Monthly Archives: October 2011

Friday, March 5, 2010

So, my husband and I had a special date yesterday.  Usually our dates include dinner at the Olive Garden and a movie (when money is tighter, it could be dinner at Subway and a movie at the discount theater).    But, this night, was a special spendier date night be date night, because it meant a trip to Portland (2 hours north of us), and a show featuring Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, and Larry the Cable Guy.  It was also a rare date night in that, after the show, we didn’t have to hurry home to relieve a sitter (our kids were spending the night with a grandparent)!  Gee, what could we do with that “free time”?  Kevin had searched the internet for a new restaurant that we could try and found one called “The Old Wives Tale” (I asked him if “young wives” could still eat there.  He never did comment on that).   The plan was to eat at the new restaurant before the show.  However, due to an accident on the freeway that held up traffic, we were delayed and arrived in time to find a parking space, find some fast food at one of the concession booths and then find our seats.  The show was great, and a lot of fun!

So anyway, this isn’t what the focus of my blog is about.   During various parts of the trip to Portland and then driving around Portland after the show, I saw a few things that brought up a few memories.   My mother was from Portland, and all during my childhood, we made regular trips up there to see my grandparents and my aunt & uncle.  To a kid, these trips were kind of boring, and my grandparents’ house was not the friendliest place to visit.  There are a few pleasant memories about visiting them, but not very many.  But here are a few, that are sort of nostalgic.

This is the view from the freeway.  Just miles of fields and farms, and at this time of year, herds of sheep and new lambs.
This “lovely” place took both of us down memory lane a bit.  All during my childhood, if I wasn’t paying attention to the scenery on a trip to Portland, the smell from this paper mill always told me that we were about half way there.  If I was napping in the car, the smell woke me up.  The mill is now closed and the smell is gone.  It was the first time we passed by with out that smell that says, “you’re in Albany!”.
This place, we came across while driving around Portland.  When I was 4, I stayed with my mother’s parents for a month because my parents were separating and my mother was working on getting a job and an apartment for us.  So, for 1 month, I lived with her parents.   It’s really hard to find many pleasant memories about that time because, well, let’s just say, that my grandma was dealing with a lifetime of disappointments and she wasn’t a happy person, and made sure that we all knew it.  However, one of the few pleasant memories was coming to this shopping center with her and my grandpa and we would go watch people skate at the ice rink.  I hadn’t seen this place in many, many years, and just seeing this sign took me back a bit.
So that was my day yesterday.
We have another trip to Portland coming up soon, in the area of town where my mother grew up, and I’m wondering if there is anything left from my childhood there.  I guess I’ll find out soon enough.  If there is, I will try to post about it.
Lp

I Love………

(originally posted on my old blog on February 14, 2010)

I had noticed earlier this week while reading “The Pioneer Woman’s” blog, that she had made a list of the things she loved, for Valentine’s day.  So I thought I’d do the same (it can’t hurt and it’s something to blog about).
1. Jesus (of course, and if you’ve read my posts in the past and didn’t know I was a Christian, you do now.  Mystery solved).
2.My Husband(who made breakfast this morning, and bought me a latte)
3.My Kids(who bring joy and entertainment and revelations to my life)
4.My family and extended family
5.”Steel Magnolias”
6. Chocolate!
7. Yumm Sauce!
8. My church
9. My Friends
10. “Anne of Green Gables”(I would love to live in Canada in the Fall)
11. Fall and Spring
12. Photography
13. Fettucine Alfredo with Chicken
14.Roses & Tulips
15. Purple, Blue, Red, Black
16. Coffee
17. Date nights (anytime alone with my hubby is great!)
18.  Sci-Fi movies
19.  Funny romantic movies (some of them)
20. Shopping for clothes
21. the beach
22. Road trips!
23. Mint chocolate chip ice cream
24.jewelry
25. family history
26.  sweaters
27. biographies & autobiographies
28. Home decorating magazines
29. being at my grandma’s house
30. parades
31. marching bands
32.. bluegrass music
33. 80’s music
34. steak & potatoes
35. hot showers
I’m sure that there are more that will come to mind after I publish this.
~Lisa

Our Furry Family Members Part 2: Aslan

(originally posted to my old blog on January 22, 2010)

I had intended to post a blog about one of our cats every Thursday, however, with the holidays, I was busy.  So this brief entry is about the second cat we acquired, Aslan.

