If I post a picture of "Seth Clearwater" (BooBoo Stewart) eating ice cream at Farrell's in Santa Clara, California, will that help?
Saturday, November 07, 2009
Reverend Mother, I Have Sinned...
Forgive me.
If I post a picture of "Seth Clearwater" (BooBoo Stewart) eating ice cream at Farrell's in Santa Clara, California, will that help?
If I post a picture of "Seth Clearwater" (BooBoo Stewart) eating ice cream at Farrell's in Santa Clara, California, will that help?
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
"My Lips Hurt Real Bad!"
I don't know who in the Brinatty household has made off with my what-seemed-like-a-lifetime supply of Carmex, but my kissy appendages are hating life right now. I was out in the sun today (SUN! In NOVEMBER! HERE!) without anything on my lips, and now, ouch.
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
OK, I feel better now.
I messed around in the garden today. I ordered a buttload of spring flowering bulbs from Breck's, THE bulb catalog of choice, and as luck would have it, they actually showed up wanting to be planted, or refrigerated. (I hope they don't mind smelling like chicken salad after spending the last week in my fridge. Actually, what do they care? They're going to smell like dirt soon. And they're bulbs. Do they actually have an opinion? And if they do, do we really care what it is?)
At any rate, my irises (irisi?) and snowdrift (snowdrifti?) are now planted and smell like dirt. Only 75,000 more bulbs to go.
I also moved some rose bushes today. It was my first time doing so, and I hope they survive it. Almost all my roses are climbers, but the people who planted them failed to either notice this, or give a crap that these poor roses would have nothing to climb on. I took pity on them today. Those roses grow some serious roots, man.
In other news, Miss Nikko gave several FB pals the awesome idea of roasting dead jack-o-lanterns in the oven and making goodies with the "pumpkin junk." My kitchen is all pumpkin-smelly right now and I must say, it's quite the yum. Also, cake mixes are on sale at Safeway - buy two, get THREE FREE (works out to 80 cents a mix - not a bad deal).
Aside from my ouchy lips, things worked out well today. Hope your day was equally fantabulous.
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
OK, I feel better now.
I messed around in the garden today. I ordered a buttload of spring flowering bulbs from Breck's, THE bulb catalog of choice, and as luck would have it, they actually showed up wanting to be planted, or refrigerated. (I hope they don't mind smelling like chicken salad after spending the last week in my fridge. Actually, what do they care? They're going to smell like dirt soon. And they're bulbs. Do they actually have an opinion? And if they do, do we really care what it is?)
At any rate, my irises (irisi?) and snowdrift (snowdrifti?) are now planted and smell like dirt. Only 75,000 more bulbs to go.
I also moved some rose bushes today. It was my first time doing so, and I hope they survive it. Almost all my roses are climbers, but the people who planted them failed to either notice this, or give a crap that these poor roses would have nothing to climb on. I took pity on them today. Those roses grow some serious roots, man.
In other news, Miss Nikko gave several FB pals the awesome idea of roasting dead jack-o-lanterns in the oven and making goodies with the "pumpkin junk." My kitchen is all pumpkin-smelly right now and I must say, it's quite the yum. Also, cake mixes are on sale at Safeway - buy two, get THREE FREE (works out to 80 cents a mix - not a bad deal).
Aside from my ouchy lips, things worked out well today. Hope your day was equally fantabulous.
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
It's the Holiday Season...
... and while Bunny flatly refuses to listen to one note of Christmas music before Thanksgiving Day, I'm in the mood to be festive. I'm not quite ready to get into the Christmas stuff yet, though. Fall is still in full swing. So, what to do?
Check out these beautiful, naturey, Thanksgiving decorating ideas. I love subscribing to Better Homes & Gardens' "100 Days of the Holidays" e-newsletters. They start coming in September, I believe, and go through January, and are full of fun ways to celebrate the holidays: recipes, costumes, decorating, new traditions, and more. This idea is particularly clever, and if you love autumn wreaths, don't miss this.
I'm going to enjoy these last few weeks of "before Christmas" and hope you will too.
Check out these beautiful, naturey, Thanksgiving decorating ideas. I love subscribing to Better Homes & Gardens' "100 Days of the Holidays" e-newsletters. They start coming in September, I believe, and go through January, and are full of fun ways to celebrate the holidays: recipes, costumes, decorating, new traditions, and more. This idea is particularly clever, and if you love autumn wreaths, don't miss this.
I'm going to enjoy these last few weeks of "before Christmas" and hope you will too.
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Suffer the Little Children
I have an LDS friend whose son is dating a nonmember girl from his high school. She's sixteen years old and a sophomore.
She's also a birth mother.
