long 16 miles I tell ya. (but SO fun!) *Funny thing, Carly has never been with us! She is usually at a friends house.

We are looking forward to the next visit and trip to Sam & Ella's. We need to get a picture of us all in the chicken coop too.

15 Years

Today I have been married to my best friend and love, Uncle Joe aka Kenny for 15 years. They have been good years (with a mix of trials and tests) and we have learned a lot about life, love, each other and ourselves, and what it means to say "I do" in the face of adversity and trials

~I still do~

Kendall I love you more today than the day I married you. You are a light in my day and I love sharing air with you. I hope we share many more happy years together.

Love,

Suzy

A Happy First

lesliereid (and her daughter Cambryn) came to visit this weekend and any body who comes to the Joe's HAS to go to Sam & Ella's in Tahlequah for the best pizza ever! It is a tradition for our group to try to be seated in the Chicken Coop. It is the best seat in the house and gives great echos while we whoop and holler. :o) This was their first visit to S&E and now they know we are not lying when we sing the praises of Rock Island Red Pizza. Next on the "to do" list, the Dominquer: A pizza with chicken, bacon, ranch and fresh tomatoes.

You will notice that lesliereid has a hold of Carlyjo's hands. Tha is so Carlyjo will not hide her pretty face. :o) Thanks Les!

A Sad First

Our baby daughter got a nasty cut on the bottom of her foot Saturday. She was trying to help Dad out and get two large jars of pickles out of the fridge and dropped one. She stepped down and got a very nasty cut. The nasty cut gushed blood galore. The Daddy was trapped barefoot on the floor full of glass too. The Momma came when the cry went out. It was evident that she needed stitches so off we went.

Let me tell you how tough our baby is: She cried when she cut her foot, then again when she was nervous about getting stitches but didn't cry when the doctor numbed her foot. She was so brave!! She "blew the pain away" just like Momma said and breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth. She didn't cry and was so TOTALLY AWESOME!! She even had to endure the shots a second time when some of the numbing effect wore off while we waited on a radiologist to read her x-rays (to make sure there wasn't a glass fragment in the cut)

She got 4 stitches and has let them slow her down very little. She takes care of it, keeping it bandaged up and clean. We just hope she does ok at school this week. They start Thursday and she will have to go several days with a house shoe on. :o)

That was excitement in the Joe house that I don't want again any time soon!

Crazy Eights

My favorite number is 8

Today is my favorite number day.

08-08-08

Sharp Mail and Found Daddies

We got an interesting package in the mail last week. I am just now getting around to posting about it.

These items came in the mail from Seekers home in Illinois. Let me explain the contents: The knife at the bottom is one we bought in Rock Falls when we had a supper of pastrami (?) and crackers in the hotel. We couldn't take it with us on the plane home so we left it with Seeker. The pedometer is for our nightly walks so we can keep up with our torture....er I mean exercise. The dolls are from the playhouse that our girls were playing with while Seeker, PR, Uncle Joe and I visited in the living room. We hardly heard a peep out of the girs the whole time other than, "MOM WHY DID YOU SELL *OUR* DOLLHOUSE IN THE GARAGE SALE!!?"
Seeker sent this Mommy and Daddy to the girls to play with at home.

This is the Daddy and the Mommy. I am not sure what their names are. Maybe Martin and Megan Masters, or Will and Jill Mills. It may be Rufus and Rita Ritter. Do you have a name for them?

There is a funny story that we tell whenever we see "The Daddy" from this play set. Let me set the stage: The Joe Family, UJ, AJ and Carlyjo (Cassijo has not been born yet) are on our way to Fort Gibson to church one Sunday morning. We were running late as usual.

Carly, sitting in her car seat in the back seat says, "Mommy I want the Daddy." I knew she had the Daddy in the car the day before so I started looking around for him. I looked in the floorboards front and back. Got out of my seat and stood on my head while Joe drove down the road to find the Daddy. I kept insisting that I didn't have the Daddy. She kept insisting that I did!

Carly "Mom you have the Daddy!"

Me: "Carly I DON'T have the Daddy!"

Carly" Mommy you have the Daddy!"

Me: Carly I don't have the Daddy! I never had the Daddy!"

Carly: " Mom look under your seat"

Me: " I have!! I. DON'T. HAVE. THE. DADDY! I. NEVER.HAD.THE DADDY!"

I think at this point Joe is about ready to pull the car over and run for his life. He asked me to look one more time and feel under the seat. If my memory serves me correctly he even suggested that his daughter was right and I should just check again....as she was only a little door* and he knew that she knew that i had the Daddy. (*she couldn't say girl so she said door)

Me: Feeling far under the seat......."Oh look. It's the Daddy."

he was wedged under the seat after all

Carly: "See Mommy you did have the Daddy!"

So now whenever Carly and I are "strongly discussing" an issue in Joe's presense he always (did you hear me folks?ALWAYS) says,

"Now AJ......who has the Daddy?"

They have never let me live that one down.

Thanks for making us smile Seeker!!

Updated Pix Post

If you ever go to Mr. Chicken in Wagoner, OK I recommend the fish platter. Mmmm I like surf.
Uncle Joe likes turf. He tried the chicken platter.

Well, actually we shared. :o)

The famous "puff"

I was sad when I found out they weren't Indian Fry Bread puffs, but fried biscuits from a can! Oh well....they were still yummy for the tummy and you will find all the puffs you eat stay with you for a long time. Just take a look behind you and you'll find them on your bootie. Haha!!
This what the table looks like after dinner with the Joes. All plates are neatly stacked. One of us is a compulsive stacker. I wonder which one??

On our way home, on the scenic route we were stopped by a train. We were entertained by all the graffitti on the train cars....I can't believe I actually caught this car on film, and that someone actually wrote it.