Soon after we had acquired “Paws”,  my husband decided that he wanted a cat of his own.   So one Saturday afternoon, he checked the classifieds for a kitten.  He found one way out in the country about an hour drive from our house.  The lady who was giving him away had several other kittens and cats and her house smelled like it.  This particular kitten, Kevin chose and since he had been allowed to run around a lot outside, he was kind of wild.    So we brought home this wild kitten, and introduced him to Paws.  As to be expected, there was a lot of hissing between the two.  It lasted for about a week.  While this was going on, we tried to find a name for him.  The choices were narrowed down to “Aslan” and “Maverick”.  Obviously, “Aslan” won.
To this day, he is still a “wildish” cat.  The only time he looks relaxed, is when he’s asleep.    Every waking moment he has the wide eyed, wild expression.    As for being Kevin’s cat, he actually likes and has bonded with Heather more (and Kevin has bonded with Heather’s cat ).

This cat has several nicknames.  “Az”, “Spaz”, “Azzie Wazzie” (to name a few).  However the oddest name was given by our son.  He started calling the cat “Mr. Dodie”.  On my mother’s side of the family, “dodie” was something that you did in the bathroom.  It was what my Scottish grandmother (who didn’t have an accent) called it because it’s what her Scottish mother (who did have an accent) called it, and it’s what we taught our kids to call it (it sounded less crude).   After awhile,  my son just started using the crude name and now calls this poor clean cat, “Mr. Poop”.

A Different Walking Venue

(originally posted on January 5, 2010)
Yesterday, I talked about getting back into the walking routine.  We walked outdoors (because my husband took the car to work yesterday), and I shared the hazard I had walking over a man-hole cover.

So, since I had the car today, I thought we’d go to our local shopping mall to walk.  It’s open very early for walkers to get their exercise in a dry environment, window shop, and then stop for a coffee when they’ve finished.

A better, less hazardous environment for the person trying to walk off their holiday pounds?  You’d think so.  However I discovered that there hazards of another kind that might slow a walker down….

The first thing I saw that made me want to stop was the coffee place.   I love the coffee here just as much as I love Starbucks!  However, I did not stop for a vanilla latte…..with 2% milk…..I was very good!  I kept walking.
Then, a few yards into one wing of the mall, puts us in the food court.  Not too bad altogether because the restaurants haven’t opened yet.   However, there is movement and food preparation in one of them, and it smelled very good……
Oh Yes!  The sweet smells of Cinnabon!  They weren’t open yet, only making the rolls for the breakfast crowd.   Mmmmmm…..
The kids had their “hazards” to slow them down as well.
The first one was….
 
The Sweet Factory……..also closed, but plenty candy within view!
Then toward the end of our walk, we came to the hazard that stopped them in their tracks………..
Build-A-Bear!
As we walked out of the mall, one last delicious smell (of something fried) met us at the door, and this was where it was coming from…..
Need I say more?
 I was good.  I behaved and I didn’t stop at any drive-thru establishments serving food on our way home.
Lp

Back to the Daily Routine

(originally posted on my old blog on January 4, 2010)
Today was the day!  The day that we start using the alarm again on a daily basis.  Kevin went back to work after a week-long vacation.  The kids and I started school again.  I can’t say that anyone was enthusiastic about the return to routine, but, it is what it is.  We can’t sit or lay on the couch forever, watching our favorite shows or spending every available minute on Facebook.

Part of the routine, that I needed to restart, was walking daily.  “Chocolate season” started at the end of October and then “family dinner” season (which has a lot of food, and delicious desserts) added to that, and I stopped walking and it’s noticeable (to me, if not to anyone else).   So, this morning, we put on our warm coats, and set out to walk around our neighborhood…..