She spent most of her freshman year pregnant, gave birth to a baby boy this past summer, and participated in an open adoption. She moved to a new town, started school and went on with her life.
I admire this young girl's choice. Abortion would have been the easy option - to not have to go through the discomfort, inconvenience, and physical changes of pregnancy, along with the horrendous humiliation of having everyone in school know what she did (not to mention, being the object lesson of every sex education class at her old school). But she was brave and did what her heart told her was the right thing to do.
At this tender age - she turned sixteen this month - she has stretch marks and several pounds of baby weight still to lose. She knows what it's like to have given birth - and then to see the baby that she sacrificed so much for go home with someone else. She's already done one of the hardest things a human being could ever do.
Of her choice to allow her child to be adopted, she recently told my friend, "I have no regrets."
Now she's this young man's girlfriend. My friend is understandably concerned, particularly about the morality issue. This girl has "messed up" once - how easy would it be for her to make another mistake, and this time take my friend's son with her? But mostly, my friend feels love for this sweet girl, and chooses to look on her son's choice as an indication of his kind and noble heart.
Your thoughts, please.
She's also a birth mother.
She spent most of her freshman year pregnant, gave birth to a baby boy this past summer, and participated in an open adoption. She moved to a new town, started school and went on with her life.
I admire this young girl's choice. Abortion would have been the easy option - to not have to go through the discomfort, inconvenience, and physical changes of pregnancy, along with the horrendous humiliation of having everyone in school know what she did (not to mention, being the object lesson of every sex education class at her old school). But she was brave and did what her heart told her was the right thing to do.
At this tender age - she turned sixteen this month - she has stretch marks and several pounds of baby weight still to lose. She knows what it's like to have given birth - and then to see the baby that she sacrificed so much for go home with someone else. She's already done one of the hardest things a human being could ever do.
Of her choice to allow her child to be adopted, she recently told my friend, "I have no regrets."
Now she's this young man's girlfriend. My friend is understandably concerned, particularly about the morality issue. This girl has "messed up" once - how easy would it be for her to make another mistake, and this time take my friend's son with her? But mostly, my friend feels love for this sweet girl, and chooses to look on her son's choice as an indication of his kind and noble heart.
Your thoughts, please.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
A pig that goes bananas? What is this, a luau?
Yes, I did just quote a Mel Brooks line from The Muppet Movie. That's your moment of obscure pop culture for today. Want more? I can sing "Never Before, Never Again" - or, if you're in more of a holiday mood (with or without the mistletoe), I can sing...
...uh, actually I can't remember any song lyrics from A Muppet Christmas Carol. Sorry. I know you were looking forward to it.
Life's mostly good here. After tomorrow night, soccer practices will be drastically reduced from four kids' weekly or twice-weekly practices to just one kid's. That's a huge chunk of time change we'll be saving. The leaves are falling and gorgeous, it's rainy and dark quite often, and life will be calming down just a little before the holidays start. I'm ready for it.
What's going on with you?
P.S. I am in love with this site!
...uh, actually I can't remember any song lyrics from A Muppet Christmas Carol. Sorry. I know you were looking forward to it.
Life's mostly good here. After tomorrow night, soccer practices will be drastically reduced from four kids' weekly or twice-weekly practices to just one kid's. That's a huge chunk of time change we'll be saving. The leaves are falling and gorgeous, it's rainy and dark quite often, and life will be calming down just a little before the holidays start. I'm ready for it.
What's going on with you?
P.S. I am in love with this site!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Consider Yourself
... hugged
... high-fived
... fist-bumped
... loved
There's nothing better than good faithful friends. Thanks. :)
... high-fived
... fist-bumped
... loved
There's nothing better than good faithful friends. Thanks. :)
Friday, October 23, 2009
Ree-hee-hee-HEEEALLY.
(Dave, my apologies in advance.)
We Americans can be quite hung up on how long we breastfeed our children. Yes, that's stating the obvious, but I don't think I can convey this any more purely or decisively... Really. Comparatively, we don't breastfeed our children for very long.
Tales of Mongolian Breastfeeders - long, but eye-poppingly interesting. (wink) A quote: "While we've all tasted our own breastmilk, given some to our partners to try, maybe used a bit in the coffee in an emergency - haven't we? - I don't think many of us have actually drunk it very often."
Yeah, try NEVER. But there's that great, sitting-around-at-the-baby-shower-swapping-nursing-stories story of a nursing mom who runs out of cow milk while making brownies for a party, and it hits her that she has her own expressed milk in the fridge....
We Americans can be quite hung up on how long we breastfeed our children. Yes, that's stating the obvious, but I don't think I can convey this any more purely or decisively... Really. Comparatively, we don't breastfeed our children for very long.
