Let's Make a Deal

Ok, so I really, really, really want to make and eat these:

Click on photo for recipe.

I have all of the ingredients. Even the ricotta (but it's low fat) in my fridge. My berries are ripe on the vine outside my kitchen right now. Lots of them. BUT, I'm packing up my kitchen and DO NOT want to roll out cookies right now. So, friends...if you're out there, and would be willing to take the ingredients to your house and make the cookie part, I will slice the berries and bring over the ricotta. I'm paying for the whole thing...I just need your time and space. Please?

Sad News

Tuesday night was almost wonderful. Almost.
We'd gone to dinner with some great friends, and then had plans to have friends over to hang out afterward. It was going to be a peaceful, warm evening with great food and conversation. I love nights like that. Not only was I robbed of my great evening--I was robbed.

Stephen and I hurried home from dinner to make sure we got there before anyone else. As we walked into the front door, our joy quickly fell as we saw what we thought was the oven door having exploded. I quickly racked my brain to think if I'd left anything in the oven, but as we moved forward we saw that the kitchen window had been shattered with a large rock, which had continued on and shattered our oven door, and chipped our floor. Oh, and the back door was bashed in, but we didn't notice that until today.

The tally of missing things has surpassed our deductible (which was high, but I don't want to post that here), so we will still be making a claim. Especially for the fixing of all the glass, tile and cracked wood that is around us.

Our bedroom was turned upside down. It was sickening. What made me really mad is that I'd just cleaned it. Clothes that I'd just put away before going to dinner were back in the basket, unfolded, as the person dug through the drawers. Thinking of it makes me ill, but I'm glad that we weren't home. At first, I'd wished I'd been home--thinking that it would have deterred them. But our neighbors were hit, too, and one of them was home. The theives still made off with her wallet and keys.

So, that's our update. I have nothing witty to add

I Wonder...

So, in light of recent events (we were burglarized, for those that don't know, I suppose I should write about that, since this is supposed to be a blog that I will print someday...), I'm trying to find good things to think about. As I was thinking of all of my blessings, a conversation between Zachary and my friend Lindsay came to mind. I have to share it, because if it makes me laugh, I'm sure it'll at least make you smile.


Linds: So, Zac, what did you name your fish?
Zac: Wonder.
L: Nice name, why did you choose that?
Z: Because he always WONDERS when his next meal will be.
L: (Laughing--thinking Z was kidding), that's really funny, Zac.
Z: (Straight faced, totally serious) Not to him.



Zac's been kind of witty lately. The other day I took the kids on a walk. Payge's shoes were on the wrong feet, so I said, "Ya'll need to switch your feet!" Then Zac crosses his legs while walking, and says, "I did it. Wow, this is a hard way to walk Mom!" His dad high-fived him for that one.

I HAD to post this.

Some background. We are moving--if you didn't know. We are moving to beautiful North Carolina. We used to live in Utah. We currently live in Indiana--which should be obvious from all of our prior posts. Ironically, it turns out that author Orson Scott Card used to live in the very area we are currently--he was even in the ward we are in. He used to live in Utah, he now lives in North Carolina--and yeah, we read his books. Stephen more-so than me.

Anyhow, above said author wrote a wonderful post on his blog comparing Utah to North Carolina, and we just HAVE to share it. It seemed too fitting not to.

http://www.hatrack.com/osc/reviews/everything/2002-07-15.shtml

Here's an exerpt--be sure to go to his blog and read the whole thing!

Utah -- streets laid out in grid pattern, numbered so that address tells you exact location, though it's still anyone's guess which roads will actually get you there.

North Carolina -- streets laid out by drunken farmers following lost cows in the 18^th century.

North Carolina -- Major roads all named for some church so they sound "historical"; minor streets named for ex-girlfriends of developers or by random combinations of "lake," "field," "view," and names of trees. State law that no road can go for more than ½ mile without changing its name makes for confused drivers asking directions of joggers, which promotes "friendly" North Carolina image, since joggers, grateful not to be run over by drivers, cheerfully give directions to streets they have never heard of before.

Ways to Get Rid of Things

So, I'm curious. Does anyone else here use their children as a way to get rid of things with less guilt? For example:

#1 Some one gives you (what they think is) a nice shirt that you will never wear, so you wear it on a day you know the kids will be painting. Now, you don't have to lie when they ask why you never wear it!

#2 You have some craft supplies you spent $$$ on, but really don't want to finish the craft--so you let the kids try to finish for you...giving them a wonderful chance to have some fun with "Mommy craft stuff" and then you can toss it without feeling bad that you tossed something.

#3 Realizing that combining #1&#2 accomplishes two things, therefore saving you time.

Like I said, I'm just curious...it doesn't mean I've DONE these things recently (though it might...). ;)

Where Have I Been?!?

Lost. Very lost. But I knew where I was. Sort of.
In the photo below, there might be a Walmart in the photo. There might even be an entire apartment complex...but you can't see them. Nope. Why? Because the trees are so thick!

You see, we were house hunting in Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, NC, and this is what we saw. The whole time. We're glad we followed some locals' advice and brought a GPS to find things, because usually you will have passed the place you are looking for without even noticing it. On main roads, it wasn't much better. In fact, the tree scene was the same, but there were MEDIANS! Which meant--no U-turns. Sigh.

It's a BEAUTIFUL place. I love it. I'm so excited to go. But I'm glad we're renting for a full year before buying, because before I can go house hunting (and I'll really be hunting, like easter-egg style in these trees!), I have to figure out where the grocery store is. Preferably getting there without missing my turns. And the library, and the post office, and...and...and... they are all hidden. In trees.

Here's an aerial (kind of) shot of Durham:
See what I mean? But it's beautiful. Really beautiful.

To see LOTS of road views, check out this website.



Oh, and by the way, this is post #500. That sort of blew me away, too.

I'm In Love!

With this pantry. Look at how beautiful all the grains and beans are!!
Here's the place it's from: Design*Sponge.