So we set off…Heather shivering and wanting to be inside, and Kylin, pointing out every car (make and model) to us.
Kylin brought along his “whip”.  It’s made from the hoses of a toy fire truck, hooked together and taped in place with mailing tape and painter’s tape.  He rarely leaves home without it.   I’m not sure if this is all that common for autistic kids, but it works for him almost like a pacifier works for a baby.
  This cover, meant to keep folks from falling into this square hole, was actually so slick, that I slipped and fell on my knee.  Notice the smirking smile already there for any adult who trips or slips because of it’s presence!
 As we were approaching the end of the street, Kylin pointed to the field across the road (with his whip, which also serves as a pointer) and said, “Mom! That’s rural over there!”
It’s starting to get a bit windy and we’re starting to feel a few rain drops.  Heather is getting a bit cold, and so is her mother.
 Back in the house, where it’s warm.  Time for “book learnin'”.  Normally, I’d have them sitting at the kitchen table, however……
 My table is currently in service as the place to put all of the Christmas decorations before I put them away 🙂

Happy New Year!!!

(originally posted on my old blog on January 1, 2010)

Happy 2010 everyone!

My husband and I were checking our nearby Twitter pages and noticed that alot of folks were talking about where they were 10 years ago.  My husband posted that 10 years ago, he didn’t know how to spell “atheist” and now, he is one (and being the Christian wife of one, could generate a blog site of it’s own.  Tempting, but for now, I have no plans to start one).    For me, 10 years ago, I had two toddlers (3 and 1), now, ten years later, you can do that math on that one.  I also was recovering from a D & C that was the result of a miscarriage.   We were also watching the TV all day to watch the new year happen in the rest of the world.   Mostly because we’d been warned of Y2K and had been strongly encouraged to store water, food and other supplies should our power go out.  I woke up the morning of the 31st, turned on the news and the first thing I heard about was that the power was out in Paris, France.   It wasn’t due to Y2K.  Paris was experiencing a very strong wind storm.  As you all know now, Y2K didn’t happen.  There are the original naysayers that said that it wouldn’t in the first place and they like to laugh at those who were hoarding supplies.   They can laugh all they want.  If anything, the threat of Y2K, did bring about an awareness to the population that it’s a good idea to be prepared with those supplies in case of ANY emergency.

This is the second year that we’ve let the kids stay up with us to ring in the new year.   It’s exciting for them, and yet exhausting for us.  Our son, Kylin, is the type of person who is running on adrenaline every waking moment, even if that moment is at midnight.  When he goes to bed at his regular bedtime, my husband and I are mentally exhausted.  Our son spins, skips, and just stays very active until he falls asleep.  He talks as fast as he moves too (which is probably part of the reason that his sister shuts herself in her room).  He’s the boy who, after being awake for an hour in the morning, has us anxious for his bedtime to arrive.   So letting him stay up late, is a big step for us.

In preparing for this big night, I asked for everyone’s input on what to eat.

~Kevin wanted cheese fondue.  We had this last year and he really liked it.  I used a Swiss cheese sauce this time from the Better Homes & Gardens cookbook.  for the sauce, we had things for dipping such as Potatoes, vegetarian meatballs,  raw veggies (so that we felt we were eating healthy).    He also bought some Kettle chips, and everything one needs to make margaritas (so he won’t need to make a stop at the 7-11 for Slurpees to spike).

~The kids wanted cookies!  Oreos and Nutter Butters!

~and Root Beer! (Yes, I realize that my giving them sugar contributed to my son’s busyness, but it’s New Year’s Eve!)

We started the evening with watching the Blu Ray version of “Star Trek”.   All but Kylin had seen the movie already.  Am I a “Trek Nerd” if I admit that this movie brought some tears to my eyes at some point?   Once the Trek movie was over, we still had time to kill, so our next movie was “Napoleon Dynamite”.   That one is just plain funny!  It took watching it about 3 times to grow on me, but it’s just a fun, goofy movie.  Our last movie of the night was “Paul Blart, Mall Cop”.  Kevin really likes this one.  It was Heather’s first time watching it and I don’t think that she liked it as much as her dad did.  I had forgotten how much swearing was in it too.  More than what my kids are used to hearing anyway.