Tales of Mongolian Breastfeeders - long, but eye-poppingly interesting. (wink) A quote: "While we've all tasted our own breastmilk, given some to our partners to try, maybe used a bit in the coffee in an emergency - haven't we? - I don't think many of us have actually drunk it very often."
Yeah, try NEVER. But there's that great, sitting-around-at-the-baby-shower-swapping-nursing-stories story of a nursing mom who runs out of cow milk while making brownies for a party, and it hits her that she has her own expressed milk in the fridge....
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Whenever I Call You "Sleazy High School Choir Teacher"
I find this idea amazing: Take a 300-member choir of hormonally-charged teenagers, male and female, and give them the song Whenever I Call You "Friend" as part of their repertoire; have them practice daily for the next two months.
What a fun trick to play on their parents, who will unwittingly show up at a high school concert one fateful evening, expecting to hear Gregorian chant, Petula Clark's "Downtown" and charming renditions of show tunes, only to hear their darlings shouting from the rooftops:
"I KNOW FOREVER WE'LL BE DOING IT! DOING IT! DOING IT!"
This is, sadly, a true story.
Of course, there are other songs that really shouldn't ever be sung by high school choirs... I'll leave you to imagine what they might be.
What a fun trick to play on their parents, who will unwittingly show up at a high school concert one fateful evening, expecting to hear Gregorian chant, Petula Clark's "Downtown" and charming renditions of show tunes, only to hear their darlings shouting from the rooftops:
"I KNOW FOREVER WE'LL BE DOING IT! DOING IT! DOING IT!"
This is, sadly, a true story.
Of course, there are other songs that really shouldn't ever be sung by high school choirs... I'll leave you to imagine what they might be.
I Have a Thing for Carrot Jello
It's a song. Here we go:
Happy, happy birthday, Carrot dear,
Happy days will come to you all year!
If I had a wish, then it would be
A happy, happy birthday to you from me!
Lots of love to you on your special day!
The Birthday Girl needs your wishes.
Also: If you're like me and could use more energy, you might try this. I share because I love.
Happy, happy birthday, Carrot dear,
Happy days will come to you all year!
If I had a wish, then it would be
A happy, happy birthday to you from me!
Lots of love to you on your special day!
The Birthday Girl needs your wishes.
Also: If you're like me and could use more energy, you might try this. I share because I love.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Forty Years of Naughtiness
My sweet man is forty today. I have now spent eighteen birthdays with him and he's still as mischievous as he was when he turned twenty-two.
He's staying home from work today, and we're going out to lunch and then going shopping. For his birthday, my mom and stepdad gave him Target gift cards. He's excited to spend them, but on what? We don't shop at Target much. Here's our conversation before getting up this morning:
Me: "What are you going to spend them on?"
Him: "I don't really know."
Me: "Maybe you could get a nice tool or something."
Him: "Maybe we should get some blow-up dolls."
Me: "Yes... inflate-a-dates!"
Him: "His and hers."
Me: "But what would mine do for me?"
Him: "He would point you in my direction."
Happy Birthday, you naughty silly man.
He's staying home from work today, and we're going out to lunch and then going shopping. For his birthday, my mom and stepdad gave him Target gift cards. He's excited to spend them, but on what? We don't shop at Target much. Here's our conversation before getting up this morning:
Me: "What are you going to spend them on?"
Him: "I don't really know."
Me: "Maybe you could get a nice tool or something."
Him: "Maybe we should get some blow-up dolls."
Me: "Yes... inflate-a-dates!"
Him: "His and hers."
Me: "But what would mine do for me?"
Him: "He would point you in my direction."
Happy Birthday, you naughty silly man.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
C is for Cooking
If you're like me, the colder autumn weather has you in the mood to cook... yap yap yap. Just click on the links.
From Candace (of Candace fame)'s recipe blog:
Crunchy Oat Cereal - make your own cold cereal! I am in awe.
Breakfast Cranachan - make something ELSE with your own cold cereal! I am in awe. Again.
Also: Sariah's recipe blog that I also post on, sometimes (it's been a while)
And: Mormons Going Veggie, which still rocks my socks. Yeah.
And:
Just added: Dalene's post makes me sigh with bliss and delight. I love to read about sweet people doing things they love.
From Candace (of Candace fame)'s recipe blog:
Crunchy Oat Cereal - make your own cold cereal! I am in awe.
Breakfast Cranachan - make something ELSE with your own cold cereal! I am in awe. Again.
Also: Sariah's recipe blog that I also post on, sometimes (it's been a while)
And: Mormons Going Veggie, which still rocks my socks. Yeah.
And:
Just added: Dalene's post makes me sigh with bliss and delight. I love to read about sweet people doing things they love.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Rock Music From Your Ancestors' Perspective
(Yes, I know. Weird.)
This morning, as I was driving home from Bri's bus stop, listening to sweet little Paula Abdul's sprightly chirping of "Forever Your Girl," I, being an 80s teen, sang right along, feeling happy.
Then the thought - "I wonder what Hattie thinks of this song" - came from completely out of nowhere.
If, as Joseph Smith taught, our ancestors (like my great-great grandmother Hattie) are not far from us and know our thoughts and feelings, they are probably also privy to what we're listening to, reading, watching, and experiencing via some kind of media.
(Hmmm, I wonder how sick mine are of Twilight.)
This is quite a deep topic. I know! It's only Monday! But it got me thinking - what kind of popular music is ancestor-appropriate? Not so much the music, since styles come and go, but as far as lyrics go, is our music as ancestorically-pleasing as it could be? Let's take a listen to the song in question:
He could promise the moon
And the stars above
Even if he promised me the world
Just remember I'm forever your girl
Awwww. So sweet, and the imagery is timeless - there's no "I'll love you until my iPod stops shuffling" or other similes that would make no sense to someone born in 1694. Probably the only complaints my ancestors would have are that elsewhere in the song, the grammar is terrible (some of my people were school teachers) and that it's repetitive (my grandfather's big hangup with rock music - but he grew up playing Jimmy Dorsey and Glenn Miller, so... you know).
Let's play around with this concept by comparing these lyrics with another 80s favorite, "Animal" by Def Leppard. As wonderful and awesome and rockin' and cool as I always thought Def Leppard was with their one-armed drummer, I have a feeling my ancestors may have blushed (if spirits can blush) when they heard me shouting along with the following:
I gotta feel it in my blood, Whoa-oh
I need your touch don't need your love, Whoa-oh
And I want, and I need, and I lust, Animal
And I want, and I need, and I lust, Animal
Well. (ahem)
I really didn't mean to get preachy this morning - this was supposed to be a lighthearted look at what your pretty-much-unfiltered mind shouts at your bodily-challenged family members - but, uh, I think I'll be a little more aware of what my ancestors have to listen to from now on.
Also, hats off to whoever wrote the lyrics of "Forever Your Girl" - all I can say is "Way to go." My ancestors approve (I think - I'm not about to hold a seance and find out).
P.S. PLEASE play Mad Libs with us this week! It's gonna be a good one! We miss you! (You know who you are)
This morning, as I was driving home from Bri's bus stop, listening to sweet little Paula Abdul's sprightly chirping of "Forever Your Girl," I, being an 80s teen, sang right along, feeling happy.
Then the thought - "I wonder what Hattie thinks of this song" - came from completely out of nowhere.
If, as Joseph Smith taught, our ancestors (like my great-great grandmother Hattie) are not far from us and know our thoughts and feelings, they are probably also privy to what we're listening to, reading, watching, and experiencing via some kind of media.
(Hmmm, I wonder how sick mine are of Twilight.)
This is quite a deep topic. I know! It's only Monday! But it got me thinking - what kind of popular music is ancestor-appropriate? Not so much the music, since styles come and go, but as far as lyrics go, is our music as ancestorically-pleasing as it could be? Let's take a listen to the song in question:
He could promise the moon
And the stars above
Even if he promised me the world
Just remember I'm forever your girl
Awwww. So sweet, and the imagery is timeless - there's no "I'll love you until my iPod stops shuffling" or other similes that would make no sense to someone born in 1694. Probably the only complaints my ancestors would have are that elsewhere in the song, the grammar is terrible (some of my people were school teachers) and that it's repetitive (my grandfather's big hangup with rock music - but he grew up playing Jimmy Dorsey and Glenn Miller, so... you know).
Let's play around with this concept by comparing these lyrics with another 80s favorite, "Animal" by Def Leppard. As wonderful and awesome and rockin' and cool as I always thought Def Leppard was with their one-armed drummer, I have a feeling my ancestors may have blushed (if spirits can blush) when they heard me shouting along with the following:
I gotta feel it in my blood, Whoa-oh
I need your touch don't need your love, Whoa-oh
And I want, and I need, and I lust, Animal
And I want, and I need, and I lust, Animal
Well. (ahem)
I really didn't mean to get preachy this morning - this was supposed to be a lighthearted look at what your pretty-much-unfiltered mind shouts at your bodily-challenged family members - but, uh, I think I'll be a little more aware of what my ancestors have to listen to from now on.
Also, hats off to whoever wrote the lyrics of "Forever Your Girl" - all I can say is "Way to go." My ancestors approve (I think - I'm not about to hold a seance and find out).
P.S. PLEASE play Mad Libs with us this week! It's gonna be a good one! We miss you! (You know who you are)
Sunday, October 11, 2009
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