Kevin finished the night by making Margaritas.  As he was crushing the ice in the blender, Kylin came in and asked what Kevin was making and then saw the blender and yelled “Smoothies!”.  Kevin had to explain that it was a “grown up smoothie”.  I will say that I did try one, and my conclusion is that I prefer regular smoothies, not the kind with the alcohol.

Today, we’re celebrating the new year at home.  Our university’s football team (the Oregon Ducks) is playing in the Rose Bowl today!  Go Ducks!!!!

We’re sort of taking it easy today.  I didn’t have to make lunch (Kevin ordered pizza)!  I say sort of, because I need to finish the laundry and get the kids’ lessons planned for Monday as well as order some curriculum.   I was going to go grocery shopping today, but I changed my mind.  I’ll go tomorrow, when everyone else is.

Lp

December 24, 2009



So, my birthday is over. I made it to 41 with no problem this year. My husband arranged for us to meet my family at a pizza parlor, and then surprised me by inviting my friends too.

So now that my birthday was over, it was time to get a tree. We usually get our tree at a local home improvement store. Our timing was right too because the trees were 50% off and our tree wound up costing $7! When I was little, we lived down the road from a Christmas tree farm and would get our trees from there. After my parents divorced, we didn’t do that anymore. I always liked the tree farm and hope that for at least once, we can give our kids the experience of going to the tree farm and picking out a tree to be cut.

This tree was the first thing that we hauled home in the new van. Now we could have tied it to the luggage rack on the roof, but we didn’t have any twine (and I do realize that we were at a home improvement store that sold it and/or bunjee cords, but we just chose not to buy any) so we put the third seat down in the back and maneuvered the tree in. Unfortunately, for Heather, the tree pinned her seatbelt to the floor when we turned a corner on the way home and nearly strangled her. We did manage though to get the tree and the kids home, safe and sound. We waited a couple of days to put in in the house and decorate because Kevin’s computer desk was still sitting in the corner that we wanted to put the tree in (Kevin’s idea, not mine, just so you know that I didn’t “make” him sacrifice his computer corner). When the tree was finally set up, we decided to decorate it on a night when Kevin’s folks were here. Kevin’s mother (who has Alzheimer’s) used to really enjoy decorating for Christmas. So we thought watching the kids decorate the tree might ignite some kind of spark. She seemed to enjoy it a little. There were some ornaments that we thought she would have loved in the past. There might have been a hint of a spark, but it faded nearly as fast as it came.

Now here we are, at Christmas Eve. So far, today has gone by faster than the days of the past two weeks. I made some fudge for the neighbors and then had the kids deliver those today (Kylin proudly wore his “Santa” hat). After going to the first house and saying “Merry Christmas”, Kylin told Heather, “That was being friendly!”. The kids are anxiously awaiting the morning when they can find out what all of those presents contain. Heather is at the age, where she’s more “ok” with waiting. Kylin is not there, at all. In the past we’ve had something for them to open on Christmas eve, and we do have something. I bought the kids a game (LIFE), but I didn’t wrap it because they were with me when I bought it, so it wouldn’t have been a surprise. So tonight, we’re watching “UP” again (probably the cutest yet saddest PIXAR movie I’ve ever seen), and having the traditional pizza and pie. Then we’ll probably try to play the new game with the kids. Kylin may or may not finish it. We’ll see. He isn’t a real game player (but Heather is). Hopefully the kids will be abl eto get to sleep tonight. We have an early morning, a VERY early morning to rest up for.

Lp

My Birthday Surprise!

(Originally posted on December 11, 2009)


So today sort of begins my birthday weekend. I’ll be 41 on Monday. My husband has been out doing some birthday/Christmas shopping this past week, which had him coming home late from work a couple of times. So tonight, when he came home from work, he asked me if I wanted to start my birthday celebrating tonight. Of course, I’m not going to say “No”. So he handed me a metallic red box. I opened it, and it was full of metallic red confetti, and at the bottom of the box was a single car key. I realized that it was a car key, but just couldn’t fathom that I was getting a car on my birthday! So he took me outside and parked on the street was a 2004 Ford Freestar mini van!

The car we have been driving, a ’94 Oldsmobile for the past two years. In that time, it has slowly had things go wrong with it. As of now, both front power windows no longer have power. The side passenger window for a long time wouldn’t stay down so it’s now held up with duct tape, (but still tends to come down so I have one of the kids hold it in place when I drive over railroad tracks & speed bumps). The radio antennae stopped extending so I couldn’t get the Christian stations on the radio. And the air conditioner stopped working. And by now, the engine hasn’t been sounding too well either, and Kevin hasn’t felt very comfortable with me driving it with the kids to church and back (driving through rural roads to get there). So he, with the help of our neighbor, test drove and picked out a van, with low miles (always a plus). And tonight, I’m back in the mini-van club!

The Cat Chronicles: “Paws II”

(Originally posted on my old blog on December 10, 2009)
Just a note to start this entry. I am really not a cat person. I grew up with dogs (we had some farm cats, but I didn’t care for them because they scratched more than the dogs did). My dad had Dachshunds, so I guess I’m more of a “little dog” person. However, I married a cat person. My husband has always had a cat (and he has plenty of cat stories of his own). Those cat loving genes were passed on to our daughter as well. So for the rest of my life, I will probably have a cat living in my house.

Apparently, according to this picture, all you can really tell about Paws is that he’s totally black and that his eyes were open when the flash went off. We currently have 5 cats in our house, and they each have some interesting personalities, so I thought I’d devote a blog entry for each one.

So, as the title states, this one is about Heather’s cat “Paws”. When Heather was about 6, she started talking about “when I get a kitty, I’m gonna name it Paws”. For three years, we heard about this cat that she was planning on having. She didn’t seem to have any particular kind of cat in mind other than just having one of her own. When she was almost 9, and it was a hot day in July. Heather was coming home from church camp that day. I had gone to the teacher supply store when someone walked in and said that there were some free kittens in front of the grocery store next door. I left the store to check out these kittens, and saw a little orange tabby snoozing amongst the little black fluffy siblings. I made the impulsive decision to take him home (which surprised my husband because impulsively bringing a kitten home is something he would do……and has done). So Heather came home from camp and found this cute kitten in her room, and he was the “Paws” she had waited for. This little guy had a place on her bed to sleep and he even blended in with all of the stuffed animals.

Unfortunately, that little guy didn’t stay with us long. We only had him for a month and he wound up having to be put to sleep. Heather grieved for several days over him. Kevin started to check the newspapers again for free kittens and found an ad for “rubberized” kittens out in the Thurston area of Springfield. So we drove out to see them and see what “rubberized” meant. The lady giving them away demonstrated by holding them in hand, just under their little armpits and sort of dangle them, and swing them a little before cuddling them. They were the most relaxed kittens we’d ever seen. Heather picked out this little black ball of fur with bright blue eyes, and he became “Paws II” (we eventually dropped the “II”). It turned out that he also had a little bit of white fur between two toes, so I guess his name fit.

We brought him home, and discovered that he liked to beg for food (scrambled eggs). He doesn’t do that now. He’s kind of passive. Anytime he sees other cats get into a fight, he likes to go and be a spectator, not a participant. He’s not a mouser, he’d rather play with it, however he is a bird catcher (gross & sad). And I have never seen a cat so proud when he’s being pet, like this one. He acts like he’s the king of the house. He’s also the only cat in the house who may actually figure out how to open the front door to let himself in and out, and it wouldn’t surprise me if, one day, he figures out how to ring the doorbell to let us know that he wants in. He certainly has tried.

Even though he’s Heather’s cat, he seems to have bonded with Kevin more (it’s ok though because Heather has bonded more with Kevin’s cat “Aslan”)

So, that’s the tale about Paws. Not the most exciting or amusing one, just kind of a lazy one.

Lp

Bagel’s “Wordless Wednesday”

(Originally posted on my old blog on December 9, 2009)

Um, yeah……….Well so much for “Wordless Wednesday”. I need to say a few words about this cat. I’d like to know what Oscar does that is so tiring that he needs to sleep all day………..on my bed. I know for certain, that he wasn’t spending hours wrapping these presents to tire him out.